Chapter Seven:

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you?” Maggie asked conversationally.

Buffy gave a small shrug. She watched Maggie pace the room.

“There was always that chance,” Buffy admitted crossing her arms and glaring at the older woman.

Maggie smiled as she looked at Buffy, and then let her eyes shift.

Rested on the other occupants in the room.

“Isn’t this nice? You’re just one happy family. Get up,” she ordered flicking her wrist waving the gun she held.

Wesley scrambled to his feet.

Buffy stepped in front of him as a shield.

“Listen you don’t want to do this,” Buffy tried to reason with the woman.

She couldn’t let her find out about the baby.

Must protect the baby at all costs.

“Sure I do. See?” Maggie pulled the trigger and shot at Wesley’s head.

Buffy barely flinched as the bullet soared over her head.

She didn’t want to play dirty, but it looked like she’d have too. She moved as fast as she could.

In the blink of an eye Buffy had Maggie backed up against the wall. Her gun fell to the floor, and Maggie hissed in a breath as pain raced through her.

“You like playing games Maggie?” Buffy hissed putting more pressure on Maggie’s arm. “You think you can take me on and live to tell the tale?”

Maggie gave an appreciative bark of laughter.

The Slayer had balls, she’d give her that. She had a pair on her if she thought Maggie had come into this alone.

“You’re something else aren’t you? You don’t kill humans. In fact the thought of it makes you ill doesn’t it? You’re so good and righteous you even managed to make a vampire fall in love with you! Shame on you Buffy.”

Buffy tried to not to react to Maggie’s words but it was useless.

“Angel had a soul! He’s-“she began angrily.

“He’s special,” Maggie mocked cutting her off sharply. “Yes. I got that memo. But he’s still a vampire. But actually dear I wasn’t referring to him. I was talking about our William.”

Buffy’s heart skipped a beat and she momentarily loosened her grip on Maggie.

Maggie used it to her advantage and shoved backwards.

Buffy stumbled back and ducked the swing Maggie threw.

“Is that surprising?” Maggie asked as she advanced on Buffy.

Buffy clenched her jaw and ignored her.

Maggie circled Buffy.

“All he did during the last two rounds of experiments was speak of you. Doesn’t that just make your heart sing?”

Buffy struck out knocking Maggie to the ground.

She lay there sprawled out grinning.

“You think your something don’t you? That you have the right to play God with people’s lives! Well you don’t. What you did to Spike was wrong! And it ends right now-“Buffy growled leaning down.

“And if it does you’ll have left your Angel to die,” Maggie was quick to point out.

Heart pounding and body tense Maggie waited for her statement to penetrate Buffy’s raged haze.

“What did you say?” Buffy gasped out.

“Oh I guess it slipped my mind,” Maggie slowly got to her feet. She wiped at her dirty clothes and grinned.

Buffy swallowed.

Her eyes flicked over Maggie’s head.

Wes stood rooted to the floor near the door.

“I need to go,” he silently mouthed.

Buffy blinked twice and rolled her shoulders before she turned her attention back on Maggie.

“Yes,” she stated clearly.

She watched Wes silently slip out of the room in search of Spike.

“I guess it did. What do you want with Angel?” she demanded.

“The usual,” Maggie mused. “Tinker with his soul. Make him spill his deepest and darkest secrets. Tell us things like where you or Spike might jet off too. I must say he does indeed know you. Now how-“

Maggie broke off as they both heard a commotion from the hall.

Soldiers spilled into the small room.

Wes was in one soldier’s hold.

Spike and little Tate were being held as well.

“Look at that,” Maggie muttered in amazement as she walked to the baby.

“Don’t touch him,” Spike snarled.

“Over protective much?” Maggie chided. “This baby is a miracle! I won’t hurt him. In fact if I have my way-“ Maggie reached out taking the baby.

“Nooo,” Wesley screamed jerking out of the soldiers arms.

Spike moved too.

Buffy herself was rooted to the spot.

It happened in seconds and then it was over.

Buffy looked dully up at Maggie who was shaking her head sadly.

“Now see what you’ve done?” she asked as she looked at the ground.

Buffy followed her gaze.

Wes lay dead at her feet.

Spike was dust on the soldiers’ uniforms and the baby…

“I didn’t…” Buffy began voice choked.

Maggie turned to gaze at Buffy.

Tate secure in her arms.

“But you will,” Maggie whispered a cruel smile stretching her features.

//

Buffy’s eyes opened.

To find herself looking into the concerned blue of Spike’s eyes. He hovered over her on his knees.

“Are you alright? You were thrashin’ bout,” he whispered.

Buffy tried to smile.

To assure him she was fine.

Great even.

But it didn’t come.

Instead she gave a huge sigh.

“I’ve things on my mind. Things that I couldn’t escape. Even in sleep. I’m sorry if I woke you,” she muttered sitting up.

Spike sat back.

“About Angel?” he felt compelled to ask.

She glanced at him for a brief moment.

Shook her head.

“I’ll take over your watch,” she said instead of answering.

Spike scowled slightly as she ignored his question.

She got to her feet.

Stopped when his hand captured hers.

“I owe you my life Buffy,” he whispered harshly. “You kept me alive while they… You were the only thing left when it was finished. You can’t ignore that. I won’t let you!”

Buffy gently pulled out of his grasp.

“I’m not ignoring it. I don’t have time to discuss this with you Spike! We’ve got to find a way out of here. Maggie’s gonna find us if we don’t!”

Spike’s gaze clouded over for a minute before he shook his head.

“We’ve got to talk about this,” he persisted.

“No. We don’t,” Buffy snapped turning her back on him. She moved away and was relieved when he didn’t follow.

She couldn’t deal with this right now.

On the scale of things it was the least important.

But that didn’t stop her from thinking about it.

She heard Spike settle down.

She gazed out the window lost in thought.

~*~

Staring unblinkingly up at the ceiling of his cage Angel let out a sigh.

His body ached.

Everything ached.

And it had only been phase two of things, or so Maggie had told him.

He wasn’t used to this type of torture.

In fact it had always been him doing the torturing.

Darla had never needed to resort to torturing. She’d used her bond with him as his Sire.

Seduction had been an art form she’d had down perfectly.

He shifted and bit back a groan as he felt bones shift and grate against one another.

How had Spike lived through this? He wondered.

Then realized Angelus had done the same amount of damage, if not worse to Spike on numerous occasions.

Guilt was an occurrence he felt daily.

The guilt that slid through him had nothing to do with torturing Spike though.

It was about his own lack of restraint.

His weakness.

It could very well bring about the deaths of his grand childe and Buffy.

His throat constricted on that thought.

He’d told Maggie things.

Of that he had no doubt.

But he couldn’t recall what it was he’d said.

But all of the information he knew on both Spike and Buffy was valuable and if put to use…

Shame filled him and he closed his eyes.

“She’s impressive isn’t she?”

Angel’s eyes flew open.

It was the first time in a few days that his cellmate had spoken to him.

“Maggie?” Angel asked through swollen lips.

“Yes. With her special toys and ways of persuasion. Genius really. To bad she’s used it on the likes of us.”

“Who are you?” Angel demanded.

“She didn’t inform you? See I’m- well I was Head Watcher. I used to run the Council. My name is Quentin Travers.”

Angel growled low down in his throat.

“Don’t fret vampire. I’ve no strength left to do you in. I’m sure this has disappointed Dr. Walsh. We aren’t as strong as William the Bloody. Bloody hell I couldn’t even last through phase one,” Quentin muttered bitterly.

Angel closed his eyes again.

“How many phases are there?” he wanted to know.

“There are fifteen phases. Once she’s through with those… she starts all over again.”

They were silent a moment digesting that.

“How long does one cycle last?” Angel finally broke the silence.

“A month,” Quentin mumbled.

Angel sucked in a useless breath.

Spike had been held captive for almost three months before Dru had rescued him.

Angel wondered what would be left of him if Maggie kept him around that long.

“What was so interesting about Spike? Why him?” Angel needed to know.

“What vampire goes against his Sire? Against his blood line and becomes allies with the Slayer? He’s unique. She has a special project. I’m not to know anything about it mind you. But people tend to talk and it slipped. She’s dead set on seeing it succeed. She needs Spike to do that.”

“I think she’ll get him too,” Angel announced shame coating his voice.

“Not with the Slayer by his side,” Quentin disagreed.

Angel wanted to scowl, but knew it would hurt too much so he remained impassive.

He loathed the thought of Buffy alone with Spike.

No matter what Spike had gone through he was still a soulless evil creature.

Why had Buffy even come here? Spike was of no concern to her and yet…

She’d come all this way.

Alone and unfamiliar with the land.

All to save Spike? He thought bewildered.

It made no sense to him.

None at all.

“She’ll probably stake him. He tends to grate on the nerves,” Angel tried to stay confident as the words left his mouth.

Quentin didn’t bother commenting.

From his conversation with the Slayer he knew she had no intentions of slaying William the Bloody.

Let Angelus have his delusions, Quentin mused. But the truth was Buffy had come here to save Spike.

And from what he gathered things were strained enough between the ensouled vampire and the Slayer. She’d be none to pleased to learn she had to rescue him now too.

~*~

Maggie flicked the small screen off and leaned back in her seat.

The conversation between Quentin and Angelus had been telling, she thought with a small smile.

She had assumed prematurely that having Angel here would be incentive for the Slayer to come out of hiding.

But judging from Quentin’s lack of affirmation things weren’t going well between the two love birds.

This then begged the question as to why she had Angel. He would serve her little good.

Except the fact that he was a vampire.

An old one who could be… just like Spike.

Perhaps he too could impregnate women.

The thought was thrilling.

She rose from her desk and made her way around it. She threw open her door and strode quickly down the hall.

Her mages were busy doing locator spells as she hurried past them.

“Ma’am?” Riley’s voice had her pausing.

She turned and gazed silently at the soldier.

He paused a few feet from her and stood at attention.

Maggie smirked and snorted a little.

“At ease,” she muttered and watched Riley relax his stance. “What is it?”

“We’ve the results back on the dust we found ma’am,” Riley spoke quickly almost tripping over his words.

“And?” she asked impatiently.

“It was the vampire known as Drusilla.”

Maggie clenched her hands into fists and let a slow wave of anger wash over her.

“The baby?” she gritted out tersely.

“Appears to have died with her. There were traces of the baby’s blood and other fluid-“

Maggie turned and walked away leaving him staring after her.

She didn’t understand how Drusilla could have died. Unless…

Maggie shook her head.

The Slayer killed her.

And the baby.

Maggie scowled.

Then smiled.

She wouldn’t get to examine the vampire spawn but…that didn’t mean she couldn’t have the Slayer’s baby.

Once she had Buffy’s baby she would see if achieving the perfect soldier was nothing but a dream.

“Dr. Walsh? Doctor? I think… I think we’ve got them,” an excited voice called her attention back from her thoughts.

“Don’t think. Know,” she snapped turning swiftly.

“I know where they are,” the voice echoed with confidence.

~*~

Joyce casually leaned against the side of the building and watched the activity on the street.

“Right there,” she whispered voice hushed.

“Where?” Willow asked squinting.

“There,” Joyce lifted her hand to point. Then thought better of it and jerked her chin instead.

Willow looked and abruptly nodded.

“He’s one of ‘em too?” she asked curiously.

“Yes,” Joyce answered and pushed off the wall once the man they’d been watching disappeared around a corner.

Willow stepped out of the shadows with Joyce and onto the busy main street.

They walked off silently.

“I can’t believe you’ve been doing this by yourself Joyce!” Willow finally exclaimed.

Joyce gave a half smile and hooked arms with Willow.

“It was surprisingly easy to do. Once I put my mind to it,” was her modest reply.

“Buffy’ll kill you once she finds out,” Willow said shaking her head.

Joyce laughed.

“She won’t have to know. And this- Willow we’re stuck here doing nothing! I know this can help. I know!”

“I believe you,” Willow assured her.

“Hey there you are Wills! Giles has news,” Xander’s voice came from behind them.

Willow and Joyce shared an excited glance before they all headed off to Giles’ place.

“Well…er it seems there’s a bit of a problem,” Giles announced as soon as everyone was settled.

“Is it Buffy?” Joyce demanded holding her breath.

Giles jerked off his glasses and scrubbed them.

“Indirectly yes,” he finally admitted. “You see Angel has somehow ended up captured.”

There was dead silence for a long stretch of time.

“Good for Dead boy. Maybe they’ll do what Buffy couldn’t. Kill him and make him stay in hell,” Xander snapped.

The sentiment was felt by all save one.

“That’s not very nice Xander. He has his soul,” Willow scolded him. “Besides you know what happened the last time. Buffy left town.”

“Yes. That’s our dilemma,” Giles muttered.

“It’s his own fault. He shouldn’t have gone off on his own. He didn’t know what he was doing. We can’t worry about him Rupert. Buffy has to be our main concern,” Joyce said as she rose.

Giles’s head jerked in agreement.

“I would like nothing better to leave it at that. But Buffy will never forgive us if we let Angel die. So it seems I must go to London and some how rescue him.”

Joyce stared at him incredulously.

“But…” she began aghast. They had no time for this.

“I know you’re shocked and upset. Frankly so am I. But it has got to be done. I can’t send any of you. Another thing I found out as well…” Giles paused.

Everyone tensed.

“Buffy isn’t in England anymore it seems. So…” he gave a halfhearted shrug. “You’ll have to expand the locating spell Willow. I’ve scheduled my flight and I’m afraid if I leave now I’ll just make it.”

It was in very little time that Giles was out of the house, and on his way to the airport off to London.

“Now what are we going to do?” Xander complained as he slumped in his chair.

Joyce clapped her hands.

“What we’re going to do is take care of things here Xander!”

Willow nodded.

“Right. In fact that’s what we were doing when you found us Xan,” she remarked.

“Huh?” Xander turned his confused gaze from one to the other.

“I think I’ve found where the Initiative is located!” Joyce exclaimed happily.

~*~

Wesley trudged back to the small room his arms full.

It was a testament of how many vampires traveled the high seas when the cook kept a supply of blood on board.

And milk too, he thought with a small shake of his head.

He measured his steps to the rocking of the boat and finally reached the small state room they were situated in.

He opened the door and was pleased to see Spike was still asleep and Tate was just stirring.

Hurrying he unloaded his bags and lifted Tate into his arms.

“Hello little Wesley,” he whispered smiling at the child.

It was shocking really, his sudden attachment to the baby. He was a Watcher and knew any fond feelings for a vampire was unheard of.

Until Ms. Summers that was.

Wes grinned.

“Hungry?” he asked the baby.

Tate was such a good baby. He hardly ever cried and oddly enough he slept through the night.

Putting Tate back down in his makeshift crib Wes went about making Tate his bottle.

From trial and error they’d learned the baby favored milk in his formula.

When Wes had instructed Buffy on how to make a bottle, and how much formula to put in with the water, the baby hadn’t drunk at all.

It was the only time Tate had cried all night.

Wes shuddered remembering.

The boy had a set of lungs on him that was for sure.

They’d tried a little blood in the formula.

Since he was technically a vampire baby he could very well have vampire tendencies.

Tate had grown once Spike started to feed so they’d assumed blood would work.

Wrong again it seemed.

Until finally they’d settled on a little milk and presto!

Their little Tate drank like he’d been starving.

Wes assumed it was Tate’s genetic make up that made him drink the stuff.

He’d had the cook heat a bottle for him and now he fed it to Tate.

His eyes flickered over to Spike a moment.

He was still dead to the world.

“How about some fresh air?” Wes asked Tate.

Soon Wes and Tate were on the upper deck staring out at the night.

Wes glanced back the way they’d come and gave a small sigh.

He hated leaving England.

He hated leaving Scotland as well, they’d found it rather comfortable to an extent. Hiding out had been easy in fairly unpopulated areas.

He knew this was better though.

They’d take this ship back to the states.

And then meet up with Buffy’s Watcher Rupert Giles in Sunnydale. Things were beginning to look up.

 “Isn’t the sky pretty little Wes? “ Wesley murmured to the baby. “Look there’s the Little Dipper!”

~*~

Maggie’s head lifted as her door opened.

She slowly got to her feet and smiled.

“Well,” she muttered surprised.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?” Buffy asked grinning.

“Ecstatic,” Maggie replied.

~*~

“Where is she?” Spike growled as he advanced on Wesley.

Wes swallowed and tried not to let his fear show.

“She had to do it Spike,” Wes stated calmly.

Spike growled and prowled away from Wes.

“Why?” he demanded.

“Because,” Wes began but then thought better of it. He wasn’t going to explain about Buffy’s dream and Angel. “She did what she thought was right. There’s no turning back now,” Wes added confidently.

Spike stared at Wes a long moment.

Then abruptly he reached out and gripped Wes’s arms.

“Take care of my son,” he ordered desperately.

“Wh-“Wes couldn’t finish as Spike darted past him and jumped over the railing of the ship.

Wes rushed to peer over holding Tate close.

“Spike!” Wes yelled in disbelief and horror. “What are you doing?! The sun will- you’ll be dust!”

Spike hit the water with a splash and howled with glee and wild abandon.

“M’goin’ to get my Slayer back Wes,” Spike called out before he let himself sink into the ocean.

Wes blinked in shock as Spike’s head disappeared underwater.

“This is not good,” he muttered to himself as he looked around wildly. Buffy hadn’t told him to expect this.

They’d both thought the drugs they’d slipped Spike would last for at least two days. How convenient that they’d been so wrong, he mused resignedly.

Now it seemed it was up to him to keep Tate safe.

Wes’s hands clenched around the baby.

He wasn’t used to having such responsibility. One day he had always hoped to have his own Slayer.

The prospect of that had always excited him.

But this…protecting an innocent baby from the likes of Maggie Walsh terrified him.

Face pale and breath coming in small gasps Wes entered their room.

Abruptly he straightened and thought of his father.

How he would no doubt expect him to fail at this. To bungle this up so foully the baby died and the world ended.

Well not on his watch dammit.

“Not on my watch you bastard. I’ll take care of the tyke and some how help Buffy and Spike. I will,” Wes vowed fiercely as he stared down at Tate.

~*~

“What?” Xander asked again not sure he’d heard correctly.

“We’re going to get into the Initiative and take them down,” Joyce repeated slowly and calmly.

“Destroy them from the inside out. This way once Buffy gets back she won’t have to worry about them,” Willow said happily.

Xander shook his head.

“We don’t do things like that. At least not without a Slayer,” Xander mumbled shaking his head in denial. “We’ll die.”

Joyce laughed and wrapped an arm around Xander’s shoulders.

“We do have a Slayer Xander. Faith is going to help us. She’ll get us into the mix and then…” Joyce began.

Xander blinked.

“You think we can do it?” he asked doubtfully.

“With me on your side hell yeah. It’s five by five Xan,” Faith answered as she strode into the room and smirked.

Joyce grinned.

Willow nodded.

“We can do it. After all we’ve learned from the best,” she said confidently.

“Well if you get us killed Mrs. Summers you’ll have a lot of explainin’ to do. I’m game,” Xander reluctantly agreed.

“Good,” Joyce clapped her hands and sucked in a deep breath. “Here’s the plan…”

Joyce studied the map of Sunnydale University.

“They keep going into Lowell House,” she muttered with a long sigh. They’d only been at this an hour and already she was overwhelmed.

Willow peered over her shoulder and tapped the map with her forefinger.

“I bet that’s where they hold their super military meetings,” she said excitedly.

Xander cleared his throat.

“They wouldn’t have them out in the open like that,” he spoke with a confidence he never usually felt.

Both Joyce and Willow sent him surprised glances.

“What?” he asked affronted. “I know stuff,” he added with a silly grin.

Willow grinned back at him.

Joyce turned her attention back to the map.

“Question is how are we going to get in there? We’ve got to know for sure this is actually their head quarters,” Joyce said with frustration.

She wondered how Buffy could do this. Day in day out to save the world? Her respect for her daughter went up ten or so notches.

“I’ve been in Lowell House before,” Oz spoke up from his seat in the corner.

Willow hurried to him. Looking him over suspiciously as if he’d sprouted sudden wounds.

“How? Why? Did they hurt you baby?” she demanded as she tried to run her hands over him.

“And?” Joyce asked with an arched brow.

Oz captured Willow’s hands and sent her a smile.

“I played there,” he remarked. “And they have some kind of elevator that leads underground. Under the dorms,” he added.

Xander stared at him a moment.

“And you’re just telling us this now?” he asked incredulously.

Oz gave a shrug.

“I didn’t know it was dangerous. I thought it had to do with their fraternity crap. I’m tellin’ you now though,” was Oz’s mild reply.

“Under the dorm? And no one knows about this? How can that be possible?” Joyce asked in wonder.

“This is Sunnydale Joyce. The town that sits on the hellmouth of denial. Even if they did notice they’d just ignore it,” Willow remarked with a small laugh.

“There has to be a way into their ranks,” Joyce fiercely muttered.

“They capture demons and stuff… So the obvious thing would be to use me as bait,” Oz stated squeezing Willow’s hands as she started to protest.

“No,” was Joyce’s immediate response. Shaking her head she rose and began to pace. She didn’t like the idea of using Oz as bait.

God only knew what would happen to him if they couldn’t take the commandos down.

“I’ve got some military knowledge. I can haul Oz in. Willow could hack her way into the computer and give me a whole new identity,” Xander began.

“But…” Willow’s small voice was over ridden by Xander’s excited one.

“This could actually work! If I’m in with the guys I could learn the lay out. We could destroy them in no time-“

“What about Oz?! They don’t like demons and other supernatural things. They torture them, use them as lab rats! What about Oz?” Willow demanded shrilly.

“Willow,” Oz began quietly looking her in the eyes. “It’s not your decision to make. I want to help Buffy. And that’s the only way. So I say let’s do it. Don’t you want Buffy back?”

Willow couldn’t help but pout.

“But why does it have to be you?” she wondered sulkily.

“I have to have something worthwhile to bring to the table Will. If I want to stand a chance,” Xander tried to explain as best he could.

Joyce listened with half an ear.

It seemed whether she liked it or not Xander’s plan was a big possibility. She just might have to use the boys to save her daughter’s life…

~*~

As far as plans went his was extremely simple really.

Get in. Get out.

Nothing else to it. Nothing was going to stop him from achieving it either.

Except maybe for one little thing.

Bloodlust.

Resolutely Spike had kept underwater on his swim back to land. And though the sun was out he was far enough down that it wasn’t direct sunlight.

He didn’t know how long he was down there nor did he really care.

The only constant was the thought of Tate and Buffy.

He knew Tate was safe with Wesley, and that gave him a small amount of peace.

Thinking of Buffy though…

He was very angry with her.

She’d deliberately left him to go back to London.

He didn’t understand why.

She had left him and Tate who he knew she loved.

There wasn’t a good enough reason in the world for that, or so he had thought.

And if anything happened to her…

He couldn’t even finish the thought.

All the atrocities Maggie Walsh had put him through raced through his mind.

He wouldn’t let the same fate come to Buffy.

He would destroy anyone who harmed Buffy.

Anyone.

~*~

Buffy was sure now why she was the Slayer.

She was great with the smash and kill aspects of Slaying. In fact if she said so herself, she was pretty damn good at it.

But strategy and actual thought out plans weren’t a part of her repertoire.

A small smile twisted her lips at that thought.

That’s why she had Giles and the gang. To help make with the plans.

Her plans were usually impulsive and non effective.

Her main concern at the time had been to get Spike and Tate out of harms way.

Which she had and was forever grateful to Wes for his help.

After that she had only figured on getting Maggie’s attention. Thus going to the Council had seemed appropriate.

Now with a grimace Buffy realized this was a very bad idea.

A huge mistake.

She tested the steel manacles that bound her to the cold metal table she lay on.

They didn’t budge.

“If you remain calm it will only take a few more minutes,” the woman Buffy had dubbed Ms. Perky spoke up.

Buffy glared at her.

“It’s merely a physical.” The plump and sweet faced woman went on to say.

Buffy rolled her eyes. Tried the binds again.

This was nothing like any physical she’d had before.

For one she was strapped to the table. She couldn’t move her hands or her feet. She wore some kind of see through hospital gown.

And finally she was more than pissed off.

Scowling Buffy wished for once she’d listened to a Watcher.

Wes had explicitly told her what might happen if she were caught.

It appeared he was right.

“How’s our patient?” Maggie’s voice coming from the over head speaker was cause enough for Buffy to groan.

“She’s in perfect health Dr. Walsh,” the perky woman answered.

“Good. Good. How are you feeling Buffy? Comfortable?” Maggie asked.

I’ll be comfortable once you’re dead, Buffy thought with a silent snarl.

“Peachy with a side of keen Doc,” she mocked facetiously.

“Well once your physical is over, you’ll be moved to your quarters. I hope you enjoy your accommodations. Tomorrow morning though you’ll be up bright and early. We start testing at 5a.m. sharp. So sleep well. Good day.”

Buffy was tempted to attack as soon as her manacles were released. The only thing that stopped her was the armed guards.

And though she was a Slayer bullets would kill her just as dead as any demon or vampire.

“Could I have a robe or something?” she asked suddenly self-conscious of her near naked state.

“Of course,” perky woman chirped up.

Buffy slipped on the robe and gripped the edges together as it was missing a sash.

“You’ll really enjoy your room…” the woman began and Buffy tuned her out.

She wondered what Spike would do once he realized she was gone.

She had been hesitant about drugging him. She thought it might remind him of his capture and torture at the hands of Maggie.

But the other alternative had been for her to leave while Wes distracted Spike. Which would never have worked.

She was sure by the time Spike woke they’d be too far from land for him to do much of anything.

That was one of the reasons she’d decided on the boat trip to America. There was no way he’d try anything stupid.

Her thoughts abruptly shifted to Tate.

He was such a cute little baby which if you thought about it was odd.

After all he was the baby of two vampires.

Not unattractive vampires but still…

She was curious.

Wondered if he’d grow into his fangs and bumpies. Or was he really a human baby?

But it didn’t matter.

She’d fallen for the little man.

And it seemed Wes had too.

He doted on the baby. She knew Wes would do everything in his power to keep both Tate and Spike safe.

“…sleep well.”

The woman’s voice roused Buffy from her thoughts.

She blinked as she found herself in front of a non descript door.

With guards behind her she reached up and opened the door.

Stepping in she jumped a little as the door automatically shut and locked behind her.

“Buffy…”

Buffy frowned at the voice and felt irritation that she’d suppressed bloom.

Turning she faced the man hiding in a corner.

“Angel,” she muttered flatly.

She wouldn’t show him her relief yet. He shouldn’t have come after her. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been here.

“So much for me rescuing you,” Angel offered with a tentative smile.

Buffy stared at him and slowly shook her head.

 “Yeah. So much for that,” she remarked dryly.

“So much for you rescuing me huh?” Angel tagged on awkwardly.

Buffy gripped the edges of her robe tighter and stared at him curiously.

“Why don’t you come out into the light? I want to see what Maggie’s done to you. We’ve got to figure a way out of here. I doubt anyone else will come to get us out,” Buffy muttered defeatedly.

Angel stepped from the shadows and into the light.

Buffy’s mouth dropped open.

A laugh escaped.

“What has she done to you?” she gasped out.