Ceremony Of InnocenceBy DM Evans
Chapter: 14
Lilah hated the warehouse Wolfram and Hart had rented in a rush to house Faith until she could be transferred to a proper holding area. Personally she felt they should have just transported Faith to L.A. and do all that needed doing hidden in a megalopolis. The Senior Partners were afraid Angel would find Faith too easily there and were making other arrangements.
Lilah thought that they could have at least held off on having Dr. Outing perform her magic to impregnate Faith until she was transferred but she was outvoted again. Outing came to Sunnydale's beleaguered hospital for the procedure. Lilah did her best to explain to the Senior Partners that to stay in Sunnydale was a great risk to her and her unborn child because Angel was in town with some heavy duty reinforcements. They insisted she needed to remain there to make sure their arrangements with the Moahilyas didn't derail after the slaughter Faith and Lindsey had perpetrated.
Lilah didn't dare disobey, as frightened as she was that Angel would find her. She tried to explain to the Senior Partners that this warehouse was substandard. It was old. She had no place to firmly anchor Faith to insure she didn't hurt the baby or escape. Lilah didn't doubt Faith could kill her. The Senior Partners were of the belief it would do until their arrangements were made and sent a bunch of Volant demons to help guard the warehouse.
They didn't make Lilah feel any better as she climbed the rickety stairs to the second floor holding cell. They looked like a pile of leaves but they were capable of sending spines as long as her arm flying from their bodies at such speed and strength they could pierce all the way through a human body.
Of course, Angel wasn't human and that's what bothered Lilah the most. She knew she was inadequately protected and the Senior Partners were too long out of this world to see that. There was nothing to do but try her best and make good escape plans. Lilah found Faith was right where they'd left her inside a barred cell on three sides, wood on the last. An invisible mystical shield extended around the bars.
Faith was laying with her back to the cell's wooden wall. Lilah felt a little disappointed that Faith didn't fuss. Instead she just lay on the cot, eyeing Lilah coldly. Lilah decided that either Faith had exhausted herself in attempting to escape, still had drugs in her system or perhaps she was trying to project an air of disdain. 'I've been in jail, I can handle this no problem.'
"Hello, Faith," Lilah said, wishing they had a better way to secure the Slayer. They had given her a cot but Lilah knew better than to chain Faith to it, which would be safer for the pregnancy if Faith wasn't thrashing around trying to escape. The Slayer would be strong enough to break through the cot's thin metal legs. Lilah didn't have shackles long enough to reach the bars which she feared were too old to hold up for long.
"Ready to let me go?" Faith sat up.
Lilah pursed her lips. "You really didn't think that would work."
Faith shrugged one-shouldered. "Not really."
"The Senior Partners were very happy to get a replacement for Angel's brat," Lilah said, touching a nail to the mystical shield, feeling a tingle of energy.
"Lucky me."
"How are you feeling?"
"Good enough to kick your ass." Faith offered Lilah a flat smile. She straightened up, throwing her hair over her shoulder.
Lilah laughed. "Give your body a little while to adjust to the procedure and then tell me how you feel."
Faith's dark eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Let's put it this way, this time next year, you'll be getting Mother's Day cards."
Lilah savored the expression on Faith's face, the younger woman's attitude having drained away any pity Lilah might have for her. First Faith just gave her the 'you've lost your mind' look to which Lilah just crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. Faith shook, her mouth sagging open more with every iota of pigment that fled her face.
"That's not possible. I'm on the pill."
Lilah noted Faith's bluster was gone. "You'll get to meet our fertility specialist later today. She's got this magic that completely changes your hormone levels and makes you ready for that egg just like that." Lilah snapped her fingers. "And she can make it take on the first try, too, so congrats."
Faith charged the cage and Lilah took a step back in spite of herself. The magic wouldn't let Faith through but it didn't bat her around like it did Connor. It didn't do to toss an expectant mother like a rag doll. "Bitch!"
Lilah smirked. "Is that the best you can do?"
"I'm gonna kill you."
"I'm sure you'll try if you get out of there." Lilah tried not to show how scared that idea made her. "But there is more good news, Faith. I know how much Angel means to you so it should please you to learn that you're carrying his grandchild."
Faith slumped against the bars. "What are you saying?"
"Start hitting Connor up for child support." Lilah smirked. "Oh wait, it's not like either of you have any earning potential."
Faith ignored her. She collapsed on the bed, her back to Lilah. The lawyer tried to engage her with a few more taunts but Faith didn't rise to the bait. Lilah left her alone. She had more important things to do, like engineer a way out of Sunnydale.
---
Faith wanted to rip Lilah's head off. Worse, she felt tears brimming in her eyes but she'd be damned if she shed them. She'd never give Lilah that satisfaction. Pressing a hand over her belly, she could only wonder if Lilah had been telling the truth. She didn't feel any different but it was probably too early for that. Somehow, she was convinced Lilah hadn't lied. She had vague memories of doctors looming over her in that cold room. She had thought it was a hallucination from the drugs she had been given but what if it wasn't?
Faith stretched out on the bed. She had never wanted to be a mother, even before the Slayer gig. She hated the whole idea. Maybe if she had had a decent mother herself things might be different but she doubted it.
Faith closed her eyes, seeing Angel playing in her mind. If Lilah wasn't lying, she was now connected to the vampire. She loved him, in a brotherly way. She owed him everything. She saw the obvious delight he took in his very difficult child. Faith didn't doubt that Angel would joyously welcome a grandchild once he recovered from the awful way it had been conceived. She'd finally have a good family to call her own. Buffy could do the slaying and protect her until she was in shape to get back out there.
Then reality hit like a sledge. Connor's face pushed Angel's out of center stage inside her head. What would the poor kid think about being a dad again? Didn't his and Cordy's kid turn out to be a demon? What was growing inside her? Something she'd have to slay if she carried it to term? What teenaged boy wanted to be a dad? Had Connor voluntarily donated to Wolfram and Hart's sperm bank or had they taken it by force? Somehow, Faith was betting on the latter. This child would have parents who had both been raped in order to conceive him.
Faith shuddered. She knew what she had to do. When she got out of here, if she didn't lose the baby in what she was sure to be a violent prison break, she'd make an appointment with an abortion clinic. Not only would she rid herself of the child, she would never tell Angel or Connor about it.
So why did the thought depress the hell out her?
---
Angel heard something scrabbling on the roof. Either it was a giant rat or someone was breaking into the mansion. He knew the sun was up. Had Lilah wised up and sent something after him when he was vulnerable? Angel rolled out of bed and stalked into the living room, carefully keeping to the shadows. Wes and Lindsey were studying tomes, totally unconcerned that someone was obviously on the roof.
"Someone's on the roof," Angel said, in case everyone had gone deaf
"Connor," Wes said without looking up.
Angel's eyes bugged. "Why?"
"Kevin and the kid were out burning off energy jogging around the house," Lindsey said. "Then Kevin came in and said Connor thought he saw something and he was going up on the roof to see if he could get a better look."
"Did Kevin say what it was?" Angel asked, realizing Willow's spell to make Connor sleepy had to have worn off.
"No," Lindsey replied, making a notation on a pad.
"Wes, could you go out and ask Connor to come in here?" Angel asked.
"Of course," Wes replied but before he could get up Kevin came in.
"Wesley, Connor wants you to join him on the roof," the cop said, sitting on the couch, looking a bit winded.
Wes' dark eyebrows arched. "Why?"
"He thinks you might know better what it is he's looking at," Kevin replied.
Wes glanced over at Angel who nodded. He went outside and Connor helped him onto the roof then scampered up the steep incline. Wes followed more cautiously.
"Buffy said the Dryad told her the Moahilyas were underground doing their mining and the plants didn't like it," Connor said.
"Yes." Wes looked at the boy intently. "But you weren't there for that conversation."
"I could still hear you from my room. Look there." Connor pointed to a ring of dead trees in a distance.
"You saw this from the ground?" Wes asked shocked and not just by Connor's discovery. He realized all of what Connor had to have overheard the day before and it boded ill.
Connor shook his head. "I saw a crow flying overhead and it suddenly fell out of the sky so I came up here to see what it hit and I saw that." Connor gestured at the dead woods. "Buffy said that they keep checking on the Hellmouth but it doesn't look like its been tampered with. In Quor-Toth, there were these demons called Uides, little things that feed off mystical power sources but those sources had a lot of big demons using them too. So the Uides would burrow under the ground, under the noses of the stronger demons and tap the sources. I saw the dead trees and thought maybe that's where the Moahilyas are and they're like the Uides drilling into the Hellmouth."
"Like slant oil drilling. That's a very astute observation, Connor," Wes said.
Connor's lips thinned. "I'm not as dumb as everyone thinks I am."
Wes put a hand on the boy's arm. "No one thinks you're dumb, Connor."
Connor snorted. "Gunn and Fred used to act like I am, when they were still trying to find Angel."
Wes offered a wry smile. "You were very new to this world, Connor. They wanted to make sure you understood it. And we do have a tendency, as a people, to underestimate teen agers. It's not that we think you're stupid. It's just that you don't have enough life experience," Wes said delicately.
Connor just rolled his eyes expertly. "So, we gonna go check it out?"
"No."
Connor's mouth opened. "But..."
"Don't argue, Connor," Wes said sternly, noting the surprise in the boy's blue eyes. "Your father wants you inside now." Wes held up a finger seeing another 'but' forming on Connor's lips. "And I'll call the rest of the team. We'll discuss a plan of action and then we'll investigate that area."
"All you do is talk and study." Connor crossed his arms sulkily.
"Would Holtz have allowed you to charge reckless into an unknown danger?" Wes asked, giving him a knowing look.
Connor looked at him, scowling. "Sometimes," he said, stubbornly.
Wes just eyed him and Connor stomped to the edge of the roof and leapt off. Wesley got off the roof as carefully as he had ascended. "In the future, Connor, don't jump off roofs in broad daylight. For the most part, humans can't do that," Wes said and Connor's sulky pout grew as he tromped inside.
"Oh, that racket's just you. I thought a team of Gamni demons were loose on the roof," Angel said lightly and Connor curled his lip as he tossed himself on the couch. "Well, someone's feeling a little more himself today." Angel patted Connor's shoulder, a rueful expression on his face as the boy jerked away.
"Very much so," Wes replied. "I'm going to call the others. Connor, tell your father what you've discovered."
Angel listened intently, proud of his offspring's wit. He hadn't realized until the past several days how bright Connor was. He had only seen Connor, like he suspected the others did as well, as a weapon, all brawn. He couldn't be prouder that there was much more to his son. Angel was so busy envisioning the 'what could have been's' that he missed the final part of Connor's tale but he knew it would be repeated again when the others go there.
"So, can I?" Connor asked.
Angel blinked rapidly. What had Connor just asked? "What?"
"I want to go see what's in the dead woods," Connor repeated. "Can I go now?"
"No," Angel said, quickly. He was not ready to risk Connor out on his own.
Connor's brow wrinkled. "Why?"
"Because we need to decide who's going with you, for one," Angel said.
"I can do this alone," Connor said, his fingers curling into the couch pillows.
"Maybe you can but you aren't going to," Angel argued as Connor got to his feet.
"It's day time. You can't stop me," Connor shot back petulantly.
"No, but I can," Buffy said, coming into the room with Giles, Dawn, Willow and Gunn.
"That was quick," Lindsey said, glancing up from the books he had yet to give up on.
"We were on our way when Wes called," Willow said, going over to take a look at Lindsey's notes.
"We left some books here that we thought bore a second look," Giles added.
"So, why don't you sit and let Wes bring us up to date before you go charging off without a plan, Connor," Buffy said and Giles gave her a 'look who's talking' glare that she expertly ignored.
Connor leaned against the wall defiantly and Gunn jerked a thumb at him. "I know that look. That's not a good look."
"Yes, I know," Wes said as Angel cut off Connor's retort with a glare. "And it's Connor's story."
"You'll probably tell it better," Connor said, sarcasm laced in every word.
"Connor!" Angel said sharply. "Don't be obstinate."
"Fine," Connor said but made no move to sit. He did relate the story one more time.
"Good catch," Buffy said, and Connor brightened at the praise. "We'll have to do recon."
"I can help," Connor said quickly.
"I wasn't planning on taking you. I've never worked with you before and I'm not sure your dad thinks you're ready," Buffy said.
"I don't care. It's not like I can't handle this," Connor said. "I've been doing it since I've been old enough to walk."
"Actually Buffy, I think you should take him," Angel broke in. "He was up on the roof trying to find things to do to help burn off all that extra energy he has."
Buffy looked surprised. "Are you sure, Angel?"
"Yes. Besides, being dragged up in hell means he has almost double your experience," Angel said. "But Connor, Buffy's in charge. You listen to her."
Connor bobbed his head, agreeing faster than Angel thought he would. "Okay."
"All right then, so who else wants to help?" Buffy asked just as Spike came into the room fresh from the bowels of Sunnydale. He had a triumphant look on his pale face.
"Got something you might be interested in, Peaches," Spike said.
"Spit it out," Angel said, impatiently.
"Heard at Willie's talk about a bunch of suits renting a warehouse fast, not real picky, no questions asked and a passel of Volant demons moved in at the same time. It occurred to me that might be where they're keeping your Slayer, Angel."
Angel didn't miss the emphasis Spike put on 'your' and neither did Buffy. Neither of them looked amused. "Good work," Angel said, begrudgingly. "I guess we'll have to split up then."
"Found something else?" Spike asked.
"Connor did but you and Angel can't help. It's outside and we'd like to go now, do some daylight recon," Buffy said. "Angel, Spike you can handle the warehouse. Gunn, you go with them. Connor, Willow, Wes and I will handle the woods. I'll call Xander and Anya so they can meet us there."
"What about me?" Dawn asked, a disappointed look on her face.
"You help Giles, Fred and Cordy with the research," Buffy replied and when her sister moaned, she added, "No arguments."
"Since Kevin and I were left out, I'm assuming you don't trust us," Lindsey said, rubbing his bandaged head.
"Sorry, you're not part of the usual team. I forgot you," she said sheepishly. "You're still recovering and Kevin's not equipped for demon hunting. You guys throw in with the research."
"I'm not going to argue," Lindsey said, looking weary.
"I want to go to the warehouse," Connor said, quickly.
"A minute ago you couldn't wait to get to the forest," Buffy said, looking perturbed.
"I know but Faith helped rescue me. I want to help her." Connor's face went grim.
Buffy nodded. "Fair enough."
"So the kid's with the vampire brigade. Do you still want me with them?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah, I'm stuck with both damn vampires." Connor pouted. "How'd that happen?"
"Just lucky," Spike said, tossing his head back, rolling his shoulders.
"Connor, no accidently dusting Spike," Wes said then turned to the vampire in question and added. "Connor has problems with vampires."
"No problems. I just think they belong as dust," Connor said, his eyes narrowing as his voice lowered.
"Not this time, junior. Besides, I'm your nephew so you have to be nice to me." Spike smirked.
"Yeah, that'll work," Gunn snorted.
"Are all my relatives the bloodsucking undead?" Connor asked, turning to Angel.
"Unfortunately yes," Angel replied. "Why don't we take Willow with us? Wolfram and Hart used magic to restrain Connor. There's no doubt they'll do the same to keep Faith in check.
"Sounds like a plan," Willow said, brightly.
"Do you want Gunn, too?" Buffy asked.
Angel shook his head. "No, we're a super powered quartet, that's more than enough. You take Gunn. We'll meet back here."
"Angel, before you go I need to speak to you and Buffy alone," Wes said, with no small amount of urgency.
"You don't want me to hear," Connor said, his eyes narrowing.
"It might be best that way. I know you don't like secrets but..." Wes fanned his hands.
"I don't need to know everything," Connor said, grumpily.
"Exactly."
Connor went into his room and came back with headsets on and music pumping loudly. He tossed himself onto the couch. Buffy rolled her eyes then blushed hearing Giles mutter, 'looks familiar.'
"That was easier than I would have guessed," Angel muttered as he headed into his own room, followed by Wes and Buffy.
"What did you need to tell me?"
"Connor knows," Wes said simply.
"Knows what?" Angel asked hesitantly, dread in his dark eyes.
"Everything. He heard the entire conversation we had outside when he was in his room," Wes replied. "The whole dryad thing but more than that, if he heard about that then unless he had those headsets on for only a few minutes...."
"He knows what Lilah might done to Faith and that she herself might be carrying his child," Angel said darkly.
"Oh, that's really bad," Buffy said, reaching out to give Angel's hand a squeeze.
"So I'm worried about this spontaneous return to his usual self," Wes said. "Is he really feeling more himself or is he retreating to known behaviors before he has a psychotic break?"
"I've thought about that, too," Angel admitted begrudgingly, his eyes flickering towards the outer room. "I'm hoping that he's taking steps towards being better but I was afraid that it's because he knows Lilah is here and he thinks he'll sneak past us to get to her. I hate saying it but I know he enjoys being the Destroyer."
"He's a little like Faith in that respect," Wes agreed and Buffy made a face.
"That's why I had Willow put a spell on him to make him tired, just to keep him close," Angel said, trying to ignore their shocked looks.
"He wasn't too tired this morning," Wes said.
"It wore off, I guess. I felt so guilty about it I don't want to ask her to do it again," Angel said.
"You might want to rethink that," Buffy said.
"Not now. I need him strong," Angel replied, heading back into the other room, ending the conversation.
"Buffy, when this is done, could we talk about Spike's ability to circumvent the device that keeps him from hurting humans, at least where you are concerned?" Wes asked.
"I'd rather not," Buffy said and outdistanced them back into the living room.
"Buffy, this could have deep implications for both of you. It is possible the device is failing or it might have to do with you. The circumstances of your return...."
"Wes," Giles said sharply. "Leave it."
"But this could be very important," Wes argued.
"And I'll deal with it," Giles said. His glare told Wes not to push the issue further.
Angel added his own warning look and Wes quieted unhappily. Angel went to fetch his son. He didn't want to think about any of this. His son was either going nuts or plotting something he didn't want him to do, like murder. Two women could potentially be carrying his grandchildren more or less against their will. Well, he suspected Lilah was either well paid or blackmailed into it. He had to work with Spike, which was always a bad proposition ever since Dru first snared him on the streets of London. He had put up with Spike for decades and was rewarded by Buffy having a relationship with him. Angel grimaced at the thought. All Angel really wanted to do was take his child and go some place quiet and let it all blow over. Instead, he'd do what he always did; muster through the best he could.
---
Buffy found the opening in the ground fairly easily inside the copse of dead trees Connor had spotted. It didn't look like a natural cavern. It hadn't been easy to sneak up on it as all the vegetation was dead and dry under foot, crackling like bacon. She and Gunn were fairly stealthy. Xander and Anya were much less so. Buffy would have thought Xander, at least, would have learned to move better after nearly ten years at her side.
All four of them were prone in the dead grass, staring into the hole. Something particularly fetid wafted up out of it. Buffy assumed it was the Moahilyas. She saw three creatures that resembled the things Lindsey had described. There were other smaller demons working the equipment in the cavern. However, the oddest thing was a sleek black cat sitting on the containers the demons were taking off the apparatus set up in the cavern and stacking in the corner. The cat seemed incongruous in amongst the demons.
Anya rolled away from the opening and stared up at the sky. "We're boned."
"What?" Buffy knew to trust Anya's instincts at least where demons and money earning were concerned. Centuries as a demon made Anya a wealth of information. "Are those little demons worse than they look?"
"Not them, the cat."
"You're afraid of cats, too? I thought it was just bunnies," Buffy said.
Anya scowled, slinging her honey-wheat hair back out of her eyes. "I'm not afraid of cats. I am afraid of dragons."
"An, hon, you're not making any sense," Xander told his wife.
"That cat is an Aitavras. It's a shape-shifting dragon," Anya said, irritably.
"Are you sure? It's kinda cute and furry," Buffy said.
"I'm sure." Anya bobbed her head. "It's only purpose is to make its owner rich and powerful."
"Sounds like a Wolfram and Hart kind of creature," Gunn said. "I could see them sending it here to protect their investment."
"So how do I take it out, Anya?" Buffy asked.
Anya shrugged, the dry grass crunching under her shoulders. "When something's capable of shifting into a monster larger than a city bus, I tended to avoid it."
"Back home to hit the books?" Xander asked.
Buffy nodded, frustrated. "These guys aren't going anywhere. I have no idea what this thing can do and I'm getting the feeling we aren't well armed enough to take it on."
"They can breathe fire...I think," Anya offered.
Buffy made a face. "We'd better go talk to Giles."
---
"You're slow," Connor griped, looking back down the sewer tunnel. His face pinched against the odors ripe in the air.
"That's because your old man is fat and lumbering," Spike said, shooting a look over his shoulder.
Angel's lips skinned back off his teeth. "I am not!"
"I know." Connor's face brightened with amusement. "He tried to explain the difference between vampires and zombies. I just don't see how one slow undead thing is any different from another slow undead thing."
"Hey!" Spike stabbed a finger at him.
"I'm the one slowing us down," Willow broke in before they could get to really quibbling. "Buffy's better at the sewer walking so keep your pants on."
Connor's brow furrowed. "Why would I take them off?"
"He's worse than you with slang," Willow told Angel.
Angel shrugged. "Raised in hell by someone from the eighteenth century, I'm happy he's not further behind than he is."
"We're here," Spike interjected, stopping by a ladder. "This should take us right up into the warehouse."
"Can we get to the surface outside of the warehouse?" Connor asked.
"Back one exchange or forward one but that doesn't help us," Spike said.
"It doesn't help you or Dad but Willow and I can go up and go through the front doors so we can catch them between two fronts."
"He's not as dumb as he looks," Spike said.
"I'm going to dust you," Connor said with all seriousness.
"Connor," Angel said in warning, even though at the moment he was willing to see the pain in the ass vampire go dusty. "It's an excellent idea. You and Willow go up top first."
"I'll contact you telepathically so we can coordinate our raid," Willow said, her eyes bright with excitement.
"You can do that?" Angel couldn't keep the surprise off his face.
"Red's gotten damn good with the magic stuff," Spike said, a self-satisfied, 'I Know Something You Don't' look on his face.
"You're not going to be in my head are you?" Connor's body stiffened, his voice tinged with panic.
"It's not like I'm reading minds, just talking," Willow said and saw he still looked scared. "No, I won't. You'll be standing right there. I'll just tell you."
"Good, because no one's getting into my head," Connor said, heading for the ladder to the surface. "Let's go."
Willow rolled her eyes and followed.
---
Faith felt sure her guards weren't paying much attention to her. She knew she had only a little time to try this. They were going to transfer her to a place where she could be restrained so she couldn't hurt the life growing inside her. If she was going to escape, it had to be now. She had been making a big production of tossing herself against the magical shielding and the walls until the guards got used to the noise and once satisfied she wasn't going anywhere they started ignoring her and all her racket.
That accomplished, Faith turned to the flooring. She had felt how spongy the old wood was. Faith wondered if she could bust through and drop out of her magical holding tank. She continued to slam the walls and occasionally the shielding but she methodically worked on the decrepit warehouse's flooring.
Suddenly the wood gave way and Faith dropped. Splinters ripped at her. Dust and wood shards threatened to choke her and she dropped blindly, her eyes squeezed tight against the onslaught. Faith landed hard, stumbling forward before falling flat out on her belly. She almost wished she could have hit harder, destroyed the life in her before it ever got a chance to grow.
Something whizzed past her ear and she saw a spine embedded in the floor just to the right of her head. Faith rolled to her feet and saw what looked like a leaf pile just like the ones watching her cell. There were several piles of leaves all over the ground floor. One of them shimmied and more spines flew at her. Faith dodged expertly.
She was stunned when Willow and Connor came through the door at the same time Spike and Angel charged up from below. She didn't have time to contemplate her not-quite-timely rescuers. She went for the nearest demonish leaf pile, leaving her stomach wide open in the attack. She knew it might not be her smartest move. For all she knew taking a spine to the belly might kill her but she was willing to risk it. Faith was trying to figure out a way to kill the leaf pile - she couldn't even figure out where it's head and soft parts might be - when she saw Lilah darting for the warehouse doors, having been inside the tiny office on the ground floor.
"Bitch," she said, kicking her leaf pile demon across the room.
Connor turned at the venom in Faith's voice and caught sight of her sprinting after Lilah. Faith could feel him on her heels then he passed her. How fast could Angel's brat move? She heard Angel screaming for Willow to stop Connor. If he only knew what Lilah had done, Faith doubted he'd be much interested in stopping his son. Lilah slammed the car door after her and Connor tried to yank it free as she started the car. Faith leapt on the roof as Connor's fist smashed through the driver's side window. Unfortunately he hadn't been fast enough. Lilah gunned the engine before Faith had time to seat herself on the roof and she was hurtled off as Lilah jerked the car around, crazed.
Connor was slammed into the door then bounced free, nearly going under the wheels. He was back on his feet faster than Faith was. He tore after the car. Faith could almost feel the mystic outpouring as she heard Willow yelling something in a language she didn't know. Connor froze in his tracks. Faith watched Willow swing her hand back toward the warehouse and Connor was taken off his feet and tossed inside as if by a giant invisible hand.
Faith jogged back to the warehouse where Angel and Spike were surely still doing battle with the leafy demons. She heard Connor literally growl as Willow's magic dissipated and he was freed.
"You shouldn't have stopped me," he snarled, charging the witch.
"Don't get pissy with me, little boy," Willow snapped right back in a tone Faith wouldn't even have guessed she was capable of. She saw Willow's eyes go black and Connor was slammed up against the wall. Faith also saw a leaf pile going for Willow's back and she was too far away to help.
"Willow, behind you," she said.
Willow whirled and pointed a finger at the trembling thing, her magic faster than its ability to send spines flying. "Incendi."
The leaf pile caught fire and it whirled around in the warehouse. The old wood on the floor from where Faith had broken through caught fire quickly. The burning demon bumped into a few others of their kind.
"Um, Red, you do know Volant demons are highly flammable," Spike said, nearly a dozen spines sticking out of his body. Angel was in similar straits.
"I do now," she said, grimacing.
"I think this building might be highly flammable, too," Angel said, edging back for the opening to the sewer. Both he and Spike seemed nervous around the spreading flames.
"In other words, run?" Faith smirked.
"Exactly. We all came through the sewer," Angel said, gesturing for Faith and the others to follow him.
"I'll go home from the surface. I'd better call 911 before other warehouses get touched off, too," Willow said, anxiously.
"Want Faith to stay with you?" Angel asked.
Willow shook her head. "Get her home. I'll be fine."
Angel nodded and herded everyone into the sewers, after helping Connor up from where Willow had tossed him.
"She couldn't have used her magic to stop Lilah, too?" Connor groused.
"I'm not good at stopping cars yet," Willow said, apologetically.
Connor curled his lip at her and Angel yanked him along. Once in the sewer, Connor jerked free of his father and walked closer to Faith. She didn't protest but noticed Connor did put a little space between them when Angel caught up to her.
Angel put a hand on Faith's shoulder. "Did she hurt you badly?"
Faith gave him an encouraging grin. "I'm five by five, no worries." She didn't think he believed her from the look in his eyes so she was glad when he turned from her to his son.
"What did you think you were doing?" Angel asked, sternly.
"It wasn't cool to go after Red like that," Spike added.
Connor hunched in on himself, carefully not looking at either vampire. "She shouldn't have stopped me."
"And what about the promise you made me?" Angel asked.
"I didn't go looking for Lilah," Connor said, petulantly. "She was there and I was trying to stop her. So was Faith and no one was jerking her around like a puppet."
"Willow knows better," Faith said, knowing that wasn't true. Part of her wanted Connor to get Lilah so long as he left a little for her to beat on.
"Don't encourage him please, Faith," Angel said, sternly, giving her a warning look.
"Whatever," Faith said and she saw the hurt in his eyes. She pushed on faster. She didn't want to look at Angel because she might start confessing what had really happened to her; tell him why she had gone after Lilah like she had. She couldn't do that. The best she could do would be to let everyone fuss over her when she got home - they'd do that, she knew as much - then find the first abortion clinic she could. A moody silence fell over them all and it suited Faith just fine.