Angel put his arm around Ceara's waist and hauled her to her feet, wonderingly fleetingly when the onslaught was going to cease, as three more vampires raced
toward them. The first to reach them brought his foot up under Angel's chin and kicked him away from the slayer. The vampire behind the one who'd kicked Angel
grabbed Ceara by the hair and wrenched her head back. His partner stomped on her hand as she attempted to raise a stake, and the slayer looked up into the cruel eyes of her impending death as the vampire who was crouched over her bared his fangs with an evil grin and lowered his head to her neck.

Suddenly, the hand in her hair fizzled to ashes, and she collapsed onto the ground as the agonizing pressure from the foot grinding into her hand disappeared. She opened her eyes to find Willow reaching down to help her up. Whirling around with a
quick, heart-felt, "Thanks," she saw Spike hauling Angel to his feet.

"More," the dark vampire groaned as two more vampires appeared from the shadows.

"Ours," Willow replied, flipping a stake up into the air, catching it deftly, and flinging it into the heart of the foremost attacker.

Her sire chuckled and took off after the second vampire, who had turned to flee. Spike reached out to place a hand on his back and shoved him, face-first, into a tree. Curling his hand around the groaning vampire's neck, Spike sank his fangs into his jugular and quickly drained him.

"Show-offs," Ceara grumbled as she looked around for any more vampires.

"All work and no play," Willow shrugged.

"Spike, this is the second night in a row. You have no idea where these vampires are coming from?" Angel asked.

"They aren't mine," Spike answered. "Eight of them tried to move in on one of the lairs in town last night. They thought it had been abandoned, until my boys took them out."

"I don't get it," Ceara said. "All the vamps in Sunnydale know you're--"

"Exactly," Willow nodded.

"They're not from Sunnydale," Angel concluded. "Any idea where they _are_ from?"

"No," Spike answered.

"Great," the slayer moaned. "That means we get to spend the rest of the night watching Giles bounce from book to book."

"Have fun," Willow smiled sweetly and took Spike's hand.

"Hey! Aren't you going with us?" Ceara called out as they walked off.

"Nope," she answered and stepped closer to Spike's side, never looking back at the unhappy couple behind them.
***
"They're definitely not from Sunnydale," Giles said.

"We pretty much figured that out," Ceara replied patiently.

"It'll take some time to track their movements," he told her. "There's no need in you two watching me bounce from book to book."

Angel quirked an eyebrow at Ceara, and she grinned back at him.

"Why don't you do another sweep of the cemeteries and then go home?" Christina suggested. "We'll handle the research."

"Deal!" Ceara nodded happily. "We'll let you know if anything unusual happens."
***
Willow smiled at Darnell as he reached over her shoulder and set a mug of blood down beside the keyboard. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, and he began to massage them gently.

"Mmmm, feels good," she purred, taking a swallow of blood as she gazed at the monitor.

"Is that from the watcher?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the same point.

"Yeah. He's found some newspaper articles from six small towns about sudden, unexplained rises in homicides. The route forms a direct path to Sunnydale."

"Our out-of-town vampires?" he guessed.

She nodded, "Looks like it. Let's see...the killings started in--"

Willow gasped and took her eyes from the screen as a cold, wet nose prodded her elbow. She grinned and reached down to give Trouble an affectionate pat. The pup, however, had his eyes on the mouse cord, and he suddenly jumped up, tore the mouse from the keyboard, and ran out the door.

"No!" Willow shouted, shoving her chair back into Darnell and leaping to her feet. "That's the third one this month!"

She dashed out of the room, narrowly missing Spike, who was coming toward her.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"Mouse!" she answered, sidestepping him and darting toward the stairs.

"You're running from a--"

"Computer mouse!" she called back to him.

"Trouble's gone to burying them," Darnell explained as he followed after Willow.

Spike shook his head as Joseph pounded down the stairs, "I've got to turn a taxidermist. That mutt should be stuffed and--"

A sudden, loud squeal from the living room put an end to his mumbling, and he raced down the stairs to rescue his redhead.
 
 

Spike tore into the living room just in time to see Willow's small body being swallowed up in his twin's embrace.

"William!" she beamed delightedly and reached out to squeeze the hand of the mortal redhead beside him.

Will grinned and looked from Willow to Spike.

"What are they doing here?" Darnell asked.

"They came to visit!" Willow answered and dragged them over to the sofa.

Will plopped down beside William and looked up at her, "Well, actually--"

"You didn't come to visit?" her twin looked crestfallen. "But you're here. So, you're visitors, and visitors visit. Unless--"

"Baby," Spike grinned and stepped up behind her.

"We came to help," Will told them.

"Help? Do we need help?" Darnell asked Spike.

"Has Sunnyhell been overrun by vampires lately?" William inquired.

"Hell, yes," Spike said. "And they're not from--"

"Around here," his double nodded. "They're from Chicago."

"They're yours?" Willow asked.

"No. They're what's left of the gang of rogues I dusted two weeks after we got there," he told her.

"What's left?" she repeated. "How many were there to begin with?"

"A lot," he answered. "And they weren't keen on falling into line, so I had to get--persuasive. When I staked their leader, the rest of them took off."

"How many?" Spike asked.

"Three or four dozen, at least, not including the victims they've probably turned along their way here."

"Bloody hell," the Master vampire murmured.

"But why travel to Sunnydale?" Willow wondered. "I mean, Spike's here, not to mention the slayer and Angel."

"Yeah, he'd set any vampire to trembling, what with shagging a slayer and all," William added scornfully. "Anyway, Sunnyhell must be their idea of revenge. They
know I came from here. They know you're still here. And they know this town's history."

"And they figure if it can be overpowered by vampires once, it can happen again," Willow said.

"That's my guess," he nodded.

"I'll call Ceara."

"It's nearly sunrise, luv," Spike reminded her.

"I'll call, anyway. We can meet tomorrow. Do you guys have a place to stay?" she asked Will.

"No."

"Good! You can stay here," the redheaded vampire smiled. "Joseph--"

"I know," he grumbled. "Get a room ready, domesticated git that I am."

"I'll help," Will offered, jumping up from the sofa and going to him. "Lead the way, houseboy."

Darnell grinned and waved her toward the stairs.
***
Ceara and Angel stopped just inside the patio doors and looked in at the foursome sitting in Giles' living room.

"Ah, the slayer and her lap dog," William spoke. "I hope he's housebroken."

"William," Will's soft voice admonished him.

"We're going to have to work together if we want to stop these bastards," Spike told him.

"Yeah, but tell me you don't think the same thing every time she takes his big, strong, manly hand in her warm, delicate female hand."

Spike grinned but didn't answer.

"Are you two finished?" Willow asked. "Or should we just stand in the park, wave a white flag, and tell this gang of vampires were facing to tuck in and enjoy the buffet?"

Ceara ignored the entire conversation and stepped into the room as Angel glared over at William.

Giles sighed and dropped the open book in his hands onto the coffee table, "If we're done with the verbal skirmish, could we get down to the matter at hand? We may be facing a bigger threat than any of you realize."

"How so?" Ceara asked.

"We did some research on the leader William dusted. Coming to Sunnydale was very likely more than a means of revenge. My guess is they were headed here, anyway."

"Why would a gang of demons leave Chicago to come all the way here?" Angel asked.

"Their leader was working with a demon named Chimosh. His power lies in his ability to force humans to succumb to his will. Their minds remain free, but the demon controls their bodies. The vampires used the demon to bring humans to them. They imprisoned their victims, sending some of them out to bring other people to them and boarding the rest."

"Boarding? Like animals?" Ceara asked.

"A living blood bank," the watcher nodded. "Perhaps the worst part of it is that the demon's victims are fully aware of their situation, but his control over their bodies prevents them from even attempting to escape. Chimosh feeds off of their despair and agony, and the vampires feed off their blood."

"The perfect partnership. In an evil sort of way," Willow quickly added when Giles' and Christina's shocked eyes turned toward her.

"But this Chimosh guy can't be here, yet," Ceara reasoned. "At least, we haven't heard any reports of lots of people suddenly disappearing."

Christina nodded, "True, but as Willow pointed out, the partnership was just as beneficial to the demon as it was to the vampires. I find it hard to believe he'd give it up very easily."

"And according to this," Giles tapped a finger against the open book, "Chimosh prefers Hellmouths, and Sunnydale is fully repopulated now. William and Will must have made things very uncomfortable for the vampires in Chicago. What better place to move than to Sunnydale--a Hellmouth with a precarious past, and a slayer to sweeten the pot."

"I'd think the slayer's presence would be a deterrant," Angel said.

Giles shook his head, "The demon has the power to influence _any_ human--including Ceara. If he could capture her, she'd couldn't escape. They could keep her alive for a very long time. The bitter agony of a slayer for the demon to feed from and the strength of her blood for the vampires."

Chilly fingers traveled along Angel's spine at the mere thought of his love being trapped in such a hell.

"Okay," Ceara spoke. "So, do we know when this demon is supposed to arrive?"

"I've no idea, but it can't be too long. Willow, do you think Mathala could help?" Giles asked.

"I've been avoiding contact with her," she admitted. "I told her to stop answering all of my impulsive questions unless I specifically tell her to. I'll summon her and see if she can help us."

"Good. In the meantime, Angel, you'd better stay close to Ceara," Christina suggested. "The demon's power doesn't extend to vampires, so she'll be safer with
you."

He nodded in grim silence and curled his hand around Ceara's.
 
 
 

Willow tugged at Darnell's jacket and ducked down lower behind the bushes as three vampires left the dark building across the grassy lot and walked away.

"Willow, we shouldn't be here. They aren't Spike's--"

"I know," she nodded. "That's why we followed them. What do you suppose they were doing in there?"

"I have no idea, but the Master is going to throttle the both of us when he finds out what we're doing."

She waded her way through the low branches of the overgrown bushes and headed toward the abandoned building. Joseph breathed a forced sigh of resignation and took off after her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.

"Checking it out," she shrugged.

"Have you lost your bleeding mind? We should go back and get Spike, or at least some of the boys."

"There's no time! We don't know how long those vampires will be gone."

"Exactly."

"Fine," she snapped. "You go back for help, and I'll check it out by myself."

"Right," he muttered as she kept going. "Like that's going to happen."

Two more, larger, buildings were situated beside the first, but Willow focused her attention on the one from which the vampires had emerged. She put her hand on the rusted latch and gave it a hard pull. To her surprise, it opened easily, and she landed on her ass in the patch of dirt in front of the door.

Darnell reached down and hauled her up onto her feet, "Well, that's a promising start."

She giggled softly, and he grabbed her hand protectively as she stepped through the open door to look around. Boards had been nailed over the high, broken windows that ran along both sides of the large, rectangular building. Six sets of shackles hung from chains secured to the rafters overhead, and leg and wrist irons were fastened down the full length of both walls.

"This building alone could hold at least 20 victims," she whispered grimly. "And the other two are bigger than this one!"

"Willow," Darnell cautioned her as she walked toward a metal cabinet that stood by the wall.

"Wonder what's in here," she murmured and rattled at the locked door.

"Willow!" he whispered urgently as his sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching along the dirt path to the building.

Quickly, she returned to his side, and Darnell peered cautiously through the open doorway before tugging her outside and quietly closing the door. They dashed around the side of the building and waited until they heard a door on the next building over being noisily opened and then slammed shut. Clutching Willow's hand in a death-grip, Joseph took off for the bushes along the edge of the lot.
***
"Where the fuck have you been?" Spike growled angrily as Willow came through the terrace doors ahead of Darnell.

She looked from her sire to William, who was rising from the sofa, and back to her sire.

"I was--you were," she paused and caught hold of a quick wave of fear. "You were out hunting, and I--"

"I've been back for an hour," he shouted, striding over to her and taking her arms in a hard grip. "Where have you been?"

She looked hesitantly at Darnell, who was carefully studying the carpet at his feet.

"Answer me," he demanded.

"Oh, don't get on that old misbehaving childe routine," she said. "You know I never listen to you."

William snorted in amusement, "That's one hell of a mate you've got there."

"Don't look now, but you've got the same thing," Spike warned him, his eyes never leaving Willow.

William looked curiously down at the mortal redhead still seated on the sofa and grinned at the rosy blush on her cheeks.

"Pet, where were you?" Spike asked again.

"We found some of those vampires, and Joseph and I followed them. They--"

"You what?" he snarled and squeezed her arms.

"Would you cut that out?" she barked back. "Do you want to hear or not?"

"How the bloody hell could you let her do that?" he snapped at Darnell.

"Master, she doesn't listen to me, either," Joseph reminded him.

"Point taken," he nodded. "I'm listening, Willow."

"They've moved into some abandoned storehouses near the old train depot. The one on the other side of the river."

"Go on," he urged.

"They've got chains and shackles and hell knows what else. They could easily keep 50 or 60 people imprisoned there."

"They've been busy," he stated. "They didn't see you two, did they?"

"We took off when we heard them coming."

Darnell shot her a warning look, too late, and cringed at Spike's dark expression.

He lowered his voice and stared down at her, "You know, little one--"

"Uh oh," she whispered at the use of that name.

"You may be an errant childe, and I may let you get away with it, but I'm still your sire. We've fought hard to be together, and if anything ever happened to you, my unlife wouldn't be worth unliving."

She stood very still, holding his steady gaze, waiting.

"So, if you ever do anything that stupid again--" he leaned close to her ear and whispered so softly even the other vampires in the room couldn't hear what he said.

Willow trembled ever so slightly and dropped her head to his shoulder.

"Is that clear?" he asked as he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

She nodded silently and slipped an arm around his neck.

"But Spike," she finally murmured, when she'd rediscovered her voice. "You know me. I'll probably do something that stupid again, someday."

His shoulder under her cheek shook as he laughed softly, and he whispered against her hair, "I love you."

The other arm joined the first around his neck, and she clung fiercely to him. Spike kissed her neck and squeezed her tightly to him.

William turned his head to watch Will as her racing heartbeat pounded in his ears. She looked up at him, her expression a mixture of fear and concern, and he took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Would he hurt her?" she asked quietly.

"Only if it meant keeping her safe," he answered, looking pointedly at her.

Her heartbeat quickened once again, but for an entirely different reason, and he chuckled and bent to kiss her.

"At least you had the sense to drag Darnell along with you," Spike said, casting a grateful look at Joseph.

"Spike," her voice was muffled against his shoulder.

"Yes, baby."

"I'm hungry. I forgot to eat before we left."

"There's fresh blood in the fridge," Darnell offered.

She brushed her fingertips lightly over her sire's neck and looked hopefully up at him.

"Come on, pet," he smiled and took her hand before looking over at William. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time," he said and tugged Will up off the sofa. "We'll go for a walk in the gardens."

Darnell watched the blonde vampires escort the twin redheads out of the room, thought briefly about hunting down Elena, and quickly decided to head for the bottle of bloodwine in the kitchen instead.
 
 

Willow had insisted on being alone to summon Mathala, and Spike, who knew all too well the little demon's ability to get things thoroughly screwed up, had readily agreed. Now, the redheaded vampire sat alone on the edge of the bed and looked at the well-meaning demon who had chosen her as Master.

"When he is coming?" Willow asked.

Mathala laced her gnarled fingers nervously together and looked into the vampire's waiting eyes.

"Well, I don't like to pry into these matters, especially after you ordered me to stay out of things unless you asked."

"I'm asking," Willow smiled gently.

The demon's voice quivered as her eyes darted to the bed, "Well, I suppose it depends on when you and your sire decide to--well, you know."

"What?" her Master's brow furled in confusion.

"I've been working on learning the little intricacies of the slang--I believe it's called--that you beings like to use. Coming, if I remember correctly--"

"Coming!" Willow squealed as her gaze followed Mathala's to the pillows behind her. "No! Not Spike!"

"No?" Mathala repeated, completely bewildered.

Willow shook her head and bit her lip to stifle a giggle, "No. The demon--Chimosh. When is he supposed to arrive in Sunnydale? Can you tell me?"

The small demon's eyes returned to her Master, "Oh. I can only tell you he arrived tonight. His realm is one I cannot cross over into, since I am benevolent and he is--"

"A bastard," Willow stated.

Mathala shook her head, "He has no mother or father. He simply--"

"It's a figure of--never mind," Willow groaned. "Can you tell me where, exactly, he is?"

"I know nothing of his movements, only of his general location. I'm sorry, Master. I'd help if I could."

"You have helped," Willow smiled.
***
"I don't get it," Willow said as she sat down next to Spike.

"Did she tell you where to find him?" he asked, looking over the newspaper he was reading.

"No, she could only tell me he's already arrived. But everything's normal in town."

"You sure it's tonight? That demon of yours has been known to get things twisted, you know," Joseph replied.

"Yes, but her answer was very clear. Maybe Ceara and Angel came across something on patrol."

"We could always go check out those buildings again," Darnell teased.

"Um, no. Bad idea," she said quickly.

Spike chuckled and dropped the newspaper as William and Will came in from the terrace.

"It's too bloody quiet out there," William spoke.

"I'm going to call Ceara," Willow decided and went to the phone.

It rang as she reached for it, and she snatched it up. Spike stood as she spoke softly, her face etched with concern, then hung up and turned to him.

"That was Angel," she told him. "Giles and Christina were attacked by vampires in the park. He's in the hospital. They've taken Christina."
***
Giles struggled to sit up, and Ceara's firm hand shoved him back down onto the bed as Willow and Spike came into the room with their doubles in tow. Willow's eyes settled on the large bandage on the watcher's neck.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Not really," he answered, his dull hazy eyes staring back at her through swollen lids. "We ran into six of those vampires in the park. I tried to fight them off, but there were too damned many."

His hand moved to the bandage covering the bite marks on his neck, and his eyes misted with unshed tears.

"I tried to get to Christina," he went on shakily. "But one of them grabbed me and--she didn't put up a fight, didn't try to get away. Ceara tells me the demon arrived tonight. I didn't see him, but--"

Willow nodded, "I wonder why they left you behind."

"Because they wanted a witness," Giles answered bitterly. "Someone who could tell you what had happened so you'd go after them."

"Well, they're going to get what they wanted," the slayer stated coldly.

"Ceara, no. They'd love for you to walk right into this. All it would take would be for the demon to be present and to focus on you. Chimosh can only take possession of one mortal at a time, but once he's taken control of your body, the mental link is all
that's required to keep you. They could take you as easily as they took Christina."

"We know where they are. I'm not going to stand back while they hurt the people I care about," she argued.

Giles took her hand and looked around at the others, "Then let them go after her. Chimosh can't influence them."

"Giles, I'm going. I can hold off the vampires while they get to Christina," she stated firmly.

"Please, you have no idea what--"

"I promise I'll be careful. I'll stay close to Angel," she squeezed his hand before releasing it and heading for the door. "We'll bring her back."
***
Spike made a quick phone call to Darnell before they left the hospital to head for the old train depot.

"I'm thinking maybe you should go back to the mansion, luv," William suggested to Will.

"Like hell!" she refused. "I may not know Christina very well, but I care about Giles. No one messes with my friends."

Spike grinned and put an arm around Willow's shoulders at the familiar fire in her mortal twin's voice. As they neared the end of the dirt road that ran across the river, Darnell's form appeared in the darkness ahead. They made their way quietly across the plank bridge that spanned the narrow river.

"Split up," Ceara whispered. "We'll take the far building. You guys take the one in the middle."

Gripping Will's hand, William followed their doubles' quick steps as Darnell moved behind him. The door on the middle building swung open, and the light from inside bathed the small group of demons standing in the doorway. The unwelcome trespassers were easily spotted, and the vampires growled and headed toward them.

Releasing Willow's hand, Spike sidestepped the attacker who lunged at him. The vampire landed with a thud on the ground. Willow slipped a stake from her pocket and shoved it into the prone vampire's chest. The second assailant kicked out at her, hitting her in the chest. She flew backward and rolled as he flung himself down to cover her, only to find himself slamming into the hard ground. Darnell straddled his
back and grabbed a fistful of the vampire's hair, wrenching his head painfully back, sinking his fangs into the hapless vampire's neck, and savagely tearing it open.

Dropping the body before it turned to ashes, he reached out and grabbed the third attacker's fist a split-second before it connected with Spike's jaw. The vampire snarled angrily and kicked Darnell's legs out from under him, then turned and grabbed Will by the hair and yanked her toward him. She yelped, and William shifted to game face as the little redhead fought to free herself. The vampire turned his head at the same moment Willow slammed the butt of her palm into his face. His fangs caught the flesh of her hand and tore it open, and she cried out in pain.

Incensed, Spike grabbed his lover's shoulder and shoved her out of the way before gripping the wrist of the hand that was curled through Will's hair. From the other side, William's fangs latched onto the vampire's ear and ripped it away from his head. Will's captor howled and released her.

"Down!" William barked, and Will immediately dropped to her knees, and Willow thrust a stake through the vampire's heart.

"You okay, baby?" William asked, kneeling to help her rise.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm good."

"You three check out the other building--but be careful," Spike ordered Darnell. "We'll check on Angel and the slayer."

As the trio ran off, Spike put his hand on Willow's arm and eyed the injured hand that was dripping with blood.

"I'm all right," she promised. "Let's find Angel."

Cautiously, they made their way to the far building and discovered Angel lying in a heap in front of the door.

"Shit," Spike hissed, dropping down beside him.

"Holy water," the dark vampire mumbled as his hand moved to the stake protruding from his chest, just below his heart. "It's Ceara's. The damned thing is saturated with it."

Spike grabbed the edge of his duster and wrapped it around the stake.

"Hang on, old man," he warned.

Angel groaned as Spike took the stake in a steely grip and tugged it out of his sire's flesh. He flung it away and curled his hand around Angel's arm while Willow took the other one, and they helped him onto his unsteady feet.

"How the hell did they manage to wield a stake soaked in holy water long enough to attack you with it?" Willow asked.

"They didn't. Ceara did," he said softly.

"The demon is here?" Will asked.

"He was. Gone, now," Angel answered, looking through the doorway of the now-empty building. "They took her."

Willow's eyes met Spike's for a brief moment before Darnell, William, and Will came around the side of the building.

"There's no one else here," Joseph reported. "The buildings are empty."

"Bloody hell," Spike growled angrily. "It was a set-up."

"And we walked right into it," Willow nodded as she echoed Giles' words of warning.
 
 
 

Willow hung up the kitchen phone and turned to the others, "Well, that wasn't good."

"Giles didn't take the news well?" Will guessed.

"He was half-way dressed and ready to leave before I finished telling him what happened. I don't what he thinks he's going to do. We don't even know where they are."

"You made your phone call, pet. Now, get back over here and let me tend to that," Spike said, looking at her injured hand.

She went to him, and he pulled her down onto his lap and took the wet cloth Darnell was holding. Willow stared over at Angel until his anguished eyes finally met hers.

"We'll find her," she said softly. "They have to be somewhere in Sunnydale."

"I sent some of the boys out to try to track them down, Master," Darnell told Spike as he retrieved a mug of blood from the microwave.

"Good," he nodded and held Willow's hand still as she tried to pull away from the careful cleaning he was subjecting it to.

Joseph placed the mug on the table in front of her, and she took a long swallow, all the while watching Angel.

"I can't just sit here," the dark vampire grumbled and shoved his chair back, wincing at the sharp stab of pain that shot through his chest.

"You're in no shape to be running around Sunnyhell. Besides, it's too close to sunrise. They won't hurt her," Spike told him.

"No," he snarled. "They'll fuck with her mind and slowly drain her until she's too weak to--"

"Angel, she's strong. She'll be okay. We'll track her down tonight," Willow insisted.

"But we'd bloody well better come up with a plan that actually works this time," William spoke.

"Like you give a damn," Angel growled, staring at the arm wrapped securely around Will's waist.

"You and your sodding obsession for fucking slayers. Why the hell _should_ I care?" William shouted back.

"William, knock it off," Willow said calmly.

He turned his cold eyes on her.

"And don't get pissy with me," she added casually. "You love Will, don't you?"

"What the hell has that got to do with--"

"Well, Angel loves Ceara just as much. So shut up," she suggested.

Spike laughed quietly and kissed her cheek as he wrapped a bandage around her hand.

"I like Ceara," Will told William softly. "I want to help her. Please?"

His icy blue eyes immediately melted as she rested the back of her head against his chest and tilted her chin to look up at him. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and hugged her close to him.

"All right, baby," he surrendered. "We'll help."

"Thank you," she whispered, raising her hand to caress his cheek.

Darnell swallowed a chuckle as he looked from William to Spike and wondered if either of them would ever admit just how tightly they were wrapped around the
slender fingers of their little redheads.
***
After Willow refused to let him return to his apartment alone, Angel spent the day restlessly moving from room to room on the ground floor of the sprawling mansion. The fading ache in his ribs was no match for the ache in his unbeating heart. The minutes clicked by with sadistic slowness as his mind inflicted a myriad of agonizing torments on Ceara as she waited helplessly for rescue.

"He's going to drive himself crazy," Willow muttered to Will as the vampire paused in his rhythmic footsteps to drag a hand through his hair.

"I imagine Giles isn't doing much better," Will nodded.

"You two don't have to stand in the hallway and whisper," the haggard vampire spoke as their voices drifted around the corner of the entryway.

"Sorry," Will smiled as she preceded her twin into the room. "We're worried about you."

"I'm worried about Ceara," he snapped, then looked contritely at her. "I'm sorry. My mouth is being run by my emotions at the moment."

"It's okay," she told him. "We'll find her, Angel. We'll get her back."

"We have to," he said, his voice thick with despair. "I can't go through this again. You don't remember when we lost Buffy before Sunnydale burned, do you?"

She shook her head.

"I didn't think I would have the strength to survive it. To this day, I don't know if I would have if the chaos that erupted hadn't consumed my thoughts and emotions. If I lose Ceara, I don't think I can go on. I can't do this without her."

"Oh, Angel," Will whispered sadly and put her arms around him.

Willow turned, her vision blurred by red tears, and quietly climbed the stairs to the bedroom. Spike awoke as she closed the door and went to stand in front of the doors leading out onto to balcony that overlooked the back gardens. She pushed back the edge of the heavy drape, leaning her head against the casing as she looked out at the soft golden glow of the setting sun. Sliding silently out of the bed, Spike walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his naked chest and kissing her neck.

"He's spent the entire day slowly falling apart," she whispered.

"He's stronger than that, luv."

"Is he? After Buffy died, and the Hellmouth burst into flames, he was strong for the rest of us. He had something to focus on, something to distract him. But if they kill Ceara, I don't know if he'll--"

"Shhh," he turned her to him as she choked on her dark fears.

He held her close, his fingers gently stroking her long, auburn hair, as crimson tears spilled from her eyes.

"They won't kill her, baby. They want her alive."

"That's what we have to do, now, isn't it?" she said.

He waited silently for her to continue, having lost her train of thought.

"Focus, I mean," she pulled back to look up at him. "Find her and Christina, and take out the bastards who took them."

He brought his hands to her face and brushed away the red tears from her cheeks as his mind swelled with admiration at the iron determination that had returned to her voice.

"In all of eternity, I'll never stop marveling over you, my love," he murmured as he stared into the depths of her eyes. "I did one right thing in my evil existence. I found my way to you. And that redeems everything else."

"I love you," she whispered as his lips descended to hers.
***
Ceara awoke to the same gloomy surroundings she had found herself in everytime she had drifted briefly into consciousness throughout the long night. She tried to shift her body, but the iron cuffs around her wrists and her ankles held her firmly to the hard wall and left no room for movement. She moaned as her cramped muscles tightened painfully.

"Well, well," the unexpected voice from across the room started her. "Look who's awake, at last."

The owner of the voice, a tall, sinewy vampire, stepped out of the shadows to stand directly in front of her, a hand's width away.

"So much beauty, wasted on a slayer," he mused as he ran his hand through her dark hair and cupped her cheek.

Her mind screamed at his cold touch, but she found herself unable to turn her head away.

"Can't fight me, can you, pretty one?" he smiled cruelly and traced a path with his fingers down her throat to the buttons on her shirt. "No matter how your mind might like to, you simply--can't."

Ceara squeezed her eyes shut as his hand moved lower and cupped her sex through her jeans. He chuckled and ground his mouth against hers, prying her lips apart and raping her mouth with his tongue as he unfastened her pants. Her mind recoiled at the brutal intrusion, but her body refused to struggle. The vampire pulled away and laughed at the terror and hate in her eyes.

"Slayer's blood," he murmured, licking his lips as he swept her hair away from her neck.

Ceara whimpered as his hand dipped underneath the waistband of her panties. She wanted desperately to clamp her legs together, to ward him off. But even if she could have willed her body to obey her mind, the shackles at her feet kept her legs spread open, leaving her vulnerable to his touch. The vampire lowered his head to her neck and ran his tongue along the pulse point below her ear as he roughly stabbed a cold finger inside her dry channel. She cried out as he sank his fangs into her neck and drank from her until her body grew weak, and blissful oblivion carried consciousness away.
 

"Did you get any sleep?" Willow asked Angel as they waited on the terrace for the others to join them.

"I don't need sleep," he snapped, then softened his tone as she reached for his hand. "I need--her."

"I know," she nodded, turning away from him as a lone figure approached from across the lawn. "Giles? What are you doing here?"

"I'm going with you," the watcher stated as he came near.

"That isn't a good idea," Angel told him.

"I'm bloody well not sitting around in that house while you go after Christina and Ceara," he snarled.

"Just let us do what we have to. We'll bring them back," Willow told him.

Giles glared at her as Spike, William, and Will came out of the house.

"No one's asking Angel to sit idly by while you rescue Ceara," he continued. "Are you afraid I'll get in the way?"

"Of course not!" she answered, touching his arm. "I just meant--"

He put his hand over hers and gripped it angrily, "I may not be a bloodsucking demon, but I'm not completely incapable of--"

Spike snarled and moved beside Willow, prying Giles' hand off of hers and shoving him away. Giles hand curled into fists, and he moved back toward Willow. William stepped around the redhead, placing himself between her and the watcher.

"Christina needs me," Giles barked. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Spike's cold eyes remained fixed on the man's face.

"If they'd taken Willow, no power in hell would stop you from getting to her," the watcher asserted, staring right back at him.

Spike nodded once and stepped back to Willow's side. Giles reigned in his anger as William also moved away.

"Where do we start? We don't know where they've been taken," Will asked softly.

"Back at the old train depot," Darnell answered from the doorway.

"Those buildings are empty," Angel reminded him.

"They were," Joseph nodded. "Until a small group of humans was taken there just after sunset tonight."

"How do you know that?" Spike asked.

"Willow told me to take a few of the boys and check the place out."

Willow grinned innocently up at her sire as he cast a surprised look at her.

"We saw them crossing the river, headed toward the buildings," Darnell continued.

"Were Ceara and Christina with them?" Will asked.

"We kept our distance. It was hard to tell, but I don't think so. But those vampires will be able to tell us where they are. I left the boys there to keep an eye on them."

"Let's go," Angel said and walked off the terrace.
***
Christina ran her tongue over her parched lips and looked at the glass of water on the table beside her chair. Instinctively, she tried to reach for it, but her arm would not move. The vampire standing over her bent down and looked into her eyes.

"You'd like a drink, wouldn't you?" he asked with deceptive gentleness.

She nodded her head silently.

"Drink," he told her, and with that single word, she found she was able to reach for the glass.

She closed her eyes as the tepid liquid flowed past her lips and down her aching throat. When she opened them again, her captor had moved away and was staring
silently at her.

"Let me--" she shook her head, knowing the plea would fall on sadistically deaf ears.

"You're right," the vampire grinned as if reading her thoughts. "It won't do you any good. Besides, if I let you go, your friends would never have the chance to rescue you, and we both know they're going to try it. Especially now that we have the slayer."

Her eyes locked on him, "You have Ceara? Where is she?"

"Hanging around here, somewhere," he chuckled.

"Bastard," she mumbled.

"That's right," he agreed and moved back to her to grip her chin in his hand. "You've had your drink. Now, it's my turn."

Powerless to fight him, she whimpered as he tilted her head back and sank his fangs into the puncture wounds already on her neck.
***
Six of Spike's boys were waiting for him at the end of the road that led to the depot, and he gestured for them to follow.

William took Will's elbow as they neared the bridge," Luv, you should wait--"

"Don't start," she interrupted him and stepped up beside Willow.

"Ready?" the redheaded vampire asked her.

"Whenever you are," her twin nodded.

"Scary," Darnell muttered and stared after them as they stepped onto the bridge.

"Not really," Spike grinned as he and William hurried to catch up with their women.
***
A small copse just off the road on the other side of the bridge provided the only immediate cover from the wide, grassy lot before them. It also gave them a clear view of the buildings as they stopped under its shadows.

"I get the feeling we're expected," Darnell whispered as two vampires moved away from the building in the distance to patrol the lot.

Willow reached for the crossbow slung over her shoulder as the pair of vampires walked slowly in their direction.

"Not from this distance, and not both of them," William said softly.

"A month's supply of blood," she bet him as she deftly loaded an arrow, leveled the weapon, and took aim.

William glanced at her sire, concerned that a misfire would give them away, but Spike was watching his redhead with a confident grin on his face. Willow held the crossbow steady and waited until one of the vampires stepped in front of the other. In a split second, she released the arrow, and it flew silently through the air. It hit the lead vampire, dead on, in the heart, and continued on through the ashes that fluttered to the ground and struck the second vampire with the same deadly accuracy.

William's mouth dropped open, and Spike chuckled and planted a hard kiss on his lover's lips as she shoved the crossbow back over her shoulder.

"Damn, I'm good," Will giggled.

Willow flashed a broad smile at the mortal and slipped her hand into Spike's as they stepped out from under the trees. They made a path around the edge of the lot and came up along the side of the first building. Spike motioned for three of his boys to watch the other two buildings and positioned the remaining three minions near Will and Giles. Cautiously, they stole around to the door of the building, and Spike grabbed hold of the handle and yanked it open. He peered inside and was surprised to discover it empty.

"Master," Darnell spoke from behind him.

He turned, and Joseph pointed toward one of the boys who was gesturing from the next building over.

"In there," the minion told him.

"What about that third building?" Angel asked.

"Empty," he answered.

"We're going in," Spike said to the minion. "Kill all of them except one--and no humans."

"But--"

"No humans!" Spike snarled angrily.

The minion swallowed and nodded quickly and moved away to get the others.

"I want you two behind us," Spike said to Will and Giles.

The watcher bristled, "I'm not--"

"We don't have time for this! Do you want to find her or not?" the blonde vampire snapped impatiently.

Giles quashed his pride and took Will's arm to move behind the vampires. Spike looked over at Angel, who slipped a stake from his sleeve and nodded. The Master
motioned to one of his boys. The minion reached for the door and flung it open. A vampire just inside the doorway whirled around in surprise, and Spike grabbed hold of him and flung him into the wall by the door. Angel lowered a booted foot to his neck and crushed his windpipe before slamming the stake into his chest.

The other vampires in the building turned toward them as the small army darted inside. Willow grabbed a broom from its resting place against the doorjamb and hurled it toward the first three vampire's racing toward them. The make-shift weapon flew between two of the humans suspended from the ceiling and lodged for a second in the nearest vampire's chest before clattering to the floor amongst the ashy residue.

Spike's minions moved around her to take on the others and keep them out of reach of the watcher and Will. The cement floor grew dusty as the gang took out the rest of the vampires in rapid succession. One of the few that remained came up behind Willow, grabbing her hair in one hand and crooking his other arm around her throat. Will barreled into him, and Willow landed on the floor as he crashed into several metal canisters stacked along the side of the building. Willow scrambled to her feet and leapt over the metal containers.

"Leave one alive!" Giles barked loudly as the last of the vampires continued to disintegrate before his eyes.

Angel shoved his stake into his pocket and looked around the vast room to find only the pale forms of the vampires' victims. He looked anxiously over at Spike.

"Will this one do?" Willow chirped happily from her perch on one of the barrels.

Spike strode over to her and looked down at the vampire who was slouched against the wall. He looked frantically up at the blonde vampire as Willow pressed the end of the crossbow to his heart.

"He doesn't look at all happy, luv," Spike smirked and put his arm over her shoulders.

Willow's grin turned cruel as she glared down at the vampire, "Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

The vampire's eyes flew to hers as her finger moved over the trigger. Angel clenched his jaw and stared at Willow's hateful expression.

"Willow," Giles murmured.

"Where are they?" Willow growled and prodded her captive with the crossbow.

"The warehouse--behind the cannery. We--we turned the guy who owns it," the vampire stammered.

"Good answer," She smiled and squeezed the trigger.

The vampire's mouth opened in a silent scream as the arrow hit home.
 

"Where the bloody hell did you learn to be so evil?" William dropped an arm over Willow's shoulders as they headed across town.

"I'm not evil!" she told him. "Those bastards just bring out the worst in me."

"Worst or best?" he wondered. "Did you see the way your sire was looking at you back there?"

"I always look at her like that," Spike grinned.

"Except for when I'm catching hell for being bad," she added.

"Well, pet, there's bad, and there's bad," William chuckled.

One of Spike's boys approached from ahead and went to his Master.

"The streets around the warehouse are crawling with vampires," he told Spike.

"How are we going to get there without being seen?" Giles asked as they stopped walking to confer.

"Being unseen isn't the objective. Taking them out, that's what we're after," Spike told him.

"Even if we do, how are we going to get to Christina and Ceara?" Will asked him. "With that demon controlling them, they won't be able to run."

"The only way to break his hold over them is to destroy him," Giles said.

"How do we do _that_?" she inquired.

"We don't. They do," the watcher looked at the vampires around them. "With this."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small vial filled with a viscous, inky blue liquid.

"Do you have a quill pen in there to go along with that?" Willow asked.

"Probably," Will answered. "I suppose we use it to send Chimosh hate mail, and then he kills himself in a fit of despondency."

Spike and William shared an amused grin, but the watcher was in no mood for levity as he explained, "It took me most of the night to find the reference to this. To Chimosh, it's poison, the only substance known that can destroy him."

"He's never going to drink that," Willow told him.

Giles shook his head, "A sharp weapon dipped into it, and it must be thrust directly between his eyes. The trick is to get close enough to him to actually attack him, which is why no human could ever accomplish such a feat. The demon would take control of his body before he ever had a chance."

"Which isn't a problem for us," Angel added.

"It won't be easy, even for one of you. If proximity weren't a factor, a dagger would do nicely," Giles replied.

"Or an arrow," Willow suggested, shrugging off her crossbow.

"Or an arrow," he agreed.

He pulled the stopper out of the vial as the redheaded vampire reached for two arrows.

"You'll only need one," he told her. "Willow, this is dangerous. Chimosh is not incapable of defending himself, and he has a hoard of vampires in league with him. If you miss the first time, you won't get a second shot."

She nodded in understanding as Giles saturated a handerchief with the blue liquid and spread it generously over the tip of one arrow. Willow watched with stunned interest as it coagulated and formed itself perfectly around the deadly sharp point.

"Willow," Angel spoke softly. "You don't have to do this."

"I know," she answered simply as she slid the arrow into the crossbow.

The dark vampire took her hand as she pushed the weapon back onto her shoulder.

"I mean it. I won't ask you to put yourself on the line."

"Nor I," Giles said softly.

"You haven't," she told them and looked first one, then the other, directly in the eye. "He's taken two of the people I care most about in the world. There are at least a dozen innocent people back at that depot too close to death to save. And we all know he's only getting started."

She squeezed Angel's hand before finally letting it go and stepped over to Spike's side.

She looked up at her sire, "This is our town, not his. Let's go cut the puppet master's strings."

He smiled down at her and brushed his fingers over her cheek before looking at the minions waiting patiently behind her.

"Find Darnell. I want him and twelve of the boys waiting for us at the end of the street. Tell the others to surround the warehouse. Take out as many of those vampires as you can. Move."

The minions nodded and took off down the street. Will moved close to William and put her hand on his arm.

"I'm going with you," she said.

"No, luv, you're not," he refused firmly, taking her hand off of him and holding it tightly.

"But I--"

"No. Not this time. You can't go in there with that demon, and you know it. Go with the watcher. We'll send someone when it's over."

"William," she whispered. "Don't you dare get yourself--"

"I know, baby," he smiled. "I'm coming back. I promise."

She nodded silently as her eyes glistened with tears, and he pulled her into a hard embrace and kissed her.

"Three blocks over should be far enough," he said as he pushed her gently away from him. "Get going."

The vampires waited until the two humans were out of sight before turning to head down the street toward the warehouse.
***
Spike's minions made quick work of the vampires stalking the streets and the parking lot around the two-story warehouse. The Master sent one group of them to chase down several vampires who had fled to avoid being killed. He sent the others to wait at the entrances around the sides and back of the building.

"The demon has to know we're here by now," Angel said as they readied themselves to enter through the front door.

"I'm counting on it," Willow answered and patted the crossbow. "I'll bet he isn't expecting this."

"One shot is all you get," Darnell reminded her. "Don't screw it up."

"When was the last time I screwed up anything?" she asked, then giggled at his sarcastic grin. "Never mind."

"You stay with us," Spike told Joseph and the three vampires beside him. "The rest of you stay with William and Angel."

He looked at Willow, and she flashed him a smile. Giving her hand a quick sqeeze, he stepped to the door and pulled it open. They moved inside and braced themselves as a group of vampires gathered in the middle of the room turned toward them. Angel turned as five vampires descended a set of wooden stairs just ahead and to the side of them. Three of them thundered down the steps as the other two quickly ran back up them.

Spike tightened his grip on his childe's hand, gave Angel a quick look, and pulled her toward the stairs. Darnell and the three minions followed quickly behind them, crashing through the vampires who were descending toward them. One of them reached for Willow's crossbow, and Spike grabbed his neck and broke it with a sudden, hard twist. Darnell and the boys staked the other two, then quickly raced up the stairs behind their Master while Angel and Willow fought the vampires below. From above, Willow heard the exit doors around the building being thrown open as the rest of Spike's boys ran in to join the frenzied melee.

"Heartbeat," Darnell hissed as they passed by a metal door along the narrow walkway that looked down on the ground floor. "One of them is in here."

Vampires were coming toward them from both sides. Several of Spike's minions had come up the stairs, tossing as many vampires as they could lay hold on over the railing to the floor below. Willow swung the stock of her crossbow into the face of an oncoming vampire, sending him reeling back into another attacker, and they both tumbled over the edge of the walkway.

As Darnell and the minions were fighting off the other vampires, Willow felt Spike's hand on her arm. He spun her around, and her eyes followed his finger as he
pointed to the ground floor. Terror knotted her stomach as she watched Angel struggling to escape from a mammoth, grey, scaly-looking creature who could only
have been Chimosh. The demon's great arms were wrapped around Angel's chest in a grip that threatened to crush the heart from within the vampire's chest.

Angel morphed into game face and latched onto one of the demon's arms. He sunk his fangs into the scaly limb and tore out a hunk of grey flesh. Willow gasped as the arm immediately healed itself.

"Willow, shoot!" Darnell barked as he dusted the last of the vampires on the walkway.

The little redhead shook off her momentary terror and leveled the crossbow to take careful aim.

"I can't get a clear shot!" she snarled as Angel continued to writhe in the demon's hard grip.

At that moment, a familiar form stepped through one of the side entrances.

"Oh, hell," Darnell mumbled as Will darted inside.

"Will, get the fuck out of here!" William's voice shouted from below them.

The demon released Angel and focused on the small human. Will froze in her footsteps as he glared at her, stealing away her control over her own body. That brief pause in the demon's movement gave Willow the opportunity she had been waiting for. Spike stared at his childe, and Darnell's eyes fastened on the demon. The blonde vampire unconsciously caught a breath as Willow's fingers crooked around the trigger and sent the arrow flying on its straight, slightly descending, course. The deadly tip embedded itself cleanly between the demon's eyes, and Will slumped to the floor as Chimosh's body transformed into a harmless grey vapor.

A roar of triumph from several of Spike's boys blasted up to their overlook on the walkway. Her sire reached out and gently pulled the crossbow out of Willow's clenched hands. He handed the weapon over to Darnell before enfolding her in his arms and pressing her body close to his.

He felt her lips curl into a smile against his cheek, and she whispered into his ear, "Got him."
 
 
 

William knelt over Will and put an arm around her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open as he rested her back against his chest.

"Did it work? Did she get him?" the redhead asked groggily.

"She got him, luv. What the hell do you mean, 'Did it work?'" he demanded as her words sunk in.

"Oh! Um--nothing?" she answered.

"Will," his deep voice resonating close to her ear sent a shiver down her spine.

"Two of Spike's boys were chasing down one of those vampires, and they were headed our way. They said that the demon had gotten to Angel, and--" she swallowed and stole a look at him. "I had to do something! I couldn't just stay there and--"

"Are you telling me you waltzed your sweet ass through that door on purpose?" he asked.

"Well! I thought maybe if I distracted him--Oh, listen!" she said as the sound of heavy pounding came from overhead. "I'll bet they've found Ceara and Christina!"

Grateful for the interruption, she pushed herself up onto her feet and made quick tracks for the stairs.

William's hand caught her arm and spun her around.

"We'll finish this later, pet," he promised.

She gave him a nervous smile, and he grinned and shook his head as she planted a quick kiss on his cheek and shoved her hand into his.
***
Willow had sent Darnell to get Giles while they turned their attention to the locked room. Impatiently, Angel elbowed aside the minion who was rattling the door. Taking a step back, the dark vampire raised his foot and gave the stubborn barrier a hard kick. The heavy door groaned on its hinges and gave way. Giles skidded to a halt behind him and stared over his shoulder into the dark room.

"Christina," he murmured and pushed his way past Angel to get to the woman who was slouched in the chair.

Kneeling before her, he put his hands on her cheeks and raised her head. He caught her shoulders as she jerked her head away from him.

"Christina," he said softly.

Her glossy eyes focused on him, and her arms moved to encircle his neck. He held her tight for a moment as she wept against his shoulder, then gently pushed her
back to inspect the deep wounds on her neck.

"Rupert," the word rasped in her dry throat.

"It's all right. Don't talk," he whispered.

"Ceara. She's here. She--"

"I know," he nodded and looked up at Angel. "Go find her."

Angel turned immediately and left the room. The others went with him, and they moved down the walkway to check the rest of the doors.

"In here!" Willow called from the far side of the building.

The vampires' footsteps banged noisily on the metal floor as they ran to the door beside her. Spike grabbed Willow and pulled her aside as Angel broke down the door. The vampire who had been left to guard the slayer backed away as the gang spilled into the room.

Ceara hung limply in her iron bonds, too weak from the loss of blood to put up much of a fight, even though the demon's control had been broken. As Angel worked to loose her from the shackles, the vampire guarding her tore himself away from the wall and lunged at him. Angel growled, a deep murderous sound, and backhanded
the demon hard enough to hurl him into the wall. The bones in the vampire's legs cracked sickeningly under the force of the impact, and he collapsed to the floor.

Willow smirked coldly at the agonizing wail from the vampire as he tried to raise himself on his broken legs.

"Hell, isn't it?" she hissed, bending down close to him and baring her fangs. "Trying to fight with a body that won't cooperate."

"Willow," Angel barked. "He's mine."

She nodded and stood up as Angel put an arm around Ceara's waist and handed her over to the redheaded vampire. Grabbing the broken vampire by the hair of his head, Angel dragged the demon up and pinned him against the wall.

"Your stench is all over her," Angel growled. "What did you do to her?"

The captive vampire's eyes filled with dread as Angel's hand cupped his balls and squeezed hard.

"I didn't," he moaned in mind-numbing pain. "Didn't--"

"Rape her?" Angel snarled. "Good. Then I won't tear this off. I'm waiting for an answer. What did you do to her?"

"I only touched her--"

"With these?" Angel asked, grabbing one of his hands and crushing it.

"Angel," Ceara's weak voice spoke over the vampire's loud cry of pain. "End it. Please."

Her lover nodded, looked the vampire in the eye, and drove a stake through his heart. He turned to the slayer and scooped her up into his arms to carry her out of the room. Giles had taken Christina out of her prison and was waiting for the others when they emerged from the building.

"Are you all right?" Will asked Christina.

"I will be," she nodded. "Ceara?"

"She's been better," Angel answered.

"We should get her to the hosp--"

"No," Ceara interrupted Giles. "Angel, I want to go home."

"All right, baby," Angel smiled softly and kissed her. "Home it is."

William put his hand on Will's shoulder as she began to follow the others out of the parking lot.

"Where do you think you're going, little one?"

"Uh oh," Willow grinned as Spike's fingers laced through hers.

"Home?" the little human squeaked as her eyes met his.

"Good idea," he agreed, and Will gave her twin a worried look as William dragged her away.
***
Willow had just raised a mug to her lips when a hand suddenly reached around her and snatched it away. She looked over her shoulder at the thief behind her.

"You know cold blood gives you a stomach ache," Darnell said as he shoved the mug into the microwave and punched a couple of buttons.

"Yeah, well, I could work that thing if you'd let me get my hands on it," she replied over the growl in her tummy. "Where have you been?"

He took a quick glance around the kitchen before looking back at her. Willow could have sworn the tall vampire actually jumped as the microwave beeped obnoxiously. He grabbed the mug out of it and slammed the door shut.

"Joseph? she eyed him curiously.

"Come with me," he said quietly and took her elbow.

Leading the way up the back stairs, he stopped for a moment outside his bedroom.

"Who's in there?" she asked as a soft moan drifted through the closed door.

"I thought I'd run this past you before I tried it out on the Master," he confessed, opening the door and leading her inside.

A woman lay propped up on the pillows on his bed. Willow's eyes traveled over the trim, little blonde. Her long, straight, honey-blonde hair was fanned out around her pale, delicate face.

"She isn't breathing!" Willow said, straining her ears to catch the beat of her heart. "Joseph! She's a--"

"I took four of the boys back to the depot to release the human prisoners, but all of them were dead, except for her. And she was damned near enough. I--"

"Turned her!" the redhead's eyes widened in understanding. "She's your childe!"

"I didn't mean to," he answered weakly.

She quirked an eyebrow at him and asked dryly, "What, your fangs jumped out of your head and helped themselves?"

"No. It's just--she was so weak. I knew she'd be gone before we even got her out of that building. I couldn't let her die, Willow. I knew her--before. She came to Sunnydale with her mother when the town was being rebuilt."

"She's a member of the council?"

"No, not exactly. Her grandfather was, but he's been dead for a couple of years. I spent a lot of time with her when she first arrived here, but then--things--happened."

"Things, meaning Spike," Willow nodded.

"Right. I lost track of her. I thought she must have returned to England when her mother left, but then, there she was at the depot, and--"

Willow moved to the bed and looked down at the sleeping vampire, "She's beautiful. Were you in love with her?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "My demon twists those mortal memories, you know? She meant a lot to me. I think I would have been, if we'd had time. What
do you think our sire will say? Will he stake me for this?"

"And be left to fend off Trouble by himself? I doubt it," she grinned.

"Willow, I'm serious."

"I know. I'm sorry. Would you like me to kind of--soften him up to the idea?" she offered.

"Would you?" he asked hopefully. "You can talk him into anything."

"Yeah, right," she snorted.

"Well, he didn't want Trouble around at first, either. But you talked him into that," he pointed out.

"True, but Joseph," she paused and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I wouldn't tell _her_ you just compared her to that pup. Does she have a name, or are you just
going to whistle when you want her? Because if you are, I'm thinking you'd better train her better than Trouble. He wouldn't come if you blew a foghorn."

Darnell laughed softly, his worry somewhat abated over her easy acceptance of the fledgling on his bed, "Her name is Emily."

Emily moaned upon hearing her name on her sire's lips, and Darnell took her hand and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well, Daddy, I'll go try to warm Spike up to the idea of being a grandsire. You'd better feed Emily before he hears her, and your secret becomes an unsecret."

"You're loving every damned second of this," Joseph grinned.

"You got that right," she laughed. "If I pull this off, you owe me the use of every appliance in that kitchen of yours for the rest of our unmortal existence."

"Oh, hell," he muttered, envisioning an eternity of cleaning up after the redhead's culinary disasters.

She patted his cheek and giggled, "Just kidding. Besides, you look so much better in an apron that I do."

She turned away to go to the door, and he reached out and caught her hand, "Thanks, Willow. I mean it."

"I know," she smiled softly. "She really should feed. You take care of her, and I'll take care of Spike."

"I hope so," Joseph murmured as she left the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her.
 
 

Will slipped silently through the bedroom door and quietly closed it. She took a deep breath and hoped William would be asleep after her lengthy production over getting something to eat. Slowly, she turned around to find her nose pressed into a decidedly masculine, enticingly bare chest.

He chuckled softly and reached for the sash of her bathrobe. He slipped the robe off of her and ran his hands along the oversized T-shirt draped over her body. She gasped as the naked vampire scooped her up and turned to throw her down onto the bed.

"William," she squeaked as he pinned her down, his body hovering over hers. "I said I was sorry."

"Yes, you did," he agreed with a slow smile. "Let's see how much sorrier I can make you. How sorry do you think you'd be if I refused to let you come for a couple of hours?"

Her eyes flew open as his hands gripped the collar of her t-shirt and tore it off of her. She trembled as his fingers dove between her legs and slipped between the thick folds of her sex.

"Did I or did I not tell you to stay exactly three blocks away from that building?" he asked as he rubbed one digit over her slit.

"I--Angel--he needed--"

"Do you know how I would have felt if anything had happened to you, if you'd been killed?" he continued.

She bucked into the hand that was teasing her clit, swirling over the moistening flesh, and delving into her channel.

"William--" she stopped with a moan as his thumb pressed against her swelling nub.

"And yet, there you were. Right where I told you not to be," he said, lowering his head to nip at the pulse point below her ear.

He slid another finger inside her and began a slow rhythm, locking his eyes onto hers, "You disobeyed me, pet."

"Disob--OH!" her flash of anger was stifled by her cry as he suddenly removed his fingers from within her and brought them to his mouth to taste her.

"You're going to be punished for that, little one," he told her.

The scents of her fear and arousal mingled together, and William's cock hardened in response.

"No," she whispered. "Don't--"

"Oh, yes," he insisted. "Punished."

He embedded his shaft to the hilt in her pussy as his mouth claimed hers in a sweet, passionate kiss. Her fear dissolved as he chuckled against her lips and began a slow rhythm.

"Oh, Goddess," she murmured as his hands moved behind her, drawing her buttocks up and driving himself fully inside her.

"Tell me you're sorry again, luv," he said and nibbled at her lip.

"I am. I'm sorry," she answered, her rhythmic words keeping time with his thrusts. "I'll listen next time."

His mouth found her breast and took the hardened nipple, nipping and suckling it, rolling it over his tongue. She moaned as his thrusts quickened and grew deeper. A breathy cry tumbled from her lips as he withdrew completely from her channel until only the tip of his cock rubbed teasingly over her quivering sex.

"I love you, Will," he whispered as he kissed a path along her throat.

Her hands gripped his arms as their eyes met. Neither of them had ever put words to their feelings before, and her eyes welled with tears at his soft, unexpected declaration.

"This town is so different from what it was before. Even my bloody sire isn't the poof he used to be. You're the only past I have here. You're the only future I want. I love you," he repeated.

"I love you, too," she answered. "William, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I worried you."

His lips captured the tear that trickled from her eye.

"Forgiven," he murmured as he plunged back inside her.

Their lips met as she matched his long, deep thrusts, and his tongue slipped inside her mouth, swallowing her cry as her walls clamped around him. He came with her, snarling softly, and bit down on her lip to taste her blood. William pulled away from the kiss, and she panted softly as his still-rigid cock twitched inside her.

"I thought you said--"

"Changed my mind," he grinned. "How sorry would you be if I made you come for a couple of hours?"

She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull his mouth back to hers.

"Sorry enough to love you forever," she answered.
***
Willow climbed into bed and snuggled against Spike as he drew her into his arms.

"Sounds like they made it up," she smiled as Will's soft cry drifted down the corridor.

He grinned and placed his hand over her stomach as it growled softly, "I thought you and Will just had something to eat."

"I, um--Spike?" she looked up into his eyes.

"Oh, no," he moaned.

"No! It isn't an 'oh, no.' At least, I don't think it is. It doesn't have to be. It could be an 'oh, good.'"

"Sweetheart--"

"All right, just listen, though, okay? Don't get all angry and go jumping out of
bed and--"

"Willow!" he shouted.

"Right," she nodded. "It's Joseph. He found someone at the depot tonight. Someone he knew when he was human. He was falling in love with her, or he thinks he was,
anyway. But then you--"

"So, what did he do? Drain her? Screw her?"

"He sort of...turned her."

Spike's stared down at her, "Turned her? As in I'll drink yours, and you drink mine?"

"Um, yeah," she nodded.

"Huh. What do you know? My little boy has grown up," he said.

"You're not angry?" she asked.

"Should I be? Is she a cow? A bitch?"

"Spike!" Willow laughed out loud. "Actually, she's sleeping. She's very pretty, though."

"Good," he nodded.

"Why?" she asked, and he grinned at the jealous tone in her voice.

"Because maybe now he'll keep his eyes off your ass."

"He doesn't look at my ass!" she argued.

"The hell he doesn't," her sire replied.

"So, anyway, can he keep her?" she asked.

"Why not? He deserves a childe if he wants one, and at least she won't be burying my lighters in the gardens."

Her surprised eyes studied his, "That's it?"

"What's it?"

"I just didn't think it would be this easy," she admitted.

"Oh, really?" he asked with a grin. "Well, then, I'll refuse to let her stay, and you can change my mind. That better?"

"Oh, much better," she laughed softly as her hand moved to his cock.

He pulled her under him and took her lips as she stroked him. Willow parted her legs as his fingers found her sex. She guided his rigid shaft to her entrance and moaned as he entered her slowly. The kiss grew more heated as she moved under him, beginning a rhythm which he quickly picked up.

Willow's lips moved over her sire's throat and traveled down his chest. He groaned as her teeth scraped across his nipple. Her hands moved around him to cup his ass, and he hissed and slammed into her, bumping her cervix, as she squeezed the rounded flesh and nuzzled her lips against his neck. Her cool tongue swirled over his skin, and he drove hard into her as she pierced his throat and drank. His body went rigid, and he shouted her name as he came. Her fangs slid from his wounds as he pinched her clit, driving her into her own climax.

He rolled off of her and cradled her close in his arms. She rested in silence against him. Only her lips moved to place soft kisses on his chest.

"Someday," she whispered softly.

"Someday?" he asked, his lips brushing over her pale skin as he nuzzled her temple.

"Someday, you're going to know how much I love you."

"I already do, baby," he told her.

She smiled and slid a leg between his, "No, you don't. No one has ever loved anybody the way I love you."

"One other has," he promised. "One other has."
 

Willow dropped her book in her lap, and Trouble pricked up his ears at the unfamiliar sound.

"What?" Darnell asked as the vampire and the furball stared at him.

"You're whistling! In all the time I've known you, I've _never_ heard you whistle," she told him.

"Haven't you? Hmmm, that's interesting."

"So, when do we get to meet the cause of your melodic pucker?" she asked.

He laughed softly, "I'm taking her hunting in a few minutes. How about after?"

"She knows how hunting works around here, doesn't she?"

"She knows," he nodded. "She doesn't understand why, but she knows. I'll train her carefully."

"I don't doubt it," she smiled.

"Willow, thanks for talking Spike into--"

"I didn't have to," she stopped him. "He doesn't mind. We were worried about nothing."

"Still, I'm sure it went down better coming from you."

"Literally," she grinned.
***
"You're staying?" Willow asked and looked up at Spike. "They're staying?"

"They're staying," he nodded.

"Oh, Will," the vampire flung her arms around the mortal. "That's wonderful!"

"I'm glad you think so," Will smiled.

"Did you think that I wouldn't?"

"Well, I know Spike is the Master here. I wasn't sure if us staying would cause problems," she admitted.

"It won't," Spike assured her.

"I guess it's kind of like sharing with yourself since you're him. Well, not him because you're you, but the him he would have been if he were you instead of...him," she paused and frowned. "That didn't make sense."

"Never mind, pet. We're used to it," William chuckled.

"Are you staying here--in the mansion?" Willow asked.

Spike's double shook his head, "We've taken the house that belonged to the owner of that warehouse. He was dusted in the party the other night."

"It's that big house on the end of Oak," Will added.

"I know the one," Willow said. "How did you manage to--"

"Giles arranged it through the council," Will answered. "I think he wasn't thrilled about me leaving for Chicago again, and William did help get Christina back."

"And the slayer," Willow gave the her sire's twin an amused glance.

"Yeah, well, let's not voice that around, ducks," William grimaced. "Still, the look on Angel's face when he heard we were staying was pleasantly pained."

Willow turned as soft footsteps fell across the dark lawn. Darnell stepped onto the terrace, clutching the hand of a trim, beautiful blonde.

"Willow," he spoke. "This is Emily."

Willow raised an eyebrow as the pale woman smiled and performed what the redhead could have sworn was a slight curtsey.

She looked up at her sire, "Did she just--"

"Uh huh," he answered, equally as bemused.

"Joseph has told me so much about you," Emily spoke animatedly. "I hope you'll teach me."

"Teach you--what?" Willow asked.

"Everything! He's told me about your skills as a fighter, and your work with the head of the council. And you're Master of a demon! I've never heard of a vampire owning a demon. And we met some of the Master's minions in town. Do you know the things they say about you?"

"Oh, hell," Willow muttered as the blonde babbled on excitedly.

Spike laughed softly and slipped an arm around her waist, "You did want her to stay, luv."

Trouble padded out the French doors, took one look at the strange vampire, and growled threateningly.

"Oh, Trouble, knock it off. She's one of us," Willow scolded.

The pup immediately fell silent and trotted over to sit down at her feet.

Emily looked up at Joseph in stunned admiration, "Did you see that? She even has power over animals! She's incredible!"

Will giggled, and Spike snorted and wrapped his arms around Willow as she moaned and buried her face in his chest.

"Sorry, Willow," Joseph grinned sheepishly. "She's just a little excited. It's all new to her."

"I have so many questions to ask you, and we have the whole night," Emily smiled.

"I thought you were coming with us to see the house," William came to Willow's rescue.

"Yes! House! Absolutely. Going to see the house," Willow answered.

"Oh, well, another night, then. We'll have lots, after all," Emily said, her enthusiasm undampened.

"Don't count on it," Spike warned her.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Master! I didn't mean--"

"Come on, Em," Darnell spoke and pulled her toward the doors before she could get started again. "We need to have a talk."

"Or a tranquilizer," Willow muttered as the couple went inside.

10/10

next