"Wish I was," Spike spoke softly.
"What happened?" Angel listened as Spike told him about Willow
leaving the Magic Box, him and Xander finding her bag in front of the
dorm minutes later and the smell of vampires.
"I'll be there in two hours," Angel stated. "Keep looking and meet
me at the mansion."
"Yes, Sire."
Angel went to his closet and started throwing things into a duffel
bag. When his hands fell on the leather pants in the back of his
closet, he stopped. After a moments thought, he pulled them off the
hanger and stuffed them into the bag along with some silk shirts.
Angel ran downstairs and into the kitchen. He pulled a cooler out
and started filling it with ice from the bin. Then, he reached into
the refrigerator and started stuffing bags of blood into the ice.
Five minutes after the phone call, he was ready to leave. He walked
back to the lobby to find Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn staring at him.
"What's going on?" Wesley stared hard at Angel.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Ignoring them, he searched for his
keys.
"Who was on the phone?" Cordelia crossed her arms and refused to give
an inch.
"My private life is none of your concern," Angel sneered. "Where are
my keys?"
"You are not walking out that door until you tell us what's going
on," Wesley slammed his hand on the counter.
Angel turned on Wesley and growled, "Who do you think you are? I do
not answer to you. This is my home!"
"You work for us, and as such, you will tell us what is going on,"
Wesley snapped. Taking a step back from the angry vampire standing
in front of him.
Angel had had about enough of this and he felt his face
change. "Then I quit. Pack your stuff and get out of my home."
"You won't do this to us again, Angel," Cordelia stamped her foot.
"Where are my keys!" Angel shouted.
"I refuse to give them to you." Wesley shouted back.
"You really don't want to go there, Wesley," Angel growled. He
looked at Gunn, "Where are my keys?"
Gunn reached behind the counter and pulled out Angel's keys and
handed them to him. "You all right, man?"
"No," Angel said taking the keys from the black man. "Something
happened in Sunnydale. I'll be gone a couple days at least."
With that, Angel walked out of the hotel.
Magic Box
"Why did you just call Angel?" Buffy put her hands on her hips and
stared at the vampire.
"Because he told me to if anything happened to any of you." Spike
wasn't about to tell the slayer that Angel had only wanted to know
about Red. He figured it would be safer for his unlife if he lied a
little about the real reason.
"Are you sure it was vampires?" Giles questioned.
"Are you questioning my sense of smell now?" Spike paced, feeling the
panic build within him. "It was vampires and they have Red. It
might be helpful if we started looking for her."
"Right," Giles stammered. "Spike, you and Buffy together, and Xander
and Anya. Stay together and look in different directions."
"I'll look by myself, as can the Slayer." Spike walked out the door,
slamming it behind him.
~~~~~~~
Spike searched for two hours and still didn't have a clue as to where
the redhead was. He had gone back to the campus in the hopes that he
could follow the scent of her. But it was gone, so he had walked
around the campus looking for anything that looked out of place. He
had asked the few people out if they had seen anything. But, as
usual, the people of Sunnyhell were blind.
Now, he was on his way to the mansion. He didn't know what his Sire
was going to do to him. But he had a feeling it wasn't going to be
good. He would be lucky if he was able to walk when it was all over.
Walking up the drive of the mansion he saw Angel's car and knew that
he would be waiting inside. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it, then
walked inside.
"You're late," came a soft voice from behind him.
Spike didn't turn around, but he did lower his head in
submission. "I was looking for the chit."
"You shouldn't have lost her in the first place."
Spike felt Angel's hand in his hair and the sharp pain as Angel
tightened his hand and pulled his head back. Spike knew better to
say anything with Angel in this kind of mood, so he just stood there
hoping he would have hair left when his Sire was through.
"Did you find anything out?" Angel sneered in Spike's ear.
"No," Spike hissed. "As usual the residents of Sunnyhell are deaf,
dumb, and blind."
Angel slammed him into the wall just beside the door, "You are lucky
we don't have time to waste, boy," Angel sneered.
~~~~~~
Magic Box
Angel and Spike walked into the Magic Box to find utter chaos.
Everyone was yelling and trying to think of places they hadn't
searched to find Willow. Angel shook his head in wonder at how these
people managed to get anything done.
"Angel," Giles stammered, rising to his feet and looking up at Angel.
Buffy got up, went to Angel, then hugged him, "Thank you for coming
to help us find for her."
"Have you found anything?" Angel removed her arms from around him.
Why did she always think she could touch him? He was a man after
all, with a man's desire. And she was a beautiful woman, not as
beautiful as his Willow, but beautiful all the same.
"No, we looked at all the places she hangs out and no one has seen
her." Buffy pouted.
"Well if she was taken, you don't really think the vampires would
take her to somewhere you would think to look for her, do you?" Angel
frowned.
"Why are you here again, Deadboy?" Xander snapped.
"Xapper, now is not the time," Spike spoke gently to the boy.
"Spike, could you tell how many vampires there were that took her?"
Angel asked.
"About four." Spike ran his fingers through his hair and avoided
Angel's gaze. "But that isn't the problem."
"Then what is?" Buffy shouted, her frustration evident to those in
the room.
"They were minions." Spike looked over at Angel. "Angelus' and
mine."