Spike paced through the apartment.  Despite being out of his mind with
worry, his gait remained smooth and predatory, hinting at his strength and
agility.

He glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and snarled angrily, his blue
eyes becoming a warm, golden hue.  It had been hours since Cordelia had left
to get breakfast.

'Where was she?  Bloody hell!'

Enraged, the platinum haired vampire punched the wall.  The blow had been so
hard, the sheetrock actually caved inward.  He sneered in satisfaction, the
pain was a welcome distraction, even though it lasted only a second.

As suddenly as his rage had come, it abated.  Abruptly, Spike felt tired and
drained.  A sense of growing foreboding made him sink into a chair, his face
buried in his hands.

Conflicting thoughts and emotions barreled through him.  'Had she tired of
him so quickly?  Had she left him?  No...Something had happened', he knew
it.

He stood quickly, the kitchen chair toppling over.  Spike barely noticed.
He stared at the shuttered window, noting the thin slivers of deadly bright
sunlight.  His upper lip curled in a silent sneering snarl.  He hated
feeling helpless.

His mind whirled.  'Maybe she's at the office.  Maybe she had a vision about
that witch's daughter and wanted to check out a lead or something', he
thought.  Spike's latched on to that last thought in desperation, even
though deep down he was certain the former cheerleader would have told him
if she'd had a vision or gotten some kind of lead.

With his mind made up, the chipped vampire grabbed his leather duster.  Then
heading back through to the kitchen he opened the door and slammed it shut
behind him, forgetting to lock it in his rush.

Spike knew it would take him at least a half hour to get to the office
through the sewers, but he had no choice.
~~~~

He reached the sewer grate in the basement of their office's building an
hour and a half later.  Running up the cramped basement's rickety stairs, he
couldn't help a small trickle of hope.  Opening the door to the office, all
he found was silence.

"Fuck!", he shouted, his eyes alight with anger and desperation.  Cordelia
wasn't here, and unless his senses were mistaken she hadn't been here
recently either.  The room was dark, stuffy and silent.  Her scent lingered,
but it smelled stale.

'So', Spike thought, trying to remain calm, 'she didn't come home and she's
not here... she did not leave me... she's in trouble... maybe she left you,
everyone does... SHE'S IN TROUBLE DAMN IT, SHE DIDN'T LEAVE ME!'  The
vampire slammed his hand on the desk, his eyes straying to the telephone.

Grabbing the phone and phone book, the blond began the task of calling every
clinic and hospital in Manhattan.
~~~~

Almost two hours later, Spike had called every hospital, clinic and morgue
he could find in the phone book.  The morgues had been a last resort, he
hadn't wanted to even consider the idea that his Lia was dead.  He didn't
believe she was, it was almost as if a small part of him still felt her...
felt her presence lingering at the edge of his mind.  He clung to that
feeling.  After all Lia was his Seer, they connected.  Spike was certain
that he would somehow 'know' if Cordelia were dead.  And yet, he had still
made himself call the coroner's office, he had had to make sure.

Thankfully, there had been no one who matched her description at any of the
offices he called.  There had been one close call which had left his undead
heart in his throat.  He had wanted to die when one medical examiner had
described a new unidentified body that had come into his office. It was a
tall, dark haired young woman.  Spike had almost crowed in relief when the
M.E. told him the Jane Doe's eyes were blue.

Now, he didn't know what to do.  He was discouraged and physically drained.
The platinum haired vampire knew he needed help.  Picking the phone up one
last time, Spike made another call.

"Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless", a male voice intoned, sounding
bored.

"Gunn, its Spike, I need to talk to Peaches."
 

Chapter 22

~L.A.~

Gunn snickered at his friend's Childe, and shook his head ruefully.  He
really wished, he knew where the chipped vampire had gotten that nickname
for his boss.  "Hold on Blondie", he said, putting the phone down.

"Yo!  Angel!  Phone call!", the demon hunter shouted over his shoulder.

Wesley frowned at the brash young man, peering at him from over his
eyeglasses.  "Honestly Gunn, could you possibly have been louder?  How hard
would it have been to walk over to the training room.  Good grief."

Gunn smiled, exposing even, white teeth.  "Sorry English, did I damage you
delicate eardrums?  What can I say, I'm loud... real loud, you should hear
me when I'm actually trying."

The former watcher fidgeted under the young man's gaze.  Wesley wondered
fleetingly if Gunn was deliberately being so... so...  Shaking his head as
if to shake out the strange thoughts he was having, the dark haired man
looked away.

Angel jogged up the basement stairs into the lobby, Willow followed behind
him.  She looked winded and tired, her pretty face tinged pink from physical
exertion.  The couple had been training downstairs.  Or at least Wesley
hoped that's what they'd been doing.  He made a mental note to wash the
mats, the next time he went downstairs.

"Who's on the phone Gunn?", Angel asked.  The vampire paused, his nostrils
flaring.  He frowned, then smiled ruefully, glancing between the British man
and the street tough.

"Here", Gunn said, handing Angel the phone.  "Its your annoying son", he
clarified.

The demon hunter bristled under the dark vampire's amused stare and glanced
at Wesley.  "What?", Gunn said in exasperation.

Angel grinned and winked at the youth, ignoring his question.  The vampire
assumed, Gunn would figure it out eventually.  Turning slightly, he put the
telephone to his ear.  "Spike."

"Bloody hell Peaches, what took you so long?", the blond vampire's voice
boomed.

"Sorry Spike, Willow and I were downstairs training.  We didn't forget about
you, we have been researching that ritual Delia asked us about, but we still
haven't found--"

"Sire", the chipped vampire's voice interrupted.  "I... I... Cordelia's
missing Angel, and I can't locate her anywhere.  I don't know what to do."

"What?!", Angel shouted.  "Spike when did this happen?  How did this
happen?"

The dark haired vampire listened to his Childe's description of events.
"Damn", he muttered, running a large hand through his dark locks.  "Didn't
Cordelia tell you that Seers all over the world were disappearing?"  Angel
winced, moving the phone slightly away from his ear as his Childe's temper
erupted.  He guessed she hadn't told him.

"Angel what is it?", Willow asked, placing a hand on her mate's arm.

"Cordelia's missing."

"On no", Willow murmured, her eyes becoming bright with unshed tears.

"Damn man...", Gunn whispered.

Wesley's mind whirled at Angel's words.  He closed his eyes.  'God, please
don't let this be connected to the other Seer's disappearances', he hoped
fervently.

After a few more minutes, the dark vampire hung up the phone, his eyes
downcast.  Spike was his Childe and Delia was like a sister, she had even
been his Seer for a short time.  As far as he and his demon were concerned
they belonged to him as much as his redheaded mate did.  Quickly, the
vampire came to a decision.

"Willow, we're going to New York.  Can you arrange a flight?"

Willow looked up, already at her computer typing furiously.  "Already
working on it.  I'm booking the next red-eye flight from L.A. to New York.
It should get into New York's JFK International airport at three in the
morning."

Wesley and Gunn looked at each other and nodded.  "We're going with you.
Cordy's our friend too", they stated in unison.

"I appreciate that fact guys, but someone has to stay here and man the
office", Angel said shaking his head in the negative.

He glanced upwards and met the men's eyes.  "We're going to find her. And
whoever took her is going to regret the day they ever touched something that
did not belong to them!"

Wesley nodded and Gunn blinked, both noting the ensouled vampire's golden
eyes.  Wesley smiled grimly, fervently wishing he could witness the moment,
Angel tore whoever had taken Cordelia, limb from limb.

Willow was silent.  She prayed for the Goddess' blessing.  'Please keep
Delia safe... Please.'  Her heart went out to Spike.  She had no idea what
the blond had to be going through.  All she knew was that the thought of
someone taking Angel from her was like a physical pain.  'Goddess, please
watch over them both.  They have so much more to accomplish, so much more to
do on this plain....'

Getting up slowly, Willow walked up the stairs and headed to her and Angel's
room.  They needed to start packing.  Behind her, her mate followed.
 

Chapter 23

Willow snuggled into her mate's side, closing her eyes in a vain attempt at
sleep.  But sleep wouldn't come, all she could focus on was her missing
friend and the horrible things someone could be doing to her.

Angel could sense the redhead's distress and slung his arm across her narrow
shoulders trying to offer her a measure of comfort.  The annoying whine of
the plane's engine grated on his sensitive ears.  He glanced over at the
only other passenger on the plane, slightly envious.  The business man had
fallen asleep with little trouble immediately after the small plane had left
the ground.

The vampire knew there was no way he was going to get any rest, he was too
keyed up.  Still, he couldn't read anymore either.  The handwritten words of
the tome in front of him were beginning to swim before his eyes.  With a
discouraged sigh, Angel closed the book.

"Nothing, huh?", Willow ventured.

The Warrior for the Powers That Be shook his head.  "I found a ritual for a
love spell done during a blue moon, but so far that's it.  I know this
doesn't have anything to do with Cordelia's going missing, but I just don't
think we should forget about that missing girl Odette."

"I know", Willow said soothingly, she knew her mate had a point.  Cordelia
was very important to all of them, but they couldn't simply focus on her to
the exclusion of everything else.  The redheaded Seer wished they could, but
she knew her conscience wouldn't allow it, and neither would Angel's.  Now
Spike, that was another matter entirely.

"Besides", the dark haired vampire continued, "I just needed a distraction.
I can't believe Delia's gone...."

The wiccan nodded in understanding.  'A distraction... good idea', she
thought.  Grabbing the book from Angel's lap, Willow placed it on the empty
seat on her right.  Bending down she reached beneath her seat and found a
small plastic wrapped blanket, just as she expected.  Tearing the plastic
away, she arranged the flimsy blanket over their laps.

Angel watched her curiously, wondering if she was cold.  When Willow's hand
reached for the zipper of his trousers, he suddenly understood what she
meant to do.  Biting back a groan of pleasure at the feeling of his Seer's
hand gripping his suddenly very erect shaft, the vampire allowed himself to
be distracted.  He couldn't wait to return the favor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A bruised and bloody Spike stumbled into the apartment, hours after he had
called his Sire in Los Angeles.  Vaguely it registered in his brain, that he
was not alone.

"Spike!  Oh Goddess, what have you done to yourself."

"Willow?", he rasped.

A small, warm form tackled the chipped vampire, hugging him with all of her
considerable and surprising might.  Instinctively, Spike responded in kind,
wrapping his arms around his friend and hugging her for a moment.

His ribs ached unbearably, and with a hiss of pain the platinum blond was
forced to release the slender witch.

"Oh Spike", Willow murmured, once again taking in the vampire's battered
appearance.  His lip was split and oozing blood.  There was a huge gash
above his left eyebrow and he was limping.  "What happened?"

"Trying to find my Lia", he muttered darkly.

"Spike."

The British vampire whirled at the voice of his Sire, and growled
ferociously, his human face falling away in an instant.  With a roar, Spike
rammed into the elder vampire with enough force to propel them both down the
hall, and into the living room.  Gasping in horror, Willow followed, unsure
of what to do, or how to stop it.

"Stop it!", she screamed.

The two vampires paid the human woman no heed.  Angel's powerful roar
reverberated through the room, his eyes blazingly yellow, as his heavy fist
connected with his childe's chin.

Spike recoiled, the blow almost taking him completely off of his feet.
Recovering quickly, the bleached blond, charged the elder vampire again.
Before he could connect, he was met with a vicious kick to the head.  Bright
light exploded behind his eyes, pain flaring in his temples, as he collapsed
in a heap at Angel's feet.

Willow was shocked when Spike began to sob.  She blinked in surprise when
her mate instantly fell to one knee and embraced his childe, purring
soothingly.

The chipped vampire's entire body shook with the force of his anguish.
"Sire.... she's gone... she's gone... and I can't find her."

"We'll find her Spike", Angel said quietly, "we'll find her."

Finally realizing that what she had witnessed was some weird vampire
sire/childe bonding thing, the redhead approached.  Falling to her knees,
Willow joined in the familial embrace, trying to offer comfort despite the
helplessness she felt.
 

Chapter 24

Cordelia awoke to aching pain.  She had no idea how long she'd been knocked
out, but something told her it had been quite a while. The brunette tried to
sit up, only to end up gasping in pain, as the change in position doubled
the pounding behind her temples.

"Owwww...", she moaned breathily.

"Are you okay?", a timid voice asked her from the shadows.

Startled, Cordelia turned and peered into the gloom.  The room was in
semi-darkness.  It took her a while to make out who had spoken to her.
About five feet away, a short blond girl stood against a wall next to a
taller Asian boy who looked maybe two years younger then Cordelia herself.

"Oh my God!", Cordelia gasped, realizing who she was looking at.  "You're
Odette, right?"

The blond girl frowned.  "Yes.  Wait, how did you know?"  Next to her the
youth pulled Odette closer.  He glared at the Seer distrustfully.

"How did you know her name?", he spat.

"Geez, suspicious much?", the brunette responded, placing a hand to her
pounding head.  Gesturing at the younger girl, the Seer spoke.  "Odette's
mother, or whatever that thing is pretending to be her mother, came to my
detective agency.  I was hired to find her."

The young man frowned and then nodded.  "You're a Seer aren't you?"

Shocked, the Cordelia's hazel eyes widened.  "But how..."

The Asian youth sighed tiredly.  "We're all Seers, or at least we have the
psychic potential to be Seers", he said glancing at Odette.  "As near as I
can figure that's why he wants us."

"He?", the former cheerleader asked.

The boy shook his head.  "Don't know who he is.  I just know the head bad
guy is a he."  Walking over to the seated brunette, he held out his hand and
helped Cordelia stand.  "I'm Dustin by the way."

"Cordelia."

"I would say its nice to meet you Cordelia, but... its really not, under the
circumstances", the blond girl muttered walking over to where the taller
girl had been sitting.  Odette leaned against the wall, and groaned
unhappily.  She slid to the floor and sat heavily on the dirty blanket which
had been the older girl's recent bed.  The petite blond looked up at the
Seer.  "My mother's dead", she said bluntly. "She's been dead for months.
That THING is some kind of shapeshifter or demon or--  I don't know!  But my
mom is dead!  She loved me, she did, she'd never do this to me...", the
girl's voice trailed off, tears streaming down her face.

Dustin sat by the crying girl and wrapped his arms around her.  He closed
his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Odette", Cordelia whispered.  Taking advantage of the quiet
moment, the former May Queen looked around the room which effectively was
her prison.

The room was nondescript.  Blank, gray cement walls were all she saw.  The
floor seemed to be made of the same boring material, except dirty straw was
strewn about.  Except for the dirty blanket, the other two were sitting on,
there was nothing else in the room except for a disgusting looking porcelain
toilet in a corner.  She grimaced, there wasn't even a roll of toilet paper.
  'Ugh', she thought.

Cordelia rolled her eyes away from the repulsive sight, and huffed
unhappily.  Realizing that she could no longer avoid the important stuff,
she turned her face back toward Dustin.

"How long have you guys been here?"

Dustin shook his head, "Not really sure, near as I can figure about a week
and a half for her and a week for me."

The Seer sighed.  'The girl had been here days by herself.  Damn.  That
really blew.'  New respect for Odette flowed through the dark haired woman.
The girl had to be stronger than she looked, Cordelia didn't think she would
have lasted half an hour by herself in this rank, dark place.

"What are they going to do with us?", she asked finally.

The youth leaned back against the wall.  "I don't know, but its like they're
waiting for something.  Whatever it is they're going to do, I'm betting its
not warm and fuzzy", he said dryly.

Cordelia began to pace the room.  She was agitated and hungry and... 'I miss
Spike', she thought suddenly.  Her breath caught in her throat.  She
wondered fleetingly if the vampire was worried about her.  Her heart told
her that he was, she wished he would just hurry up and rescue her already.
He wouldn't let her down, the Seer knew, she had complete confidence in him,
he would find her.  She just knew it.

She continued to pace.  Back and forth, back and forth.  She was working
herself up into a fury.  Striding up to the room's only door, the dark
haired Seer pounded on it with her hands and feet.  "Hey!", she screamed.
"What's going on?!  You people-- or whatever, you're going to pay for this!!
  I can't wait for my Warrior to kick your collective asses!"

A small opening in the door suddenly opened.  Cordelia ran forward.  She was
going to give these jerks a piece of her mind.

"No!!", Dustin and Odette both shouted.

Undaunted, Cordelia peered through the small portal, only to jump backwards
falling heavily to the ground.  The extremely large head of what looked like
a snake, lunged through the opening after the girl, jaws agape, barely
missing her throat.  The creature's head hovered over the brunette's prone
form.  It was a shiny, bright vermillion. It eyes were slit, like a cat's.
They were a strange almost purple color, and glittered with evil
intelligence.  The creature's gaze locked with her own, and Cordelia felt
icy fear steal through her body.  Refusing to back down, the young woman
peered back at the thing imperiously.  She was Queen C, and a queen bitch,
there was no way she was going to show this thing anymore fear.

Still she wasn't stupid, and slowly, the former cheerleader tried to
scramble away from beneath the monster's head.  Abruptly, she could feel
Dustin and Odette grabbing her arms and pulling her away from the snake
thing.

Quickly, almost too fast for her eyes to process the creature pulled its
head out from the opening and closed it with a slam.  Once it was gone,
Cordelia's composure fell into brittle pieces around her.  She sobbed as her
fellow prisoners held her shivering body close.
 

Chapter 25

It was late, but Willow couldn't sleep.  She felt awful.  Pulling away
slightly from her mate, she kissed Angel's neck and started to crawl from
beneath the covers.  She stood by the side of the bed and gazed at the
sleeping vampires.

"Flame?", Angel whispered.  Willow started in surprise.  "I thought you were
asleep....", she said quietly.  Neither wanted to wake up the dark haired
vampire's sleeping Childe.  "Are you okay?", her Warrior asked plaintively,
dark eyes searching her face.

The redhead nodded, and gazed down at Spike.  The blond vampire was curled
almost into a fetal position.  He had burrowed into his Sire's side.  "Stay
with him. I'll be in the living room."

Quietly, the wiccan left the room and walked through the living room.  She
stopped at the coffee table and settled herself on the rug before it.
Whispering a word of power, the lone candle which decorated the table's
surface, came to life.  Willow stared into the flickering flame and willed
herself to relax, as she tried to meditate.

She needed to calm herself, she needed to relax.  She would never get to
sleep otherwise, and if she couldn't sleep, she wouldn't get any of her
vision dreams.

The minutes ticked by slowly, and the lithe witch realized she could feel
each and every single one.  'This isn't working', she thought desperately.
The young woman closed her eyes in dismay.  'On no Willow, no pressure,
sure...you can't relax, Cordelia could be dead, and... and...Stop it! Just
stop it Willow.  This is not the time to be feeling sorry for yourself.
Think.'

Growling in frustration, the Seer blew the candle out and stood.

It was at times like these that Willow wished that Xander was around.  He
always knew how to diffuse a tense or hopeless seeming situation.  The
random thought caused an old familiar vise to close about the redhead's
heart.  It hurt her immensely that the boy who had been her best friend
since grammar school, had cut all ties to her.  Why couldn't he understand
that she loved Angel, that they were meant to be?

Buffy's abandonment had hurt as well, but at least on some level Willow
understood that.  She doubted very much that she would have dealt very well
if the circumstances were reversed, and Buffy had fallen in love with Oz for
example.

The Seer groaned and sat at the kitchen table.  She found herself staring at
the book that Angel had brought all the way from California.

Willow stared at the title, 'Obscure Rituals of the Occult; Volume 12; The
Power of Blood Sacrifice'.  Sighing in resignation, she decided that if she
couldn't help Delia right now, or sleep, than she'd at least try to be
useful.

But, the flame haired witch just continued to star at the book unseeingly.
She didn't even want to expend the energy it would take to open the damned
thing.  She groaned.  'Why oh why can't I sleep?', she wondered angrily.

Sighing in frustration, she continued looking at the book, practically
willing the damned thing to tell her something useful, something she would
want to know.

The Seer stiffened in surprise as a strong wind suddenly swept through the
kitchen.  She watched in fearful awe as the book "fell" open, its pages
whipping by rapidly.  With an abrupt whooshing sound.  The pages stilled.

Almost fearfully, Willow peered at the page that had been uncovered to her
gaze.  Her green eyes widened as she read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cordelia shivered, and drew closer to the sleeping forms of Odette and
Dustin.  The two younger teens were asleep and the brunette wished she could
join them in slumber.  If only to forget her troubles for a few hours.

But she couldn't, every time a noise reverberated in their prison, or she
thought she head the sound of voices she found herself wide awake again.  It
was getting damned annoying.

Besides that, it was cold, and with only one ratty blanket to share, and the
nasty, hard ground... the Seer wasn't having a good time.  'Someone is so
going to pay for this', she promised herself.

The thought, unlikely as it was, made her feel a bit better.  Yawning,
Cordelia closed her eyes. At least if she slept, maybe she would dream of
Spike.  A small, sad smile touched her lips, and the brunette fell into a
troubled sleep.
 

Chapter 26

Angel awoke with a start.  His internal clock telling him that the sun was
high in the sky.  He nuzzled his still sleeping Childe, happy to note that
the bruises and cuts on Spike's face were already almost gone.  They
probably would have taken a couple of days to heal if it hadn't been that
the blond had drunk from him.  They had reconnected their flagging
Sire/Childe bond, and as far as he was concerned, the past was past.  No
longer was he conceited, selfish Angelus, and neither was he the depressed
and repressed soulful Angel of the past.  He was both and more, his Flame
has seen to that.  His family was of paramount importance.  Especially his
mate.

The dark haired vampire rubbed his sudden erection against Spike's thigh,
remembering with sudden clarity the first time with his mate, and how his
Flame had freed him from his curse with her love and her body.

Spike grumbled in his sleep, wiggling his ass further into Angel's lap.  The
elder vampire growled, and then cocked his head as he heard a noise.

Angel moved away from his Childe, pulling away from the covers and placing
them carefully around the bleached blond as he stood.  Instinctively Spike
burrowed closely into the sheets, seeking his Sire's scent and that of his
missing love.

The elder vampire looked him over a bit sadly, and frowned.  It suddenly
occurred to him, that his mate had not come back to bed last night.

Opening the bedroom door, he called out.  "Flame... Willow, where are you?"

"Kitchen", his Seer's beautiful voice answered softly.

He walked down the hall towards the kitchen.  A pot of hot coffee sat in the
machine.  Willow sat at the kitchen table, her head bent over a large tome.
Her ruby read tresses sparkled in the sunlight streaming from the window.
Ever mindful of the sun's glare, the vampire stood just beyond its reach.

The redhaired Seer sensed her love's presence and moved to lower the blinds.
  "Sorry honey, I needed the extra light, I couldn't read what this
paragraph said."

"What are you doing?", Angel asked, as he kissed Willow's warm throat
tenderly.  "You didn't come back to bed", he observed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep....", the redhead murmurred her head still
buried in the book.  Suddenly she turned in her chair and launched herself
in the dark haired vampire's arms.

"I found something!", Willow squealed. "Or actually it kind of found me,
but...."

Angel smiled, enjoying the big wet kiss his Seer placed on his lips.

"What is it?", he asked.

"All this time we've been under the assumption that the missing Seer's and
the Odette case were unrelated.  But I think that if we find Cordelia, we'll
find the missing girl too."

The ensouled vampire stared into his mate's emerald eyes.

"Last night, I tried to meditate and I couldn't.  So I sat here staring at
the stupid book, willing it to tell me someting... and it did!  It just
opened up... it was weird, I'm not sure if I did it, or if maybe the PTB
were trying to help us out... but..."

Angel smiled slightly at his mate's babbling, and looked at her expectantly.

"Ahh.. anyways I've discovered that there is no spell in there that is
geared towards stripping the power of a witch during a blue moon.  What
there is in there, is a ritual which strips a Seer of their link to the
Powers That Be... apparently by sacrificing Seers in a prescribed manner,
someone can steal that which links Seers to the PTB.  The point is, if this
person, collects enough stolen power they'll eventually be able to make
themselves immortal." Willow finished speaking, and shuddered slightly in
her Warrior's arms. She buried her face in his neck, her elation at her
discovery giving way to fear for Cordelia's predicament.

"Shhhh...love, shhhh.... at least now we know we've got time to find her",
Angel murmurred, his hands moving soothingly through the silky strands of
Willow's hair.  The blue moon isn't for another ten days.

"Its just so awful, Angel", the young hacker's voice hiccuped.  "To do it,
they hurt them so bad....."  Large, silent tears began to run down her
lovely face.

"Don't worry Flame, we'll find her, I swear it", the dark haired vampire
growled.

Large green eyes bored into him, instead of scaring her, what she saw in his
eyes satisfied her.  Abruptly, Willow smiled.  "I love you, Angel", she
said, her mouth descending over his own.  Heat and passion flowed through
the lover's bodies.  The need to be one with her mate, overcame all other
thought, and the lithe wiccan ground her lower body against that of the tall
vampire.

"Willow", he groaned, trailing his lips over her silken jaw and down the
column of her throat.

"Make love to me Angel.... I need you so bad", she whispered.  Her words
made his groin tighten.

"Always need you, Flame", the vampire groaned.  "Hold on to me."

Willow tightened her arms around her love's neck, and moved her dangling
legs about his waist.  She almost giggled as he began to walk rather quickly
down the hall.  He bypassed the room he'd left Spike in, he knew it was
Cordelia's, and kicked open the door to Spike's bedroom further down the
hall.

Angel wasn't surprised to find that the room was actually quite orderly and
rather nice.  Willow was.  "Wow", she murmurred, glancing at the navy blue
silk sheets and light gold walls.  She slid down her mate's body and reached
for the small buttons on his shirt.

Growling impatiently, the ensouled vampire gently moved the redhead's hands
away, and then practically shredded the offending garment in his hurry to
feel her hands on his bare skin.  Willow smiled her finger's trailing from
his chest, down his hard stomach, to the button of his pants.

As she worked him free, the dark vampire's hands were busy trying to tug the
Seer's baby tee over her head.  Willow raised her arms to make the task
easier and pushed her skirt down to the floor.  Underwear was discarded
hurriedly and the couple fell on the bed in a passionate tangle of limbs.

Angel growled his pleasure at the feel of his woman's flesh against his own.
  He hissed when Willow arched beneath him, rubbing herself against his
thigh, almost burning him with the heat and wetness between her legs.

"Flame", he snarled against her throat, his human features giving way to his
true face.  Yellow eyes stared at the tempting flesh of her creamy neck.

"Yes....", Willow moaned moving her head to give him more access.  Her legs
fell open at the same moment, echoing her invitation.  With a groan, the
vampire's fangs entered his Seer's tender throat even as his arousal
sheathed itself inside her warmth.

"Oh Goddess... Angel... ahhhh....", she moaned, writhing beneath him,
struggling most pleasurably, to keep up with his powerful thrusts.  Her body
was on overload, the feeling of his feeding and his fucking her was rapidly
spinning her over the edge.

"Fuck", she screamed, unable to hold back any longer.  Her body spasmed and
twitched around her mate's jackhammering cock, as he continued to bury
himself inside her, even as she came in a flash of blinding white ecstasy.

Angel tried to ride out Willow's orgasm, but his efforts were for naught.
She felt too amazing, her vagina squeezing and caressing his cock.  With a
roar, the dark haired vampire removed his fangs from her throat and moved
one last time against his mate, giving himself over to the feeling of his
own impending release.

Willow smiled dreamily, snuggling against her mate as he emptied himself
inside of her.  "Mmmmmm...."

"Are you okay?", Angel asked quietly, "I was a little rough..."

"I'm better than okay... and its what I wanted", she responded, kissing his
blood stained lips.  Her Warrior nodded, and then moved to tenderly lick the
small amount of blood oozing from the small pinpricks in her throat.

She squirmed underneath him, his ministrations causing her to giggle.

Angel looked down at the young woman.  "You're amazing, you know that?"  He
stopped speaking and frowned, listening intently to something she couldn't
hear.

"Spike's awake."

"Oh-- ohhhh... oh Goddess, do you think he heard us?", a flush crept up the
cyberwitch's cheeks.

The vampire, nodded and grinned.  "Probably... and I'm sure he understands.
I'm going to go tell him what you discovered.  Do you want to try to sleep,
you didn't get any last night?"

Willow shook her head.  "I can't sleep.  I've tried, and now I've got like
fifteen cups of coffee running through my veins."

Sighing, the couple rose from the bed, and slowly put on their discarded
clothing.  Angel stared at what remained of his shirt, and shrugged.  'Oh
well, it was for a good cause.'

Once dressed they left the room, preparing to give the blond vampire their
news.  It was a start, but Willow knew that they needed more, they needed
more information to find out where Cordelia and Odette were being held. They
needed to save them before... before it was too late.
 

Chapter 27

Saffron walked by the cell housing her master's prisoners.  She could hear
the faint sounds of the trio's deep breathing, indicating that they were
still asleep.  She frowned, thinking about how much better it would be if
the silence were punctuated by screams.  The thought made her smile.  If
anyone had been there to witness the rare event, they're blood would've
turned cold.

The blond continued further into the bowels of the tunnels finally coming to
a large open room.  A stone altar was against one wall, an old battered desk
sat against another.  Her master sat writing.  She often found him writing.
She didn't dare ask him what he wrote about.  Circling the room, slowly, she
waited for him to acknowledge her presence.  He did not.

She scowled at his back, repulsion whipping through her body, making her
shudder as she stared at his spotted, and balding head.  Only wisps of gray
hair clung to his skull.

It angered her to no end that she had been mastered by a lowly human, but
she had.  Saffron was very careful to keep these thoughts under wraps, she
still had scars from the time she had not been so.  Her master was
formidable, and he had power over her. She feared him and thus, she did his
bidding.

Frustrated by his silence, the demoness sneered and began to walk towards
her master's prize possession.  The large crystal orb sat on a tripod in the
center of the room.  Roughly the size of a basketball, the object glowed
with swirling purple light.

The blond came closer, staring into the crystal.  She watched as the
swirling light shrank away from her as she drew near.  Sometimes she could
almost swear she heard the faint echo of screams.  As always the display
fascinated her and she slowly raised one hand, aching to touch it.

"SAFFRON!!!", her master's voice boomed.

Quickly, she snatched her hand away.

"Is there a particular reason, that you are disturbing me demon.  I have
much to do in preparation.  Begone from my sight", the sorcerer intoned.

"Yes, master of course master.... only....", the blond paused.

"Ah, I see, you are.... bored", he cackled.  "Well then my dear why don't
you entertain yourself with our guests."

Saffron bowed low in gratitude.  "May I have one master?"

"Take whichever one you wish, only do not harm them... too much", the
sorcerer instructed.  "Each of them is much too important to my goal.  I
need them alive until the ritual."  The man turned cold, stony eyes to the
demoness. "Tread with care Saffron, this is my gift to you.  You have done
well.  Do not displease me now."

"Yes master, of course master", she said quietly, her eyes glittering.

~~~~~~~~

Cordelia stared at the ceiling.  Once again she was awake, while Dustin and
Odette were still asleep.  She wasn't tired anymore, but she wasn't even
sure if it was day or night anymore.  Everything was starting to run
together as their prison had no windows.

She was wracking her brain trying to remember some of the protection spells
Willow had taught her back in L.A.  She had only used them that one time
against the Tavernier demons.  The Seer could actually remember the words
but the sigil she was supposed to inscribe in the air with her finger, was
hazy in her memory.  Angry at herself for not remembering, she found herself
tracing figures in the air, trying to jog her memory.

Her stomach grumbled.  She was hungry.  They had not been fed last night.
Odette had told her that they often went days without food.  Their captors
seemed to forget them.  Not that Cordelia minded them leaving them alone, in
fact she preferred it, but she didn't want to starve to death.  Somehow
though, she knew that that wasn't the end their captors had planned for
them.  The thought made her stomach clench painfully, she recalled very
easily what Willow had told her about how the missing Seers were found dead.
  It certainly wasn't from starvation.

She sat up suddenly, hearing footsteps come down the passageway outside
their cell door.

The brunette shook the two sleeping teens by her side.  "Wake up", the Seer
hissed.  "Someone's coming."

Dustin and Odette roused immediately, the comfort of sleep soon forgotten.
The footsteps stopped in front of their door, and the three young people
felt the hair on their necks stand on end when a hideous laugh reached their
ears.

"This doesn't sound good", Dustin whispered.

Shuddering, Cordelia came to her feet, the others followed suit.

The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the room as a key
was placed in the door's locking mechanism.  The heavy door swung open and
Saffron stepped inside, closing it behind her.

Odette gasped, stepping away from the creature that wore her mother's face.
The blond girl was ashen, her brown eyes huge in her wan face.  Dustin
gathered her close, glaring at Saffron in hatred.  Instinctively, the three
young people stepped closer together.

"I've come for you", the demoness said quietly.

"No", Cordelia replied, moving forward to stand in front of the younger
couple.

Saffron smirked self-confidently and stalked towards the tall brunette.  She
struck the girl hard with the back of one fist, sending Cordelia onto the
floor.

Concerned for their companion, Dustin and Odette ran to the fallen Seer.
"You okay?", the asian youth asked.

"Not really", she groaned, letting them help her back to her feet.

The demoness sneered, watching them.  "Besides girl, I don't want you."

The blond female pointed at the youngest among them.  "I want her.  I think
mother and daughter should get better acquainted.  Don't you?", she cackled.

Odette whimpered, seeming to withdraw into herself.  But Cordelia watched as
determination entered the girl's eyes.  Odette's back straightened and she
glared at the demon.  "Awwww... and here I didn't think you cared, MOM!",
she bit out.

Cordelia closed her eyes, her lips began to move silently in prayer.
'Please Goddess here my plea... don't abandon you're children.  Help me to
remember...'  She screamed as a vision abruptly ripped through her skull,
interrupting her.  An image of Willow's face slammed into her brain.  The
redhead was saying something, her finger moving through the air.  'The
sigil...I remember!'

The Seer's hazel eyes snapped open she glared at the demoness.  "Odette,
Dustin get behind me."  Although confused, the two teens obeyed, snapping to
attention at the tone of Cordelia's voice.  Authoritively, the brunette's
voice rang out in their cell.

Saffron frowned in confusion as latin poured from the tall girl's mouth.
"What are you doing Seer?", she hissed.

The brunette ignored the demoness, trying to hurry.  As the final word of
the incantation fell from her lips her finger rose up and inscribed the
sigil in the air.  For a moment the symbol flared to life, and Cordelia
smiled in triumph.  She'd done it!

"What did you do bitch!", Saffron shouted, running towards the huddled trio.
  To her shock and surprise, she rebounded against some kind of invisible
barrier.

"Wow", Odette whispered, glancing at Cordelia.  "That was cool."

Cordelia grinned at the petite blond.  "Well someday I hope you get to meet
the girl who taught me that... Thank you Willow."

Dustin sighed in relief and hugged the two girls.

"Don't get so cocky, bitch.  How long do you think you can keep that up?"
Saffron stared at the brunette.  "Still at least you've given the little
blond a reprieve, YOU are the one I want to play with now."

"No", Dustin whispered.

Cordelia glanced at him.  The youth's eyes were wide, following the
movements of the angry blond women as she paced to and fro in front of the
barrier separating her from them. He was whispering to himself.  "No, no,
no...I'm the man, I am...I have to protect them."  The brunette frowned.
What was he talking about?

Suddenly, to Cordelia's horror, Dustin darted out towards Saffron.  "Leave
them alone, you monster... take me!", he shouted charging towards the demon,
only to be struck down.

"Dustin, no!!!", Odette yelled, moving to follow.  Cordelia grabbed the
sobbing girl, stopping her before she also breached the protective confines
of the protection spell.  The two girls could only watch helplessly as their
friend was dragged away.
 

Chapter 28

Spike was awake.  He'd actually been awake for quite a while, but he had
preferred to stay in bed and stare at the ceiling.  Faintly, he could hear
voices in the kitchen and knew it was Angel and Willow.

For a moment, he wished his Sire was still there lying next to him.  The
elder vampire's larger form had made him feel safe, shutting out if only for
a brief time the cruel world that had snatched away the woman he'd only just
found.  A woman he loved, and who loved him.  Once again, he had proven to
be love's bitch.

The blond vampire almost smirked when he heard Angel's hurried steps down
the hall towards the only other bedroom in the apartment.  Spike was sure
the little redhead was going to get shagged but good.  He didn't begrudge
the couple their private time, despite Cordelia's being missing.  He was a
vampire, and if there were two urges he understood, it was fucking and
feeding.

Speaking of feeding... he was hungry.  Growling softly, Spike ignored his
hunger, and rolled over seeking the lingering remnant of Cordelia's scent on
the high threadcount cotton sheets she preferred.

For a moment, in his mind, she was there, present in the clean spicy citrus
scent she favored.  The aroma brought back memories of their lovemaking, but
the fading scent was a poor substitute for his Lia.
His angry growl filled the bedroom just as his ears registered his Sire's
and the redhead's sounds of orgasmic release.

New determination filled Spike's body, and he rose from the bed and made his
way to the kitchen.  He was hungry.  He warmed a mug of blood in the
microwave and noticed the open book on the kitchen table.

Realizing that the sunlight would keep him trapped inside for a while yet,
the vampire sat at the table and began to read.

Angel came into the kitchen moments later.  He padded in barefoot and
barechested.  The shirt that he'd ripped off in his hurry earlier, had not
been salvageable.  Not that he cared.

The dark haired vampire stared at this Childe's back.  He could feel Spike's
lingering anger and sadness through the bond.  Frankly, it echoed his own.
He also wanted Cordelia back.  The brunette had been his Seer at one time,
and she had also been one of the few people he had ever counted among his
friends.  They were few and far between and precious to him.  Angel was
fully prepared to kill to get her back.  The fact that Cordelia had also
become so important to his favorite Childe only increased his determination
to find her.

Despite all that had happened between them and Spike's posturing, Angel knew
the bleached blond would do the same had the circumstances been reversed.
As much for him, as for the blond's own feelings for the wiccan who was also
his friend.

Although his initial reason for coming in to the kitchen was to tell the
younger vampire about what Willow had found, Angel saw that the blond had
already found the book.  And so, he quietly puttered about the kitchen
warming his own breakfast.  The elder vampire sighed and ran his fingers
though his hair, waiting for the telltale beep of the machine.

He was sipping from a mug of warmed blood when his mate came into the room.
Willow has showered and changed.  The redhead hugged her Warrior quickly
before moving towards her friend.  She sat at the small table,
kitty-cornered from the chipped vampire.

"So--", Willow began haltingly, "you're reading what I found..."

Spike nodded absently, still engrossed in what he was reading.

The redhead waited patiently, her green eyes searching the bleached blond's
chiseled features.  Abruptly, the vampire slammed the large tome closed.

Spike stood, his body rigid with anger and violent energy.  The kitchen
chair fell to the floor with a clatter.  The vampire pointed accusingly
towards the book.  "That's what this is about?!!  That's what someone is
planning to do to my Cordelia?!!  Over my undead body!", he snarled.  His
icy cerulean gaze hardened.  "No one is killing her in some bloody stupid
ritual because she's my Seer!  I don't care if this goddamned chip causes my
head to explode!  I'll kill the effin' bastards!"

"Spike...", Angel began.

"Shut up Peaches!"

Angel growled warningly, but allowed the younger vampire to vent.

The blond threw his empty mug against the wall, where is shattered loudly,
splintering into tiny pieces.  He gestured towards the book and glared at
Willow.  "That information is all well and good Red, but it still doesn't
tell us WHERE Lia is."

"Spike, I--", Willow stuttered, tears in her eyes.

"Fuck!", he shouted, reeling away from the young woman and stalking away.

Fat, salty tears fell from Willow's eyes.  In an instant Angel gathered his
mate to his chest, letting her cry herself out.

"Shhh... Flame, shhhh... he didn't mean it.  He's upset and frustrated, the
dark haired vampire said soothingly.

"I know", Willow hiccupped.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can go rip his spine out?"

The redhead giggled despite herself and shook her head, her tears slowly
drying.  "Naw...", her eyes became thoughtful.  "He does have a point
though.  Someone out there must know something about where Cordelia was
taken.  We have to find out, and soon."
 

Chapter 29

Cordelia spooned the tasteless mush someone had deposited in their prison,
into her mouth.  It was disgusting, but she knew she needed to keep her
strength up.  The nasty stuff was the first thing her captors had given them
to eat in what seemed like many days.

She no longer had any idea how long she'd been a prisoner.  All she knew was
that she smelled less than spring fresh, and that Dustin was still gone.

The Seer closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.  She hoped
he was alright, but she knew he wasn't.  Periodically, his screams echoed
through the corridors, and although they were heartwrenching and painful to
hear, they were the only thing letting her know he was even alive.  The urge
to give up was overwhelming, and silent tears ran down her face, even as she
continued to force herself to eat.  It was her fault.  She had failed.  She
had failed to protect him. She was the one that should have been screaming
in agony, not him.

The brunette steeled herself.  Pushing her sorrow and guilt away, she
glanced over at Odette.  She had to keep it together, she knew, if not for
herself than for the younger girl.

Odette had become increasingly withdrawn since Dustin was taken.  The blond
hadn't spoken, she only stared at the floor.  The Seer wasn't even sure
she'd seen the her blink in what felt like hours.  Odette had also not
touched her food.  Cordelia scooted over to the other girl.

"Odette... Odette, you have to eat something."

The blond said nothing, her brown eyes stared unseeingly at the ground.

Picking up a spoon, Cordelia spooned up some of the mush and lifted the
girl's chin.  "Eat", she ordered, pushing the stuff into Odette's mouth.

The brown eyed blond shook her head violently, spitting the tasteless mash
out of her mouth.  Cordelia clenched her jaw.  Praying for forgiveness, she
slapped the smaller girl across the face.

"I said eat.  You have to keep your strength up.  You won't be any use to
Dustin if you don't."

Odette's eyes bored into Cordelia's, and even though they expressed anger
and outrage at having been struck, the brunette was glad that she had
finally managed to get some kind of reaction from the young woman.

Reluctantly, Odette nodded.  She picked up her own small bowl and spoon and
managed to choke down some of the tasteless mash.  "Its been two days....",
she whispered.

"What?", Cordelia asked frowning.

"That THING has had Dustin for two days", Odette clarified, her voice
scratchy.

"Are you sure?  I have no idea how long its been", the brunette said in
confusion.

"I can tell... I have like an internal clock, I've never even needed an
alarm for school in the mornings.  I always just seem to get up when I have
too", Odette murmured.  She fell silent, and Cordelia searched for something
else to say to keep her talking, but to no avail.

The sound of footsteps coming down the hall outside their cell door, caused
the two young woman to stiffen with fear.  Both relaxed slightly as the
sound receded, moving away from their room.

Odette's bowl and spoon clattered to the ground.  "Oh God", she moaned,
covering her ears with her hands.  The screams had started again.

Trying to block out the anguished wails, Cordelia hugged the shorter girl
against her.  She rocked the girl, in a futile effort to soothe Odette's
sobs, even as her own tears fell onto the girl's greasy blond locks.

~~~~

Dustin's screams seemed to still echo around them, even though they had
finally stopped.  Odette had fallen asleep against her, and Cordelia finally
admitted to herself that she was losing hope.

'How could Spike find her when he had no idea who'd taken her or where they
were keeping her?', the Seer's pragmatic mind argued.

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she once again heard footsteps in
the corridor.  They came to a stop in front of their cell door, and the
sound of scraping metal signaled that someone had put a key in the lock.

The large metal door swung open.  Saffron stalked inside, dragging Dustin's
unconscious and bloody body, inside the room.  The blond woman smiled
cruelly at Cordelia, before dropping the young man to the ground and leaving
the room, locking the door behind her.

"Odette, wake up!", Cordelia hissed, scrambling away from the young woman
towards Dustin.

"Wha--", Odette moaned, her eyes fluttering open.  "Oh my God, Dustin!"  The
blond girl crawled towards the boy.

Both women stared at their friend in horror.  Except for a ragged pair of
baggy pants, which Cordelia knew were not what the boy had been wearing when
Saffron took him, Dustin was naked.  Even his shoes and socks were gone.

Ugly purple bruises marred his pale flesh, while bloody cuts ranging from
almost paper thin to large, gaping wounds seemed to be everywhere.  Some of
the cuts were crusted over with dried blood while most seemed to still be
oozing blood sluggishly.  None of the cuts seemed life threatening, but
Cordelia knew they had been painful.  In fact, she was sure the demon had
made them as painful as she had known how.

The Seer tried to make sense of Dustin's mottled skin.  Years taping up
Angel's battle wounds, told the brunette that at least some of the boy's
ribs were broken.  The huge bruise that covered a large portion of his
torso, told her that.  On top of that, the younger man's left eye was puffy
and black.  "That fucking bitch", Cordelia bit out, enraged.

Odette blinked at the brunette, weary sadness evident in her gaze.  She
watched as the other girl began to tug at the sleeve of her shirt, in an
attempt to rip it.  The fabric finally gave way, and Cordelia used it to try
to staunch the blood flowing from one particularly nasty gash which went
across Dustin's stomach to one of his small male nipples.

"We're going to die here aren't we?", Odette asked the older girl quietly.

Cordelia looked up at the blond, and then quickly back at the unconscious
boy.  There was nothing she could say.
 

Chapter 30

The two growling vampires converged on the sniveling demon.  He tried to
make a break for it, only to be backhanded powerfully by the taller of the
two.  He landed, hard, against the side of the building.  The pain left him
gasping for breath.

"Look fellas", he coughed, "I don't know what you're after, but I don't know
anything!", he shouted, his eyes darting desperately around the two master
vampires.

Spike smiled ferally, clamping his hand around the blue demon's throat.

"If you didn't know anything, why'd you run when we started asking about
Saffron Montgomery, Lenny?", the bleached blond growled, his eyes flickering
between gold and icy blue.

Lenny swallowed heavily but remained silent.

"I'd start talking if I were you Lenny", the dark haired vampire at the
blond's side, purred.  "My Childe gets very angry when people ignore him.
He likes... attention, as a result people around him end up becoming rather
intimately acquainted with sharp metal objects."

The blue demon whimpered as the grip around his throat tightened.  "I.. I..
I can't.  T..Th..They'd kill m..me."

Angel smirked.  "You don't say..."

Spike glanced at his Sire, he was enjoying this immensely.  It was just like
the good ole days.  "Bloke's not very bright, is he Angelus?  I mean, what
does he think WE'RE going to do with him, play canasta?"

"Angelus...", Lenny squeaked.

Angel stared down at the short demon and arched a dark eyebrow.

"Look guys, I had nothing to do with it alright."

"I thought you didn't know anything about the girl, mate?", Spike observed
dryly.

The little demon's eyes widened realizing his mistake.  "Uhhh.. no, I don't,
not really.  I just.... I just make arrangements.  That's all."

"What kind of arrangement?", Angel growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"A woman called us...", Lenny stuttered, "we'd done business before... she
uhh... she needed transportation that's all."

"Where did she want to go?", Spike bit out.

Lenny struggled against the blond vampire in a complete panic. But it was
the dark vampire that scared the hell out of him.  Up to this point, Angel's
face had been completely placid and calm, but the moment the blue skinned
demon hesitated, the elder vampire exploded in fury.  His fist rammed
powerfully into the brick wall, right next to Lenny's head.  While his angry
roar filled the alleyway.  "Spit! It! Out!!", he snarled between clenched
and sharpening teeth.

"Central Park!", Lenny shouted hurriedly.  "My guy took Saffron and that
Seer chick there."

Spike smiled grimly in satisfaction, realizing quickly that Angel's little
display had caused Lenny to lose control of his bowels.  He released the
blue demon's neck, though not before slamming his head one last time against
the wall.  "See now... was that so hard?", he said sarcastically.

The tall, dark haired vampire stared down at the frightened demon.  "Where
in Central Park?  Its an awfully big place Lenny?"

Taking a deep breath, Lenny ducked and ran, darting between the two vampires
and heading toward the mouth of the alley.

Spike started to follow, but Angel held him back.  "Willow will take care of
this."

'He was going to get away', Lenny thought.  He almost smiled when he saw the
small redheaded woman standing in front of him, but he never got the chance.

Eyes black with the power of the old ways, Willow glared at the cowardly
demon and spoke a single word.  "Thicken."

Suddenly, Lenny found that he couldn't move.  Once again, he was trapped.

The red witch's lips twisted slightly, as she watched her prisoner try to
fight the very air that held him immobile.  Angel and Spike reached Willow's
side.  The Seer's eyes were still devoid of color, even the whites of her
eyes were gone.  Bringing up her hands, Willow spoke again.  "Pain."  Blue
tendrils of electricity raced from her palms striking the demon.  He howled
in agony.

"West side entrance!!", Lenny screamed, tears flowing from his eyes.  "My
guy dropped Saffron and the Seer at Central Park's west side entrance."

Abruptly, the scaly blue demon was free.  Able to move once more, Lenny
glanced toward the alley's entrance.  The vampires and the witch were gone.
It was as if they'd never ever been there.
 
 

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