***

Chapter 10 - When Darkness Falls

Buffy was humming softly as she got ready for dinner. Tonight she'd picked out one of the full body sarongs she'd bought just the other day in one of the local shops. It was made up of different shades of blue and green, mimicking the rippling waters of the Pacific Ocean. She let her hair hang loose about her shoulders, framing her face with soft curls. The only thing she'd put in her hair was a small decorative clip covered with iridescent mother of pearl shells.

She continued to hum along as she spritzed herself with a dash of perfume, then passed Will on his way into the bathroom to check his own appearance. She couldn't remember being happier than she'd been today. They'd had almost a perfect day. They'd talked, and laughed, and discovered things about themselves they never knew. They'd spent almost the entire day together. And tonight the conference was hosting a luau. Buffy'd never been to a luau before and she was looking forward to it, another new experience that the two of them could share together.

But what really thrilled her was how affectionate and loving Will had been all day. Since that talk they'd had on the beach, he hadn't stopped touching her. Holding her hand, kissing her, wrapping her up in his arms. God, she couldn't get enough! Maybe tonight he'd finally give in and let them make love. What would it be like to have Will make love to her? Knowing him he'd be sure to make it the most wonderful experience of her life.

"Ready, luv?" Spike asked, stopping to peck her on the cheek. He was wearing very casual khaki trousers with a blue Hawaiian print shirt. Buffy loved it because the blue of the flowers almost matched the color of his eyes exactly.

"Hello, handsome." Buffy made sure to place her peck square on his lips before pulling away to wink at him.

Spike laughed, and reached out for her. He pulled her close, hands on her waist and bent his head to give her a proper kiss. He'd been thinking about their relationship all day. At least since the conversation they'd had on the beach. Ever since they'd started on this crazy trip Spike had been learning more and more about Buffy and the things she'd felt for him over the past ten years.

He still couldn't quite believe it. It was too close to his fantasy for him to not have doubts, but he was getting closer and closer to the realization that Buffy did indeed have stronger feelings than friendship for him. Or at least it seemed so. Could he be wrong? Could this be some wild side effect of her injury? It didn't seem likely. But he would still take things slowly and cautiously. At least that was the plan. But every time he was with her, especially when they were alone like this, he found it harder and harder to keep his hands, and his lips, off of her.

When the kiss finally ended, Spike didn't pull away completely. Instead he kept his eyes closed and touched their foreheads together letting their breaths mingle. They stayed that way for a minute, just holding onto each other before Buffy spoke. "I love you."

Spike sighed heavily, his heart constricting. Did she really mean it the way he'd always longed for her to? "Love you too, Buffy." He whispered back.

"We'd better get going." Spike let his fingers trail down her arm and then clasp her hand in his. "The sooner we get there the sooner we can leave."

Buffy laughed. "Will, it won't be that bad! Maybe you'll have fun. They're supposed to have hula dancing and even a fire eater!"

"Sounds like a barrel of laughs, luv." He answered, deadpan.

She slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "You're such a party pooper!"

"Oi!" He mocked cringed from the blow and the insult. "How do you know there isn't another reason entirely that I want to leave early?" Oh god, had he really just said that? Spike swallowed heavily waiting to see what Buffy would say.

Buffy's heart almost stopped. Did he mean that the way it sounded? "Maybe we don't have to go at all?" She ventured quietly.

Spike's heart was beating triple time. Did he want to do this with Buffy? Who was he kidding? *Of course* he wanted to do this with Buffy! But the real question was, should he? No matter what her true feelings were for him, wouldn't it still be taking advantage of her when she remained under the impression that they were truly engaged?

"No, luv. I think we probably need to make an appearance at least." And it would give him some time to at least think about the consequences some more. God, he could be risking everything.

"Oh, okay."

The disappointment in her voice, made Spike pull to a stop. He tugged on her hand until she was facing him, and then he kissed her again. It was slow and sweet and promising. And he knew in that instant that there was really nothing left to think about. There was only one decision he *could* make. But stubborn as he was he still wanted to go through the motions. So he ended the kiss and without another word pulled her out the door and down the hall.

***

The nights out here were incredibly dark. The luau was being held right on the beach, with several tiki torches set up to illuminate the party. He watched as Buffy made her way over to the buffet table and tried the poi. The face she made was ridiculous and it almost made him smile, but he curbed it before it could appear. There was no doubt that she was beautiful. There was also no doubt that she was unmistakably Will's. It only made him want her more.

The bastard had everything that should rightfully belong to him. He was king of a multimillion dollar kingdom, and had all the comforts and luxuries that came with it. Including the beautiful courtesan. Damn him!

But tonight Angel was going to get back a little of his own. He slunk through the shadows, watching and waiting, biding his time.

***

Spike watched as Buffy threw her head back and laughed. She was caught up in the excitement of the night, watching the fire eater and the other island entertainers. Spike had to admit it was impressive. He didn't know how anyone could be disciplined enough to learn to swallow a huge ball of fire on demand.

They'd been at the luau for a few hours, while he both dreaded and wished for the time when they could be alone. He knew what would happen once they got there, but he was determined at least to do the right thing. He wanted her there was definitely no denying that, but he knew he couldn't have her. Not without being honest first. He'd thought long and hard about what he was going to do. He had to tell her the truth.

He'd weighed all the pros and cons. Spike just couldn't imagine the truth hurting her anymore than what he'd already been doing. He wasn't even sure if she'd forgive him for what they'd already done. But he could hope, and wish, and pray that once he'd confessed to her, she'd still want him. Still love him. At least enough to still be his friend. But, Lord he wanted more.

He watched her carefully. He'd been watching her carefully ever since the accident. She seemed almost completely healed. The only evidence left were the few stitches on her forehead. And her memory loss. Why couldn't she remember? Would she ever remember? That was one thing he'd thought about long and hard. If she never did remember, they could be married and in love and together for the rest of their lives. And she'd never know the difference. But he would.

Spike sighed, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. Wanting...wanting...everything, and knowing how precarious his chances at having that really were. At this point he'd even settle for just a small crumb, but bloody hell he wanted, *longed*, for it all.

"I'm just going to get a drink, do you want anything?" Buffy asked as she stood from their seats on the straw covered floor.

"I'll go, luv." Spike started to stand but she put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"No, I'm already up. Besides my legs were falling asleep. It's just a short walk." She tilted her head over to where the bar sat, just a few feet away from where the luau was being hosted.

"Okay, kitten. Just some pineapple juice for me." He needed to keep a clear head if he wanted to make sure he said the right words tonight.

She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips before turning to walk away. Spike turned his own attention back to the entertainment; still marveling at the bravado it took to actually swallow fire. Those men must have some pretty big stones. He watched as they juggled long torches back and forth before finally swallowing the last of them down. When the hula dancers came on he realized that it had been more than just a few several long minutes since Buffy had left for the drinks.

He stood and looked around, but didn't see her anywhere near the bar. Spike made his way over to the bartender. "Have you seen my fiance? She was wearing a sort of green dress. Shoulder length blonde, hazel eyes?" He described her while continuing to scan the area.

"Sorry, don't remember anyone like that." The man shrugged helplessly.

Maybe she had gone inside to use the restroom? He stood outside the ladies room door, and waited until a woman came out. He asked her politely if she'd seen Buffy, or if she could at least go back into the restroom and see if she were still there. But no luck. Where had she gone?

He tried their room next. He entered, panting from having run up the flight of stairs, impatient for the elevator. "Buffy?" He called as he raced through the main room and into the bathroom. But the suite remained silent.

Buffy was gone.

***

Buffy's heart was racing and she knew that if she didn't concentrate on breathing she would probably hyperventilate and end up passing out. She had woken up blind folded, the back of her head throbbing from the blow she'd been dealt.

When she tried to raise her hand to feel for the bump, she realized that she'd been tied down. Both her legs and arms were bound to what she assumed were bedposts, since she was obviously lying on a mattress.

She had no idea who had her or why. The last thing she remembered was heading over to the bar for a couple of drinks. On the way she'd decided to detour to the restroom and stepped off the regular path and onto the grass hill that led back up to the main hotel lobby. It wasn't exactly well lit, with only tiki torches spaced every few feet. She hadn't seen anyone or anything, though she hadn't exactly been looking.

Whoever had taken her had definitely done it before she'd reached the lobby. She still had to use the restroom, and fear made the need even greater. Who would want to kidnap her? Maybe she had enemies she didn't remember? Wouldn't Will have told her, reminded her to be extra careful? God, Will must be worried sick.

"Hello?" She called out, not knowing whether she really wanted an answer or not. "Please, I really have to use the bathroom." She could feel the blush from her head all the way up to her toes. How humiliating to have to ask your captor to not let you wet your pants.

Her panic increased when she heard heavy footsteps on the carpet. The blind fold was whisked off her head, forcing her to blink her eyes against the bright light. When her eyes had finally adjusted, she felt her stomach drop and the bile rise in her throat.

Angel.

And then she couldn't stop the tears. Oh my god! She'd never told Will. She'd meant to let him know about her conversation with Harmony. But she'd never gotten around to it. And now it was too late. He wouldn't even know where to start looking.

Angel smirked at her, and so she did the only thing she could think of to do. She screamed.

Chapter 11 - Waiting

Buffy screamed until her throat was hoarse. Angel smirked the entire time. It was extremely frightening and creepy.

"Go ahead. Keep screaming." Angel crossed his arms across his chest as he leaned against the door frame. "No one can hear you."

"What are you talking about? There are people all over this hotel."

"Ahh, but we aren't in the hotel." Angel answered. "We're in one of the honeymoon bungalows." This time Angel laughed out loud. "The desk clerk even smiled and winked at me when I asked for the room. He thought I might be getting some on the side since he was the same guy who checked Harmony and I in to our suite in the hotel."

"Bungalows?" Buffy whispered, afraid of his answer.

"Yes. They're separated from the main hotel. There are a bunch of them scattered around the resort. I guess they wanted to insure honeymooners privacy. It also keeps other guests from being kept awake at night, I suppose."

Oh god. That meant that nobody would be able to hear her call for help. Buffy wanted to cry again. How was Will supposed to find her?

"What do you want with me?" Please, please, please let this be some kind of horrible joke. She flinched when Angel's expression turned dark and he nearly snarled.

"You're *fiance*," he spat the word out as if it were a curse. "Has what should rightfully be mine. And you're going to help me get it back."

"What do you mean? How?" Buffy wasn't sure if it were wise to keep him talking, but the more she knew the better prepared she might be.

"Obviously the man will want you back. But he's going to have to learn that not everything in life comes easily, or...freely." The smirk was back.

"You're going to ask for a ransom?" Buffy asked, relieved. She knew Will would gladly pay, and it was definitely a lot better than what she had been imagining.

"Don't look so relieved, honey." Angel doused her hopes. "You're right about the ransom, but unfortunately there's no way I'm going to be able to let you go. Not that your precious William will know that." Angel stepped further into the room. He stepped up to the bed and sat on the edge, his hand reached out to wrap around her slim ankle. His thumb rubbed circles on her skin making a shiver of fear run through her. "Maybe we can have a little fun until then..."

Buffy began to kick and thrash, though her bonds didn't allow very much movement. "Stay away from me!" She screamed, but Angel just laughed. He did stand and step away though.

"If you're good, maybe I'll come back and let you use the bathroom. Right now I'm afraid I have some arrangements to make." Then he was gone.

***

Spike was worried sick. He'd called hotel security and even the police. But the police had been no help. They'd said he had to wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person. At least security was out looking on the property. He'd explained about her head injury. Spike was worried that she might be wandering around dazed, or otherwise injured. Had he really thought last night that she looked almost completely healed?

But then the thoughts that he'd been trying to deny since he'd realized Buffy was missing made their way in to his head. Maybe she wasn't missing because of her injury. Maybe she had been taken. Maybe she was at this very moment scared out of her mind because some psycho had kidnapped her.

God, he really needed his friends here. No, what he really needed was Buffy here. But for now he'd settle for the gang. He knew they'd help him search for her, instead of sitting around on their bloody hands and waiting 24 hours! He'd called them almost immediately last night. After talking to Wesley the other day he assumed the whole lot of them would already know about Buffy's accident. He'd been correct and they were all more than willing to fly out to insure that Buffy was found safely.

It was an enormous relief. Especially since both Xander and Wesley were trained investigators. They worked together in their own private detective agency. Both were former law enforcement officials, Xander a street cop and Wesley a homicide detective. He hoped that having them both here would help spur the investigation. But the truth was that Spike just wanted his friends around him because *he* was scared to death. What would he do if something happened to her? If he never saw her again? If some bastard was out there, right now, hurting her?

He'd kill him. He'd hunt him down and rip his throat out. Without hesitation or qualm, Spike would be sure the bastard got what he deserved.

But for now Spike was going to hope, and pray that Buffy was okay. That she just got confused and wandered off in the wrong direction. Even if it had been nearly twenty-four hours already. Maybe she fell asleep on the beach, or some other part of the resort property. Maybe she even ended up fainting, and someone had taken her to a hospital. She could be asleep, or unconscious in an emergency room, as some Jane Doe.

Spike checked his watch; their plane should have arrived about twenty minutes ago. They'd agreed to take a cab because Spike did not want to leave the resort in case any news came in. They should be at the hotel any minute. He was antsy so he left the room and strode down to the lobby. Instead of waiting for the elevator he opted for the stairs once again.

He flung the door to the stairwell open and started down. Preoccupied with thoughts of Buffy, Spike didn't notice the second figure on the stairs and ended up crashing into him.

"What's your hurry, man?"

"Sorry, mate." Spike apologized quickly before looking up. His eyes narrowed when he realized it was Angel he'd bumped into. "I didn't know your room was on this floor." Spike's tone was questioning.

"Oh, yeah. Normally I take the elevator, but I had some excess energy to burn I guess. Harm and I are just down at the end of the hall. You and Buffy on this floor too?" Angel asked gesturing down the hall toward his room.

"Yeah, just a few doors down. Angel, have you seen Buffy at all since last night at the luau?" Angel knew what Buffy looked like, so there was a better chance of him spotting her than any of the hotel staff. "Or, did you see which way she went when she left?"

"You lose your girlfriend or something?" Angel laughed.

"Yeah, actually. I'm worried that her head injury might have been worse than we thought. She disappeared last night during dinner." Spike answered, distracted now that he knew Angel hadn't seen his girl.

"Oh god, sorry man." Angel was instantly contrite. "If you want I can help look for her. Harmony, too. I'll just go up and get her from the room."

"Yeah, yeah. That would be great. Thanks." Spike was already going down the steps towards the lobby, hoping his friends had arrived.

As soon as Spike was out of sight, Angel turned back toward the hall with a satisfied smirk. Now, all he had to do was setup the ransom note. At least his ditzy girlfriend was a magazine junkie. He just needed to get rid of her long enough to cut up the letters he'd need for the note.

Angel headed toward his suite, entering without even a greeting.

"Hi, honey." Harmony jumped up to kiss him hello. "Where've you been all morning?"

"Oh, just had a workshop I had to go to. You know this is a working holiday, Harm."

"Oh, well, are you free for the afternoon? We can spend some time together." She asked eagerly.

Angel's mind was churning over the potential ways he could get Harmony to leave for a few hours. "Sure, Harm. I'd love to spend time with you; you know that. But how about we skip tonight's big dinner and do something fancy, just you and me?"

"Oh, Angel, really?" Harmony was so excited, this was the first time in a while Angel had wanted to do something romantic, just the two of them.

"Sure, baby. In fact, I'll ask the desk clerk what the fanciest most romantic restaurant on the island is and I'll make reservations for tonight. How's that?" Angel went over and wrapped his arms around Harmony, pulling her close for a deep kiss.

"Yes! That would be so nice, honey. It's been so long since we've gone out together." Harmony snuggled closer into Angel's embrace, enjoying the warm feeling of being in his arms.

"Why don't you spend the next couple of hours in the spa downstairs? You can do a whole relaxation makeover thing. You're already beautiful, but I know how much you love to really fancy up. And I know you said there was a sexy dress in the shop downstairs you were thinking about getting." Angel waggled his eyebrows at her. "How 'bout you go ahead and pick it up after your spa treatment and wear it tonight?" He nibbled at her neck as he spoke, sending erotic shivers down her spine.

Harmony was almost speechless. Not only had he remembered about the dress she'd spoken about but he wanted her to get a new sexy makeover for tonight's dinner. He was making it sound really special, and she loved it! It'd been such a long time since he'd even really shown any interest. She was beginning to think their relationship was coming to a close. Maybe all his business stuff was close to being resolved. She knew that was a cause of most of the tension and stress he'd been under lately. He sure seemed much happier now.

"Okay, honey. I'll pretty myself up for you. I'll be so sexy you'll probably want to end up just skipping dinner!" Harmony giggled and kissed him again before pulling away. "I'll meet you back up here at about 6:30, all right?"

"That would be perfect, baby." He winked at her as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Blowing her a kiss he added a quick goodbye. "See you soon, Harm."

"Bye, honey." The door closed with a quiet snick behind her.

The sickeningly sweet smile dropped off Angel's face as he made his way over to throw the dead bolt. He had approximately 2 and half hours to complete the note and deliver it without being seen. As soon as the dead bolt was in place he headed over to the coffee table where several stacks of magazines were strewn. Grabbing the first stack within reach, Angel dropped onto the couch and got to work.

Chapter 12 - A Friend in Need

Spike was pacing in the lobby when his friends arrived. The rush of relief he felt at seeing them had him lightheaded. None of them smiled, they all had identical expressions of grim determination on their faces. Although once they finally reached him, Tara put her arms around him and tried for a shaky smile. "Don't worry, we'll find her. I'm sure she's fine."

"Thanks, luv." He kissed her on the cheek and then greeted the rest of the gang. "Thanks for coming."

"What, you thought we wouldn't?" Xander asked, surprised.

"No, 'course I knew you'd be here. I guess I'm just...relieved that...Bloody hell! It's been hard to be here alone." Spike pushed the words out in a rush. Embarrassed he turned away.

The others nodded, but didn't issue a response. They knew what he meant, and were glad that they could be there to help. They were all worried about Buffy. But they were worried about Spike as well. They could only guess how he must be feeling, not knowing where Buffy was or if she was uninjured.

They checked in, each couple getting their own room. Spike had arranged from them all to be on the third floor with him. After they dropped their luggage off they all met back up in Spike and Buffy's room. He explained to them all of what had been done so far in the search, what little there was. Then he sighed and was silent for several minutes.

Just when Willow was about to say something, anything, to break the tense silence, Spike spoke again. He didn't look at any of them, didn't meet their eyes. His voice was low and husky, and Willow bet that if he did look up there would be tears in his eyes.

"I know you all know what's been going on. That Buffy thinks that we really are engaged. That she thinks she loves me, and that I love her. The truth is...I *do* love her. I have for as long as I could remember." He sighed again and shook his head, almost as if he wanted his jumble of thoughts to fall into proper place. "A lot has happened since the accident. Between us, I mean. I don't know how she'll react once she gets her memory back. But I know I can't deny it anymore." He stood and walked toward the balcony. The others ignored the wet cheeks of his reflection in the sliding glass door. "God, I want her here. I need her safe, with me." The words whispered from his lips were tainted with a kind of aching hollowness. "It's been almost a full day."

Xander stood, as did Wesley and Lorne. They formed a kind of half circle of support behind Spike, not touching but quietly lending strength. "We'll find her." Xander's words were firm and sure.

Just then there was a soft knock on the door to Spike's suite. He flew toward it and flung it open. A bellboy stood on the other side looking slightly surprised but quickly snapped to attention. He held out an envelope to Spike. "This was dropped in the inter-resort mail slot sir. It's addressed to you." The bellboy shrugged. "We don't normally get mail for other guests. It's usually reserved for inter-office mail, but...You are William Huntington aren't you?"

Spike nodded absently, still standing at the door staring down at the envelope in his hands. Wesley came to stand beside him he cleared his throat attracting the bellboy's attention. "Thank you, young man." Wesley handed over a tip and then quietly closed the door for Spike.

"What is it?" Cordy asked, impatient now that the bellboy was gone. "Open it."

Spike ripped open the envelope with shaking fingers. What did he expect to find? But he had a bad feeling, and when he unfolded the letter he knew the feeling was justified. He let out a small whimpering cry and nearly dropped the letter. But Wesley scooped up the slim page before it hit the ground, quickly scanning the words, his face grim. "Xander call the police." He looked up at the others eyes alight with anger. "It's a ransom note."

***

Buffy heard the front door click open and then shut. She waited, her adrenaline surging, until Angel stepped back into the room.

"Well, your little lover-boy has probably gotten my note by now." Angel smiled at her. "Have you been having fun here, *kitten*?

Buffy shivered at the use of Spike's affectionate nickname for her. How long had Angel been following them, watching them? Or was it pure coincidence that he used that name? She doubted it. The sarcastic inflection he used was too much of a coincidence.

Angel saw the shiver and his smile grew. This was a much better way to end his night. He'd been forced to take Harmony out to dinner, and she'd expected even more when they'd gotten back. He obliged, though sex with Harmony had gotten about as boring as sex could possibly get. He left her, asleep in their bed, and came here.

"Please, I still have to use the restroom." Buffy ignored his earlier question. In fact she was surprised that she hadn't yet wet herself. "Please." She hated begging, but she was getting desperate. She didn't want to sit here for days smelly and unclean.

"Well...since you asked so nicely." Angel leant down and began to untie her. Before he was even finished with the first knot he bent closer and kissed her full on the mouth. Buffy let out a startled yelp and tried to turn her head away, but Angel wouldn't allow it. He kissed her hard, forcing his tongue in her mouth. Buffy, unable to move away from him, instead bit down hard.

Angel let out a pained cry and retreated. "Shouldn't have done that, Buffy." His voice was harsh. "I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now." He warned her.

She stared back up at him, chin tilted defiantly. "I'd *rather* be dead." She'd rather death than let him touch her. She shuddered at the thought of having his hands on her. And for a long moment she thought she'd just sealed her fate. He stared down at her, brows drawn together, anger evident in every line on his face. Then suddenly he threw his head back and laughed.

He was still chuckling as he untied her. He made her sit up on the bed; he left her legs free, but retied her hands together in front of her. "The bathroom's in there." He gestured with his head towards the door on the right.

Buffy scrambled off the bed and through the door. She breathed a heavy sigh once she was finally able to relieve herself. God, it had been hours! Afterwards she turned the sink on, scrubbing her hands as best she could. Then she scooped some cool water and tried to rinse out her mouth. She could still taste the awful mix of alcohol and heavy spice that Angel's kiss had left in her mouth.

She left the water running as she glanced around the room. The window was way too small for her to crawl out of. She looked beneath the sink to see if there was anything useful she could grab as a weapon, but all she found was extra toilet paper and some toiletries. Her heart sank. What was she going to do?

Shutting off the water she stepped back out of the room. Angel had his back to her, but heard her as she entered. "Get back on the bed." He stated, not even bothering to turn around. God, he was big. He probably didn't think she was any kind of threat. She was so small compared to him.

Quickly looking around she grabbed the lamp off the night stand pulling the plug out of the wall with a tug. She ran full throttle for him, swinging as she went. The lampshade shattered as it made contact with the back of Angel's head. He fell to the ground with a groan, and Buffy sprinted across the room and into the main suite. She was almost to the front door when he tackled her from behind.

They both landed with a hard thud, all the breath knocked out of Buffy. She kicked at him, and with incredible luck hit him square in the groin. He groaned again and rolled off her. Scrambling to her feet Buffy made for the door again, but when she tried to open it she realized that the dead bolt had been thrown.

Before she could get her hands around the lock, she felt Angel's arms wrap around her middle. She screamed but was already flying through the air. Angel had literally picked her up and tossed her back toward the bedroom. The throw was powerful and she found herself hurling through the air. The wall was coming fast and she only had time to close her eyes before she impacted, hard. She crumpled to the ground without even a whimper.

***

"This is all my fault." Spike had his head in his hands, his palms digging into his eye sockets.

"Fuck that, sweetie." Lorne spoke up. "The only person at fault is the bastard who took our lovely."

"No, he wants *my* money. He's trying to get back at me." Spike shook his head, his voice shaky. "If I hadn't asked her to come, if everyone didn't think she was my fiance...this never would have happened."

The police had left, taking the note with them. They were going to dust it for prints, but Spike doubted they'd find anything besides his and Wesley's. The kidnapper had to have worn gloves he wasn't stupid. At least he'd planned properly so far it seemed.

The note had asked for half a million dollars. The drop off was supposed to be tomorrow night, midnight. It stated that there would be instructions and directions in the lobby at that time. Spike, and therefore the police, had no idea where the final drop off destination was supposed to be.

So this guy wanted Spike's money. He'd taken Buffy to insure that he got it. Fuck, no matter how he looked at it, Spike knew that Buffy was in danger quite possibly in pain, because of him. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He looked up at his friends, silently pleading with his eyes that they somehow make this better. Somehow bring Buffy back to him, safe and whole.

Wise to the fact that nothing they could say would lessen Spike's guilt, Wesley told him to get some sleep instead. "It's obvious you didn't get any sleep last night. Get a few hours now, while Xander and I take a look around. We'll go down to the luau site to see if we can find anything. We'll talk to the hotel staff, and a few guests. Don't worry, we won't be idle." Wesley reassured him.

Spike nodded, acquiescing. He knew he wasn't about to get any sleep, but his friend's wouldn't allow him to step foot out of his hotel room until they thought he'd gotten some rest. And he did know that Xander and Wesley would do their best to find anything that might have been missed earlier.

Spike had already called his bank and the money was being wire transferred over to the local bank here. He'd pick up the cash in the morning to be ready for the delivery that night. There had never been a question in anybody's mind that he would pay the ransom. The police had insisted that he shouldn't give in to the kidnapper's demands, that there was no guarantee that Buffy would be released afterwards. But Spike couldn't take the chance that not following the orders would get Buffy hurt, or worse. So he'd made the calls and arranged for the money.

The kidnapper had been extremely smart to ask for a half a million instead of something ridiculous. A half million was easy to get his hands on. He didn't have to liquidate anything, in fact the money had been in one of his accounts already, just sitting and accruing interest. If it had been much more he would have had to go through several hoops to get what he needed in cash, as it was, Spike thought it was almost too easy.

He sighed heavily as he closed the door behind his friends. The girls had offered to stay with him, but at the moment he just wanted to be alone. He knew that none of the others agreed that it was his fault, but he couldn't shake the feeling. He'd been the one who put Buffy in danger. He was the reason she was gone. And his wealth would forever put anyone close to him in that same danger. Could he do that to Buffy? Once she was back and safe, could he continue to be with her knowing that she could be someone else's target once again?

God, he ached for her.

He loved her. He'd planned to tell her, to make sure that no matter how mad she was once she'd regained her memory, that she at least knew that his love was real. But now, knowing that loving her put her at risk, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Maybe what he really had to do, if he truly did love her, was to stay away from her. Damn, he could already feel the burn that type of self enforced separation would bring. Knowing that he could be with her but wasn't?

He lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He'd spent the last few nights doing the same thing. Lying awake, staring up at the ceiling, but this was the first night he'd done it alone. The regrets hit him full force, like a punch in the gut. He should have been with her while he'd had the chance. He should have taken what she offered. Even if her love was temporary, he would have at least had that. What if he never saw her again? His eyes burned, and he swiped at the moisture that pooled and then spilled down his cheeks. No! He wouldn't, couldn't think that way. He *would* see her again. He had to.

Chapter 13 - Running on Empty

Buffy woke the back of her head throbbing in pain. Groaning, she slitted her eyes open and took a quick look around the room. Angel appeared to have left again, letting her breathe a small sigh of relief. Damn! She had almost gotten away! She couldn't believe how close she had come, only to have him pull her back at the very last minute.

To combat the dizzines she felt, Buffy held herself as still as possible. Her head hurt so bad that the back of her eyes ached. She thought back to her escape attempt and tried to figure out what she could have done differently. If she had the chance again she didn't want to waste it.

She thought of Will, probably worried sick, wondering where she was. Had Angel already sent a ransom note? Did he know that she'd been kidnapped? She wondered how long it had been since she'd blacked out. Was it still the same day? There was no clock in the room and she realized she didn't even know if it were day or night. All the curtains in the room had been closed, for obvious reasons, and she couldn't tell if the dim light shining behind them was sunlight or lamplight.

God, had it only been three days, maybe four, since they'd arrived? She remembered having such a giddy sense of excitement when they'd first gotten off the plane. Yes, she was nervous and a bit worried about whether she could keep up the charade without revealing her true feelings, but a whole week away with Will! She couldn't help but anticipate the pleasure of his company.

Buffy faltered, gasping involuntarily. She *had* been worried about the charade. The *charade*. Oh my God! How could she - ? What did he - ? Oh my God!

They had never truly been engaged. They weren't even dating! Buffys' breath was escaping in short shallow pants. She tried to calm herself, worried that she would hyperventilate and pass out again.

Why didn't he tell her the truth? Why did he let her think they were really a couple? Buffy's cheeks burned hot. She had practically thrown herself at him. She'd worn her Victoria Secret's lingerie! Will had seen her in lingerie! And he'd touched her. Boy, had he touched her.

Could he have gone along with her faulty memory because he'd *wanted* to touch her? To sleep with her? But no, if he'd wanted that he'd had plenty of opportunity. *He* was the one that had refused her, over and over again. He'd made up some ridiculous excuse about her wanting to wait until their wedding night. Buffy snorted. And she fell for it! If she and Will were really engaged, or even just a couple, there was no way she'd *ever* want to wait that long! Geez, she didn't even want to wait that long now.

Then why? Why had he lied to her?

Buffy shook her head, regretting it as the world started to spin. She didn't know why Will had done it. But she knew Will, and she knew there had to be a good reason. She wished she could talk to him. Her eyes began to water as she realized that she may never talk to Will again. Even if Angel had already given him the ransom note, he still wouldn't know where to find her. And Angel had made it clear that he wouldn't let her go whether he got the money he wanted or not.

Oh God, she didn't care why he'd done it. She was glad that he had. Glad that she got to be happy for the past four days. That she got to be in love. She'd tell him, too. Tell him that she loved him, and that she wanted their engagement to be real, as soon as she saw him again...if she ever saw him again. The tears leaked from her eyes, and she wished she could swipe them away but her hands were still tied down. So she just let them trail down her cheeks until they hit the pillow.

***

Xander walked the perimeter of the luau for the fourth time. He hadn't found anything they could use. With so many people at the party, everything was pretty much trampled. Any debris that had been left could be attributed to the luau. Nothing out of the ordinary stood out. Xander ground his teeth in frustration. So far he hadn't been any help whatsoever.

If they didn't figure out who had Buffy before the drop off, Spike was going to lose half a million dollars, and they still might not ever see Buffy again. Damn it! He stomped back into the lobby, searching the vicinity for Wesley. He spotted him over by the activities desk talking to the clerk there.

"Yes, so you didn't see anything out of the ordinary that night?" Xander heard Wesley asked as he walked up behind him. The clerk shook his head no.

"Do you remember seeing this woman at all during or after the luau?" Wesley held up a picture of Buffy that the gang had brought with them in order to help with the search.

"No, I'm sorry." The clerk shook his head apologetically. "I do remember her though. She and her husband signed up for surfing lessons the first day of the conference, right?"

"Fiance." Xander corrected absently. Then chuckled softly to himself.

"Oh, yeah, her fiance." The clerk nodded. "I'm really sorry I can't help."

Xander and Wesley thanked the clerk, then began walking toward the elevator bays. "Lot of help I am. They're engaged, not married, doofus." Xander rolled his eyes. "Did you find anything else out?"

"No, unfortunately nobody else had any other information. It's like she just vanished without a trace." Wesley murmured, frustrated.

"So, where does that leave us?" Xander asked, stepping onto the elevator and pushing the button for their floor.

"We've got to prep the equipment. Good thing we brought the kit."

"'Always be prepared.' That's my motto." Xander answered.

"Yes, you're a bloody Boy Scout." Wesley shot back.

"You know it." Xander answered, oblivious to Wesley's teasing.

They reached Spike's suite, knocking quietly. Tara opened the door quickly, shushing them. Spike had finally agreed to take a quick nap. They all knew he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, no matter what he told them.

"Did you guys find anything?" Willow asked eagerly, her hand reaching out towards Wesley's.

"No, luv." Wesley sat down next to Willow and wrapped his arm around her bringing her close. "Our best bet now is to go through with the drop. Xander's going to start prepping the wires, and the homing device."

The girls all looked at each other anxiously. "Is Spike going to be in danger?" Cordy asked, looking toward her boyfriend.

Xander gave her a grim smile and a nod. "Yeah, Cord, probably. We'll do everything we can to keep him safe though; and to bring Buffy home safe, too. You know that." Xander answered, trying to reassure her.

"So that means you'll be in danger, too? Right?" Cordy asked again, this time biting and chewing on her bottom lip. "You're going to keep him safe, who's going to keep you safe?"

Xander quickly made his way over to Cordelia, hugging her in a tight embrace. "Honey, this is my job. You know I'm trained for this, and I've been doing it for a while now. How come this is the first time you've gotten so worked up over it?"

"Because this is the first time I've had to watch it. To be here, and know that you're going to be going up against the bad guys in a couple of hours!" Cordelia's voice rose and wavered.

"Cordy, honey," Xander ran his fingers through her hair, trying to soothe. "You know, I'll be careful. This isn't something we can walk away from. This is Buffy and Spike. They need our help."

Cordelia nodded, but didn't answer.

"Besides, Wesley will be there. He'll keep me safe." Xander continued.

"And me." Lorne's voice piped up from across the room.

Tara looked up quickly, "But, Lorne, you've never done anything like this before."

"Baby, I have to do something. These are our friends. Besides, I'll just be there as backup. You know...I can ride in and save the day. But not unless the boys absolutely need me." Lorne kissed her on the cheek, letting his lips linger for a bit. Tara's expression was still worried, but she recognized the determined look on Lorne's face and kept her objections to herself.

"We should all go together." Willow suggested, looking toward her husband for support.

"Wills, you know that's not a good idea." Wesley answered instead.

"Why not? We can do the same thing Lorne's doing. Just hang back until you need us." She asked, giving him her puppy dog eyes.

"Luv," Wesley kissed her. "It would be too distracting. We'd all be worried about each other. With only the four of us going, it's already bad enough. But with you girls there as well, we won't be able to concentrate at all!"

Willow's hurt look caused Wesley to hold her closer. "Wills, we all love you ladies so much that it would be too hard *not* worrying about your safety. It'll be hard enough even while you are all here, let alone if you come with us." Wesley looked up to receive nods of approval from Lorne and Xander. Each man was holding his lover close, each thinking about how hard it must be for Spike. "Please understand, luv."

Slowly Willow nodded. Each girl caught the other's eye and gave tired sighs of defeat. "Will you at least have Agents Benson and Salazar with you?"

The local F.B.I. branch had sent over two field agents when they had called the police to inform them of the kidnapping. Both agents had been vocal in their objection to the boys getting involved. They were also against giving into the kidnapper's demands by getting the money so quickly. Instead they wanted to stall him, telling him that there was a delay in collecting the money, but that was one thing Spike would not agree to. There was no way he was taking a chance on Buffy's safety.

"Yes, so don't worry." Xander answered for Wesley. "Both fibbies will meet us here tonight. They'll be monitoring the whole exchange along with us."

"Okay." Willow reluctantly agreed. After a few more minutes of cuddling time, the boys stood to finalize the rest of their plans for that evening. They left the room promising to return by 11pm to prep Spike and say goodbye to the girls.

The girls huddled together on the couch, staring silently at the muted television. They were all worried about the men and what they planned to do tonight. They were also scared to death at the prospect of never seeing Buffy again. None of them wanted to contemplate what she might be going through while she was in the hands of the kidnapper. So they stared at the tv, closing ranks in order to hold each other close until the men returned later that night.

Chapter 14 - Lost and Found

Harmony woke up in bed alone. It seemed like this had been happening a lot lately. The disappointment she felt was sharper because she'd actually thought things were getting better. Angel had taken her out to dinner and they'd made love until they'd both fallen asleep. She thought that meant he was finally relaxing again, finally willing to give a little bit more to their relationship. Her eyes watered, but she refused to cry.

She lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling and willed herself not to cry. Maybe it was time to face facts. Her relationship with Angel, if there had ever truly been one, was over. He obviously didn't love her, and she found herself wondering at times if he even *liked* her. Resignedly she threw the covers off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

She dressed quickly wanting to hurry downstairs for a quick bite to eat. Before leaving the room she did a quick sweep with her eyes scanning for any note Angel might have left letting her know where he'd gone and why. But the room was empty and the last little bit of hope Harmony had was quickly fleeing.

She made her way downstairs and sat down at the bar. Though her stomach rumbled she had no real appetite. Barely glancing at the menu she ordered a half a club sandwich and some fries. When her food arrived she picked at it halfheartedly. Their week on Kauai was almost half over and Harmony knew what she had to do once they got back to the real world. She took a deep breath trying to hold back the tears that threatened. She'd been with Angel so long now she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do once it was over. She didn't even have a place to live since she'd moved in with him six months ago.

Harmony knew that Angel would never marry her, but she'd held on to the false hope anyway. She thought that his asking her to move in with him was a step in the right direction. But now she realized she had only refused to see it for what it really was...convenience. Angel didn't want to have to get in his car and drive the twenty minutes it would take to get to her apartment whenever he wanted to get some. So he'd done the practical thing and asked his personal sex toy to move in with him. The laugh that barked out of her was entirely devoid of humor.

Harmony was just leaving a few dollars on the table to cover her lunch and tip when she spotted him. Angel was walking purposefully across the grass toward the ocean. Before she could stop herself she called out to him, but it did not good. Angel either hadn't heard or had chosen to ignore her. Quickly she grabbed her purse and leapt down from her stool. She ran toward him just as he was slipping around a corner.

Curious she followed silently, wondering where he was going in such a hurry. He was walking away from the main lobby and further on to the resort, but as far as she knew there was nothing much out this way. And she'd explored a lot, given that all her days so far, barring the one she'd had lunch with Buffy, had all been spent alone. Harmony frowned when she saw Angel enter a small bungalow. She recognized it as one of the honeymoon bungalows. The frown deepened and the tears she'd been trying to hold back finally fell.

God, she really was a pathetic loser! He'd been cheating on her this whole time. She sniffed back the tears and hardened her heart. He must have been laughing at her the entire time they'd been here on the island, maybe even for their entire relationship! Well, screw that! She wasn't going to sit around here waiting until he got too tired of her and finally sent her packing. She'd leave him before he ever got the chance to shove her out the door! She spun on her heel and stomped her way across the resort and back toward their room.

***

"Well, hello little girl." Angel smirked at Buffy. "Does your head hurt?"

Buffy didn't answer, choosing instead to glare angrily. Angel just laughed.

"I'm meeting your precious *Will* tonight." Angel said his name as if it were a curse then sat down at the edge of the bed, making sure to stay far enough away that what little movement Buffy was granted couldn't harm him.

"And what are you going to do with me once you get your money?" Buffy had no doubts that Will would pay whatever Angel had asked.

"What do you think I'm going to do with you, honey?" Angel leered, moving in closer. He pressed down hard on her arms, making sure that she couldn't fight back. Then he jammed his lips down on to hers. He was smarter this time and made sure to keep his tongue in his own mouth, but he couldn't resist letting one of his hands wander to cup her breast. He squeezed roughly causing Buffy to cry out in pain. Angel took the opportunity to sweep his tongue through her mouth too quickly for her to react. When he pulled back his pupils were dilated with lust and Buffy cringed at the obvious sight of his erection. "Until tonight, *luv*."

***

Harmony was not crying. She refused to cry. Instead she shoved her clothes into her suitcase with a vengeance. "Stupid, bastard." She muttered under her breath. She grabbed the bag of dirty clothes they had put in the bathroom and began to sort through them. She dropped Angel's clothes onto the floor and stuffed hers back into the bag. As she reached down for the last article of clothing she realized it was the nightie she had worn the other night. Probably the last night they would ever make love. Or have sex. Which was exactly what it had been to Angel. She had been making love and he had just been fucking.

Damn it! She was not going to cry!

He'd probably even gone out to that stupid bungalow after she had fallen asleep. Gone out to sleep with that bitch. Wait, maybe that wasn't fair. Maybe she didn't know that Angel was sleeping around on Harmony. Maybe the other woman was just as stupid as she was.

Harmony checked her watch. It was way past dinnertime. Angel had never come back and she wondered if he were still in that bungalow. Maybe he had taken *her* out to dinner tonight. Or maybe he was in some bar somewhere getting drunk and picking up a third girl. Harmony didn't know. She'd spent a good portion of the afternoon calling the airlines and trying to find a flight out. When she realized that she couldn't get on a plane until at least the next day she ran down to the lobby and gotten another room. Now the only thing left to do was pick up her suitcase and get out.

***

Spike literally ran into Harmony in the hallway. His hand shot out to catch her before she fell, and he gave a slight nod in apology. "Sorry, luv."

Spike glanced distractedly over his shoulder, waiting for the guys to catch up. They were still saying goodbye to the girls, but Spike couldn't help glancing at his watch nervously. They'd been in his suite discussing plans and setting up the homing device on Spike for the past three hours. Now they only had about half an hour before the appointed time.

"It's okay, William."

The sound of Harmony's voice drew Spike's attention back to the blonde in front of him. He studied her for a moment, noting the red rimmed eyes and the frown lines. "I wanted to thank you," Spike began. "For helping search for Buffy last night. Angel said you both skipped dinner to help. I wanted you to know I appreciated it." Spike's voice cracked and he swallowed back the lump in his throat. "God, I wish she had just wandered off and gotten lost. Is it sick that I would rather she be unconscious in a hospital somewhere?"

Harmony wanted to reach out to him. Will looked panicked and wary and afraid. Buffy was missing? Angel had told Will that they had searched for her last night? Harmony was confused and wanted to ask Will for more detail but she couldn't bring herself to force him to talk anymore. Just then Will's suite door opened and three handsome young men walked out with somber expressions on their faces. Two more followed, looking just as serious but not quite as young.

"Ready?" The dark haired, chocolate eyed one asked. Will nodded then turned back to Harmony.

"Thanks again, luv." He moved past her quickly, the others following. They all entered the stairwell, apparently unwilling to wait for the elevator.

What the heck had that been about?

***

Harmony was sweating now. She'd gone over and over what Will had said to her in the hall and it just didn't make sense. At least not the kind of sense she wanted it to. Buffy was missing. Angel had lied. Angel had booked an out of the way bungalow in secret. What or *who* was he hiding there?

Harmony paced back and forth in her new room. Could it be possible that Buffy and Angel had run away together? That Will had the whole thing wrong? But she'd *seen* Buffy and Will together. They were in love. There's no way that Buffy could have been faking that.

And who was to say that Buffy was the one in the bungalow anyway? It was entirely possible that Angel was just a chronic liar, and that he had a woman, yes, but not Buffy, hidden away. How could she even think that about Angel? It would take a special kind of monster to pull something like that off. And she'd been with this man for over a year. Wouldn't she have known? Wouldn't she have seen that he was that kind of man? Of course she would. This was ridiculous.

But what if she were wrong?

***

Buffy was crying. It was hours after Angel had left and she'd spent the entire time dreading his reappearance. Oh God, where was Will? How could this be happening? Buffy felt like throwing up. She'd prayed and prayed that she'd wake up to find out this had all been one hellish nightmare, but she knew that wasn't true. No matter how much she wished for it.

The sob caught in her throat when she heard the jiggle of the front door handle. Angel was back! She held herself very still, hoping that maybe if she feigned sleep he would let her be, at least for tonight. It was a ridiculously silly hope, but it was all she had left. Buffy had been trying unsuccessfully to get out of the ropes that tied her to the bed, but after her first escape attempt Angel wasn't taking any chances. She wouldn't be getting out of here unless someone helped her out. And she had very little hope of that happening.

"Oh my God!"

Buffy's eyes whipped open at the loud exclamation. Harmony! Buffy's heart began to beat triple time, as she looked wildly about the room for Angel. When she realized that Harmony had come alone she began to beg.

"Harmony, please. God, get me out of here, please!" Buffy struggled against the ropes, letting them chafe her already raw skin. "He'll be back any minute. God, please!"

The blonde had been standing in a semi-shocked state, but at Buffy's vehement pleas she went into action. She moved quickly, untying each rope with efficiency. When Buffy was finally free, she helped her sit up and then stand. Buffy was weak from hunger and lack of sleep, so Harmony wrapped an arm around her waist for support. Together they walked out of the bungalow, Buffy frantic for escape.

It was nearly one in the morning, and the hotel was quietly deserted. Instead of using the main lobby they went straight to the closest side entrance, and up the stairs. When they reached the third floor, Buffy was sobbing once more. She couldn't believe it! She was free. She wasn't going to die. Angel wasn't going to touch her. And in just a few more minutes she would be with Will again.

Harmony pounded on the door to Will and Buffy's suite, hoping that he had returned. She was literally holding Buffy up now, the girl was shaking too much to support herself even a little. The door was wrenched open, but instead of Will's familiar face there were three women standing in the doorway.

"Buffy! Oh my God!"

Both women were hustled into the room and directed toward the large couch. The three women Harmony didn't know were all talking at once, which confused her, but at least they had taken possession of Buffy who was now wrapped in a warm blanket and sobbing onto the red head's shoulder.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, the room quieted and all eyes turned to Harmony. She looked away, wondering how she was supposed to explain her boyfriend's actions.

"Thank you." The words were whispered but they echoed soundly through the still room. Harmony glanced up in surprise, wondering how anyone could be thankful to her. She *should* have known what kind of man Angel was. What kind of horrible things he was capable of. Instead she'd blithely gone about fantasizing that he might one day love her enough to marry her! How could anyone, let alone Buffy, thank her for being so blind and stupid? But when she looked up and met Buffy's eyes all she saw was gratitude and relief, which only confused her more.

"How did you know?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't! Don't you see! You should be mad, angry that I didn't know what kind of man he was!" Harmony shouted, unable to except the fact that Buffy was grateful rather than upset.

"Nobody could know that." The red head answered quietly, keeping one arm securely around Buffy. "What matters is what you did once you found out."

Harmony was quiet, taking in Willow's words and the solemn stares of Buffy's friends. "I didn't know." Harmony began quietly. "I thought he was cheating on me. I saw him go into that bungalow today, and I thought he had another woman in there." She smiled apologetically at Buffy. "But then I ran into Will and he said some things. Things that Angel had told him, but I knew weren't true. It made me think. Made me wonder..." Her voice trailed off and she looked away, out through the sliding glass doors at the black as night ocean waves. "How could I not have known?" The words were barely audible but the other girls heard them nonetheless.

Tara stood and walked over toward Harmony, stopping to kneel in front of her. She placed her hands on Harmony's knees and squeezed gently. "How did you get into the bungalow?" Tara asked quietly, knowing that Harmony would only reject another attempt to absolve her culpability.

"I...well...I sort of flirted with the desk clerk. You know, then I asked him for the key. Told him I locked myself out. He didn't even bother to look up the name on the register." Harmony answered, flushing with embarrassment.

Tara squeezed her knees again. When Harmony met her gaze she gave her a warm smile. "That was very smart. You saved Buffy's life."

Harmony nodded once and then burst into tears. Tara stood quickly and wrapped her arms around the crying woman. They sat comforting each other for a minute, until Buffy's voice once more echoed through the room. "Where's Will?"

"Shit, the boys! We've got to let them know you're okay and that we know who it was." Cordelia was rapidly dialing her phone to connect with Xander. "Xan! We've got Buffy, she's okay!" The girls all gave a weak smile when they heard Xander's whoop through the phone. "Yes, and we know who it was, some guy named Angel. Spike should know who that is." Cordy listened for a minute, making sounds of agreement every now and then. "Okay, honey. Just make sure you're all careful. We love you. Bye."

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, worried.

"They're going after him. Spike's already been running around the island for over an hour following Angel's stupid instructions. Once they get to the final destination the boys are going to bring that bastard down." Cordelia explained.

Buffy bit her lower lip, chewing until it was red and raw. God, she hoped Will wasn't going to do anything crazy. She still wanted to tell him that she loved him, and to let him know that she remembered everything now. Remembered him.

"Don't worry Buffy, Spike'll be fine." Willow tried to reassure her. "Besides he's got all of our honeys there as backup."

They were quiet another moment until Harmony finally had to ask, "Who's Spike?"

Chapter 15 - The Beat Down

"Spike?" The tiny radio crackled in Spike's ear.

"Yeah?" Spike whispered quietly back, hoping the hidden microphone in his lapel would pick up his hushed tones.

"The girls got Buffy. She's fine, just a little shaken." Xander hissed in his ear.

Spike stopped stunned. He stood in the middle of the path unmoving, not willing to believe the words Xander was saying. Buffy was safe? If it weren't an ungodly hour of the night, he'd be worried that he looked a bit odd standing stock still on the meandering pathway. But as it was, he was probably the only one awake for miles around.

"Cordy's on the other line. She's got Buffy with her now. Apparently some girl named Harmony found her, got her out of there." Here Xander paused, while Spike clenched his teeth in frustration. If Harmony was the one who'd gotten Buffy out, that could mean only one thing. "It was Angel." Xander's words hit Spike like a punch in the gut.

Angel.

It had been that bloody ponce all along! He'd had Buffy the whole time he pretended to be concerned. Pretended to search for her. Bloody bastard!

Spike could feel the growl starting from the tips of his toes. It crawled through his body until he was practically vibrating with the sound. His lips curled up in a vicious snarl as he whipped his head around to focus his eyes toward the end of the path.

"Sir, you'll have to calm down if you don't want to tip him off. He could be watching you right now." Agent Salazar's voice whispered in his ear.

Spike grit his teeth and forced himself to calm down. "I want to talk to Buffy." God, he couldn't believe she was safe! He needed to talk to her, to see her, to touch her.

"You can't right now, Spike." Xander's voice crackled again. "The girls have taken her over to the hospital for a checkup."

"What?! You said she was fine. You said she wasn't hurt!" Spike was nearly shouting.

"Calm down!" Wesley's voice cut in. "She *is* fine. Just a couple of bruises, but they wanted to get her checked and get some forensic photographs taken."

"Fuck! Forensic photographs. My girl has to have forensic photographs taken." Spike mumbled the last sentence dejectedly.

"Spike, baby. We know. Let's just get this over with so that you can get back and see her for yourself." Lorne's suggestion came over the wire.

"Yeah, okay." Spike visibly calmed. That's all he wanted right now, to see his Buffy. And the only way to do that was to take down that fucking bastard, Angel.

He squared his shoulders and continued down the path. Spike suppressed the sigh that wanted to escape. This was the fifth meeting place he'd gone to, only to find another note giving him further instructions. This better be it.

He got to the old mission a few minutes later. The mission itself was pretty run down, the walls cracked and crumbling. But the sign on the door announced the schedule for masses and tours. It was one of those historical sites that got a small write up in the tourist books they gave out at the airport.

In front of the main doors was an old dry fountain. The instructions had said they would meet there, by the fountain. The case he held with the money should be placed in the fountain bed while he waited. So Spike stepped forward and gingerly laid the case down. The one lamp by the main doors provided very poor visibility, so he strained his ears listening for any movement rather than bothering to search with his eyes.

A few seconds later he heard it. Rustling, to his right, just beyond the dim light the lamp cast. "I've got the money, where's Buffy?" He demanded loudly, making sure the guys realized that he was no longer alone.

"Go inside the mission, the doors are unlocked." The voice drifted through the darkness toward Spike. "Leave the case in the fountain."

"No." Spike's answer was vehement. "How do I know you won't just take the money and run? How do I know you'll let Buffy go?" Spike was trying hard to keep his voice from shaking with anger. Then he realized that there was no reason for that. That his anger would be genuine if he thought this psycho was going to keep Buffy for himself.

"Where the fuck is she?" Spike demanded, letting his anger out. "Come out where I can see you're fucking face!"

And then he did step out of the darkness, Angel, a smirk playing about his lips and a gun in his hand. "I've been waiting a long time for this, *Will*." The smirk turned into a sneer as he spat out Spike's name.

Spike's expression didn't change. "I should have known it was you all along." His gaze drifted down to the gun in Angel's hand. "You need a gun to show what kind of man you are?"

"Fuck! We're almost there Spike. We'll have him surrounded inside of three minutes. Just keep him talking." Xander's voice whispered through the earpiece.

"No. I need a gun to kill you." Angel answered serenely. "You really are stupid if you think there's anyway I can let you or your precious Buffy go. You both know who I am and what I've done. Sorry, but the game's over." Angel lifted the gun and aimed toward Spike's head, but Spike was ready for it and lunged toward him before he could get a bead.

They fell to the ground in a tangle of fists and limbs. Spike could hear his friends approaching at a dead run, and he struggled to get the upper hand on Angel before they could appear. He didn't want anyone getting hurt and he knew if Angel could manage it he'd shoot every last one of them. Spike had seen the crazy glint in his eye, and knew that he was no longer thinking rationally, if he ever had.

Spike managed to grab hold of Angel's right wrist. He twisted and bent it until Angel was screaming; finally dropping the gun to the ground. Spike quickly picked it up and through it as far as he could into the darkness. Angel let out a deep growl before bending his head toward Spike's left hand and biting hard.

Spike screamed and pulled back, giving Angel just enough leverage to flip them over pinning Spike down on the ground. Angel's fist flew at his face and Spike grunted in pain from the blow. For a second Spike's world spun out of focus. Then he remembered Buffy. Remembered all the horrible things he'd pictured as he lay wondering what was happening to her. Rage coursed through him at the thought that the man in front of him was the one who'd taken her, hurt her.

Spike exploded.

Xander, Wesley, and Lorne were running down the path. When Spike had announced that Angel had a gun, they all quickened their paces. When they heard Angel's threat and the subsequent struggle they all broke out into a sprint. The fibbies had gone ahead of them, trying to surround Angel before he realized that Spike had brought backup. But the dumb bastard hadn't even bothered to check. He'd assumed that having Spike run all over the island would have lost anyone trying to tail him. Angel hadn't figured on Xander and Wesley's tracking devices. And from the sounds of it Angel hadn't figured on Spike at all.

They burst in to the clearing that surrounded the fountain. On the ground Angel lay beneath Spike, barely conscious. The two F.B.I. agents were standing to the side trying to convince Spike to stop and stand down. It was obvious that they had originally pulled out their weapons in order to shoot Angel if necessary but had never gotten a clear shot.

"Bloody, fucking, bastard!" Spike was screaming as he continued to pummel Angel's face. "You ever, fucking, come near her again and I'll fucking kill you!"

"Spike, man!" Xander came forward placing a rough hand on Spike's shoulder. "He's out of it. I think we can safely hand him over to the feds."

Spike was breathing hard, but at Xander's calm touch he forced himself to stop. He stood, stepping over Angel's limp body he headed toward the fountain where he sat staring at his bloodied fists. Wesley came and sat beside him, not touching.

Wesley cleared his throat before he began. "So..."

"I could have killed him." Spike said quietly, still staring at Angel's blood on his knuckles.

"Yes, it certainly seemed that way."

"I just kept picturing Buffy, you know? Scared. And *bruised*." Spike said, by way of explanation.

Wesley moved then, placing his hand on Spike's back and just letting it lay there. Tears sprang to Spike's eyes as he turned to his longtime friend. "Are you sure she's okay, Wes?"

"Yeah." Wesley answered without hesitation. "Why don't we go and see her now, mate?"

Spike wiped at the tears, not caring that this was the first time he'd ever cried in front of any of his male friends. Tears were usually reserved for Buffy. Spike never felt like he had to hold back when he was with her. He knew that no matter what he did, Buffy would never think any less of him. But right at this moment, he couldn't give a rat's ass what anybody else thought of him. Right now, all he wanted, needed, was to be with Buffy, to make sure that Buffy was safe.

"Yeah, let's go." Spike stood and headed back toward his car. Before he realized it, he was running.

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