E-mail: vmra14@hotmail.com
Parts: 11 - 13 (the End)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Chapter: 11~
It was four and a half days since Buffy had talked to Willow. Everyone had broken up into groups to cover more ground on where their friend could be. They were so excited about the prospect of finding Willow that they hadn’t at first realized that it was pointless to drive three groups into three different directions thirty miles into the dessert if Angel was the one that had the bond with her. So now, they were all piled into three cars following Angel as he drove around the dessert hoping his link with the redhead would tingle, signaling her proximity. He was becoming more angst-y and worried as the hours passed. They now had a less than 10 hours before Willow went into labor, and then they didn’t know how long she would have contractions before their daughter was born.
The sun was an hour away from rising and they hadn’t found any sign of recognition. They had searched south and west of the Nevada dessert and nothing. All that was left was the north. She had to be there, she just had to. Spike turned to look at his sire as he drove ahead at a speed that had even the bleached wonder hanging on for dear unlife.
“Angel the sun is coming up soon. Maybe we should stop for two hours and then let one of the girls keep driving with you in the back seat.”
“I can’t stop Spike, not until the sun itself burns my skin. We can’t waste any more time to find them.”
“Angel Spike has a point. Look, just take thirty minutes then so we can stretch and use the bathroom then I can drive around until you sense her?” Buffy offered hoping that her ex would accept.
“Fine but just thirty minutes.” Angel flashed his emergency lights to let the Giles and Gunn know that they were pulling over. Everyone climbed out of the cars and stretched their legs and ate something. Angel did neither he just walked ahead, hoping that maybe while the others rested he might get some sort of sign the link was aware of her presence. Ten minutes later and about half a mile to the north west of the cars, Angel felt Willow’s emotions. It wasn’t much but it was enough for them to use as a trail. Running at full tilt he began to shout to the others.
“I got it! I felt the link activate again!” He ran as fast as he could and climbed into his car. Cordy and Wes had traded cars with Buffy and Spike, wanting to escape Xander before he was caused some serious damage. The man had started bawling like a baby at how sorry he was for how he had treated his friend, nut right now all that mattered was finding said friend, not soothing Xander.
“Which way?” asked the seer as she buckled up between her friend and her lover.
“North west, it’s open enough for me to trail her.” Angel gunned the car. Speeding off, hopefully, to get his family back before it was too late.
Willow was sitting on the bed she had been sleeping in for the last few weeks now as she tried to rub the ache from her lower back away. She had been feeling terrible all day. She was certain her friends were going to come for her, any minute now they would crash through the doors and save her and Hope. But it had been four and a half days since she spoke to Buffy on the astral plane, or did she? Could she simply have dreamt the whole thing, not have contacted her friend as she had hoped?
She suddenly felt a sharp jab of pain in her stomach and bent over to try and relieve it. When it subsided, Willow took a deep breath and looked at the clock at her bedside table. It was 3:00 p.m. She began to have a sinking feeling as she recalled her dream with Buffy few days ago. She was going into labor! Oh no, no this was not a good time for her daughter to make her entrance into the world. Wolfram and Hart goon were just waiting for the first sign of the red head about to deliver.
Willow doubled over again as a muffled shriek flew from her. Not a full minute had passed when someone entered the room to see what the noise had been. The guard saw the redhead doubled over in pain clutching her bulged belly. He radioed to the captain and informed him the prisoner had gone into labor, he could see the puddle of when her water broke.
The pain subsided and Willow kneeled there breathing harshly. Once she felt better she lifted her head and saw the many people coming into the room. She was lifted and placed on the medical gurney, injected with the anti-magic serum, then wheeled out of her room. Her wrists were bound to the stretcher and cables placed on her belly and chest. They entered a medical room where the red head was soon placed on a maternity bed, complete with stirrups. Willow was changed into a hospital gown and prepped for deliver. She gasped as another contraction gripped her. The contractions were few and far apart, making it known this was going to take a looong time. When it subsided, Lilah, Gavin, and some nurses entered the room, along with the High priest of the Ruashen. Sheesh didn’t these idiots get that for some reason the Ruashen would never be able to infect her or the baby?!
“Well Miss Rosenberg it seems our time together is coming to a fast end.” Said the Asian slime ball of a lawyer. He smiled as the girl grunted and moaned trying to take the pain she was in.
“You bastards! Angel will find me, I swear he will.” Willow stopped talking and started screaming as the pain increased. She hoped that they would be kind enough to give her something for the pain. Lilah looked at the screaming woman and again felt the niggling feeling of guilt take her. But this time she didn’t push it aside, she reveled in it. She saw as sweat began to gather on Willow’s brow and the girl tried to keep in the screams of pain. Without thinking Lilah stepped forward and gripped Willow’s hand in a silent show of support.
“Just breathe; in through your nose out through your mouth. That’s it, easy now.” Lilah was whispering to Willow through some Lamaze. Ever since she had become involved in this case. She had found herself feeling things she had avoided ever since she signed the contract with Wolfram & Hart. Seeing the redhead fight so vigorously for her beliefs and loved ones reminded the lawyer of herself when she first got into law school.
Gavin on the other hand just looked at his colleague. He had noticed that the woman he had rivaled for months now as the partners favorite operative hasd been slipping. She was letting her emotions rule her and maybe he could use that to bring the bitch down. He never once took into consideration that maybe Lilah would do just what had disgusted her about Lindsey… join the other side.
‘Willow?!’ Willow started as she heard a voice in her head. The pain was so bad it took her some time to recognize it as Angel’s. When she felt the pain had decreased enough for her to concentrate on her love she answered.
‘Angel! Thank the Goddess I can hear you again. Please hurry, I’m scared.’
‘Willow I feel pain coming from you. What’s wrong?’ the warrior for the powers was beginning to worry, he had never felt anything so bad as he did in that moment. He was in the car with Wes and Cordy, demanding the ex-watcher to hurry it up.
‘Angel I’M IN LABOR!’ she screamed back at him as another contraction gripped the young woman.
“Epidural! Please give me something for the pain. Please Lilah!” out loud she pleaded with the woman standing by her helping through her labor. But as the woman was about to order for anesthesia Gavin interrupted.
“Sorry no can do Miss Rosenberg. We wouldn’t want anything affecting your daughter during birth.” He smiled coolly as Willow moaned loudly.
“Give her the drug! We already know nothing can hurt the kid as long as she is inside the mother. Have a heart Gavin, she’s in pain!”
“Why Lilah, if I didn’t know any better I would say that you pity the witch. You wouldn’t be going soft on us now would you?” she didn’t answer him as she demanded the drug from the nurse then turned her attention back to the redhead.
‘Hold on sweeting, we’re on our way to get you.’
‘Angel’ she moaned back at him. When Willow opened her eyes again she noticed that she had been left alone with Lilah. She whispered to the older woman hoping no one would hear her.
“Lilah, please just tell me were we are. I want to know where my daughter was born at least.” She heard Lilah sigh and lower her gaze to the floor. Willow feared the blonde wouldn’t answer her.
“We’re in the Nevada dessert, 75 miles north west of the border to California. Tell Angel it’s the beige building, the others are decoys to throw him off. Don’t look so surprised, I can tell he already has the link active.” Willow relayed the message to her lover and begged him to hurry.
JUST OUTSIDE THE COMPLEX, TEN MINUTES AWAY…
Angel kept himself in tune to Willow as he and his friends began to slow down to park the cars in an area they hoped could hide the appearance of the vehicles. Night had just fallen so both vampires would be able to get out and fight. They had spent most of the day driving, though a bit slower than before for fear of loosing the link, with only half an hour away from the deadline for the baby’s birth things were tense amongst the group.
“Alright the building she is in is the beige one the others are decoys. Now as you can see it is also one of the least guarded. My guess is that by putting more guards on the others they want us to think she is in one of those.” He had to stop to grit his teeth as Willow encountered her most painful contraction yet. Even with Lilah’s orders his girlfriend had been denied anesthesia. Oh yeah, heads would roll.
“Dawn, Anya, and Fred you three stay here with the cars. We’ve already learned that you are the ones to drive the fastest so you are the getaway drivers. Wes, Gunn, Buffy you are first wave, distract them long enough for me and Spike to get inside. Once you clear the floor or have a chance, Buffy just follow our energy patterns to Willow. Giles I need you to use magic once we reach her room. Who knows what they have in store for us.”
“What about me? I want to help too.” Xander asked the group. He was given an assessing look before Angel half growled at him.
“Why should we believe you! For some reason the last person any of us thought would hurt Willow or hold a grudge against her has caused her the most pain. My first and last thought right now are my mate and daughter, I do not want you going in there and messing this up just because you and I have issues.”
“Look dead boy, I know that for the last months I haven’t been my self were Willow is concerned. She’s like a little sister to me, she knew how I felt about you, and still she climbed into your bed. She knew how dangerous it was, but it didn’t seem to register at the time. She saw someone she loves in pain and tried to help. But what most hurt was that she grew up and the one man I least wanted her with turned out being the one she was meant to be with. I realized I had to grow up, and I love her. So please, let me start to make up for my fuck up by helping her and the baby.”
“Alright. You’ve worked in construction for some months now, can you tell us what the best point of structural attack would be?” they all discussed their options as weapons were selected and sentiments exchanged. This was war they were going to, war for two innocent lives that meant to much to them and the world to be lost.
~Chapter: Twelve~
“… 5, 6, 7, that’s it Willow, 8, 9, and 10. Ok it’s over now it’s over. Looks like that was the worse one huh?” she whispered to the redhead.
“Yeah it was Lilah. I really wish they would have given me drugs though.”
“I’m so sorry about that.”
“Not your fault.” There was some silence before another nurse came in and checked Willow.
“Well Ms. Rosenberg, you’re dilated to ten centimeters, your baby is just a few minutes away from being born.” The brunette young nurse smiled reassuringly to the woman in labor and exited the room to inform her employers. Willow on the other hand was now more frantic than ever. Hope was only minutes away from being stolen from her, from Willow being murdered for her precious daughter. Desperate now she did the only thing logical to her and pleaded for help.
“Please Lilah, please. I can’t let them take her; I know that you’re not all evil, you’ve just proven that today, so please help me save my daughter.” Tears streamed down her face mingling with the sweat gathered there after hours of pain.
Ï may be too late to help you Willow. She’s about to be born if we attempt an escape now something could go wrong and hurt her or you. No we just have to wait for Angel and his band of merry do-gooders.” She winced in sympathy as another contraction ripped through the young girl in front of her and prayed that the damn vampire would show up already. As if hearing her pleas, there was a loud boom in the building as it was shaken to the core. The security alarms all began to wail just as the medical staff and Gavin entered the medical room. The doctor went to the red head and sat on a chair in front of her parted legs.
“Ok Willow seems like your little one is about to make a big entrance. Now on the next contraction I want you to bear down and push.” The doctor’s voice was soft yet commanding and Willow wanted nothing more than to tell him to get lost, or jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, but she knew she could probably put Hope in danger by delaying her pushing. And as her next contraction came she felt she had no choice but to push.
“AHHHHHHHHH! OH GODDESS!” she screamed as the tiny baby in her began to move further and further closer to her cervix as the uterus shrank. Willow dimly heard Lilah counting again as Willow almost crushed the older woman’s hand.
“… 10 and relax. Good girl Willow. Again on the contraction you push. Ok now here we go…”
MEANWHILE …
Angel knew that Willow was delivering, he felt the panic and pain rise in him as his lover repeated the nurse’s statement in her mind. The link being still wide open, the dark vampire heard that it was finally time to deliver and he looked at his watch. ‘huh what do you know? Nine months to the minute! Boy she’s punctual.’ At that moment the explosion Xander had set up went off and the building shook as one of it’s weakest points was taken away. The young man had rigged the place to open a weak point as an entry and then rig the strong points so that the building was destroyed along with everyone inside once the gang was safely out with Willow and the baby.
The AI team and the Scoobies stormed in as planned, first wave of attack clearing a straight path for Angel and Giles to pass to the stairs and rush up to the red head. Spike had been guarding the watcher’s back when a bunch of security/military goons ambushed them. The blonde took to fighting them as best he could without causing his head to burst in pain.
As Angel ran up the stairs, Willow’s pain and anguish became more acute to him, knowing he was getting closer to his beloved. Then her piercing scream caught up to the men, and both froze at the sound. They glanced at one another before taking off in her direction, tripling their original speed in order to reach her sooner. As he burst through the door bullets began to fly in his direction and he ducked, with Giles behind him, before anyone was hurt. Willow was at the end of the hall, just 30 feet from him and her cries were becoming higher in pitch and agony.
“Giles is there anything you could do to get rid of some of these men?” Angel had grabbed a flag pole when they ducked and now threw it blindly to the firing squad. He smirked as he heard a yell and then one less heart beat to worry about. The vampire looked to the older looking man and noticed that Giles was concentrating. Ducking out slightly he saw as many of their clothe began catching fire making many drop their weapons.
“thanks.” Just then a slightly beat up and bloodied recon team burst through the stairwell doors. He counted and noticed someone was missing.
“Where’s Xander?” he didn’t have time for this, he had a girlfriend to save. He knew it was a bad idea to let the whelp help at all.
“Sionara suckers.” Then there was an electrical crackle, yells, and the thudding of many bodies hitting the floor. The others came out of hiding to see a tousled Alexander Harris holding grinnig like a fool. When they dropped their gazes they found the small militia group unconscious on the floor and some electrical wires still sparking on the wet floor.
“I’d suggest stepping around the puddle. Wouldn’t want this rescue mission to be for naught.” Angel was about to ask how the boy got there, behind the guards, without them seeing him when Willow screamed again, this time Angel’s name flew from her throat. That was when they heard a wail from the room. Hope was born.
~~~*~~~
Willow slumped back on the bed as her daughter wailed in protest from being taken out of her comfy and warm haven. Tears of joy ran down the red heads face as she kept a hawk’s watch on the little pink bundle. She laughed as the baby, her baby, was cleaned and wrapped in a pale rose blanket. But as the nurse walked toward the bed, Willow panicked when the nurse bypassed the eager mother and to the slimy lawyer. She surged forward on the bed trying to rise, to help her baby before the monster even touched her.
“Don’t you dare touch her! I swear if you lay one finger on my daughter I’ll flay your skin off, slowly!” the witch was weak from child birth but she fought tooth and nail as she was held down. Her protest was in vain as the innocent child was placed in that bastard’s arms, but he never once looked down. He simply grinned at the red head, smirked and gave a final order before disappearing behind a side door with her daughter.
“Kill her.” Lilah had moved to Willow but was pulled back and held as the doctor approached the bed with a needle full of 100% morpheme. He was about to inject the girl when the door flew open, the cavalry charging in, but this time they were too late to save the baby.
Angel was in full game face as blood assaulted his senses and his eyes found Willow with a needle to her arm. He roared in fury and charged the doctor, instantly snapping his neck. He heard the others fight, though it was over pretty quick. But it didn’t matter, nothing mattered except his Weeping Willow on the bed.
“Sh, sh, sh, it’s ok sweeting. I’m here.” He crooned softly to her as she buried her face in his shirt. He was shocked when she shoved him away and attempted to get off the bed. She answered his shocked face.
“Gavin has Hope. We have to hurry before it’s too late.” Snapping to attention and told Xander to take Willow to the girls outside and turned to follow the stench of the man that had his daughter. At the moment the demon rejoiced and shrank back simultaneously at the thoughts running through the soul’s mind. Well at least he was going to have fun.
~Chapter: Thirteen~
Gavin ran through the corridors with the baby firmly in his grasp. The little whiner wouldn’t shut the hell up but as much as he wanted to just snap her little neck to quiet her, he couldn’t. No the partners where upstairs waiting for this tiny little baby, she was the key for the final battle, the one to help determine if good would prevail, or evil. As he rounded the corner to the other elevator on this floor, the lights went out, making damn sure that the evil bastard would have to walk out of there. The asian man was no fool. He had a very pissed off master vampire on his trail for taking his family away. Gavin had heard of Angelus and his exploits, but he wasn’t scared of the demon; no Gavin was more scared of Angel. The soul was more connected to the girls than the demon was, even if it felt possessive of these humans, but the soul loved them, and weapon or not, this baby was the only child Angel had.
Suddenly snapping out of his stupor, Gavin turned sharply and raced out of the fire exit to the stairs. He heard heavy thudding footsteps on the stairs just above him and knew Angel was racing down to his child. Despite the fact that Gavin had a good 4 floors difference to the vampire, he knew it was only a matter of minutes before Angel caught up to him. Doubling his speed as the baby wailed louder and the footsteps sped up, Gavin reached the fire exit to the lobby and ran through, hoping to find the car parked in the back of the building waiting for the partners and the baby. He stopped as he saw three women with guns trained on him, he recognized one of them as Fred, one of Angel’s friends.
“You have no where else to go Gavin. Now if you give me my daughter back right now, I may consider making your death quicker than planned.” Gavin turned to Angel at the sound of the vampire’s voice. The dark man was wearing his demon visage and growling in his throat.
‘Shit! I have to get out of here, but these people won’t let me. Looks like there’s only one thing to do.’ Pulling out a pocket gun, Gavin trained it to Hope’s head.
“I don’t think so. See there is a difference here Angel, you love the kid, we don’t. It would be wonderful to have the weapon on our side but if push came to shove, the firm won’t hesitate in killing her, just as long as she isn’t on yours. So I suggest that if you don’t want me to kill the baby you and your flunkies back off and I walk out with her.”
“That is NOT an option.” Angel was petrified. The asshole was right W&H wouldn’t mind loosing her to death, just as long as she wasn’t fighting on the side of good. But this was his daughter he couldn’t and wouldn’t let any harm come to her. The AI and Scoobies could just rescue her at any given point and try to save her innocent soul. He was glad Xander took Willow to the car, she was in no condition to handle this kind of thing.
“The choice is yours Angel. Either let me walk out of here with the brat or” Gavin cocked the pistol and pressed it more into the baby’s soft forehead. Hope cried louder at the pain and anguish she was feeling coming from the people around her “you can watch your only child die only minutes after being born. The choice is yours.” The Asian smiled cruelly as he noticed Angel began to shake and tears form in his eyes.
Angel’s soul screamed in agony at this. His daughter was scared and in a hostile environment. Her wails were cutting a deep wound in him; he wished nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and tell her she was safe, that daddy was there for her and always would be. He had made up his mind and on the verge of uttering the words that he wished he wouldn’t but had to.
“LET. GO. OF. MY. DAUGHTER!” Willow’s angry voice boomed in the lobby just before she appeared in a swirl of lighting. She was hovering above the floor and wind and lightning crackled around her as she did the day she had paid Glory a little ‘visit’. Her eyes were pure black, and suddenly they changed to green, an emerald color similar to her own eyes. Her hospital gown shimmered before it became a soft gauzy white robe reminding Angel of a priestesses robe from the medieval era.
Gavin looked to the right and saw Willow hovering there. He witnessed her transformation, though it was slight, and shuddered as he realized what had happened. The Protector had risen; it was a part of the prophecy they also wanted to avoid. If they couldn’t infect Willow then she had to be killed, because if not she would transform into the Protector, a warrior witch for good more powerful than anything this world had ever seen, second to her daughter, The Weapon. There was only one thing left to do, now that Willow’s role had been cast. Edging to the front doors of the lobby, Gavin prepared to run, but this time he wouldn’t be taking the baby with him.
“You know it’s a shame really. She would have made a wonderful warrior for our side.” Time seemed to move in slow motion for everyone. Angel saw that the man holding a gun to his child’s head was now squeezing the trigger; the rest of the gang, both Sunnydale and LA crews, had gathered in the lobby and shouted a booming ‘NO’. Buffy, Spike, Cordelia, and Fred started running to try and stop him before it was too late. That was when Willow raised her hands and lightning shot from her fingers. Gavin was thrown across the room from the blast. Hope however was floating in the air unharmed by the burst of energy
“I told you before Gavin, that if you laid one finger on my daughter, if you dared to harm her in any way I was going to flay the skin off of your body, slowly.” Willow spoke as she glidded in the air toward her daughter. The redhead took the child into her arms and a bright blue aura surrounded mother and child. Willow gazed down at the miracle that was her baby and smiled before turning to Angel and handing her over to him. Her lover was in a state of shock and moved automatically. He cradled his now giggling infant as her mother turned back to the lawyer.
“You and your law firm have interfered with my family for the last time.” Willow raised her hand and pointed to Gavin. Smoke began to rise from his body and his skin separated. He appeared to be melting and his agonized screams echoed in the room. Soon all that was left was a skinned person bleeding out slowly. Willow opened a vortex and threw him in, but not before she commented to him/
“You will know the anguish and destruction you have caused times three. Such is your punishment. Evil be gone!” the vortex closed and Willow slowly transformed back to her self. She was gently placed on the floor, then she turned to her family. She ran to them, embracing her love and her baby.
Not breaking the silence the warriors for the Powers all walked out of the lobby and to the three waiting cars. Willow climbed into the Plymouth with Hope gurgling in her arms as the others divided into the vehicles. She looked up and met Xander’s eyes. She saw a plead for forgivness and shame in his brown eyes. She smiled and mouthed the words he needed to hear.
‘I love you. You’re forgiven’ the construction worker turned to his once despised enemy and gave him the control to the home made bombs.
“I think you deserve the honor” Angel smiled and pressed the button. The complex where Hope had been born in soon went up in a ball of fire. Lilah sighed and then climbed into the car with the slayer in it. She was glad they had decided to give her a second chance.
“Let’s go home.” Angel said before climbing into the car and driving off to the Hotel.
THREE DAYS LATER…
“She is so tiny.” Squealed Dawn as she peered down at the laughing baby.
“Yeah. You’d think something so small wouldn’t cause such a ruckus though.” Spike playfully whined as he peered down at his ‘sister’.
“Oh hush you. She’s a baby, she has a right to complain, especially if you’re around.” Buffy commented to her boyfriend.
“Why you…” he growled at her before chasing after her. Buffy laughed and ran around the lobby, pretending to be a helpless damsel.
Angel looked at the scene before him and smiled. Buffy and Spike were at it again, they always seemed to be in a playfull mood. Cordy, Lilah, Fred, Anya, Gunn, Wes, and Xander had gone out to get something to eat for everyone. Giles and Dawn were cooing to Hope as she laughed and squealed in delight. He turned to look at Willow were she lay on one of the sofas in the lobby with a blanket over her lower half. She had a tiny smile on her lips and seemed to be about to cry. He walked over to her.
“Everything ok Little One?” he asked softly as he settled behind her.
“Yeah, I was just thinking of how good this feels. Being together like a family, no one fighting, or being mean. Just, enjoying each others company.”
“I know, I feel the same. I feel like I finally have a real home, something I always longed for, even before I was turned, all I ever wanted was a place to call home filled with love. You have given that to me, thank you.” He softly kissed her temple as she snuggled into him. They heard Hope begin to whimper then she started to cry.
“What’s wrong with her? I didn’t do anything honest.”
“It’s ok Dawn. She has to be fed now. Giles would you mind bringing her to me?”
“I’d be glad to.” Giles gently picked her up and took the bundle to her mother. Willow cradled her with one arm as she unbuttoned her shirt so Hope could reach her breast. Giles had turned his back to give her privacy and the others conversed to do the same for their friend. The Lobby soon filled up as the others came in with dinner. They all gathered around the feeding baby and ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘ah-ed’ at her.
“We almost lost her.” Anya once again blurted something in apprpiate.
“Yes, but we didn’t, because no matter what happens, we always pull through.” Willow lifted her head and looked at each one of her family and friends. “We have always survived the worst of evils, the darkest of times, simply because we trust and love one another. We give each other the hope for a better future and life. And just like before we will stand up and fight whatever evil comes our way, won’t we?”
“Yes we will. Nothing will ever stop us from fighting, and nothing will ever hurt Hope.” Buffy vowed on her behalf as well as the other Scoobies .
“That’s right, because whatever comes our way we will face it together, as a team. As a family” Angel stated as he too scanned the faces of his loved ones, plus Lilah. And he believed it too, nothing could defeat them, as long as they kept their hopes and trust alive, as a family always does they would survive the darkness.
THE END