"G man, wassup," Xander called out as he entered the shop.

"Given your greeting, the end of civilization as we know it, any other questions? " Giles responded.

"Whoa, I guess all the stuff …."  Xander stopped in response to Anya's frantic waving from behind Giles.

Giles looked at him questioningly.

"All the stuff about civilization ending and like that, " Xander ended lamely.

"Giles, I need Xander in the back room he's got to help me get something, " Anya said gesturing for Xander to join her by the door to the storage area.

Giles turned his gaze toward the ceiling, " must you make these ridiculous excuses?  Furthermore, could you please limit your 'needing' to non business hours?"

Xander blushed as Anya propelled him through the door.  After locking the door, she turned back to Xander who was unbuttoning his shirt.

"No, not now, " Anya said.  "Well, not right now, " she continued.

Xander looked puzzled.

"You were going to ask him about the little girl and Willow, right?

Xander nodded and then grinned, " you didn't tell him, did you?"

Neither of them noticed the front door bell jingle.

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

"Yes, may I help you? " Giles asked the man in the dark suit.

He handed Giles a card, " my name is John Wilson, I'm an investigator working on a child custody case.  I'd like you to look at a photo."

Giles glanced at the card.  It held his name, a logo for W & H Investigations, a Los Angeles address and an '800' number.

He nodded for the man to go on.

The investigator pulled a picture form his pocket and placed it on the counter.

Giles picked it up.  It showed a youngish blond woman holding a small child. There was something vaguely familiar about the child, but he was sure he had never seen either of them.

"I'm sorry, " he said returning the picture.

"You haven't seen either of them?"

Giles shook his head.

"Please keep my card and call into the office if you can help at all, the little girl's father is really in bad shape."

"I will, " Giles said slipping the card into his shirt pocket.

A few minutes after the man left, he heard the storage room door being unlocked.

Good Lord, that's a record even for them, he thought.

"Giles, " Anya said in an uncertain voice, " we have something to tell you."

He sighed, " whatever it is clean it up or sweep it up just please don't tell me how it happened."

"No it's not like that, it's something that happened this afternoon while you were out, " Xander said.

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

"So I figured I should bring her here rather than leave her at the shop with Anya, " Willow said finishing her explanation to Buffy of Sara's presence.

"I don't understand, this woman leaves her daughter with total strangers and just takes off?  You take her home without calling the cops or even Giles?"

Willow hadn't told her about the mind contact she had with Sara so she avoided the question.

"When we got home, I found this, " she said producing the paper Sara had given her.

"You think it's from her mother? " Buffy asked.

Willow nodded, "and looking at the names listed, I think it's best if we look into things first before we involve the police."

"I'll call Giles and ask him to come over after the shop closes, " Buffy said reaching for the wall phone next to the table.

Willow studied the note again for a few minutes and then thought how quiet the dining room had gotten while she was talking to Buffy.

She crossed to the dining room and stopped in the doorway and smiled.

Spike was sitting in her Dad's big chair with Sara asleep in his arms.  As she watched, Sara snuggled her head against his chest and he shifted in the chair and smiled down at her.  Willow tiptoed back to the kitchen as Buffy was hanging up.

"He's bringing Xander and Anya, he said an investigator from LA was in looking for Sara and her mother.

"He didn't ……" Willow said apprehensively.

"No, but just by dumb luck, Anya hadn't told him when the guy came by."

Willow looked relieved. "Is Sara from LA? , Buffy asked.

"No, " Willow said, "But there was something about LA in the note."

She glanced at it again, " Wolfram & Hart LA, sounds like lawyers."

"I could call ….." Willow started but stopped and turned to Buffy.

"It's OK Will, I can deal, call him."

Willow checked her address book and dialed.

"Hi, Wesley?  This is Willow.  Fine, we're all OK."  She glanced at Buffy, "she's OK too.  We need a favor, some LA information.  Do you know anything about a firm, I think they might be lawyers, called Wolfram & Hart?  ….. Wesley, are you still there?  What is it?  OK, that'll be great.  Bye"

A puzzled looking Willow hung up the phone.

"That was strange, he didn't say anything for a long while.  Then he said don't make a move someone would be here in a few hours."

"Someone? " Buffy asked.  "He didn't say who?"

"No, but I'm sure he won't …"

Buffy took a deep breath, " if he comes, he comes.  I'll just have to handle it."

She put her arms around her friend.  " I can handle it, right? " she asked as the tears came.
 

(12)

The man put down the phone and turned to the rest of the group.

"The involvement of the Rosenberg girl and Rupert Giles have complicated things.  Our instructions are to stake out Rosenberg and Giles, home and
business.  No one is to take any independent action.  Report any activity here to me.  If the subjects or the child move, follow them and report.
Don't try to stop them or recover the child, is that clear?"

He glanced around the room.

"OK, you can get started, make up watch schedules among yourselves that will provide 24 hour coverage.  Several more teams will arrive tonight to cover a few more addresses.  The San Diego group will be joining us later."

He sat alone after the teams had gone.  San Diego, he thought, they'd already started to ask why the San Diego operation had gone so smoothly compared to this.

He shrugged and got up to check on Emily Stevens.  He opened the door to the small storeroom and glanced at the figure bound to the cot.

The drugs seemed to  be holding up well, he thought, we should be able to keep her out indefinitely, until she would be of no further use.

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

Everyone except Spike and Dawn, who were in the kitchen babysitting with Sara, was gathered in the Rosenberg living room.

"I agree with Willow, "Giles said, " we should look into this ourselves.  The police investigation into the Collins' left much to be desired.  I think they
ended up just sweeping it under the rug."

He continued, " it seems that whatever trouble surrounds Sara the Collins business has something to do with it, or at least her mother thinks so.  Any luck with the parents yet?"

"No, I've called the home number Sara gave me and the office number for Walt Stevens Insurance all afternoon.  No answer at home and the receptionist at the office says that Mr. Stevens left with some new clients before lunch and hasn't returned.  I did a little snooping and found out that she was getting worried.  It wasn't like Mr. Stevens not to tell her where he'd be or to stay out all day.  She said she was also worried because Mrs. Stevens, Emily, had called earlier and had seemed worried too, " Willow reported.

Willow noticed Buffy glance toward the front door for the umpteenth time. She caught her eye and smiled encouragingly.

A few minutes later, the bell rang.

"I'll get it, " Willow shouted as she raced for the door.

She opened it a crack and peered through, she turned to Buffy, gave a small shake of her head and opened the door.

"Jeez, is this how you welcome an old friend?, Cordelia Chase said as she walked in.

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

"I hear that things went well with you, " the man said to his opposite number on the San Diego team.

"Smooth as silk.  We went in and recovered the package with minimal collateral damage.  We left enough evidence of a sudden spur of the moment
trip, that there shouldn't even be a missing persons inquiry for two weeks or more.  Bad luck for you that the parents seemed to be onto something.  Do you have any idea how much they knew? " the other man responded

The man in the dark suit just shook his head.

The other man rose to leave, " we'll be at the ranch if you need anything."

They both walked to the door, the man in the dark suit could just make out the small figure in the rear seat of the car.

He cursed all meddling parents as he watched the other team drive off.

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

"You can put your stuff in here, "Willow said opening the guest room door for Cordelia.

They walked in and Cordelia put her overnight bag on the bureau and sat on the bed.

"Willow, I've wanted to say something to you for a while.  You remember the last time we talked and you told me about .. you know .. the changes you'd been through?"

Willow smiled and nodded.

"It did freak me out a little.  We've known each other forever and I thought I knew you.  Then I thought about it and realized it was all about love.  It didn't matter who it was, if you loved them you loved them.  Who was Cordelia Chase to put some limitations on who her friends could love."

Willow sat down next to her and gave her a hug, " thanks Cordy, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Well I have grown a lot and become much more accepting since I've been out in the big world.  By the way, how is your love life?"

Willow looked away, " I .. ah .. think I might be in love with Spike."

"What!  Are you out of your fucking mind?"
 

(13)

Willow and Cordelia joined the others after deciding to continue their personal discussion later.

"What can you tell us about Wolfram and Hart Cordelia?" Giles asked as she and Willow sat at the dining room table.

She described the evil powers and influences the firm exercised throughout LA.  She detailed the times when their paths had crossed during
investigations.

"I don't think there's anything they wouldn't do and no client too evil to represent, human, vampire, demon you name it.  If these guys are involved in this, Angel's advice is to let it go.  If you don't, you may be in for more than you bargained for."

"Wow, quite the vote of confidence Cordy, " Xander joked.

A deadly serious Cordelia looked at Giles, " you guys have no idea, I've seen some of the things they've done, some of the things they've got to do their dirty work.  You don't want to cross them."

Willow slowly looked around the table.

"I heard what Cordy said and I believe her.  It may be a bad idea to get involved with these people.  I wouldn't blame any of you if you wanted to
leave."

She paused for a moment, " but I will not let people like that get their hands on Sara.  I don't know why they want her and I don't care.  I will do
whatever it takes to protect her."

She sat down and put her head in her hands.

"I'm in, " Xander said, " demons, vamps, lawyers all my favorite kinds of bad guys.

He got up and went to Willow and put his arm around her.

In a few moments, they all were around her hugging and promising their help.

The last to join was Cordelia who muttered, " Chase you're a damned fool," to herself as she gave the crowd a squeeze.

"A group grope and no one invited me," came from the kitchen doorway.

"Spike!" Willow said angrily, "what did I tell you."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, the little git is asleep and I think Dawn is about to go too."

He noticed Cordelia as the group around Willow broke up, "how are things in lala land sweetheart, won an Oscar yet?"

A red faced Cordelia stalked up to him and said something in a low voice. The smile was wiped from his face and he hung his head for a moment.

Cordelia returned to her seat next to Willow as the group broke for coffee and cookies.

"What was that all about?" Willow said nodding toward Spike.

Cordy turned and whispered to her, " Angel told me that the first time Spike gave me a hard time; I should say 'why don't you read us all a sonnet,
Billy?'  I don't have the faintest idea what it means, but it sure as hell works."

Thinking back on their earlier conversation, Cordy added, " take it with my complements, I think you may need it."

After an hours more discussion, they decided to go to the Collins ranch in the hills to look for possible connections to Sara and her family.

Giles took charge of the planning, " Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya and I can go.  Spike and Dawn can stay with Sara."

"Wait a minute, " Cordelia spoke up, " how about me?"

"We appreciate the information, but I assumed you'd be returning to Los Angeles as soon as possible, " Giles explained.

"Angel told me to stay as long as I thought I could help.  If I went with you, I might be able to recognize some of the Wolfram & Hart connections that you might miss, " Cordelia said.

While the rest were discussing arrangements for the ride, Willow went to find Spike.

She found him looking forlorn sitting at the kitchen table.

"Spike, we'd like you to stay with Dawn and Sara, OK?" she asked.

He just nodded without meeting her eyes.

She put her arms around him from the back.

"It's not that bad is it?" she said giving him a squeeze.

"You didn't hear what she said?"

"No," she answered.

His spirits seemed to rise a bit, "it really wasn't anything now that I think of it.  Nothing important at all."

Willow smiled knowingly and kissed his ear, "take care Spike."

He turned his head and brushed her lips with his, " you too red, you too."
 

(14)

Cordelia reluctantly volunteered to drive them to the Collins ranch.  They realized why she was so reluctant when she led them not to a sleek new
convertible but a ten-year-old minivan.

"Cordy does it really happen?" Xander asked.  "Has anyone actually come a knockin' when your van was rockin'?"

He just managed to dodge the punch Cordelia threw in his direction.

"Xander, " Giles said pointedly, "I think that's enough."

"Sorry Cordy, " Xander apologized, but he couldn't completely hide his grin.

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

"Five individuals left the Rosenberg house, " the man reported into his cell phone.

He listened for a moment, " no the child was definitely not with them."

"OK, I'll follow and report back in ten minutes, " he said clicking off the phone and falling in a half block behind the van.

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

"I think we should assume that we could be under surveillance by these people. " Cordelia said after they had gone a mile or so.

"Aren't you being a bit paranoid Cordelia?" Giles asked.

"Just because you think everyone's against you, doesn't mean you're wrong, " she said with a tight smile.

She continued, " these people, and I use the term loosely, will stop at nothing to get what they want.  They've come within an inch of beating Angel and he's a pretty tough customer.  So let's assume the worst, OK?"

"How are you fixed for evasive maneuvers?" Buffy asked.

"I remember a deserted dirt road that connects the far end of Main Street to the mountain road.  Not even the cops patrol it.  You could sit there for hours and never see another car.  If we make a sharp right at the end of Main and put out our lights, we could be down that road and away before any stranger would realize what was going on," Cordelia proposed.

Giles and Buffy both nodded and Cordy began to accelerate.

Xander called out from the back seat, " exactly what were you doing when you used to sit for hours on this deserted road?"

Buffy could see Cordelia color by the dashboard lights.

"Probably what you were doing with that inflatable doll in your basement, " Buffy responded with an evil grin.

Xander's face glowed with embarrassment as Anya began to whisper some pointed questions.

"Thanks, " Cordelia murmured to Buffy.

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

"No, they seemed to completely disappear, " the man said into the cell phone.

"No idea what direction they were headed, they turned West and then they were gone," he added.

He listened for a full two minutes, his only reaction was a tightening of his jaw.

"Understood, I'll return to the Rosenberg house and continue surveillance of the subject, " he clicked the phone off and made the next left turn.

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

"Put out your headlights, " Buffy whispered.

Cordelia flipped off the lights and stopped the van.

"What is it?" she asked.

Buffy pointed to a gap in the trees where a few lights shone, " I don't think we're alone."

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

Spike watched the van pull off, " I guess we're on our own for a few hours kiddies."

"Race you to the ice cream, " Dawn called out chasing Sara out of the room.

Spike turned to follow them, when something caught his eye.  A dark sedan pulled to the curb in the middle of the block.  He waited for a moment and nothing happened.  The interior light didn't come on, a door didn't open, no one came to the car.  He waited a full five minutes, still nothing.

"Spike, you're missing all the fun, " Dawn shouted from the kitchen.

"Be there in a minute, " he replied.

Staring at the car, he thought, I don't think we're alone.
 

(15)

"Cordelia, " Giles said, " I think there's a dirt road on the other side.  If we pull into it, I don't think we can be seen from the road."

Cordelia nodded and swung the van slowly out and across the road.

Once the van was hidden, Giles asked, "any suggestions?"

Willow started, " I think we have to check the main building and see what those lights are."

"How about the stuff we came for, information on Sara?" Buffy asked.

"The main building is out until we see what's there, " Giles said, " but we could look in the clinic.  It's only a few hundred feet down this road."

Willow said uncertainly, " you mean the place where they … where Dawn was?"

Giles paused, " why don't you and Buffy check the main building and the rest of us will search the clinic.

Willow smiled gratefully then she and Buffy set out toward the lights.

A few minutes later, Willow whispered, " what do you think?"

Buffy murmured, " I don't see anyone.  It looks like someone was here and left.  I wonder if they're coming back?"

Willow pulled her friend aside into some bushes, " I think I hear the answer."

They watched as the lights of two cars came along the road toward them.  The cars stopped in front of the main building and four figures got out.  One was carrying a small bundle.

Willow was shocked to hear a faint 'help' sound in her head as the figures passed into the building.

"Will, what do you think we should do now?" Buffy asked.

Willow didn't respond.

"Will, what is it?" Buffy said shaking Willow's shoulder.

"Something bad has happened, go get the others.  I'll meet you all at the van.  Make sure you're ready to go when I get there, " Willow said tensely.

"What is it, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Go, just go and do what I said!" Willow said  hoarsely.

Back at the clinic building, the search had been unsuccessful.

"I'm sorry to say that between the police and the lawyers I think they got everything, " Giles said closing another empty file drawer.

"Nothing here, " Xander added from across the room.

Cordelia just turned up her palms and shrugged.

"Come on Anya, lets take a look in this closet, " Xander said without enthusiasm.

Anya just waved him away.

"What is it, do you see something?" Xander asked.

"That old desk, " she said pointing into the corner.

"What about it, " Giles asked.

"I remember a vengeance job that involved some love letters.  The creep, and he was a big one, hid them in a desk that looked like that one.  In a secret drawer."

She walked to the desk and sat down.  She ran her hand under the front edge. She stopped and pushed something.  Reaching under the desk, she brought out two thin folders.

Giles took them, "one says 'Stevens' and the other says 'Harrison'.  I wonder …"

He was interrupted by an excited Buffy.

Willow stood outside a large window, she heard two of the men.

"How much did you give her?" one man said.

"One dropper full, like they said.  She wasn't a problem when we grabbed her was she?" the other replied.

She heard a door close and muffled footsteps.

Peeking through the window, she saw that the room was empty except for a small blanket covered bundle on the bed.

Willow took a deep breath and began to chant under her breath.  She was straining with all her might, sweat stood out on her forehead.

Slipping around the corner of the building, she looked in a small window. She saw four figures sitting perfectly still, two of them with glasses part
way to their mouths.

Still chanting, she turned back.  She opened the window and stepped through. She lifted the figure, blanket and all from the bed and stepped back outside. Looking around, she took off at full speed toward the van.

She tumbled through the open door and shouted, "take off now, they'll be after us in a few minutes!"

Cordelia spun out and sped down the road.  When she reached the main road, she saw headlights come on at the ranch.  She turned toward town and accelerated.

"What's going on and what's that, " Giles asked pointing at the bundle in Willow's arms.

"Cell phone, " Willow barked holding out her hand.

Cordelia held one out to her.

"Buffy, punch in my number and give it to me, " Willow said.

"Hello, Spike? " she said, " is Dawn OK?"

"She's fine Red, sitting right here in front of me," Spike replied.

"Are you OK too?"

"I'm fine too, what's ….."

"Then how did it happen?" she interrupted.

"How did what happen, you're not making any bloody sense?"

"How did they get Sara?" Willow nearly shouted with frustration.

"Get Sara, she's sitting right here with Dawn, she couldn't sleep so we've been reading some stories.  Wait, come here shortcake.  Hi Willow, when you comin' back?"

Willow sat back.  Then without a word she handed the phone to Buffy and began to unwrap the blanket.

There was a beautiful sleeping red haired child, the identical twin to Sara.

Her eyes fluttered open and as Willow noted their deep green color, she heard a familiar voice in her head, 'hi, I'm Sam who are you?"
 
 

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