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Indaran Warriors
By Melanie Walker
Prologue: May 2003…
Buffy Summers stared with dazed
eyes at the man… no demon pacing in front of her. He’d appeared a week ago.
Appeared warning of danger and heartache and she hadn’t listened to him.
“Have you made your choice?”
he paced in front of her.
It was on the tip of her
tongue to tell him to take his choice and shove it where the sun didn’t shine.
To tell him to take his ridiculous hat off and to find a new wardrober because
the one he had seemed to be living in the seventies.
But instead she bit her
tongue and said nothing. Just stared blankly at him.
“I need an answer,” Whistler
stopped pacing his eyes levelly meeting hers. He didn’t show that he noticed
the blood staining her clothes. Didn’t show that he noticed that he was
standing in blood on the floor. As was she.
Xander’s blood.
Anya’s blood.
Her blood.
Blood spilled when Anya chose
to come after her and Willow to mete out justice to Xander.
But that still wouldn’t help
Xander.
Nothing would help Xander. He
would still be dead.
Dead at the hands of the
woman that he loved.
“What about my sister? My
friends?” Buffy asked hollowly.
“Your father will take over
custody over her. We have people just waiting for the right word to contact
him. We can have him here tomorrow.”
Buffy snorted as she ran a
hand through her hair. She had kept it short. It fell just above her shoulders
and was spotted with her blood, as well as Xander’s, with maybe just a little
of Anya’s thrown in for good measure.
Where had her father been
when her mother had died? When she had died leaving Dawn alone, uncared for.
When she had returned to this plane from Heaven and almost lost their house and
custody of Dawn because she didn’t have money to pay the bills, didn’t have
anything.
“My friends?” she repeated.
“They’ll be told whatever you
want,” Whistler moved closer to her. Staring directly into her eyes he searched
for something that only he could see. Something that he must have seen because
he nodded and a small smile began to grace his face, only to be replaced with
sympathy. “Whatever you want…”
“How about I’m dead,” Buffy
stated, her voice tired as she lowered her gaze from his. Seemingly just now
noticing that she had blood on her hands. “Dead works for me.”
She always had blood on her
hands.
And Xander was still dead.
“Anything you want,” Whistler
promised. “If you want the death scenario we can work it but I think…”
“I won’t remember anything?” Buffy
interrupted staring at her hands. She didn’t want to hear how her friends
deserved better. How her family deserved better. If they had just let her rest
all of this could have been avoided. She clenched her hands into fists before
she looked back over at him. Attempting to reign in her temper. This wasn’t his
fault. He had tried to warn her.
And now she had memories
running in a never ending picture show in her brain right now.
Memories that she didn’t
want. Memories that she wasn’t strong enough to deal with. She laughed to
herself at that thought. She hadn’t been strong enough to handle anything since
“The wipe will be complete…
The only thing you’ll remember is your name, your abilities, date of birth…
nothing else. The powers wouldn’t allow it.”
“My friends will be taken
care of?”
“Already in the works… all
that’s needed is your assent so they can continue.”
“You know you’re being a lot
less cryptic then usual,” Buffy’s eyes narrowed as her head cocked to study
him. “What’s up with that?”
“The powers want to make sure
that you understand the assignment you’re undertaking. There’s no going back
from it. If you decide to step up to the plate there’s no quitting. Until
death.”
Death. When had death become
a pleasant thought?
She closed her eyes. Such a
decision to make. To live forever with the image of
“The Hellmouth?”
“Will be taken care of.
Another Slayer will be called to take your place. Special circumstances and
all.”
Buffy nodded a harsh laugh
emanating from between her lips even though she tried to stop it. Faith was
still in jail and she had vivid reminders of what happened when a Slayer wasn’t
on the Hellmouth.
Hell on Earth happened.
Friends, loved ones died. Buffy straightened, folding her arms over her chest
she raised her chin staring at him almost defiantly.
“Okay.”
******************************************************************************
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce wasn’t
exactly sure what his purpose was anymore.
At one time he was sure it
was to help the Watchers Council train slayers. Of course he hadn’t counted on
one of the Slayers becoming homicidal and shooting a poisoned arrow into the
chest of the vampire boyfriend of the other Slayer as she was trying to help
the mayor of Sunnydale become a very large demon. He had tried to explain to
the council that it wasn’t his fault that Buffy Summers had quit the council
upon their refusal to help Angel. Had tried to explain the Slayers relationship
with the ensouled vampire… how he was a special case, how they had to help him.
But in the end all his
reasons, all his demands had been refused. And Buffy had retaliated by quitting
the Council. The first lone Slayer in the history of the Council, aided by the
friends the Council hated, by the Watcher they had fired.
And he was out of a job.
So his tenure had ended with
one Slayer in a coma, never to awaken. The other in college and he was, for the
first time, without a purpose.
So he had gone out and found
himself another one. As a rogue demon hunter he scoured the streets of
A battle which he had joined
gladly. Helping a vampire with a destiny to one day be human and the suddenly
unselfish cheerleader / seer rid the streets of evil had once again gave him
purpose.
Purpose he had needed.
Helping Angel achieve his destiny gave him direction. But as he paced in front
of the tackily dressed ‘man’ standing in front of him he wasn’t sure of
anything anymore.
It seemed that he had a
‘destiny’ of his very own as this little rude man kept telling him.
A destiny… he laughed to
himself. The only destiny that he had was to betray his best friend and get his
son sucked into a hell dimension all under the misguided belief that he was
protecting the boy.
Rubbing the scar on his neck
he winced, Angel and the others would never forgive him for that trespass… even
though they said they had, their actions spoke even louder then their words.
And their actions spoke of distrust, anger, hatred.
All things
that he deserved.
Especially after a teenage
Connor returned and wrecked havoc on his father and friends. Although father
and son had finally managed to get past the brainwashing that Holtz had
accomplished, they would never get back the years that had been lost. Lost
because of him. Because he had been so sure that Angel would attempt to harm
his own son.
They would never get any of
that time back and it was all his fault.
“I’m not sure exactly what
you want me to say…” he turned to face the little man; fighting the urge to
tell him to take his ridiculous hat off… he was
inside after all.
“What part of the story didn’t
you understand?” Whistler sighed. “Because to be honest my last recruit told me
I was being less cryptic then usual… and well she normally doesn’t understand
me regardless of what I say.”
“I just want to make sure I
understand… you’re saying that I’m not
as it seems meant to be a watcher for the Slayers, I’m a watcher for the
Warriors.”
“Exactly,” Whistler nodded, a
pleased smile crossing his face. Finally they were making some progress.
“And what warriors would
these be exactly?” Wesley asked.
“The Warriors… the Indaran’s…”
Wesley’s eyes widened in
shock as he gaped at the man who seemed to be finding great enjoyment in his
reaction. “The Indaran warriors are myth… legends… they don’t exist.”
“They do, well they will once
we get this show on the road anyway.”
“And you want me to what? Be
a watcher to a bunch of mythical warriors… that may or may not exist?”
“Exactly.”
“Why me? I don’t exactly have
the best track record when it comes to helping out warriors for our side. Look
at what I did to Angel.”
“Everything happened exactly
as it was meant to,” Whistler frowned. “Well except for the whole Ms. Chase
becoming a demon thing, can’t say as any of us saw that coming. The powers were
quite thrown by that development,” he shook his head in wry amusement.
“The powers are the ones that
gave her the choice. Either lose the visions or become half demon to keep
them,” Wesley protested.
“You think the powers did
that?” Whistler laughed. “They’ve got more important things to worry about then
whether one of the seers is in pain or not. She wasn’t supposed to keep the
visions anyway,” he shrugged. “Oh well… it’s done now anyway… What’s your
choice? Do you help the Indaran’s or do you go back to your lonely pathetic
life? Which I hate to say is only going to get more lonely and pathetic.”
Wesley sighed. “What about
my…” what should he call the people that wouldn’t let him help. Wouldn’t let
him make amends. “… what about the others?”
“They’ll be told whatever you
want them to be told.”
“I guess it doesn’t really
matter does it…” he laughed hollowly. “At this point they wouldn’t care either
way… I’m in,” he stated, his spine stiffening as he stared at the shorter… man,
daring him to challenge him, daring him to change his mind and take the offer
back.
“Good,” Whistler grinned
wildly. Looking past Wesley’s shoulder at the door opening behind him he
nodded. “We seem to be ready then, everyone’s here.”
Wesley turned slowly. His
eyes taking in the warriors spoken of only in legends. The Indaran warriors had
been mentioned in every End of Day prophecy he and the council had deciphered.
They were foretold to be fifty of the strongest, most intelligent fighters. And
it looked as if he would be the Watcher to four of the fifty. He could only
hope that he didn’t disappoint them as he had his last three charges.
As the small group filed into
the room he was stunned at how normal they looked.
How young.
A young man, barely in his
twenties. Dark brown hair, blue eyes twinkling merrily in his face, smiling at
him as he made room for the young woman behind him.
The beautiful young woman
behind him. Long black hair that reached her waist in a braid, emerald green
eyes flashing with interest and amusement. Hopefully not directed at him.
Another young man followed
her. Shaggy blond hair, a bored expression on his face that Wesley did not make
the mistake of thinking was boredom. Eyes hidden behind a dark pair of
sunglasses.
The young woman following him
caused his eyes to widen and a gasp to escape him. She winked at him as she
took up her place between the two dark haired warriors.
“Hello Wesley… long time no
see,” she said softly a wry smile adorning her face.
“Buffy,” he gaped at her.
She was one of
the legendary warriors?
The petite blonde Slayer that
he had been first assigned upon taking up his watcher duties in Sunnydale. The
one that had quit the council while under his command thus causing him to lose
his job with the council. He was to be her watcher again? Turning with a
stunned expression to Whistler he shook his head.
“What…?”
“Yes I imagine the two of you
already know each other,” Whistler grinned. “It won’t matter once the ritual is
done of course.”
******************************************************************************
February 2004
Too much time had become
hazardous to his health Angel decided as he entered his second hour of
brooding.
In his hand he held his last
remaining reminder of his lost love.
A picture.
One lone picture was all he
had left of Buffy Summers.
He’d wanted the claddagh ring
that he’d given her so many years ago back. But Dawn had told him once they had
finally made it to Sunnydale that she had been buried with it.
That at least had given him
some measure of peace. She had not hated him enough to be buried without it. He
knew though that she had removed it for some time. Right after they’d first
split, when the separation was still painful and raw Willow had told him she’d
taken it off and buried it in her jewelry box.
Where he had clung to his
ring as a reminder of her and her love, she had felt it to painful to keep it
on.
He’d been told that she’d
started wearing it again just a few short months before her death.
Her third death.
The third time that she died,
the third time that he had failed to save her.
The second time that he had
failed to even be in Sunnydale when she’d fallen.
Of course the third time she
hadn’t fallen alone. Xander Harris, one of her most loyal compatriots had
fallen with her. And with his death all the dreams that Cordelia had once
hidden away with the heart he and
They had, of course, realized
the truth to late. He had realized that they were being manipulated weeks before
Cordy had. But had been unable to do anything. Had been unable to draw himself
out of the abyss that he had fallen into.
He berated himself even now
for his weakness.
Because Buffy had called him
for help and he hadn’t been able to go to her. By the time the spell that had
been cast was broken Buffy and Xander were both dead.
Even though she wasn’t really
the one to blame.
They had been too late to
help, they had been too late to lay down their lives with them, they had even
been too late for the funerals and those were all trespasses that Angel could
never forgive himself for.
For the third time his mate,
his life had died and he had been unable to prevent it.
“Alright enough,” Cordy
snapped from the door, Angel’s eyes flying up to meet hers.
“Cordy?”
“You’ve been brooding for
over an hour. I think that’s long enough… besides that picture of Buffy is so
worn I’m surprised that you can even see who it is.”
“And the one you have of
Xander isn’t in the same shape?” Angel retorted sharply, wincing as he saw the flicker
of pain cross her face and then disappear behind her flawless mask.
“Well at least I don’t do my
brooding in a public venue… I at least wait until I’m home… then at least I can
cry.”
“I’m sorry Cordy,” he said
softly as he placed the photo cradled in his hands lovingly in his desk drawer.
“That was uncalled for.”
Cordy sighed, gracefully
falling into one of the office chairs as she stared at her fingernails. “I’m
sorry to… it’s just we’ve got someone coming from Sunnydale and…”
“And you didn’t want them
faced with immediate reminders of what they’ve lost,” Angel finished with a wry
smile. “Who’s coming?”
“I have no idea,” she
shrugged. “Giles just called and said that he was sending someone to us,
they’re having some problems… disappearance and such. They should be here
soon,” she pushed herself to her feet.
“Hey Cordy…” Angel called
after her. There had been one more death that he hadn’t been able to prevent.
One more person that he was too late to save. Although given his feelings
towards the man at the time of his death he wasn’t sure if he would have helped
him or not. “Have you talked to Kate about what we found out about the
explosion at Wesley’s?”
“I haven’t been able to get a
hold of her… once I do…”
“Thanks,” he leaned forward
as he began rifling through the papers on his desk.
“You’ve got be kidding me!”
he heard Cordy exclaim loudly from the outer office. Shoving himself to his
feet he moved quickly to the door and was shocked into stillness by the sight
in front of him.
“Spike,” he growled low in
his throat.
“’ello peaches… did’ya miss
me?” his most arrogant ensouled grandchilde smirked at him from his perch on
Cordy’s desk. “We’ve got a world of trouble in good ole Sunnyhell.”
******************************************************************************
Angel paced furiously in
front of his desk, alternating between glaring at his silent grandchilde and
the clock on the mantle.
“It’s been 30 minutes Spike
are you going to just sit here for the entire day eating or are you going to
tell me what the hell you’re doing here?” Angel asked in a carefully controlled
voice, Spike was not one of his favorite people.
Even less so now that he had
a soul. He as well as anyone knew that prophecies were tricky things. There was
now a chance that all the prophecies regarding his shanshu and battles could
have been meant for Spike. Not a pleasant thought and one he did not like to
dwell on for long.
Then there was his
‘relationship’ with Buffy. Just the thought of the vampire sitting in front of
him touching his mate caused him to see an angry, violent red.
Spike sighed softly, running
a hand over his hair. He’d stopped using the massive amounts of bleach and gel
that had been his trademark for so long. Now his hair, still cropped short was
wavy and light brown.
“Hallie’s gone missing…”
Angel turned to stare at him.
“I thought D’Hoffryn still had her doing penance for helping Anya.”
“She is… but she’s still
doing her regular vengeance gig as well… went missing about two weeks ago.”
“If she’s out on a job…”
“That’s just it, D’Hoffryn
did his little flashy thing ‘bout a week ago to let Red know that Hallie had
missed her check-in with her parole officer…”
Angel narrowed his eyes as he
perched on the edge of his desk. “Wait a minute… she has a parole officer… they
have parole officers for demons?” he
asked, just a hint of humor in his voice.
“Yeah, funny heh?” Spike
grinned. “Anyway the watcher asked Riley to see what he’d heard… Initiative’s
been helping the Slayer out you know…”
“Yes,” Angel frowned. The
thought of Finn in Sunnydale when he couldn’t be grated on a nerve that he
thought had been buried with Buffy.
“Anyway now Finn and his
team’s missing… Five men and Finn’s wife.”
“Shit,” Angel swore under his
breath.
“Watcher wants to know if
you’ll keep an ear out… thinks something big is going on. Something that we
don’t know about.”
******************************************************************************
Riley Finn stood defiantly facing
what he supposed was his judge and jury. A room full of demons that wanted
nothing more than to tear him apart.
That had already torn apart
one of his men.
Literally torn him limb from
limb.
Had killed his wife as he
watched, hands chained behind his back, legs shackled together to impede
movement they had just laughed as he struggled to save Sam.
Until his dying day, which he
realized shouldn’t be too much longer, he would remember the look on her face.
That look of horror when she
realized that this was it. That he wasn’t going to be able to get to her in
time.
An ambush, a fucking ambush
on what should have been a fairly simple rescue mission had left Sam, Josh and
quite possibly himself dead. The others, Graham, Marshall,
“He’s quite an attractive
specimen,” one snaggly-toothed female said in what he supposed she thought was
her seductive voice. She ran a hand across his face, down his chest. “Quite
well endowed as well,” she laughed even as he flinched away from her. “I say we
put him in the auction with the others. He should fetch a pretty price… being a
warrior and all.”
“He’s not a warrior,” an
elderly human looking male said as he quietly watched the proceedings. A look
of disgust crossing his face. “If he were one you wouldn’t be able to touch him
Aggie and he certainly wouldn’t have
been captured.”
“Then what is he old man?”
this from a green and red hued demon that he couldn’t place. “And don’t think
about lying to us… if he is a warrior, we won’t find…”
“He’s human Samuel,” the old
man pulled himself to his feet using the table as a lever. A cane in one hand
he hobbled forward. “There is something different about him I’ll grant you
that… but he’s not Indaran.”
Riley frowned as he heard
that word again. When they had been captured it had been tossed around.
Especially after he had tossed two of his guards across the room in his rush to
save Sam and Josh.
If he got out of this he
would have to make sure to ask Giles about it. Find out what he knew about
these Indaran’s.
Of course that was all
dependent on him surviving.
As he was pushed forward, forced
to his knees he kept his expression stoic even though surprise was riding
him. That was the first time that he had
managed to think about one of the Scoobies, the Sunnydale based team of the
Slayers without grief washing over him. Without blaming himself for Xander and
Buffy’s deaths. Without helplessly wondering if he had been there, if he and
his team had responded to Xander’s desperate call for backup on the Hellmouth
if things would have gone down differently.
Maybe they would have managed
to stop Anya before she killed Xander. Before Buffy died of her own injuries.
Closing his eyes he growled
as he felt one of his guards yanking on his chains, pulling his arms over his
head.
“He’s not human… no human
fights like he did… His strength…”
“He’s human Samuel… do not
question me about that,” the old man snapped whirling until he faced his
adversary glaring him into submission. When he was finally silent he turned
back to Riley his eyes losing focus as he touched his forehead.
“Keep him for the auction
though,” the old man said his eyes focusing once more on the young man
seemingly ignoring them. He wasn’t fooled though. He could feel the tightly
coiled muscles waiting for his guards to loosen their grips on his chains for
just one moment so he could escape.
“I think Aggie is right,
he’ll fetch a right good price on the market… ” the old man said suddenly his
eyes suddenly crystal clear. Standing before Riley who had stilled at his
words, his eyes closing momentarily as he sought composure. His eyes shooting
open when he felt his chin gripped, the old mans strength belying his true age
it seemed. Their eyes meeting in that instant Riley felt a gasp pulled from his
throat. He hadn’t felt power like that since his last visit to Sunnydale and
the Scoobies.
Riley winced as his angry
eyes met the clear ones of his captors and a smile crossed the face of the old
man. “Or quite possibly the Indaran’s will attempt to rescue him, we may yet be
able to get our hands on one of those elusive warriors.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy groaned as she rolled
onto her side. Opening her eyes she glared at her alarm clock, tossing it
across the room in one swift motion. With a smile she closed her eyes as she
heard it hit the wall. That was much
better; she snuggled deeper into her pillows.
“How many clocks is that this
month?” she heard an amused voice from the doorway. Opening one eye she shot
her death glare at the grinning young man leaning against the doorframe. Black
hair neatly combed. Black T-shirt tucked into his black jeans, combat boots
already on his feet he looked ready for whatever this evening’s assignment
brought them.
“Does it really matter
Damon?”
“No… although maybe you
should buy stock in whatever company manufactures your brand… their stock
prices must be soaring through the
roof.”
“Ha, ha,” she said
sarcastically sitting up in her bed. “Look how funny you’re not this morning.”
“Never claimed to be funny babe,”
Damon grinned eyes twinkling with amusement as he sauntered into the room.
For a brief moment Buffy felt
a flicker of recognition before it faded away. The memory wipe that all Indaran’s
had been required to go through didn’t seem to want to take with her, at least
once a day she would have a flash of something. Never anything concrete it was
like fog that she couldn’t hold onto. One minute there, the next gone. She had
learned over the last couple of months to pretty much ignore them. They could
only serve to get her hurt… or drive her insane.
“Don’t call me babe,” she
said automatically, swinging her feet off the bed she slipped her cold feet
into her fuzzy pig slippers.
“Whatever you say doll face,”
he winked at her as he flopped down on the foot of her bed, watching with a
semi-interested expression as she pulled her robe on rolling her eyes at him.
The friendly banter was part of their morning routine. If he were to suddenly
one morning not appear in her doorway with his flirtatious banter she would
think something was wrong.
“What time is it?” she asked
moving to her closet. Digging around she pulled a pair of black jeans and a
black turtleneck out.
“Past ten… you missed the
morning update, thrilling as it was,” Damon rolled his eyes this time. Morning
updates were the bane of their existence. Getting up at nine just to talk about
what they had done the previous night seemed like a big waste of time that
could be better spent with other activities.
Like sleeping.
“I’m surprised Wes didn’t
come wake me up.”
“I think he’s still terrified
to come in here after you threw your alarm clock at him.”
“I missed him didn’t I?”
“I don’t think that made him
feel any better.”
“Actually I think Wes is more
afraid of your growling than your habit of throwing alarm clocks at peoples
heads,” Jade said as she took up Damon’s old position leaning at the door.
“I don’t growl,” Buffy yelled
from the bathroom.
“Keep telling yourself that,”
Jade called back. She exchanged a wicked grin with Damon before cocking her
head indicating that he should depart the room. He sighed loudly.
Woman talk. At least he was
being warned. Normally they just started talking about their cycles and what
not as he was standing right there.
Like he really wanted to hear
that stuff.
“Hey Buff I’m going to go see
if Colin’s got our gear ready for tonight,” he called as he pushed himself to
his feet.
“Make sure he packs extra batteries
this time,” Buffy called out. Damon laughed as he walked out of the room. Jade
closing the bedroom door behind him.
“So…” Buffy said as she
walked out of the bathroom.
“What?”
“Please,” she rolled her
eyes. “Wes afraid to wake me up… what happened last night?”
“You don’t remember?” Jade
asked pacing in front of the bed.
“I remember going to bed,”
Buffy shrugged. “Then Damon this morning… why? Did I have another nightmare?”
“More like several,” Jade
dragged her fingers through her hair. “You kept Wes and I up half the night
worrying. He finally put in another call to Whistler…”
“He wants to see if they can
do another wipe.”
“Yeah… after the mission
tonight,” her friend nodded. “He doesn’t want to take the risk of doing it
before and have you forgetting something vital...”
“Like what? How to fight?”
Buffy laughed. “Like that would happen… So what’s on tap?”
“Rescue mission… Sounds like
one of our guys but everyone’s checked in so…”
“So it could be a trap, or
could be a demon hunter. Cool… sounds like fun,” Buffy winked as she glanced in
the mirror running her fingers through her hair as she sighed.
“Rescue missions… not really
my idea of fun,” Jade shook her head.
******************************************************************************
“Good morning Buffy, sleep
well?” an overly tired looking Wesley asked as Buffy and Jade walked into the
conference room.
Seated at one end of the long
table, at the other end sat Susanne, the watcher for the other four warriors
already seated. Taking her own place to Wesley’s right she flipped open the
folder in front of her all the while surreptitiously studying the tired face of
her watcher.
She knew from the look on his
face that the steaming cup in front of him held Earl Grey tea and that he had
probably been drinking it for several hours to keep awake. Maybe she should
suggest No-Doze or something.
“Slept like a baby,” Buffy
shrugged as she caught the bottle of water that Damon tossed at her.
“Right,” Wesley frowned at
her. “I suppose Jade has mentioned that I’ve put in a call to Whistler to come
look at you again.”
“Yeah she did… I really don’t
think it’s necessary.”
“Humor me.”
“Well then, can we put it off
for a few days? Just to see if I remember anything concrete… I mean right now
it’s just these images… Which really don’t mean much.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Susanne cleared her throat
from her end of the table, causing all eyes to fly to her. “If we’re ready to begin?”
she asked eyebrows arched as she waited for Wesley’s assent.
“By all means,” he nodded
leaning back in his chair as Susanne rose to her feet.
Pointing her remote at the
screen behind her a picture and small bio appeared.
“This is Agent Riley Finn; he
currently works for a top secret government organization called the
Initiative…”
“Some secret if we were able
to find about it,” Colin mumbled, the rest of the table snickering in
agreement. Susanne smiled as she continued.
“Be that as it may, we have
friends in high places… and so it seem does this young man. He was captured a
little less then a week ago. Showed signs of unusual strength, some rapidity in
his healing upon his capture. We have however determined that he’s not one of
ours. Everyone is accounted for, but…”
“But that doesn’t mean that
he’s not a demon hunter that wasn’t chosen to be a warrior,” Buffy finished.
“But why would a hunter work for the government? Aren’t they as afraid of
exploitation as the rest of us?”
“We’re not sure, but the
message came directly from the powers. This particular young man assists the
current vampire Slayer on the Hellmouth in Sunnydale
“You mean they were trying to
rescue…?” Jade pointed down. In the basement levels is where they were
currently holding three demons that had been rescued in various operations. One
of them, a vengeance demon named Halfrek was still recovering from wounds she
had suffered.
“Yes Halfrek is currently
working with the Slayer and others right now. Her wounds have healed enough
that she can leave today if she wishes. But that still leaves Mr. Finn in the
hands of the Senmarrite’s. He’s been listed as part of this weekends auctions,
it’s the consensus of the group that he’s actually being set up as bait for us.
The Senmarrite’s know that we won’t let them put the young man on the block so
they’ll likely be waiting for us to rescue him.”
“So we know it’s a trap, but we’re still going to rescue him,” Damon
grimaced. “Nothing like going right into the devil’s lair.”
“It’ll be a simple in/out
run. You’ve already breeched this building once, Alpha and Beta teams will take
point. Charlie and Delta will take secondary flanking and run interference as
needed,” Susanne closed her folder. “Oh and Buffy, Halfrek would like a word
with you if you have a moment.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy stared through the
glass at the demon that was currently pacing holes in the floor of her room.
When they had first rescued
her she had been in as rough a shape as they had seen any of their cases in.
She had been almost beaten
into submission. If they’d been just another day in rescuing her she would have been broken.
As it was when they had
gotten to her she’d had so many broken bones that she’d been unable to assist
in her rescue. Damon’d had to carry her out. When they gotten her back to the
compound they discovered that with the broken bones there was absolutely no
patch of skin on her body that hadn’t been marred with vicious bruises or
wounds.
She’d been brutalized.
Demons didn’t take to kindly
to one of their own assisting the other side. Unprotected demons that were visible
in the fight bore the brunt of the punishments and Halfrek’s had been severe.
It had taken her almost the
entire 10 days that she’d been in their care to heal. And for that Buffy could
only praise the accelerated healing that both demons and themselves were
blessed with. If Halfrek had been a normal human woman she would have been
dead.
She would never have believed
it without proof that the vengeance demon was assisting the Slayer. It had
taken months after she had assumed her role as an Indaran before she realized
that the demon world was not just black and white.
Whistler was a prime example
of that.
He was half-demon and working
for the powers that be. Showing up at the most inopportune times to spread his
wisdom or give them assignments. Normally he went directly to one of the
Watchers and he seemed to specifically like interrupting Wesley or Susanne just
as they were going into or coming out of the shower.
Although there were various
times he went directly to one of the warriors, which is what he had done in
Halfrek’s case.
He had popped into her room
as she was sleeping and had an alarm clock lobbed off his head before he
managed to wake her up. All the while swearing under his breath.
She didn’t think that he
would be making visits to her room late at night anymore. Or at least not while
she was sleeping.
Taking a deep breath Buffy
steeled herself to enter the room. Halfrek’s presence within the Indaran
compound had disturbed her deeply.
And she knew part of that was
because Halfrek knew her.
She had known even without
Halfrek having said anything. It had been in the way that the demon watched
her, studied her, questioned her.
Once she had realized what
was happening Buffy had purposely distanced herself from the recovery process.
“Susanne mentioned that you
wanted to speak to me before you left?” she asked politely, arms folded over
her chest she presented an imposing picture. But she could tell by the smirk on
her face that Halfrek was less than impressed with it.
“I didn’t think that watcher
of yours would pass the message along,” Hallie grinned. Moving she circled the
former Slayer, eyeing her front and back as she looked for something hidden.
“They do good work,” she commented.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know that you don’t know
who I am… your watcher boy, he explained all about the Indaran’s and the memory
wipes. But you also know that I know you, or rather knew the other you… You can
feel it despite what they’ve done to you.”
“And your point is what?”
Buffy sighed. “That at one time we were friends or something?”
“Oh god no,” Hallie laughed.
“We were never friends. We’d only spoken a few times before your ‘death’. I
certainly wasn’t fighting the good fight then.”
“Then how…?”
“We had mutual friends,”
Hallie stopped right in front of her, inches away she crossed her own arms over
her chest and stared at the girl.
“I don’t want to know,” Buffy
held up a hand, halting the protest that she could see forming on Hallie’s
lips. “This is the way things are, I left for a reason…”
“You left because bad things
happened and you couldn’t deal with them. In my book that’s weak and it’s
cowardly as hell for you to continue to let them think you’re dead when you’re
not. You know it as well; it’s why your memories keep trying to come back
despite the power that be’s best efforts to keep it from happening.”
“Are we finished here?
Because I’ve got work to do.”
“He doesn’t believe you’re
dead,” Hallie said suddenly. “He never has, he doesn’t talk about it anymore. Doesn’t
even mention it because there was talk of putting him out of his misery… but he
never believed it… You’re making him suffer, just like you’re suffering. He
deserves to know the truth.”
“I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” Buffy said softly, wishing that her voice could have just a tad
bit more conviction. In her mind she could see the chocolate brown eyes of a
man, unknown to her that was looking at her with such adoration and love that
it made her heart and soul sing.
In her most private moments
she would close her eyes and think about those eyes, that man with no name and
hope that someday… when the fight was over with that she would be able to find
him.
“I think you do… you just
don’t want to admit,” Hallie said gently, touching her shoulder in a brief
moment of solidarity. “What will they do to you if you remember? Will they take
your memories away again? What kind of reward is that for warriors that fight
in their name?”
“I made the decision…” Buffy
said softly her eyes rising to meet those of the demon who knew her, tears
welling in her eyes as she talked. Her voice barely a whisper. “They gave us
all the choice, we didn’t have to be Indaran, we could have been what we were
before and kept fighting in their name. I made this choice. And now I have to
live with it. But they don’t.”
“Buffy…”
“So they find out I’m alive,
then what? I’ll still have no memory of them. Don’t you think that would hurt
them more?”
“I think they’d want to help
you.”
“I’m sorry,” Buffy said wiping
at her eyes. “Do you have enough strength to do a teleportation spell or do you
need someone to take you home?”
“If I told you I didn’t would
you be the one to take me?”
Buffy stood stock still for a
moment before shaking her head.
“Then I have enough energy to
do the spell,” Hallie said in defeat. “Am I free to go?”
“Yes,” Buffy turned away
moving slowly to the door even as she heard Hallie maneuvering behind her,
setting up the spell with the ingredients that had been left at her disposal.
“Buffy,” Hallie called out
even as she set the circle and began mixing the herbs together.
“What now?”
“I won’t keep this a secret.
They… he deserves to know… I will
tell them that you’re alive.”
“You’ll only hurt them if you
do.”
“Be that as it may… they’ve
been fighting just as long as you have, don’t they deserve a little peace?”
Hallie asked quietly even as she disappeared from within the circle.
“Don’t worry Buffy,” Jade’s
quiet voice came from the doorway. “She won’t have a chance to say anything.”
“What did you do?”
“Sleeping spell, delayed
reaction. It should kick in as soon as she reaches the Hellmouth. She should
have enough energy to find a soft surface to collapse on then she’ll be out for
a few days. That’ll give the powers enough time to intervene.”
“Do you think they will?”
“Of course… why wouldn’t
they?”
******************************************************************************
When Hallie had been setting
up the teleportation spell her original intention had been to return to Sunnydale
and let everyone know she was all right.
Deep down, despite the fact
that she considered herself bound into slavery by an act that had been out of
her control, she actually liked working with the Slayer and her team. For once
in her life she had a purpose that didn’t revolve around the wish.
She considered them her
friends now. Even those that stared at her as if waiting for her to attempt to
kill them much like Anya had done.
But as she watched Buffy
Summers depart the room she was in she had changed the direction of the spell
and decided that she could call Sunnydale, she really, desperately needed to
speak to Angel.
Like everyone else she had
watched the ensouled vampire suffer for the last year. Watched him grieve for
his lost love and for once in her life she wished she wasn’t bound by the laws
of the wish.
The laws that stated that the
demon could not make a wish on her own powers, or grant a wish to another demon
with the same powers.
Because she most certainly
would have used the opportunity to undo everything that she had done to assist
Anyanka in her vengeance against Xander just to give the vampire back his mate.
But she couldn’t.
So she had watched Angel
slowly try to move on with his life, never quite succeeding, because as he had
confided in her just months prior, he didn’t truly believe that Buffy was dead.
He thought she had been
captured on her way to the hospital. Or transported to some other dimension…
because after all, she did live on the Hellmouth.
The fact that her body had
been buried before he could see it himself only served to further his thoughts
that Buffy Summers was indeed alive. Because why would they bury her body
without giving him the opportunity to say goodbye?
Never mind the fact that they
had been split up. That Angel had been slowly venturing into a relationship
with his seer.
All that had been forgotten
and Angel’s real emotions revealed when told that the Slayer was dead.
Still Hallie had been like
the others, placating him. Because he was one of theirs. If he felt the need to
believe that the girl was alive somewhere so be it.
But now that Hallie had
actually met the girl she had no choice but to believe in the power of whatever
connection the two had.
Because she had actually talked
to the former Slayer, touched her, seen the scar on her neck that pronounced
her the mate of the vampire Angelus.
Of course it would just
figure that her memories were shot to hell, but Hallie was not disheartened by
this fact. She could tell that they were just waiting for the right moment to
bubble to the surface and wreak havoc on her freshly created life and return
her to the fold from which she’d been removed.
But in the meantime she could
at least tell Angel that he had been right.
Which is why she was startled
when she appeared in the lobby of the Hyperion and saw Spike staring at her.
“Hallie!” he whooped rushing
towards even as she felt an overwhelming ache of tiredness creep over her body.
Her eyes widened as she realized the implications and she shoved Spike aside
only to clutch at his arms when her legs started to fail her.
“Angel,” she gasped as they
sank to the carpeted floor. Damn it she hadn’t realized that they had a witch.
She was adept enough to recognize a sleeping spell, and also to know that she
didn’t have enough energy to combat it. “Need to talk… to Angel…”
“Angel!” Spike bellowed,
Cordy wincing as she ran into the room at the volume of his voice.
“The walls are thin Spike,”
she glared at the vampire. “Do you really
need to bellow?”
“Angel,” Hallie mumbled her
eyes closing as she shook within the protective circle of Spike’s arms.
“Peaches get your arse down
here now!!!” Spike shouted again as he grabbed a pillow from the couch they
were situated nearest. Propping it under Hallie’s head he moved slightly away,
only stopping when she clutched his hand.
“What’s wrong?!” Angel yelled
as he raced into the lobby. “Did you have vision Cordy?”
“No Spike found his missing demon
though,” Cordy waved at where Spike was trying to coax Hallie into staying
awake.
“See peaches is here now,”
Spike was saying quietly.
“Angel,” Hallie murmured.
“Oh my…” Angel dropped to his
knees next to her. “What the hell happened to her?”
“Don’t know, she just ported
in here and then collapsed… said she needed to talk to you,” Spike said
squeezing Hallie’s hand even as he tried to focus her attention on the dark
haired vampire sitting on her other side.
“Hallie,” Angel leaned over
her, grabbing her hand he watched her face as her eyes focus on him. “Hallie
what is it?”
“You were right,” she
whispered her eyes drifting close.
“Right about what Hallie…
stay awake now…” Angel insisted as he clenched her hand tightly.
“Were right,” she mumbled.
“She’s alive.”
Angel sat back on his
haunches his eyes wide in shock. He had hoped, had felt it in his bones. But
only within his deepest desires had he ever imagined that he would be proven
right.
“Who?” Spike asked looking
between the two. Between Angel who looked as if he couldn’t decide between
wanting to pass out or jump up and do a jig so instead just sat there gaping in
shock, and Hallie who looked as if she was going to go to sleep right at that
very moment. “Who Hallie?”
“Buffy… Buffy’s alive.”
******************************************************************************
Riley came to consciousness
with a gasp and groan. He had collapsed in his cell the moment that he’d been
returned to it. Bound hand and foot with chains that he couldn’t break through
despite his best efforts.
He hadn’t felt this weak in a
long time.
Part of him couldn’t decide
if it was because of the damn tests that he was being subjected to or if they
were drugging him.
Whatever group these demons belonged
to they were as thorough as the military.
He’d had to have had every
medical test known to man or demon performed on him. All the while his captors
complained about everything and anything to do with his human status.
Under the seemingly never-ending
litany of complaints though he could sense the worry that their real purpose in
capturing him, of putting him up for auction was going to go unrewarded.
Because he had been in their
custody for days and the elusive Indaran’s had yet to attempt a rescue. The
underlying tension told him that if there was not a rescue attempt made soon
that he’d go on the auction block regardless and he probably wouldn’t like who
he was sold to.
He had a feeling that they
were doing all the tests looking for anything that could disprove the old man’s
statement that he was not Indaran.
Because they desperately
wanted an Indaran.
Then there was the old man.
Who had been back one time to see him.
As he had lain strapped to a
metal table in the bare room where they had been performing their multitude of
tests on him he had gazed into his pain filled eyes and told him in a soft
voice that his wife was in a better place.
Somehow that hadn’t made him
feel any better.
He knew that the lives they
led were dangerous. That their missions could end their lives within minutes,
knew that they wouldn’t grow old together and die wrapped together in their
bed.
But he had hoped.
When he had left Sunnydale he
had never thought that he would fall in love again. He thought he’d left his
heart behind in that small
Falling for Sam had come as something
of a shock for him. One day they were friends and the next he didn’t know what
he’d do without her and he had to wonder if that was how Buffy had felt. If she
had loved Angel as much as he loved Sam it must have killed her to be separated
from him.
What the hell are you doing Finn! he berated himself. You have more important things to worry about!
And one of them was the fact
that he wasn’t alone in the tiny room.
Squinting his eyes he
attempted to focus on the shadows. He could have sworn he heard someone move.
“Is…” he started and would
have jumped sky high at the feel of a hand against his mouth silencing him, if
he hadn’t been bound so tightly by his restraints.
A face loomed above him and
his eyes widened in shock as he saw a face directly out of his dreams. Hazel
eyes stared down at him as she pressed a finger to her lips indicating that he
needed to be silent and with questioning eyes she waited for him to nod his
head.
Drawing away from him she
pulled a tiny knife from a pocket on her vest and went to work on the chains
binding him.
“Am I dead?” he whispered. He
had to be dead. Because the vision before him was flying with angel’s and his
Sam, so there was no earthly way possible that she was standing in front of
him.
Especially not garbed totally
in black, complete with black stocking cap covering what he remembered being
her short blonde locks.
No one else had those eyes
though.
Instead of a response he saw
her once again place her finger against her lips. Silently shushing him an
almost imperceptible expression of exasperation on her face. He sighed when he
realized that no response was forthcoming and only then did the absurd reality
of the situation hit him.
She was rescuing him.
He was being rescued by a dead woman.
Did he really need to be
rescued in order to go to heaven?
If he wasn’t already dead
he would be free if he could just hold his questions until they got out of this
hole.
With that in mind he relaxed in
his chains, trying to give her some slack to work with almost jumping again
when he heard her speak.
I found him,
he heard her say wordlessly, even though her lips did not move he knew that it
had come from her. He looked up at her in surprise, then realized that she
wasn’t speaking to him, that she was still busy with his chains and that she
was talking to someone else.
Probably a transmitter in her
ear although even straining he couldn’t hear what was being said.
She’d never used transmitter
radios before. Even though once he’d tried to get her to use them. Telling her
that it would allow them to fight better together.
Be a better team.
But they weren’t a team, she
was the Slayer and he was her sidekick.
Besides she was dead.
I’ll need help I don’t think I can carry him and fight
at the same time.
Third door on the right.
His suspicions that she was
speaking to someone else were confirmed when another body appeared in the
doorway. He tried to focus his eyes enough to make out the form and was just
about to warn her when it reached her side.
A young man, dressed in a
similar fashion touched her arm and then helped her remove the chains.
Riley desperate to prove that
he wasn’t helpless and did not need to be carried from this place
attempted to sit up; only to fall back as his arms and legs failed him.
“Shit,” he mumbled softly.
Sighing silently as he saw the now twin looks of exasperation as both of his
rescuers silenced him with glares.
The young man threw his arm
around his shoulders pulling him up gently. But even with as gentle as his
rescuer was Riley still winced as the muscles in his arms joined in the protest
with the rest of his body at having to actually move. Biting back a groan he
leaned heavily into the man’s side as he watched her move with stealth to the
door. Waving them forward as she took a small metal baton from somewhere on her
person and stepped out of his line of sight.
Their movement from where he
was being held to the freedom he was being half-carried towards was a long arduous
journey.
And while he watched her flit
between shadows, appearing and disappearing he had to wonder where the demons
that had run this place were.
Just hours before there had
been a loud, raucous party going on and now it was as quiet as a tomb.
It was when they made their
way into the large open room where he had gone through his make-shift trial
that he realized why the building was silent.
Bodies littered the floor,
and when he stumbled upon noticing them he decided he should concentrate on not
fucking up their rescue of him by getting himself killed.
When they moved into the
hallways he watched her strictly from his peripheral vision. Watched as she
calmly and efficiently dealt with every obstacle that was presented to her.
She had always been good.
It seemed she still was.
Clutching at the shoulder
that was being leant to him by the young man at his side he concentrated on
putting one foot in front of the other. It was better to focus on him instead
of the dead woman that was moving in front of him.
He was so intent on not
making a muck of the rescue that he was shocked into stillness when he realized
that they had gotten away. Only the gentle prodding of the man at his side had
him crawling, then collapsing on the floor of the van.
Of course than he saw the
Cyclops demon, one eye blinking sleepily as it stared down at him.
“Is that all of them?” the
eyes that had been drifting closed popped open as he recognized that English
speaking voice.
He’d only heard it once,
years ago when he’d still been in favor with the Sunnydale crowd he answered
the phone to hear that British voice. A former watcher of the Slayers he had
been working in LA with Angel and his group.
Wesley Wyndam-Price was also supposed to be dead.
An explosion in his apartment
building, believed to have been set by the lawyers hell-bent on either
destroying Angel or releasing Angelus.
His eyes drifted closed
again. He was suddenly completely exhausted as the realization that he was free
hit him.
When she spoke, the sound of
her voice though caused his eyes to pop open and his gaze to fix on her.
Her voice so familiar to him
that he thought he’d only hear it in his dreams.
“That’s all of them,” Buffy
said quietly, her voice muffled as she pulled the vest she had been wearing
over her head.
Buffy was alive,
he mumbled to himself as his eyes drifted shut. Her name a whisper on his lips
even as he heard Wesley ask, “Is that really an elf?”
******************************************************************************
Buffy relentlessly pounded
the bag in front of her. While everyone else on Alpha and Beta teams had
collapsed upon making sure their charges were safe she was hard-pressed to feel
tired.
Dealing with Halfrek that
morning, then the rescue tonight had left her feeling on edge.
Like something was about to
happen.
“Aren’t you exhausted?” she
heard Damon ask from the doorway. “I mean it’s been a busy day.”
“Too wired,” she stated
breathlessly.
“Let’s have a go then,” Damon
said stated, when she turned with a quizzical expression on her face she saw
that he had donned work out clothes and taped his hands prior to coming down to
the gym.
With a grin and a whoop she
dove at him, the two circling, kicking, punching with all the pent up energy
they could muster.
It wasn’t very often they
could let loose like they were without hurting the person they were sparring
against. Normally the watchers didn’t like them fighting each other, there
wasn’t any chance of them hurting each other. As evenly matched as they were
their fights almost always came out in ties.
But there was always the
possibility that one of them could have a good day and be just enough better than their opponent and do
some major damage.
Collapsing side by side they both
panted as the sweat rolled from their bodies to the mats below.
“Just once I’d like one of
our fights to not come out in a tie,” Buffy grumbled as she swiped a hand
across her forehead.
“You want to lose to me that
badly?”
******************************************************************************
Buffy moved slowly from room to room in house… no
hotel… that she didn’t recognize.
People moved slowly around her. A dark-haired brunette
sat behind a counter laughing with a young black man. A green demon, whose
origins she couldn’t place was talking to a short curly haired young woman a
distance away.
He wasn’t here and she was alarmed.
He was always here. This was his home, his family.
Moving forward again she climbed the stairs, an open
door on the right revealed a young man with eyes that looked familiar although
she couldn’t place them. He was just out of his teens sitting in the middle of
his bed talking animatedly to a young woman with long, straight dark brown
hair.
Dawn a voice whispered in her mind. That was Dawn, her
sister… who was not her sister. And Connor who she wasn’t supposed to know
about.
With a frown she moved on. How could you have a sister
who wasn’t a sister? And why shouldn’t she know about the boy?
The next room brought her to the one she sought and as
she moved in she smiled softly then stopped as confusion reigned.
He sat in an old, comfortable looking leather chair.
And instead of looking sad, forlorn as he stared at the picture cradled in his
hands he had a small smile playing on his lips.
“He looks happy,” she whispered softly, not
understanding in the slightest.
“He loves you still B… thinks you’re still alive,”
came a voice from behind her. Whirling around in anger and silently berating herself
she assumed a defensive position as she faced the brunette leaning negligently
against the door frame.
“Who are you?” she growled.
“Funny B… just because we didn’t part on the best of
terms doesn’t mean that I didn’t care when you died.”
I’m not dead was her
first response but what actually came from her mouth was, “Humor me.”
“I’m Faith… remember me? Your sister Slayer… fighting
the good fight and all.”
“Right…” Buffy drawled slowly. “So why are you here?
Why aren’t you on the Hellmouth?”
“Because Sunny D has a Slayer right now. New girl,
Theresa… I’ve been helping broody boy and his gang in LA.”
“You’re in LA?” Buffy shook her head, so not the point
right now. “How did you get into my dream?”
“Your dream… hate to break it to you B but you’re
dead, this is my dream,” Faith stated in exasperation. “You came to me, see the
powers do this trippy thing where they make the messages they send us Slayers
totally incomprehensible so that it takes nine years to decrypt them.”
“Right,” Buffy lowered her fists, her eyes still wary
on the other girl before she decided that hell this was a dream, you couldn’t
die in dreams right? So she turned away, refocusing on the reason she had come
here.
Him.
“He’s a vampire,” she said softly as she watched him
sip the mug that she knew, how did she
know, was filled with blood.
Probably heated to exactly the right temperature.
98.6.
“You know that already B,” Faith moved up alongside
her staring down at him. The blonde’s picture clutched in one hand, the other holding
the mug to his lips.
“He doesn’t believe that you’re dead… Can’t move on
because of it,” turning to the other woman suddenly she grabbed her arm, shock
on her face when her hand didn’t pass right through like it normally would. She
was real… she wasn’t an apparition as normal. “What the…? Are you haunting him
B? Is that what this is?”
“I don’t know…”
“Is that what you’re trying to tell me?!!” Faith
screamed her face raised to the heavens. “Is that why he can’t move on because
she’s still here?!”
Looking at the brunette with something akin to fear
Buffy backed away. A loud beeping interrupting her train of thought, making her
lose what she had been about to say as she blindly turned towards the door.
“What’s that noise?!” Faith shouted rushing forward to
grab her arm.
“Let me go!” Buffy struggled against her grip, peeling
her fingers off one by one and moving towards the door again.
“What is that?” Faith repeated as she blocked her path
of escape.
“It’s my alarm clock,” Buffy said as she tried to
maneuver around the other woman.
“Alarm clock? You have alarm clocks in heaven? How
messed up is that.”
“I’m not dead,” Buffy said desperately. The shock on
Faith’s face gave her the split second she needed to move around the other
woman and out the door.
“Not dead? Not dead?!” Faith rushed after her. Racing
to catch up with her. “B?! Buffy!?”
With a gasp Faith came awake,
sitting straight up in her bed, her chest heaving. One word on her lips.
“Buffy.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy lay in the middle of
her large bed staring with unseeing at the ceiling. Confusion and fear raced
through her body.
There had been someone in her
dream.
Someone that had known her.
Someone that she’d known.
Faith.
She’d gotten used to Cordelia
and the others. People that she’d never met who helped and lived with Angel.
She’d gotten used to the dreamlike existence that she lived in at night.
Her life was flashing before
her eyes and she hated it.
She would forget them every
time Whistler did a wipe on her. But then the dreams would start again. Hazy
dreams of her past, of her present. Slowly she would relearn all those people
that she’d forgotten.
But there were some that she
never forgot.
Dawn. Connor…
Angel.
Sitting up she ran fingers
through her hair as she sighed loudly. She had told Wesley to hold off on
contacting Whistle but now she had to wonder if that had been a wise idea.
She could not go downstairs and see Riley with her
memories firmly intact.
She knew that the powers
wouldn’t let her go see Riley with her memories intact. Besides she didn’t
think she could stand to see the revulsion on his face when he realized that
she was alive and had abandoned her friends and family.
“Well at least this time I
won’t leave with an alarm clock shaped imprint on my forehead,” she heard
Whistlers voice before she ever saw. Sitting up on the edge of the bed she stared
at the demon who was walking slowly towards her, hat held in his hands as he
studied her face.
“Definitely came back quicker
this time,” he commented as he stopped in front of her.
“I remember it all,” she
confirmed absently as she lifted her hands to study them. “There was so much
blood.”
“He died a warrior’s death,
just like he wanted, just like he was meant to.”
“Like he was meant to?! He wasn’t a warrior! He
shouldn’t even have been there! Should never have died like that.”
“You can’t change the past
kid… What’s done is done… You made the only choice you could under the
circumstances.”
“I had his blood on my hands, I remember what it
sounded like when he fell,” she covered her face with her hands sobbing. “I
remember it all… why?”
“The powers have no control
over the bond that you share with the vampire…”
“Angel?” Buffy’s hands fell
to her lap as she stared up at Whistler with wide eyes. “What does Angel have
to do with this?”
“We thought the bond between
you was gone, dead… or at the very least so weak that it would have no bearing
on the order things needed to happen. Obviously we underestimated the power of
it,” Whistler twisted his hat between his hands as he frowned. Buffy was sure
that if the hat had been on his head that he would have been wringing his hands
in frustration.
“What are you talking about?”
she asked in confusion. “What does Angel have to do with my memories
continually coming back?”
“You keep remembering because
he remembers. He remembers every kiss, every touch, every moment that you spent
together and separated. Whenever we do the wipe it only holds until the bond
between you asserts itself and his memories start refreshing yours. It’s really
quite extraordinary… frustrating… but extraordinary.”
“But you’re still going to do
another wipe… even though the memories will come back again.”
“Yes.”
Buffy stared at him for a
moment before she sighed and lay back on her bed, closing her eyes she settled against
her pillows. “Then do it now… before I change my mind and refuse.”
Whistler moved to stand
beside the bed, setting his hat down his hands moved to hover over her head.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he began the spell. “I wish there was another way.”
“And how long will it hold
this time?” Wesley asked from behind him.
The demon glanced over his
shoulder at the Watcher standing patiently in the door. “How much did you
hear?”
“Enough to know that the
wipes will last for continually shorter time spans until one day when it won’t
work at all,” Wesley said as he motioned for the demon to follow him from the
room.
“It only has to last for a
few days.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The powers have decided to
intervene. To speed up what was always meant to happen. In that vein the demon,
the one that was just released…”
“Halfrek,” Wesley supplied.
“Yeah that’s her… She’s being
allowed to retain her memories of meeting Buffy. She’s already told some of the
more important players that she’s seen her. Faith, another Slayer,” Whistler
stated at Wesley’s confused look. “She’s already infiltrated the girls’ dreams.
Others will find out in dreams, visions, word of mouth… pretty soon you’re
going to have a whole caravan of people on your doorstep.”
“If that’s the case why wipe
her at all? Why not just let her keep her memories?”
“Because things have to
happen in a certain order… and then there’s you. It’s common knowledge that you
and Buffy knew each other prior to taking your positions. So it only stands to reason
that you’re going to know the same people, that you ran in the same circles.
Besides once they figure out what’s happened to her, it’ll be only a hop, skip
and a jump till they figure out what happened to you.”
“So what you’re saying then
is that I should get the guestrooms ready… because we have company coming.”
******************************************************************************
Cordy wandered slowly down the stairs of the Hyperion.
She could see the sun shining brightly through the large windows in the lobby
and once again cursed her fate at working for a vampire with an aversion to
sunlight.
If he’d just kept the damn Gem of Amara they could
have stalked evil during the day… allowing her
to actually have a life.
Maybe it would have forced her back to Sunnydale and
Xander in time for him to not die on
her.
Pushing open the front doors she prepared to feel the
sun beating down on her upturned face only to be faced with the Summers’ living
room.
“What the…” she started before she recognized the
scene before her. Recognized the pools of blood on the floor that she’d only
seen in police photographs.
This was the Summers’ home on the day that Xander had
died.
“I didn’t think there’d be so much blood,” she said
softly as she felt the presence behind her.
“There always
is when death is involved,” he said quietly as he moved to stand beside her,
Cordy whirling in shock at the sound of his voice.
“Xander?! What are you doing here?!”
“Geez Cord… If I’d known you were going to be this
happy to see me I would have come sooner,” Xander retorted, his brow arching as
he watched a flush crawl across her cheeks.
“Sorry… It’s just Doyle’s normally the one I see in
these dreams,” she muttered.
“Sorry… you’ll have to make do with me… I mean since
it involves me and everything,” he said quietly as he watched her turn back to
the room.
“Did it hurt? When you died I mean.”
“Ever the tactful one heh Cord? Guess not everything
can change,” Xander grinned, fingering a tendril of her short hair, the grin
was fleeting, crossing his face and leaving just as quickly. When he continued
she had to strain to hear him his voice was so soft. “And do you believe
everything you hear? You didn’t even see a body did you?”
“The others…”
“Things can be misled, events can be misconstrued…
things happen that we have no control over and we just have to take a deep
breath and move on.”
“I wish…” Cordy started, stilling when she felt Xander
stiffen next to her.
“No wishing,” he stated. “That way leads to violent
bloody deaths, for those near and dear.”
“I’m sorry,” she said honestly. “If I had done things
differently, if I’d forgiven you…”
“Things still would have worked out the same… you
needed to leave Sunnydale, to get as far away from the Hellmouth as you could.
And I needed to stay. My presence and
“Whistler,” she whispered.
“Watch, listen… you need to prepare them.”
Before them Buffy was staring with a
shell-shocked expression at Whistler who was pacing in front of her.
“Have you made your choice?” he asked
her.
“What choice?” Cordy turned to face Xander. He shook
his head, directing her attention back to scene in front of them.
Buffy didn’t answer him, just stared
blankly at him as he stopped pacing. Standing before her as his eyes levelly
met hers. “I need an answer.”
Cordy had to wonder if they knew that they were
standing in blood.
That Buffy’s clothing was stained with it and she had
to bite her tongue to stop from asking Xander whose blood it was.
Was it his? Anya’s? Buffy’s?
She knew from what information
That she had died at the Summers’ home from those injuries
after Xander had been taken to the hospital, after
“What about my sister? My friends?”
Buffy asked hollowly.
“Your father will take over custody over
her. We have people just waiting for the right word to contact him. We can have
him here tomorrow.”
Buffy snorted as she ran a hand through
her hair. Obviously not believing what the little demon was telling her.
“My friends?” she repeated.
“They’ll be told whatever you want,”
Whistler moved closer to her. Staring directly into her eyes as he waited for a
response. Suddenly a smile began to grace his face, to be replaced instead with
sympathy. “Whatever you want…”
“How about I’m dead,” Buffy stated, her
voice tired as she lowered her gaze from his. Seemingly just now noticing that
she had blood on her hands. “Dead works for me.”
“Anything you want,” Whistler promised.
“If you want the death scenario we can work it but I think…”
“I won’t remember anything?” Buffy cut
him off still staring at the blood on her hands. She clenched her hands into
fists as she looked back over at him, making an obvious attempt to reign in her
temper.
“The wipe will be complete… The only
thing you’ll remember is your name, your abilities, date of birth… nothing
else. The powers wouldn’t allow it.”
“My friends will be taken care of?”
“Already in the works… all that’s needed
is your assent so they can continue.”
“You know you’re being a lot less
cryptic then usual,” Buffy’s eyes narrowed as her head cocked to study him.
“What’s up with that?”
“The powers want to make sure that you
understand the assignment you’re undertaking. There’s no going back from it. If
you decide to step up to the plate there’s no quitting. Until death.”
Buffy closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath
right before her eyes popped back open.
“The Hellmouth?”
“Will be taken care of. Another Slayer
will be called to take your place. Special circumstances and all.”
Buffy nodded a harsh laugh emanating
from between her lips.
“Okay,” she said softly as the scene
faded from before them.
Cordy stared in bafflement at where just seconds
before Buffy and Whistler had been standing.
Now they were gone, as was the blood that had been
pooled on the floor.
“Did you never ask yourself why Buffy, who had been
hurt worse in the past would die from injuries that should not have been
life-threatening? Willow and Dawn both said that she was fine, a little sore
when they left to run their particular errands but when they returned she was
dead.”
“You know Buffy,” Cordy snapped, although if she could
tell that her heart wasn’t in it so could he. “She’s a super hero after all.”
“Don’t be catty Cordy,” Xander rolled his eyes at her.
“She gave up everything because she wanted you all to be safe and happy.”
“Happy? Do I look happy? Does Angel? How ‘bout Dawn or
“Well not for much longer,” he said musingly. “You
know it’s kind of funny that you guys didn’t realize it sooner. I mean how many
times do the dead actually stay dead in our cases?”
“Xander,” she muttered.
“Well apart from me… a lot of stuff is about to go
down… but things have to happen in a certain order. She won’t know you, might
not show any signs of recognition… except for maybe Angel, Dawn… Connor…”
“Connor?”
“Yeah… funny story that… remind me to tell you ‘bout
it sometime Cor.”
“Does that mean that I’ll see you again?”
“Here and there,” he murmured cryptically. Moving
forward to close the distance between them he touched her cupping her cheeks within
his hands. “I’m glad that you did finally come, that you finally understood.”
“I did love you Xander, you have to know that,” a tear
trailing down one cheek.
He wiped it away as he watched her. “You should take
Dawn and Connor to the movies tomorrow night. They need some downtime.”
“What?” she looked up at him in confusion.
He smiled enigmatically at her as he pressed a soft
kiss to her lips. “I wish…”
Cordy jerked suddenly awake,
sitting straight up in her bed. Hands pressed to her lips she felt wetness on
her cheeks.
“Xander…”
******************************************************************************
Spike sauntered down the
steps of the hotel, he’d spent the last couple hours at Hallie’s bedside trying
to figure out what had knocked her off her feet.
They’d only found out what
had happened when they contacted D’Hoffryn. It seemed a spell had been cast. A
sleeping spell at that, D’Hoffryn had been endlessly amused when he’d figured
out what the spell was.
Although that amusement had
vanished when it became clear that Hallie was out for the count and that a
supplemental spell had been cast cloaking the point of origin of Hallie’s
‘port.
“Anythin’ Red?” he flopped
down on the floor next to where
Only small spells of course.
Most of her power had been stripped the first time she’d lost control. But she
did have enough magikal ability to do simple spells.
“I think I’ve been able to at
least trace Hallie to
“So if Halfrek is to be
believed than Buffy is alive,” Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them with
the ever-present white handkerchief that he pulled from his pocket. “And living
somewhere in
“What Watcher you don’t think
people need vengeance in
“Yes Spike… but D’Hoffryn
said that her last assignment was in
“Don’t know, maybe she’ll
tell us when she bleedin’ wakes up.”
All three jumped, Spike and
Giles falling into defensive positions in front of
“Faith,” Giles said with mild
relief as he realized that there wasn’t an attack underway. The one bad thing
about living, even temporarily at the Hyperion, was the sheer number of attacks
on the building. He idly wondered how long it would take Angel to run out of
money from fixing all the damage before he realized that Faith was moving
towards them.
“What the hell is she doing
here?”
“Well maybe if you asked her
nicely Spike she’d tell you,” Giles rolled his eyes. The animosity between the
two was a source of constant headaches and amusement.
“Where’s Angel? I need to see
him,” Faith said breathlessly. It was the fact that she was out of breath that
drew Giles’ attention to the fact that she was in fact panting, sweating
heavily as she collapsed onto the large couch in the middle of the lobby.
Spike studied her for a mere
second before he moved quickly up the stairs, most probably to retrieve Angel.
Giles sat down next to her, holding out the handkerchief he had been still
holding to her.
“You didn’t like blow your
nose on it or anything did you?” Faith eyed it carefully, when Giles shook his
head she used it to wipe at her face.
“Did you run the whole way?”
“Faith? What’s wrong?”
“Had a dream…”
“A prophetic one?”
“Yeah… but the thing is… the
dream…” Faith stumbled. Now that she was here. Staring up at the vampire that
had become her family she wondered if telling him was the right thing.
Would he be better off?
“Your dream?” Giles prompted.
“B was in the dream,” she
said her voice almost a whisper, her face pleading with him to believe her.
“And she said that she was alive.”
******************************************************************************
“So is it true?” Angel was
startled to hear the voice behind him. Turning from where he was sitting in his
worn leather chair, staring once more at his battered picture of Buffy he came
face to face with Buffy’s sister.
Dawn. With her ever present
shadow and best-friend. His grown son Connor
The two had become fast
friends the instant they had met. Which had scared Angel at first.
Dawn and Connor? Nothing good
could come of it. He and Buffy were the perfect example of that.
It had never even dawned on
him that they might be another reason that it might not be a good idea.
“Is what true?” he asked
carefully.
The look she shot at him was
so classically Buffy that he was forced to smile thinly at her.
“Is it true that Backstreet
Boys are aliens?” she snorted, Connor standing awkwardly at her side an expression
of apprehension lining his face. “Is it true that Buffy’s alive?”
“Dawn…” Angel sighed, setting
his picture aside he stood, facing the two with what he hoped was a stern
expression. From the looks on their
faces they weren’t buying it.
“Don’t try to placate us
dad,” Connor started, shifting on his feet as the fatherly platitude issued
from his mouth. It had taken a long time for Connor to get used to calling
Angel ‘Dad’, Dawn had been a huge factor in forcing him to face the facts.
That whether he liked it or
not, Angel was his father… and that wouldn’t change.
Sometimes Dawn could be just
as stubborn as her older sister.
“We want to know the truth.”
“The truth?” Angel asked
running a hand over his hair. “The truth is we don’t know.”
“But what do you think Angel?” Dawn reached over and
gripped Connor’s hand tightly within her own.
Angel drew a deep breath as
he studied them. Connor dark to Dawns light, matching eyes and he vaguely wondered
how he hadn’t realized the truth so much sooner. Giles, Connor and Dawn had all
figured it out before he’d even come to suspect the truth.
“I think she’s alive.”
Dawn’s face lit up with a
grin as she threw her arms around Connor. “I knew it,” she said excitedly, “I
just knew she couldn’t be dead.”
“Well you were right Dawnie,”
a small smile crossed Angel’s face as he watched Dawn’s joy and excitement…
which didn’t seem to be contagious as normal.
His son still looked
apprehensive.
“Connor? You’re not pleased?”
“It’s just…” Connor trailed
off as he looked from Dawn’s beaming face, to his father’s curious one and he
shrugged. “What if she doesn’t like me?”
“Why wouldn’t she like you?”
Dawn backed away staring up into the young warriors eyes.
“Well… you know… I tried to
kill Angel… and look who gave birth to me…”
“Well Buffy hopefully won’t
throw stones about the Darla thing… and you’re not the only one who’s tried to
kill Angel… Buffy actually succeeded in sending Angelus to hell,”
“Hell?” Connor blinked at the
redhead before whipping his head around to gape at Angel. “Angelus?”
To which both
“Hadn’t got to the Angelus
stuff yet…” she muttered. “Couldn’t figure out a way to tell it without going
into the whole how he lost his soul in the first place thing.”
“Wait a minute since when can
you lose your soul?” Connor glared at Angel accusingly. “I thought it was
permanent?”
“It is now… but it wasn’t
always,” Angel said softly. Those few months in Sunnydale when he had terrorized
the Slayer and her friends, had killed Jenny Calendar ran through his mind.
Sometimes he couldn’t believe
that Buffy, let alone the other Scoobies had ever forgiven him for his actions
as Angelus.
He knew that to some degree
Xander and Giles never had.
“What are you doing here
Dawn? Aren’t you supposed to be spending ‘quality’ time with your father?”
“He got called out of town on
business… I thought I’d come over here and stay, you know since I have stuff
here anyway.”
“Of course you can stay here
Dawn,” Angel stated with a frown. Hank Summers had to be the worst father that
Angel’d ever had the privilege of coming in contact with. If he had been in the
other mans place he would never have left his only remaining daughter alone at
all.
But unfortunately he wasn’t
Dawn’s father, and to be fair to the
man Hank had been trying to be better.
He’d actually spent three consecutive weeks at home this time before his work
had dragged him away. That had to be a record someplace.
Dawn had come to realize,
just like Buffy had, that to Hank Summers work would always come first.
“You know you’re always
welcome.”
“Besides it’s not like most
of your stuff isn’t here already,” Connor murmured under his breath. Dawn
smacked him in the chest as she shot a glare in his direction.
“We’re going to go see if
Faith and Cordy have finished going over their dreams for Giles for the nine hundredth time,” Dawn muttered grabbing
Connors hand and dragging him from the room.
“You know it’s probably a
good thing that the two of them figured out the truth on their own,”
“What are you talking about?”
Angel asked suspiciously. She couldn’t know. There were only four people, plus
the powers that knew the truth.
“It probably would have been
more awkward for you to have to have the ‘Dawn, Connor you can’t see each other
because you’re related talk’ after
they started sleeping together.”
“How… how did you find out?”
“Please… it’s so obvious when
you see the two of them together. Plus Connor has her eyes,” she said when
Angel arched a brow at her. “He has Buffy’s eyes.”
“You can’t say anything
“I know, I kind of figured
that out on my own. I’m actually surprised that Mr. Summers hasn’t said
something… every time he comes here he looks at Connor like he can’t place
where he knows him from.”
“What? Tell Buffy?” Angel
crossed his arms over his chest. “I was kind of thinking of taking the cowards’
way out on that one… and just giving her a card on mothers’ day.”
“Angel…”
“How do you explain something
like this
“You told me.”
“You’re not her; it’s easy to
tell someone that’s not Buffy. Besides I know the minute I tell her she’s going
to look at me and tell me that she’s an adult and doesn’t need me running her
life for her.”
“Well that is true Angel,”
“She won’t understand when I
tell her that I gave it back to save her. That I gave back every dream that the
two of us had ever had so that she would live.”
“And look how well that
worked out Angel. She’s died twice since then.”
“Once,” Angel corrected. “I
knew that she wasn’t dead.”
“Well you were the only one.
Every one else thought she was dead.”
“I know… Sometimes I thought
I was going mad
“All I’m saying is she
deserves to know.”
“I think we have more
important things to worry about anyway,” Angel sighed. “Like if she’s even
going to remember us when we finally do get her back.”
******************************************************************************
Riley winced as he paced the
length of the room he was confined in. As far as cells went it wasn’t that bad.
Bed was soft, had a separate
bathroom, food was brought at regular intervals and undrugged. But he still
felt like a prisoner.
He thought that it might have
something to do with the locked door. So when the door opened he expected to
see yet one more lab coat coming to take his blood and was surprised instead to
see a young woman, black hair braided down the middle of her back smiling at
him.
“So you’re Riley Finn,” she
said appraisingly. Her eyes traveled the line of his body. “I guess I could see
why they would think you were Indaran,” she shrugged. Turning on her heel she went
to walk away, stopping when she realized that he wasn’t following her.
“Are you coming?”
With wide eyes Riley shoved
his feet into the sneakers he had found in his room and hurriedly followed her.
“There was a woman that was
there last night…” he started.
“That would be Buffy… I’m
Jade by the way…”
“Will she be wherever you’re
taking me?” he asked as he lengthened his steps to keep up with her. For a
woman that was almost as short as he remembered Buffy being she moved at a
brisk pace.
“Probably not… she and a
couple of others are doing a recon on another matter,” Jade stopped outside a
closed door waving a card in front of a metal plate she waited as the door
opened. “We’re here.”
******************************************************************************
“So what do we know?” Angel
asked as he and
“Well we know that if the
dreams are to be believed that Buffy is indeed alive,” Giles started. “If what
Xander showed Cordy in her dream was true…”
“My visions don’t lie,” Cordy
harrumphed.
“You had a dream not a vision… but what was shown in your
dream does track with what happened. Buffy was left alone in the Summers house
and when Dawn and
“He asked her if she’d made
her choice, she asked if her friends and family would be taken care of, made
sure that they were going to take away her memories and then agreed… What’s so
hard to understand about that?”
“Well it doesn’t tell us what
kind of choice Whistler asked her to make,” Angel murmured. “I mean he could
have asked her to do anything.”
“Indaran…” Hallie’s weak
voice came from behind them.
“Hallie!” Spike moved to his
feet quickly over to where the demon was swaying. “You shouldn’t be up,” he
scolded gently.
“I… I wanted to see if you’d
found her yet,” Hallie said as she leaned heavily against Spike, letting him
lead her to a spot on the floor that she gratefully sank down to.
“Not yet pet,” Spike said
softly as he sat next to her.
“Are you sure it was her
Hallie?” Angel asked softly moving to her side, crouching next to her.
“I was so close to her Angel.
I touched her, talked to her… I saw the scar on her neck.”
“What do you mean Indaran?”
Giles asked suddenly, removing his glasses as he watched her carefully.
“She’s a warrior…”
“She’s always been a
warrior,” Dawn murmured.
“No I mean she’s an Indaran
Warrior, that’s what Whistler offered her…”
“Oh my dear lord…” Giles
sputtered.
“Whistler offered her
Indaran… and she accepted.”
“So… so that means that the
Indaran’s have been chosen?” Giles’ eyes flickered to Angel then settled back
onto Hallie.
“Yes… all fifty have been
chosen along with their watchers, they were the ones that rescued me.”
“But… oh dear lord.”
“Giles?”
“I take it you’ve heard of these
Indaran’s before?” Angel asked.
“The Indaran’s are myth,”
Giles shoved his glasses back on his face and climbed to his feet. “In the
texts that I’ve read, that have managed to be deciphered by the council, they
are warriors… fifty of the strongest chosen from every class of demon hunter
known to us, probably even some not known to us.”
“They’re warriors, strong,
smart… There are supposed to be tests to determine their worthiness to carry
the mantle of Indaran. Hard ones that must
be passed before they are chosen. They wouldn’t have any family, friends…”
“No one that would miss
them,” Spike finished. “But the bint had family. The niblet, Red, you Watcher…
hell even Peaches.”
“Yes I’m aware of that… they
must have made a special allowance in her case… Most likely because they would
normally have chosen Faith…”
“And I was detained behind
bars at the time.”
“Exactly… But the Indaran
Warriors aren’t supposed to be chosen until the final days. Until the End of
Days begins unfolding. They’re supposed to be pivotal in the battles.”
“But if the Indaran’s have
been chosen…” Cordy started.
“The End of Days has begun,”
Angel finished.
******************************************************************************
Dawn stood at the entryway to
the garden watching Connor brood amidst the flowers. A habit that he’d most
likely picked up from his father, although he would never admit to it.
It wasn’t very often that she
got the opportunity to attempt to sneak up on him. He had inherited his senses
from both Buffy and Angel and he very rarely let his guard down.
With a sly grin on her face
she moved quietly into the garden area, taking up position behind him she
lifted her hand slightly as she prepared to tap him on the shoulder.
“I kind of wanted to be alone
Dawn,” he said softly his head hanging even lower, if possible on his
shoulders.
“How’d you know it was me?”
she frowned as she moved around the bench he was sitting on and flopped
cross-legged down on the concrete in front of him.
“I recognized your perfume…
besides you’re the only one that even tries
to sneak up on me anymore.”
“Someday I will do it,” she promised before she
changed the subject. She already knew why he was here by himself instead of
immersing himself in discovering where his mother, her sister was. But she knew
from past experience that he would overcome the problem only when he wanted to,
or could finally admit what it was.
But it never hurt if she
prodded him along in the solving it himself direction.
“So what are you doing out
here by yourself? I thought you’d be inside helping your dad and the others
pinpoint Buffy’s location.”
Connor frowned down at her,
when she refused to be cowed by the expression on his face. Instead just kept
staring at him with that same mulish expression on her face that he’d gotten
quite used to over the last year he sighed.
“I was just thinking.”
“’bout what?” she asked
drawing her knees up to her chest she rested her chin in the V created by them,
wrapping her arms around her legs as she patiently waited.
Pushing him too much caused
him to dig his feet in and be stubborn.
Just like her sister… and
Angel.
“About what she’s going to be
like, how she’s going to react to me… I’ve had these dreams of what it’s going
to be like and now I just don’t know…”
“She’s going to love you
Connor,” Dawn said softly.
“She won’t even know who I
am.”
“You don’t think she’s going
to be able to take one look at you and figure it out? I mean I did, you did
once you saw pictures of her…”
“But Giles says I look more like
Angel then Buffy… and besides why would she even think that? I mean if I were
her and Angel’s child I would have to be like three, not going on 20.”
Connor scowled, once more he
was filled with loathing that he directed entirely at Holtz.
Which was a startling
contrast to how he had been when he had first returned to this dimension with
his ‘father’.
Then he had hated Angel with
a fiery passion. Holtz had taught him that. Had taught him that Angel, Darla
and their childer had destroyed their entire family leaving the two of them all
alone in the world. Holtz had taught him to feel only hatred towards the two
beings that he didn’t know had given him life.
He hated to think what Holtz
would have done if he had figured out that Connor had not been Darla’s son, but
the son of a Slayer. Would he have taught him to feel hatred towards Buffy, his
mother as well? Would he have planted the same seed in young Connor’s mind that
he had planted for Angel?
That she needed to die for
her sins. For willingly giving herself to a vampire.
And how would Buffy feel
about her son when she found out that he had tried and very damn near succeeded
in killing his own father? Would she hate him? Would her eyes fill with anger
and hate as opposed to the love that he hoped for?
“None of that,” Dawn
interrupted his musings, smacking his leg hard she laughed at him when his
scowl directed itself at her.
She had been the reason that
he had even attempted to learn who his father truly was.
“Do you remember the first
time we met?” he asked suddenly.
“Of course,” Dawn frowned at
him as she tried to figure out where he was going with his question. “You came
with Angel and Cordy… when they found out…”
And he had made the journey
from LA to Sunnydale with Angel and Cordelia when they learned of their loved
ones deaths. He had sat in the backseat of Angel’s huge car never wondering or
caring why the vampire that called himself his father was driving seemingly
carved in stone.
He could see, even though he
was still not on the best of terms
with Angel at the time, the pain etched into every feature on the vampires
face. He just didn’t care at that moment. Hadn’t cared about Cordelia either,
as she sat sobbing in the passenger seat for the first hour they were on the
road, then sat as though in shock for the rest of the trip.
When they had arrived at the
Summers’ residence the door had swung open before Angel had even pulled his car
in the driveway, a lanky teen-age girl racing to where Angel was already stepping
from the car. Throwing herself in his arms, all the while sobbing as if her
entire world had vanished.
A redhead and an older
gentleman were slowly making their way to the car as Connor stepped from it.
Nonchalantly stretching he had looked around, not really interested in the
spectacle happening in front of him until he heard the low moan of pain.
A low moan of a vampire in pain. And since the only
vampire that Connor could sense in the immediate area was Angel he had turned
to him and felt a heart, that hadn’t felt anything but maybe contempt for the
man who was his father, break.
Angel had the still crying
girl clutched to one side as he listened to whatever the older man was saying,
and as Connor stepped closer he heard the low sound of pain once more emanate
from the vampires chest. The grief that he had kept bottled up within himself
upon learning of the Slayers death released itself in a loud roar of anguish as
he fell to his knees, dragging the girl down with him. She wrapped her arms around
his torso, burying her head in his side as tears streamed openly from his eyes.
The older man knelt before
them, touching Angel’s shoulder gently and Connor could hear him explaining
quietly that they had already buried her. That they had buried them both.
With the raw anguish on
Angel’s face, that he could hear in Cordy’s cry as she sobbed into the redheads
shoulder he wanted to tell the older man to stop. To let them deal with the
deaths first and the other stuff later.
But there was no reprieve. Angel
and Cordy were helped into the house, Connor trailing along behind them and the
story was finished.
He hadn’t understood the
depths of Angel’s anguish until the following morning, as the vampire fell into
an exhausted sleep in the Slayers room and Connor had his first meeting with
Dawn.
“You didn’t like Angel very
much then,” Dawn said softly. “And I couldn’t understand why you came with
him…”
“I didn’t understand myself…
I just knew that I had to go to
Sunnydale with them and then when I got here…”
“I knew the minute I saw
you,” she smiled. “I knew that you had to be Buffy’s. I didn’t know how, nobody had told me about that day
that didn’t happen but I knew, just looking at you that you were hers. Angel’d
already explained what had happened to you when you were a baby, how Darla had
sacrificed herself for you, how Wesley had taken you thinking he was protecting
you, how Holtz had tricked him… all of that. I think he wanted to make sure we
understood that he didn’t blame you for hating him. But what he did was give me
the missing pieces of the puzzle that wouldn’t fit… I mean because if you were
Buffy’s she would have been like three when she had you… but factoring in the
other stuff.”
“I thought you were insane
the first time you told me what you thought… then you showed me those pictures
of her and dad told us about the day he was human. You know I’m surprised he
hasn’t snagged one of them to replace the one he has… its falling apart you
know.”
“I offered him a new one,
told him I’d have that same picture made up from the negative but…” Dawn
shrugged.
“I think it’s because my mom
gave that one to him.”
“You know,” Dawn smirked.
“It’s funny hearing you call her that, hearing you call Angel dad.”
“It took a long time for me to
be able to do it, a lot of that was because of you,” Connor said as he pushed
himself to his feet dusting off the back of his jeans he smiled at her as she
held her hands out to her. “What?”
“Be a gentleman and offer
your aunt a hand up,” she frowned at him, grabbing at his hands when he finally
held them out he pulled her to her feet.
“So do you really think she’s
going to like me?”
“You’re not going to be like
this the whole time we’re at the movies are you? Because I’ll make Cordy let us go to different
shows.”
******************************************************************************
Wesley sat at his desk
flipping through folders with a frown on his face he merely glanced up when he
heard the voices of three of his set of warriors enter. They sounded happy and
Buffy was showing no signs of any ill effects from the night priors’ wipe.
In fact she didn’t seem to
remember Whistler’s visit at all, of course all that did was make him wonder
what else she had forgotten in this last wipe. Hopefully Whistler could be
believed and she would no longer have to undergo the seemingly weekly wipes.
Of course then he had to
decide if the weekly visits from Whistler were better than the caravan of
people that were poised to descend upon them as soon as they realized that she
was still alive.
“So how did your recon go?”
he asked turning his attention back to the file in front of him.
“Tickets purchased,” Buffy
grinned widely flopping in perfect synchronization with Damon down on the small
couch positioned in the center of the room. “Are you sure you don’t want to go
with us? Could be great fun.”
“Hmmm… let’s see. Spend hours
battling LA traffic to go see a two hour movie, having to contend with rude,
obnoxious movie goers, than spend hours battling LA traffic to get back home… I
think I’ll just sit here with my musty old books.”
“You’re a bore Wes… sometimes
I wonder what exactly Jade sees in you,” Colin smirked perching on the edge of
the desk.
“It’s my ruggishly good
looks.”
“I think it’s the scar,” Damon
decided. “Women dig scars.”
“That’s the stupidest thing
I’ve ever heard of and on behalf on my sex…” Buffy smacked him upside the head.
“We do not dig scars.”
“As much fun as this is…” Wes
prompted. “Why are you here?”
“Because we’re trying one more
time to convince you to come with us…” Buffy started.
“Plus we wanted to know if
Jade was back from the
“No I’m not going with you;
you’ll just have to have your quota of fun without me. Which of course means no
fights,” this directed at Damon and Colin who both frowned at him. “If I get a
call to bail you out of jail I will leave
you there overnight.”
“We don’t always start the
fights,” Damon protested.
“Keep telling yourself that,”
Buffy mumbled under her breath, smiling innocently at him when he glared at
her.
“And yes Jade is back from
the
“What kind of issue?” Colin
asked cocking his head so he could peer down at the pages. “Wait a minute,” he
muttered snatching the folder from under Wesley’s hands he studied what
appeared to be Finn’s test results. “Are these readings right?”
“Yes…”
“What’s wrong with them?”
Buffy asked as she and Damon came to stand beside Colin, reading over his
shoulder frowning as she squinted at the file. It just looked like a bunch of
colorful gibberish to her. “Okay for those of us with an IQ of not genius level
what the hell is this saying?”
“We tested his DNA strands…
trying to figure out why the Senmarrite’s would think he was one of ours…”
“And did we figure it out?”
Damon asked as he dragged a finger down the sheet.
“We think we did… somehow;
we’re not sure how, his DNA strands have been changed. Somehow adjusted to
reflect Hunter, Warrior strands. He has semi-accelerated healing, superior
strength…”
“But he’s not a warrior, we know
that. He’s not a hunter either,” Colin muttered.
“Mr. Finn admitted that when
he first came to work for the Initiative that the Dr.” Wesley glanced down at
his notes. “A Maggie Walsh was administering some drugs to them, did some
surgical enhancements that they only found out about afterwards. He, of course,
is under the impression that the majority of the drugs are out of his system,
the enhancements had to be modified or removed all together because of some
health problems but…”
“But he still has the
strength, which of course the Senmarrite’s would have honed right in on,” Buffy
finished. “So as far as he knows the Initiative is no longer drugging its
people?”
“Yes… but unfortunately the
readings we took from him indicate that they are still being drugged, so that
begs the question…”
“How did they know to what
levels to drug them? Was it just a lucky guess or did Maggie Walsh somehow get
her hands on a Warrior and figured it out that way,” Damon mused as he leaned
heavily against the side of the desk.
“Well we’ll never know.
Maggie Walsh is dead, Finn has been released so…”
“Why did we release Finn if
we have questions on this?” Colin asked waving the file at Wesley.
“Because he didn’t know
anything. All he knew was that at one time the drugs were being fed to them
unknowingly in their food. While they had some routine surgery they had minor
implants, one of which Finn removed himself. He didn’t have anything more to
share with us so we sent him back to the Hellmouth,” Jade said from the doorway.
“Did we get tickets?” she
asked sauntering into the room.
“Tickets have been acquired…
although Wes said he’s still not going with us,” Buffy mock-glared at the
Watcher.
“I have more important things
to do…”
“Wes we only get minimal time
in LA, I can’t believe you would rather spend time here cooped up with your
books than go to the movies with me,” Jade wheedled as she rounded the desk;
wrapping her arms around Wes’s neck she pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Oh god,” Colin and Damon
moaned in unison. “Here comes the PDA.”
“Shush guys,” Buffy grinned
winking at Jade. “I think it’s sweet.”
“You’re a girl, you would,”
Damon retorted.
“You guys have fun without
me, try to stay out of trouble,” Wes said as Colin handed Riley’s folder back to
him. “And take the blazer not the sports car; it’s already got weapons in it.”
“I thought you wanted us to
stay out of trouble,” Jade called as
they walked out of the room.
“I know the four of you well
enough to know that you’ll never completely stay out of the trouble,” Wes
called after them. “Blazer, not the sports car,” he reiterated.
“Yeah, yeah…”
******************************************************************************
“Tell me good news old man,”
Samuel growled as he watched him pace in front of the table. Set on it were
photos, taken from the cameras that had been active within the warehouse they
were in. “Tell me we didn’t lose the closest thing we had to a warrior and got
nothing out of it.”
“Patience Samuel,” the old
man stared down at the photos. Grainy textures from where they had been zoomed
in to catch the people in the photo. All were worthless, except for that one,
he thought as a smile started to cross his face. Pushing the photo across the
table he set it directly in front of his counterpart. A man he would rather
kill than help, but some things had to be the way they were.
“It’s a girl,” Samuel glanced
down at the picture and then back up at the old man a quizzical expression on
his face.
“It’s the girl,” the old man emphasized. “The only one within the Indaran structure who has loved ones outside of
it.”
“Indaran’s have no loved ones
old man, that’s why they’re called as Indaran. No ties to their past, no ties
to a future. Just the fight.”
“Yes normally… but this one
has friends. She has compatriots that she fought with outside of the Indaran
Warriors. A witch, strong once but no more. A Warrior uncalled, that has
perished within the flames. A watcher…”
“So she was a Slayer then,”
Samuel grinned. “This gets better and better.”
“A demon once helped her,
another serves penance, sister, soldiers, vampire as her lover, another as her
mate…”
“The Slayer let a vampire claim
her?” Samuel asked in disbelief.
“He not only claimed her, he bred
off of her. Of course she doesn’t know yet, won’t know if we move in time.”
“Where do we find her old
man?”
“She journeys to the city of
angels, as do her brethren. The Slayer who is no longer will be in the city of
******************************************************************************
Connor fidgeted restlessly in
his seat earning yet another glare from Dawn and an elbow from Cordy.
Discretely he glanced down at his watch and absently reminded himself to never
let Dawn or Cordy choose a movie ever again.
If he’d thought about it
earlier he would have realized that going to the movies with two females meant
that he was going to be outvoted. And he had been.
Instead of seeing the new
Will Smith movie like he’d wanted he’d instead gotten dragged into a romantic
comedy.
The ache in the base of his
spine had started around the time the movie had begun. At first he had
attributed it to the uncomfortable theater chairs, thus reminding himself why
he didn’t like going to the movies in the first place.
When it had continued he had
surreptitiously began scanning the theater. Because that ache in his spine
could only mean one thing, only signaled one thing.
It told him that there was a
demon… or a vampire very close by. He hoped that Cordy not having a vision
meant that the demon wasn’t using the theater as a hunting ground. But Cordy’s
visions had been slightly unreliable as of late.
Although why else a demon
would be in a theater, watching this particular movie if they weren’t hunting was
totally beyond him.
“Oh that was great,” Dawn
sighed as the credits started rolling and the house lights slowly came up.
“Have to agree with you on
that one,” Cordy smiled dreamily. “I adore Josh Hartnett.”
“Are we ready?” Connor
ignored both of their self-satisfied expressions and abruptly stood. “I think I
need to go either kill something or at the very least do something manly to get
over this entire experience.”
“God Connor what’s your deal?”
Dawn muttered as she used the seat in front of her to pull herself to her feet.
“Something’s off…” he said
rubbing the small of his back as he once more began scanning the theater.
Dawn and Cordy understood his
meaning right away, both quite well-acquainted with the way his ‘gifts’ worked,
they realized immediately that there was something in the theater that had set
off Connor’s hair trigger senses.
“Do you see anything?” Cordy
asked under her breath as she smiled at the woman who was slowly moving out of the row in front of her.
“No… but whatever it is its
close… I don’t think it’s hunting but…”
“I haven’t had a vision,”
Cordy stated quietly.
“You don’t always get one
though Cordy,” Dawn reminded her, Cordy turned to glare at the younger girl
annoyed at having the fact that her powers had been diminishing as of late. She
hadn’t had an actual vision in over a week, although she’d had the dream with
Xander showing her what had happened to Buffy which she counted.
But if she was honest with
herself if this kept up sooner or later Angel and the others weren’t going to
need her.
When the their row came to a
halt, Cordy harrumphing loudly at the front of their group, Connor once more
began scanning the crowd frowning down at Dawn when she bumped into him her
eyes wide as she gaped at something behind her.
“Dawn… are you okay?” he
asked turning to eye the direction that she was staring in. All he saw before
him was a sea of people that didn’t look familiar.
“I…” Dawn started. “I swear
to god I just saw Buffy over there…
but she’s not there now.”
“Dawnie I know that you want
to see her,” Cordy smiled gently. “We all do… but what are the actual chances that she would be in this
movie theater right now?”
“Pretty slim,” Dawn muttered.
“But stranger things have happened… I
did live on a Hellmouth for seven years… okay three years but still…” she
amended when Connor raised a brow in her direction.
“We will find her guys,” the
seer promised. “It’s just going to take some time… And of course right now we just
need to get out of this theater.”
******************************************************************************
Wesley rubbed his eyes as he
relaxed back in his chair. With a sigh he propped his feet up on the edge of
his desk and smiled.
Blissful silence. Not a
scream, not a yell, not a ‘Damon I’m going to tear out your heart and dance on
it’ could be heard.
And it was absolutely
wonderful to his overly frazzled nerves. Dealing with Buffy’s memories
returning had been hard enough. Making sure that they were ready for the family
and friends, that Whistler assured him she had, to descend was another.
Especially when he realized
that those family and friends would undoubtedly know him as well.
He had to wonder what kind of
friends they’d had. Had they been missed at all? Or had life moved on for them?
Would their resurgence create a world of havoc or joy?
The thoughts were enough to
drive a man insane. Add in the fact that they hadn’t had to deal with any
massive assaults from the ‘other’ side in weeks and his nerves were about ready
to be frayed to nonexistence.
“Where’s your team?” the
sound of Susanne’s voice when he thought himself alone startled him so much he
shot to his feet in alarm.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he breathed as he pressed a hand to his chest.
“I made enough noise to alert
the entire western hemisphere of my presence,” Susanne said in amusement as she
moved in what Wesley could only describe as a ‘mosey’ into his office. “And to
repeat my question… where’s your team? I would have thought they would have
been suited up by now but the others said they haven’t seen them.”
“They’re at the movies,”
Wesley started as he sat back down in his chair his eyes shooting up to meet
Susanne’s in confusion when the rest of her statement finally registered. “Wait
a minute… Suited up for what? We don’t have anything going on this evening.”
Shaking her head at Wesley as
she came to stand before his desk she flipped the picture cube on one corner
idly. “Whistler came about two hours ago… gave us primary and secondary playing
fields… I thought for sure that he would have been here to see you already.”
“He was here to give his
blessing to their going to the movies, he said nothing about there being any
trouble tonight,” Wesley surged to his feet, with Susanne at his heels he moved
quickly down the long corridor.
When they had purchased this
house at the beginning of the year it had been because he had been outvoted by
the other four. He had wanted something practical… and close to
It had only been when they
moved into and started spending their off days and weekends within its walls
that he had seen its intricate charms.
This was their home now, the five
of them, regardless of the differences they’d had when this had all began, were
a family. So while they may have spent most of their time with the rest of the
Indaran’s at the compound in Colorado when they thought of going home they all
thought of this house in LA.
“What exactly did Whistler
say?” Wesley asked breathlessly as they raced down the steps into the large
foyer. He paid no attention to the 46 black clad soldiers wandering aimlessly
around in it. His sole thought was to get to his cell phone on the charger in
the kitchen.
The cells were the only
secure links, besides their comm. units, and the preferred way to keep and get
in touch with whichever members of their teams were not present.
As he hurriedly dialed the
number for the cell he knew Jade
wouldn’t have left the property without he glanced back up at Susanne
expectantly.
“He didn’t say much of
anything…Which is highly unusual, normally he gives us more than just the
playing fields,” Susanne shrugged. “All he told us was that both primary and
secondary playing fields were here in LA, we ported everyone in as soon as they
were assembled… You’re sure that he didn’t say anything?”
“I’m positive,” Wesley
muttered as he tapped his foot patiently. The phone rang twice, three times
then picked up and Wes froze. “The call you are attempting cannot be completed
as dialed. Please check the number and try again. Thank you.”
His eyes widened in shock as
they rose to meet Susanne’s.
“I take it you couldn’t get
through?” she asked quietly. Glancing behind her she saw the Indaran’s casually
strolling about. Engaged in quiet conversations with each other none of them
looked alarmed.
And if four of their brethren
had fallen they would have been alarmed.
She could remember quite
clearly the reactions of the group when one of her girls, Katie, had been
almost gutted in one of their first fights. The group had been agitated,
alarmed… angry.
The fifty were joined
together in a way that the watchers couldn’t even begin to understand. As much
as they were part of their five member teams, they were more a part of a much
larger organism. They fed off each other, cared about each other.
Felt each other.
“What’s the primary playing
field?” Wesley asked his tone eerily calm.
Pulling a folded sheet of
paper from her pocket she glanced down at the address. “It’s actually a hotel,
not an actual hotel because it’s
privately owned…”
“The address,” Wesley stated
once more his eyes steely on hers and Susanne thought she could almost feel the
anger coursing through his body. She could sympathize with him entirely, if
someone had purposefully left her team out, perhaps knowingly putting her team
in danger she would be just as angry.
“The Hyperion,” she said softly
handing the slip of paper to him. “The actual street address is on the paper,”
she said as he snatched it from her hands. “Wes I’m sure they’re fine… they can
take care of themselves.”
“Yes they can… but they
shouldn’t have to,” Wes said quietly. Standing in the middle of the room he
waited for the rest of the Indaran to notice his presence.
He was one of the three head
Watchers, normally during a briefing of this magnitude the group would be split
into thirds but his counterparts understood that this was an unusual
circumstance.
It was his team that was unaccounted for, his team that had been left out
of the loop. Which meant that it was his team that would be attacked.
As Wes surveyed the group he
was struck once more by how young the hope for the future looked. Most of these
warriors were barely out of their teens but had seen horrors that would stay
with them the rest of their lives. And that was only if they had lives. He knew
that more than half of them would fall in battle, that by the time the End of
Days actually finished that only a handful of these children would be left standing.
The thought that his kids, that his lover might be one of those not rejoicing at their victory… and he
knew they would win, made him angrier then he ever thought possible.
“Listen up…” he started his
voice cool and collected. It wouldn’t do for them to see how truly frightened
he actually was. “Here’s what we’re going to do…”
******************************************************************************
Damon and Colin followed
their counterparts slowly, bemused expressions lining their faces.
The movie had been chosen
specifically for Buffy. They all knew, even without Wes having spilled the
beans earlier that day that Whistler had been by to see Buffy. That he’d
performed yet another wipe. And they
knew from the past experiences that she would be slightly out of sorts, that to
compensate for the loss of her regained memories that the Warrior side of her
personality would take charge.
And that side of her could be
brutal. Both physically and emotionally.
The movie was an obvious
attempt, at least on their part, to help her regain her equilibrium. To force
her to see that there was more to their lives than just the fight.
And it had seemed to work.
Buffy and Jade walked side by side, giggling to one another as they dissected
the movie they’d just seen.
A romantic comedy that Wesley
would have hated.
“Hey Jade did you bring your
cell?” Damon asked. He didn’t know why, but he had a sudden feeling that checking
in was imperative.
“Yeah,” Jade fished it out of
her coat pocket and tossed it to him.
He frowned when he attempted
to activate it, pressing a few numbers nothing responded to his ministrations.
“Did you charge it before we left?” he queried as he tossed it back to her.
She shot him a look that
would have crumbled a lesser man. “Of course I charged it… do you really think
Wes would let us out of the house without a fully charged cell?” she muttered.
Touching the keypad she exchanged a worried look with Damon as Buffy and Colin
looked on.
“Nothing?” Colin murmured.
Jade shook her head.
“I know it worked when we
left…”
The sound of a feminine
scream drew their attention away from the matter of their non-working phone and
forced them into movement. Half the team heading for weapons, the other headed
for the screamer.
******************************************************************************
“Where is she?” a vampire
snarled into Dawn’s face. He held her pinned to the wall and she knew that help
wouldn’t be coming. Over his shoulder she could see Connor pinned to the wall
across from her, held in place by two Fyarl demons who just laughed at his
attempts to free himself.
Cordy lay crumpled on the
ground, unmoving.
“I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” Dawn cried struggling for all she was worth. Buffy had taught
her to fight the summer before she’d disappeared. But none of the moves that
she knew seemed to be working on the vampire currently menacing her.
“The warrior? Where is she?”
“Hey,” Dawn only had a split
second to react before the vamp was pulled off her. “Why don’t you pick on
someone your own size,” she heard the dark haired girl say right as she shoved
Dawn behind her. So in a daze was she that she was almost shocked to see Connor
beside her and a dark haired man standing beside her savior.
“Indaran,” the vampire glared
“Very good… do you want to
take door number two as well?”
“We have not engaged you in
combat… You are not the one we seek… this is not your fight.”
“Oh… I’m sorry,” the girl
touched her chest mockingly. “Maybe I’m
engaging you in battle.”
“Jade,” the man said
warningly. “No fighting remember?”
“And what Damon? Should we
just leave these people here to be finished off by these creeps?”
“We should at least wait
until we have weapons,” Damon muttered.
“You are not the one we seek
but you will do,” the vampire murmured as he flew towards them. He’d heard the
gist of their conversation. Knew that there were more warriors coming which
meant that the one they sought might be among them.
“Saren,” with identical grins
Damon and Jade leapt into battle. The single word activating what was known as
their battle shields. It would lock them in battle with these warriors from the
other side, and with the first blow of contact electricity sparked between the
fighters.
“Hey are you okay?” a blonde
man this time, crouching in front of them. “You should move, with shields on if
one of them flies into you it’ll be like getting stung by an electrical
charge.”
“Does it hurt?” Dawn asked
numbly her eyes on the battle in front of her.
“It doesn’t hurt us… it would
hurt you,” the man said with a gentle smile.
“Hey Colin… bit of help
here,” Jade called as she flew back towards the wall the vampire that she’d
been fighting descending on her in gameface. Before Colin even had a chance to
move a crossbolt came from seemingly nowhere, the vampire exploding into
particles of dust.
“It’s about damn time,” Jade
muttered. “I thought Wes said that the blazer had weapons.”
“It does… couldn’t find
anything to go with my shoes,” the blonde angel standing in the entry to the
alley said. Dawn slowly came to her feet, Connor right behind her their eyes
fixed on the blonde that was even now warily watching them approach her.
“Oh my god,” Dawn breathed.
They had told her, Angel had believed… but somehow it hadn’t seemed real until this very moment. “Buffy?”
she asked in an almost whisper.
A trembling hand reached out
to touch her sisters’ cheek, the hand becoming steadier as Dawn realized that
the woman in front of her was solid. Was not made of mist, was not a dream that
was going to disappear.
She didn’t even realize that
the fight behind them was finished.
That with Colin’s help Damon
and Jade had killed the two Fyarls and were even now avidly watching the scene
taking place in front of them.
That Cordy had regained
consciousness and was slowly climbing unsteadily to her feet, one hand resting
against the wall as she attempted to stop swaying.
She shook her head, attempting
to clear her vision as she saw an unbelievable sight in front of her. Saw Buffy
standing with a crossbow in one hand and a look of apprehension on her face.
Saw Dawn’s hand slowly touching her sisters cheek, Connor’s hand resting in the
middle of the younger girls back.
“Buffy?” Cordy murmured.
“Buffy is that you?”
“I’m sorry,” Cordy would
remember it forever, the look of abject terror and apology on the blonde’s
face. She could tell from that one look into those eyes that whatever life
Buffy Summers had been leading since her death… it had not been good to her.
“Do I know you?”
******************************************************************************
Do I know you? Do I know you? The words fluttered around Dawn’s mind, repeating over
and over louder and louder until she thought she would go mad.
They’d told her that she’d
have no memory, that she’d forgotten everything and everybody… but a part of
her, buried deep down had insisted that her sister would never forget her. She might forget everybody else but
never her.
But she had.
The woman staring at her had
eyes that were blank, showing no recognition at all of either her or Cordy.
She’d never met Connor so Dawn had never realistically expected Buffy to know
him.
“Buffy… I’m Dawn you know me…
You’re my sister,” Dawn said softly, even though her mind was stunned by the
implications her hand had yet to drop from her sisters’ face.
“I don’t think so,” Buffy
smiled wryly. “I think you have me confused with somebody else.”
“No!” Dawn protested loudly.
The only thing keeping her from throwing herself at Buffy and shaking her until
she admitted that she indeed remember them was the feel of Connor’s hand on her
back and Cordy’s comforting presence beside him. She idly wondered when Cordy’s
presence had become comforting, always before it had been annoying at the very
least. “You’re my sister. Your name is Buffy Summers.”
“Well my name is Buffy,” she relented casting a glance
over their shoulders she arched a brow at her companions. “But I don’t have a
sister…”
“How ‘bout a last name?”
Connor asked quietly. His mood was much like Dawn’s. The sooner she remembered
her family the sooner they could introduce the fact that she had a son… that
was almost the same age as her. But as long as she didn’t remember them there
was no way she’d believe anything that they told her. “You have one of those?”
“It’s complicated,” Damon
murmured moving around the group. He took the crossbow from Buffy’s hand
holding it loosely in his grip. “If you guys are okay then we should really
go…”
“No! No…” Cordy stepped
forward. “We need to figure this out before…”
“Look miss…”
“Cordelia… Cordelia Chase,”
the brunette interrupted. “She knows that… you know that,” she said directly to
Buffy. “We went to high school together… lived in a small town called
Sunnydale…”
“Sunnydale? Isn’t that…?”
Buffy turned to Damon confusion marring her face.
“Yeah,” Damon’s eyes narrowed
as he studied the threesome in front of him. They weren’t warriors; the boy was
the only one among them that was probably even a fighter.
And from the periodic glances
over his shoulder he’d also been the only one who even noticed that Jade and
Colin were flanking them from behind, ready to intervene should they become
violent.
He glanced at Jade she’d
already taken stock of the matter and was handling things in her usual matter.
Utilizing her powers to
determine if the three before them were friend or foe. To find out if they were
who they said they were and what useful information they had.
He watched as her eyes
blanked out, watched as she mumbled words under her breath. When her eyes
cleared her expression thoughtful she issued a sharp nod.
“Maybe we should listen to
what they have to say,” Damon said quietly to the woman at his side.
“What?!” Buffy turned to him
Dawn’s hand falling away. “You can’t be serious?!”
“Buffy,” he said soothingly.
“What will it hurt to listen to what they have to say? Besides they’ll have a
phone and with Jade forgetting to charge the cell…”
“I didn’t forget to charge the cell… damn things
just not working,” Jade protested indignantly.
“We’ll listen to what they
have to say and then we’ll go home.”
“We should do it someplace
else… this alley’s not the safest place in the world,” Connor murmured.
“I take it you have someplace
in mind?” Damon arched a brow in his direction. He knew of course that he did,
Jade was whispering secrets in his mind. Whispering what she had learned from
the minds of the three standing before them.
There were things they knew…
they knew things about Buffy that she didn’t
even know. And he for one couldn’t wait until it all came out.
Should make for one hell of a show.
“We don’t live very far from
here,” Cordy muttered.
“I can’t believe you’re actually contemplating doing this,”
Buffy’s voice rose slightly. “They’re obviously deranged ax murderers or
something and if they kill us all I’m going to hold you personally responsible.”
“Now babe…” Damon smiled down
at her as she snatched her crossbow from his hand and turned on her heel. “If
they were ax murderers then they probably wouldn’t have been attacked by the
other side…”
“He’s right they would have
been recruited for the other side.”
******************************************************************************
Connor was in a virtual
heaven. Pressed tightly to one side of his body, legs aligned was his mother.
The one that was supposed to
be dead…the one that he wasn’t supposed to ever have a chance to get to know. The
scenarios he had pictured in his mind since finding out she was alive was of
course not what was currently playing out.
In even his most horrible
nightmares he had never imagined that his mother would be sitting so close to
him, her body fraught with tension ready to leap from the vehicle at the
slightest indication of the trouble.
Somewhere deep in him he had
a feeling that she had more memories than she was letting on.
He didn’t think she would be
this overwrought about talking to Dawn about her sister if she didn’t remember
something about being that sister.
It had been decided that
since Connor, Dawn and Cordy had been going to walk back to the hotel that the
others would give them a ride in their vehicle.
It had been about this time
that Connor had figured out that Jade knew something.
As Colin and Damon had moved
weapons around in the vehicle to make the far back seat accessible she had
announced that she would ride in the back with Dawn, Cordy would navigate for
Colin and Connor would sit between Buffy and Damon.
Connor had wanted to thank
her, hell he’d wanted to do cartwheels down the middle of the street… and for
once he didn’t really care that Dawn was complaining up a storm.
Stating that Buffy was her sister, that she should be the one sitting next to her.
Because he was going to have
open access to his mother, even if she did look like she was going to jump out
of the vehicle and go running down the middle of the street at the first sign
of trouble.
As he drew a deep breath,
attempting to relax himself… and wipe the perpetual grin that seemed to have
found its way across his features he caught another whiff of her scent.
He had always thought his
father was waxing poetic when he talked about Buffy.
Once he and Dawn had
confronted Angel with the truth, once Angel had admitted the truth to himself
he would every so often talk about her.
Would smile, his eyes going
distant as he described her to their son.
How she had glowed with her humanity,
how she had smelled of vanilla and sunshine. Connor had laughed more than once
at the descriptions.
He didn’t think he’d doubt
anything Angel had to say about Buffy again.
Because she did glow with
humanity (even if it was somewhat dim from whatever trials she’d undergone) and
she did smell like vanilla and sunshine.
She smelled like what he
imagined home would smell like and for probably the millionth time he wished
that he’d met her when he was a child. Even as an infant he would have known her
as his mother.
“Just take a right here,”
Cordy said quietly, Connor stiffened as he realized that they were at the hotel
already.
His father was going to go
nuts if they didn’t handle this right. Right now he could sense two vampires
and three demons inside the hotel.
Angel, Spike, Hallie, Lorne
and most likely D’Hoffryn.
As Colin stopped the blazer
Connor turned his head slightly exchanging a look with Dawn.
“You guys live here?” Damon
asked in disbelief as he stared up at the building.
“Yeah… my dad owns it,”
Connor murmured as he turned around, glancing over at Buffy he wasn’t surprised
to see her staring at the building with apprehension lining her face.
“There’s vampires in there,”
she said softly her hand on the door.
“They can’t hurt you,” Cordy
muttered as she opened her door, stepping out. “They both have souls… and Spike
has that the chip thing.”
“Souls and chips?” Colin
asked as he slowly closed his door, a habit formed within the last year so as
not to alert the enemy to their presence by making loud noises.
“Long stories both… Buffy
knows them,” Dawn said casting a look at her sister. Buffy had opened her door
but was still staring up at the building, her eyes distant.
“Well… are we going in or are
we going to stand out here and have this discussion?” Jade asked brightly, she
exchanged a nervous look with Damon. Now that they were here, getting ready to
face Buffy’s past, one she no longer remembered right now because of the latest
wipe she had to wonder if this was indeed a wise idea.
Maybe they should have just
made an appointment and done it later.
Much, much later.
“We’re here,” Buffy said
softly as she finally stepped from the blazer. “Might as well get it over
with.”
“Buffy we don’t have to do this,”
Damon said moving to stand behind her, with his hand on her shoulder he gently
squeezed, moral support for what she was about to face.
Her past.
“Yes we do.”
******************************************************************************
“Where the bloody hell have you been bit?!” Spike exploded
out of the kitchen as he heard the front doors swing open, Dawn led the way in,
Connor following closely behind her. “Peaches is almost convinced that the
three of you are dead.”
“Had a slight problem on our
way home,” Connor stated as he swung around. “But we ran into an old friend.”
“What…?” Spike asked as he
stalked over to the youngest Summers a stern expression on his face. Ready to
shake some sense into her head chip be damned.
He didn’t make it that far,
he stopped still as a statue as he caught his first sign of Buffy. “Bloody
hell!” he breathed as he drank in the sight of the lost Slayer.
Flanked by two men that he
didn’t recognize and followed by Cordy and a brunette that he also didn’t
recognize she looked just as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair was still
short and her eyes still weary.
The last time he’d seen her,
right after the fight with Anya, she’d looked just like that. Tired, beaten…
he’d smelled the defeat on her and while at one time it would have made him
leap for joy at that time he’d been scared for her.
A defeated Slayer was a dead
Slayer after all.
“I take it he’s one of the vampires
with a soul?” he heard one of the men ask Dawn as he stared at Buffy unmoving.
She stared right back at him, her features blank and for a split second he
thought he saw something flicker in her eyes. Some form of recognition that was
quickly banished and replaced with nothing.
“Spike… he also has this chip
thing…it keeps him from hurting humans,” Dawn said quietly.
“Christ Dawn have you told
them everything?” Spike glared down at the girl.
“They knew that there were
vampires in here,” Dawn said defensively. “Didn’t think it would be a great
first introduction if they came in with stakes blazing.”
“Spike knew Buffy as well,”
Cordy stated as she moved further into the hotel lobby. Tossing her purse on
the couch she turned to face the unmoving former Slayer.
“Was there anybody that
didn’t know her?” Colin asked with a small measure of amusement lacing his
voice.
“The janitor at the high
school… but I can’t guarantee that… especially not after we blew it up,” Cordy
said with a thin smile.
“We… you blew up the high
school?” Buffy asked softly shaking her head as if she was clearing it.
“She doesn’t remember
anything,” Cordy said when Spike shot her a questioning look, he could tell
from the tone of her voice that she didn’t buy that the Slayer remembered
nothing of her former life anymore than he did.
“Peaches is going to have a
cow,” Spike said with wide eyes.
“Spike I heard voices are
they back yet?” he heard Angel’s voice long before he saw him and he exchanged
a worried look with Cordy.
Knowing that Buffy was alive
and might not remember them was one thing. Having a live Buffy in the hotel
lobby that didn’t know them was something else entirely.
“Well…” Spike started.
******************************************************************************
He’d wondered, since they had
discovered the truth that she was still alive, what his first reaction would
be. He’d wondered what hers would be.
He knew that Hallie and
Faith, hell even Cordy had said that she had no memories. That they’d all been wiped
clean when she’d chosen to fight under the title of Indaran.
But some small part of him,
some little part of his ego insisted that she would never forget him. He was her mate, just like she was
his… if he would never forget her then there was no way that she would forget
him.
Another part of him though
had tried to prepare him for the worst case scenario. That they would find her
and she would look blankly at him and either stake him (because he was a
vampire and therefore the enemy) or even worse ask him who he was.
Neither one of those
scenarios filled him with warm fuzzy feelings.
He wanted her to have ached
for him as much as he had ached for her.
Over the last year, after
he’d recovered from the initial shock of being told she was dead, he’d relived
every precious moment of their lives together. He’d sworn that once he found
her, once she was home where she belonged with him, Dawn and Connor that he
would never let her go again. That he would take however long it took to make
sure that she understood just how much she meant to him.
How much he loved her.
When Hallie had told him that
she’d seen her, that she’d laid eyes on Buffy, had touched her and determined
that she was real he had rejoiced. It couldn’t be much longer; the powers
wouldn’t keep them separated forever. The fact that the powers had been the one
to separate them in the first place never settled in his mind.
He decided that he just
needed to be patient. He could do that, he’d waited a year what was a few more
days?
Unfortunately that was easier
said than done. He was filled with an intense desire to see her, to reclaim her
as his regardless of what had happened in her life since she had left them and
if
The tingling had begun about
five minutes prior. A tingling that he always
associated with Buffy and he’d become as nervous as a boy facing his first
date. He knew she was here, was in fact in the Hyperion right at that moment.
Drawing a deep unneeded
breath to fortify himself he moved towards the stairs.
“Spike I heard voices are
they back yet?” he called out amazed at how steady and sure his voice remained
despite the turmoil that he was feeling.
“Well…” he heard Spike start
saying, his grandchilde’s voice was filled with emotion that he hadn’t heard in
a long while.
He knew what he would see
when he rounded the corner and started down the stairs. He was going to see his
love again… and it was time to bring her home.
******************************************************************************
Buffy remained silent and
quiet in the lobby of the Hyperion. Not looking at anyone or anything she
fought back the urge to wrap her arms around herself.
Everything was changing.
Conversations were happening
around her but they sounded like they were so far away that it hurt to
concentrate on them.
People and places that she
had seen in dreams were suddenly standing before her insisting that she knew
them, insisting that she remember them.
In her dreams she had seen
the girl and young man standing before her. She’d known their names once,
eventually she’d know them again… and then Whistler would appear and the names
would vanish but the faces would remain.
She’d never physically been
in this hotel, had never physically walked through it. But she knew if she went
up the stairs, second door on the right that she would find him.
She didn’t remember his name
anymore; she’d known it once… she knew that he was important to her. That he
had been important to the person she had been before she’d become an Indaran.
She’d always remembered his
eyes first. They’d haunted her in every dream she’d ever had in the last year,
those chocolate brown eyes that looked at her as if she was the most beloved
thing in his life.
Flashes of memory, of their
first meeting viciously assaulted her and she shook her head attempting to
clear it. Now was so not the time for
her memories to be making their renewed presence known.
But of course her brain never
listened to her and her vision faded, replaced with a dark alley in a town that
she’d never been to, Sunnydale… the
Hellmouth, a voice whispered and she could see herself facing the owner of
those eyes that loved her.
Is there a problem ma’am?
Yeah there’s a problem… why were you following me?
I know what you’re thinking… but don’t worry… I don’t
bite. Truth is I thought you’d be taller or bigger muscles and all that… You’re
pretty spry though.
What’d you want?
The same thing you do.
Okay… what do I want?
To kill them. To kill them all.
Sorry, that’s incorrect. But you do get this lovely
watch and a years supply of Turtle Wax. What I want is to be left alone!
Do you really think that’s an option anymore? You’re
standing at the mouth of hell. And it’s about to open. Don’t turn your back on
this. You’ve got be ready.
Ready for what?
For the Harvest.
Who are you?
Let’s just say… I’m a friend.
Yeah well maybe I don’t want a friend.
I didn’t say I was yours.
When her vision cleared again
she realized that the others were still talking. Cordy mentioning that they’d
blown up the school.
“We… you blew up the high
school?” Buffy asked correcting herself as she once more shook her head. Voices
once whispering in her head.
Cordelia, Oz… Xander…
I for one have never heard a worse plan.
We attack the mayor with humus.
I stand corrected… but it’s like the only plan…
besides its Buffy’s. You know little miss likes to fight.
I think there was a yay vote buried in there
somewhere.
“She doesn’t remember
anything,” Cordy was saying when she refocused on the conversation. From the
look that the blonde vampire, Spike,
sent her she could tell that he didn’t buy her not remembering anything anymore
than Cordy or the others seemed to.
“Peaches is going to have a
cow,” he muttered.
She felt him approaching long
before his voice rang out.
“Spike I heard voices are
they back yet?” she heard the voice, shivers running down her spine as she
rubbed at her forehead staring resolutely at the floor.
Maybe if she didn’t make eye
contact with him, didn’t acknowledge him they would let them leave and continue
their fight without involving them.
Before the thought was even
through her head she knew it wouldn’t work. Knew that now that she’d found him
again that she was going to be bound to him. That she would never voluntarily
be able to leave his side for anything less than the fight.
“Well,” she heard Spike start
saying.
“Well what?” Angel asked
rounding the stairs. She hazarded a glance up and saw him stopped in the middle
of the stairs, hand clutching the banister for dear life as he stared at her
with something akin to awe.
Quickly she averted her eyes,
staring back at the ground fisting her hands at her side as she gnawed on her
bottom lip.
“Buffy,” he said in an almost
whisper and she felt her heart pang at the loneliness she heard in the
simpleness of her name.
He had missed her. With that one
word she could almost feel the depth of his loneliness, the despair at having
thought her dead and buried.
She could feel him moving
again, could feel his presence tickling along her skin and a corner of her mind
registered that although Colin had moved away, had moved to stand beside Jade,
Damon had not. He’d taken a position at her back, lending silent support ready
to intervene should she say anything indicating that she was not ready for this
to happen.
She could feel tears welling
in her eyes as she stared mutely at the ground. She couldn’t understand why
Whistler had wiped her if her memories were going to come back almost
immediately… in their entirety. Her life was crashing repeatedly over her, her
life with Angel, her life as a Slayer… ending with Xander’s death.
Xander… a single tear leaked
from her eyes as she thought of her fallen friend. Dying to protect them from
someone that he had loved.
“He died a warriors death, just like he wanted, just
like he was meant to.”
“Like he was meant
to?! He wasn’t a warrior! He shouldn’t even have been there! Should never have
died like that.”
“Buffy,” he whispered once
more, she could see his shoes, knew he was standing right in front of her, so
close that she could reach out and touch him if she chose to. Her nails dug
into the skin of her palms as she fought that urge, then fought the urge to
lean into his touch as he raised a hand to cup her cheek.
God how had she lived so long
without him?
Because she’d had to… and she
still had to… she was still a warrior, still an Indaran. She fought enemies
that he couldn’t; she fought a fight that he wasn’t involved in… yet.
So drawing a deep breath she
stiffened her back, she might have her memories back but that didn’t meant that
they needed to know that she had them back. She wouldn’t allow anyone else to
die because of her.
Xander was enough.
Blinking away the tears in
her eyes she schooled her expression into one of indifference… and prayed that
it would hold as she raised her eyes to meet his.
“Angel,” she breathed his
name even as she inwardly cursed her weakness where this man was concerned. As
their eyes locked she saw the smile being formed on his lips and then darkness
descended.
******************************************************************************
It was a dark night, no moon
showed in the sky and it cast an almost ominous feel over the city.
The streets seemed almost
absurdly empty. Normally they would be crawling with the denizens of the night.
Selling their wares, selling their bodies. But it seemed as if even those that
normally sauntered down these streets, cocky in their belief that nothing could
touch them felt the evilness that seemed to permeate every darkened corner and
took measures to protect themselves from it.
Or it could have been the
caravan of five identical vehicles. Black blazers, tinted windows that were
currently traveling the strangely silent streets of downtown
The military was in town some
were probably saying. Others were going into hiding even as they watched the
vehicles move past them.
Sitting in the passenger seat
of the lead vehicle, tapping his unringing cell phone against his leg, Wes
stared out the front window, urging the vehicle to move even faster.
He could feel it in his
bones… as they were traveling at a snail’s pace through the streets his life
was being changed. After the fight tonight his life would no longer be the
same, he would no longer be able to say that he had no family, no friends other
than those that carried the title of Indaran.
He only hoped that Buffy was
still alive to deal help him deal with the friends that were getting ready to
spring out of the woodwork.
“They’re not dead,” Brendan
glanced at him from the drivers’ seat. He was one of Susanne’s warriors, a
bulky young man with a friendly face.
“He’s right… you need to
relax Wes,” Susanne murmured from the seat directly behind him.
“Right,” Wesley snorted
rubbing at his eyes. He’d put his contacts, which he despised, in before they’d
left. He’d taken to wearing them a few months prior as it wouldn’t do for the
enemy to knock his glasses off his face during battle and for him to end up
crawling around on the ground because he was totally blind without them. “I’ll
get right on that.”
“Look around you man,”
Brendan gestured wildly with one hand. “If something had happened believe me I would be speeding through these streets
cops be damned. But they’re fine. Yes
they were engaged in battle, but they won…”
“So where are they huh? Why
aren’t we able to get through to them on the phones or the radios? Why can’t
the witches get in touch with Jade directly?”
“Their powers don’t always
work like that… and all the witches aren’t psychically sensitive like Jade…”
“And sometimes the powers
lock them out making it near impossible for them to get in contact with each
other,” Wesley finished. He glared at the phone once more. A piece of
technology that would normally link him to his four favorite people in the world
right now it was only serving to distance them from him.
“If something had happened to
them we would know, chill…” Brendan stated stubbornly, glowering as he
tightened his hands around the steering wheel, Wesley envisioned that he was probably
envisioning it was his neck and that the life was slowly being strangled from
him.
Sometimes he forgot how
volatile the warriors could be.
Settling back in his seat he
gripped his phone in one hand and turned his attention out the window, watching
the scenery slowly pass by.
He didn’t believe them dead.
No matter what the others might think of his behavior it had nothing to do with
fear of their demise. His fear was of discovery. Fear that the family and
friends that he and Buffy had in common had located her and even now his
carefully structured life was going to be demolished in one swift blow.
He comforted himself with the
fact that the family and friends couldn’t have been all that close to him. The
Indaran’s had been chosen by their lack of
significant friendships… Buffy had been one of the sole warriors chosen that
had any family at all left. And after his last talk with Whistler it had been
his understanding that the bonds that were even now pushing and pulling his
warrior in a million different directions had, at the time, been stretched
beyond any hopes of repair by the powers. That the bonds she shared with the
vampire in particular had been all but shattered and destroyed by outside
influences.
Obviously that was no longer
the case.
The vampire had marked her,
he’d seen the bite on her neck and identified it as a vampire’s bite months ago
but it had never dawned on him that the vampire that had bitten her still
walked the earth. He had just assumed that the Buffy had been bitten prior to
dusting the offending vampire. He had never imagined that she would have allowed a vampire to claim her.
He didn’t remember what Buffy
had been like prior to the wipes. Sometimes he was thankful for that blessing,
becoming friends was enough of a trial without their past history clouding
their opinions, but he would never have envisioned that she would have allowed a vampire to mark her as his
mate.
Whistler had told him the
vampire had walked away, had marked her and then left her years prior. The bond
that had been strong upon his departure had weakened as the years passed and
then days prior to their being called as Indaran she had found out that he had
moved on.
The information, Whistler had
explained, had not come from the vampire, but from the woman that he was
supposed to be moving on with…
Then Whistler had
corroborated the story when he had come to offer her the choice. The powers had
not informed him that it was a spell, that the vampire was in the process of
being tested for his own worthiness. If he had broken the spell he would have
been called as well… they had a demon that fought by their sides after all and
warriors were chosen by their worthiness not by their status as human or not.
But he hadn’t been strong
enough, being away from his mate for so long had weakened the bond so that he
was unable to counteract it even though he knew that it was there. It had taken
Buffy’s ‘death’ to break it and by then it had been to late, the warriors had
been chosen and the vampire had been left behind.
The powers had never imagined
that the bond between Buffy and her mate would strengthen after that, by all
accounts it should have been weakened to the point of destruction. But it had
strengthened, and the bond continued to link the two of them, he was the reason
the wipes weren’t working on his warrior. Why they hadn’t been working.
“Do we have five witches?” he
asked suddenly turning in his seat to face Susanne.
“Yes… I don’t see the point though,”
Susanne rolled her eyes. “Jade is fine and now we’re putting six in battle at
the primary when the bigger battle is going to be the secondary.”
“It’s better to be safe than
sorry,” Wesley muttered turning back around.
******************************************************************************
Angel crouched over his bed,
his broad shoulders blocking the view of Buffy laying motionless there. When
she had collapsed he had scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his
room. Ignoring everyone’s objections as he fought to keep a skip out of his
step he had raced up the stairs.
He was a vampire he didn’t
skip he kept telling himself as he reveled in the sensation her closeness
brought. Fighting back the urge to gather her close to him, to clutch her to
his unbeating heart and never, ever let her go again.
He settled for stroking her
cheek gently as he smiled. She had remembered him, had said his name in the
breathy little way that she had… of course then she had passed out in his arms
but still…
“Dad…” Connor held a wet
washcloth over his shoulder staring down at the unmoving woman lying there. His
mother.
Even at that moment people
were descending on the hotel to see for themselves that she was alive.
The call had gone out almost
immediately. Faith had already arrived. Giles and
“Thanks,” Angel murmured
absently as he touched the wet cloth to her face. He could see her eyes moving
rapidly under her closed lids, could feel the tension in her body and as he
moved his hand over her face he fought to feed her positive emotions through
their bond.
Struggled to show her the
depth of his love and devotion. He could sense her fear through it, could feel
her terror which he didn’t understand. Because she was scared for him.
A movement on the other side
of the bed drew his attention and he met the inquisitive eyes of the brunette
female, Jade as she sat on the edge. Gifting him with a small smile she turned
her attention to Buffy, laying a hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes.
“Well?” Damon asked from
behind her. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Jade said in
puzzlement, opening her eyes again she frowned as she lifted her hand away.
“Something rendered her unconscious.”
“You mean something did this
on purpose? How, why?” Angel asked with quiet anger.
Jade studied him before
turning to Damon. “I need to call Wesley… we’re protected against spells and
enchantments like this, only the powers could intervene and allow this to
happen.”
Angel started at the sound of
the familiar name. His mind running in circles as it considered the
implications. “Did you say…? Wesley?” he heard Giles ask from behind him.
“Yeah… he’s our watcher,”
Damon said taking Jade’s place by the bed.
“Your watcher,” Angel said
numbly. “Wesley is your watcher.”
“Yeah… so?” Damon shrugged
exchanging looks with Colin as he entered the room.
“Wesley Wyndham-Price?” Giles
asked his face full of dawning realization.
“We don’t have last names,”
Colin stated from his position by the door.
“He’d be British… about
thirty…”
“He’d have a scar… across his
neck,” Angel finished.
“That’s Wes,” Damon nodded.
“Oh lord,” Giles breathed.
“Oh dear lord.”
******************************************************************************
“Jade tell me that’s you,”
Wesley ordered as soon as he turned the phone on.
“Geez baby did you miss me
that much?” Jade smiled, no matter how worried she might be about Buffy the
sound of his voice always did wonders in calming her.
“Where the hell have you been?! We’ve been trying
to get in touch with you for hours,”
Wesley muttered furiously.
“The cell didn’t work; we
tried to call when we got out of the movies but…” Jade shrugged. Crossing one
arm over her stomach she tried to decide the best way to broach the subject of
Buffy having met her family and friends and been rendered unconscious by an
unknown assailant all in a few short hours.
Maybe she should just lie and
tell him everything was okay.
“We’ve got a small problem…”
“Please don’t tell me that
you’ve been arrested,” Wes begged.
“No,” she laughed. “Although
once you hear what the problem is you might wish that it was as simple as
that.”
“What’s the problem?”
“You know that situation you told us to be on the
lookout for?”
“Yes.”
“Well it’s happened… they’re
all here.”
“Why do I have a feeling
that’s not all,” Wes sighed as he rubbed the scar across his neck.
“Because its not… we got here
and Buffy was fine, then she took one look at this vampire, said his name and
then passed out,” Jade mumbled quickly. When she heard nothing but silence from
the other end she frowned. “Wes, honey, you still there?”
“Yes,” he sighed loudly into
the phone again. “You’re right it would be so much simpler if you had just been
arrested for fighting again.”
“Are you in the car?” she
asked curiously as she heard a car alarm faintly through the phone.
“Where are you right now?” he
asked ignoring her question in favor of determining her whereabouts and getting
her to the primary playing field.
“We’re at this hotel… the
Hyperion? The vampire that Buffy knew… he owns it.”
“Fuck,” Wes muttered. “We’re
on our way to you.”
“Wes?” Jade asked softly
trying to ignore the pang of horror that she felt at the tone of his voice.
Walking to the balcony she gazed down into the lobby. These were all humans.
Buffy’s friends, sister, mate… son.
There wasn’t a fighter among
them if you didn’t count the vampires, the Slayer and the boy.
“We’ve got primary and
secondary playing fields.”
“Primary?”
“Is your location…”
“No,” she said abruptly
drawing attention from those milling about in the lobby. “Wes there are civilians here. Buffy’s family, your family is here.”
“Can’t be helped… evacuate
them if possible… but you don’t have much time… maybe a few minutes at the
most.”
“How close are you?” Jade
asked closing her eyes. Evacuate them,
sure that would work… not. There was no way that anyone would voluntarily
leave the premises until they found out what had happened to Buffy.
“Couple minutes… they’re
going to beat us there.”
“You know sometimes I hate my
life,” Jade grumbled. “What do you want us to do?”
“Get ready… might help if you
had a conscious Buffy but that’s your call.”
“Right… conscious Buffy… on
it… see ya in a bit,” Jade hung up. Tapping the phone against her forehead she
started back towards Angel’s room.
“So?” Colin asked as she
entered. “What did he say? Was he mad?”
“He wasn’t mad… but I think he would have been
happier if I’d told him we’d been arrested again,” she said softly her eyes on the
still form of her friend. “He’s on his way here.”
“What? Why?”
“Jade?” Damon asked slowly
climbing to his feet.
“We have primary and
secondary playing fields.”
“Which are we?” Colin asked
understanding in his voice as he walked towards her.
“We’re the primary… he
suggests we get Buffy conscious and get ready.”
“Right,” Damon nodded. “Any
suggestions on how to do that?” he asked the three all focusing on the
unconscious warrior.
“Well…” Jade started. “I have
no clue.”
From his place beside Buffy
Angel followed the conversation. It was almost as if they’d forgotten that he
was even in the room with them. “What’s a primary playing field?” he asked
curiously.
******************************************************************************
Buffy woke slowly on her bed
in her house on
She’d never had clothes like
the ones she currently wore. Too sedate, to baggy… too black.
Pushing herself to her feet
she glanced around her room finally noticing the fine layer of dust over her
belongings.
Didn’t mean anything she told
herself firmly. She’d been busy, what with Dawn and going back to school… and
Anya trying to kill everyone.
“Dawn?” she called rushing
from her room. Hazarding a glance in her sister’s bedroom she found nothing and
raced down the steps.
“I won’t
let you hurt them!” Xander yelled placing his body between the demonic form of
Anyanka and Buffy and
She gasped as she swayed,
clutching at the doorframe for support.
“And you’re going to stop me how?” Anyanka scoffed
with a malicious smile waving the knife in her hand towards the two females.
She had powers that she could have used but physical damage was best inflicted
by hand not by power. The Slayer was already hurt; Buffy had a hand pressed to
her stomach where Anyanka had managed to stab her with the knife.
“I won’t let you hurt them,” Xander repeated arms
outstretched as he stood his ground.
“You’re worthless Xander,” Anyanka mocked. “You’re the
most worthless member of the Scoobies, no powers, no strength… I’m surprised
they haven’t cut you loose long before now. I would think you would want me to
do this… before they figured out how pathetic you really are and banished you.”
“They’re my friends,” he said quietly. “They would
never do that.”
“Friends,” she laughed harshly. “Friends are a dime a
dozen. Easily replaceable.”
“Anya,” he said softly moving towards her.
“Xander don’t,” Buffy warned laying a hand on his
shoulder trying to stay his forward movement.
“She won’t hurt me,” Xander said confidently.
“Sure about that?” Anyanka murmured arching a brow.
“I’ll take what I can get,” she snarled shoving the knife into the soft flesh
of Xander’s abdomen. He gasped his face a mixture of surprise and resignation
as his eyes flickered from his ex-lover’s face to the knife that she was slowly
twisting.
“Xander,” Buffy and
“Oh god,” Buffy moaned
falling to her knees burying her face in her hands. “Oh god… Xander.”
“Hey Buff…” she jumped as she
felt the gentle touch on her shoulder. “None of that now.”
Whirling she was on her feet
a hand pressed to her chest as she gaped. “Xander… You’re dead.”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “People
keep saying that.”
“You did this!” she accused
sharply.
“Yeah,” he laughed sharply.
“Got a lot of nifty little powers now… I pulled you here to keep you from
making a huge mistake.”
“A mistake? What are you
talking about? All I was about to do was tell Angel that I didn’t remember
anything.”
“Exactly,” Xander smiled.
“And that’s not the plan right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Angel… you guys are
supposed to be together,” Xander said sheepishly.
Buffy stared at him in
disbelief before she started laughing, shaking her head.
“Uh Buff? Not quite seeing
the funny here.”
Buffy giggled as she stared
up at him. “It’s just… god Xander, you hate Angel more than anyone else on the
planet and you’re trying to tell me that you think that we belong together… Who
are you really?” she asked with a grin peering up into his face.
“I’m not kidding here,”
Xander muttered. “Wish I were but I’m not.”
“Sorry Xander I just don’t
buy it… besides Angel’s with Cordy now… remember?”
“Yeah about that,” he ran a
hand through his hair awkwardly. “That was a spell…”
“A spell?”
“Yeah… designed by the other
side to drive a wedge between the two of you… The powers knew it was there and
decided to use it as part of his test…”
“What test?”
“If you stop interrupting I’ll
tell you,” Xander growled. “He was being tested for Indaran along with the rest
of the warriors… His test was fairly simple, he passed all the physical stuff
with flying colors but the emotional test…”
“He was supposed to break the
spell…” Buffy whispered her eyes wide.
“Yeah… he failed… both he and
Cordy did. When he found out that you had died… the spell broke through his
grief.”
“But by then it was to late,”
Buffy murmured. “The Indaran had already been chosen…”
“He loved you Buffy… just
like Cord realized that she loved me… but you’re right… it was too late,”
Xander shook his head. “It was just too damn late,” he whispered.
“What was my test Xander?”
He looked away, staring at
the frozen scene that had been forgotten by them. His other self laying on the
floor bleeding, in shock. Buffy and Anya locked in combat.
“Xander?”
“Not interfering,” he
whispered.
“What?”
“Your test was to interfere
or not… Whistler gave you the tools, told you that Anyanka was going to attack
you and
“But you died,” Buffy cried.
“Did I?”
******************************************************************************
Angel watched in horror as
tears began leaking from under Buffy’s closed eyes. Her grief was so tangible
that he could feel it emanating throughout the room. He had no idea where her
mind was locked. What she was seeing but it was hurting her.
Leaning close to her he laid
his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered as he
reached down to grip her hand. “I love you.”
“Angel?” he felt her breath
on his face even as he heard the almost silent whisper.
“Buffy,” he whispered drawing
away just inches so he could gaze down at her. “Hey,” he smiled at her.
“So sleeping beauty has
decided to rejoin her waiting public,” Damon grumbled as he crossed the room.
Sitting on the bed next to her he “How do you feel babe?” he asked ignoring the
growling vampire on the other side of her.
“My head hurts,” she murmured
as she pushed herself into a sitting position.
“Probably would have hurt a
lot more if your vampire hadn’t been there to catch you when you passed out.”
“Yeah,” Buffy squeezed Angel’s
hand slightly. “He’s good at catching me when I fall.”
“So you up for a fight? We’ve
got a world of trouble headed our way,” Colin asked brightly from the door.
******************************************************************************
Jade paced the length of the
lobby in agitation. They were as ready as they could be barring the arrival of
backup.
She hadn’t wanted to exit the
hotel to get weapons from the blazer and had found that the weapons housed in
the hotel more than made up for what they would normally have had. And if she
was honest with herself she wouldn’t have expected anything less from a warrior
of Angel’s magnitude. What was agitating her was the wait.
She hated waiting.
Buffy’s family and friends were
scattered throughout the lobby, she had attempted to get them to leave, to get
to safety but they had all refused stating they weren’t going anywhere until
they had a chance to talk to Buffy.
She hadn’t wanted to be the
one to tell them that any conversation they wanted to hold with her would have
to wait until a later date anyway. Once the fight was done at the Hyperion they
would be shepherded to the secondary playing field.
“Girl you need to sit or
something,” Gunn muttered. “Pacing isn’t going to make the bad guys show up any
faster.”
Jade growled at him as she
resumed her streak. She was on her way back across the lobby was almost to the
stairs when she heard the crashing at the door. Whirling she crouched a smile
creasing her face.
“Indaran,” a demon she didn’t
recognize at the front of the pack pouring through the door pointed his sword
at her. “You are challenged.”
“It’s about damn time,” Jade
snarled as she grabbed a sword from the collection on the stairs. “Saren,” she
murmured under her breath as she raced across the floor towards them, already
sending a mental summons to the others when she saw Spike appear out of
nowhere.
“No! Don’t!!” she yelled even
as she saw Spike charge the lead demon. She winced, but never stopped moving as
Spike made contact with the demon’s armor yelping in pain as he went flying
backwards from the electrical backlash.
“Don’t touch them!” she
yelled as Faith hovered over the downed blonde vampire.
“What the hell?!” the Slayer
asked her tone pissed.
“This isn’t your fight… don’t touch them!”
******************************************************************************
Buffy leaned back against
Angel on the bed. She knew she should keep her distance. Should try to make
sure he understood that her life wasn’t really hers at the moment.
But she couldn’t.
His arm was around her
invoking feelings she thought long dead and buried. Home, love.
That arm was supporting her
but it was also sending a message. One that Damon was currently smirking at. Her
vampire was showing signs of possessiveness and that left her feeling
unbelievably giddy.
“Guys!? Could use some fucking help down
here!!” Jades voice rang loud in
their heads and Angel started as the three jumped. Exchanging looks they raced
from the room, already they could hear the clash of battle and wondered how
they had missed the sounds.
Ignoring the stairs, and the
vampire following closely on their heels they used the banister as leverage and
dove from the second floor to the middle of the battle below. Screaming the
word that would activate their shields in unison.
“Saren!”
******************************************************************************
Buffy leapt into battle with
a cry and a grin. Kicking out with one leg she twisted and easily caught the
sword being tossed at her by Colin.
Beside her she could feel
glee and determination rolling off her companions in waves. There was
absolutely nothing like a good fight to really get the adrenaline pumping.
And to take her mind off the
fact that even now she could feel Angel moving quickly down the stairs. Without
turning she knew that he had stopped at the bottom to take stock of the
situation, in another few seconds he would grab a weapon and attempt to join
the battle.
Something she just could not
allow.
She wanted her vampire mate
aliv…ish… or at the very least not a pile of dust.
She couldn’t yell at a pile
of dust, couldn’t plan a future with a pile of dust.
Unless she moved quickly once
the battle was over and had him moved into an urn. But she was normally quite
vague after a big battle and chances were she would forget that he was lying in
a pile at her feet.
Besides did she really want
to be known as the crazy Warrior who talked to her urn?
Nope if she had a vote she
was going for an undead vampire mate versus dusty vampire mate.
“Jade,” she called out
swinging the sword in her hand she caught a Menthlusa demon in the torso,
turning away to avoid being sprayed in the face by its blood.
“Hmmm?” Jade grunted as she took
a hit to the chest and flew solidly into the wall.
“Barrier,” she jerked her
head towards the group that was even now moving towards them having taken stock
of the situation.
“On it,” the brunette
muttered. From where she was fighting, side by side with Damon she could see
Colin take up position between Jade and the demons closing on her disappearing
under the onslaught only to reappear seconds later.
Jade on the other hand had
her sword in one hand, her other cupped as she chanted softly. Her eyes glowing
pure white as she whirled suddenly throwing it seemed nothing at the group
descending on the fight. Only the other three warriors saw the small ball of
light leave her cupped hand and quickly grow into a shield in front of the
stairs.
Effectively cutting off the
arrival of those that would attempt to help… and would no doubt die in the
process.
Buffy heard the growl emanate
from Angel’s throat as he bounced off the barrier. Her name a desperate cry on
his lips.
With a smile she turned her
full attention to the battle in front of her. Now that her love and her family
were safe she could concentrate on winning this fight.
******************************************************************************
Angel snarled as he banged
his fists futilely against the invisible barrier separating him from his mate,
her companions and the demons they were currently engaged in furious battle
with.
“Can you get it down?” he
spat angrily at
Breaking this barrier down
well surpassed the limited powers she did
have.
“Maybe Halfrek,” she started
frowning when Hallie shook her head at them.
“Way beyond me… even being a
demon… That witch,” Hallie gestured at Jade, who had rejoined the battle now
that her spell was done. “That witch was the one who did the sleep spell on me…
she’s probably the one that distorted the path so that we couldn’t figure out
where my port originated from.”
“We can’t just let them fight
alone,” Angel muttered. “Look at them… they’re totally outnumbered.”
“I’d say they were holding
their own,” Spike wheezed as Faith helped him into a sitting position.
“What’s wrong with you boy?” the
older vampire asked with narrowed eyes.
“Got hit with some sort of
electrical shock when I went to hit that first demon,” Spike mumbled as he
struggled to his feet.
Giles sighed removing his
glasses as he took a seat on the stairs. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket
he slowly started cleaning them. “You might as well sit down,” he offered
quietly as he looked up into their disbelieving faces. “You can’t fight them.”
“What the hell are you
talking about? They’re demons, we fight demons…” Faith started.
“Not these demons you
don’t...”
“What do you know Rupert?”
Angel asked quietly.
“The Indaran will fight those
that cannot be fought. Locked in battle with a cry they will fight with unity
sparks lighting their way.”
“What?” Dawn exchanged a confused
look with Connor that turned quickly to realization. “Oh god.”
“What?!”
“The blonde… Colin he said
something when they were fighting off the guys that were attacking us…” Dawn
murmured. “It didn’t even click until now.”
“He said something? Why don’t
I remember this?” Cordy grumbled.
“Think you were unconscious
at the time Cor,” Connor grinned before turning back to his father and Giles.
“Jade and Damon were facing off against these big guys…”
“And a vampire,” Dawn
interjected.
“Yeah, yeah… then Colin
appears out of nowhere, tells us to move out the way.”
“Because with shields on if
one of them had hit us it would have been like getting hit by an electrical
charge,” Dawn finished.
“More like a couple,” Spike
muttered rubbing his hands. “Bleedin’ hell it felt like I’d stuck my hand in an
electrical socket or something.”
“He said that it wouldn’t
hurt them… but that it would hurt us,” Connor said reassuringly. Touching his
fathers arm lightly he turned his attention to the fight that had been raging
behind them.
******************************************************************************
Angel hadn’t felt the raw
sting of jealousy in years. Hands pressed against the invisible barrier that
separated him from his love he waited. He didn’t even wince at the pain the
barrier inflicted on him as it tried to repel him from its surface. But even as
the barrier fought to push him away he touched it, the moment it dropped he
would be across the invisible line that had been drawn.
He just hoped it wasn’t too
late.
The pain comforted him; at
least he knew he could feel something besides the jealousy that was clawing at
his insides.
The demon inside him demanded
that he reclaim her, that he show the boy who fought at her side just who she
belonged to.
The last time he’d been this
viciously opposed to someone had been the first time he met Riley Finn.
But even through the haze of
his jealousy back then he’d known that he wouldn’t be replaced.
He couldn’t be replaced because as often as not Buffy would have to
pull Riley’s butt out of the fire and she would never have had to do that with
Angel. They had fought as equals and he’d known back then that even if she
replaced him as her love as a fighter he could never be replaced.
But watching her synchronous
movements with Damon he wondered if he had
been replaced. Watching the two of them instinctively fight together, watching
each others back, supporting each other he felt that blinding haze as furiously
as he ever had.
Even to his jealous eyes he
could see that they fought well together, they intuitively knew exactly where
the other was going to be at any given time… he could remember a time when he
and Buffy had fought like that.
“Chit’s gotten good,” Spike
commented from next to him.
“She was always good,” Angel
muttered.
“Then she’s gotten better.”
Angel grumbled under his
non-existent breath but he had to admit his grand-childe was right.
She had gotten better. Now she fought with an edge, a viciousness that
he’d never seen in her fighting before.
Although no noise from the
battle could be heard on their side of the barrier he imagined it would sound
like any other battle he’d been in. The clash of metal against metal. The
grunts and cries as blows were landed.
The battle cry of warriors
fighting for a cause.
He knew that the tide was
changing, that reinforcements had arrived by the positions that the four took.
The way Buffy and Damon
positioned themselves he knew that they’d used this particular maneuver before.
And it was flawless, so
ingrained into them that they probably never even thought about it. Buffy knew
Damon would be there, Damon knew exactly when Buffy would attempt it.
He could see that from the way that Damon never even looked at her before
dropping to the floor in a crouch, sword caught between his knees, he cupped
his hands just mere seconds before Buffy took a running start and planted her
foot in them.
With an upward thrust he
tossed the former Slayer into the air as if she weighed no more than a sheet of
paper. She twisted and turned in the air, landing on her feet in front of the
door, sword swinging the entire time.
And it all happened so fast,
so precisely that Angel was sure that if he had blinked he would have missed
the entire thing.
“Good lord is that…?” Giles
squinted as he saw black clad figures battling their way through the door.
Buffy cutting a swathe through the demons between her and the door her
compatriots were entering through.
“It kind of looks like
English but…” Gunn shook his head.
“Wesley?!” Cordy’s eyes
widened in disbelief.
The former Watcher was
dressed entirely in black, no glasses lighting his nose as would be the norm
and handling a battle ax as if it was an extension of his arm.
The group watched in stunned amazement
as Buffy shot him a quick grin and wink as he moved up to her side.
“All right is anyone else
totally wigged by the fact that B appears to be listening to him?” Faith muttered.
And she was… whatever Wesley
was saying Buffy was agreeing to as she continually nodded her head at him.
Both moved forward, the
newest warriors fanning out clearing a space in the middle of the room.
A space that was filled
quickly with five people. Standing back to back Jade, two women and two men
began chanting. Hands entwined as the battle continued around them.
A storm waged in the room,
wind wildly swirling around the combatants, the hands that were entwined
glowing pure white and then a blinding light erupted from the center of the
circle.
Those behind the shield
raised arms to their eyes to ward it off. They heard the deafening roar just
seconds before the light cleared, seconds before their vision returned and it
took Angel a moment to realize that it was a victory cheer. So loud that it
could be heard beyond the shield when the sounds of battle hadn’t been.
And then suddenly he stumbled
forward as the invisible barrier vanished, out of the corner of his eye he saw
Jade waving a hand at them, dispelling the shield that had kept them safe and
separated. With a grin and a wink she acknowledged them before turning back to
her friends.
Quickly he surveyed the room
breathing a sigh of relief as he saw Buffy embroiled in conversation with
Wesley and Damon.
“What happened to all the
bodies?”
Angel glanced around the room
quickly, all the warriors appeared to be present… but the demons that they had
been locked in combat with had all vanished.
A loud piercing whistle kept
anyone from responding to her query. Not that they would have known what to say
to her in the first place.
Wesley had leapt up onto the
large counter on one side of the room, hands raised above his head he waited
for the chatter to subside.
“We still have a secondary playing
field,” he started and Angel’s brows raised at the sound of authority in his
voice. This was a Wesley Wyndham-Pryce that was obviously used to leading, used
to being followed.
“All team members please
check in with team captains. Team captains check in with me once your teams are
together. Anyone needing replacement weapons see Buffy and Damon,” he glanced
down at Buffy when she tapped on his leg, leaning down so she could mumble to
him. Whatever she said to him was so soft that even with his vampire hearing…
and straining, he couldn’t figure it out. At least not until Wesley scowled.
“And do not use this opportunity to
build your personal collections. All weapons borrowed must be returned.”
With that Wesley jumped down
and with a squeeze of Buffy’s arm headed towards Jade.
Buffy herself had locked eyes
with Angel. Waving off a warrior that had approached her she directed him
towards Damon and slowly walked towards the small group that had not moved an
inch since the barrier had been let down.
Stopping right in front of
Angel she smiled softly up at him. A smile that he returned even though his
heart felt heavy.
Because even though she
hadn’t said the words yet, deep inside himself he knew that she wasn’t staying.
With Dawn on one side, Connor
on the other he stared down at her. Fought for composure as his throat
constricted, struggling to think of the right words.
The one that would keep her
there, with him.
Dawn solved the problem of
what to say when she reached out to touch Buffy’s arm. Probably to reassure
herself once again that Buffy was indeed real and not a figment of an
overactive imagination, it also served to draw Buffy’s eyes momentarily away
from Angel. Allowing him to regain his composure as Buffy drew Dawn into a
fierce hug.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered
into her sisters’ ear.
“I know,” Dawn whispered
tearfully back.
Pressing a kiss to her cheek
she drew away, Buffy focused her attention once more on Angel even though she
continued to clutch one of Dawn’s hands within her own.
“I can’t stay,” she said
softly.
“I know… we still…”
“Need to talk… I know,”
turning she made quick eye contact with Wesley and when he nodded she turned
back to them. “We’re staying in LA right now.”
“How…?” Angel began scowling when
Damon appeared out of nowhere at her side, a heavy vest in one hand and a slip
of paper in the other. He handed the paper to Angel, the vest to Buffy and as
she slid it on she continued.
“The address is on there,”
she smiled wistfully. “It’s a great house… don’t…” she glanced around at those
that were circled around them.
Cordy standing next to Gunn.
Willow clutching at Giles’
arm as she watched with apprehension.
Faith, Spike and Hallie
sitting on the stairs, all trying to send off airs of detachment that they
didn’t quite manage.
She could not handle having everyone in her home
at once.
She would definitely go
insane.
“Don’t bring everyone,” she
muttered. “Just you, Dawn… Giles for now.”
“I’d like to bring Connor,”
Angel said glancing over at his silent awestruck son. “If you don’t mind of
course.”
Buffy followed his gaze,
cocking her head to one side as she studied the boy at his side. Connor
fidgeted nervously under her gaze although his eyes never broke contact with
hers. With a sudden nod a brilliant smile creased her face.
“Okay.”
“Buffy… are you ready?”
Wesley called from the door. Jade at his side he had an expression of
impatience on his face… although it didn’t show in his voice.
“I’ve…”
“Got to go… yeah,” Angel
touched her cheek gently before drawing her impulsively into a hug. After a
second she wrapped her arms around him resting her head against his chest.
“I missed you,” she said so
softly he barely heard her. Probably wouldn’t have if he had been human.
“I missed you to,” he pressed
a soft kiss to her cheek before releasing her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
she said backing away. Behind her Damon and Jade were exiting the building;
only Wesley remained within its confines watching the proceedings with interest…
even though there was not a hint of recognition on his features.
“Tomorrow,” he promised. With
a grin she turned on her heel, surprising him only slightly when she whirled
back around. With an ease of movement that he didn’t ever recall her having
before she wrapped her arms around him again in a fierce hug. Drawing away she
pressed a quick, hard kiss to his lips before once again whirling away.
“Be careful,” he called after
her.
“Always,” she grinned back at
him, Wesley nodded at them as she joined his side. Walking side by side out of
the building.
******************************************************************************
He’d been unable to wait to
see her so they had taken his car.
Protected against the sun
that blared brightly in the sky by a spell that
He’d been terrified before
they’d gotten there as well. Although that had been for a decidedly different
reason.
Fear that she might have died
in the battle that she had left his arms to go wage had tormented his waking
hours since she had left him.
He’d been unable to sleep,
unable to even rest. And he’d known that he wouldn’t be able to do either until
he saw with his own two eyes that she was unharmed.
That she was alive and that
she remembered him.
He’d felt a small measure of
relief as he’d sensed her presence within the house when they had approached
it. It had so overwhelmed him that he’d had
to pull the car over to collect himself.
It was either that or run
into the telephone pole.
Of course once he’d felt the
relief that her continued aliveness brought then the terror that she might no longer
love him had started building within him.
She had hugged him, had
kissed him, had confessed her love to him the night before. But did she really
feel the emotions that he did or had it been the heat of the moment?
Had she already moved on?
Without her memories there would have been nothing stopping her from pursuing a
relationship with the young man that had fought by her side.
Damon… his lips curled back
in a silent snarl. He didn’t think he
could go on if she told him that she’d moved on to the young warrior.
So here he sat, hunkered over
the steering wheel, a short distance down the street from the address that
Buffy had given him.
Sitting next to him Giles
alternately cast curious glances at him and impatient looks at his watch as he
waited for Angel to drive the short distance to the gate that they could see from the road.
In the back seat the teens
were impatiently tapping fingers against the seat. The sound of their nails on
the leather would have been annoying if he’d had any thought space left. But
his entire being was consumed with thoughts of his mate and left no room to
worry about his companions.
Dawn craned her neck slightly
to see if she could see the house that Buffy now lived in through the trees and
high brick wall that surrounded it.
She could barely make out the
tip of it over the obstructions and was close to unleashing her fury at being
forced to wait to see her sister by
smashing the window she was looking out and crawling out of the car that way.
The gate was so close, Buffy
was so close that she could taste it and she had no problem walking from the
car to the gate. She knew that Giles and Connor would be right beside her… of
course Angel would have to wait in the car unless he wanted to do his impression
of a flaming vampire.
Kicking the back of Giles’
seat earned her a glare which she disarmed by smiling sweetly at him. Sparing a
glare at Connor when he snickered, she jerked her head at the unmoving vampire
not bothering to hide the impatience on her face.
Giles gave a long suffering
sigh and finally broke the silence of the car.
“Angel?”
“Hmm?” Angel murmured
noncommittally.
“Are you planning on driving
up to the gate or do you want us to walk?”
“What?” Angel glanced over at
him an expression of confusion on his face.
“We’ve been sitting here for
ten minutes dad,” Connor said quietly. “Are we going to go up the gate or are
we coming back later?”
“Later? Why would we come
back later?”
“Because you obviously aren’t
ready for this… maybe you should just drop us off and come back at sunset,”
Dawn offered.
“No! No,” Angel cleared his
throat. Straightening his spine he shifted slightly in his seat all three
humans holding their breaths when he put the car in gear, only to groan in
unison when he put it back in part.
“Angel!” Dawn cried. “I’d
like to see my sister while I’m still young!”
“I… what if she doesn’t want
to see me?” he asked quietly. His voice soft though all three could hear the
hint of worry.
“What are you talking about?”
Giles twisted in his seat to face the disturbed vampire. Out of the corner of
his eye he could see the same confusion he was feeling on Connor and Dawn’s
faces. “She invited you Angel… why would she not want to see you?”
“Well it was… you know the
heat of the moment, big battle… plus there are still a lot of things she
doesn’t know,” Angel murmured catching his sons’ eyes in the rear view mirror.
“You mean me,” Connor said
softly.
“You… and then there’s
Wesley… I mean… he’s not dead obviously, but aren’t you just a bit curious as
to why he was chosen to be their Watcher instead of you?”
“I like to think that it was
because her family needed me.”
“So are we going?” Dawn
leaned over the seat. “Because if we’re not let me out, I can walk it.”
“No we’re going,” Angel
stated. “Hope she’s ready for us,” he mumbled as he once more put the car in
drive and slowly moved forward. Swinging it into the short space between the
gate and the road he glanced anxiously in his mirror before inching forward just
a bit more to allow the car to be covered by the trees lining the area.
Slowly rolling down the
window everyone held their breath, releasing it once Angel pushed the button
and quickly withdrew into the car… thankfully not on fire.
“Please state your name and
the nature of your business,” a metallic voice came across the small box.
“Angel… we… we have an
appointment with Buffy,” Angel said carefully, exchanging a look with Giles he
tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as they waited.
“Please pull through the
gate, the second garage is open for your use and someone will meet you there.
Have a nice day.”
“Thank you,” Angel breathed a
non-existent sigh of relief as the gate slowly opened in front of them. Rolling
the window back up he pulled through, glancing in the rear view mirror he saw
the gate slowly closing behind them as soon as they were through.
Navigating the long, curved
driveway carefully he smiled as he saw the second garage open and empty, ready
for their use.
At least someone had
remembered that he was a vampire, then he frowned. How had they known that they
would come when it was still light out and he would need the protection?
Buffy would have known that
he couldn’t wait.
Of course she wouldn’t have
been able to either.
When she had come back from
the dead the second time he had done the same thing, leaving while the sun was
still high in the sky to meet her halfway. Both arriving within moments of each
other.
And although that meeting had
not gone exactly as he had envisioned it had been enough to know that she was
alive in Sunnydale… if not well.
He’d never thought that it
would be over two years before he would see her again.
Abandoning that depressing
thought for the moment he pulled the car in, shutting it off he was not
surprised to see the garage door close as soon as the car was stopped.
She had invited them here.
She hadn’t had to… she could have come back to the Hyperion to see everyone.
But she had invited them to
her home. That had to count for something.
That had to mean that she wanted to see them. Hopefully as much as
they wanted to see her.
“She knew you’d be here
early,” Jade grinned as she met them at the stairs that he imagined led into
the house. “Come on in… we haven’t eaten yet are you guys hungry?”
******************************************************************************
Damon leaned against the door
staring at his best friend… the one who was currently staring at her closet with a slightly panicked
expression on her face.
“Jade just called up to say
that they’re here,” he stated with a smirk.
“I know… he’s been here for a
while,” she said absently as she moved forward rifling quickly through the
clothes in her closet once more.
“You looking for something in
particular babe?”
“Something to wear… and don’t
call me babe,” she murmured, pulling out a jumper she held it up to herself,
shook her head and returned it to the closets depths.
“What’s wrong with what you
have on?” Damon queried as he walked into the room. Standing beside her he cocked
his head as he studied the closet.
Like most females closets it
was full of clothes… not as full as Jades but Buffy wasn’t nearly the clothes horse that their fellow warrior was.
“This…? You can’t be serious! I can’t see Angel for
the first time in over two years wearing this!”
Buffy grumbled in exasperation.
“What’s wrong with what you
have on?” he asked studying her carefully. She was dressed as she normally
would be.
Black jeans, black T-shirt,
her black combat boots.
“I look like I’m brooding… or
depressed!” Buffy rolled her eyes at him. “I can’t see Angel looking like I’m
ready to slit my wrists or something!”
“I really don’t think he
should be the one throwing stones… I mean did you see what he was wearing last night?”
“Yeah but he’s brooding, dark
vampire guy… I’m not.”
“So pick something else,” he
shrugged. He didn’t really get what the problem was evidently from the look she
shot at him. If she could cause someone to spontaneously combust just by
glaring he would be a pile of ashes in the middle of her bedroom.
“I don’t have anything else.”
“Uh babe… what are you
talking about?” Damon glanced between her and the full closet in front of her.
“Can you not see all the clothes in
your closet right now?”
“But they’re all fighty
clothes… I mean I don’t even own a
dress… or a skirt… or even a pair of pants that aren’t black.”
“Well you could always go
down and see him naked… I’m pretty sure that would make him happy…”
“And cause Giles to have a
heart attack and drop dead… oh god Giles!”
“What about him?”
“Wesley’s my watcher now…”
“Yeah… and…?”
“Giles is so not going to understand… he and Wesley
they… well they didn’t always see eye to eye back then. Hell Wesley and I
didn’t always see eye to eye back then…”
“Hate to say it babe but not
much has changed… you guys still don’t always see eye to eye.”
“Yeah but at least we get
along now…”
“Look…” Damon started turning
her to him he rested his hands on her shoulders staring intently at her. “Just take
a deep breath…” he started, when she did letting it out slowly he smiled and
hugged her. “They’re not here to see your clothes… they’re here to see you. I don’t think they’ll care what
you’re wearing when you go down those stairs.”
“They’re so used to seeing me
a certain way.”
“Well they’ll just have to
get used to the new you… and remember… regardless of what they think we’ll
always be here for you.”
“I know.”
“Good… Feel better now?”
“Not really but…” she smiled
as she hugged him back. Stepping back she rested her hands on her hips and
stared at him.
“Well at least you’re not
flipping out anymore so that’s a plus,” he shrugged. “Now dig out something to wear unless you really do
want to see your guests naked. You’re going to be fine… Wesley’s going to be
fine… we’re all going to be fine…”
“Thanks Damon…”
“Here to help,” he grinned
heading for the direction.
“Hey Damon?” she called after
him.
“Yeah?” he asked turning back
to her.
“Don’t call me babe, or
sweetheart or any of those cutsie terms that you use to annoy the hell out of
me… Angel’s sort of possessive.”
“Yeah,” he winked at her,
grinning impishly. “Kind of got that impression last night… See you
downstairs.”
******************************************************************************
Angel shifted on his feet as
he watched the others chat amicably with Jade.
She’d tried to include him in the conversation but had given up when she
had determined that his attention was elsewhere.
He could feel her within the house.
Her presence comforting him in a way that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
Not since he had walked away from Sunnydale and her in order to give her the
normal life that he thought that she had needed. One that he couldn’t be a part
of because of who and what he was.
He hadn’t wanted to hold her
in the dark when she should be standing, brilliantly in the light. If he’d
known the truth… known that she would never be able to escape her destiny, her
calling he would never have left.
He would have stayed by her
side until he was dust in the breeze.
“Where is she?” Jade’s voice
pulled him from his inner thoughts surprise startling him as he realized that
he had never even sensed Damon’s arrival.
“She’s staring at her
closet…” Damon grinned sauntering into the room. His eyes flicked over the
occupants, sparing a wink for Jade he blatantly studied each one of them his
eyes finally settling on Angel.
“Behave Damon,” Jade
admonished smacking him in the back of the head.
“Just checking him out,” he
muttered as he rubbed at the back of his head.
“Buffy knows what she’s
doing.”
Damon snorted as he settled
himself in one of the chairs. “Where’s Wes and Colin?” he asked glancing around
the room. “Would have thought that they’d want to be here for this… I mean this
involves all of us.”
“Colin’s at the compound
doing dispositions to get us replacement weapons for the ones that got trashed
last night… Wes was debriefing the last team I think… he looked totally whipped
when I saw him he probably crashed as soon as they were done.”
“No actually I decided I was
more hungry then tired,” Wes stated as he walked into the room a sandwich in
one hand, clothed in jeans and a T-shirt he looked relaxed if not tired. “I see
you all made it okay,” he commented as he glanced around the room, frowning
when he realized that the reason that they were all here was not present.
“Buffy?” he asked.
“Right here,” came the low
soft voice behind them.
Angel grinned as he saw her,
his whole body seeming to drown in the sensation of her presence. Plus she
looked as beautiful as he’d ever seen her.
“Isn’t that…?” Damon started
stopping to glare at Jade when she smacked him upside the head again. “Would
you stop doing that?!”
******************************************************************************
Wearing what she hoped was a
serene smile she floated into the room. When Damon had left her she had been so
close to just wearing her normal attire, she had just been closing the door
when she’d seen the small brown box lying on the floor in the corner of her
closet.
With a touch she had
remembered what it was. The clothes that she had worn the day that she and the
others had become Indaran. Whistler, even as he complained the whole time, had
been kind enough to stop at one of the small outlet stores in order for her to
change out of the blood spattered clothes.
She hadn’t wanted to start
her new life with the blood of her old one on her body.
So she’d worn cream colored
jeans, a white halter top and sandals that day. And it seemed only fitting that
those be the clothes that she wore when her old life and new life finally
merged into one life.
Stopping in front of Angel
she smiled softly up at him, her hands clenched together so he wouldn’t see her
shaking.
The last she had heard of
him, before hell had broken loose in Sunnydale he had been embarking on a
relationship with Cordy. Xander had told her that it had been a spell, a test.
But she still worried that he was here because of some misguided sense of
responsibility.
“Hi,” she said quietly. In
her stomach the butterflies were fluttering up a furious storm and she
moistened her lips nervously with the tip of her tongue.
He stared down at her, her
nervousness growing as her remained silent. She was just about to turn away
from him a focus her attention on the two that were anxiously awaiting her
acknowledgement, had actually made the first small movement when she felt one
of his hands lay over hers gently.
A whisper of a touch she
glanced down at their hands quickly before meeting his eyes in confusion.
Tilting his head he studied her, his eyes tracking a path from the top of her
head to the tips of the toes that she had painted a pale pink that morning.
But he still made no move to
say anything.
Maybe he saw the tears
starting to fill her eyes, maybe he could feel her apprehension but a smile
crossed his face so suddenly that her eyes widened in shock and then he crushed
her into a bone crushing hug. She could feel him trembling against her as he
clutched her to him, as if he was afraid she might try to escape him…or leave
him.
She could feel his
nervousness… he had been as scared as she was about this second meeting. Afraid
that she would turn away from in disgust or anger. His desperation to have her
accept him back into her life was the same desperation that she knew he could
feel from her to have the same.
She had left them all. Had
made the choice and forgotten them… even him.
But as he stood there holding
her, his trembling abated as she wrapped her arms around him tightly in return.
Resting her head in her spot, the
place she had always rested it when they were together, she knew that
regardless of what everyone else did Angel would always accept her.
Would always love her.
Wordless tears streaked down
her face as they rocked slightly, his arms tightening even further when he felt
her breathing hitch and he realized she was crying. Her head buried in his
chest he rested his cheek against her hair, inhaling her scent deeply, amazed
that it was still the same.
Vanilla and sunlight.
Two smells that he would
never get tired of. Even long after he was dust he would remember the way she
smelled, the way she felt in his arms.
Tears filled his eyes as he
sent a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening to let that be a long time
in coming. To let them have just a little bit of time together.
With their families.
“I missed you,” he whispered
into her ear, holding her somewhat desperately as he realized that his prayers
might not be answered. “I missed you so much.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy stared at the silent
vampire sitting in her garden. She’d finished talking with Dawn about 30
minutes earlier then had made a frantic search of the house as she realized
that the sun was setting.
There was something she
desperately wanted Angel to see… desperately wanted to share with him.
But it seemed that he’d
already figured it out for himself.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?”
she asked softly leaning over his shoulder. Wrapping her arms around his
shoulders she leaned against him pressing a kiss to his cheek as she felt his
hand raise to touch her arms.
“I didn’t believe Jade when
she first told me,” he said somewhat awestruck.
“I knew you would be here as
soon as you could manage it. Jade found the spell a couple of months ago in one
of her books, right about the second time my memories came back. I made a
comment that it would have been nice to have known about it when we were
together, that it would have been nice to see a sunset together,” she
whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“She remembered it this
morning after we got back… asked me if I wanted it done then she and a couple of
our witches did it.”
Angel tugged on her arm
urging her around his body to settle in his lap. Wrapping his arms back around
her he leaned his head against her shoulder the two watching the sunset in
silence.
“I didn’t think a spell like
this even existed,” he murmured when the colors streaking the sky had settled.
The sun in bed for another night, darkness had fallen.
“It only works on small
areas,” she said meeting his eyes. “I asked her to do the garden because it was
simple, small…”
“Beautiful…” he finished with
a smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a sunset.”
“Around four years it would
be… right?” she asked quietly. She could feel his stunned fear in the way his
entire body tensed.
“How…?” he shook his head.
She shouldn’t remember… ever. It had been the price he’d had to pay in order to
be returned to his vampire self when he gave up his humanity to save her.
“Didn’t Wes explain why my
memories kept coming back?” she faced him her expression one of confusion.
“He did… it didn’t make much
sense though.”
She smiled softly as she
stood; walking a distance away from him she stared at the skyline of the city.
Out there, in the dark, the creatures of the night… the ones that she fought
were coming out of their homes rested and ready for a fight.
But in this garden… turning
back to him she crossed her arms over her chest as she planted her feet firmly
a mixture of determination and sadness on her face and he closed his eyes,
trying to block out the sight of the betrayal that he knew would be the next to
cross her expressive face.
“You gave it up for me,” she
started softly. “I would have loved you in whatever form… vampire, human… I
just wanted you with me. It didn’t matter to me if you were strong or not…
Xander,
“I would have been a
liability to you,” Angel muttered weakly. “I told you back then…”
“You told me that I took
chances to protect you…”
“Yes.”
“You don’t think I didn’t
take the same chances whenever the others went on patrol with me. That last
year in Sunnydale I took Dawn patrolling with me, often as not I ended up protecting
her… but it was worth it to have her there… it would have been worth it to have
you there.”
“I’m sorry… if I had it to do
over again…”
“You wouldn’t change a thing…
you might have fought a bit harder to keep me but…”
Bowing his head he clenched
his hands together in his lap. Any moment now he expected to feel a blow from
her small hands when it didn’t come he opened his eyes to find her staring at
him her eyes glistening with tears that didn’t fall and a small smile on her
face.
Clearing his throat he took
an unneeded breath. “How did you find out about that? I’m supposed to be the
only one that remembers.”
“This mark,” she started her
fingers touching the bite mark on her neck. His
mark, the one that proclaimed her as his. “It marks me as your mate…”
“I know.”
“It links us… when Whistler
offered me Indaran it was because they thought the link between us was so weak
that it would be of no consequence. Besides I was… well I was a mess, I had
been for a while. Xander dieing was just the straw that broke the camels back.
When he offered me a memory free existence, told me that everyone would be
taken care of I jumped at it.
“I didn’t…”
“But I thought you had…
everything we heard in Sunnydale indicated that you were with Cordelia… we
didn’t know that it was a spell, a test. Then when you didn’t come when I
called to ask you for help with Anya…” Buffy looked away, her eyes far away as
images from the past, from that hellacious day ran through her mind.
“Anyway… they did the wipes…
but they didn’t work on me. My memories kept coming back, dreams, images… I’d
remember you, Dawn, Connor,” her brow wrinkled as she said the boys’ name, she
had no idea why a boy that she had never met would continually be remembered
before her best friend, before the man she considered her father. “Then I’d
remember everyone else, eventually Whistler would show up, or Wes would call him
and they’d do another wipe… Whistler, he told me that the reason I kept
remembering was because of you… as long as you walked the earth, as long as you
remembered I would remember.”
“That doesn’t explain how you
know about that day… I’m the only one
who…”
“I remember that day,” she stated softly as she walked forward.
Stopping right in front of him she cupped his cheeks, holding him still for a
chaste kiss. “Because you remember
that day. I remember every moment of that day; I remember the feeling of your
heart beating under my hand, the way it sounded when I pressed my ear to your
chest. I remember the way you felt,” she smiled as she caressed his cheek
softly.
“The way you smelled,”
pressing her face against his she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as his
familiar scent, the hint of sandalwood raced through her.
“The way you tasted,” she
leaned in close, her tongue tracing his lips before a groan escaped him and his
arms snaked around her. Spreading his legs he pulled her as close to him as he could
get her, kissing her with all the pent-up passion in body.
With a sigh she drew away, a
small kiss to his nose as he relaxed a bit. There wouldn’t be a fight he had
finally realized, as loathe as she was to admit it she did understand his
reasoning’s behind his decision besides… and if worse came to worse they could
always find another Mohra demon.
“Your memories of us,” she
continued her voice husky, her eyes still darkened with passion from the kiss
before. “They fed my memories of us; your memories didn’t care that I wasn’t
supposed to remember that day you remember that day that we were together so I
remember that day that we were together. Those memories allowed my memories of
the rest of my life to make their way through the wipe. This last time the
powers decided to let the cards fall where they may.”
“They’re going to let us be
together.”
“Whistler told Wesley that
things had to happen in a particular order, that’s why they did the last wipe
that they did. The one that hindered my memories so that I probably scarred
Dawn and Connor for life when I didn’t remember them… although,” she frowned
again at the thought of Connor. “Why I would remember your son anyway I don’t
know… I never met him before yesterday.”
Angel cleared his throat as
it was his turn to look away again.
The moment of truth had
arrived it seemed.
Both Dawn and Connor had
insisted that he tell Buffy as soon as possible.
Even Giles had jumped in and
told him that she had a right to know that she was a mother… to a twenty year
old that she didn’t even give birth to.
“Angel?”
“There’s something I need to
tell you about Connor…” he started.
There’s something you need to know… about Dawn. The flash of those words took her by surprise and she
jumped slightly as he coaxed her into sitting in his lap once more.
“He’s not a ball of energy
made human is he? Because you know that didn’t work out so well for me last
time…what with Glory trying to pretty much suck the world into hell and kill my
sister, plus there was the whole dying thing…”
“He’s not a ball of energy love,”
Angel smiled at her rambling and the slightly panicked expression on her face.
Sometime she was just so adorable.
“Then what is it?”
“Connor is,” he cleared his
throat again. Willow had told him to just tell her, no beating around the bush,
no hinting and letting her draw her own conclusions… just to be honest and tell
her the truth.
“Angel you’re scaring me,”
she whispered apprehension causing her to stiffen in his lap.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized
quickly squeezing her lightly. “It’s just I’m trying to figure out how to tell
you this and every scenario in my head has you pulling a stake and dusting me.”
“No stake,” she held up her
hands. “You’re safe… now quit stalling, what’s up with Connor?”
“Connor’s our son.”
“Eh?”
******************************************************************************
Angel gazed worriedly at his
love.
Her eyes wide, her mouth
opened, then closed, then opened again but no sound emitted.
She’d been that way for more
than ten minutes.
“Baby?” he asked softly. “Are
you alright?”
“I…” Buffy managed before her
mind shutdown once more. Shaking her head to try to get rid of the bats that
had obviously taken over her belfry
she tried again. “He’s your son you mean,” she said in mild confusion.
“No he’s our son… as in yours and mine,” Angel clarified.
Buffy stared at him again,
her eyes glazing over for a moment before she shook her head once more. “And
how is that possible? He’s like twenty… did I have him when I was three?!”
“No…” he said, rubbing her back
in circles attempting to get her to calm once more. “You said you remembered
that day… the day that was erased…?”
“Yeah what’s that… oh my
god…” her eyes widened even further in comprehension before she slumped.
“If I had stayed human, if I
hadn’t had the Oracles turn the day back you would have ended up pregnant from
that day… we didn’t use anything remember?”
Buffy closed her eyes as she
leaned her forehead against his shoulder slumping. She did remember that. When she’d remembered that day she’d been amazed
at their stupidity but then she’d been flooded with images of what their child
would like.
He’d have Angel’s hair of
course; his good looks… and he’d have her eyes.
She’d always imagined that
their first child would be a boy. In her deepest, most hidden fantasies. Before
she had slept with him that’s what she’d imagined. Her dreams every night had
been filled with a happy family.
Her and Angel and their two
kids.
One boy, the elder of course
and one girl… because she would never have her children bear the hardship of
being an only child.
She remembered loving those
dreams of her happy little family.
Even finding that everything
she’d ever read in books was true and vampires couldn’t have kids hadn’t
deterred that fantasy and those dreams.
Even Angel losing his soul
after they’d slept together that first time hadn’t deterred her.
They’d found ways around
prophecies time and again. She was living proof of that. She couldn’t count how
many times it had been prophesized that she would die.
If she was still among the
living after all those prophecies then they could most definitely find a way
around the ‘vampire’s not able to have children’ thing.
She’d just known that they would
be the first case of a Slayer and a Vampire having a child together.
She’d been so foolishly
optimistic back then.
“How…?” she frowned as she
cleared her throat, her voice coming out slightly higher pitched and freakish
than normal. “So how do we have a child together then? If the Oracles erased
the day how the hell is Connor in my house right
now?!”
“I’m not sure exactly… with
the Oracles being dead they can’t really tell me but from what Giles has been
able to figure out when I asked to have the day erased the Oracles knew that I
hadn’t gotten your agreement. So when they did it, the consequences of it fell
on my shoulder. When I slept with Darla,” he said quietly looking over at his
love’s wide open eyes. She knew about that… he’d told her about it when he’d
gone to her when Joyce had died. She hadn’t been pleased that he had fallen so
far and not once tried to call her for help…for support. “The powers used that incident to move Connor back to our
reality, Darla became pregnant.”
“Darla?! Darla is the mother of my child?!” Buffy screeched as she tried to
struggle to her feet, Angel’s arms wrapped tightly around her at her first
movement, hindering that intent as he fought to keep her in place on his lap.
There were quite a few trees in the garden, with Buffy’s strength and anger he
wouldn’t put it past her to snap a branch off and stake him immediately. Of
course he’d known that she wouldn’t be pleased about the Darla thing.
“You are Connor’s biological mother; Darla is just… well she was
like a surrogate.”
“And where is Darla now?” Buffy muttered crossing her arms over her
chest.
“While she was carrying
Connor she ended up being infected by his soul. When she went into labor things
went badly… to save Connor she staked herself. She sacrificed herself to save
our son.”
Buffy scowled as she felt
some of the hatred she felt towards the blonde vampiress lessen slightly. “So
how is Connor 20 now? Shouldn’t he be about three?”
“There was a prophecy…” Angel
looked away. Staring out at the sky line as he tried to keep his thoughts level
headed.
Buffy trusted Wesley… and
even towards the end Angel had begun on the path to forgiving the ex-Watcher.
“You don’t have to beat
around the bush Angel… I know that Wes was involved somehow.”
“How?”
“He was chosen to be one of
our Watchers because he had no links to a past… no friends, no family… you
would only have cut him off for one reason,” Buffy murmured as she touched his
cheek gently. “He’s not the same person you knew back then… he’s not even the
same person that I knew back then.”
“I know…” he leaned into her
touch for a moment, then she leaned forward resting her forehead against his.
“Go on with your story…”
“There was a prophecy… it was
planted and fake but Wesley didn’t know that at the time. It said that I would
kill him, that I would kill my own son and Wesley believed it, kidnapped him. I
guess he thought he was protecting him from me. But things went wrong, he was
betrayed, had his throat slit and Connor was kidnapped by Holtz, taken and
raised in a demon dimension.”
Angel stopped then. The pain
of that time threatening once more to consume him as he remembered the despair
that he’d felt. The worry.
The hatred.
He’d hated Wesley then. Hated
him with everything he had and everything he was.
The feel of Buffy’s lips on
his forehead drew him back to the present. The feel of her little hands, one
stroking his hair gently the other massaging the muscles in his shoulder that
he hadn’t even realized were tensed and tight. Lending him quiet strength and
understanding she held him to her.
“When he came back he was 17…
and he hated me. Despised me… Holtz had taught him that and nothing I said;
nothing any of us said could get through to him. Holtz had himself murdered,
made it look like I had done it and Connor leapt at the opportunity to take
vengeance. He had me imprisoned in a crate, threw me in the ocean and left me
there… to die.”
“I remember that,” Buffy
whispered her lips moving against his forehead. “I remember when they found
you… I knew that you were in horrible
shape. I could feel the pain you were
in. I wanted to come to you but when I called Gunn told me not to. Told me that
you had moved on, I wasn’t needed.”
“I’m so sorry,” Angel
mumbled. “If I could change all that things that happened with Cordy I would…”
“I know...” closing her eyes
she tried to force the tears that were threatening to spill back. They’d both
moved on.
Of course it was nitpicking
to point out that he’d moved on months before she had.
She’d wanted to come to him,
had been turned away… told to stay away and after months of feeling as low as
dirt she’d let herself be drawn once more into a semi-relationship with Spike.
Totally non-sexual they had
become sort of friends. Spike helping her deal with the loss of Angel just when
she had realized that she loved him still, Buffy helping Spike learn to live
with the soul he had ‘won’ during his trials.
For once in his unlife Spike
hadn’t thrown what or who Angel was currently doing in her face. Possibly
knowing that he was skating on thin ice as it was and comments like that would
get him banned once more from Buffy’s life.
Of course he might have just
realized that the Slayer was in enough pain thinking of Angel, her Angel with Cordelia.
It got doubly worse when she
learned how Xander really felt about Angel’s seer.
She remembered that day so
clearly.
By then she’d already found
out about Angel’s captivity and freedom. Found out from Gunn of all people that
Angel and Cordelia were together with the curse that had kept them apart somehow not being an issue
between the vampire and his seer.
It had taken her a week to
get up the nerve to call back and find out what was up with his soul.
A week of wondering if Cordy
could really give Angel perfect happiness and free Angelus.
A week of not sleeping as she
wondered if Angelus was going to murder them all in their beds. When Angelus
didn’t show she had to wonder why Angel would stay with Cordy if they weren’t
‘perfectly happy’ together.
A week of wondering if she
had misjudged him that badly and sex had really been that important to him.
Because why else would he be
with the former cheerleader if she couldn’t make him happy? It had never even
occurred to her that his soul might be bound. That he might actually have chosen Cordelia over her.
When she finally broke down
and called, a fleeting thought as the phone rang had raced through her mind.
Maybe the Sunnydale group, maybe she was
no longer important enough for him to kill.
Of course when the phone had
been picked up she wished that she’d remained clueless, especially once she’d
found out the truth.
His soul was bound. He was
with Cordy, they were in ‘love’ and happy and she was never to call again unless
there was an apocalypse that she couldn’t handle.
All that directly from a
triumphant sounding Cordelia.
She’d been in a deep
depression, crying for days before the others had figured out what was going
on.
Xander and Spike had both
been in agreement.
They had both wanted to go
stake Angel immediately.
She’d known that most of
Xander’s anger came from the fact that Angel was moving on with his ex.
An ex he was still in love
with.
And she’d known most of Spike’s
came from his still rampant grandsire issues. Most of which centered around
Dru.
Who he was also still in love with.
Then there had been Dawn who
was so furious that she wanted to call Angel right back and force him to
explain himself.
She’d always considered Angel
a big brother of sorts and probably in her teen-age mind had thought that
eventually he would return to Sunnydale and Buffy.
But he hadn’t, life had moved
on for him where it seemed the Slayer was still standing in the same spot she’d
been when he’d left.
Alone.
That day it had been Xander’s
turn to cheer her up.
The two of them had been
flipping through old photo albums for some ungodly reason and she’d come to one
of him and Cordy from the beginning of their senior year.
Before he and
She didn’t even remember how
they’d gotten on the topic. But once she had admitted that she still loved
Angel he’d stated in a quiet, barely audible voice that he still loved
Cordelia.
“Xander still loved her you
know,” Buffy murmured softly. “That was one of the reasons why Anya struck so
hard when she did… she was so angry that Xander was still in love with Cordy.
If she’d had enough time, if Xander had gone anywhere near LA, if Cordy had
even attempted to reciprocate his feelings she would have killed her. So it was
probably a good thing that you guys were under that spell.”
“Your deaths broke it you
know,” Angel pulled away his eyes meeting hers steadily as he wiped away the
tears that were falling. “The moment we heard that the two of you were dead it
broke and it took us quite a while after that to get back our friendship. We
still don’t know who cast it.”
“Wolfram and Hart,” Buffy
muttered absently. “Damn lawyers… what?” she asked as she saw Angel staring at
her in disbelief.
“How…?”
“How’d I know?” she sighed
laying her head on his shoulder once more. “Whistler is always just a fount of
information if you can decrypt him.”
******************************************************************************
Dawn and Connor peered
through the window staring at the couple who sat on the bench. Actually Angel
sat on the bench and Buffy perched in his lap but they were sitting together.
They’d winced simultaneously
as they’d heard Buffy’s voice rise and waited for the inevitable moment when
they were going to have to go out and drag the former Slayer off the souled
vampire.
But voices had lowered and
they seemed to be talking quietly, holding each other and with a sigh of relief
they backed away.
“She hasn’t staked him yet I
presume?” Giles startled them both as he spoke. Standing in the doorway he
watched the two youngsters press hands to their chests, guilty expressions on
their faces as they realized they had been caught spying.
“No,” Dawn shook her head
exchanging a look with Connor she shrugged and moved over to the couch.
“Has he told her yet?”
“That she has a son? I’m
going to say yes; unless there was some other reason they were talking about
Darla.”
******************************************************************************
“Are you really angry that
Darla was the one who carried him?” Angel asked softly as he gently ran his
hands up and down her arms. They had shifted positions, moving onto the ground,
Angel leaning back against the bench, Buffy sitting between his legs. “I mean I
thought that you might be glad that you didn’t have to actually go through the pregnancy… you know the
mood swings, the weight gain, the cravings…”
Buffy sighed, settling her
head back into the crook of his neck she closed her eyes as she felt his lips
brush her temple. “I should be shouldn’t I? And I don’t want to be
disrespectful seeing as how she did sacrifice herself so he could live but…”
“But?”
“But I kind of want all that stuff
you know? I mean all those things are part of having a child, I wouldn’t have
even minding ballooning up like an elephant because if someone had said
something I could have pointed at my tummy and said this is Angel’s baby,”
tilting her head she smiled up at him. “Baby of Angel.”
“We did it once… there’s
always a chance…” Angel said wistfully wrapping his arms around her waist as he
tried to pull her even closer to him.
“Well no more Mohra demons
for you,” she closed her eyes once more holding his arms in place around her.
“We’ll just have to wait until you Shanshu this time.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy twisted her head to
gaze at the vampire that was currently curled around her. Touching his face
gently she smiled at him before lifting his arm from where it was resting on
her hip and sliding out from under it.
“Buffy?” he murmured softly
his hand reaching out to her one eye cracking open. “Where are you going?”
“I have to check in,” she cupped
his face within one hand as she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his
cheek. “I’ll be back… go back to sleep.”
“I’ll come with,” he mumbled
starting to sit up.
Buffy grinned at his
determination to not let her out of his sight… he was so worried that something
was going to happen now that they had been reunited that she had a feeling that
he was going to be possessive as hell for quite a while.
Which wouldn’t actually be
bad if she was the Buffy Summers, Slayer extraordinaire that he remembered.
Unfortunately she wasn’t that girl anymore… and a lot of the battles she was
involved in he wouldn’t be able to take part.
“I’ll be right back,” she pushed him back down on the pillows, drawing the
comforter that had somehow found it’s way down to the end of the bed over him.
“Thirty minutes then I come
looking for you,” Angel sighed noisily turning onto his side once more.
“I won’t even be gone that
long,” Buffy promised with another quick kiss, at least it was supposed to be a
quick kiss. He moved quite quickly for a sleepy vampire and captured her face
within his hands holding her in place as his lips moved insistently over hers.
With a low moan her lips parted for his and his tongue delved within the
confines of her mouth.
Wrapping his arms tightly
around her he drew her down on the bed beside him, rolling her onto her back as
he settled above her his hips pressing into hers.
With a grin he drew back, one
hand holding his full weight off of her, the other caressing her cheek. She groaned
as she moved restlessly under him, her hands on his hips as she tried to prod
him into finishing what he had started.
“Incentive,” he nipped the
tip of her nose. “To come back quickly,” he said rolling off of her. Lying on
his side, arm bent so that he could support his head he winked at her.
“You’re a cruel, cruel man,”
Buffy groaned rolling off the bed. Straightening her shirt she cast a glance
over her shoulder at him. “So when I come back we can finish what you started?”
“Maybe…” Angel pulled the
pillow that she had been using to his chest, wrapping his arms around it as he
watched her frown at him. “If I’m not asleep when you come back.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy took a deep breath as
she closed her bedroom door softly behind her. They had talked for hours, by
the time they had actually come into the house it was quiet… everyone besides
them most likely in bed.
She’d wanted to have a chance
to talk to Connor… and Giles before they went to bed. But so caught up in her
reunion with Angel she’d forgotten they were even in the house until she’d
noticed their absences.
The thought of her son still
blew her away… and she was still slightly miffed that Darla had been the one to
carry him. She’d hidden it well from Angel and although he’d definitely picked
up on the vibes he’d not said a word to her about it.
Possibly knowing that nothing
he said would make it better, that it was something that she was going to have
to come to grips with on her own.
Moving quietly through the
house she descended the stairs startled when she saw the light on in the living
room.
“Damon?” she asked in
surprise as she saw him reclining on the couch in the room. “What’re you still
doing up?”
“Waiting for Colin to get
back,” her best friend studied her. The one person besides Angel who seemed to
know her the best.
The only other person who
could read her moods from just her body language.
“You’re still kind of angry,”
he commented.
“Why do you say that?” she
sighed walking into the room. Shoving his legs aside she sat next to him,
resting her head on the back of the couch.
“Because if I was in your
shoes I would be.”
“I just… I just thought
having my first child would be a lot different than this. I kind of thought at
the very least that I would be involved with it… not find out about it years
later.”
“And it bothers you that the
vampire gave birth to him… A vampire that was your mates’ lover at one point.”
“I know it shouldn’t,” she
said softly. “I mean she did sacrifice herself and all. But…”
“But she still carried him,
bonded with him while you didn’t even know he existed until just recently.”
Buffy turned to stare at him,
eyes narrowed as she studied him. “Is Jade teaching you how to read minds or
something?”
“No,” Damon smirked at her.
“It’s just I’d feel the same way. I reckon most of us would. But I have to say
that all and all you were pretty damn lucky.”
“How do you figure? I missed twenty years of my sons’ life.”
“And Angel missed seventeen
years of his life,” he retorted. “But you
could be missing even more than that… The way I understand it the first person
that Angel slept with after he did the reversal thing ended up being the proud
mama of your baby. Right?”
“Yeah…”
“Well he’s slept with what?
Two women since you guys split up?”
“Yeah… Darla and Cordelia,”
Buffy muttered.
“Well who would you rather
have as his mother? A vampire who had to stake herself in order to give birth
or a very human seer who would have given
birth with no problem, thereby reinforcing the spell and forging an even closer
attachment, a closer bond to Angel and Connor.”
“You know I’d vote for Darla… if Cordy had been his mother neither Angel
nor Connor would be here right now,” Buffy glared at him. She understood his
words. She understood what he was trying to do.
That didn’t mean she had to
like it though.
If Darla had never been
resurrected and Angel had slept with Cordy first… she shuddered as the vision ran
through her mind. She’d have been more then cut off… and Angel would still be with Cordy, after all she
would be the mother of his child.
Regardless of the fact that
she wasn’t his biological mother she would still have been his birth mother. So
Angel would have stayed with her.
He was loyal that way.
“So where is everyone?” she
asked changing the subject. Damon raised a brow at her in a look that let her
know that she wasn’t fooling him but would play along with the subject change…
for a while anyway.
“Our group or your group?”
“Either or…”
“Well Wesley put your group
in the guestrooms… then he went to bed, Jade followed him shortly thereafter…
I’m assuming that Angel is sharing your bed so we don’t have to hunt up a cot
to stick in one of the guests?” he eyed Buffy out of the corner of his eye,
smirking as she flushed.
“Nothings happened yet,” she
muttered.
“Yet being the operative
word,” he said smugly. “How long has it been since you got laid anyway? Well
before I met you… so over a year at least.”
“My sex life is none of your
business,” she frowned.
“I tell you about mine,” he
stated defensively.
“Yeah and I really wish you wouldn’t.”
“Just wanted to make sure you
knew that there was still something out there called sex… is it my fault that
you have to complicate it with emotions and caring about the other person and
all that crap.”
“What can I say I’m funny
that way,” Buffy winked at him. “So that leaves Colin unaccounted for… which means
he’s still at the compound,” glancing down at her watch she frowned at him once
more. “He’s been there for over 24 hours were our weapons in that bad a shape?”
“Didn’t think so but…” Damon shrugged.
“You should get back to your vampire before he comes looking for you.”
******************************************************************************
Angel stared down at the busy compound in the valley
below him. If he hadn’t known that the Initiative had been disbanded and if the
soldiers wielding weapons, with stakes tucked in their belts were demons he
would have thought that Riley’s buddies had taken arms again.
But he knew it wasn’t the Initiative… besides most of
the remaining members of that organization were currently working with them.
The sun was high in the sky, scorching in its heat…
but he had his sunglasses on, had remembered the sunscreen. Although, he
frowned, there was something that he was forgetting.
Something important.
“Angel,” he heard the young man approach from behind
him. He didn’t turn, his attention never wavering from the area below him.
“Xander,” he returned nodding as his companion joined
him in his study.
“How’s that new heart working out for you?” the former
Zeppo, now dead Warrior asked crossing his arms over his chest.
Angel’s hand flew to his chest, surprise crossing his
handsome features when he felt the steady beating of a heart that hadn’t beat
in over two hundred years… save for a day that only he and Buffy remembered
happening.
“They’re busy down there,” Xander nodded drawing his
attention back to the compound below them. “Something must be going on.”
“I think they’re getting ready to move her,” Angel
said quietly, slight confusion in his voice as he returned his gaze as well.
This was not right, there was something very wrong at the moment and while he
couldn’t place it right then… he knew that the woman being moved down there was
important to them… to him.
That he’d let her make decisions that had ended in her
capture… although it had resulted in freedom for others.
Sometimes he didn’t think that the tradeoff had been
that fair.
But he had promised to not interfere when she had to do
her job. Had not interfered even though both the soul and the demon had been
screaming inside his mind as they saw her taken.
“Big choices are heading in your direction,” Xander
turned his steady gaze to the former vampires. “Are you ready to make them?”
Angel frowned at him, suddenly remembering a time when
Joyce had asked him a similar question.
I think we both know that there are some
hard choices ahead. If she can’t make them, you’re gonna have to.
And he’d done it… Buffy couldn’t walk away, Buffy
couldn’t make the decision so he’d made the choice for both of them.
He’d listened to the words that Joyce hadn’t been saying that day and in the
process managed to almost destroy both him and
Buffy.
They were just recovering from that torment now… and
besides…
“Haven’t I already made the difficult choice?” he
asked bitterly turning his attention away from the compound below them. “I let
her do what she had to…”
“Have you…?” Xander asked softly his posture suddenly
stiffening as he saw a flurry of movement. Angel turned back and caught sight
of a blonde head being rushed out of a concrete building.
“Buffy!”
******************************************************************************
“Angel,” Buffy whispered
softly nipping at his ear. He had been tossing and turning when she had
returned to her room 5 minutes shy of her 30 minute deadline. She’d been
slightly upset to find him already asleep but was confident in her abilities to
wake him.
“Angel baby…. Wake up,” she
breathed into his ear. Her body pressed firmly to the line of her loves, one
leg thrown over his, arms over his chest she was unsurprised to feel his arms
encircle her… tightly.
“Angel still needing to
breathe here,” she muttered struggling against the iron grip of his arms.
“Buffy!” her love cried
sitting suddenly upright in bed his arms tight around her.
“Angel?” she queried softly.
She could feel the terror emanating off him in waves. He was so scared… for
her.
“Oh god…” Angel murmured
pulling her even tighter into him. “Buffy.”
“Are you okay?” she asked
caressing his cheek gently, her eyes intent on his face. On the tears on his
face.
“I saw… oh god,” he clutched
her to him. “It was just a dream, just a dream,” he repeated over and over like
a mantra.
Buffy enfolded him in her
arms, rocking him slightly as she pressed little kisses to his forehead
repeatedly. Through their bond she was attempting to send him all the love and
devotion that she felt inside her. She wasn’t sure if it was getting through
his terror, the souls and the demons were both terrified.
“Angel?”
“I… it was a nightmare,”
Angel decided releasing her slightly. “I mean Xander was there so it couldn’t
have been anything else…”
“Xander? Was in your dream?”
Buffy asked with slight amusement. “Do you often dream about a man that you
didn’t like?”
“No… but that’s what it was…
it has to be.”
“What was it about?”
“Hell.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy sat in the empty
kitchen with her cup of coffee. The night had definitely not gone as planned.
Once she had gotten Angel calmed down he had fallen back asleep, his brow
furrowed as he worried over whatever had been in the dream he wouldn’t share
with her.
She thought she should be
upset about that but she had a feeling that Angel needed to come to grips with
whatever had happened within it before he shared it with her.
She could still vividly feel
the terror that had enveloped the man and the demon. And she knew that whatever
had happened in the dream had involved her… and that it had been bad.
“Morning,” she heard the soft
voice from the doorway. Lifting her head she smiled as she saw Connor hovering
there with uncertainty on his face. “I can come back later,” he said nervously.
“No come in… it’s just the
kitchen,” Buffy motioning him through the door. “Are you hungry?”
“Uh… no…” Connor frowned as
he sat at the table in the chair across from her. Stories that both Dawn and
his father had told him were rolling through his brain.
Stories about Buffy not being
able to cook… as Dawn had once put it, “her cooking is about the same as her
driving… Deadly to innocent bystanders.”
“Dawn and Angel got to you
didn’t they? Probably Will and Giles to,” Buffy grinned at him over her cup.
“Well I can finally prove them wrong.”
“No that’s okay,” Connor
winced as he watched her get up, casting desperate eyes towards the door. “I
can wait for dad to get up… besides I’m not really that hungry,” to which his
stomach protested loudly, growling at his trying to deny it food… even inedible
food.
“Nonsense,” she waved off his
objections. “I don’t often get the chance to show off my new cooking skills,”
she glanced over her shoulder at him. “We normally have a cook during the week,
on weekends we take turns and since there’s five of us.”
She shrugged as she pulled
pans out a cupboard, a spatula, some eggs, a couple of potatoes, sliced ham all
joined the growing pile on the counter.
“How do you want your eggs?”
she turned back to him.
“Uh… this really isn’t
necessary,” Connor said desperately. “I can wait… we could just talk… or
something.”
“I can talk and cook at the
same time,” Buffy grinned impishly at him. “Mastered it a few months ago.”
“Scrambled,” Connor said
slowly. Scrambled eggs were the easiest thing to make, even Cordelia, who he’d
been told was almost worse then Buffy in the kitchen, couldn’t screw up
scrambled eggs.
“You don’t look like
scrambled eggs,” Buffy tilted her head as she studied him. “My favorites over
easy, they okay?”
“Fine,” Connor said softly as
he watched her dice potatoes into wedges, tossing them into the skillet she
sprinkled them with a jar of something as she set them on the stove to cook.
“So your dad never said where
exactly you were raised… I know it was a demon dimension but he never
identified it,” she mused as she cracked eggs into another pan.
“Not really important,” he
shrugged as the enticing aroma of cooking food wafted through the kitchen. His
stomach growled once more, insisting that regardless of how the food actually
turned out it must, it absolutely must
end up within its confines.
“Didn’t they feed you before
they showed you the guest rooms?” Buffy glanced over her shoulder at him a
quizzical expression on her face.
“Yeah… I eat a lot.”
“Well you’re a growing boy,”
she grinned. “Probably would have been worse if you were still an actual
teen-ager, you would most likely have eaten your dad and I out of house and
home.”
Connor smiled at her back.
Angel had told her, he must have.
“I do have a favor to ask
you,” she said as she removed the pans from the stove, moving eggs, potatoes,
the ham that he’d never even seen her put on the stove onto two plates.
“Yes ma’am?”
Buffy smiled gently at him as
she set the plate in front of him, scurrying back to the refrigerator for a
large glass of orange juice for her growing boy.
“Can you not call me mom just
yet? Give me some time to get used to having a son that’s three years younger
then me,” she said as she set the glass in front of him.
He swallowed thickly, tears
quickly jumping to his eyes as the thought that she might reject him raced
through his mind. Looking up at her when she touched his shoulder his sadness
evident on his face her features were soft, and in her eyes he could see
similar fear to what was coursing through him.
If he was afraid she was
going to reject him she was afraid of the same thing. Afraid that he would not
find her worthy to be his mother, that he would rather have had a vampire as
his mother since his father was one.
“Okay,” he said softly his
eyes locked on hers. Impulsively she leaned down and kissed his cheek and he
breathed deeply at her nearness.
His mothers nearness.
“Now eat,” she ordered gently.
“Before your stomach stages a revolt.”
******************************************************************************
Angel stared at the scene
before him in awe. Blinking once… twice he finally raised a hand to rub his
eyes. Certain that his vision must finally
be failing him.
When he dropped his hand to
his side and the scene still didn’t change he pinched himself… hard.
He had to still be asleep
after all. But while there was indeed pain the vision before him was still
there.
Buffy standing at a stove,
smiling, laughing… cooking… with nothing on fire.
No flames rising to the skies
from the burners courtesy of the woman who had once tried to set the kitchen of
the mansion on fire trying to bake cookies.
There was no Dawn gagging on
the food placed before her, no Giles surreptitiously hiding bits of food in his
handkerchief to be discarded later.
No the seats at the table
were filled with Connor, Dawn, Giles all eating… Damon who was leaning back
precariously in his chair waiting obviously for the next plate to be ready.
Angel had a momentary lapse
of goodwill towards the other man and willed the chair to collapse under the
younger male, when it didn’t he scowled but then turned his attention back to
his love.
Who was currently walking towards
him, plate in hand which she set in front of Damon before continuing on to him.
Touching his cheek gently she
leaned into him, standing on tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his lips his
hands darted out before she could escape and he enfolded her within his arms.
Ignoring the giggling
emanating from Dawn as he kissed her older sister more thoroughly. Ignoring the
whistles from Damon and Connor.
“Well…” Buffy started,
clearing her throat bestowing him with a brilliant smile before she buried her
flaming face in his chest. “Somebody
feels better.”
“Did something happen last
night?” Giles asked curiously as she took Angel’s hand and drew him towards the
empty chair at the table. Gently pushing him down into it she dodged the hands that
tried to pull her into his lap, instead kissing the top of his head before
heading towards the refrigerator.
“Nightmare,” Angel stated
simply. Watching with something akin to amusement as Buffy removed a jug
obviously full of blood and poured some into the coffee mug waiting on the
counter. Into the microwave the mug went and she bounced on the balls of her
feet as she waited.
“Really?” the Watcher asked
alarmed. “Something alarming I take it?”
“Just… it was interesting,”
he smiled up at Buffy as she set the mug in front of him.
“He won’t tell me what it was
about either Giles,” Buffy grinned wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I’ll share it… I just need…
I need to process it all first.”
He couldn’t share the dream,
the nightmare that he’d had with her. He could vividly remember the fear in his
gut as he’d realized that Buffy was the one trapped in that compound.
“They’re busy down there,” Xander nodded drawing his
attention back to the compound below them. “Something must be going on.”
“I think they’re getting ready to move her,” Angel
said quietly, slight confusion in his voice as he returned his gaze as well.
This was not right, there was something very wrong at the moment and while he
couldn’t place it right then… he knew that the woman being moved down there was
important to them… to him.
Then there was the fact that
he’d been human in the dream. Absently he pressed a hand to his chest.
To his unbeating heart.
That heart had been beating
in his dream… and Xander Harris had been alive.
“Angel is the blood okay?”
Buffy asked worriedly as she watched him stare off into nothing, the mug held
loosely in his hand.
Angel started at the sound of
her voice, looking up at her from where he was sitting he glanced down at the
mug in his hand.
“It’s fine… the dream it just
threw me off kilter.”
His eyes met Damon’s across
the table and he knew from the way that the other man was studying him that he
was aware that something more than that was up.
“You should talk about it,” Damon
said quietly, his eyes boring into the vampires. “Bottling things up inside…
nothing good can come of it.”
Angel was saved from having
to reply as Colin staggered into the kitchen.
“Jeez,” Buffy’s eyes widened
and Damon flew out of his chair to allow his fellow warrior to collapse. “Did
you just get back?”
“Yeah,” Colin muttered
tiredly. Crossing his arms on the table he rested his head on them, eyes
drifting close.
“Why didn’t you go to bed?”
Damon grumbled.
“Hungry.”
“Just like a man,” Buffy rolled
her eyes as she moved back to her position behind the stove, ignoring all
present males’ protests to the contrary. “Thinking with his stomach.”
******************************************************************************
Rupert Giles had been witness
to many miracles in his day. The vampire sitting in the small garden before
him, brooding, had been part of several of them.
Some had even been designed
specifically for him.
The powers sending the first
and to date only snow fall to Sunnydale California to keep the despairing
vampire from dusting himself in the dawn of morning after he had returned from
Hell had been only one of many that he had been privileged to witness.
The garden that the vampire
was now sitting in alone could probably be counted as another.
In all his years as a Watcher
Giles had never heard of a spell that could make an open area, even a small
one, safe for vampires to venture into during daylight hours.
But where his Slayer and her Vampire
were concerned he had learned to not question, to just accept.
That had all been learned by
dealing with his Slayer. The Council of Watchers certainly didn’t condone that
method.
Theirs was to question,
question, question until answers displayed themselves.
But Buffy Summers had turned
his entire, organized life totally upside down and sideways.
She had been incorrigible
when he’d first met her. Within moments of meeting her he had prayed that the
Council would send someone else to train her.
Because that small sixteen
year old girl had succeeded in breaking every pre-conceived notion, every rule
that he’d ever thought of in conjunction with how a Slayer should behave.
She’d re-written rules to fit
her style of living. Her style of surviving. She’d averted apocalypses,
survived when prophecies stated that she would fall…
He had to wonder how he’d
ever thought, ever believed that she could be killed so easily by Anyanka.
Oh part of him knew that it
only took one blow to be the death blow, and Spike had told him his theory
about Slayer’s, death wishes and ‘one good day’…. But he’d always believed
Buffy above all that.
“So are you going to tell
me?” Giles stood in the doorway to the garden watching the sunlight reflect off
the new sunglasses that Dawn and Connor had gifted the vampire with just an
hour earlier.
He had thought upon finding
out that Buffy was alive that Angel would never have cause to brood again.
Obviously the nightmare, the dream that he’d had the night before had shaken
him up more then he was letting on.
“It was just a dream,” Angel
stated stoically as he turned to watch Giles’ entrance into the garden.
“And I’m just a Watcher,”
Giles snorted settling himself on the bench opposite him. “The dream has
obviously disturbed you… and I’m guessing by your reluctance to discuss it with
Buffy or her friends that it somehow concerns her.”
“Where’s Buffy?”
“I believe Wesley has dragged
her and the others into a meeting. She was quite vocal in her anger over the
matter… you could probably have heard her out here.”
“Dawn and Connor?” he
querying the whereabouts of the rest of their small family.
“Packing lunch I believe,”
Giles let an indulgent smile cross his face despite the worry that Angel’s
brooding was invoking.
“Yeah… Buffy wants to have a
picnic,” a half smile crossed Angel’s face as the vampire stared at him… at
least Giles assumed he was being stared at from behind the dark lenses… for a
moment before leaning forward to bury his head within his hands.
“I’m going to lose her,”
Angel said softly.
“Excuse me?” Giles asked in
confusion. Of all the things that he’d been expecting to hear come from Angel’s
mouth that had not been it. Especially since Buffy was quite obviously still in
love with the ensouled vampire.
“I don’t mean she’s going to
leave me… although maybe it would be best if she did.”
“Alright,” the Watcher
sighed. “Start from the beginning, I think I’ve missed a fairly large chunk of
this conversation.”
Angel took a largely
unnecessary breath, mostly to brace himself for what he was about to share and
with a voice so low that Giles had to lean forward to hear him he started.
******************************************************************************
“So what’s up?” Buffy
muttered a mutinous expression on her face as she flopped down in her seat at
the table.
She’d had plans to spend the
entire day surrounded with her family. She’d sent Connor and Dawn out to get
sunscreen and glasses for Angel and had planned on the five of them (she had to include Giles… he was like her
father after all) having a picnic in the garden and just spending quality time
together.
Instead she had been hustled
into a close doored meeting with Wesley and her team.
Crossing her arms over her
chest she glared up at their Watcher.
“Don’t give me that look
Buffy… If I’d had any other choice…” he gave a long suffering sigh before
pointing a small black remote at the TV encased within the wall.
They all dutifully turned towards
the screen, Jade’s hand flying to her mouth as their eyes focused on the sight
before them.
“This is ‘Senvil Prison
Camp’,” Wesley started his voice calm and collected. He’d already seen the
footage at least three times trying to give himself sufficient amount of time
to become desensitized to it so he could be detached when showing it to his
team.
He’d after all had much the
same reaction as his Warriors the first time he’d seen it.
Anger… nausea….
“It is located in a valley
region in
Buffy winced, hand over her
mouth as she watched the footage. Demons beating down the humans in their
midst. The humans looking much like prison inmates, plain jumpsuits… chains
around their ankles, around their wrists… unable to lift a hand to defend
themselves.
“My god,” Damon uttered eyes
wide. “This is barbaric…”
“All teams are being
assembled. We’ll leave in two days time,” Wesley stated his voice strong as he
glanced over at the still former Slayer. “I’m sorry Buffy… but you’ll have to
cut your visit with your family short.”
“I know,” she whispered… and
she did. For all that she had at one time wanted to be a normal girl, for all
that Angel had wanted her to have a normal life… she had finally accepted the
inevitable truth… she wasn’t normal.
She would never be normal.
She could only hope that
Angel could accept that. This was what she did, what she was… what she had been
born to do.
She was a warrior, a fighter…
it was bred in her blood, had flowed unknowingly through her genes and passed
into the son she had just discovered.
“Look on the bright side…with
no more wipes they’ll still be here when you get back... and you’ll still
remember them,” Colin said brightly.
“Right,” Buffy said softly.
She didn’t share the horrible sense of foreboding running through her bones,
straight up her spine, causing the once dormant butterflies in her stomach to
start rapidly flying.
They would be here when she
got back… so why did she have the horrible sinking sensation in her stomach
that she wouldn’t be returning?
******************************************************************************
Riley Finn once more fought his
way to consciousness cursing the way of life that had landed him in this
predicament.
If he had known just how
brutal this life was going to be he would have chosen to be a farmer like his
father.
But instead he had wanted to
be a hero.
Some hero he was… laying on a
concrete floor in a dark cell… again.
He wondered if the Indaran’s
would once again fly to his rescue or if he was on his own this time. Maybe
they had a save one time only policy.
Because only idiots would
allow themselves to be captured twice… by the same group nonetheless.
He lay there momentarily
trying to gauge his bodies injuries and it took him about a half a second
before he realized that he wasn’t alone in the dank cell.
The shuffling noise from
across the room filled him with terror that he couldn’t immediately quell as he
skittered to the side, back pressed firmly against one concrete wall as he
envisioned all the large animals that could kill or maim him.
Or worse yet could eat him
alive.
He only realized that the
shuffling noise was coming from a human being, not an animal when he saw the
pale hand shove a threadbare blanket across the floor at him before retreating
once more to the darkness of the other side of the cell.
“Hello?” he called softly.
Trying to make as little noise as possible. He didn’t want to scare someone
that could potentially be an ally… a way of escaping.
“Hello?” a soft familiar
voice parroted back. For a moment he wracked his brain… a familiar voice.
Everyone he knew had been accounted for.
He was the only idiot that
had managed to get himself captured… again.
Peering into the darkness he
tried to allow his eyes to focus in the dark and could just barely make out a
huddled shape on the floor across the room from him.
Picking the blanket up in one
hand he pushed himself to his feet, swaying dizzily before he managed to hold
himself upright, he crept the small distance across the cell and thankfully
sank to the floor once more.
“Do I…” he started as the
huddled form turned toward him. “Know
you…”
The other acknowledging his
presence by looking over at him Riley’s eyes widening as a dead man stared back
at him. Gaunt, pale, dirt streaked… and most of all alive.
He couldn’t keep the
disbelief from his voice.
“Xander?”
******************************************************************************
Angel stood in the door to
Buffy’s bedroom watching his mate stare sightlessly at the wall before her.
She’d obviously been changing prior to sitting on the edge of the bed.
In her hands she clutched a white
tank-top, her shoulders slumped.
He could taste the agitation
rolling off her in waves. Agitation and just a slight hint of fear.
Which led him to wonder what
exactly had been discussed in the meeting that she’d been dragged into… he
hoped it wasn’t what he feared.
To find her again only to
lose her… that was unacceptable.
“You missed the picnic,” he
said quietly. She started suddenly glancing over at the door, seeing his gaze
drop below her eyes focusing on only her lace bra clad breasts she flushed
slightly and dragged the tank-top over her head.
“Did you… did I miss
anything?”
Angel grinned ruefully. “Not
really. Dawn made us all sit on a blanket, eat sandwiches… Connor tried to
catch some ants because Dawn told him that a picnic wouldn’t be a picnic
without them.”
“I don’t think there are any
ants in the garden.”
“Still didn’t stop them…” the
smile faded from his face as his head tilted to one side, studying her.
“Did you pack it in? Have
enough of the garden?”
“They’re still down there… I
wanted to see if you were done with your meeting… the picnic was your idea
after all.”
“Did… did you miss me?” she
asked softly watching as he slowly walked towards her.
She’d always loved the way he
moved. Graceful, sleek… he’d always moved like the predator that he once had
been. Gaining his soul had not changed that.
“I always miss you when
you’re not with me,” he stated dropping to his haunches before her. “Without
you by my side I feel a loneliness, an ache that is only quelled when you’re
back by my side.”
“Angel…” she whispered
reaching out one hand she cupped his cheek, tears filling her eyes.
“When are you leaving?” he
asked his eyes never wavering from hers.
“Two days… we’ll leave
tomorrow from the compound and then we’ll proceed from there.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“You can’t,” she whispered
drawing him into her arms. Resting her lips on his forehead she closed her
eyes. The fear that she was feeling, the certainty that she wouldn’t be
returning she knew without a doubt that he felt it to.
That he feared her falling in
battle.
“I wish you could… this is
something that I have to do… this is my job, my life until the end. You’re a
warrior, a fighter you know that.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like
it,” he muttered. “I hate this.”
“I don’t like it much either
but you have to let me do this…”
Maybe he heard something in
her voice. Maybe he could feel the tension in her arms but Angel’s arms
reflexively tightened around her.
Holding her tight as if he
knew that this might be the last opportunity that he would get to do so.
She knew without a doubt that
if she drew away she would see a mirror image of the tears in her eyes within
his.
“I won’t just wait here for
news on whether you’re alive or dead…”
With a sigh she backed away.
She’d already foreseen this exact scenario. Had received permission to bring
her group, bring the remaining members of the ‘Scooby’s’ to the
“You can come to the compound
with us… when I get back,” she forced a smile to her face. “When I get back you
guys will be the first thing I see.”
“I love you.”
“I love you to,” she smiled,
unbidden a tear dropped from her eye and Angel closed his eyes momentarily to
block out the sight of that tear falling before reopening them and wiping it
away. If he ever needed a sign that Buffy was preparing for the worse, thought
the worse that tear was it.
“Til the end of time I’ll
love you.”
******************************************************************************
“Xander?” Riley repeated, his
voice raising an octave above what it would normally have been he stared at the
other man.
“Riley?” the huddled mass
leaned forward peering curiously into his eyes before leaning back against the
cement wall, banging his head repeatedly as his eyes closed. “Fuck! I’ve gone
to sleep.”
“What?” the soldier moved
forward his hand reaching out to touch the other mans shoulder, trying to stop
him from injuring himself. “Xander stop! You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Just trying to wake myself
up,” Xander grumbled. “Damn it.”
“But you… you’re dead,” he
sputtered.
“So people keep telling me.”
“Is this hell then? Because
to be honest I though there’d be more brimstone, fire, red guy with horns and a
pitchfork named Satan…”
“Not hell,” Xander muttered.
“Pretty damn close to it though… and the red guy with horns doesn’t have a
pitchfork, horns yes, pitchfork no.”
“So we are dead then,” Riley sighed with resignation.
“No we’re not dead…” Xander
leaned forward eyes focused on the soldier. “I’m guessing you’re not here to
rescue me?”
“No… sorry buddy… but hey
look on the bright side maybe the Indaran’s will come through again.”
Xander’s eyes widened almost
comically in his gaunt face, shock prevalent on his features. “Did you just say
Indaran?”
“Yeah… they rescued me a
couple days ago and let me go…”
“The Indaran have been
called? All of them?”
“I guess,” Riley shrugged.
“So do you want to tell me how you happen to be alive and not dead and buried
in Sunnydale like you’re supposed to be?”
Xander rubbed a hand along
his face as he let out a world weary sigh. Leaning back against the wall once
more he stared up at the ceiling, eyes focused on nothing.
“Xander?”
“It’s a long story…” he
started.
“I’m thinking we’ve got nothing
but time at this point.”
******************************************************************************
May 2003:
Xander lay motionless on the gurney. He found if he
didn’t move, if he didn’t breathe then the pain that ran throughout the entire
length of his body wasn’t as bad.
Of course his body protested… quite vehemently if he
held his breath for more then ten seconds.
Around him he could hear the busy bustle of the
hospital. He could hear Dawn and Spike out in the hall, low voices conversing
with whatever doctor happened to be out there.
Of course his thoughts weren’t on the two standing out
there worrying about him. Although in Spike’s case he had to wonder if the
vampire was praying for his death instead of his life.
Most of his thoughts were racing back to the Summers
house. Trying to come up with some other scenario other than the one that had
played out. He’d seen the blood on Buffy’s shirt before he’d been rushed to the
hospital, knew that Anya… his Anya had been responsible for the wound on
Buffy’s body.
On his body.
“Is he the one old man?” he heard a hushed voice and
with some effort forced his eyes open.
He felt a cool hand on his forehead, not vampire cool
but cool nonetheless and when he finally managed to get his eyes to listen to
commands he found himself staring into the eyes of an elderly man.
“He is one of them,” the old man said softly. “It is a
mortal wound though…”
“Then fix it,” the other ordered and Xander forced
himself to turn his head to face the owner of that voice.
That voice belonged to a vampire. One in game face as
well.
“It’s not that easy… you don’t just heal a wound like
this. Besides if he dies… if they believe him dead they won’t search for him, won’t
know about him… think of the things we could learn…” the old man said
patiently, his tone sounding as if he was explaining things to a simple child.
“You said he wouldn’t be called… how are we going to
learn anything from him? Besides all I want is a Hunter for the auctions…”
“He hasn’t been called as Hunter either…”
“Then why the hell
are we here… if you’re playing with me…”
“He will be called… when enough fall he will take his
rightful place. All those that we have will take their rightful places eventually…”
“And how long will he be useless to me until that happens?! A day, a week?”
“A year… almost exactly a year…”
“A year… I’m not keeping him for a year…I’ll have to
feed him, clothe him…”
Xander winced as he felt the weight of a hand on his
face, forcing him to look back up into the old mans eyes.
“I think the prison camp will be a nice place for him
to wait out his uselessness,” he smiled and Xander frowned.
Because that smile wasn’t evil, it was friendly,
gentle… and this was supposed to be a bad guy right?
“Find me a body… his size and weight… a simple glamour
should take care of his friends.”
The vampire grumbled but left the room, obviously to
carry out the old man’s wishes.
“You can’t do this…” he struggled to say. He wished his
body didn’t feel so weak, so heavy… he wished that he hadn’t been defenseless
when Anya had struck. “My friends…”
“Will never even know the truth until it’s too late.”
He wished he’d actually broken down and told Cordy how
he truly felt about her. He knew she was with Angel now but maybe knowing that
he loved her would have brought her back to him…
“Oh young man… look at it this way,” he leaned close
to Xander, his face just inches away and Xander was once again struck by the
non-evilness of him. Because he smelled like peppermint.
“At least you won’t be dead… may wish to be … but you
won’t be…”
******************************************************************************
Cordy lagged slightly behind
None of her questions had
been answered. The only one that had come even remotely close had been her,
‘Why the hell do you want us to bring Spike?’ Angel had replied in his most
glowering tone that Buffy wanted him there.
His tone assuring her that if
he’d had his way Spike would be heading towards the house that Buffy now lived
in over his dusted body.
But the important questions,
where they were going, how long they were going to be gone… Angel had hung up
before she could get those answers.
So she’d fumed and ranted
about the futility at being able to pack appropriately for what was obviously
going to be a trip.
She’d ended up packing an
assortment of clothes into her small suitcase, setting it in the trunk beside
She would be damned if Buffy
Summers would show her up when it came to clothes.
But now as she lugged the
suitcase behind her, both Spike and Gunn had refused to carry it for her, she
wondered if maybe she hadn’t overpacked.
Of course then she shook her
head… because there was no such thing as overpacking to a Chase.
She scowled at Angel when she
entered the foyer of the rather large house, largely irritated that Buffy of
all people had been chosen to live in such a nice piece of property.
“We’re only going to be gone
a couple of days Cordelia,” Angel stared at the bag she dragged along behind
her. The one she was currently dropping and leaving in the middle of the floor
as she stalked up to the vampire who she considered family. With hands on her
hips she glared at him.
“Well if you had said that, or if you had even told us where we were going I would have known
what to pack!”
“We’ll hopefully only be gone
for about two days and we’re going to
“
******************************************************************************
“Buffy?” Connor asked
quietly. He could see his mothers slumped shoulders and like his father,
although not with the same senses he could feel the agitation and fear that
seemed to radiate through her entire being. Seemed to encompass the entire room
she was sitting in.
“Hi Connor,” she murmured, a
weak smile was thrown in his direction and he slowly walked towards her.
“Are… are you okay?”
A sharp, harsh laugh issued
from her mouth and Connor looked at her in surprise. He had thought with his
parents being together again. Thought that with them obviously still caring
about each other… still loving each other that depression on either part would
become a thing of the past.
Obviously that was not the
case… either that or he had missed something huge.
“Am I alright?” she sighed as
she ran her hands over her face. “I honestly couldn’t tell you if I was or
not.”
“Okay,” he shot her a
confused look. “Do you want to… you know talk about it?”
“No… I’d much rather hear
about you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah… tell me something
about yourself Connor. Tell me about your childhood…or something.”
“Oh,” sitting next to her on
the bed he looked down at his hands. “Connor wasn’t always my name… my fat… Holtz
he renamed me Stephen.”
“Did he love you?”
“Sometimes I thought so… I
mean I thought he was my father and he raised me so he must have felt something right?”
“It doesn’t always work that
way.”
“I know that now,” glancing
over at her he saw that she was watching him intently, her entire person
focused on him and that filled him with emotions that he couldn’t gauge all at
once.
This was his mother and she
was interested in him. Wanted to know him.
“I was this thing to him…
this way for him to gain revenge on Angel. He taught me to hate him, taught me
how to kill him and then when the time was right he brought me back here and
left me with him.”
“You tried to kill him,”
Buffy stated and Connor glanced back over at her. He’d forgotten that she knew what
had happened between Angel and him. He half expected to see hate at his actions
towards his father but instead all he found was understanding… compassion.
She’d been trained the same
way… oh not to kill Angel. But to kill his kind, to hunt vampires, demons.
He wondered what it had cost
her to fall in love with his father.
To go against the ingrained
nature of the Slayer and love the demon that was within Angel.
“I did… it was what I was
trained for… I thought I was avenging my fathers’ murder but instead…”
“Instead you were carrying
out his vengeance.”
“Yes.”
“So… what about girls? Did
you leave someone special behind when Holtz brought you back here? I bet you
broke all the girls hearts when you were growing up,” Buffy murmured with a
smile. “You get that from your father I think.”
“No… there weren’t a lot of
humans, let alone girls in the dimension that we lived in. Besides my… Holtz
thought that it would interfere with my training.”
“He sounds like Giles,” she
said fondly.
“
“Guess the others are here.”
“Yep… Guess Cordy still
hasn’t learned to control the volume of her voice yet,” Buffy said with a grin
as she stood.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot,” she said as she led
him from the room. Following the sounds of Cordy’s raised voice.
“You know that dad and Spike
don’t get along… so why did you have
Buffy paused in her
movements, turning to look into her grown sons eyes and with a sad smile she
studied him. “Because he’s a friend… and during a very dark period of time,
regardless of how much he dragged me further into it… Spike was there for me.”
******************************************************************************
“You know if you were a
gentleman Spike you would go get me a plate,” Cordy scowled at the blonde
vampire.
“Never said I was gentleman
cheerleader get your own damn plate,” Spike said cheerfully swishing the mug of
blood that he was currently holding under the brunette’s nose.
With a loud harrumph and toss
of her head Cordy stalked away.
“That was cruel Spike,”
“Gettin’ right tired of the
little bitch always sniping at me,” he grumbled setting his mug down in front
of him. Leaning forward he planted his elbows on the table, resting his head
within his hands. “I mean is it my
fault that Anyanka got it in her head to kill off Xander and the rest of you?”
“No one is saying that it was
your fault.”
“The way she bitches at me
she does… I took him to the hospital as soon as you and the Slayer had things
under control… couldn’t have taken him any sooner without puttin’ the bit and
me in demon girls way… and Slayer would never have forgiven me if I let
somethin’ happen to Dawn.”
“Spike…”
“Dreams?” Spike looked up
hopefully. “What kind of dreams? Naughty ones?”
“Spike,” she rolled her eyes
at him and returned her attention to her plate.
Across the room Cordy was
holding a glass in her hand as she waited for Damon to hand her a plate. With a
smile and a shrug he proceeded to ignore her raised eyebrows and subsequent
glare at being dismissed.
With a long-suffering sigh
she glanced around the kitchen that everyone was stuffed into. Everyone, save
Buffy and Connor were sitting in various positions around the room, for half a
second she wondered where the two missing were, then all thoughts vanished from
her mind as she fell to her knees under the crushing pain of an incoming
vision.
With a gasp, then groan she
crushed the glass in her hand as her eyes fluttered close. Her entire mind, her
entire being focused on the images being presented to her.
Warriors, black clad standing
in a circle hands joined as witches within their center cast a teleporting
spell.
Fighting, swords clashing,
hands hitting, legs and feet kicking.
Buffy and Colin falling under
an onslaught of demons.
Colin strapped to a table,
screaming in pain.
Warriors falling to their
knees, faces contorted in pain, in anger.
Angel on his knees, hand to
his chest as he took a deep breath, body shuddering at the effort.
Buffy in a dark, room. Tears
staining her face, eyes raised to the heavens imploring aid to come.
“Cordy? Cordy are you
alright?” her eyes slowly opened, Angel’s face wavering in front of her as she
gasped for air. Jade appeared out of nowhere, tablets in one hand, glass of
water in the other, her face a picture of sympathy.
Damon knelt beside Angel,
lifting her hand, brushing at the glass imbedded within her palm, folding her
hand over a towel to staunch the bleeding.
“What did you see Cordy?” she
heard Angel ask quietly but her attention was no longer on him. Her eyes drawn
over his shoulder to where Buffy and Connor were standing in the door eyes wide
as they stared at the scene displayed before them.
“Cordy?” Buffy asked her brow
wrinkling as she noticed Cordy’s attention focused intently on her.
“If you go…” Cordy struggled.
She could still feel the pain of the blows that Buffy and Colin had suffered.
Could feel the pain that Colin had been in strapped to that table, the pain
that Angel had experienced upon drawing air into his lungs. “If you go you’ll
die.”
******************************************************************************
Angel watched the man sitting
at the desk with interest.
He was torn by the desire to
see the man suffer. This man had been his best friend, knew the most intimate
details of his life… had been so trusted that Angel had never imagined that the
ex-Watcher would betray him.
And then he had.
Logically he understood that Wesley
thought that he was protecting Connor at the time, but his heart couldn’t
understand why Wesley had thought he would ever
have hurt his own son.
He would have sent Connor
away before he would have injured a hair on that innocent child’s head.
Of course fear for the
child’s welfare, fear that Angel didn’t have his demon firmly under control had
driven his friend to do what he thought best… and got his throat slit and
Connor kidnapped into a demon dimension for his efforts.
Since he had been in this
house, since he had found out the truth he’d had no time to talk to the man
that had once been his best friend.
Or maybe he had put it off
deliberately hoping that he wouldn’t have to actually speak to him.
He’d thought Wesley
Wyndham-Pryce dead… killed in a freak fire that had demolished most of his
apartment building and it had only been in the past few weeks that he and
Cordelia had been given access to the police records for that fire.
They had discovered that the
fire had been deliberately set… they had found out that no body had been found
within the carnage left behind. Just bones… that of course couldn’t be
Wesley’s, there had been no hope of positively identifying them as Wesley’s.
The only reason that the
coroner had listed them as Wesley was because it had been his apartment… and
the ex-watcher had seemingly vanished.
But to find out that his
death had been faked, a false-hood created by the powers to keep his friends…
his family from finding out the truth had been something of a shock.
He was still in shock.
“You can come in Angel, you
don’t need to lurk behind the door,” Wesley called.
As Angel entered the room he
was once more struck by the fact that the man sitting behind the desk did not
know him. There was not a hint of recognition as Wesley stood, motioning for
him to sit in the chair before the desk.
“I imagine you’re here to ask
what I intend to do about Buffy?”
“Probably had quite a few
people in here already insisting that she needed to be removed from this next
job that you guys are planning.”
“You could say that,” Wes
grinned ruefully. “Had a quite agitated Mr. Giles in here quite adamantly
telling me that I should forbid Buffy to go… that her sister and family needed
her here… no one has quite realized that poor Colin is in the same boat as
Buffy at the moment.”
“She has a lot of friends…
family,” Angel stated by way of explanation.
“Yes I can see that…”
“But you’re still not going
to stop her from going.”
“You know her… supposedly better
than anyone… do you really think that I, that anyone could keep her from going?
Besides… your seers’ vision didn’t actually show Buffy or Colin being killed…”
“No but it showed them being
captured… together…”
“I saw Buffy and Colin being crushed under a cavalcade
of demons. Saw Colin strapped to a table, screaming… Buffy crying, begging the
heavens for help.”
Angel could hear Cordy’s
voice ringing in his ears… almost as if she was standing over his shoulder
repeating the vision for the hundredth time to him.
“I saw you struggling to breathe.”
The last had served to remind
Angel of his own dream, his own vision. The one that’d had him standing above a
demon camp, human, with a very live Xander
Harris at his side… he would have known even without his dream self screaming
her name that Buffy had been the one in that prison camp.
If Buffy was captured would
that dream, that nightmare come true?
Would he become human only to
have the person that he most wanted to be human for stripped away from him?
What was the point of being
human if Buffy wasn’t there to share it with him?
But that also led him to
wonder if Xander wasn’t indeed alive somewhere…he hadn’t voiced that thought to
anyone save Giles. For one he didn’t want to get Cordy’s hopes up and the other
was he didn’t want to be staked for being insane.
“I don’t think anything could
make Buffy decide not to go once she has it in her head to do so,” Wesley’s
voice interrupted Angel’s musings.
“No… but if it means saving
her life…”
“If Buffy asked me to remove
her from the mission I would of course do so… Colin as well. Every warrior has
the right to refuse to join the battle… but I can’t forbid her to go, I
wouldn’t want to.”
Angel cocked his head to one
side and studied the man before him. This was most definitely not the Wesley
that he remembered. The semi-quiet, bumbling ex-Watcher that had been his
friend was no more, in his place was a man that Angel couldn’t even recognize.
Wesley had found his place,
his niche in the world finally.
And all he’d had to do to
make it happen was die. Casting aside his friends and family and embracing a
new one had served to find him another home… another family
The warriors here considered
him one of their own, Buffy who had at one time considered him nothing more
than an ill-advised attempt by the Watcher’s Council to replace Giles actually listened to him.
Took his advice.
At one time she would have
laughed in his face and done whatever she pleased.
“I know that we used to be…
friends, acquaintances of some kind before…” Wesley was saying as Angel forced
himself to listen once more.
“Yes we were. How…? Did your
memories come back as well?”
“Oh no,” he laughed. “Buffy
and I were aware when we were called, even without our memories that we had at
one time worked together. She couldn’t stand me and I thought her nothing more
than a spoiled child.”
Angel frowned as he leaned
back further in his chair, hands tapping out a rhythm on the sides. “But you
two seem to work so well together… I mean she actually listens to you.”
“Didn’t always used to be
that way… she thought me incompetent. Of course we worked through our
differences, but it was a slow time coming,” Wes glanced down at the papers on
his desk.
Looking back up he focused
his entire attention on the vampire before him. “Let her do what she needs to
do Angel, this is her life now, our life now… and nothing anybody says is going
to change that.”
******************************************************************************
Damon watched with a small
measure of amusement as Buffy stood at her dresser, a black duffel bag at her feet
she was currently muttering to herself as she shoved the contents of what
looked like her underwear drawer into it.
“Babe?” he queried with
raised eyebrows, brows raising even more as she turned towards him a vicious
expression on her face. Gesturing towards the bag, his hands in a defensive
position grinned. “Planning on fighting in your underwear? Cause as much as I
think we would all enjoy that I thought that you had some modesty left.”
“Well someone has to have
some… you obviously checked yours at the door on your way in… and what the hell
are you talking about anyway?”
“You just emptied your entire
collection of lingerie into that bag… did the dress code change and someone
forget to tell me?”
Buffy stared at him in
confusion before glancing down at her bag, her frown deepening. “Fuck,” she
muttered as she picked the bag up and dumped the contents back into the drawer.
“Are you here to tell me to
run away to?” she asked as she dropped the bag at her feet once more.
With a knowing smile he walked into the room.
Obviously someone had already
voiced their opinion to her. And she had not taken to kindly to the suggestion.
“Not run away,” he shook his
head as he stood before her. “Just remove yourself from the situation.”
“Sounds suspiciously like
running away to me,” she muttered under her breath as she crossed her arms over
her chest. “What did Colin say when you told him to ‘remove himself from the
situation’?”
“He told me that the only way
he wouldn’t be on the transport was if he was ordered by Wes to stay off it…
then told me to go fuck myself he had packing to do.”
“Well than that settles it…
if Colin’s going I’m going.”
“Buffy…”
“Look you came, you told me
your opinion…” she turned back to the dresser.
“We don’t want anything to happen
to you guys.”
“And you think that we do?!”
she whirled on him again. It was only then that Damon noticed that her hands
were shaking. From fear, from agitation he wasn’t sure. “The thought of those…
things touching me at all makes me want to throw up… but they have people just
like us there.”
“Hunters, Slayers, Warriors…
they’re us Damon. They’re fighters
just like us, their only crime being that they’re not fighting on the other
side. That could have been us. We
could have been there instead of here…
We could have been shackled, starved, beaten… instead we’ve been well-taken
care of, clothed, fed… doing exactly what we were doing before we were called
for Indaran… fighting. They haven’t even had that chance,” she cried, tears
streaming down her face.
He drew a deep breath, he
could remember the video. Could remember the sound of every blow that one of
those prisoners had taken. He didn’t want Buffy and Colin in that place.
The idea of one of them in
the same position as those they had seen made his stomach roll.
“Buffy…” he moved forward
touching her shoulders gently he stared down at her. Pulling her into his arms
he rocked her gently.
“I don’t want to die. But we
can’t leave them there,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “Promise me though…”
“Anything you know it.”
“If it does happen… if Colin
and I…”
“You won’t be…”
“You can’t guarantee that,”
she pulled away staring intently at him. “Promise me that if it does happen
that you’ll find a way out for us.”
“We’ll be planning it the
moment…”
“We’ll all be planning a rescue if you’re taken,” Angel interrupted from
the door. Buffy smiled at him, wiping at her tears as Damon turned. For a long
moment the two males stared at each other and with identical nods they
understood each other.
Until death they would both
fight to keep Buffy alive.
******************************************************************************
Buffy twisted her head
slightly to glance over at the sleeping vampire at her side.
She, unfortunately, was not asleep.
Her busy mind was intent on running battle plans and other scenarios. Running
through the possible ways that she and Colin could be taken and trying to find
alternative battle procedures that wouldn’t have them fighting together.
Cordy had seen them falling
together, side by side.
So maybe if they were just
not side by side during the ensuing fight it would eliminate the capture
scenario.
She knew that was a long
shot. She knew running any battle plans through her mind and coming up with
alternatives was a long shot… in the heat of battle things happened. Even if
Colin wasn’t scheduled to fight by her side, even if he was partnered with
someone else something might happen that would cause them to be on the
defensive together.
Reaching out a shaking hand,
which she only paused to glare at momentarily, she stroked Angel’s cheek, a
light purr emanating from his chest at her touch. Smiling she pressed a kiss to
his cheek and slowly slid out of the bed.
As she slipped into her
slippers she couldn’t keep herself from continuing to smile down at him.
He was hers once again… all
hers.
******************************************************************************
“Wesley,” Buffy slowly walked
into her Watchers office, as she closed the door softly behind her, glancing
around the room to make sure Jade wasn’t ensconced in one of the corners, she
walked to his desk.
“She’s in bed, asleep,” Wes
said with a pointed expression that indicated that he felt she should be there
as well.
“I wanted to run an idea by
you…” she started. “I know it’s almost virtually impossible but…”
******************************************************************************
To Angel it seemed as if the
night had literally flown by.
One minute he was snuggling with
Buffy in her rather large for one person bed and the next he’d been woken by
the sound of his mate arguing in hushed tones in the hall with Damon.
And while he couldn’t quite make out what they were arguing
about he figured that gist of it had to be the male Warrior making one more
last ditch effort to convince Buffy and/or Colin to change their minds.
To stay back at the nifty
warrior compound that they’d arrived at a few hours later and wait for their
comrade in arms to return with the prisoners.
Of course Buffy had refused
so now Angel was standing with a stoic expression in the second level
observation room watching the proceedings with a detachment that he hadn’t felt
in a long time.
Standing beside him Connor
was a fidgeting with nervous energy, next to him Dawn was gnawing on her
fingernails.
“Can’t believe you didn’t talk her out of it Peaches,” Spike’s voice broke
through the air of solitude that he’d erected around himself and he shot a
glare at his ensouled counterpart
“What would you propose I do
Spike? Chain her to her bed until it was over?”
“Whatever works for ya
Peaches.”
“She’d never forgive me.”
“But at least the chit would
be alive.”
“She’s not going to die,” Connor stated emphatically from the other side
of him.
“Whatever you say kid,” Spike
muttered. “When was the last time the cheerleader had a vision that didn’t come
true if the lot of you weren’t in time to stop it?”
“Still doesn’t mean that
she’s going to die.”
Angel tuned out the bickering
happening around him and refocused his attention on the room below them.
He hadn’t felt a buzz like
the one he was currently feeling in a long time. The one that indicated that he
was in the presence of Slayers or Demon Hunters.
But as he stood there watching
his skin was fairly crawling with the sensation, fifty of the best and
brightest were assembled down there.
His mate.
His Buffy one of them. He
could see her talking with Jade, pressing every so often on the ear he knew
contained a mini microphone.
“Is it my imagination or does
our hope for the future look like they should all be back in high school?” Gunn
mused as his eyes flitted around the room.
“Most Slayers and Hunters are
called young,” Angel stated absently. “Most don’t live as long as half of these
have,” he murmured before returning his gaze to those below them.
They did look young…
innocent… even though most of them probably had lost that innocence upon
battling their first demon.
Behind him he could hear the
steady hum of the computers. Wesley’s cool voice running through a checklist of
procedures, he hadn’t even realized that he’d drowned them out until he saw the
Warriors below forming a circle.
Jade and four other witches
within the circle he caught Buffy’s eye as she smiled softly at him, winking
before she turned to face away from him.
“All teams report in and
verify status,” he heard Wesley’s calm voice from behind him.
“Alpha team present and
accounted for, status is go,” Buffy’s voice came across the radio. Sweet and
cool as Angel trained his eyes on the back of her head.
Beside him Connor and Dawn
were clutching hands now, Spike had his hands pressed against the glass as he
watched intently.
“Beta team present and
accounted for, status is go,” Brendan’s voice rang out from behind him.
Beta team was staying behind,
as was usual for fights like this Buffy had assured him, manning radios and
other computer equipment.
Various team Watchers ran
those left unmanned, other Watchers would fly the helicopters that would deliver
the Warriors safely to their destination… then fly them and the hopefully free
prisoners back again, where the witches would once more cast a teleportation
spell to bring them to the safety of the compound.
All hopefully to be
accomplished in less than two hours.
And without losing either
Buffy or Colin in battle.
As the teams continued their
check ins, team leaders voices ringing loud and clear through the radio Angel
watched the witches below set up the teleportation spell.
He remembered vaguely
He had to wonder how these
witches kept from facing the same problem… how did they keep themselves from
crossing the line from white magic to black magic?
“It’s a constant battle,” a
voice behind him stated. Moving between him and Spike a brown-haired young
woman, Carmen watched the scene taking place.
“What?”
“You wondered how they kept
from crossing the line between white magic and black magic,” Carmen shrugged
oblivious to the fact that both vampires were staring at her. “It’s a constant
battle, but they have positive reinforcers… they have people that ground them,
knock them down when they’re rising above themselves…”
“How’d you…?” Angel sputtered
eyes wide as he stared at her warily.
“Most witches are psychic to
some degree.”
“Why are you here instead of
down there?” Spike asked with narrowed eyes. “If you’re a witch shouldn’t you
be workin’ the teleport spell with the lot of them?”
“Carmen is the anchor,”
Brendan piped in from his position behind them. “The witches will use her to
return back here.”
“Oh…”
“All teams standby,” Wes
stated turning to the male warrior. “Brendan.”
With a sly grin Brendan
pressed a button on the small box attached to the loop of his belt. “Warriors
standby… teleport team please proceed with spell.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy drew a deep breath as
she clutched tightly to Colin and Damon’s hands. She wanted to turn around,
take one last look at Angel and Dawn and Connor, her friends, her family but
she didn’t.
She knew that if she looked
up into that room above them that she would back out of the circle and she knew,
without a doubt that if she did that this something would go horribly wrong
with the mission.
She hadn’t even tried to
explain the feeling of dread that she knew Colin felt just as sharply as she
did to anyone… not even to Angel.
Staring resolutely at the
back of Jade’s head she felt the beating of wind against her face and body,
buffeting her even as she stood strong within the circle.
The five witches within the
circle joined hands, voices raised as they cast the spell, white light circling
around them, circling around the entire group and with a flash they were gone.
******************************************************************************
“Status?” Wesley asked
quietly his eyes never wavering from the monitor in front of him.
Angel slowly turned.
He’d known it was a
teleportation spell, had thought he’d been prepared for the spell but a part of
him had hoped that Buffy would withdraw from the circle before it’s casting
could be completed.
Obviously he’d been wrong on
that score.
In the room that the Warriors
had stood now there was nothing but an achingly silent emptiness. Reaching
along the line that connected him to Buffy he sought her out.
Trying to prove once more
both to the soul and the demon that she was indeed alive.
On the other end of the bond
he could feel her humming in readiness.
Ready for battle… ready to
come home and she’d only just left.
“Warriors are on point,
copters are ready and standing by,” Brendan stated.
“Proceed.”
******************************************************************************
“What are you doing?” Riley
narrowed his eyes at Xander in confusion. The other man was staring at the
door, his entire being taut with anticipation as he waited.
“Something’s…” Xander
started, walking to the door he touched it, on tiptoes he peered out into the
inky blackness of the hall on the other side of that door.
“Something what?” Riley asked
curiously pushing himself to his feet he let the blanket that he’d wrapped
firmly around himself in an effort to block out the coldness of the cell fall
to the ground. Walking slowly to Xander’s side he too peered out the small
grated window at the top of the door. “What are we looking at?”
“You don’t feel it?”
“Feel what? I feel cold, wet…
my back hurts like hell from sitting on the concrete and I’m starving… am I
supposed to feel something else?”
Xander spared a glare at the
other man before he resumed his position at the door, just as suddenly backing
away eyes wide. Grabbing Riley’s arm he dragged him alongside him, Riley biting
back a groan of protest as he felt the nails on Xander’s hand dig into his arm.
For a half-starved,
supposedly dead Zeppo he was amazingly strong.
Hiding them in the darkness
of the shadows Xander released Riley’s arm as he sank to the ground. Riley
staring down at him in confusion as he rubbed his arm.
He would definitely have
bruises in the morning.
“Xander what…?” he never even
got the question out as the door slowly opened, a small figure sliding into the
room from the hall. Riley backed against the wall, cursing himself for his size
as he tried to slide into a crevice in the wall to hide himself.
The black clad figure slowly
moved towards them and Riley’s eyes widened as he recognized another ghost.
“Buffy…” he breathed as the
Warrior approached them.
He never thought he’d see her
again after he was released from the compound. From the harsh indrawn breath
that he heard emit from Xander he realized that the other man had thought the
Slayer dead.
And was only now realizing
that she wasn’t. Riley reached out to touch her, drawing his hand back as he
realized that her gaze was intent on the male huddling in a ball on the floor,
banging his head against his knees muttering incoherently as he did so.
He saw Buffy’s eyes widen in
shock as she took in the dirty, gaunt remains of one of her best-friends.
“Xander?” the sound of her
voice caused him to freeze.
“You’re not real,” Xander
stated. “Not real.”
Buffy sank to her feet before
him, not even sparing a glance at Riley as she reached out a shaking hand to
touch his cheek.
Suddenly it all made so much
sense.
“Yes I am,” she said softly.
“And I’m going to get you out of here.”
******************************************************************************
Angel paced the room like a
caged lion intent on escaping.
Something was wrong he was
sure of it. Even though they hadn’t said anything, even though all teams were
reporting little to no resistance in their assault on the prison he could feel
something out of place.
Dawn and Connor were sitting
side by side across the room. Their backs pressed against the glass that they
had watched the Warriors disappear from behind. Their gazes’ intent on the
monitors lining the wall before them… as if they could see and therefore
protect Buffy if something happened.
Brendan had shut the incoming
speakers off as soon as he realized that every time a Warrior or Watcher
checked in it only made the small group left behind even more agitated.
Angel particularly.
“Angel why don’t you have a drink?”
Cordy offered holding her half full glass up. “Maybe it’ll calm you down.”
“You think drinking is going
to calm me down?” he asked incredulously.
“Couldn’t hurt peaches,”
Spike muttered. “You’re pacin’ a damn hole in the carpet.”
“I’m just a little worried
Spike… do you want to make something
of it?” Angel growled. Here would be a perfect way for him to vent his
frustration, at his weakness.
Pounding the crap out of
Spike had always had a way of making
him feel better.
“Spike do be quiet,” Giles
sighed. “Some of us…” the sound of Brendan’s voice rising cut him off.
“A2 what is your location?”
******************************************************************************
“I’m enroute to A1,” Damon
said soundlessly. Halting at a corridor he ventured a quick look around it
before proceeding. “Why?”
“Silent alarms have been
sounded, they know you’re there… all teams extricate now,” Brendan ordered.
“Copy.”
Damon moved briskly down the
corridor, his eyes having no problem adjusting to the darkness. All around him
he could see Warriors moving quickly, followed by the newly released prisoners…
none of them could fight he had found. Most of them were so weak from
starvation and inactivity that they could barely stand unaided.
“Buffy?” he called soundlessly
at the door to the cell he knew was on her checklist.
He could see her in the back
of the cell, crouched before a still figure, a familiar man standing over them
his hands hanging at his sides uselessly.
Finn he grumbled
to himself. “Didn’t we just rescue you?” he asked pointedly as he neared them.
The figure on the floor let a sharp laugh loose and Damon stopped behind Buffy.
“We need to go… silent alarms
are going off.”
“I heard,” Buffy murmured.
Turning she stared up at him and Damon was struck by the hopefulness that he
saw in them.
He didn’t think he’d see that
look after Cordy had voiced the scenes displayed in her last vision.
But now…
“I can’t carry him,” Buffy
was saying when he realized that she was talking once more and focused his
attention on her.
“I don’t need anyone to carry
me,” the still mass muttered.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she
looked up at him imploringly.
“I got it,” Damon shrugged.
“You’ll have to take point,” he said as she kneeled, one arm around the man’s
shoulder and he easily lifted him to his feet.
“Not a problem…” Buffy
smirked at him. “I’m feeling the need for some serious payback at the moment.”
Damon shrugged as the group
moved quickly to the door, only pausing for a moment before they spilled into
the hall.
“Command we’re moving to exit
points… standby…”
******************************************************************************
“
“Is it over yet?”
“They’ve just called for
extrication; I’m assuming that means they’re withdrawing… just a little bit
longer.”
“I don’t know why I’m so
nervous,”
“It’s understandable,” the
Watcher kneeled in front of her. “You’re just getting used to the fact that
she’s alive…”
“I was waiting for Cordy to
say April Fools or something,” the former witch whispered. “I don’t understand
why I feel like this… I mean she’s been dead for over a year, we’ve been dealing with her being dead for over a
year… a couple of days and I’m a nervous wreck.”
“
“She’s my best friend Giles,”
she said softly. “Buffy was the Slayer and Xander and I were the Scooby’s and I
thought it was going to be the three of us forever… You know we’d be naming
each other our kids’ godparents,” tears leaked from her eyes as she focused on
Giles. “But now Xander’s dead and Cordy’s having visions of Buffy dying for
real this time and…”
“One day at a time
******************************************************************************
Damon kept one arm securely
around the young mans shoulder, Xander he’d introduced himself as, and used the
other to press the microphone in his ear.
“A2 and A1 in process of
withdrawing… please advise of any obstructions.”
“You’ve a clear shot,”
Brendan’s voice came loud and clear over the radio.
“Finn take a right here,”
Damon said quietly, turning his head slightly he looked behind him where Buffy
was bringing up the rear of their small caravan a worried frown on her face as
she cast quick glances behind her. “Buff…” he started eyes widening as he what
she was seeing. “Fuck… double time Finn,” he called, his voice ringing in the
quiet hall as he gave up all pretense of hiding.
They’d been spotted after
all.
Hazarding a glance over his
shoulder, he was not checking on her
progress, he wasn’t he told himself he skidded to a halt when he did not see
Buffy behind him.
“No, no, no…” he muttered to
himself as he fought to quell the rising sense of panic.
Colin wasn’t even in this
area… Cordy had seen them falling together… this couldn’t be the vision.
“A1 this is A2 come in…”
waiting only seconds, although it seemed as if hours had passed a sense of
foreboding crept over him as there was only silence. “A1 this is A2 come in…
Buffy answer me dammit,” he hissed.
“A2 what is your situation?”
he heard Brendan’s calm how could he
still be calm when the world was getting ready to end voice over the radio
in his ear.
“I’ve lost her.”
******************************************************************************
The entire room froze, Carmen
turning to stare up at her team leader in shock as his movements stilled.
“Brendan…?” she started.
“Wes do we have a link into
the cameras yet?” Brendan asked ignoring her.
“What happened?” Angel asked
moving forward to stand beside him. He could feel the icy finger of fear
creeping its way up his spine and for the first time in as many years as he
could remember he prayed for his loves safety, for her life.
“Wes?”
Behind him Angel could feel
Connor’s fear crawling over his skin, Dawn had gone pale, her face white as a
sheet as she clung to her best friends hand.
Cordy had stood, entire body
trembling,
Spike had his back pressed to
the glass, his eyes wide an expression of disbelief on his face… after all this
time this was how it was going to end?
“I’ve got cameras,” Wes
stated. “What sector were they in?”
“They were just coming out of
4, check there and pan out,” Brendan ordered.
Angel’s eyes glued themselves
to the screens that Wesley was flitting past. “Got her… looks like she got cut
off, doors are closing all around the facility…”
“A2 she has not been engaged…
her exit route has been cut off she’s seeking an alternate exit route now… I’ll
keep trying to get her on the radio keep moving.”
“Oh my god,” Wesley breathed.
“What’s Colin doing there? He’s supposed to be with Jade’s team.”
******************************************************************************
“Damn doors are closing all
over the place,” Colin grumbled as he caught sight of Buffy. “Where’s Damon?”
“Got cut off, door closed
right in my face…”
“Ever have the feeling that
it just wasn’t worth getting out of bed in the morning?”
“All the time Colin, all the
fucking time,” Buffy muttered. “Your radio working?”
“Nope… have a feeling we
should have listened to your vampires’ seer?”
“I’ve never listened to Cordy
before why would I start now?” Buffy glanced over at him, shooting him a scowl
when his hand shot out to stop her. “Wha…?” she started her eyes widening as
they both halted. Eyes skittering down the hall she felt a sense of peace that
she hadn’t felt in a long time.
So this was it then.
“So we’re thinking trap?”
Colin murmured as his eyes surveyed the large amassed selection of demons in
front of them… effectively blocking the exit they could clearly see.
“Oh yeah… they wouldn’t care
about losing a bunch of uncalled Slayer, Warriors and a few Hunters if they
could get their hands on two called Warriors.”
“Hey Buff… great working with
ya.”
“You to,” she smiled softly
at him. “Ready?”
“Yep.”
And with identical smirks
they turned to their waiting captors and leapt…
******************************************************************************
Carmen screamed, her body
arching, chair flying out from under her as she clutched at her stomach.
Brendan’s hands clenched and unclenched as he bit back his own yell.
The pain vibrating through
them as their counterparts took hit after hit.
Angel closed his eyes as he
saw Buffy fighting for her life. The demon within him was howling at its
confines. His face rippling between his human countenance and his vampiric
visage.
He could feel the pain she
was in, knew that she taken more hits then had been delivered, even though on
the screen she was like a whirlwind of energy, of fighting power.
“Do something!” Connor yelled
frantically. He could clearly see the screen, could clearly see his mother
battling for her life.
“Block it out Carmen,” Wes
was kneeling by the fallen Warrior, the other four gasping for breath, trying
to breathe through the pain that seemed never-ending.
“A1, A4 this is command do
you copy?” Brendan’s voice labored, a hint of fear could be heard.
And then silence, nothing
heard but the sound of the Warriors panting breaths, the screen dark.
Angel fell to his knees his
eyes locked on that black screen. Her name on the tip of his tongue.
“Buffy…”
******************************************************************************
Angel stared at the dark
monitor in front of him.
Moments ago it had held his
last view of Buffy… and he certainly did not want seeing her falling in battle
to be the last thing he remembered about her.
He should never have left
her.
“I can stay for as long as you want.”
“How’s forever? Does forever work for you?”
He should never have left
her.
The soul and the demon were
in perfect accord with that thought.
They, neither of them, should
have left her side. And now they were both insisting that he leap through that
blackened screen and bring his mate back home where she belonged.
With him and their son and
Dawn.
Of course logically he knew
they couldn’t do that. That they were at that very moment powerless to
intercede.
So he sat there, unmoving and
closed his eyes.
He could still feel her… from
their bond, as weak as it was at that very moment, he felt fear, pain… anguish.
“Anything?” Wesley murmured
from where he was still kneeling by Carmen’s side.
Angel opened his eyes glancing
up at Brendan who was still attempting to regain contact with the Buffy and
Colin. Just noticing the beads of sweat that were gathering on his brow,
curiously he glanced around the room and found that all five warriors looked as
if they were running high grade fevers.
Confusion ran rampant as he
took in the flushed faces, sweat… Brendan’s hands were shaking as he typed and
he could scent fear in the room.
“Nothing,” Brendan muttered.
“I’m sending signals to their radios and the system says that they’re picking
it up but….”
“But they’re still working
yes…” Wes pressed as he helped Carmen back into the chair that Spike had set
right for her.
“Yeah they’re still working…
but it’s like the signal I’m sending to them is hitting a wall.”
“Keep trying…”
“I hate to say this but,”
Giles started, leaving Cordy and Willow side by side he moved forward to stand
next to the still obviously shell-shocked vampire. “They could be dead.”
“No!” Angel stated
vehemently, eying the Warriors in surprise when his vehement ‘No’ was echoed by
the five of them.
“I’m just…”
“Trust me Mr. Giles… if
Brendan and the others say that Buffy and Colin are still alive then they are still alive.”
“How can you be sure though?
I mean if the…”
“Have you ever heard of a
“
“Why is that so surprising?”
Carmen asked. “We have seven of the most powerful, brightest witches who ever
lived…”
“It’s just… I’ve never heard
of a successful circle…” Giles shook his head in wonder.
“Okay for those of us who are
not you… does someone want to explain
it what this
“It’s a bonding,” Wes
started.
“Much like the one that Angel
shares with Buffy, it allows the bondee’s to ‘feel’ each other for lack of a
better word,” Giles continued.
“Why would you want to be
joined that way during battle?”
“Once their battle shields
are activated there’s a spell that keeps the bond from affecting them until
such time as the battle shields are dropped… It’s one of the reasons we keep a
team back, it helps us determine injuries and the like,” Wesley stated.
“So you can really feel her?”
Angel asked with narrowed eyes. He didn’t think he liked having these Warriors
share a bond with Buffy. The possessive part of him that he had never been able
to firmly quell, as well as the demon that he shared his body with, were both
ranting at having to share anything let
alone a bond that was supposed to be
only his with these people that quite possibly could have gotten his mate
killed.
“It’s like a humming,”
Brendan muttered. “They’re still within the web though… they’re both in pain…
but they’re alive.”
“What about the others David?”
Wes turned to another Warrior, one that was still manning his station, hands
flying at a furious pace over his keyboard.
“They’re standing by at the
original teleport location… The witches are trying to contact Buffy and Colin,”
he glanced over his shoulder at Wesley wincing as he saw the Watchers
expression. “They’re not having much luck… whatever’s blocking the radios is
blocking them as well, they can’t crack through it just yet.”
“Tell them to hold for one
hour, if they can’t get through to them by then they’re to make the port back
here and we’ll start planning rescue operations immediately.”
“Copy.”
Wesley turned to Angel and
focusing on the man who was once his best-friend and was now his loves Watcher
Angel could see the debate waging behind his eyes.
Buffy and Colin were his
family, his friends as loathe as Angel was to actually admit it to himself. He
genuinely cared about them and he could tell that everything within the Watcher
was screaming to rescue them immediately.
Consequences and protocol be
damned.
******************************************************************************
Xander sat huddled on the
floor much like the rest of those rescued from the Prison camp.
He was weak, he was tired and
he was about a half second away from being cranky.
Plus he’d not had a moment to
think, a moment alone since they’d been rescued.
Glancing up he saw Riley
standing over him like an overprotective guard dog. He knew even without Riley
having told him that his wife was dead.
He could hear it in the tone of his voice when Xander had asked about
her… that ‘I really can’t talk about that right now’ tone.
He’d taken that tone a lot
since realizing that he was still in love with Cordy, then again upon realizing
that Anya was trying to kill Buffy and
Riley was covering it well
though, burying his sadness, his heartache under his furious anger at the fact
that his demands that they go back immediately and rescue Buffy had seemingly
fallen on deaf ears.
Xander had wanted to tell him
that the Indaran could care less about his opinion, that from what he could see
they were attempting to at least contact Buffy and the Warrior that
had fallen with her… but he was to tired to make the effort.
Noticing Damon standing
nearby he focused what little energy he had and spoke, waving a hand in the
general direction of the circle. “Are they trying to contact them psychically?”
He winced as his voice came out somewhat strangled and weak.
“Yeah… hopefully they’ll make
contact soon so we can make sure they’re okay.”
“They won’t be able to get
through that way.”
Damon turned to him slowly,
his eyes narrowing as he focused on the man on the floor. Buffy had asked him
to protect him… not in so many words, but her reactions, the words she had said
had indicated the importance of Xander Harris.
“What do you mean?” he asked
his voice coming out colder than he’d anticipated he realized as he watched
Xander literally shrink in on himself.
The damage done to these
Hunters, Warriors, Slayers was going to take months, maybe even years to
repair.
“There’s…” Xander mumbled.
“There’s a shield over the whole facility, you can’t break through it
psychically… the only way…”
“The only way what?” Damon’s eyes
widened as realization hit. “How did you get through it?” he asked, knowing
without a doubt that he had and he thought he had a feeling he knew who he’d
been contacting.
“The only way you can punch
through is while you’re sleeping, during REM sleep normally…” glancing around
the room, none of those that had been trapped with him would make eye contact,
all eyes focused on the floor.
They’d been punished for
figuring out how to break through, but that hadn’t stopped them from doing it.
From contacting their friends and families. And their captors hadn’t been able
to stop them from doing it.
Sleep was the one time they
had no control over them.
“Some of us found a way to
punch through while awake that’s how…”
“That’s how you got through
to Buffy… at the Hyperion,” Jade said softly, Xander and Riley both jumping as
they realized that she had left the circle and was now kneeling beside him.
“Yeah,” Xander muttered
sheepishly.
“Why’d you do that?” she
asked gently her hand a light presence on his shoulder, eyes boring into his,
filled with sympathy, understanding… sadness.
“I’m a Hunter now,” he said
bitterly. “That comes complete with the prophetic dreams and all that shit…”
running a hand through his hair he cursed himself for being unable to keep his
hand steady while he did so. “I don’t know how Buff handled them…”
“Because she had to… because
she had a calling,” Jade smiled softly at him. “Just like you do.”
“Anything?” Damon asked
drowning out Xander’s snort, ignoring Riley’s surprise at the revelation that
Xander was a Hunter.
“No he’s right… we can’t
break through the shield,” she shook her head standing gracefully. “We’ll try
sleepwalking them tonight.”
“Why don’t we just go back
and rescue them now?” Riley asked angrily, fists clenched at his sides.
Jade just stared at him
before calling over her shoulder, “Sylvia?”
“Yeah,” a small red head
moved up beside her rubbing her head as she looked between Jade and the angry,
tall sandy-haired man.
“Probability of success if we
go back in now instead of waiting?”
“30% chance of success… we’ll
lose at least seven more Warriors.”
“Thanks,” Jade smiled thinly
at Riley. “We have to wait until the time is right; if we don’t then we end up
losing more than we gain.”
“You’re just going to leave
them there?!”
“We have no choice,” Damon
sighed. “Set up the teleport spell.”
******************************************************************************
“So are you going to sit here
the entire time and brood?” Spike finally asked from the door.
He’d been standing there for
a good ten minutes staring at his grandsire, waiting for some sort of reaction
from the older vampire. But all Angel had done was sit on the edge of Buffy’s
bed, head in his hands.
“Go away Spike,” Angel
ordered quietly. “I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now.”
“Never are, are ya Peaches,”
the blonde stated as he sauntered into the room. If Angel had looked up he
would have seen the lack of Spike’s trademark smirk, the lack of his cocky
swagger. He sauntered only because it was ingrained within his nature to do so.
“I told you to go away,” the
elder vampire finally looked up and Spike was momentarily taken aback by the
look of defeat in his grandsire’s eyes.
Even at his lowest Angelus
had never looked that defeated.
“Now when have I ever
listened to you before… hmm,” Spike took his time, lazily eyeing the room that
had served as Buffy’s private sanctuary for the last year.
“You’ve no one here to
impress boy, Buffy’s gone, Hallie’s still in LA… so why are you still here?”
“Why are you?”
“What? You know why I’m here…
Buffy’s my…”
“Mate. Yeah, yeah we all know
that,” Spike waved his hand. “Where were you then when the Slayer died? When she
sacrificed herself for Dawn… or better yet where were you then when Anyanka was
killin’ the whelp, sticking a knife in the Slayer’s gut… oh that’s right you
were stickin’ it to the cheerleader,” he sneered.
“You have no right,” Angel
started slowly pushing himself to his feet and moving across the room.
“I have every right Angelus… You see I was there… I saw her
plummet off a tower to her death, I protected
her Scoob’s when she was dead and gave a helpin’ hand when she came back. And
once I got this damn soul I answered
prophecies in Sunnydale that were obviously
meant for you, ones that would have had you fightin’ by her side. She
called you for help, needed help to
deal with Demon girl and you were to busy to come… came after she was dead…
again… but to busy to come when she and Harris were still alive and maybe you
could have done somethin’.”
“You know why we weren’t
there.”
“Oh yes, the spell… that just
makes everythin’ better,” Spike muttered sarcastically. “Slayer may have
forgiven you, may love you but she trusts
me…”
“Trusts you?! You tried to
rape her boy, don’t think I haven’t
forgotten that.”
“Slayer and I worked through
that; we were friends of a sort when she died, when we thought she had died… So
as her friend mate I’m going to give you a warnin’…”
“A warning…?” Angel laughed,
he tried to hold it back but the sheer idea that his grandchilde was attempting
to put him on notice broke through his restraint.
“You hurt the Slayer again…
Grandsire or not… I will challenge
you.”
“Challenge me?” Angel leaned
forward his face directly in the line of Spike’s, eyes flashing golden as he
stared directly into the younger vampires. “You don’t have the balls to challenge me.”
“What’s going on in here?”
Dawn asked from the door her eyes flitting between the two vampires who were
all but baring their teeth and snarling at each other. “You two aren’t going to
start fighting are you? I’d hate to have to have Connor kick your butts.”
“Now Dawn…” Connor started
only to be drowned out by Spike’s belligerent “That boy?!” and Angel’s
laughing.
“Did you need somethin’ bit?”
Spike asked a smirk working its way across his face at the expression of anger
on Connors.
He didn’t think you even needed
to be a vampire in order to hear the boys muttered, “I could kick both their
asses if I wanted to.”
“Wesley wanted me to come and
let you know that they’re porting in soon. He thought Angel might want to be
there as they’ll be going right into rescue scenarios or something.”
“Thank you Dawn… tell Wesley
that we’ll be right down,” Angel smiled reassuringly at her.
It had to be as hard for her
as it was for Connor, Buffy had been raising the younger Summers since their
mother had died, had stood in as sister, mother and father for almost two years
before she had ‘died’ the last time. So she had ended up being more mother than
sister to the younger Summers. Dawn depended on her, needed her.
And Angel would do whatever
he had to in order to restore Buffy to her rightful place… with him, with
Connor, with Dawn.
He would do whatever was
necessary in order to bring her home… to stay.
******************************************************************************
Cordy pressed her hands
against the glass in the observation room. Behind her she could hear Giles
quietly murmuring to
No doubt he was offering
words of comfort to the ex-witch.
Angel had vanished to Buffy’s
room as soon as it became apparent that instead of helping the Warriors in tracking
their missing comrades he was in fact hindering them.
She idly wondered if anyone
was offering words of comfort to the vampire and once more found herself
wishing for Xander’s presence. Then mentally berated herself for continuing to
think of him when he was dead and gone and thus not able to offer her a
shoulder to lean on.
Buffy Summers and she had
never been friends. In fact the last words that Cordy remembered ever having
spoken to the former Slayer had been ones telling her to stay away. That Angel
and she had both moved on together.
Looking back now, even with
her normally tact free mind the words seemed bitter, cruel and ugly. How could
she and Angel have not known that they were under a spell?
Even at her worst Cordelia
Chase had never been that violently cruel, had never tried to draw actual blood
from her words.
But she had.
She knew that now, just like
she knew that Xander had loved her as much as she still loved him.
Angel beat himself up as much
as she beat herself up for not being there when they needed them.
Xander had forgiven her… at
least her dream Xander had.
The one that came to her when
she was sleeping whispering words of uncompromising love, of unconditional
devotion. In her dreams he touched her with softness, mixed with passion… in
her dreams he was alive, full of life and love for only her.
If only she could live her
life within her dreams.
A quiet presence at her side
let her know that Angel had arrived within the room, the steady hum of the
computers and soft mutterings of the Warriors manning them filtered through her
system. Angel touched her hand softly… support from her big brother, she
wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed back, more support from his little
sister.
“Are you okay?” she asked
softly.
A sharp sound escaped from
his lips and Cordy glanced over at him in surprise. “I’m so far from okay I
don’t know how to even contemplate getting back there again.”
“She’s going to be fine,” she
murmured reassuringly. “She’s Buffy you know… and she’s made it through worse
things than this.”
“Worse than being captured by
demons that had been holding various types of warriors and quite possibly
torturing them endlessly?” Angel looked down at her an expression of bemusement
covering the sadness in his eyes momentarily.
“Well death is pretty bad.”
Angel snorted as he turned
his attention to the empty room below them. With his preternatural senses he
could make out the shimmer that showed the incoming port, seconds later that
shimmer solidified into the circle of Warriors, in front of them, within the
circle but outside the circle that the Witches made were those warriors that
had been obviously rescued.
He heard Cordy and
And even then it took him
turning around; his eyes climbing the wall to the glass that separated them,
his eyes scanning the group before they locked on Cordy’s still form her lips moving
to mouth the name of the man that she thought she would never see again.
That should by all rights be
dead
“Xander?”
******************************************************************************
The feel of a warm body curving itself around hers
brought her almost instantly to wakefulness, just as the owner of that body
knew it would.
Blinking sleepily she smiled as a familiar set of
moist lips trailed down the curve of her neck, a quick flick of his tongue
across the tip of her ear had her shivering.
As she relaxed back into him, allowing her body to
curve deeper into his, a set of adventurous hands stroked her stomach beginning
a winding, discrete path up her body.
One hand cupped her breast lightly as he wrapped his arms tightly around
her, holding her tight to him as if he were afraid that if he didn’t clutch her
to him that she would vanish in a puff of smoke.
A breathy sigh escaped her lips and she could feel the
smile forming on the lips still pressing soft kisses to her the back of her
neck.
She loved waking up like this.
Happy, safe, curled up in the arms of the man she
loved more than her own life.
Stretching she rolled onto her back, smiling up at him
she traced a hand down his chest, letting it hover for a moment over the fiercely
beating heart.
She imagined that if she pressed a hand to her own
chest that the rhythm being pounded out would be exactly the same as his.
It always amazed her that even after all this time the
feel of the heart beating under her fingertips made her breath catch in her
throat and an expression of awe cross her face.
“Morning,” she whispered, lifting her head she pressed
her lips against his, arms twining around his neck as she pulled him even
closer to her.
“Morning,” he whispered back his lips a hairs breadth
from hers.
A crash from a room near theirs drew their attention
from each other momentarily.
“Cordy,” he murmured as his hand began its lazy
wanderings once more.
“I still can’t believe you offered to let them live here
with us,” she muttered as she arched her neck, allowing him to nip the mark
that he had left there oh so many years ago.
“We have more than enough room,” Angel grinned. “Plus
I put them three floors below us.”
“Then what’s she doing next door?” Buffy grumbled as
she wrapped one leg around his hip, locking him to her.
“She’s going through the stuff in the nursery that
“But what about us?” she whined, her lips pouting as
he smirked at her. Holding her tightly he rolled, settling on his back he
stroked her still flat stomach.
“We have time,” he grinned his eyes trained on that
space where their second child was already growing. A pregnancy that both
parents were ecstatic that they were going to be involved in the whole process
with.
Life didn’t get much better than this she decided as
she watched him from beneath half-closed eyes.
And to think that at one time she thought that she was
never going to have this. That she would rot in a prison and die without ever
having had a second chance with her Angel.
“What are you think about?” he asked softly as she
curled up on his chest, stroking her back lightly he waited. He’d seen the
light fade in her eyes, seen them go hooded and blank much as they had for a
while after she’d been rescued.
For a while he’d thought that he would never see
happiness, joy light those eyes again.
“Just remembering…”
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, she rarely
did. For days after she had been rescued she hadn’t said a word, so wrapped up
in her pain, her fear, her anguish.
And even after she had spoken of what had transpired
in those few short weeks she had been held in the Prison camp she had bottled most
of it up. Even years later he still only knew the bare minimum of what had
happened to her.
And the only thing that made his lack of knowledge
okay with him was the knowledge that Damon knew even less.
“No…” she mumbled her face buried in his neck.
“Angel?”
“Love…”
“If it’s a boy…”
“We’ll name him Colin,” Angel promised.
“Buffy… Buff…” the woman in
question winced as the sound of her name rocketed through her aching skull.
Forcing her eyes open, then forcing them to focus she saw Colin staring worriedly
down at her.
“Oh my god,” she groaned
stars flashing before her eyes as Colin helped her sit, cradling her against
his side they leaned side by side against the brick wall. “What happened?”
“No idea… one minute we were
fighting, the next thing I know I’m coming to here,” Colin shook his head.
“Any idea where here is?”
“We’re still in the Prison
Camp… One of the cells, reinforced doors and windows which means they probably
had a hunter in here at one point.”
“Why are we still alive?”
“No clue… maybe they think if
they kill us that two more will just be called to fill our places.”
Buffy turned confused eyes
towards him. “If they kill us we will
be replaced.”
“Jade explained how it
worked… if one of the Warriors fell in battle, the spells… they’re
complicated.”
“That they are my young man,
that they are,” an elderly man pushed the door open, behind him two vampires
waited. Male and female, Buffy squinted as she attempted to make out their
features with the bright light shining behind them.
If she didn’t know better she
could swear…
“The spells are complicated
ones… but I have faith that your group will be able to pull them off.”
“Enough small talk old man…
which one?”
“Now, now Samuel… patience is
a virtue you know,” the old man tsked shaking his head with what Buffy could
swear was amusement in his eyes.
“My patience is at an end,
you told us to capture these two, we have them… now tell me which one is the
one that will end this.”
The old man walked forward,
his movements slow as he advanced on the two Warriors. Neither bothered to get
to their feet, both knew if they even attempted it that the vampires and demons
that flooded the room would force them once more to the ground.
With critical eyes he gazed
at each one separately. A sad smile crossed his face as he gazed at Colin and
the instant their eyes met Colin understood why he was here.
Why he had been taken
alongside Buffy as opposed to the others.
Jade was their witch, Damon
was their secondary leader when the former Slayer wasn’t available to lead and
Colin… Colin was expendable.
He knew that whatever he
could do to keep her safe, alive until help arrived would have to be enough
because he knew without a doubt that they must not be allowed to harm her.
With a slight nod that only
the old man noticed he turned to Buffy whose eyes were flickering between the
two of them, she knew they were communicating silently. Signals exchanged
through their eyes that she could not see, could not hear.
“The boy Samuel.”
“You’re sure?” the vampire
asked doubtfully. “I thought you said it was a woman.”
The old man turned, glaring
at the insolent vampire who had pulled him from his chosen task and forced him
to turn on his own. Whatever he could do to hinder their fight, their killing of
his comrades he would do until he found a way to free both them and himself.
“The picture has changed… the
boy is the one.”
“Good…” Samuel smiled thinly.
“I guess you get to play with the girl after all,” he turned to the female in
the door. “Try not to hurt her to badly we may need her alive.”
******************************************************************************
Angel crossed his arms over
his chest as he watched Jade and Damon converse quietly with Wesley.
Both Warriors looked as if
they had seen better days… their eyes were haunted, angry. Whatever the Watcher
was currently saying to them was obviously not going over well.
On one side Connor was
watching the scene avidly. He only vaguely remembered Wesley from before he had
been ‘killed’. As Connor had been making slow baby steps in his relationship
with his father Wesley had still been on the outs with Angel and the others.
Only Fred had even talked to
Wesley in those days before his ‘death’.
“What’s going on?” Cordy
asked as she came up behind them, slipping into the empty seat beside Angel she
studied the scene before her.
Damon was so furious it
looked as if he was getting ready to punch Wesley.
Angel cast a quick glance at
her before turning back to the show before them. “Nothing yet… Thought you were
going to try and get into see Xander.”
“They won’t let anyone down
there yet,” Cordy muttered disgustedly. “They’ve quarantined the entire floor
and
“You know this would be so
much better if we had snacks,” Spike commented from the other side of Cordy.
“We’re not leaving them in
there Wesley!” Damon finally erupted, his control breaking as he yelled at his
Watcher, fists clenched at his side to keep from striking out. Jade laid a calm
hand on his arm.
“Damon…” she started.
“Don’t even tell me that you
agree with him,” he snarled turning on his fellow Warrior. Jade glared at him.
“No I don’t agree with him…
but we can’t do anything…not now, not
yet, it’s not time.”
“And when will the right time
to do something be?!” Angel asked coldly as he pushed his chair back,
standing. His expression was absolute
livid, if they thought they were leaving Buffy where she was for any longer
than a day then they were sorely mistaken.
He would go get her himself
if need be.
“We have people in place on
the inside…”
“And why didn’t these people let you all know that they had a
bunch of your guys long before now?” Spike asked with narrowed eyes.
“Because they didn’t know…
Senvil Prison Camp was a well kept secret, only those that worked out of it
were even aware of its existence… the
only reason we found out about is was because one of our spies managed to
weasel her way onto the camps grounds… she slipped out a tape to us that showed
us those that they were keeping prisoners within its walls.”
“And this source of yours… is
she reliable? Can she be trusted?” Angel asked quietly his eyes locked with his
former friends.
“She hasn’t let us down yet.”
“Besides…” Angel closed his
eyes, heaving an unnecessary sigh as he heard the familiar voice. He had
wondered how long it would take for the annoying little demon to make his
appearance. Buffy had mentioned him in passing several times, as had the
others. “She’s got motivation of a kind to succeed in her mission.”
“Motivation?”
“Well yeah. If she succeeds
she won’t be dusted during the End of Days and we afford her the chance to have
part of her family back… well as together as she can get them considering.”
“Who…?” Spike’s eyes widened
as he realized just who the short little demon, that was currently patting
Connor on the back as he passed by, was referring to. “She would never agree to that…”
“She took some persuading I
admit,” Whistler shrugged. “But in the end we had something she wanted to
reclaim so…”
“And what’s going to keep her
from just killing Buffy and Colin? She’s not like Spike and I, she doesn’t have
a soul that screams in horror at the things we’ve done in the past…”
“Speak for yourself peaches…
haven’t screamed in horror at anythin’ I’ve
done,” Spike muttered.
Angel rolled his eyes as he
continued. “Besides she hates Buffy why would she want to help her now?”
“Well kid it’s like this,”
Whistler settled himself in a chair hands crossed on the table in front of him.
“What better way to ingratiate herself to her sire and her missing mate? Both
of which have chosen to fight on the side of light. Now she could either do a
Darla and try to pull you both back to the dark side, which has already proven
unsuccessful with William and with you once before. Or she could do things our
way and have the chance to show some redeeming qualities.”
“Why not just give her her
soul back?” Connor asked.
“Because souls, with the
exception of Angel’s normally have to be earned. They’re normally rewards for
passing tests, for doing good for the sake of doing good… you know that type of
stuff. Druscilla hasn’t yet passed all her tests… she’s close, but not quite.”
“So what? She keeps Buffy
alive and you’re goin’ to reward her by restorin’ her soul? Dru couldn’t handle
having a soul,” Spike growled, eyes flashing at the thought of the pain his
poor black princess would be in the moment that happened. She’d be tormented
much the way that he and Angelus had been tortured when their souls were first
restored.
And with her visions, with a
soul… nobody, no matter how evil or how deserving
they were of it should have to go through what he had. What they had.
“No you’re right, poor Dru
couldn’t handle that… but if she manages to keep Buffy alive, if they, those
that are working in tandem with us can help us get her out…”
“I notice that you’re
conveniently forgetting Colin in all this,” Damon muttered with narrowed eyes.
“Both were taken you know.”
“Colin will not survive… he
knows this, Buffy knows this, the powers know this… the cycle has already
begun, plans have already been made, unfortunately they can’t be implemented
until… well…”
“Until Colin dies, is that
what you’re hemming around?” Jade slowly sat in the chair beside Whistler
burying her face in her hands. “So what? We’re just supposed to do nothing,
we’re just supposed to let…” her voice cracking Wesley laid a comforting hand
on her shoulders, Jade reaching up to with one hand to clutch it tightly.
“I know this will be hard for
you,” Whistler said sympathetically. “But be honest with me… how many of you
actually thought you were going to make it to the End of Days without a death
within your ranks? That’s why we have alternates already chosen… things have to
happen in a specific order first though.”
“So what exactly is Druscilla’s assignment?” Angel asked quietly his eyes
intent on the small demon.
“Keep Buffy alive and out of
harms way until such time as the pieces begin to fall into place,” Whistler
stared at him, eyes boring seemingly through the vampire, studying what he saw
within him. “You’re one of those puzzle pieces… or you will be.”
“What the hell are you
talking about?”
“Have any strange dreams
lately kid?”
“How’s that new heart working out for you?”
“What do you know?”
“Just the bare minimum…so
keep your growling to yourself. I didn’t want to do things this way, told them
that it was the wrong way to go about it… but they kept insisting that without you passing the tests that they
couldn’t allow you to carry the mantle… so we had to… fudge things a little. Your childe, Druscilla,” he clarified when
Angel glanced at Connor in confusion. “was part of that fudging… she wants her
mate back, she wants her family back, and she’ll accept Buffy as part of that
if it’ll get her what she wants…”
“I think you overestimate
Druscilla’s capabilities.”
“And I think you
underestimate them… she’s done good work for us in the last few months… she’ll
come through… you’ll see.”
******************************************************************************
“Dru,” Buffy murmured,
pushing herself to her feet she faced the female vampire. Back pressed against
the wall as she fought the dizziness that assailed her. “What…?”
“Shh…” Dru smiled serenely,
pressing a finger to her lips as if she was shushing a small child. “When the
cage is open, eyes can see,” she said in whisper as she seemingly floated even
closer to the Warrior who was once her enemy and was now her most reluctant ally.
“What are you…?” Buffy began
as understanding flooded her. There were cameras in the hall… but not in the
cells. When the doors to the cells were open, as hers currently was, the
cameras could see within its confines.
“We wait… until the cage
closes,” the vampiress danced around the room, coming to rest directly in front
of the other woman. Taking Buffy by the hand she led her to the middle of the
room as the door closed.
“What game are you playing
Druscilla?” Buffy snarled pushing the dark-haired vampiress away from her
violently. Staggering back she quickly regained her balance assuming a
defensive position.
“Naughty Slayer who isn’t a
Slayer anymore,” Dru murmured, reaching out one hand she traced a pale hand
down Buffy’s cheek, down the side right side of her neck, her fingers lingering
on the mark that Angel had left there so many years ago.
The mark that proclaimed her
as his.
Her daddy’s mate, therefore
her mummy. Even though she would have
chosen someone else.
Someone more deserving of the
title at least.
Back then she hadn’t seen
anything special within the Slayer, though maybe she hadn’t been trying hard
enough… because she had no idea now how she’d missed the light that seemed to
radiate from her mummy’s very center. If she wasn’t bound in promises she would
have tried to taste that light as well.
It seemed to call to her.
Quite loudly at that.
No wonder her Spike had been
most disrespectful. Trying to taste that which wasn’t his to taste. Daddy would
have been very angry when he found out… if he’d been in his right mind when
that had occurred.
Lucky for her Spike that
daddy had been firmly entrenched in that vicious spell. As much as she disliked
the blonde before her, anyone was better then the brunette that the spell had
attempted to entwine her sire with.
Moving even closer to the
former Slayer Dru’s mouth hovered directly over the mark that Angel had left
there. Sniffing delicately she could still
detect his scent within its markings.
Naughty, naughty Spike… she had taught him years ago how to detect ownership
of another vampire.
Maybe he needed to be
retaught. She would love to reteach him everything over again. Those had been
her best years.
Whips and chains, feathers
and whispers of love and devotion from her sweet Spike.
When he had been only hers
and the Slayer had not been floating around him daring him to touch that light
that continued to call to her.
Buffy stiffened as she felt
Dru’s lips hover at her neck, every instinct in her was screaming at her to
back away, to flee, to smash the bed in the corner and stake the vampire that
was currently to close for comfort.
But something else kept her
firmly in place.
“Daddy would be most
displeased if I harmed mummy,” Dru murmured. Drawing back she stared into the blondes
eyes holding her gaze. “I can’t save the other but you…”
“You’re going to help me?”
Buffy asked her voice filled with shock. “What’s in this for you Dru?”
“Spike, daddy,” Dru smiled a
brilliant, childlike smile filled with white teeth and bright eyes. “My family…
your family. Our family… will all be one family… soon.”
******************************************************************************
Angel stood in the doorway
watching his son, sitting on the bed in his room he was staring at the opposite
wall.
Connor looked much like he
imagined he himself did.
Depression and fear were
running rampant through the Indaran compound. But even over-riding those was
pain… it seemed to be the most prevalent emotion at the moment.
The Indaran were being
assaulted through the ties that bound them to their missing two Warriors. Over
the last 48 hours it had become commonplace to find Warriors collapsed
throughout the compound. The pain rocketing through those bonds was seemingly
never-ending and the only thing that gave Angel any sort of comfort was the
fact that since he wasn’t incapacitated with pain at the moment that it wasn’t
Buffy currently being tortured.
Although that did mean Colin was being tortured and the tiny bits of
pain and fear that he could feel
through his bond with his mate were at times overpowering. For the first time
in his life he was blocking out his bond with Buffy to keep from breaking down
and sobbing in the halls.
He’d come across more than
one Warrior in that state. Damon most recently had been just sitting in the
hall across from his room obviously not able to make the few necessary steps to
place himself within his sanctuary. He’d been propped up by the wall, staring
unseeing at his door, tears streaming down his face, hands clenching and
unclenching over his stomach. And for once Angel had put his animosity of the
male Warrior aside and helped him inside.
He’d sat with him for about
an hour before he became semi-coherent and Angel had left. He didn’t think the
Warrior would want to know who had dragged him to his room.
But it had still been 48
hours and they were still no closer to finding a way to free Buffy and Colin
than they had before they had been taken.
To say it was frustrating
would be an understatement. Tempers were flaring, anger was mounting.
Something would have to be
done quickly.
Angel didn’t know how much
longer he could take this and still stay sane. Because if the Warriors were
slowly disintegrating his son was no better.
It had been over a year since
he had felt anger and hatred rolling off his son directed at him.
“Connor,” he said softly as
he entered the room. His son looked up at him only momentarily before turning
away. That second was long enough for Angel to see the tears in his eyes, the
pain on his face.
“What do you want?” Connor
asked coldly. He’d been expecting anger, maybe sadness but the coldness in his
voice so surprised Angel that he took a small involuntary step backward.
“I… wanted to see how you
were,” Angel said awkwardly. When Connor had been angry in the past he’d been
unsure of how to deal with him. Because how did one break through walls that
had been forged through years of hatred?
But Connor didn’t hate him
anymore… at least he didn’t think he
did.
“I’d be better if you’d
stopped her from going.”
“Do you really think I wanted
her to go… that I didn’t do everything within my power to get her to change her
mind?”
“Then why did she go? She
knew, knew that it was going to turn
out badly, that she and Colin were going to be captured… but she still went.”
Angel sighed, sitting beside
him. “Your mother’s kind of stubborn like that… but then she has this way of
defying prophecies, of surviving even when they say she won’t.”
“You’re talking about the
Master.”
“How…? Dawn…” understanding
flooded the vampire. He’d never had a younger sister that had kept a diary… but
if he had he knew that its contents wouldn’t have been secret for very long.
“She… something about Buffy’s
diary… or something…” Connor mumbled flushing slightly. Normally he would never
even have noticed it but the tone of Connor’s voice, the acceleration of his
heart rate…
“What else did she read in Buffy’s diary?” Angel asked suspiciously.
“Nothing… just… well I wanted
to know how you two met and Dawn… she well, she had the diary with her… so we
looked it up and…”
“And what?”
“Did you really attack her? I
mean, well I thought that it was love at first sight for both of you and then…”
“Breathe Connor,” Angel
ordered gently.
“So why did you attack her?”
“I didn’t.”
“But…” Connor frowned in
confusion.
“I was following her… when I
found out the Slayer was on the Hellmouth finally…”
“So it was love at first
sight then…”
“I don’t think it was for
her… she thought I was a stalker at first, then annoying… I tended to be…
slightly cryptic back then.”
“And that’s changed?” Connor
asked impishly a slight smile on his face as he imagined his mothers face. He’d
seen the diary, seen her written words, the way she’d flipped the man that had
been following her. She hadn’t known at the time that Angel was a vampire, just
thought he was some pervert out trolling for a good time. When she’d finally
let him up she’d thought him to tall, to devilishly handsome for his own good.
And most definitely too cryptic.
His mother had waxed poetic
about her mystery man for three pages, alternating between being infuriated and
intrigued.
Intrigue had won out.
Angel mock-glared at him. “I
really wish Buffy hadn’t passed on her sense of humor to you and I’d like to
think I’m just a little less cryptic than I was back then.”
“Keep telling yourself that
dad.”
“Anyway… that wasn’t the
first time that I saw your mother…”
“What are you talking about…
she had it written in her diary…”
“Whistler took me to see her…
I laid eyes on her about a minute before she was called as the Slayer,” Angel
smiled wistfully. “She was so beautiful and bright… God just sitting there she
seemed to glow with life and I knew in that instant that I saw her that I
wanted to help her, that I would do everything within my power to shelter her,
to protect her.”
“So it was love at first
sight then.”
“For me yes, for your mother…
not so much I think…”
******************************************************************************
Cordy walked slowly down the
hallway, trepidation filling her with every step she took. She was stalling she
knew that.
She was just a big fat
coward.
Just because Xander Harris
had loved her once didn’t mean he still did. Dreams, especially hers could be
misleading.
Though everything within her
said that he did, so when Jade had arrived in her room telling her that they
were allowing visitors into the Medical wing she’d practically flown from the
walls that had been seemingly closing in on her.
But as she got closer and
closer to the door that would lead her either to her entire future or to more
heartbreak she had faltered.
What if he didn’t want to see
her? After all, the last he’d known was that she was still with Angel, building
a life with the vampire that he hated beyond anything else.
“Good morning,” a white clad
nurse said brightly, Cordy frowned at her slightly wondering for a moment where
the happy pills had come from… obviously she’d missed her dosage. It took her a
moment to realize that this was a civilian not a Warrior… therefore she was
unfettered by the pain that she knew that others were feeling. “And who are you
here to see this morning?” the nurses smile never faded even as Cordy scowled
at her for her cheerfulness.
“Xander Harris.”
The nurse glanced down at the
clipboard in her hands and then returned her never fading smiling countenance
to Cordy. “He has a visitor at the moment… you’ll just have to wait a few
minutes.”
“A visitor? But… they just allowed
visitors down here how does he have a visitor already?” Cordy asked eyes
narrowed as she glared at the woman who was attempting to keep her from Xander.
“There was a young lady
waiting when we released the barrier… a redhead?”
“
“Anyway she has about another
five minutes and then you can go in… we’re only allowing visitors ten minutes
so we don’t tire the patients out… they’ve been through an extreme trauma you
know.”
“I’m aware… I’ll just wait,”
Cordy plastered a fake smile on her face and waited for the nurse to respond in
kind.
“Okay. As soon as she comes
out you can go right in,” she said with the same brightness that had started
their whole conversation and then walked away.
“Right,” Cordy muttered.
Glancing behind her she watched the nurse disappear into a room and then she
walked down the hallway glancing at the plaques over the doors looking for the
one that would lead her to Xander.
When she found it she
hesitated for a moment, hand pressed to the door as she drew a deep breath.
“You can do this Cordy… it’s
just Xander… talked to him plenty of times,” she murmured to herself before she
pushed the door open. For some reason a
small part of her expected to see the two entwined on the bed together.
The last time she had opened
her heart to him that had been the outcome. Xander had chosen
She’d be damned if she’d let
them see how much they’d hurt her. Because Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg
should never have had that much power over her.
Ever.
But when that door opened she
didn’t find the man she loved wrapped around his best friend. She found him
pale and gaunt, a broken fragment of the man he’d been, lying in bed.
What had happened to her
Xander? The one that had been so full of life and love and humor. She found
tears filling her eyes as she took in the two before her.
Obviously
“Hey Cord… long time no see,”
he said as brightly as he could manage and Cordy managed to quell the sob that
rose as she flew across the room to him.
Wrapping her arms loosely
around him, so as to not jar his injured body she clung to him. Feeling the
warmth seep from his body into hers, feeling his heart beating against her
chest, his arms weakly wrapping around her caused her control to wane and she
began crying.
“You’re alive. Oh god you’re
really alive,” she sobbed.
******************************************************************************
Spike stared down at the
brunette Warrior sitting in the chair silently, kneeling slowly before he
studied the distant look on her face.
“You okay luv?” he asked as
gently as he could manage considering his raw emotions.
Buffy taken prisoner, he could
care less about the other he didn’t know him. But Buffy… and then there was his
dark princess. Somehow she had been drawn into this elaborate tangle that the
Indaran had woven.
He had faith in his
Druscilla, he knew she could do whatever she put her mind to… but if something
should happen, if she should lose herself or her way he shuddered to think what
would be the outcome.
“There’s so much pain,” Jade
mumbled hands pressed to her stomach. “I don’t know how he stands it… why
haven’t they stopped yet?” she asked pleadingly her tearstained face turning to
stare directly at Spike’s.
“I don’t know… can I take you
somewhere?” he asked uncomfortably. When she just looked at him blankly he said
quietly, “that doesn’t look like the most comfortable of chairs.”
“I… he’s not even conscious
anymore why don’t they stop,” Spike watched as her eyes went blank and he knew
that she was no longer seeing him, that she was locked somewhere within the
pain that her counterpart was enduring.
Stroking her hand gently
Spike once more cursed the soul that caused him to care. “If he’s not conscious
then he’s not feelin’ it anymore pet… you just have to hold on, he’d want you
to be strong right? For him, for
“You forget sometimes,” Jade
said softly her eyes focusing on him once more and he could tell that she was
concentrating on the small movements of his fingers against hers.
“Forget?”
“That she’s not the Slayer
anymore… you forget that’s she not that woman that you once knew, that she’s different,
fights a different battle.”
“Same battle, different
name.”
“She mentioned you once, when
her memories first came back,” Jade smiled weakly. “She told me this story
about how you and Xander and
“It was a dare,” Spike
grinned in remembrance. “Red and I had to come up with a way to take her and
the Whelps minds off the fact that their true loves were shackin’ up together…
That was a great night, most fun I had in it seemed like forever. ‘Course than
it all fell apart… always falls apart just when things are good. That was right
before…” his grin faded as he remembered the rest.
“Right before they ‘died’.”
“Yeah… ‘course they didn’t die
so…”
“But you remember their
deaths, their lives.”
“I remember it all.”
“Sometimes I wish I did,” she
said wistfully. “When we chose this life we lost what we had been, I don’t even
remember what kind of demon hunter I was before… I don’t remember if I had
family or friends. But then sometimes I’m glad I don’t… because I see you all,
how you’re suffering because of Buffy, because of the choice that she made and
I’m glad that I don’t have friends that have to go through that.”
“We go through this because
we love her…”
“Even if she doesn’t love you
back.”
“I think part of me knew
she’d never love me that way… but another part didn’t care.”
“Right,” Jade said softly her
eyes searching his as if looking for something in particular.
“Jade… Sweet?” the Watcher’s
voice interrupted Jade’s quiet searching of her companion and Spike turned
grateful eyes towards the door. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah… just got a little
dizzy, the pain,” she said by way of explanation. “Spike kept me company.”
“Thank you,” Wesley said
shooting a weak smile at the vampire who was slowly coming to his feet. “Why
don’t I take you to your room now?”
“I’m okay Wes,” she smiled
touching his cheek gently as he helped her to her feet. “Just put a little food
in me and I’ll…” her voice cut off abruptly as she doubled over in shock.
“Jade?” Wesley barely caught
her in time as she crumpled to the floor. The sounds of multiple screams
emanating throughout the compound caused Spike to whirl towards the door.
Were they being attacked? Had
someone breached their safe haven?
“Jade? What’s happened?” Wes
was holding her tightly to him, rocking her as she gasped for air her arms
wrapped around her waist.
Spike stood, his posture
still defensive as he waited for the inevitable onslaught of demons, listening
with half an ear as he waited.
“Colin,” she mumbled
clutching at Wes’ arms.
“What about Colin sweet?”
“Colin’s dead.”
******************************************************************************
Dru stroked her mummy’s hair
as she slept. The tremors had finally subsided, the tears had finally stopped
leaking from her closed eyes and she was at peace for the first time in over
two days.
Of course she’d had to help
mummy find that peace. The first day she had been wracked with pain, lashing
out at everyone and everything that came near her. Finally she’d had to do the
little hypnosis trick to calm her. Frowning to herself as she ran her fingers
through the tangled blond hair before her she hoped that daddy wouldn’t be to upset with her.
She’d only wanted to help.
She hadn’t wanted mummy to hurt anyone… if she did that she would draw
attention to herself and Dru knew they
needed her to be quiet as a mouse.
And patient.
The other Warrior was dead now,
and for some unknown reason she felt sadness at his passing. He’d had only a
short time on this plane before being called to the next, she’d felt his life
slowly ebb away from his body even as mummy’s body had stopped shaking.
But his death had purpose and
she knew that he would be reborn into a better life soon.
Now was daddy’s time and she
needed to prepare for their coming.
******************************************************************************
Angel stood on the other side
of the closed door hand hovering over the knob wondering if he was in fact
insane. It could quite possibly be the only rational explanation.
He was stalling he knew, he
had been ‘requested’ by Wesley to join him and the others in his office about
thirty minutes prior. It had been 24 short hours since the Warriors had
declared Colin dead and the anxiety level within the compound only continued to
grow.
Because how much longer would
it be before Buffy faced the same fate?
But still he stood there,
listening to the raised level of voices within the room, he strained but
couldn’t make out any actual words and he realized that the room was
soundproofed.
And the witches had obviously
cast some sort of shielding spell.
He couldn’t sense anything on
the other side of the door. Normally he could extend his senses and determine
species.
Human, demon… sometimes even
the type of demon.
But he was sensing nothing at
all. He couldn’t even tell how many bodies were in the room, let alone if they
were human or not.
A part of him wanted to know
what was happening within the room, to prepare himself before he actually
walked into the hornets nest.
Drawing a deep, totally
unneeded breath he turned the knob and entered the room slowly. He wasn’t even
shocked to see it filled with the Scooby’s as well as the Indaran’s.
He’d known they wouldn’t be
kept out of any decision made about Buffy.
Connor and Dawn sat side by
side on a small couch in the back of the room. Spike sitting on the arm of the couch
next to Dawn eyes narrowed as he listened to Damon ranting at Wesley. Obviously
Damon’s voice had been the one that had carried volume wise out of the room.
Gunn paced the back of the
room hands crossed over his chest.
Cordy and Willow sat on either
side of a still very pale, very thin Xander and Angel was only slightly
surprised to see the young man out of bed. Even less at the concern he felt for
him. If Xander was in as bad a shape as he was and he was only the bait to lure
Buffy and the others to the Prison, what would they do to the former Slayer now
that they actually had their hands on her?
Angel banished that thought
from his mind. Those thoughts led to grief and despair and they didn’t have
time for that, besides which Buffy was counting on him to be strong. So instead
he focused on sending positive thoughts through the weakening link between them
and concentrated on the two females on either side of the new Hunter.
Cordy managed to look happy
and worried at the same time. Willow… Angel frowned as he studied the former
Witch. From the redness of her cheeks, her swollen eyes she appeared to have
been crying.
A lot.
“Angel,” Wesley nodded a
small smile crossing his face. “It’s good of you to join us.”
Standing beside the seated
Watcher Giles shook his head as he walked around the desk.
“I still think it’s a lousy
idea… not to mention that there’s no way in hell we’re actually going to be
able to pull it off,” Damon growled dragging a trembling hand through his hair.
“Damon’s right,” Jade murmured
quietly from her chair in front of the desk.
“It’s already been taken care
of…” Wes started only to be cut off by Damon.
“How?! We can’t bind another
member to our team without all live members of that team in the circle when we
do it. Without Buffy we can’t replace Colin, without Colin we don’t have a full
fifty and we’re going to weaken every day…”
Wesley sighed before shoving
aside the papers in front of him. “Buffy and I already had this discussion;
Colin entered his input as well before they left…”
“What you all did like a
living will? That’s sick,” Cordy stated her hand clenching Xander’s tightly.
“But necessary. Indaran’s
lead dangerous lives and this is a very dangerous time. Especially for Warriors
of the light. Most of them already know that they won’t survive to fight in the
End of Days, many have chosen their replacements already, as well as the means
to call those replacements in case the unthinkable happens.” Wesley glanced
over at where Jade had her head bowed. Both his Warriors felt the loss of their
comrades deeply and he wished he had the time to let them grieve for Colin but
he didn’t.
They didn’t have time for
grief if they wanted to save Buffy.
“So is that why you haven’t
even attempted to rescue Buffy yet?” Connor asked hotly from where he was
sitting. Dawn gripped his hand tightly, offering comfort even though she felt
his anger race over her.
“There are circumstances
happening that are outside of our control… Once the numbers come up…”
“Numbers? Numbers?! She could
be dead by then; they could all be
dead…” Connor stated angrily.
“All?” Angel glanced at
Connor who was to busy glaring at the Watcher to answer him so he turned his
attention to the Watcher himself.
“Those rescued have supplied
us with some information.”
“What information?” Angel
asked turning a questioning look at Xander, when no response came forth, in
fact Xander only paled further he turned to Wesley in confusion.
He’d obviously missed some
important news while he’d been stalling.
“Those rescued were not the
only prisoners being held within the compound,” Jade said softly. “They might
have had their hands on some shape shifters that our sources didn’t know
about.”
“Shape shifters?” the vampire
asked quietly, a feeling of dread creeping up on him. He studiously avoided
glancing back at
“Werewolves,” the former
witch said softly. “Oz.”
“What?”
“If those rescued are to be
believed …”
“I know what I saw,” Xander
said angrily. “I know Oz, while I might not have been the best of friends with
him I think I do know what he looked like. Hair color not withstanding. Oz was there,
along with another wolf, kept on the floor below ours.”
“Our sources have not
indicated that there were any wolves, or shifters of any sort within the
compound.”
“They kept it hush hush, I
only know because…” Xander rubbed at his chest closing his eyes as memories
assailed him.
“Xander you don’t need to
talk about it,” Cordy said softly leaning into his shoulder. Pressing a kiss to
his shoulder she stared up at him intently. “They’ve already heard it once they
don’t need you to tell them again.”
“If it helps Buffy…”
“Talking about what those
animals did to you is not going to help Buffy,” she murmured before turning her
attention back to the Indaran’s. “It’s not… and he’s not talking about it
again… not until he wants to,” she said sharply at Wesley.
“That’s fine Ms. Chase… Mr.
Harris we don’t mean to question what you saw, it’s just if our operatives
within the Prison didn’t know about them… well there’s the chance they could
have been compromised. Because none of them have mentioned, even in passing,
that shifters are being held.”
“They were testing them, like
they did us at the beginning,” Xander whispered absently his hand still rubbing
at his chest. “They’ve only had them a few weeks but…”
“It’s fine Mr. Harris, we’re
going to do everything within our power to make sure that the Prison is
destroyed and those captive within its walls are freed. Shifters included…
Which brings us to you Angel…” Wesley turned hooded eyes on the vampire
standing before him.
“Me? What do I have to do
with this?”
“I still say this is a bad
idea,” Damon muttered, Wesley frowned at him before returning his attention to
Angel.
“Buffy and Colin both came to
see me before they left, both ironically with the same request…”
“It’s not going to work,”
Jade said softly. “There’s no way it can,” her eyes met Angel’s before she once
more bowed her head staring at the hands she was wringing within her lap. “He’s
not human.”
“Jade…”
“She’s right Wesley,” Damon
moved to stand beside the sole remaining member of his team within the room.
“We have daytime battles, is he supposed to wear a full set of armor while
we’re fighting? Or will he just be left out of those fights… he’ll be a
weakness, a liability.”
“If you two would let me finish,
I could explain how this is going to work,” Wesley said stiffly his voice
filled with anger that caused his charges to exchange a look of confusion.
One that Angel could identify
with. Because he while he was following the gist of the conversation, while he
thought he understood what exactly Buffy and Colin had asked for… he didn’t see
how it could be pulled off.
He was still a vampire. He
was not human. Not yet anyway, a
small voice whispered in his head. A small voice that reminded him of the dream
he’d had.
The one in which he’d been
human and a very alive Xander Harris
had been standing next to him.
Angel faced Wesley, eyes
narrowed but curious as he watched the Watcher pull a chain from around his
neck, a key dangling from the end of it. Slowly he unlocked a drawer to his
right. Replacing the chain around his neck, tucking it back beneath his shirt
they all watched as he pulled a small jar full of green fluid from it.
Familiar green fluid.
“Mohra blood,” he said softly
his eyes fastened to that small jar. “How…?”
“Whistler gave me this jar a
few days after we were called,” Wesley started. “He told me that I would need
it someday, wouldn’t tell me anything else. And until just recently I had no
idea what I was supposed to do with it but when Buffy and Colin came to me with
their requests… well it all fell into place.”
“Only human Warriors were
called as Indaran, if you had passed your original tests we would have utilized
the Mohra blood then in order to place you within our ranks, you didn’t so it
became a moot point then. But now…”
“Wesley it doesn’t make any
difference if he’s human or not… without Buffy here…” Damon said his eyes
flickering between the small bottle in his Watcher’s hands and the vampire who
was staring at it with something akin to shock.
“Wait a minute,” Gunn began
moving up beside his still friend. “When exactly was Angel tested for Indaran
and why didn’t he pass? I don’t remember…”
“All Warriors for the light
were tested. Human and otherwise. Angel did not pass his tests therefore the
slot that had been put aside for him was filled by someone else. If one of our
Warriors fell he would have been tested again to see if he had overcome that
which caused him to fail originally but until then…”
“But why didn’t he pass, I
mean what…” Cordy paled as the answer to her question became abundantly clear
to her. Glancing at Xander and then over at Angel she fidgeted slightly. “It
was the spell… the one that was cast on Angel and I.”
“Yes… if Angel had managed to
break the spell he would have been called. As it was the spell was not broken
until it was too late, by then all 50 had been called and life went on.”
“All if this doesn’t matter,”
Damon growled. “Without Buffy here even if Angel becomes human we can’t bind
him to our circle, you know that Wesley.”
“Buffy and Colin thought of
that as well, one or both of them had discussed this in length with Whistler.
If the unthinkable happened and both were indeed taken, if Colin was the one to
perish as we thought, it is within our power to use a blood relative to fill
Buffy’s place until such time as she can reassume it.”
“A blood relative?” Gunn
turned to face the back of the room, where Dawn had paled even further than she
had been, clutching Connor’s hand in hers, a visibly angry Spike’s hand on her
shoulder.
“You can just take the niblet
right off your list mate,” the
younger vampire said hotly. “She’s not the Slayer, she’s not even the soddin’
key anymore, she’s human and…”
“Actually Dawn’s name was
never even tossed into the hat,” Wesley stated his eyes focused intently on
Connor’s. “She’s chosen, and Whistler concurred… that if he accepts her son
will take her place until she can be rescued.”
Cordy and Gunn exchanged
confused looks, obviously the only two people in the room that were unaware of
the fact that Buffy had a child.
“Her son?” Cordy asked in
confusion. “What son?” she asked even as her eyes widened in realization. She
turned to face Xander in shock remnants of the dream she’d had about him
flooding her.
“Well apart from me… a lot of stuff is about to go
down… but things have to happen in a certain order. She won’t know you, might
not show any signs of recognition… except for maybe Angel, Dawn… Connor…”
“Connor?”
“Yeah… funny story that… remind me to tell you ‘bout
it sometime Cor.”
“Connor,” she murmured Xander
nodding slowly his eyes turning away slowly to focus on the boy in question,
Cordy’s following suit. “Connor is Buffy’s son… with Angel.”
“Yes,” the Watcher nodded.
All eyes focused on the young
man at the back of the room; slowly he rose, releasing his aunts’ hand his eyes
never straying from his fathers.
“What do you need me to do?”
******************************************************************************
She stood in the nursery alone. Bright colors adorning
the walls, stuffed animals lining every available surface. It was at times like
this, when she stood within this room, hand pressed to the still flat surface of
her stomach that it truly hit her that she was pregnant.
Sometimes she forgot.
More often than not late at night. When she was
asleep, when her past, her nightmares had a firm grip on her she sometimes
could not remember that she was alive. She was safe, she was loved and happy.
“You and Angel did good work in here,” a quiet voice
commented from behind her.
She didn’t turn. Just stroked the fairly life size
monkey that he had gifted her with when they had announced her pregnancy to
their family and friends.
“When did he call you?” she murmured as she cradled
the plush animal in her arms. She had no clue where he’d gotten it from. Had no
idea where he’d found a pair of pants that would fit it.
“First thing this morning,” Oz moved casually into the
room as Buffy turned to face him. She was always surprised by the innate grace
that he seemed to move with, for some reason she didn’t remember his moving
like that when she’d known him originally. He’d told her once that it was
because he and the wolf were finally at peace with each other.
“He worries too much,” Buffy muttered as Oz touched
the head of the monkey in her arms. Patting it slightly he grinned.
“You’re his wife; you’re carrying his child I think
he’s entitled. Besides if you told him what happened…”
“Have you ever told Will? Have you ever told her what
those monsters tortured us with, the things they did?”
Oz closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath as he felt a
shudder race down his spine.
Sometimes he thought the survivors’ guilt would crush
him. He was the only wolf to make it out of the Prison in one piece, other
times he thought he would go mad with his memories.
More than once he’d had to stop himself from asking,
begging one of the witches to do a forgetting spell.
He would give almost anything to not have the memories
in his head.
“No… Will doesn’t need to know, she can’t know, ever.”
“I’m sorry Oz,” she turned away setting the monkey
back in his place of honor sighing.
“For what?”
“I have no clue,” she laughed bitterly, a harsh noise
that caused him to flinch. “We’re a screwed up pair aren’t we? God only knows
why they stay with us.”
“They love us, they want us to be happy, to heal.”
”Do you think that’ll ever happen? Do you think there’ll ever be a day when we
don’t wake up screaming, remembering?”
“One can hope,” he touched her shoulder softly.
“Sometimes I think it would have been better for them if they had let us die
there and then other times… I’m glad they didn’t wait much longer than they did
to rescue us.”
“Neither of us would have survived if they had.”
“No,” he shook his head, remembered pain flaring
through his body suddenly. “No we wouldn’t have.”
******************************************************************************
Daniel Osborne came awake
with a scream on his lips that he did not let loose. Harnessing what little
control he had managed to salvage in these last couple of trying days he
squelched it so that his captors would not have the satisfaction of his pain.
Around him he could hear
voices murmuring, although the drugs they continuously pumped him full of
managed to hinder what he could actually make out.
Taking immediate stock of his
surroundings, he turned his foggy head to the side and realized that he was
once more in the bright white, sterile lab that had come to seem like his
second home. He woke more often within the labs bright walls then he did his
cold, dark cell.
His arms and legs ached, as
they were restrained pretty much to their limits away from his body. Thick
metal chains that he knew from previous experiences that he could not free
himself from bound him. They automatically adjusted whenever they managed to
force him into wolf form. Thankfully he had enough control now over the wolf
that it took a lot to force the change on him.
Blinking slowly as his vision
once more came into focus he swept the room with his eyes.
The Warrior that had been
strapped into the table next to him was gone, dead most likely if he had lost
all the blood that was currently being mopped up from the floor. Two tables
down he saw a new crew working on the small body of another prisoner.
Squinting he tried to force
his vision, which was once more becoming hazy, to cooperate and identify the
female.
His eyes widened as her head
slowly turned towards his. Pain filled eyes meeting pain filled eyes, she was
gnawing on her bottom lip to keep from crying out, blood on her abdomen.
His own back arched as he
felt the hot flame of a torch on the bare soles of his feet, inwardly he
screamed in pain, in fear.
Outwardly one name escaped
his tightly sealed lips, so softly that he doubted anyone even heard him utter
it.
“Buffy.”
******************************************************************************
Angel stood behind the glass
partition, hands pressed to the glass watching. It seemed as if he was forever
waiting at this point.
His son was in that room.
Clad in similar garb to Damon, Jade and Wesley… dressed similarly to all the
Warriors that were present in that room.
Black tank top, black pants,
combat boots on his feet. He was currently listening avidly to whatever Wesley
was saying to him. Damon and Jade standing on either side of him.
“How long?” Cordy asked
quietly from beside him.
“How long what?” he glanced
down at her for only a millisecond before returning his attention to the room.
To his son.
“How long have you known that
Connor was Buffy’s child not Darla’s?” Cordy muttered in her haughtiest voice.
“After Buffy and Xander
died,” Angel murmured. “Dawn and Connor figured it out first, then Giles…”
“And you didn’t think it was
important enough to share with the rest of us? I mean we’re supposed to be your
family Angel.”
“Things were awkward enough between
us then Cor, you were just starting to get back on your feet, getting back into
the swing of things…”
“So you told everyone else
but Gunn and I? We’re supposed to be
your friends not them.”
“Cordy,” Angel shook his head
returning his gaze.
“Does Buffy know?”
“I told her that first night
we were here…”
“And what did little miss
Buffy think of the fact that Darla, your former lover and sire was the one that
gave birth to her one and only child?”
“Are you trying to start a fight?” he asked glaring down at her with
narrowed eyes.
“Just curious, it’s not like
you’re volunteering any of this information.”
“She’s fine with it,” Angel
muttered angling another glare at her when she snorted in disbelief.
“Of course she is, because
Darla would be the one I’d choose to
have our child if we were still together,” she smirked sarcastically. “You
can’t tell me you believe that she’s fine with that, I’m not even with you and I wouldn’t be fine with
that.”
“Well Darla’s dust, Buffy’s
back… so are you finished yet?”
“Whatever… what are they
doing down there?” Cordy shrugged turning her attention to the next room.
“They’re setting up the spell
or whatever to welcome Connor to their circle in Buffy’s place.”
“How can they do that without
Colin? I thought that was the whole problem with his being dead and Buffy being
MIA that they didn’t have a complete circle.”
“I guess since Connor and
Buffy share the same blood, the same genes they don’t need the full circle to
do it, they didn’t really get into it.”
“So when this is done it’s
your turn then right? You rub some Mohra blood on your skin, get to be
transformed human again and then have the honor of being called as a Warrior so
you can die young?”
“We have to wait two days
after the ceremony binding Connor before they can do it.”
“So… sunglasses, sunscreen…
Polaroid camera so we can take embarrassing photos of your extremely white legs and blackmail you with them later?”
“What the hell are you
talking about now Cordy?”
“You’re not even close to
being ready to be human… are you?” she muttered in exasperation.
******************************************************************************
Connor listened intently to
Wesley in front of him. At least part of him was, the other part was
impatiently muttering for them to just get on with it.
That other part of him was
also wondering just what he’d gotten himself into as he listened to Wesley
ramble on and on about bonds and shields and safety words and all the things he
should expect once the bond with the rest of the Indaran’s was complete.
And then a thought occurred
to him and he frowned. If he was being bound to the group in his mothers place
where would Buffy’s bond with the same group go?
“Hey Wes,” he waited for the
Watcher to take a breath and interrupted. “What happens to Buffy’s bond with
the group?”
“What do you mean?” Wesley
glanced at him quizzically as he withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and
began cleaning his glasses.
Connor found his lips curving
into a smirk despite the tiny edge of panic he was feeling. That was a classic
Watcher avoidance technique. He was almost positive that the Council of
Watchers, of which he’d had the dubious distinction of meeting several members
of, taught all their Watchers that particular move.
Plus he was quite familiar
with that very same maneuver from Giles when he or Dawn asked the older man
something that he didn’t want to talk about.
Like something about sex.
“Well this whole ceremony is
to bind me into the group in Buffy’s place…”
“Yes.”
“Well won’t it take away the
groups ability to determine Buffy’s state of health?”
The smile of relief that
crossed and then vanished from Wesley’s face surprised him. Because that was
obviously not the question that Wesley had anticipated avoiding… which made him
wonder what the Watcher wasn’t telling them.
“It’ll remove her presence
from the majority of Indaran but not from your group. Damon, Jade, you and
Angel once all the ceremonies are completed will still be able to sense her
within your web. You don’t need to worry that we’ll not have any idea what’s
going on with her.”
“Oh… good…” Connor studied
the Watcher who was pushing his glasses back onto his face. Trying to determine
what was being hidden from him, and by extent the rest of his group. With a
barely imperceptible sigh he let it drop… for now.
“So when are we going to do
this?”
******************************************************************************
Xander shifted the pillow
behind his back and looked expectantly at the door.
He knew Spike was out there. One of the grand things about his
newfound Hunter status was the whole demon sensing thing.
And he didn’t know how Buffy
had stood it.
The never-ending ache that
cramped all the muscles in the body must have been agony for her when she had
been with Angel, and then again for the short time when she had been with
Spike.
Of course she was female,
with the feminine thing going on so she was probably used to the muscle cramps.
He on the other hand…
Part of him was really,
really glad that he hadn’t had the whole demon-sensing thing and that Anya
hadn’t still been a vengeance demon when they were together. Because he would
have had to break up with her over the pain alone.
He’d never thought he’d had a
fairly low tolerance for pain but it seemed he did.
At least for the moment. He’d
talked to several Warriors, a few Hunters and they all said the same thing.
That eventually he would be so used to the pain that it would be virtually
unnoticeable unless he wanted to use it.
Hopefully he wouldn’t need
to.
But that tightening in his
gut signaled the presence of a demon and since he knew that there were only two
demons within the compound at the moment and that Angel would be hovering over
Connor’s shoulder until the ceremony was done it could only mean that Spike had
finally come to visit.
But instead of coming into
the room the vampire continued to loiter in the hall, as he had been for about
ten minutes. Maybe he was never going to come in and would instead skulk off
into a corner.
He and Spike hadn’t been friend friends at the time of Anya’s assault, but they had come to an
understanding and they had been getting along fairly well.
Most likely because while he
knew that Spike wasn’t sleeping with Buffy any longer, he also knew that he
himself wasn’t in love with the Slayer any longer. Knew that the crush that had
caused him to despise Angel with everything that he was and ever would be had
all but vanished as they settled into a comfortable brother-sister relationship
finally.
But that didn’t mean he
wasn’t still highly overprotective of the tiny Slayer. And that he wouldn’t
cause severe bodily damage to anyone that dared to hurt her.
Buffy was after all one of his best friends.
She’d become an even closer
friend than Wills because of their bonding over their exes. Both of them so
madly in love with Angel and Cordy, both so angry that the vampire and the seer
had begun a romantic relationship with each other instead of coming home where
they belonged.
Buffy had asked him once,
right before their ‘deaths’ if he thought Angel had ever loved her, or if it
had all been some act to get into her pants.
He’d wanted to tell her that
it had been act, it had been right on the tip of his tongue to do it. To shatter
the illusions she still clung to, to crush what little bit of faith she still
had in her soul mate; like his had been crushed and shattered.
But instead, for once in his
life in an undoubtedly rare moment of maturity he’d instead drawn a deep breath
and told her the truth as he saw it.
That Angel had loved her,
would probably love her forever… that whatever Angel and Cordy were sharing it
would never be anything like what the Slayer and her vampire had shared.
Buffy had looked at him with gratitude
and told him the same. That whatever their two loves were doing together it
would never surpass what they had shared with the two of them.
So both had clung to the
dream that one day, someday Angel and Cordy would come home.
They hadn’t until it was to
late… but the fact that they had come
back at all had only proved them right.
When the door slowly pushed
open his eyes once more focused and with arched brows he watched Spike slowly
walk into the room.
Letting the door close gently
behind him the vampire glanced around at the numerous cards, balloons and
stuffed critters that now adorned his room.
He had no idea when the
Warriors complex had opened a gift shop on the premises, could have sworn there
wasn’t one, but that could be the only explanation as to where all the stuff
that was currently on all available surfaces of his room had come from.
Really… because he knew that
no one was being allowed out of the compound as they waited. Cordy had
complained about it just that morning.
“So…” Spike started his
fingers fidgeting nervously.
“Yeah…” Xander shifted in the
bed once more. He was getting really tired of laying in it but his bursts of
strength while growing, still petered out after about an hour up.
“Hunter huh? How’d that
happen?”
******************************************************************************
Connor paced the room that
he’d been left in restlessly. Jade had shoved him in, turned on a light and
told him pointedly that he needed to prepare. Then she’d left before he’d had a
chance to ask how exactly he was
supposed to do that.
Was there some ritual that
they’d told him about that he’d missed? He didn’t think so; he’d been listening
fairly intently so he thought he would have caught something that important.
So he paced, all the while
fuming as he waited to be taken back to the room where the ritual was going to
be taking place. Wesley hadn’t been able to tell him very much about the actual
ritual, although they had covered small portions of it. The gist of his part was to stand there,
offer his hand when asked and be bound to the circle in his mothers place.
Easy right? Somehow he
thought it would be more intricate than that.
Lacing his hands behind his head
he drew a deep breath and then turned in surprise when he heard the door open
behind him.
“It’s time,” Brendan nodded
at him.
Oh god, his
eyes widened as the realization that this was it hit him forcefully. For a moment he thought there might be a quite
real possibility of him losing all control and hyperventilating. Instead he
paused for a moment, picturing Buffy’s face in his mind. The smile she’d had on
it the last time he’d talked to her and followed the Warrior from the room.
Led into the room where
Wesley had been preparing him earlier. Led past his father, his friends, his
family that stood on the outskirts of the circle. Through a small opening in
the circle of Warriors, a spot that Brendan stepped into, effectively sealing
the circle as Connor proceeded into its center.
On the floor he could see
four points and as Wesley had directed him earlier he moved to stand on the
outside of the tip of the point that would normally be Buffy’s, the one across
from Damon who he directed a discreet nod to before returning his attention to
Wesley who was at the center of the circle.
Connor pointedly tried to
ignore the other empty spot, the one across from Jade that should be filled by
Colin and he felt a sharp pang at the thought that he hadn’t even given the
fallen male a single thought as they had prepared.
“We are Indaran,” Wesley
began, his voice ringing clear through the room. Connor felt a tingle along his
skin and he realized abruptly that the witches in the outer circle had sealed
that circle. “We fight in the name of light, we are fifty strong although one
has fallen and one is taken. We implore the powers to grant us access to that
which may bind blood to blood.”
“He is blood of our own,
blood of she who is Warrior, of she who is bondmate, sister, daughter, friend,”
the Watcher continued, as Connor watched his eyes flicked between those who
held positions of honor within his Warriors life. Angel, Dawn, Xander,
“The powers hear your request
and grant you access to continue,” Whistler stated from his position behind
Jade, Connor almost turned in surprise at the sound of his voice, the
half-demon had not been there when he had entered the room… he was sure of
that. But Wesley’s eyes were still fastened on him, and as the teen watched,
unable to draw his eyes from the Watcher, they took on an almost iridescent
glow of pure white light.
“He who wishes to take this
honor step forward, and take your place among us,” Wesley’s voice rumbled, a
resonance that he’d never heard from the other man and Connor knew, knew that whoever was speaking now it
was certainly not the Watcher.
But still he moved forward,
as he stepped into position, his feet settling on the point where his mother
had once stood he felt power race through him, around him and he almost fell to
his knees… to those outside the circle he looked peaceful though and through no
thought of his own he felt his eyes raise to the ceiling as emotions that were
not his own raced through his mind.
Joy, sorrow, pain… his mother
was in agony, his eyes flew to Damon’s unable to understand why the others weren’t
on their knees screaming with her in her agony.
Block it out,
Jade’s voice rang through his head and he drew a deep shuddering breath as he
remembered that which Jade had taught him and slammed a wall, thin at the
moment because he hadn’t had much time to construct it and he felt the pain
fade away… although if he reached for it he knew it would be there.
With a flash of brilliant
light, the white light that had infused Wesley vanished and the Watcher sank
drained to his knees. Across from him Damon’s eyes were still locked on
Connor’s.
“It’s done.”
******************************************************************************
The pain was gone.
He knew he hadn’t healed all the
way through, knew that if he lifted the blood stained shirt that he was
currently wearing he would still see open wounds and he had figured out nearly
two weeks earlier why his captors put him back in his blood stained clothing
when they were finished ‘operating’ on him.
He knew they hoped that the
smell of blood would entice his wolf self to break through his control.
But he had control over the
wolf now, they had come to an understanding and the wolf only came forward when
it knew that Oz couldn’t handle what was happening… and even then he didn’t
fully shift, just a semi-shift to show that they were one, that they were the
same.
He and the wolf were both
furious right now, plus the wolf was nearly howling in frustration as they
hovered over the body of their still companion. The wolf could smell the blood
staining the small blonde’s clothing; the blood that should be enticing the
wolf to attack, to devour, to strike the killing blow.
The female was injured,
unconscious… even though her wounds were healing the horror that she had been
through was extreme and it would take at least a day for them all to heal.
It would be a mercy to put
her out of her misery the wolf thought.
But the wolf also knew he
couldn’t do that, hence the frustration. They both shared the same memories of
home… that of the Hellmouth where the wolf had been born, where they had been
loved and cherished until their mistake.
And both knew now that Veruca
had been a mistake, although the wolf had only had the best of intentions.
It was in his nature to seek
out one of his own, to mate, to hunt with someone who wouldn’t fear him. Oz had
been scared of hurting the little Witch, the one that he’d chosen as mate so
the Wolf had offered him someone else. And they’d lost both.
The Wolf had howled in fury
as his human counterpart had walked away. Veruca was dead, they had killed her
to save
The control that they had
found had them rejoicing… until they had returned home and lost it again.
In reality he’d not needed to
leave, he had control over the wolf, but he knew that control would waver
whenever he saw her in the others arms… so he’d left once more. Gone to
But he hadn’t been able to.
He wondered how it had been so easy for her to find someone to replace him and
he couldn’t find anyone to replace her.
Kneeling over the fallen
female as he heard the door open he allowed the wolf to rise to surface within
him, his features shifting as the wolf pushed to dominate fully and Oz refused
it… not with Buffy injured.
Snarling he saw the familiar
brunette vampiress enter the room. Neither the Wolf nor Oz understood what
Druscilla’s game was. They’d heard her ranting in fury when Buffy had been
brought into the cell he’d been occupying.
“None of that now my little
wolf,” Dru shook her finger at him as if he was in insolent child as she
floated into the room. The door shut behind her and she stood there for a
moment nostrils flaring as she scented the blood within the room. Kneeling
lower he prepared to leap at her, to attack… she could only be here to hurt
him, to hurt Buffy.
His shock registered on his
features as instead of attacking her face distorted into one of anger.
“Wha…?” he started as the
brunette snarled turning to glare at the door.
“They hurt her… that wasn’t
part of our agreement,” Dru muttered her eyes narrowing as she moved closer.
“Don’t…” Oz warned her as he
stood between the two women. “I won’t let you take her.”
“Take her? Silly boy,” Dru
smiled suddenly her expression changing from anger to one of humor in a split
second. “Why would I want to take mummy? I’m the one who’s going to save her
after all… and you if you want to be saved.”
******************************************************************************
He could only gape at her,
his jaw dropping in shock both he and the Wolf in perfect accord in that
matter.
She had said she was going to
save him, save them… he was positive that was what he’d heard. So obviously his
hearing was going… or he was losing his mind.
“Wha…?” he managed to utter.
Dru just smiled at him as she kneeled before him, reaching one hand out to
stroke the still unconscious Buffy’s hair.
“The little wolf is
confused,” she grinned, her white teeth gleaming in the dark as she sat
delicately on the dirt of their cell floor.
“Confused… yeah that would be
one word for it,” he muttered as he watched her warily, rubbing a free hand at
his forehead.
Maybe he had a concussion? Or
maybe he’d fallen asleep and was dreaming?
Although Dru never rated very
highly in his dreams. Sometimes his
nightmares but never his dreams. His dreams normally had
He had to wonder… had this
been how Buffy had felt when Spike had offered to help her to save the world?
That disbelief that could be felt all the way down in the balls of your feet.
“Mummy trusts me,” Dru
murmured her eyes intent on Buffy’s still figure. Oz could only arch an eyebrow
at her in disbelief.
The fact that Buffy trusted
Druscilla was inconceivable to him.
“She does,” the female
muttered defensively when she glanced up at Oz.
“Right,” he mumbled. Settling
back down beside Buffy he watched Dru continue to pet the former Slayer’s hair,
surprise once more creeping over him as he heard the vampire begin humming a
vague tune softly. Then there was the fact that Buffy wasn’t shying away from
the female’s touch, was in fact starting to come around… something that Oz
hadn’t managed to get her to do since they’d been confined together.
“Mummy’s awake,” Dru cooed
happily, clapping her hands in joy as they watched Buffy’s eyes slowly open.
“Oz?” she mumbled in
confusion staring up at the Wolf. Turning her head slightly she looked up at
the beatific vampiress. “…and Dru,” she sighed. “I was hoping it was all some
horrible nightmare.”
“Nightmare yes, unfortunately
you’re living it out,” Oz stated as he helped her sit up, sitting behind her he
supported her. “How do you feel?”
“Like someone strapped me to
an operating table and opened me up,” Buffy glanced up at the vampiress who had
gracefully risen to her feet and was now dancing to a tune that only she could
hear. “Why are you so happy Dru?”
“Because it’s begun,” Dru
spun circles, her long black skirt twisting around her legs. “We’ll be free
soon, free to dance in the grass and bathe in the sun,” she giggled.
“I’m seriously considering
the possibility that she’s cracked,” Oz muttered in her ear.
“She’s always been cracked…
but according to Spike… and Angel she’s also psychic so…” Buffy shook her head
than groaned at the pain that movement supplied. She really had to choose a less
hazardous occupation next time around.
“She says she’s going to
rescue us.”
“Yeah I know… kind of feel
like I did when Spike offered to help me take out Angel. Don’t know whether to
believe her or wonder if she’s setting us up for a mighty big fall.”
“What’d your instincts tell
you?”
Buffy was silent for a
moment, studying the still swaying vampiress who was mumbling under her breath.
“I don’t think she’s setting us up,” she sighed. “Much as I hate to admit it.”
“Okay…” Oz nodded content at
the moment to trust Buffy’s instincts. There were scarily accurate at times and
had very rarely steered her wrong. If she was trusting Dru to help them then
he’d trust her to know what she was doing. “So what do we do now?”
“Sit back, relax… wait for
the
“Great… do you think they’re
going to show soon? Cause I really don’t think I’m up for another week of
playing Operation.”
“Let’s find out… hey Dru?”
“Yes Mummy?” Dru stopped her
swaying and stared down at them an expectant look on her face.
Buffy sighed, rolling her
eyes at Dru’s continued insistence at calling her that. “How much longer?”
“Soon… Daddy has to bathe in
blood and make a promise first.”
“Days Dru?”
Dru cast a glance around the
room moving closer to them, leaning down finger pressed to her lips she made a
shushing noise as if quieting a disobedient child. “Six moons,” she whispered.
“Six moons till daddy and my Spike come. Six moons till the moon howls and the
sun sings.”
Buffy frowned, casting a glance
at Oz before she sighed once more. He looked as baffled as she felt. “Uh great…
thanks.”
******************************************************************************
Connor drew a deep breath and
once more attempted to concentrate on what Damon sitting cross-legged in front
of him was saying.
Then sighed. He’d been
concentrating… he really had been. But he had to wonder when the Warrior had
stopped speaking English and begun speaking Swahili… because the words coming
out of his mouth sounded like complete and utter gibberish.
“Connor are you listening to
me?” Damon glared at him when it became obvious that he’d completely lost the
attention of the younger male.
“Not particularly,” he
muttered.
“It’s imperative that you
know this stuff.”
“Well it would help if you
were speaking English,” Connor waved a hand at him. “Instead of whatever you’re
speaking.”
“I… god its like talking to
Buffy,” Damon sighed rubbing his fingers against his temples in an effort at
warding off the migraine that he could feel developing right at that moment.
“I don’t understand why I
need to know all this… me taking my mom’s place is temporary, once she’s back I
won’t need to know any of this so this seems like a big old waste of time,”
Connor frowned when Damon refused to meet his eyes, instead closed them and
continued massaging his temples.
“But don’t you want to
understand what you can do? I mean…”
“What’s going on Damon?” the
young Warrior stared hard at the man in front of him. First Wesley, now Damon…
“Do you think we’re not going to be able to rescue her? Is that what Wesley was
afraid I was going to ask?”
“What?” Damon looked at him
in surprise. “No… no it’s not that.”
“Then what? And don’t tell me
it’s nothing or change the subject I get that enough from my dad. There’s
something going on here, something that Wesley hasn’t shared with us… and I
want to know what it is.”
“It’s not what you’re
thinking,” the older Warrior said softly. “You think that we’re expecting the
worst, that Buffy’s going to be dead before we can get there to rescue her.
That we’ll lose her like we lost Colin…”
“Well yeah… I mean why else
would Wesley be all… secretive?”
“He was told not to tell
anyone, Whistler pretty much swore him to secrecy.”
“But you know,” Connor
grinned.
“Course I do… I’m nosy that
way,” Damon winked before his face settled into a serious mask once more.
“Besides Wesley doesn’t keep secrets from Jade… I think she withholds sex if he
does. And Jade doesn’t keep secrets from me.”
“So what’s the big secret then?
What is Wesley not telling us?”
Damon studied him, searching
his face, his eyes closing for a moment before he drew a deep breath. The boy
was one of them now, had taken the oaths, was part of their web and eventually
he would have to be told.
“We don’t know if we can undo
the transfer.”
“What?” Connor stared at him
shock. “What do you mean you don’t know if you can undo the transfer? I’m just
temporary, until mom gets back…”
“Buffy will still be Indaran,
your father will take Colin’s place… but we haven’t found a way to unbind you
from the web once Buffy’s back.”
“That’s what Wesley was hiding?” he asked in disbelief. “That was the big secret?”
“You don’t understand
Connor,” Damon sighed rubbing the back of his neck as he met the younger male’s
eyes. “Indaran are only fifty, in every prophecy we’re only fifty… with you
within the web it pushes us up to 51 Warriors, and that goes against everything
that has ever been written. We don’t know how your presence, once Buffy is
rescued is going to affect the power structure.”
“Then why did you do it? Why
transfer me into Buffy’s place…”
“Because we had to… because
without fifty Indaran there was no way to rescue Buffy… and once we get her
back we’ll have to live with the consequences of that.”
******************************************************************************
Angel paced the length of
Buffy’s room, twenty seven steps down, pivot, twenty seven steps back, pivot.
Begin again.
He could smell her. Everywhere
within the room he could smell her presence.
Could smell the vanilla that
scented her skin, could almost hear her laughter. If he concentrated hard
enough he swore he could see her
perched on the edge of her bed laughing at his nervousness.
Being human hadn’t really
worked out that well for them last time. He’d almost been killed trying to
prove that he wouldn’t be a liability to Buffy as a human, that he could still
protect her as a mortal man… and then he’d traded the day back because the Oracles
had told him that she would die.
He’d given back his most
sought after dream, the one that he was sure would have guaranteed him a place
within Buffy’s live and heart forever because he couldn’t bear the thought of
being human and not being able to protect her.
Of course he hadn’t protected
her. He’d stayed away from Sunnydale to allow her to move on with her life and
she’d died. When she’d come back he’d continued staying away, sure that his
presence would distract her from her mission.
He had never imagined that
she would be chosen for another mission, one that would try to forever separate
the two of them.
“Angel,” Dawn’s soft voice
came from the doorway where she was watching his frenetic movements
apprehensively.
“Hey Dawn,” he tried to force
a smile for her sake, if this was hell for him it had to be for her too… as
well as Connor. Buffy was his mate, his love. But to Dawn this was the big
sister that had just been returned to her, to Connor this was the mother that
he’d thought he’d never have the chance to know. “How are you holding up?”
“You know,” she shrugged as
she moved slowly into the room. “Waiting is the worst part.”
“It always is.”
“How are you?” Dawn asked as
she touched the comforter on the bed, it was almost funny that Buffy had
decorated this room almost the same way she’d had her room at home decorated.
Maybe subconsciously her mind, her heart had been always trying to send her
back to them.
“I’m okay,” Angel murmured,
looking away when Dawn cocked an eyebrow at him. Obviously not believing him,
of course if he’d been her he wouldn’t have believed him either. “Just…
waiting. Wesley says they’re going to do the Mohra blood and the binding spell
at the same time… he said that it would be easier on me that way.”
“Is it because of your bond
with Buffy? The whole mate thing… are you going to lose that with her when
you’re human because…” the teen looked up at him in alarm. “Buffy doesn’t talk
much about it but I know that she
wouldn’t want to give that up. I mean she always loved you even…”
“Even when I was with Cordy,”
Angel finished. “And no I won’t lose my bond with Buffy, at least I don’t think
I will,” he frowned shaking his head. “I didn’t last time so I’m just
assuming….”
“Well you know what they say about
assuming…” Dawn glanced up at him impishly.
“Don’t say it… I knew I
shouldn’t let you hang out with Gunn so much you’re picking up his bad habits.”
“Actually Spike told me that
one years ago.”
“Spike,” Angel muttered.
There was another reason behind his pacing.
Spike and Dru. What was he
going to do about his Childer?
The demon inside him was
tormented, his children, his evil, horrible children… were fighting for the
side of good. If he wasn’t confined by the soul they probably would both be ash
by now.
“Are you still mad because
Buffy slept with him? Because she so
didn’t love him… I mean…”
“I know Dawn, I’m not angry
about that.” Liar his subconscious
snarled at him. Obviously Dawn was on a direct path to that part of him because
her face registered her disbelief at his statement. “At least not much
anymore,” he amended. “I just don’t understand why she would trust him after
everything that he did to her.”
“Well the soul was one thing.
I mean she couldn’t stake him with a soul and besides when Spike first came
back he was kind of… well crazy. Almost suicidal. He tried to kill himself more
than once and Buffy kept stopping him… Xander was kind of angry about that at
first but…” Dawn shrugged. “I mean vampire, Slayer… they had some knock down, drag
out fight about it. I think your name came up once or twice, I know Anya’s was
bandied around and Xander kind of grudgingly said he’d help, let Spike move in
with him. By the time he was somewhat sane again… and not trying to stake
himself every time we left him alone he was one of the gang.”
“One of the gang.”
“Yeah… then all that stuff
happened with you and Cordy, we’d just got Spike non-suicidal and then Buffy
and Xander kind of ended up that way. Spike and Xander wanted to stake you
immediately,” she said confidentially. “I mean Cordy of all people… what were
you thinking Angel?”
“I honestly couldn’t tell
you.”
“Then all that stuff happened
with Anya and you guys didn’t come when we called you for help. I think that’s
when I knew that there had to be something really wrong. Because we so needed your help and you’d never
refused us before and then all of a sudden it was like we’d turned into these
second class citizens that weren’t even worthy of your help.”
“I can’t tell you how sorry I
am about that Dawn,” Angel murmured as he sat down on the bed, the teen
settling close to him.
“I know that now, and I know
that it was all that spell… but things were really bad Angel. Anya… she came
close to killing us all. She went after Buffy and
“Anger, hatred can make you
do things you wouldn’t normally do.”
“I guess.”
“Am I interrupting?” Jade’s
soft voice came from the doorway where she was hovering. Her eyes flitted back
and forth between the two and Angel had to wonder how much she’d heard.
“No,” Angel shook his head.
“Did you need something?”
“The rest of your group just
arrived… I thought you’d want to know right away.”
“Oh… right… forgot I sent for
Faith and Fred,” Angel shook his head.
“That’s kind of why I came
for you… they brought some people with them. People that weren’t on your list.”
“What? Who?”
******************************************************************************
Faith leaned against the
wall, her duffel bag at her feet she eyed the men that had accompanied her, the
brunette female that was studying everything with the room that she could
touch.
Angel was going to murder
her.
The woman that had fought
with Buffy at the Hyperion, Jade something or other had glanced over the group
that had arrived and shook her head. Telling them in no uncertain terms that
they should just stay right where they were.
She had to wonder if they had
made the trip for nothing. Maybe the horrible nightmares that she’d had about
Buffy being tormented, tortured, about Buffy being in pain were just that…
nightmares. But part of her insisted that these were Slayer dreams. These were
the real deal.
Buffy had gotten her in some
fine mix of trouble this time. And besides Angel had sent for her.
The sound of footsteps…
several pairs of footsteps caused her to straighten. Smoothing her hands down the
white t-shirt she was wearing she hazarded a glance over at the men that were
busily conversing and wondered for the millionth time if she was insane.
“You’ve got be kidding me,”
she heard Angel’s voice before she saw him.
“You brought the soldier boys…
are you nuts Slayer?” Spike’s voice that time and she could see him when he
rolled his eyes at her, obviously questioning her sanity much the same way she
was.
“You need as much help as you
can get…” Riley turned frowning at the two vampires standing in the doorway
frowning back at him. “I brought what’s left of my team, we’re pretty much it
where the Initiative is concerned… we’ve been hit hard these last couple of
weeks.”
Damon scowled, pushing past
the unmoving vampires crossing his arms over his chest. They had enough cannon
fodder, didn’t need much more. “And what are you going to do Finn? Get captured
again? We’ve got enough people to rescue.”
******************************************************************************
It was moments like this that she forgot what she was…
who she had been. Forgot that the man she loved more than her own life had
entered hers as one of those things that she killed.
Oz had left mere moments prior, seeking out his own
love. The woman whose memory had allowed him to keep his sanity at a time when
he’d thought he’d lose it along with everything else. Including his life.
Angel had entered shortly after Oz’s departure. She
could feel him in the doorway to the nursery; he hadn’t said anything but the
bond that existed between them, that had always existed between them.
“Are you just going to stand there all night?” she
murmured as she replaced the stuffed animal that she’d been holding in her
hands back in it’s designated position.
“Was just watching you,” Angel said softly as he moved
into the room, his steps easy and soft she sighed when his warm arms enfolded
her in a loose embrace. Settling her head back into the crook of his neck she
closed her eyes, winding her arms around his, holding his in place as if she was
afraid that he would vanish.
“Did you have a nice talk with Oz?” his voice was
quiet, but the tone unmistakable. A part of him hated that she felt she
couldn’t talk to about what she had gone through. That he wasn’t included in
the small group of two people that she felt could understand what had happened
to her rankled him slightly.
He’d held off calling Oz in for just that reason.
He’d hoped that it would finally force her to talk to
him about what happened to her, but she hadn’t and as her nightmares had grown
steadily worse he’d finally broke down and called Oz in. He would have called
Dru in as well but the female was in
And Dru had sworn to never sail by boat again.
He grinned inwardly at the thought of Spike as a
father.
“Angel…” she turned within the circle of his arms. Her
hands resting on his hips, teeth gnawing on her bottom lip she stared up at
him. “You know I love you… right?”
“Of course love,” he smiled down at her silently
berating himself. He had never meant to insinuate to her that he doubted her
love for him, his damn insecurities, jealousies rearing their ugly heads when
there was no reason to. If there was one thing that he had never questioned,
would never question it was her love for him.
That emotion was prevalent in all of her actions, in
all of her words.
“I know you want me to tell you…”
“It doesn’t matter,” he shook his head. He wouldn’t
force her to share anything she didn’t want to share with him, even as part of
him longed to be deemed ‘trustworthy’ in just that respect.
“I’m ready to tell you,” she whispered, tears filling
her eyes as she looked away.
“Buffy, baby,” he murmured wiping at the tears falling
from her eyes. He could feel her shame, her fear as if it was a living being.
She was afraid that he would think her weak and walk away from her. “You don’t
need to do this.”
“Yes… I do,” her voice was barely a breath, sadness
heard through every syllable. Removing herself from his arms he protested as he
felt her withdraw from him. Closing herself off from him.
“I’m tired Angel,” her trembling hands stroked the fur
of the animals adorning the shelves, then settled across her stomach as if she
could garner strength for what she wanted to share with him through the child
that she carried.
A child that they had made together. The child they
would share, the sibling for Connor.
Their child.
“I’ll never leave you,” he rested his hands on her
hips, pulling her back against him. Winding his arms around her holding her to
him. “Never,” he vowed harshly. “Nothing you could say could make me.”
“I’ve never felt as weak as I did when they had me,”
she began quietly, her voice a whisper that he strained to hear. “I couldn’t
fight them, every time I did the punishments, the tests they just got worse and
worse. I prayed for you to come… prayed and prayed…”
******************************************************************************
Angel’s eyes snapped open,
sitting cross-legged in the middle of Buffy’s bed, her scent surrounding him as
he meditated.
“I prayed for you to come…”
The words lingered in his
mind, the feel of Buffy’s body wrapped within his arms tormented him as his
hands itched to touch her. They settled for the moment to touch the pillow that
her head had laid on, knowing that soon her head would be there and those fingers
stroking its softness would instead be stroking the softness of her hair.
“Dad?” Connor’s voice broke
through the silence of the room and his eyes rose to meet his sons. “Are you
okay? You look… weird.”
“Weird?” A brow arched as the
vampire forced a smile for his son.
“Distressed,” Connor said
after a moment of studying him. His father was dressed much the same as he was,
much as every other Warrior within the compound was dressed. Of course that
meant his attire hadn’t changed much at all.
Black short sleeved t-shirt
instead of the normally black long sleeved shirt. Black jeans instead of black
slacks. Black combat boots instead of the black dress shoes.
All he was missing was the
black leather coat and he would be similar to the dark, brooding vampire that
had arrived at this place.
“Strange dreams…” Angel
rubbed at his forehead as he gracefully rose to his feet.
“Maybe hanging out in moms
room isn’t such a good idea,” the newest Warrior murmured forcing his eyes
away. Even with his limited human senses he could smell his mother in this
room. The ever present scent of her had to be even stronger for Angel with his
vampire senses.
“It comforts me to be here,”
Angel said softly. “In a few hours I won’t be able to sense her presence as
strongly as I can now.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Connor
stated. “Wesley says its time.”
“Time,” Angel closed his eyes
before glancing around the room once more.
“I prayed for you to come…”
I’m coming love,
he ran a hand along the comforter on her bed, inhaled the vanilla of her scent
once more into his system to tide him over until he could hold her within his
arms and smell it directly from her… and followed his son from her room.
The next time he entered it
he would bring her with him.
******************************************************************************
Buffy wound her arms tightly
around her knees, rocking slightly as she and Oz huddled together attempting to
keep each other warm.
“This sucks,” she muttered,
Oz snorting in what she assumed was agreement.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and
Dru’ll bring a blanket back with her.”
“That seems highly unlikely,”
she grumbled. “I think we’re totally at the bottom of the food chain now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well the last cell I was in…
you know before they tried to play doctor with me and did the old slice and
dice routine… well it had a cot, with a thin little blanket.”
“You had a blanket?” Oz
glanced over at her frowning. “I never had a blanket.”
“Yeah well…” Buffy twisted
her neck, rubbing her hands together to try and garner warmth as Oz pulled her
deeper into his side, his arm hanging over her shoulder, hand absently
massaging her shoulder.
Normally the feel of a male
arm around her shoulders, head tilted near hers, sides lined up would indicate
romantic feelings on part of one of the parties. But the atmosphere within
their cell was so decidedly unromantic
that she would never even have used that word save for the fact that she had a
warm male pressed up close to her.
Sighing loudly she allowed
her head to fall onto Oz’s shoulder, the wolf resting his against it before
raising it and resuming the glaring he was doing at the door.
She knew the first phase of
the favor she’d asked Wesley for had been accomplished. Even though she was
blocking out the bond that served to link her to her fellow Warriors she had
felt the exact moment that Connor joined their, her circle.
She’d been worried, for about
a half a second when the ceremony had begun. She’d had no idea what to expect,
if it would hurt her in some way to have her place within the circle taken over
by her son.
The fact that it hadn’t hurt
had surprised her. In fact it had actually helped her. Now instead of having
all her fellow Warriors roaming around in her mind, feeling her pain and
emotions, now she could only feel Connor, Damon, Jade… and soon Angel.
As she’d been blocking the
Warriors out she’d also been blocking her mate out. Not wanting Angel to feel
what was being done to her. Not wanting her mate to feel the pain she was
experiencing.
In mere moments she wouldn’t
be able to that anymore. Even now her love was being led towards his destiny,
being led by their son.
In minutes Angel would be
doused in Mohra blood and would take his place as Indaran… finally.
He would take another step
towards their shared destiny, joining the Warriors already called. Binding
himself to her circle, to her new life… and she would be unable to block out what
he was receiving from her.
She could mute it… make it
less horrific… but he would still know that she was being tortured, hurt.
He would still know that she
was in pain.
“You know I hate to say this…
because it makes it sound like I trust her but I hope Dru comes back soon,” Oz
murmured.
Buffy nodded her agreement.
They had found that the demons intent on performing their little torture
experiments on them tended to leave them alone when Dru was with them. It was
strange to be safe only when the dark-haired vampiress was with them,
especially since at one time she would have been hell bent on destroying them.
“Three more days,” Buffy said
under her breath.
Three more days until help
came. Three more days until Angel and their friends came.
Hopefully they would still be
of the living when they finally arrived.
“So you really had a blanket?
I didn’t think demons suffered from irrational prejudices against werewolves
before.”
******************************************************************************
Angel moved slowly through
the hallways apprehension gnawing away at him. For once the demon was silent.
None of his usual demands for carnage and death permeated Angel’s thoughts.
It seemed as if the demon had
faced the fact that the only way to save their mate was to allow the
transformation. So he had himself wrapped in a tight bubble within his mind
where he could relive his glory days as he waited for the moment when he would
be cast from the body.
The soul would remain, would
love and cherish the former Slayer until her time of death. But the demon, who
loved her as well, would be cast out.
Connor paused in front of the
closed door and drew a deep breath before glancing up at his father one last
time.
This would be the last time
that he would gaze upon his father and see a vampire, even though it had been a
long time since he had seen only a
vampire when he looked at Angel. The next time he gazed upon his father, the vampire
would be no more; in his place would be a human male…
Finally he turned back to the
door, pulling it open he stepped back. Allowing Angel to enter the room before
him. It was the same room that Connors ceremony had been held in, filled in
capacity with Warriors, Hunters, Slayers, humans.
Like before the Warriors had
a circle formed in the center of the room. Jade and Damon standing already
within their positions, as Angel paused on the outskirts of the circle Connor
moved past him and stepped into his own place within that circle.
Buffy’s place.
Angel allowed himself a
moment to search out his friends, his family. Giles,
Xander though was lined with
the Hunters that had been rescued, his expression blank though Angel could
still see the avid interest in his eyes.
Faith stood to the side of
the Hunters, at her side the rescued Slayer in Training clenched and unclenched
the hands hanging limply at her side.
Angel allowed surprise to
cross his features when Wesley stepped to his side. He hadn’t even realized
that he’d been so intently studying the people within the room that he’d never
even sensed the Watcher moving towards him.
The Watcher raised his hand,
indicating that Angel should proceed and he did. Stepping within the circle of
Warriors he felt their power buffet him before he planted his feet on the
ground. He stopped one step away from the point of the circle that would become
his own when this was done. Wesley moved around him, stepping directly in front
of him a small knife in one hand, a bottle in the other.
No words were spoken as he
waited for Angel to hold out his hand. They’d discussed this prior. Wesley
wanting to know exactly how he wanted the procedure to work. They would have to
slice his skin, pour the Mohra blood over his wound and wait…
It had been so long that
Angel wasn’t even sure that he remembered exactly how it had worked before. Had
it been painful? Had there been a moment where he thought of dying?
Slowly raising his hand he
fixed his gaze on the man who would be his Watcher once this was done. A man
that had betrayed him for the sake of protecting his child from him at one time.
Wesley drew the knife slowly
across his hand, the only indication that Angel felt anything was the minute
flinch before his movements stilled and his features smoothed.
Inside the demon softly
rumbled his displeasure… they could find a way, any other way to save and
protect their love.
Buffy unconsciously shrunk back into Oz as the door
flew open… Samuel standing outside with two guards, beefy muscular demons
beside him. The old man, Druscilla… their makeshift protectors nowhere to be
found.
“Which one?” one of the guards asked as he moved past
Samuel, his compatriot moving alongside him.
Samuel’s eyes flickered between the two. Neither
showing outright signs of fear, narrowing his eyes he glared at them.
They should fear them, him now.
Beside her Buffy could feel the trembling of Oz’s
muscles, and if she could feel it in a moment she knew that Samuel would see
it.
“The wolf I think,” Samuel grinned thinly.
The two moved forward, closing in a few short steps on
the two huddled on the floor.
Angel waited silently for
Wesley to continue, watching with hooded eyes as he uncorked the bottle within
his hand. Reaching out with one hand he steadied Angel’s his eyes meeting the
soon to be ex-vampire’s for just a moment before he slowly tilted the bottle and
poured a small amount of the Mohra blood on the knife wound.
Stepping back, closing the
bottle back up he waited.
They all waited.
When nothing happened, when
the staggering pain that he thought he remembered from prior didn’t occur Angel
opened his mouth to question the pureness of the blood…
And instead gasped, a hand
flying to his chest, to where his heart would be beating as a streak of pain
flew through his body.
With wide eyes he staggered,
falling to his knees as he gazed upwards, eyes wide, flashing white as he felt
pain rocket through his entire body. And he remembered… yes this had hurt like a son of a bitch the last
time he’d been rendered human by Mohra blood.
He gazed uncomprehendingly at
the hand that Wesley held out to him, glancing up at the Watcher confusion
running rampant as Wesley smiled softly at him. His eyes became questioning as
he saw that there was still Mohra blood remaining within the bottle, Wesley had
not used all of it and for a moment he couldn’t understand why.
Taking his hand he allowed
the other man to pull him to his feet, his mind not understanding why there was
still blood left until he felt Spike’s presence at his back and remembered his
dream.
Spike and Dru… Dru pregnant…
and his eyes flew back to Wesley. With a slight nod the Watcher confirmed the
suspicions that he saw in Angel’s eyes and then turned away.
Moving to his point in the
circle now that the first part of the ceremony was complete.
Angel drew a deep breath, the
simple act of drawing oxygen into his lungs making him slightly giddy and he
hoped that the giddiness he was feeling was not prevalent on his face.
That would definitely ruin
the brooding that he was famous for.
“We are Indaran,” Wesley
began drawing Angel’s attention once more, the words remembered from Connors
ceremony. “We fight in the name of light, we are fifty strong although one has
fallen and one is taken. Blood has been bound to fight for blood. We now
implore the powers to grant us access to bind one to he who is fallen.”
“He has been tested and found
worthy of the honor granted in the calling of Indaran.”
From behind Whistler moved
forward, hand settling for just a second on Angel’s shoulder before falling
away.
“The powers hear your request
and grant you access to continue.”
Angel watched in shock as
Wesley’s eyes glowed. Had this been what Connor had seen, outside of the circle
at the time he’d heard the words but he’d seen only a bare minimum of the
actual ceremony.
“He who wishes to take this
honor step forward, and take your place among us,” Wesley’s voice rumbled
deeply and Angel stepped forward without thinking. The voice, the sound of that
voice brooked no argument.
Feeling Oz shaking in terror next to her Buffy leapt to
her feet. Three days, three days her mind screamed at her. They only had to
live for three more days.
Her actions didn’t even matter, she was so weak, so
tired that one of the demons barely moved in her direction, seemingly swatting
her away even as she jumped at him.
With a gasp she hit the cement wall, falling to a heap
on the ground.
“Oh don’t worry Warrior,” Samuel winked at her as the
demons wrestled a struggling Oz to the door. “We’ll be back for you.”
Stepping forward his feet
settled onto the point that would be his until he died… or until the End of
Days was over and suddenly the pain felt when the Mohra blood had hit his
system seemed like a mosquito bite.
Power raced through him,
emotions flooded his mind and he fought for control.
He could feel everything so
much stronger through this bond. He’d thought that his mated bond with his love
gave him insight into everything that she was feeling and now he knew that was
just simply not true.
Because at that moment
everything that he’d felt before seemed weak and insignificant to the pain
reeling through him from her now.
Buffy was in pain, and
without another thought he flung back his head and howled.
******************************************************************************
Countdown: 60 Hours
Angel sat hunched over on the
bed, face buried in his hands. He could sense Buffy, could feel the pain
wracking her body… but he could also feel her joy.
He had no idea how long he’d
been out. As a vampire he’d never really needed a watch before, he could sense
the coming sunsets and sunrises long before the actual event took place, and
was normally either under cover or ready to go out within seconds of the event
occurring.
For the first time since the
sole day that wasn’t he couldn’t feel the heavy press of the sun on his skin,
he couldn’t feel the call of the night.
He couldn’t quite tell if he
was happy or sad about that.
The good news was that he was
no longer confined to darkness while the sun blared outside… the bad news was that
he at this very moment had no clue what time it was, couldn’t tell how long
he’d been unconscious at the feet of his new compatriots.
How long Buffy had been being
tortured and he was still unable to help her.
The only thing he did know was that he’d woken on a bed
within the very well equipped
He hated being in the dark
about anything… even if it was just the time.
For just a moment as he’d
clawed his way to consciousness, for once not
having to drag himself from a vision of himself and Buffy during a happier
time, he’d wondered why they hadn’t just taken him back to Buffy’s room… of
course then he’d realized that he was joined to these Warriors.
They now had access to his
most private thoughts and feelings; he didn’t think he was going to like that
aspect of being a Warrior. He was so used to hiding his emotions under a veil
of broodiness that to have that stripped from him…