Only Hope

By Gidgetgirl

Chapter Eleven

Xander and Gunn were lying unconscious on the sidewalk, the result of a very accurate dart gun complete with extra strong sedative action. Dawn tried to scream, but even after so much experience at it, she found her mouth covered before she could get out a sound. She felt a needle being punched into her arm, and everything went very slowly black. From the last bits of her consciousness, she felt Hopie watching, somehow, somewhere.

Everyone in the Hyperion stood silent at Cordelia’s announcement. The Initiative in Los Angelos? Killing Spike? Buffy shuddered at the thought of losing him, realizing again how much he had come to mean to her. Angel frowned at the thought of a group of Captain Cardboards taking over his town, and Cordelia sat dumbfounded, realizing that a lone tear had escaped her eye when she had seen Spike killed. He was growing on her, on all of them.

Hopie stared up at the adults, wondering what was wrong with them and why they didn’t realize that no initia-whatchamacallit was going to hurt Mr. Spike. Mr. Spike was fine. Dawn was the one in trouble. Hopie frowned for a moment, thinking that in some way it was her fault. She had been wishing that Dawn would go and leave her Connor alone. Maybe it was her fault that the bad people had gotten Dawn. Maybe she shouldn’t say anything or everybody would get mad at her and yell at her and make her sit by herself again. Maybe they wouldn’t want her anymore if they knew that Dawn was in trouble because of Hopie. Hopie kept silent, looking at the ground.

“We have to do something,” Buffy said, intensely. Angel nodded.

“What do we do?” asked Willow.

“We patrol,” Buffy answered. “We find the Initiative boys, and we make it very clear that they don’t belong here.” Angel sat his hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

“We patrol,” he confirmed, his support of Buffy’s relationship with Spike taking everyone by surprise.

“Did someone say patrol?” Connor asked. Angel nodded.

“Well let’s go get some action,” Spike said. The group stared at him silently. “Who died?” he asked. They stared at him a little longer. No dummy, Spike got the message. “Bloody hell!” he exclaimed. “I died? Or I mean I die? The big dust and poof, no more Spike.” Cordelia nodded. Knowing there was no love lost between Spike and the Initiative, Buffy wisely did not relay all of Cordelia’s vision to Spike.

“You stay here,” Angel said, braced for an argument. In a strange, twisted, I-sired-someone-who-sired-you way, Spike was family, and he would do what he had to in order to protect the only other souled vampire in existence, even if he had to protect Spike from himself. “Connor will stay with you,” Angel continued, shooting Connor a look that made it clear that there was no room for argument. Angel trusted his son to take care of any army types who decided invading their home was a good idea. Connor nodded. He noticed that Hopie was moping.

“You can stay with me and Spike, Hopie-girl,” he said, hoping to lift the child’s spirits. “We can play battle or spar or whatever you want.” Hopie looked at Connor with sad eyes. Cordelia, knowing her baby was in good hands with Connor, started passing out weapons. The rest of the group split up and left the hotel, leaving Hopie, Connor, and Spike alone.

Once outside the hotel, Faith stopped. “I’m not going,” she said. “I’m staying with Hopie.” Lindsey moved his body close to hers.

“I’ll stay with you,” he offered. Old Faith would have refused his offer, knowing that she didn’t deserve help or company or a budding romance, but deep inside, Faith felt like she was going to need Lindsey’s help. She nodded. Faith and Lindsey walked back into the hotel, hand in hand, the slayer looking tiny next to Lindsey’s well built frame.

“What’s the matter, half bit?” Spike asked the child amiably. He didn’t care what the vision girl said, he had no intention of dying, and it was killing him that the child was looking so much so with the little puppy dog eyes. Hopie just stared at him.

“Are you sad because you think something bad is going to happen to Spike?” Connor asked, giving the little girl a hug. She shook her head.

“Oh no, Connor,” she replied. “Mr. Spike will be just fine.” Spike beamed at the little girl, touched by how sure she was that he could survive. The three of them turned to look at Faith and Lindsey when they came back into the room. Spike lifted his eyebrows when he noticed the way the slayer looked at the taller man: like he was her everything. As for Lindsey, even the way he held Faith’s hand shouted his growing love for her. Strangely, the two who had for so long been denied love were finding it together. Even Hopie smiled briefly.

“You guys have fluffy eyes,” she said, delighted. She decided that she’d kinda like an Uncle Lindsey and that Faith might make a good Aunt Faith, some of the time at least.

“So what do you want to do, kiddo?” Faith asked. Hopie’s face fell. She wasn’t supposed to be having fun. Dawn was in trouble, and when everyone found out, they were going to be mad at her. Lindsey was the first to recognize the look on Hopie’s face as guilt.

“Hopie,” he said gently. Hopie hid her head. He gently lifted her chin with his hands. “Is there something we should know?” Hopie nodded. Connor realized what was going on.

“Did you do something bad, Hopie?” he asked. She nodded somberly.

Spike sat down in a chair and motioned to the child. “Come sit with Spike and tell me all about it,” he said. “I’ve done lots of bad stuff, so I understand how bad it feels.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Hopie said. “I don’t even know how it happened, but I think it’s my fault that they got her because she was making me mad with her Connor fluffy eyes.” Connor snapped to attention.

“Dawn?” he asked tersely. Hopie nodded.

“They took her and Momma didn’t see, but I did and I was scared to tell, and she’s so scared and we have to help her and it’s my fault they took her because I let them but I didn’t mean to, I promise.” Hopie’s breath hitched. She was trying very bravely not to cry.

“Who took Dawn?” Spike asked, carefully not letting any frustrated tone into his voice. The poor child was tearing herself apart.

“The bad lady’s friends,” Hopie replied. No one understood what she was saying. “She feels bad and it takes away the pretty and she pretends it doesn’t make her feel bad but it does.” Lindsey actually understood the child.

“Lilah,” he said. “She’s talking about Lilah. Wolfram & Hart has Dawn, but why would they want her?”

Spike cleared his throat. “She is, well she used to be, this Key to other dimensions.” Lindsey nodded, something not striking him as right. In an instant, Connor had weapons in each hand, a determined expression on his face. Spike weaponed up as well. Hopie walked over and calmly started picking up crossbows and swords, even though all of the swords were bigger than she was. Faith stopped the child, placing her arm on Hopie’s.

“You have to stay here,” Faith said. Hopie nodded. She had known everyone would be mad at her. Now they didn’t want her to come with them. “It’s not like that,” Faith said, hugging the little girl tightly. “It’s not your fault,” Faith said. “I promise, and you know I wouldn’t lie to you, Hopie. You’re staying here because I have this feeling in my stomach that says that what those bastar- uh, what those jerks really want is you.” Faith looked at Connor.

“Be careful,” she said.

“You aren’t coming?” Spike asked. Faith shook her head.

“I’m staying with Hopie,” she replied. The little girl gave a half smile. She was still worried about Dawn.

Lindsey smiled at Faith, loving the way she looked next to the child. “I’m going,” he said to her softly. “If you want to break into Wolfram & Hart, you’re going to need me.” Lindsey neatly picked up a sword, swinging it with expertise. Faith’s eyes glowed as she watched him. He walked over to her, and pressed a gentle, sweet kiss against her mouth. Faith felt connected to him on a level that was more than physical. In fact, the physical had practically nothing to do with what she felt, though she wasn’t complaining.

“Take care,” she instructed. He nodded, and Connor, Spike, and Lindsey headed out.

After they left, Hopie and Faith sat silently in the Hyperion. Hopie climbed into Faith’s lap and put her hands around the slayer’s neck.

Cordelia, Angel, and Giles were having absolutely no luck locating the Initiative. “Those military guys are sneaky,” Cordy complained. Giles nodded.

“My opinion exactly,” he said. “I can’t imagine what they would be doing in LA of all places. I didn’t even think the Initiative still existed in aggressive form.”

“Buffy,” Willow said, her voice dropping to a whisper. They were patrolling outside of a pizza restaurant.

“What is it?” Buffy asked, coming around the corner. Willow pointed.

“It’s Xander,” she replied, “and Gunn.” The two men were still unconscious. Fred rushed to Gunn’s side, trying to wake him up. Anya walked up to Xander and ceremonially slapped his face. Both men woke up slowly.

“Dawn,” Xander gasped. “They got Dawn.” Gunn nodded.

“Wolfram and Hart,” he explained. “They took her.” Buffy’s protective instinct kicked in, and she knew that she would have to do a little causing of pain for a certain illegitimate law firm. Xander rubbed his cheek.

“How come Fred wakes Gunn up with kisses, and you wake me up by slapping me?” he asked Anya. She shrugged.

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” she replied. “I will kiss you later, and maybe hit you again too.” Xander got a dreamy expression on his face, which everyone else pointedly ignored.

Hopie was getting mad. The bad people had taken Connor’s friend, his maybe-special friend, and they had stolen her momma’s vision and they did it all in a way that made her feel like she had done something wrong.

“NO!” Hopie said loudly. “You can’t do that!” The little girl stomped her foot. Faith stood back and watched the child’s temper tantrum, amazed. She figured the child needed to let off some steam.

“You leave me alone! You give my momma back her vision!” Hopie stomped both feet. “NOW! Give it to her now. RIGTH NOW!” The child was screaming, looking for all of the world like a normal four year old throwing a tantrum about wanting candy or not wanting a bath. “I want Momma to see it now. NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW.”

On the other side of town, the true vision hit Cordelia. “Dawn,” she gasped. “Those W&H scum took Dawn and sent me a bad vision.” Angel rubbed the tip of his knife.

“I think it’s time that I had a little chat with them,” he said. They changed course and headed for Wolfram and Hart headquarters.

Lilah Morgan listened to the reports from her underlings and smiled. Things were going almost according to plan. They would get Connor, and as long as Hopie thought they had Connor, she would come willingly. “Send in the Hyperion team,” she instructed. The special services team would convince the child, even if they had to promise to kill Connor if she didn’t come.

The hairs on the back of Faith’s neck stood on end. Someone was coming.

“They feel bad,” Hopie said, echoing Faith’s sentiments. They each grabbed as many weapons as the could hold. The two of them were alone, the Shanshu and her Champion, against the forces of evil.

“Hopie,” Faith said, not questioning how she knew. “No matter what they say, you have to tell them no.” Hopie nodded. The front door to the hotel opened, just as the three groups of warriors converged on Wolfram and Hart.

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