Giles listened intently, his features drawn with concern, as Ceara
detailed the ashy body count of the evening’s patrol.

"Something is going on," Christina spoke. "Why so many, all of a
sudden?"

"Were they yours?" Angel asked Spike.

The blonde vampire answered calmly, "Could be. Some of them. The boys
on the grounds seemed a bit edgy this evening, but I seriously doubt
we’re talking mutiny, here. No one has stepped out of line."

"There must be some explanation," Giles commented. "Christina and I
will do what we can here. Ceara, I think you should do another sweep
tonight."

She nodded and looked over at Spike and his double, "We’ll split up. We
can cover more ground that way."

The watcher rose from the sofa to follow them to the door and opened
it, speaking softly as the gang stepped outside, "Ceara, be careful."

"Aren’t I always?" she grinned over her shoulder at him.

"We’ll cover the town," Angel suggested as they moved toward the
street.

"We’ll take the cemeteries," Willow nodded. "Meet you back her in two
hours?"

"Right," Ceara agreed.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
William moved up beside Will and placed his hand on the small of her
back as they passed through the cemetery gates.

"Stay close to me, pet," he said.

"I’ll have to. I’m pretty much blind, here," she replied, squinting
through the thick tendrils of fog that curled about the tombstones and
low-lying shrubbery.

"Something’s off," Darnell spoke, looking over at Willow. "Can you feel
it?"

She nodded and glanced at Emily, "You okay? You can go back to the
mansion if you’d rather not--"

"I want to stay," the young vampire answered. "If you’ll let me."

"Just keep out of the way," Spike told her. "We don’t need any
distractions."

Darnell saw the quick flicker of anger that passed behind her eyes, and
he squeezed his childe’s waist, silently cautioning her against any
carelessly rude reply. She lowered her eyes and merely slipped her hand
into his as they moved behind the others who were scanning the dark
graveyard for any unnatural presence.

Willow suddenly stopped short, reaching out for her sire as she caught
sight of an object lying on the ground several feet ahead of them.

"What is that?" Will asked softly.

"A body?" William responded uncertainly. "Smells human."

"Careful, luv," Spike advised as Willow moved ahead of him.

She knelt over the still form and placed her hand on its shoulder,
turning the body over onto its back. She gasped and snatched her hand
away as if she’d been scalded.

"Who is it?" Darnell asked her.

She swallowed and looked up at Will, "Cordelia?"

"It can’t be!" her mortal twin cried softly. "She died when Sunnydale
burned, didn’t she?"

"Who’s Cordelia?" Emily wanted to know.

"Wasn’t she that snooty young bitch? The git’s bird?" William asked.

"Xander’s girlfriend," Will nodded. "Another lifetime ago."

"But if she died back then, how--"

Willow cut Darnell off with a shake of her head, "She’s breathing.
Spike, can we get her to Giles’ place?"

He knelt and effortlessly lifted the inert brunette in his arms. He
glanced over at Darnell as they started out of the cemetery.

"Find the slayer and Angel," he ordered. "Tell them to meet us there."
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
"You’re sure you haven’t been talking to that demon of yours again?"
Christina asked Willow.

"No! This has nothing to do with Mathala," the redhead insisted.

"She doesn’t look well," Angel remarked.

Giles’ eyes returned to Cordelia’s form which was laid out on his sofa.
Her complexion was deathly pale, her eyes noticeably sunken and ringed
with dark, hollow circles, and she was alarmingly thin.

"Her body was never recovered from the cinders of Sunnydale," the
watcher reminded them. "Perhaps she escaped somehow."

"Then where has she been all these years?" Ceara wondered. "And why
didn’t she try to contact any of you?"

Cordelia stirred slightly; her eyelids fluttered open, and she stared
through unfocused eyes at the ceiling above her.

"Cordy?" Will spoke softly, moving to the front of the sofa and
kneeling down beside her.

The young woman closed her eyes and then opened them again,
"Will--Willow?"

The name rattled forth on a raspy breath of air, and Christina went to
the liquor cabinet and poured a glass of brandy. She gave it to Giles
as Cordelia struggled to sit up, and Giles sat down and drew an arm
around her shoulders and held the glass to her lips. She spluttered a
bit as the alcohol trickled down her parched throat.

"Where--"

"You’re safe, Cordelia," the watcher hushed her gently. "You’re with
friends--in my home. Just relax."

"How did I get here?"

"I’m not sure," he confessed.

"From the look of you, you're in no condition to engage in a lengthy
discussion," Christina suggested kindly. "We can talk later. Will,
would you help me get her upstairs? I think a hot bath, and then to
bed."

The red haired mortal nodded, and between them, they carefully helped
Cordelia to her feet and slowly made their way to the stairs.
 
 
 

"She slept all day, poor thing," Christina said when the gang had
re-assembled at the watcher’s home the following evening.

"Has she told you anything?" Willow asked. "How she got here? Where
she’s been?"

"She’s been completely out of it right up until about fifteen minutes
ago," Giles answered.

"I fixed her something to eat. I’ll go see how she’s getting on,"
Christina offered.

"Giles, do you have any idea what’s happened to her?" Angel asked.

"None," he shook his head. "Christina had to help her get dressed after
her bath last night. She said Cordelia was incredibly weak, and she has
some very nasty bruises and wounds on her body. I--"

He immediately stopped speaking as Cordy appeared in the entryway. The
brunette looked at Willow and Will, then at Spike and William, and
blinked her eyes in confusion.

"I need glasses," she muttered.

"They wouldn't help; believe me," Christina smiled from behind her and
gently took her arm and guided her to the sofa.

"I don’t understand."

"It’s a long story," Willow told her. "As long as your own must be."

"Cordelia," Giles sat down next to her. "Can you tell us what happened
to you? Where have you been all this time? How did you come to be in
the cemetery last night?"

"I don’t really remember that part," her voice trembled. "I don’t know
how I got there, or how I got here, for that matter."

"Where have you been all this time?" Willow asked. "Obviously not in
Sunnydale. How did you get away with your life?"

Cordy lowered her eyes and shifted nervously, "I--I ran. I left
everyone and just--ran. Coward."

"Saving your own life does not make you a coward," Ceara told her.

The young woman scowled up at the stranger, bitterness saturating her
words as she responsed, "Doesn’t it? They torched my house. We had to
get out. Those bastards grabbed my mother and father, and I took
advantage of their deaths to run like hell. I didn’t stop running until
I was out of town. I never looked back, not literally, anyway. But my
mind never left this place. Never left that night. The murder of my
family and friends."

Willow was carefully studying Cordelia. Though the anger in her voice
was unmistakably genuine, Spike couldn’t help noticing the brief flash
of doubt that passed over his mate’s face as she listened to the young
woman.

"Even after I heard the town had been rebuilt, I couldn’t come back,"
the brunette continued in a much softer tone. "I couldn’t face it. I
didn’t want to know who I’d left behind or who hadn’t survived. I
honestly didn’t think anyone could have lived through that massacre."

"That’s understandable, and so are your actions," Christina assured
her. "You were in shock. You felt alone, abandoned. But where did you
go?"

"Anywhere," she shrugged. "I just kept moving, trying to outrun the
memories. I never succeeded."

"So you came back?" Will asked. "But how did you end up unconscious, in
the cemetery? What were you--"

"I told you. I don’t remember," Cordelia snapped.

Giles placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It’s all right. I’m
not sure it really matters, anyway. You’re here, and you’re safe. Your
injuries are superficial. They’ll heal with a little time and rest."

Cordy sighed, looking truly apologetic as she gazed at each of the them
in turn, "It’s just hard being back here after all this time. Having to
face all those old nightmares again."

"It will get easier. You’ve already taken the hardest step," the
watcher told her. "And Sunnydale has changed so completely, there isn’t
much left to trigger old memories. Perhaps you’d like Ceara and Will to
show you around--"

"Tonight?" Cordy gasped, wide-eyed with dread. "No! I mean, well, I
just don’t think I’m ready for a moonlight walk through---"

"Actually, I think Giles was probably thinking more along the lines of
in a day or two, after you've healed a bit," the slayer smiled.
"Besides, we have patrol. We were just about to go out when we got
Giles’ phone call."

Cordelia sighed in visible relief, "Oh. Yeah. A day or two would
be--good."

Giles rose from the sofa as the gang turned to excuse themselves, "Let
me know if you come across any more unusual activity."

"You mean unusual unusual activity? Or just usual unusual activity?"
Ceara inquired playfully.

Angel grinned and took her hand as Giles shook his head in amusement.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
"So, what did you think?" Willow asked Will as they strolled along the
brightly-lit sidewalk on the way to the park.

"I don’t know," her double shrugged. "She doesn’t sound much like the
Cordy I remember. I guess what she’s been through would change a
person, though."

"Didn’t change me much," the redheaded vampire smirked, letting her
eyes flash bright amber for a brief moment.

Angel groaned and shot Spike a look, "No doubt about who’s childe *she*
is."

The blonde vampire chuckled and squeezed Willow’s hand, "You’re not
buying her story, are you, luv?"

"Story? You think she’s lying?" Will asked.

"I know she’s lying, at least partly." Willow replied.

"How?"

"Vampires," William offered. "She reeks of them."

"Well, so do I, but...Oh!...You mean...Oh!" She stopped, unwittingly
tugging William to a halt along with her, as her puzzled eyes looked at
her companions. "But that doesn’t make sense!"

"Not according to her version of events," Ceara nodded.

"But you didn’t mention any of this to Giles," the redhead pointed out.

"No proof. And regardless of what lies she may be telling, I really
don’t think she’s mentally up to a confrontation like that," the slayer
explained. "Giles is a master at reading people’s emotional states. He
obviously believes she’s precariously fragile. If we questioned her on
this, with nothing to go on but our instincts, he’d defend her. And
rightfully so."

"No doubt who’s slayer *she* is," Spike muttered good-naturedly,
flashing a sly grin at his sire.

"So how do we find out what really happened to Cordy?" Will wondered.

"I think I just may be able to help you with that," Darnell’s
unexpected voice spoke from behind them, eliciting a soft squeal of
surprise from the redheaded mortal.

"What have you got?" Spike asked.

"Four vampires. Stumbled onto them in an alley. Never seen them before.
And they’re not keen on talking."

"In an alley? And you left them there? Alone?" Ceara questioned.

"Not alone," he grinned. "With Trouble."

"Ah," Willow giggled. "Good plan. Let’s go."
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Trouble’s muscles stretched under thick, grey fur as the dog hooked his
paws over the rim of the dumpster and snarled down at quartet of
hapless vampires hunched amongst the garbage. His tail waggled a bit as
Willow appeared at the end of the alley and strode toward him, and his
head snapped over to her with what looked for all the world like a
delighted smile before turning back to his captives.

"Good dog," she cooed, reaching out to out to give him a pat.

Spike came up beside her as she peered down into the dumpster. One of
the vampires scowled up at her as he clutched a bloody hand to his
chest.

"That damned mongrel bit me," he grumbled angrily.

"He insulted my dog," Willow complained to her sire.

"Never mind, sweetheart. We’ll throw him to your beloved pet when we’re
finished with him," Spike said.

A gurgle of pain rolled from the vampire’s mouth as Spike reached down,
wrapped his hand around the vampire’s throat, and dragged him up and
over the edge of the dumpster. He landed with a loud "oomph" as his
back slammed against the pavement, and Trouble dropped down and planted
his feet on the vampire’s chest. The hair along the dog’s back stood on
end as he snapped his jaws in the unfamiliar demon’s face.

Willow felt, rather than saw, the second vampire as he scrabbled his
way out of the dumpster and lunged at her from behind her. In one fluid
sequence of motion, she let the stake in her sleeve drop down into her
hand, whirled around, and drove the weapon solidly into his heart.
Ceara and Angel were instantly in front of the large metal container,
hauling out the remaining two vampires before they could attempt to
flee.

"We need them?" Angel asked Spike.

He shook his head, "Can’t think why. They don’t look very bright.
Somebody’s lackeys, no doubt. One ought to be enough."

Angel nodded at Ceara, and they simultaneously dusted the vampires in
front of them. Spike dragged the remaining captive onto his feet and
shoved him against one of the brick walls flanking the dark alley.

"What the hell are you doing in my town?"

"Your...your...town..." the vampire swallowed as his gaze darted from
the slayer to the angry blonde vampire. "Spike. I...we..."

"Having trouble speaking?" William asked, stepping up beside his twin.
"I can loosen up that tongue for you, if that’ll help."

The vampire shook his head emphatically, his eyes widening with fear as
he looked at the mirror images threatening his existence.

"Maybe he’s looking for someone," Darnell suggested.

"Could be," Willow nodded, staring scornfully at the strange vampire.
"Brunette. Tall. Long hair."

"The name Cordelia do anything for you?" Angel asked.

A quick, smug grin curled the vampire’s lips before Spike’s tightening
grip choked it away.

"Did you bring her here, or were you following her?" Willow demanded.

The vampire shook his head, refusing to respond.

"You sure that’s your answer?" Spike asked, then backed away with a
slight shrug and looked over at Darnell. "Kill him."

"Wait!" Darnell paused as Willow barked out the order and extended a
hand toward the vampire’s throat.

She curled her fingers around a small pendant hanging about his neck
and ripped it free.

"It’s Cordy’s," Will spoke as she peered around the redheaded vampire’s
shoulder. "Xander gave it to her when they were--"

"I remember," Willow nodded.

"Right," her sire said to Darnell. "Now, kill him."

The captive vampire’s soft cry of defeat swirled into silence as Spike
wrapped his arm around his lover’s waist and guided her out of the
alley with the others following quickly behind them.
 
 

Giles looked up from his newspaper as Ceara appeared around the corner
of the house.

"Where’s Cordelia?" the slayer asked.

"Inside with Christina. I tried to persuade her to come out and get
some air, but she was adamant about staying inside."

"Big surprise," Willow muttered.

The silver chain dangling between her fingers sparkled under the soft
patio lights, and the watcher reached out for it.

"What is it?"

"Cordelia’s," the redhead answered, and he looked at her, puzzled, as
she handed him the small pendant. "We found it on a vampire,"

Confusion played over Giles’ face as he looked from Willow to her sire,
"Not yours?"

Spike shook his head, "Never saw him before. Darnell found him and
three others in an alley. They’re dust now."

"How did a vampire end up with this?" Giles wondered.

"Let’s ask her," William suggested, moving toward the door.

"Just a minute," the watcher’s voice stopped him. "You can’t just storm
in there and shake the answers out of her. She can’t handle that right
now."

"We weren’t actually planning on physical violence," Willow replied
dryly. "But Cordy hasn’t told us the truth. She’s been with vampires,
and recently. If that necklace doesn’t prove it, her scent certainly
does. She turns up, seemingly out of nowhere, in a cemetery. She
obviously hasn’t been traipsing up and down the coast like she claims
to have done. And now, we’ve got uninvited guests roaming the streets.
Something’s going on, and Cordelia’s involved in it."

"You don’t know that," Giles argued, but his voice lost its edge under
the pinning stares of the redheaded vampire and the slayer standing
beside her. "All right. But you must be gentle with her. Understood?"

Christina, on her way out to join them, nearly stepped into them as
they turned to enter the living room.

"Where’s Cordy?" Will asked.

"Just inside. She was looking out a window when you arrived. She’s
suddenly decided she’s going to bed."

Willow moved around her, "Not before she talks to us."

Giles cast an uneasy look at Christina as they followed the others
inside. Cordelia rose from an armchair and turned to leave the room as
the group came through the doorway.

"Cordelia," Angel softly called out to her.

Reluctantly, she turned around to face them.

"How are you feeling?" Will asked.

"Okay, I guess, all things considered," she answered, eyeing them
suspiciously.

Willow moved over to Giles’ side and held her hand out to him. He
sighed softly and dropped the necklace into her open palm, and Cordy’s
eyes followed the little vampire’s movements as she laid the piece of
jewelry on the smooth dark surface of the coffee table.

"I--I lost it," she mumbled, taking an unconscious step toward the
necklace.

"Around a vampire’s neck?" Willow asked. "Because that’s where we found
it."

"Willow--" Giles’ soft grumble was quickly waved aside by the redhead.

"How did it get there?" she continued, her green eyes boring into
Cordelia’s.

"I don’t know how he--"

"Liar."

"Willow, stop it," Angel demanded.

Her head snapped over to him, "We don’t have time to tap dance around
this! She’s got a bunch of smart-assed vampires chasing her tail--

"She’s frightened," Christina’s sharp voice interrupted.

"She bloody well should be," Willow nodded. "She’s going to be a hell
of a lot more than frightened if they catch up with her."

"Is she?" Spike questioned, moving close to his childe’s side as he
glared over at the silent brunette. "Or did they bring you here in the
first place? Were we supposed to stumble across you in that cemetery?"

I don’t know how I got there," Cordelia repeated her earlier statement,
looking to Giles for moral support.

"Cordelia, they’re right, if a bit harsh about it," he remarked. "For
your own safety, for the safety of this town, you have to tell us
what’s going on."

Her face grew pale as she sank down onto the sofa and stared down at
her hands, composing her thoughts for a moment, before softly
responding, "I honestly don’t know how I got here. That part is the
truth. But the rest is way too vivid. I really don’t know if I can talk
about--"

"You can. We’ll understand," Giles promised.

"I’m not so sure about that," she sighed, grimacing at the slight pain
that accompanied the soft breath of air. "It’s--it’s pretty horrible."

"Try. Take your time." Christina urged her.

She nodded but kept her eyes averted from them, "The fire--Sunnydale.
You remember?"

"We’ll never forget," Angel answered grimly.

"You all made it out," she remarked, her face once again registering
confusion as she looked very briefly at the two sets of doubles.

"More or less. Not all of us," Willow told her. "We thought you’d been
killed. I mean, your body was never found, but then again, a lot of
victims’ weren’t."

"Not killed," Cordy answered softly. "I wish. If only Buffy
hadn’t...Christina tells me you’re the new slayer."

Ceara nodded, "Not so new anymore, and there have been a few others
before me, but yes."

"Xander? Oz? Were they killed?"

"They’re in New York," Giles told her. "It’s complicated, but we’ll
explain it all later. Tell us what happened to you. Please?"

"I was taken. My house...they torched my house, and my
parents...they...I watched them die, before I was dragged off."

"Dragged off." Willow repeated. "By vampires."

"Too many," Cordy nodded. "I couldn’t fight them. I thought they would
just kill me, too. But they decided...one of them decided...they wanted
to keep me."

Willow’s body tensed as she heard Spike whisper, "Bloody hell."

"He bit me. Drank until I passed out. He carried me off. When I woke
up, we were...I don’t know...somewhere...out of Sunnydale. I don’t know
how. A car--stolen, I suppose. I never did find out where they’d taken
me. I was given to their Master. A gift. He kept me locked up. A dark
room. No windows."

Giles’ face had grown ashen as he took in her halting explanation,
"Good lord. You’ve been held captive by vampires all this time?"

A tear trickled from the brunette’s eye, "They--they--shared me. Gave
me enough food to survive. Drank from me, just enough to keep me weak.
They did--awful things. And I couldn’t stop any of it. I never thought
I would beg. For anything. Ever. I begged. Every day, I begged. They
just laughed."

"Oh, Cordy," Will groaned around unshed tears and dropped down beside
the weeping young woman.

"I don’t even know how long I’d been there," she continued softly. "I
couldn’t keep track of time, of the days. It was always dark. They were
always--at me."

"Did they release you? Did you escape?" Christina asked.

"I--I honestly don’t know. I don’t remember being taken to the
cemetery. I don’t remember being there. I only remember waking up
here," Cordelia answered, then took a sharp breath as her eyes widened
in fear. "Oh, gods! What if I did escape? That’s why they’re here,
isn’t it? They’ve come after me, haven’t they? If they find me--"

"You’re safe," Giles quickly reassured her, sitting down on the other
side of the brunette and placing a hand on her arm. "They can’t get to
you here. We won’t let anyone hurt you."

She relaxed a bit, letting her eyes drift again to the others around
her, "I’m so tired."

"I can’t even imagine," Christina spoke. "I’m amazed you even managed
to maintain your sanity."

"Maybe I haven’t. Maybe none of this is real. Maybe I’m really still
locked up in that room. Waiting for the next vampire to--"

"You aren’t dreaming," Ceara stopped her as Cordy’s voice grew
panicked. "You’re really here."

Spike felt Willow’s small hand close around his wrist and squeeze
lightly. He drew her back a step and turned as she quietly stole out
through the patio door.

"What is it, luv?"

"I don’t understand this," she told him. "It doesn’t make sense."

"Well, it’s doubtful that she escaped from a lair of vampires," he
conceded.

"But why would they suddenly let her go, after all this time? And why
bring her back to Sunnydale? Did you notice her neck?"

He looked down at her and arched a questioning eyebrow.

"No bite marks, Spike. If they’ve been drinking from her, where are the
marks?"

"The throat isn’t the only place--"

"But you remember what Christina said after Cordy’s bath last night?
She saw only bruises and wounds. She didn’t say anything about
punctures. Don’t you think marks like those vampires would have
inflicted on her would have caught Christina’s attention?"

He nodded, "She’s been with vampires, though. You can’t doubt that."

"I can’t," she agreed. "And she obviously hasn’t been turned, but she
hasn’t been bitten, either. At least, not for some time. So what the
hell was that story about? If she didn’t escape, which doesn’t seem
likely, why did they dump her in Sunnydale and then hang about?"

"I don’t know, luv," he answered. "Doesn’t add up, does it?"

"No, it doesn’t," Willow responded. "But she’s been traumatized. That
part wasn’t an act."

He peered back through the door, "Looks like she’s going upstairs. Come
on."

He took her hand, and they stepped back inside and waited until
Cordelia was well away before voicing their thoughts.

"Giles?" Willow began, pausing uneasily as he turned to look at her. "I
don’t know how to put this. Cordy’s obviously been through some sort of
hell. But that story...isn’t completely accurate. It can’t be."

"No bite marks," he nodded.

She grinned slightly, "And I thought you hadn’t noticed."

"You’re saying she’s lying?" Will asked.

"I don’t know," the watcher answered. "I thought it best not to
question her about it. Not yet, anyway. Mentally, I don’t think she’s
up to an interrogation, no matter how gently it might be worded. We do
need to find out what’s happened to her, though. And what she’s doing
back here now, after all these years."

"Well, those vampires who were tracking her aren’t going to report back
to whoever it was that sent them," William pointed out.

"It’s a safe bet they weren’t the only ones keeping tabs on her," Angel
added.

"I’ll get the boys on it," Spike told them. "If there are more here,
we’ll find them."
 
 
 
 

Cordelia stared listlessly through the moonlit window at the dark quiet
street that passed in front of Giles’ house. No sounds could be heard
through the late night stillness. No traffic moved beyond the distant
curb. The false tranquility was abruptly shattered as a shadowy form
moved out from beneath a tall leafy tree near the sidewalk on the front
lawn. Cordy’s eyes froze on the figure even as her mouth clamped shut,
stifling the gasp that threatened to burst from her lips.

Flicking the curtain back over the pane of glass, she turned away and
scrambled under the covers of the bed behind her. She tugged the warm
blanket up close to her chin, but it did little to ease the shivering
that wracked her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed a silent
prayer for a quick, dreamless sleep.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Willow paced at the foot of the king-sized bed, stopping as Trouble
groaned impatiently from the floor near her feet.

"Am I driving you crazy?" she smiled at the dog as she stooped down to
idly scratch at his ear. "Probably. I’m driving *me* crazy."

"You all right, luv?" Spike asked as he appeared in the doorway and
entered the room.

She straightened and turned to him, "Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. The
whole house is on edge. Something’s coming, Spike. I can feel it."

He nodded and crossed to her, "I know. I feel it, too. Nothing we can
do about it, though. Except wait."

"I hate waiting," she grumbled.

He laughed softly and wrapped his arms around her, "Don’t I know it."

"The boys didn’t find anything?"

"Not enough time. We’ll try again tomorrow."

"That ‘we’ includes me, you know," she informed him.

"I never doubted it for a minute," he grinned and tugged at the sash on
her robe. "Come to bed, sweetheart."

Spike pushed the garment off of her shoulders and dragged her bare body
close to his as their lips met in a slow kiss. He backed around the
side of the bed, pulling her with him, and she crawled under the covers
as he quickly undressed. Willow reached for him as he slid in beside
her, and she curled up close to him and raised her mouth to his. He
teased her lips with soft, wet flicks of his tongue and gentle nips
with blunt teeth until she growled in frustration and dug her fingers
into his hair and clamped her mouth down hard onto his. Her sire
chuckled against her insistent tongue and parted his lips, inviting her
in.

Their tongues moved languorously over one another’s, and Spike gently
rolled the redhead onto her back and lowered his lean body down over
hers. His mouth left hers, and he gazed down into her bright green eyes
made even brighter by the desire burning behind them.

"Those kisses used to leave you breathless," he whispered almost
wistfully.

"You’ve left me eternally breathless," she responded, caressing his jaw
line with her fingertips as her eyes stared up into his.

A wide smile stole across the blonde vampire’s handsome face, eliciting
an answering smile from his lover. He ran his fingers through her hair
and lowered his mouth to her forehead, kissing a soft trail along her
eyelids, down her cheek, across her jaw, to her waiting lips. He
lingered there for several minutes, drinking in the satisfyingly
familiar sweet chill of her mouth. Leaving her lips with one more soft,
gentle kiss, he moved downward, along the pale slim column of her
throat.

Willow groaned quietly as his tongue swept over the hills of her
breasts and paused to tease one soft pink nipple into pebbled
perfection before moving to the other to suckle and nip tenderly at it.
She brought her hands to his head, burying her fingers in his short,
silky hair as he shifted lower and kissed the flat plane of her
stomach. With gentle pressure, he nudged her legs farther apart, and
she gasped as his cold tongue delved between her slick folds, tickling
her clitoris ever so slightly, lapping at the wetness that seeped from
her core, returning to that small sensitive nub, teasing it mercilessly
until Willow was keening in a delicious mixture of pleasure and need.

Focusing his attentions on that tiny, demanding bundle of nerves, he
suckled at it, his hands gripping her hips as she thrust up against him
in agonized desperation. He continued his slow, torturous assault until
she cried out his name, pleading, begging for release. She wailed as
his mouth left her, and he raised himself up, his lips crashing down on
hers as his cock drove deep within her. With that single, hard thrust,
Willow’s world shattered around her, splintering into a kaleidoscope of
white light and sensation. Her cold, wet walls convulsed wildly around
him as his name bubbled forth on a strangled gasp of unneeded air.

Spike rested his mouth close to her ear, murmuring softly to her, the
thumb of one hand stroking soothingly against her breast as the other
hand drifted down to their joined sexes and began a slow, easy massage
on her engorged clit. Willow moaned deep in her throat as she felt his
hard cock still throbbing within her, and she arched into him as he
began to move slowly inside her, driving her slowly back toward the
edge. She wrapped her slender legs around him, urging him still deeper
inside her. Spike slipped his hand beneath her head, drawing her mouth
to his neck, and she bit into him. The pull of his blood as his childe
drank hungrily, her walls grasping for him as his thrusts grew harder
and faster, propelled him toward his own climax, and he pinched her
clit, bringing her with him as his cold seed flooded her womb.

Her head dropped back onto the pillow beneath her, and she pulled him
down to her, baring her neck to him. He kissed her pale skin before
piercing it and drinking from her as the echo of their shared orgasms
continued to buzz in his brain. Spike moved off of her, and she
snuggled tight against him as his arm folded around her.

"Spike," she whispered wearily.

"Hush, baby," he answered, kissing her head. "Go to sleep."

"But--"

He smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, "All right.
Say it."

She grinned and pressed her body close to his, nuzzling at the wounds
she had placed on his throat, "I love you. That’s all."

He looked down at her to find her eyes already closed.

Chuckling softly, he laced his fingers through her hair, cradling her
sleeping head against him, and spoke quietly into the darkness, "Yes,
sweetheart. That’s all."
 
 
 

"She’s terrified of something," Will told the others as they assembled
in the living room of the sprawling mansion. "Christina said she
couldn’t get Cordy to step foot outside of the house today."

Ceara looked puzzled, "But if it was vampires that took her, why should
she be frightened during the day?"

"If what she said they did to her actually happened, it would have
lasting effects," Angel responded. "That kind of damage tends to
obliterate any sort of logical reasoning. She’s just plain scared,
period."

"I told the boys to take extra time prowling around tonight while
they’re out, keep their eyes open for anything unusual. We should be
doing the same," Spike suggested.

He took Willow’s hand as they followed the others to the door, and they
stepped out onto the terrace to find Darnell striding toward them with
a distressed look on his face.

"What’s wrong?" the redheaded vampire asked him.

"Emily. She’s missing. A crate of bloodwine was delivered as we were
about to go out, and I told her to go on ahead while I got it settled,
and I’d catch up with her. She didn’t have time to get much farther
than the bottom of the hill before I went after her. But she’s gone. I
can’t even sense her."

A cold chill prickled along Will’s spine, and William drew her closer
to him and ran his hand soothingly along her back as he spoke, "We’ll
find her. Come on."

Willow glanced back at the house and whistled, once, shrilly, and the
thud of heavy footsteps came pounding from around the end of the house
as Trouble raced toward them.

She looked over at the sandy-haired vampire, "He may be able to pick up
her scent if we can’t. We *will* find her, Joseph."

Darnell gave her a grateful nod, and turned to head back down the hill.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Joseph was becoming increasingly agitated as their search for his
childe lengthened with no sign of her. After throughly checking the
town, they shifted their attention to the warehouses that bordered the
river. Trouble, who had stopped several times to poke his curious nose
into interesting piles of trash and oily rags along the way, had fallen
behind, and Willow slowed her steps and drifted several paces back as
she waited for him. As the others turned yet another dark corner, the
dog suddenly stopped beside a rickety door, sniffling around the gaping
cracks and snarling softly.

"What is it, Trouble?" she asked quietly, and the dog looked back at
her expectantly.

She placed her hand on the dirty, square pane of glass on the upper
half of the door. It opened easily under her touch. She poked her head
inside and peered into the dark room as Trouble scooted in ahead of
her. A rustling sound from the opposite side caught her attention, and
she took a silent step over the threshold.

"Willow?" a familiar voice whispered softly.

"Em? Is that you?" the redhead asked.

A flash of blonde hair appeared from behind a pile of mildewed boxes,
and Darnell's childe gestured excitedly, "Come here. See what I found."

Willow moved over to her, falling into step beside her, "We’ve been
looking all over town for you."

"Sorry," she answered meekly. "Joseph told me to go on without him.
Just as I got to the bottom of the hill, I noticed a couple of
unfamiliar vampires disappearing across the street. I was afraid they’d
be gone by the time Joseph showed up, so I followed them, and--look!"

Willow’s eyes followed her pointing finger to another, narrower door
set into the concrete wall. Cautiously, she stepped through it to
discover several torn mattresses placed along the far wall. Wooden
crates had been overturned, and partially burnt candles rested on top
of them. But the thing that really caught Willow’s attention was the
heavy, unmistakable scent of human blood that hung in the musty air.

"A lair," she murmured. "Could belong to some of ours, though. You’re
sure you didn’t recognize those vampires? Where did they go?"

"I’d never seen them before, and I’ve met a lot of them, going hunting
with Joseph and all. They came inside here for just a few minutes
before they took off again."

"I just hope they didn’t see you," Willow spoke.

"I kept well back from them. I’m sure they didn’t notice me. I’ve
learned a lot from you, Mistress," Emily commented.

"Yeah, you have," Willow grinned softly as the younger vampire beamed.
"And don’t call me that. What’s this?"

Emily stepped over to her side as Willow pulled at the edge of a paper
sticking out from under one of the mattresses.

"Looks like a map of some sort."

The redhead nodded as she studied the paper, "The sewers. They’ve
marked the tunnel that comes out near Giles’ house. They must know
Cordy is--"

She broke off, and Emily clutched at her arm, her eyes darting widly
around, as footsteps sounded behind them.

Willow put her hand over the young blonde’s and squeezed it
reassuringly, "Don’t panic. Just sniff. It’s Spike."

"It bloody well is," her sire confirmed angrily as he came into view.
"What the hell are you doing?"

"Emily found--"

"A lair. I can see that," he nodded. "And you decided to snoop about on
your own because--"

Willow swallowed at the familiar fire burning in his eyes,
"I...we...Trouble was..."

"Em?" Joseph’s relieved voice spoke from behind Spike. "Thank Lucifer.
Are you okay?"

"She wasn’t dragged here. She dragged herself," Spike informed him as
he thrust his hand out toward Willow. "Let’s go, little one."

"Oh, hell," Willow grumbled as he latched onto her hand, and she
trotted to keep up with him as he yanked her out of the building. "I
wasn’t being bad! I just--"

"We’ve got company," Darnell cut her off as the sound of a fist
colliding with flesh came from the street outside.

They sprinted out of the building to find Ceara, her hand wrapped
around a vampire’s neck, shoving him violently into the wall. The
vampire’s eyes widened as she raised a stake.

"Don’t dust him!" Willow shouted. "He isn’t one of ours!"

The slayer nodded and kneed her captive in the groin, and the vampire
grunted in pain and collapsed to his knees. She cupped his chin in her
hand, lifted him slightly, and flung him into the solid concrete wall.
The second vampire lunged at Angel, catching the taller vampire off
guard. They both landed on the ground, and William grabbed for the
assailant. Slamming Angel’s head into the hard asphalt, he whirled
around and kicked the blonde vampire’s feet out from under him,
straddled his chest, and locked his hands around his throat.

Almost without thinking, Will grabbed up a rusty crowbar left lying
beside a broken down pickup truck and swung it with all the force she
possessed into the vampire’s head. William shoved the slumped form off
of him, and Will reached for him as he scrambled onto his feet.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he grinned down at her. "Nice swing, luv."

Ceara looked at each of the inert forms lying on the ground, "We can’t
take them to Giles’ place. If Cordelia knows them, I don’t know what it
would do to her."

Spike nodded, "Bring them to the mansion. The cellar below one of the
outbuildings is equipped with shackles."

The slayer threw him a darkly questioning look.

The vampire glared back at her, "Sod off, slayer. I don’t use them for
humans."

Deciding she really didn’t want to know the details, she simply nodded
and turned to Angel’s side as he flung one of the two unconscious
vampires over his shoulder and started down the street. William hauled
up the other one, and he and Will took off after them.

"Now, see," Emily ventured bravely as they headed back toward the
mansion. "If I hadn’t followed those vampires, and if we hadn’t found
that lair--"

"Followed them?" Joseph asked. "Followed them?!"

"Oh, damn," his childe muttered.

Willow glanced from the couple to her sire and tentatively slid her
hand into his and felt a wave of relief wash over her as he gave it a
quick squeeze.
 
 
 
 

"You’re not angry with me, are you?" Willow asked after she had
explained in detail how she had come to find Emily. "I mean, I--I
remember what happened the last time I--"

"It’s all right, baby," her sire placed his hands on her shoulders and
brushed his lips softly against hers. "Walking into a strange lair like
that isn’t the smartest idea, but it sounds to me like it all happened
pretty quickly."

She nodded enthusiastically, "And I knew the rest of you weren’t very
far away. Besides, I’ll bet I could have taken those vamps even if they
had stumbled on us without you there."

"You’re probably right," he chuckled softly. "But I really wouldn’t
want to test that theory."

She turned her head as Darnell moved into the cellar and stood beside
them, "Where’s Emily?"

"Inside the house. Waiting," he answered.

"Oh," Willow answered softly and looked back at Spike, who grinned in
response and pulled her into a tight hug.

"He’s coming around," Angel spoke from across the small cellar as one
of the manacled vampires began to groan softly.

Will, who had been studying the small chilly room with interest, lifted
a pair of pliers from what looked for all the world like a carpenter’s
workbench and softly asked her twin, "What exactly *do* you use this
place for?"

"Behavioral conditioning," her double smirked, and Ceara laughed softly
from Angel’s side.

Angel gave the captive vampire a firm slap across the face, and the
shackled demon snarled and focused his eyes on him.

"That’s better," the dark vampire smiled coldly. "Sleepy vampires
aren’t much good for answers, and I don’t think your partner over there
is quite up to talking yet."

The captive’s eyes wandered to the huddled form of the other. He was
slouched against the wall, a heavy gash along the side of his head
where he had collided with the cement wall of the warehouse was oozing
thick blood.

"What are you doing in Sunnydale?"

"Vacationing," the captive answered smugly.

"Very funny," Ceara shook her head slowly and twirled the stake in her
hand. "How would you like a permanent souvenir? Where exactly is home,
anyway, and where did you get the official tourist’s map of the
Sunnydale sewers?"

"I don’t answer to you, whore," he snapped foolishly.

Angel's strong hand curled around the vampire's neck and squeezed hard,
"How would you like me to rip those vocal cords right out of your
throat?"

The captive glared defiantly back at him.

"Not very cooperative, is he?" Willow spoke to her sire.

"We could change that," he suggested. "How about if we burn his fingers
off, one by one, until he has a change of attitude?"

The captive’s eyes widened as they flew to the blonde vampire, and
Angel watched as a shudder slammed through his confined body.

"You’re not serious," the words fell from the stranger’s lips in a
raspy plea. "I’m one of you."

"You’re nothing," Spike spat. "You’re in *my* town. Why? What’s at the
watcher’s house that has you so interested that you’ve marked out an
underground express route to his street?"

The vampire scowled up at him and clenched his mouth shut, refusing to
answer.

"Baby, tell me if I'm misjudging this prick, but I'm not seeing an
attitude adjustment here," Willow remarked to her lover as she moved
toward the workbench.

The captive’s angry expression was quickly replaced by apprehension as
he watched the small redhead lift a propane torch and crank it open.

"Got a match?" she asked her mortal twin.

Spike gazed adoringly at his childe as Will nodded and stuck her hand
in William’s pocket and fished out his lighter. The blonde vampires
shared an amused smile as Will held the lighter to the torch’s tip, and
a blue flame sputtered to life.

Willow took a step forward and knelt down in front of the bound
vampire, "I’ll bet I can think of other bits of your anatomy that you
really, really, wouldn’t like me to fry."

The captive struggled uselessly against the chains holding him firmly
in the chair, "N--no...don’t--"

A cry of sheer terror echoed off the walls as her hand snaked toward
his belt.

"Ohhh, she’s *good*," William chuckled.

"You damned fucking bitch," the captive spat out as he writhed wildly,
trying to escape the threat of the torch.

Spike growled loudly and grabbed hold of the vampire’s hair, wrenching
his head back at a painful angle. He plunged his hand into his duster
pocket and drew out a knife, flicking open the long, thin blade.

"I’ll carve that tongue right out of your bloody head," he snarled.

"You won’t get any answers out of him that way," Darnell reasoned
calmly.

"Good point," Spike agreed, flashing an appreciative glance at him
before scowling back at the vampire. "On the other hand, if you talk to
my mate like that again, I won’t give a damn about answers. Apologize.
Now."

The captive glowered coldly up at him. Spike tightened his grip on the
vampire’s hair and jerked his head violently.

"Apologize," he barked.

"I-I’m sorry," the vampire hissed softly.

"You’re sorry--what?"

The captive hesitated and then cried out sharply as he felt his neck
being twisted almost to the point of breaking, and he stammered out
quickly, "I-I’m s-sorry, Mistress."

Spike released his hold, shoving the vampire’s head to the side, "I own
your ass, now, boy. You answer our questions, or I swear to Lucifer
I’ll turn Willow loose on you."

Venturing a nervous look at the angry redhead, he swallowed and glanced
around at the tall, dark vampire standing patiently next to the slayer.

Angel shook his head and threw his arm over Ceara’s shoulders, "I’d
just as soon watch you fry, you bastard. After Willow’s through with
you, I’m sure we can convince your partner over there to talk."

The vampire’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and he bowed his head and
spoke softly, "The brunette. The one at the watcher’s house. We were
sent to keep an eye on her."

Ceara stared scornfully at him, "As if we hadn’t figured that out. Why?
What is she to you?"

"A cunt, basically," the cocky sneer had returned to the captive’s
voice. "I can truthfully say I know her inside and out."

"Give me that damned torch," Will snarled angrily.

William pulled her next to him and wrapped an arm around the fuming
young woman.

"Why did you release her after all this time only to come after her
again?" Angel questioned.

"I don’t know," the vampire answered, jumping slightly as Willow took a
step toward him. "I don’t! We were told to follow her, track her
movements, and report back."

"Report back to who?" the slayer demanded.

"My master," he told her. "If you want more than that, you’ll have to
ask Cordelia."

"You’re saying she knows why she’s here? Why *you’re* here?" William
asked.

"She knows everything," the captive insisted. "She’s the master’s pet.
She serves him."

"How many more of you are in Sunnydale?" Spike questioned.

"Not many. Half a dozen. And they’ll be looking for us."

"Well, if they get *really* unlucky, they’ll find you," Willow sneered
coldly before looking at her sire. "I get the feeling he’s too stupid
to know anything else. Can I kill him now?"

Spike chuckled and took the torch from her hands and turned off the
bright blue flame, "Better hang on to the both of them for now, luv.
They might come in useful."

She shook her head and gave the captive a withering glare, "Somehow, I
doubt that."
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Darnell followed the gang into the living room and stopped in his
tracks at the sight of his childe sitting in one of the armchairs.

"I thought I told you to wait upstairs," he said.

She averted her eyes from his angry stare, "The watcher called. I
thought I should wait--"

"What did he want?" Ceara asked.

"He’s been trying to contact you all evening. Cordelia has
disappeared."

"From the house?" Will’s brow wrinkled in confusion. "How? They
couldn’t have gotten to her there."

"They didn’t," the younger vampire explained. "She had gone down to the
living room, and Christina offered to make her a cup of tea. When she
returned, the patio door was open, and Cordelia was gone. They searched
outside and down the street, but she was nowhere to be seen."

"Giles said she’s been too frightened to go anywhere, even in broad
daylight," the slayer said. "Why would she suddenly leave the house at
night?"

"To go to them?" Willow suggested.

Her twin looked anxiously over at her, "Oh, Goddess. We have to find
her before they do."

Angel nodded his agreement and took Ceara’s hand as they turned back
toward the terrace doors. Darnell whirled around as his childe followed
after them.

"Where do you think you’re going?" he asked.

"With you?" she squeaked softly.

"Get back upstairs," he snarled.

Willow looked around at him, "Joseph--"

"You stay out of this," he spoke harshly.

"Hey!" she protested.

"You’re a bad influence," he insisted.

"I am *not*!" she shouted and glared at Spike as he snorted softly.
"And *you* be quiet!"

He grabbed her arm forcefully and yanked her toward him.

"Oh! Ow! I’m sorry!"

"No, you’re bloody well not--yet," he frowned down at her.

"Well, I wasn’t--then. But I am now," she asserted meekly. "How’s
that?"

Angel laughed softly as Spike bit back the grin that threatened to
curve his lips as her green eyes looked up hopefully at him, "We’ll
discuss it later."

"Oh, hell," she muttered.

"You got that right," he promised ominously as he tucked an arm around
her waist and headed toward the doorway.

"Can vampires be a *good* influence?" Will wondered softly to herself,
to William’s obvious amusement.

"We’ll discuss *that* later," he suggested quietly.

"Oh, good," she giggled as her hand found his.
 
 
 
 

Cordelia kneeled at the feet of the tall, smirking vampire. He ran a
hand gently through her long brunette locks.

"I expected you to come to me earlier than this," his cold voice spoke
reproachfully. "What kept you, pet?"

She trembled slightly at his tone, and his hand gripped her hair and
pulled her head sharply back. Tears of pain glistened in her eyes as
she was forced to look up at him.

"Answer me, whore!" he snarled angrily.

"I--I couldn’t get away. They were watching too closely, Master," she
murmured.

"Why do I find myself doubting that explanation?" he asked darkly.
"Never mind. You’re here now."

Cordy choked back a moan as his fingers dipped to the fly of his pants
and slowly unfastened them while his cruel eyes remained fixed on hers.

"It’s been too long since I’ve had that warm mouth wrapped around me,"
he whispered salaciously as he freed his thick, hardened cock. "I think
we ought to remedy that; don’t you, my dear?"

She grunted in pain and parted her lips as he shoved her head toward
his throbbing member, and the hot tears rolled from her eyes as her
head began to move rhythmically.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
"Where the hell is she?" Angel mumbled as they left yet another dark
alley.

Will shook her head, "She doesn’t even know Sunnydale--not this one.
And she hasn’t had any desire to get to know it."

"I can’t imagine what drove her out of the safety of Giles’ house,"
Ceara agreed. "Or where she could have gone."

"What about the docks? We checked the other warehouses over there, but
there must be at least a dozen abandoned boats moored not too far from
them," the William suggested.

"It’s worth a shot," Willow agreed.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Cordelia lay still on the worn, smelly mattress, her face completely
void of expression, as the large vampire moved off her, his cock
glistening with her juices. He propped himself on one elbow and traced
the mounds of her breasts with a cold finger.

"Where is the book I told you to get?" he asked, enjoying the way her
body winced at his touch. "You must have found it by now."

She nodded, her voice barely a whisper, "It’s in his library."

His hand curled around her left breast and gripped it cruelly, and a
small cry of pain drifted from the brunette’s lips.

"And you *left* it there?" he snarled, grabbing her wrist as she tried
to pry his hand away and pinning it to the bed. "Bitch! Do *not* play
games with me. If you’re even entertaining the idea that you can help
your idiot friends, I strongly suggest you rethink your position. You
are mine, and you will follow my orders. You know the consequences for
disobeying me, whore. I’ve worked too long to let your foolish
sentiments delay me now that I’m so close. And now, two of my minions
seem to have disappeared, thanks to your useless act of defiance."

"I-I don’t know anything about that, Master," she answered, her voice
trembling. "I’m sorry. I--"

He cupped her chin in his hand, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises,
"You are *not* one of them. You haven’t been for a very long time. Or
do you need a reminder of whose property you are? Perhaps a night with
the boys--"

"No," she sobbed. "Please, no. I’ll get the book. I swear I will.
Please don’t--"

Her quiet pleading faded as he moved off the bed and angrily tugged on
his clothes, and she retreated behind the silent wall of escape she had
erected around her mind so many years ago. Grinning sadistically over
at her, he opened the door and barked out an invitation to the minions
outside before returning to the bed.

"Enjoy your silence while you can, my beautiful bitch. You’ll be
screaming in no time," he promised as three vampires stepped inside the
room and leered over at Cordelia. "Your vacation on the Hellmouth seems
to have affected your memory. You *will* deliver that book to me.
Tomorrow night."

"Anything," she whispered. "Just don’t let them--"

He ignored her, nodding to the minions as he retraced his steps to the
door, "If you return here empty-handed again, I’ll let my boys fuck you
and leave you to bleed to death. Do you understand me?"

He slammed the door on her desperate sobs as the first of the minions
stripped and pushed Cordelia back into the dirty mattress. He pried her
legs apart, entering her roughly. She lay still, squeezing her eyes
shut, as he thrust hard into her and sank his teeth into the flesh
above her right nipple, suckling her blood greedily as his cold seed
filled her. He pulled out of her and glared down at the weeping young
woman, his lips curled in a cold, satisfied grin, and he signaled for
the second vampire to take his place.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
William’s hand curled around Will’s arm, pulling her slightly behind
him as a dark figure stumbled a few feet ahead of them before
collapsing to its knees.

"Cordy," Willow gasped, leaving Spike’s side to run to her.

The brunette looked up from her crouched position, tears staining her
face. The redheaded vampire caught the strong scent of blood as she
dropped to one knee, and her eyes were drawn to the thin line of blood
trickling down Cordelia’s inner thigh.

"She’s been raped," she whispered as Angel knelt beside her and placed
his arms around the young woman, lifting her up into his arms.

Willow looked up at Spike as he helped her to her feet, "She needs
help. Can we get some of the boys to check out the docks?"

He nodded and slipped his arm around her waist, squeezing gently as
they followed behind Angel. Cordy was silent and still, stirring only
to whimper once or twice in fear or pain as her mind slipped toward
unconsciousness during the quick trip back to the watcher’s house.
Giles was at the front door almost before their steps reached the short
set of stairs to the front porch. Wordlessly, the watcher turned, and
Angel followed after him, carrying the young woman up to her bedroom
where he gently laid her out on the bed.

Christina appeared and then disappeared again to return a few minutes
later with a basin of water and a bathrobe. She signaled for the others
to leave them alone and sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for
the buttons on Cordelia’s torn shirt. Giles closed the door on Cordy’s
quiet cries of protest and Christina’s soft coos of reassurance. He
followed the others down the corridor to the library and dropped
heavily into one of the chairs.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We found her wandering out near the docks," Ceara answered. "She’s
been raped, Giles."

His face grew drawn, and he raised a trembling hand to remove his
glasses, "Vampires?"

"Yes," Angel nodded. "Several."

"Oh, lord," he moaned.

The slayer sat down beside him and clutched his arm, "Giles--"

"I know. I know," he breathed in sharply, fighting to regain his
composure. "Did you find them? The ones who did this to her?"

"There wasn’t time," Willow explained and looked over at her mate.
"Spike--"

He nodded and reached for the phone on the desk to make a quick call to
Darnell.

"It makes no sense," the watcher muttered to himself. "If they only
wanted to continue to torture her, why bring her back here where they
run the risk of being found?"

"Because they want something here," William answered. "And, somehow,
she’s helping them."

Giles was on his feet, glaring hard at the vampire, "You bastard! You
think *that’s* helping them? You think she consented to be brought back
here only to be dragged away to be raped?"

"She wasn’t dragged anywhere," Willow reminded him, forcing her
unsteady voice to remain calm. "She left here, Giles. Of her own
accord. She went to them."

The watcher turned his cold eyes on her, "You’re implying that she
wanted this! You disgust me! I--"

Will stepped forward, reaching out to the man, as Spike slammed down
the phone and moved to his childe’s side, snarling softly.

"No one’s implying any such thing," the little mortal spoke softly.
"But she did leave here voluntarily, Giles. They couldn’t have gotten
into this house to force her to go with them."

He nodded and placed a hand over her own, "I’m sorry."

"Never mind," Angel spoke. "We need to find out what it is they’re
after that’s so important they’d bring Cordelia back to Sunnydale to
get at it."

"She’s in no condition to answer any questions," Giles said.

"Then we’ll just have to get the answers elsewhere, won’t we?" Willow
suggested, a cold fire burning behind her angry eyes. "Do vampires
explode into dust when their cocks are ripped off?"

William shivered at the mere suggestion, "Bloody hell, luv. Where did
you learn to be so wicked?"

Ignoring the scarlet blush that had traveled to Giles’ hairline, she
grinned over at William and clutched her sire’s hand, "From the best."
 
 
 

Darnell was waiting on the terrace when Spike and Willow returned to
the mansion. The blonde vampire gestured for Joseph to follow them
inside as the first pink rays of the rising sun began to glow against
the eastern horizon. Willow paused to draw the heavy curtains before
turning to her sire’s side.

"The boys just got in a few minutes ago," Darnell began. "Two or three
of the abandoned old boats along the docks are being lived in, mostly
by vagrants, I’d guess. But one of them has had its windows boarded up.
There are definitely vampires holed up there, sir. One of them is an
elder."

"Their master," Spike nodded. "Well done. Nothing we can do now,
though. I’ll call Angel and let him know. We’ll check it out after
sunset. Are you hungry, luv?"

Willow nodded.

"I’ll warm you a mug," Joseph said.

She took a step toward him, "You’re still speaking to me?"

"Apparently," he answered and turned to head for the kitchen.

"Joseph, I’m sorry--about earlier. I really will learn to mind my own
business. Some day."

He grinned warmly over at her, "Gods, I hope not. I’ll be right back."

Willow turned back to her sire as Darnell left the room, "I didn’t mean
what I said to you, either. I wouldn’t really want you to stay out
of--anything."

He pulled her close to him and nuzzled her ear, "As if I would anyway."

"Am I going to get whipped?" the question was muffled against his
shoulder as her voice trembled slightly.

He chuckled, "I’d nearly forgotten about that."

"Oh, bloody hell," she mumbled.

He raised her face in his hands and stared into her eyes, "I think
you’ve had enough for one evening, pet. Actually, I was thinking more
along the lines of a good hard shagging."

Her lips curled into a wide smile, and she slipped her arms around his
neck, "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he whispered as his mouth dropped her hers, and her body molded
against his as his tongue swept inside her mouth.

The kiss was interrupted by Darnell’s reappearance, and Willow turned
in Spike’s arms to receive the mug he held out to her.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled as Spike pulled her over to the sofa and settled her onto his
lap.

"If there’s nothing else, sir," Joseph asked. "I have a childe to see
to."

"Right," he grinned and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

The sandy-haired vampire left them, and Spike took the mug out of
Willow’s hand and set it on the coffee table.

"I’m hungry," she whimpered.

"Me, too," he said softly, drawing her mouth to his neck.

"Oh," she murmured and kissed his throat just below his left ear where
his pulse should have been.

He cradled her close to him as she bit into his flesh and drank slowly
from him before drawing away slightly. Spike curled his fingers through
her long soft hair and brought her lips to his, kissing her deeply. Her
lips drifted from his to brush lightly across his cold cheek, and she
bared her neck to him, moaning softly as he bit in and suckled at his
childe’s blood. He kissed the small punctures and lifted her up in his
arms to carry her up to the bedroom.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
The gang reassembled the following evening in Giles’ living room.
Cordy, who had been reluctantly brought down from the upstairs bedroom,
was sitting sullenly in an armchair, her arms wrapped tightly around
her own waist, her eyes staring blankly at the patterns in the carpet.

"I haven’t gotten anything useful out of her," Christina told the
others quietly. "But I haven’t pushed it too hard. I feel so badly for
her; she seems so lost inside herself."

Willow nodded and stepped over to the silent brunette and knelt down in
front of her, "Cordy, we need your help. Whatever has been done to
you--and I know it’s been pure hell--we can help you deal with it.
Just--"

A quick arm swatted away the gentle hand the redhead tried to place on
her arm, "You--help me? *You?* You can’t do anything for me. You’re one
of *them*."

Willow tried to draw the frightened woman’s eyes to hers, "I am, but
I’m not. Cordy, we’re friends. I want--"

"Leave me alone!" the brunette scowled "You’re not my friend. Bitch."

Willow’s head snapped around as her sire growled menacingly from behind
her, and she shook her head slightly and turned back to Cordelia.

"I understand that you’re afraid, but--"

"You understand nothing!" Cordy pushed her away and swung her leg at
her, barely missing the little vampire’s head as she scrambled
backwards.

Spike was immediately on her, dragging her away by the arm and pushing
her behind him as his amber eyes gleamed down at the woman in the
chair. Cordelia’s face blanched, and she shrunk further back into the
cushions.

"Spike, don’t," Willow pleaded, gripping his arm. "She’s--"

"I don’t give a damn what she is," he jerked his arm away, his eyes
still pinned on the brunette. "Bitch, she’s trying to help you. They’re
*all* trying to help you. Personally, I’m beginning to not give a
bloody damn about what happened to you. Whatever the hell it is you’re
involved in, this is not of their making, and we are not the enemy, and
you do *not* want us to be. If you threaten my mate like that I again,
I’ll break your leg. Do you understand *that*?"

"Willow," Ceara’s calm voice spoke from Angel’s side. "Maybe it would
be better if the two of you left. Let us talk to her."

The redhead nodded sadly and looked around at Spike. With a murderous
glance at the brunette in the chair, he latched onto his childe and
pulled her toward the door.

"See if you can track down any of the others," Giles suggested.
"Perhaps Will and William should--"

"Right," Will agreed and slid her hand into William’s to follow their
doubles out of the house.

The watcher knelt in front of Cordeilia, who was trembling visibly as
he reached out to her, "They wouldn’t hurt you, Cordelia. Willow has a
soul--like Angel."

"I know," her soft voice broke as a tear slid down her cheek. "I’m
sorry. I’m sorry."

"We want to help you," Christina added, moving to the young woman’s
side and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But we can’t do that
if you won’t let us. What is it that those vampires are after, Cordy?"

"I can’t," she shook her head. "Please, don’t ask me. I can’t."

"Why did you go to them?" Ceara asked her. "Why did you leave this
house?"

She batted Giles away from her and scrambled out of the armchair to
flee toward the stairway, looking back once with pleading eyes at them,
"Leave me alone. You can’t help me. It’s too late. No one can help me."
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Spike had called together a large group of minions and ordered them to
keep watch over the docks while he, his childe, and their doubles
scouted town for any unfamiliar vampires. With sunrise approaching and
no sign of unusual activity, Spike and Willow had begun the walk back
to the mansion, and William and Will had left them to return to their
home. Spike’s arm wound lightly around Willow’s waist as she walked
beside him in silence, her eyes slightly downcast, staring at the
ground ahead of them as their footsteps fell soundlessly upon the
grassy lawn leading to the terrace. As they entered the mansion, he
stopped, turning her to face him and pulling her close against his
chest.

"Did you see her eyes, Spike? She could have killed me tonight," the
redhead spoke with soft sadness. "They’ve hurt her so badly, she even
hates me--hates what I am."

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her hair, "She doesn’t
know what she’s feeling, luv. They’ve tortured her until her thoughts
are all twisted around."

"Then how can we help her?" she whispered forlornly. "Even after we do
find out who’s behind this and why, how can we ever bring her back to
what she was before all this happened?"

"I’m not sure we can," he answered honestly, drawing her slightly away
to look down into her eyes. "I didn’t know her well, back before
Sunnyhell was torched, but whoever she was then has probably long since
been dead."

"I don’t want to believe that," she told him.

He smiled softly and caressed her cold cheek with his hand, "I know,
pet. But none of us are who we were then, are we? I fell in love with a
beautiful little mortal. She fell in love with a soulless bastard. Even
Angel and Giles aren’t the same people. We found a way to turn the
tables on hell, make it work for us. That hell changed all of us while
we were working through it, but for Cordelia--well, it never ended, did
it?"

"No," she agreed. "But it could, if she’d let us help her."

"You can’t make that decision for her," he reminded her. "You can’t
even force her to make that decision. Finding the bastards that hurt
her so badly and putting them out of their miserable existences will be
a start, though."

A small smile graced her lips and she reached up to kiss him lightly,
"I love you."

He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms solidly around her, and kissed
her with tender slowness. She relaxed against him and lowered her head
to his shoulder.

"Spike, what do you suppose it is that they’re after? What book could
they be so desperate to get their hands on?"

"I don’t--" his reply was cut short by loud, angry barking coming from
outside.

"Trouble," Willow spoke, stepping out of her sire’s embrace.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand as they raced through the terrace
doors and around the side of the house toward the direction of the
dog’s menacing snarls.

The animal had cornered two vampires just outside the outbuilding where
the captives that Spike had locked away where still chained. Darnell’s
shadowy form appeared from the opposite side of the large mansion, and
the trio advanced on the pair of trespassers. The first kicked out at
the growling dog, and Trouble’s teeth clamped around the vampire’s pant
leg and yanked at it furiously. The vampire shook him off, and Trouble
lunged at him, sinking his fangs into the stranger’s thigh.

Spike caught a brief glance of his childe’s exquisite demonic features
as she bolted toward the vampire who was howling in pain under the
dog’s solid body. Trouble’s teeth flashed in the moonlight as his mouth
curled back, and he snapped at the intruder’s throat. The second
vampire curled his hand around the dog’s neck and tried to haul the
heavy creature off of his partner. Willow snarled and kicked a booted
foot at the side of the vampire’s head, and blood coursed from his ear
as he sailed back against the wall of the outbuilding.

The blonde vampire latched onto the groaning demon’s hair and dragged
him up onto his feet as Darnell managed to pry the dog away from the
first vampire. The vampire leapt to his feet, and his hand darted out
and grabbed hold of Willow’s neck. He lifted her easily and threw her
against the building. She sunk to the ground, and Trouble, infuriated,
broke free from Joseph’s grasp and flung himself at the vampire. A
blood-curdling shriek of pain broke from the intruder’s mouth as the
dog bit into his cheek and ripped away a large chunk of flesh.

Spike released the struggling vampire he’d grabbed hold of, drew back a
fist and slammed it into his face. He slid bonelessly down the wall of
the outbuilding, and Spike ran to Willow as she crawled over the ground
toward the dog, thick red blood oozing from a large gash above her left
eye and all but blinding her.

"Trouble, no!" she managed to shout out, and the dog immediately let go
of the vampire.

Darnell latched onto the nearly unconscious demon and dragged him onto
his feet as Spike knelt beside his mate. She put her arm around his
neck to steady herself.

"I’m all right," she assured him.

"No, you’re not," he argued, brushing her hair out of the wide open cut
on her forehead.

"Close enough," she grinned weakly as Trouble trotted over to her. "Did
we get them, both of them?"

"We got them," he murmured softly, holding her tighter.

She smiled at Trouble as he put a ridiculously large paw on her leg and
stuck his nose in her face, "Good dog."

The dog peered back at her with an uncanny resemblance of a smile, and
he wagged his tail against Spike’s head as his tongue swept over the
redhead’s nose. She giggled and planted a kiss on his furry head.

"What are we going to do with these two?" Joseph asked as he held the
vampire with one hand and looked over at the couple.

Spike lifted Willow up onto her feet, and her arm curled around his
waist as she leaned heavily against him.

"We could let them go," she suggested, glaring at the intruder. "What
is it, ten minutes before dawn? They’d be dust before they ever got
back to their rat hole."

The vampire’s eyes widened in fear, and he shook his head slightly,
groaning at the pain that stabbed through his skull.

Spike cocked his head and stared at the captive, "Your choice. Do we
leave you out here to greet the sunrise, or do we take you inside where
you talk until your fangs drop out of your bloody head?"

The vampire sank back against the wall behind him, his eyes lowered
submissively, and answered, "Inside."
 
 

"What are you doing here?" Willow demanded as she glared down at the
two captives. "What’s in Sunnydale that’s so important you dragged
Cordelia back here to get it for you?"

The first scowled up at her, "If you want answers, talk to my master--"

Spike snarled and latched onto the captive’s throat and hauled him up
out of his chair, "*Your* master is going to twist your head clean off
your shoulders if you don’t start talking."

His eyes widened as he choked out, "I--I can’t--"

"Stake him, sweetheart," the blonde vampire spoke casually to his
childe as he glanced over at the other vampire.

"No!" the cowering vampire pleaded as Willow moved in front of him,
deftly twirling a stake between her fingers. "I’ll tell you! Anything,
Master! Anything you--"

"Good answer," Spike nodded before snapping the neck of the vampire he
was holding.

He caught the stake Willow tossed over to him and plunged it into the
first vampire’s chest. He stepped over to his mate’s side and looked
down at the second.

"You were saying?"

"It’s a book. The watcher has it. In his library, I think," the vampire
babbled nervously.

"Giles has a lot of books. Which one?" Willow asked.

"I’m not sure--really, I’m not!" he insisted. "I only know it contains
information on destroying the slayer. Something to do with stealing her
soul and leaving only the shell of her body. It’s a complicated ritual,
but my mast...my former master...thinks he can do it. He’s in league
with a demon...I don’t know which one...it’s in that damned
book...whose presence is required to perform the ritual. I don’t know
what else is required, but he seemed very certain that the book...with
the exact invocation...is the only other thing he needs to perform it."

"Okay," Willow nodded. "I can understand a vampire’s desire to destroy
the slayer. But he isn’t from Sunnydale. If he had stayed where he
belonged, Ceara posed no threat to him. He’s after more than just her
destruction. Why is he so determined to steal her soul?"

He lowered his eyes, "Because after he invokes the ritual and takes
possession of her soul, he’ll also take possession of all of
her--abilities. He will, essentially, become everything that she is.
She won’t die; she’ll only be irreversibly comatose. And even when she
does eventually die, no other slayer will be called because her essence
will continue to exist--within him."

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered. "Can you imagine the imbalance if this
bastard manages to succeed?"

Willow nodded grimly and looked over at Darnell, "Call Giles. Tell him
what we’ve found out. We have to find that book before Cordelia can get
her hands on it."

Joseph moved toward the door, then stopped to look back at them, "He’s
the head of the council. Wouldn’t you have thought that he would have
been aware of such a ritual?"

Three sets of eyes stared over at the captive, and he shivered in fear
and shook his head emphatically, "I swear it exists. The ritual is
cloaked within another ritual. I don’t know which one. I only know that
the true nature of the ritual is very difficult to recognize. I don’t
even know how my--f-former master--discovered its true intent. Tell
your watcher to look for it. It’s there, in one of those books."

The captive waited until Darnell had left before looking hesitantly up
at Spike and Willow, "You said something about an imbalance? I don’t
understand."

Spike scowled and scrubbed a hand through his hair, "If that bastard
succeeds, if he destroys the slayer, there will be nothing to prevent
the hellmouth from being overrun by our kind--demons, vampires, you
name it."

"But you’re one of us. Why are you against that?"

"Because, fool, if that were to happen, the human population would be
slowly eradicated. It’s already happened, on a much smaller scale, here
in Sunnyhell when a slayer died. If he succeeds, the devastation would
eventually be worldwide. Do you fancy having your food supply
completely obliterated?"

"But we wouldn’t have to kill all of them. We could keep some for--"

Willow shook her head, "It wouldn’t happen that way. What the vampires
didn’t destroy, the other demons would. There’d be nobody left. The
slayer is opposed to those forces, by her very nature. She destroys
evil because it stands for everything she’s against. Your former master
isn’t going to give a damn about keeping any sort of balance between
good and evil. He would destroy for nothing more than personal gain. He
may think he has the key to world domination, but what he’s really
holding is the inevitable promise of his own destruction. He’s just too
big of an ass to realize it."

The vampire swallowed hard as the truth of her statement sunk in, "Tell
me what to do to help."
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Giles led the others up to the library and reached for the heavy book
he’d left lying on his desk.

"We started looking the moment we got Darnell’s call," the watcher told
them. "It took most of the day, but we finally found it."

"Your informant was correct," Christina nodded. "The ritual certainly
doesn’t appear to be what it really is. I doubt the council would have
ever recognized it. I can’t imagine how that vampire ever discovered it
for himself."

"Why would Cordelia ever agree to help him?" Angel asked. "She must
realize what would happen if he were to succeed."

"I doubt he’s told her the true nature of the ritual," Giles answered.
"She may have been told that he intends to destroy Ceara, but I don’t
believe he would have told her no other slayer would be called to
replace her. She’s been forced to submit to him for years, Angel.
You must realize what such an ordeal has done to her mind. I’m not sure
she has the inner strength to fight him after all this time. I suspect
she was--tortured--the other night because she failed to bring him the
book. Even that small act of defiance was rewarded with punishment that
few humans would survive. He’s completely broken her. She has no
will of her own."

"Poor Cordy," Will whispered.

"Yes, quite," Giles nodded grimly. "However, our sympathy isn’t going
to do her much good. After we’ve destroyed these bastards, perhaps we
can find some way to help her. If she’s not beyond helping at this
point."

"Giles?" Ceara spoke, her brow furrowed as she flipped through the book
lying at his elbow. "Where is this ritual?"

"I’ve marked it," he answered.

She shook her head, "There’s no bookmark."

Alarmed, he dragged the book away from her and quickly rifled through
it, "Oh, damn."

"What? What’s wrong?" Willow asked.

He pushed the book away and shoved his chair back to stand, "It’s gone.
The page has been torn out."

"Bloody hell," Willow hissed. "Where’s Cordelia?"

"I gave her a sedative earlier and left her in her room, sleeping,"
Christina answered.

Ceara took off out of the library and returned a few seconds later,
"She isn’t there now."

Giles moaned. "She’s taken it."

"To them," Ceara nodded and grabbed Angel’s hand, "Let’s go."

"Wait a minute," the watcher placed a hand on her arm. "With that page,
he has everything he needs to perform the ritual. The only way to stop
this is to destroy the demon that’s working with him."

"Not a problem," she assured him.

"It may be," he contended as he walked to a locked cabinet on the wall
next to his desk. "The only way to destroy him is with holy water, and
he has to ingest it."

"What are we supposed to do, offer him a holy water cocktail and drink
a toast to his success?" Will asked.

"Weapons? Maybe we can take him down and force him to drink it," Ceara
suggested as Giles handed each of them a vial of the liquid.

"Possibly," the watcher nodded and doled out several daggers, a short
sword, and a crossbow. "We’re coming with you."

"You can’t," Angel argued.

"Angel, we’re--"

"No, Giles, he’s right," Willow interrupted. "If we don’t succeed, the
two of you will have to do what you can to get as many people out of
Sunnydale as possible."

"It won’t save their lives," Christina reminded her.

"Maybe not in the long-run," Ceara agreed. "But it’ll buy them some
time, for what it’s worth."

"All right," Giles reluctantly conceded. "If we don’t hear from you in
three hours--"

"Start evacuating," Angel nodded.
 
 
 

The vampire read over the ritual once more before pocketing the paper.
He moved to the far end of the boat’s deck, where Cordeilia was
kneeling on the wooden planks, head bowed, waiting in terrified
silence.

"Where the hell are they? They should have been here by now," he
growled, and Cordy flinched at his tone.

"I don’t know, Master," her reply was barely more than a whisper. "I
tore out that page knowing they’d discover it and come after me. They
can’t be far behind."

He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head up to glare down
into her eyes, The slayer *must* be present if I’m to have her soul.
And, so help me, if you breathed so much as a syllable of this to any
of them--"

"I haven’t! I swear it!" she pleaded. "They’ll be here. I know they
will."

He dragged her to her feet and placed a bruising kiss on her trembling
lips, biting into her flesh and sucking at her warm blood before
flinging her aside to peer out over the docks.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Darnell and Emily and several of Spike’s boys met the gang at the end
of the road that ran in front of the warehouses along the the river’s
edge.

"I sent the others to the opposite side of the docks, as you
instructed," Joseph told his sire. "They’ll move in on your signal."

Spike nodded and looked at the minions, "I’m not keen on fighting them
in their own lair, so we’re going to try to get them off of the boat.
There are a lot more of us than there are of them. We should be able to
take them out fairly easily, but the demon that’s working with them is
strong. You won’t be able to kill him. Stay as far away from him as you
can. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," one of them answered, and Spike gestured for them to move
on ahead, and they melted into the shadows of the warehouses and made
their way silently toward the boat.

Angel clasped Ceara’s hand, and she gave him a shaky smile and reached
up to kiss him softly, "No matter what happens, I love you. Remember
that."

He pulled her into a fierce hug, knowing that what they were about to
face was inescapable, yet frightened senseless at the prospect of
losing her. Ceara clung to him for a minute before gently drawing away
to pull him along toward the docks. Will felt William’s hand folding
around hers, and she looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Is Cordy here with them?" she asked softly.

"I don’t know. We’re too far away to pick up her heartbeat."

She swallowed and looked over at their doubles, "You don’t think that
she’ll take their side. She wouldn’t do that--"

"She already has," Spike reminded her. "If she gets in the way, we’ll
have to remove her."

"Remove her?" she frowned. "No! You c-can’t--"

"Pet, you know what’s riding on this," William said gently. "We can’t
lose this, even if it means taking her out."

"Oh, Goddess," she whispered.

"You okay with this?" Willow asked.

"No more than you are," her twin answered grimly. "But I do understand.
And--we’re wasting time, aren’t we?"

Spike nodded and addressed the one remaining minion, the former enemy
who had chosen to betray his master, "Go on ahead and warn the bastard.
If he knows we’re close, he may leave the boat to come after us."

The minion nodded and took off on a run, and Willow turned at Spike’s
side to follow Ceara and Angel. With a soft breath of resolve, Will
clutched at William’s hand and started after the others.
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
"Master, they’re coming," the vampire announced as he climbed from the
dock up onto the boat deck.

"I can feel them," he nodded.

"They aren’t alone. Some of Spike’s minions took out four of ours on
the other end of the wharf."

"Damn," the master vampire hissed. "How the hell did he manage to
convince them to help protect the slayer, of all people?"

"I don’t know, sir, but he obviously has. There were at least a dozen
of them down there and more heading this way from the other direction."

"Hold them off as best you can while I summon the demon and begin the
ritual--"

"But there may not be time! They’re practically on us already!"

"Just hold them off, damn it!" the master barked. "I’ll bring it to
them--on the wharf--if I have to. Get moving!"

As the minion jumped down and took off into the darkness, the master
grabbed Cordelia’s arm with one hand and fastened his other hand around
the back of her neck, "You told me you hadn’t warned them!"

"I didn’t! I was sure they’d come alone!" she cried out as his fingers
bit into her flesh.

"I’ll deal with you later. You can reward the minions who make it
through this fiasco," he smirked cruelly down at the shivering young
woman. "In the meantime, you’re coming with me. I want you to witness
your friends’ deaths at my hands."
*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*
Angel tensed slightly as two forms appeared at the end of the dock to
which the old boat was moored. Although the darkness obscured their
features, Angel could feel the power radiating off of the master.

"That’s him," the dark vampire spoke softly as the shadowed form ahead
of them bowed his head in concentration and began to chant.

"And Cordelia," Willow added sadly as her eyes fixed on the brunette
standing directly behind the master’s left shoulder.

Spike nodded and released Willow’s hand to step away from the
concealment of the warehouse, and his minions who were approaching from
the other end of the road quickly moved forward. The air around them
grew heavy with a surge of energy as the demon appeared at the master
vampire’s side in response to the summons, and the vampire continued
his quiet incantation. Angel moved quickly around his childe and lunged
at the demon. With one powerful arm, the demon flung him aside, and
Angel groaned as he landed, hard, on the pavement.

The master’s minions appeared from behind him, from down the roadway,
and from the warehouses behind them. At the same moment, the rest of
the gang broke apart, and William took off after the master vampire.
The master, unruffled, continued to chant, as one of his minions
barreled into William and plunged a dagger into the blonde vampire’s
shoulder. William rolled over to find himself nose-to-point with a
stake, and ignoring the stabbing pain in his shoulder, swung out at the
vampire who was straddling him. His eyes flitted around his attacker as
Will suddenly appeared beside them and shoved a stake through the
assailant’s back.

The others were attempting to fight their way around the minions who
were doing their best to keep their master out of harm’s way. The dark
sky was suffused with an eerie red glow as the ritual neared its
completion. Icy fingers clawed along Angel’s spine as Ceara suddenly
cried out and sank to her knees. He lashed out at the trio of vampires
who had ganged up on him to keep him away from the slayer. The red
surge of power that eminated from the demon solidified and took form,
racing toward the prone slayer like a maniacal snake.

"No! Ceara--" Angel’s shout of anguish abruptly ended as Cordelia
darted around the master’s side and flung herself in the path of the
energy flow.

The glowing red stream struck the brunette squarely in the chest,
lifting her several feet off of the ground and enveloping her. She
plummeted back down onto the pavement as the burst of energy suddenly
diffused and disappeared. From beside the master’s side, the demon
roared murderously, shoved the master aside, and headed toward Ceara’s
inert form. Angel bolted into action, placing himself between the demon
and the slayer, and the demon grabbed the dark vampire’s arm,
dislocating his shoulder as he flung him away. The demon stooped down
and effortlessly lifted Ceara’s body and flung her across the roadway
and into the wall of a warehouse.

The master took advantage of the chaos to turn and flee down the road,
and William raced after him, tackling him to the ground and catching,
with one hand, the stake that Will tossed to him. The master’s cry of
defeat was swallowed up in the darkness as William shoved the stake
into his heart.

Darnell had gone to Angel’s assistance, leaving Emily beside Willow,
and the redhead pulled the crossbow from her shoulder as the demon
picked off Spike’s boys one by one and continued to advance on the
unmoving slayer. The redheaded vampire dragged the jacket off of Emily
and tore a long strip of fabric away. She tied it securely to the end
of one arrow, then plunged her hand into her own pocket and dragged out
the vial of holy water. Willow uncorked it with her teeth and saturated
the piece of cloth, ignoring the painful burns to her flesh as some of
the liquid splashed onto her wrist.

The few of the master’s minions that remained were quickly being
destroyed by Spike’s boys, and Darnell stole a quick look over at
Willow as she shouldered the crossbow and trained it on the demon who
was standing over Ceara. Her eyes darted to Joseph, and she gave him a
quick nod, and he raced after the demon, barreling into him from
behind.
The demon snarled and whirled around, placing a hand over Joseph’s face
and clawing his skin as he tossed him aside. He roared as Darnell’s
fangs sank into his hand, and Willow took skillful aim and released the
arrow. It flew through the demon’s gaping lips, embedding itself in the
back of his neck, and the holy water that saturated the cloth trickled
down his throat. Only a brief curl of smoke was left behind as the
demon burst into flame and vanished. Spike and Willow reached Ceara’s
still form only seconds after Angel. The dark vampire cradled the
slayer’s head in the crook of his arm and held her body close to him.

Will’s soft voice spoke from behind them, "Is she--"

"No," Ceara’s raspy voice answered as her eyelids fluttered open and
she smiled weakly up into Angel’s eyes. "You’re okay."

"I’m okay," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss on her lips, and she
whimpered softly as he held her a little tighter.

"But you’re not," Willow spoke, kneeling down beside her.

"Just a couple of ribs. Didn't need them, anyway. We all look like
candidates for the emergency room," she answered, raising a hand to
caress away a thick trickle of blood flowing from a gash on Angel’s
cheek. "Where’s Cordelia?"

Willow and Will exchanged a grim look, and Spike took his childe’s hand
as she rose to her feet. They turned to cross to where Cordy lay on the
pavement a few feet away. Will knelt down beside the brunette and
brushed a bloodied strand of hair away from the lifeless woman’s face.
She nuzzled her cheek against the hand William placed on her shoulder
as
her eyes misted with tears.

"Oh gods," Ceara spoke softly, leaning heavily against Angel as they
stood over the dead woman. "Her soul for mine? Why? Why did she do it?"

"Because she understood what the loss of the slayer meant," Angel
answered. "In spite of how badly that bastard broke her, twisted her
mind, some part of our Cordelia was still alive in there. She still
cared. When it came right down to it, she couldn’t let it happen."

"Isn’t there any way to fix it?" Emily asked. "Can’t you get her soul
back, somehow?"

Willow shook her head, "She’s gone, Em. I doubt that bastard ever got
her soul. She didn’t have the physical strength of a slayer. She
couldn’t have survived what that rush of energy did to her. She was
probably dead the moment it--"

The words caught in her throat, and she turned to Spike as his arms
went around her. Will looked up at Willow, the tears on her cheeks
mirroring her twin’s as William pulled her up and held her close to
him. Ceara wearily rested her head against Angel’s shoulder, and he
lifted her up to cradle her in his arms, blinking back tears as he
looked down at Cordelia, and the soft sounds of mournful weeping broke
the dark stillness around them.

End 10/10

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