He couldn’t see anything.
“Thank you, Miss Raiden,” Richard was saying somewhere. “Your services were exemplary as ever. Very useful items. Worth every penny, if you ask me.” Richard laughed. “Now, now. I’m a family man. Tempting as such offers might be, I have obligations.”
He felt groggy.
“If I can’t do this,” Spike said. Then, the sound of the vampire stomping across the room. “I’m trying to play cool older brother, but only coming up with pissed off protective older brother. You handle it.”
“In Spike’s words,” Faith said. “You and the runt need to use a rubber when you shag.”
“Don’t say it like that!” Spike yelled. “It sounds stupid when you talk like that.”
“I was on the pill!” Dawn shouted.
“Look at that temper!” Lorne called. “She’s definitely evil.”
“Just pregnant,” Tam said. “Hormones are a part of the process.”
His eye sockets hurt like hell. The pain was almost maddening.
“We don’t need to use condoms if I’m on the pill,” Dawn griped.
“I can’t handle this!” Spike snapped. Feet walking.
“I think you may still need to use condoms,” Tam said. “I was talking to Lorne and-”
“My baby’s not evil!” Dawn shouted.
“That remains to be seen, pumpkin” Lorne snapped back.
His head hurt as bad as his eyes. The shouting wasn’t helping.
“With regard to getting pregnant,” Tam said. “Lorne said Connor was protected from injury or, um . . . medical interference when he was in his mother’s womb. It’s possible that the same protection that guarded him is also granted his offspring.”
“Meaning an abortion could be impossible anyway,” Faith said. “Or at the very least dangerous.”
“What’s that have to do with birth control?” Dawn asked. “You’re talking about what happens once I’m already pregnant. When birth control has already failed.”
“One of the fail safes in the pill,” Tam explained. “Is it won’t allow a fertilized egg to attach. The pill tricks your body into dumping a fertilized egg the same it would an unfertilized.”
“But if Connor did the fertilizing,” Faith began. “You know, I really can’t talk all clinical like this. If Connor did the knocking up-”
Tam nodded. “It’s possible whatever magic protected Connor in the womb extended to his child and didn’t allow the fertilized egg to be dumped.”
“Can we please stop talking about my womb like it’s a lawn?” Dawn said.
“Can we please stop talking about your womb all together?!” Spike shouted. “You are pure and virginal and waiting for marriage.”
“Spike,” Faith laughed. “She’s pregnant!”
“No she’s not,” Spike said. “She . . . she’s just confused.”
Xander groped blindly and found a tube. He followed it to the plastic clicker at the end and pressed it. After all his many visits to the hospital, this was instinct to him.
“Ah,” Xander smiled. “The sweet, pain-killing rush of morphine.”
“He’s awake,” Faith said excitedly, going to Xander’s bedside. “Xander, are you okay?”
“It was Richard and Tam,” Xander said. “They did it to me.”
“We know,” Faith said. “I told them they shouldn’t have done it without consulting us, but it was too late. How are they?”
“How’re what?” Xander asked, annoyed Faith hadn’t killed the mayor yet.
“How are your eyes?”
“I only had the one,” Xander said. “And they cut it out, so . . . not good. My eyes are not good.”
“Xander,” Dawn said. “Open your eyes.”
“Maybe you’re behind on the times, Dawnie,” Xander said. “But my eyes are gone.”
“Fine,” Faith laughed. “Then lift your eye lids.”
Everything was hazy. He could only see the fuzzy outlines of their bodies. Then he made out their faces. Then, he realized, he could see. With both eyes. He had depth perception and everything. “What the hell?”
“Sorry for the short notice,” Richard said. “But we are in a hurry.”
“Spike, you know Illyria,” Faith said. “You go to get Connor. Take Dawn, since she can talk him into coming home. The doctor should stick with you guys. Me, Richard, and two-eyes are heading for Chicago. I figure we try to find Willow first. Then she can hopefully track the other slayers. We meet in Cleveland in a month. Call the other team if you’re going to be early.”
“Deal,” Spike said, taking Dawn’s arm. “I need to give this one a good talking to about . . . how pure and virginal she is.”
Dawn rolled her eyes.
“What about me?” Lorne asked.
“You go with Dawn and Spike,” Faith said. “Illyria knows you, too.”
“She tried to have me killed!” Lorne said.
“Bonus,” Faith said. “You need to tell Connor you were full of shit and Dawn doesn’t hate him. Hopefully he won’t kill you either. Good luck.”
**
“What happened?”
“The Los Angeles shop is closed,” Vladimir wheezed into his cell phone. “Burned to the ground. I barely escaped.”
“Things are going poorly,” Andre said. “The red witch still eludes us. There are slayers yet alive. Not many, but enough. Our client is unhappy.”
Vladimir sighed. “Are you sure it’s such a good idea. We’d always said we liked this world as it is.”
“We do,” Andre said. “But she is paying us quite a bit of money. That is, after all, the point, yes?”
“To destroy two of the most powerful supernatural organizations in existence,” Vladimir countered.
“Wolfram & Hart was already on its last legs. As for the slayers, never in history has there been more than one. Now they are an army. If we are to maintain the balance in this world, we cannot allow there to be an army of slayers, particularly when an organization such as Wolfram & Hart is dying out. We are maintaining the balance.”
“Do you really think that’s what she wants?” Vladimir asked. “To maintain balance?”
Andre looked down at some papers in front of him. “Should she attempt anything too grand, we will stop her then.”
“Has it occurred to you, dear brother, that in giving us this job, she’s ensuring a heavy reduction in our numbers as well?”
Andre fidgeted angrily. He didn’t like being second guessed by his younger brother. Especially one who might be right. “We made our agreements. We’ll stand by them. Take the time you need to get healed. Then get to Chicago and find the witch.”
Andre hung up and looked out the window of the hotel room. It overlooked the lobby, which had a great atrium. He had a nice view, but was still protected from direct sunlight. “I’m hungry,” he said.
“Shall I order room service, sir?” Andropov asked.
“A bit obvious, don’t you think? No. I think I’ll need a tourist. Send Elizabeth down to grab a particularly horny looking teenage boy. Preferably not American. I don’t need the attention Phillipe caused in Aruba.”
Andre tapped the table impatiently. “I hate this place. Call the jet. We’re going back to Belgrade.”
“But the meeting,” Andropov began.
Andre cut Andropov off. “We’re leaving. It may not be safe here. We should go.”
***
“Great! Just great! Here I am in a coffin again,” Spike shouted.
“You need to be protected from the sun,” Lorne called. “But do I really need to be in a coffin?”
“No,” Dawn said. “It’s just funny.”
“Dawn,” Lorne whined.
“Let’s not forget you started this whole mess! The father of my child would be with me now if it weren’t for you.”
“You want to know what happened the last time Connor was with the mother of his child?” Lorne asked.
“I’m the jealous type. So actually, no. I don’t.”
“We’d better board,” Tam said, putting his arm protectively around Dawn.
****
“You could have at least told me what you were going to do,” Xander huffed as he left O’Hara airport. All of their belongings were destroyed, so they didn’t have any bags.
“And you would have trusted me enough to do it?” Richard said.
“Of course not. But at least I’d have an idea what you two were doing!”
“How’re they working out for you?” Faith asked.
“Oh,” Xander said sarcastically. “Fine now. But I’m sure they’ll start showing me memories the serial killer who had them before me or some other kind of crap.”
“Actually,” Richard began cautiously. “About that-”
“Argghhhh,” Xander screamed in pain. He slapped his hand over his forehead and dropped to his knees.
“Xander!” Faith yelled, dropping to her knees in front of him. She pushed his hand away from his head and tried to see what the injury was, but nothing seemed to be wrong. “What did you do to him?” she shouted at Richard.
“Gave him something we needed,” Richard answered coolly.
“Willow,” Xander groaned. “She’s alive. Vamps with guns are after her. Wooded area by the water.” Xander panted as the pain subsided. “How did I see that?” He looked at Richard. “Whose eyes were these?”
Richard handed Xander a bottle of aspirin. “Cordelia Chase’s. A friend of mine named Gwen Raiden acquired them for me. She’s good at finding unique items.”
“But Cordy’s alive,” Faith said. “In Pylea. I saw her.”
“I have no idea how she materialized there,” Richard said. “But, in this dimension, I assure you, her body is quite dead. Luckily, the eyes of seer, if recovered before they disintegrate, can pass on the seer’s ability.”
“So I have Cordelia’s visions,” Xander said, looking up.
“Essentially, yes. The visions have been passed to you. And unless I’m mistaken, we should probably discuss this later and endeavor to find Miss Rosenberg as quickly as possible.”
*****
The plane set down in Rio. Kevin and Dawn waited in the cool evening for the luggage. Kevin looked around. “That green demon is going to love this place.”
“If he lives long enough to love it,” Dawn said. “I could kill him.”
“I’m sure you could. But as you know, that involves quite a bit of effort, so maybe you should just give him a good scolding.” Kevin looked at Dawn and his mouth opened slightly.
“What?” Dawn asked.
“You’ve put on weight.”.
“I’m pregnant,” Dawn snapped.
“Dawn, you’ve put on weight since we got on the airplane.” He looked around frantically. “I need to find a medical facility so I can look at you.”
“What’s going on?” Spike asked as he and Lorne walked toward Kevin and Dawn.
Dawn folded her arms. “I thought you two were-”
“Locked in boxes,” Spike said. “Well, as soon as nightfall came, I didn’t see a need for that anymore.”
“Oh my god!” Lorne said, pointing at Dawn. “Look at her stomach!”
“If you start up with the Dawn’s baby is evil talk again,” Dawn said angrily. “I’m going to chop your head off.”
“That wouldn’t go real far in refuting that particular theory,” Kevin offered.
“Fine,” Spike said, turning to face Lorne. “I like you, Green. Really do. But if you start up with the Dawn’s baby is evil talk again, then I’m going to cut your head off.”
“Thanks, Spike,” Dawn smiled.
“Don’t thank me, Bit. It only pisses me off because I’m still trying to pretend you’re not preggers. Him yammering about you having Damien the Antichrist isn’t helping with that.”
“Can we please not use the word preggers,” Tam said.
“What?” Spike said. “Not clinical enough for you?”
“It just grosses me out,” Tam answered.
“Oh god,” Dawn groaned as she bent over.
“I have to get her to a hospital,” Kevin said.
“You two go ahead and start your Connor hunt,” Dawn said. “Call me when you find him. But don’t . . . you know.”
“Hurt him?” Lorne asked.
“Tell him,” Spike said, understanding Dawn completely. “Don’t worry, Bit. We’ll let you do the honors.”
******
“Thank you,” Faith said, hanging up the phone in the motel room.
“Better manners than you used to have,” Richard said.
Faith looked up, surprised to see him there. She thought she was alone. She shrugged, then froze. She became nervous as she realized this was the first time they’d been alone together since the night she hadn’t killed him at the construction site in Sunnydale. “Why’d you come back?”
“You,” Richard answered, as if he’d anticipated the question.
“You should’ve stayed away,” Faith said. “And Xander. With the eyes. What the hell?”
“That was to help him,” Richard said.
“You can’t expect us to trust you when you and your doctor pal cut into people without telling us beforehand.”
“I didn’t have time to convince him. We need to find Willow and the others. Cordelia’s visions will help.”
“We’ve been looking for Willow for a week, now,” Faith shouted.
“We did have to make the pit stop in Muir Woods to gather the weapons.”
“The visions still aren’t helping much.”
“The visions are new to him. With time, he’ll learn to cope with them better. Look through the pain and find more detail.”
“For now, I’m just hitting the booze,” Xander said coming into the room through the open door. “Just kidding. No rest until Will is safe.”
Xander sat down. “Faith, the Mayor’s . . . and I hate saying this by the way, the Mayor’s right. He had a tool that we needed and he gave it to me. And I’m not just saying that because of my inferiority complex due to lack of super powers. I wouldn’t have trusted him to give me this gift. This very, very painful gift.”
Xander raised his hand to his head. “Speaking of which . . .” He laid back on the bed and began writhing in pain. “Still woods. There’s water nearby. A lake. A boat in it. The Mystique.”
“How’s that help us?” Faith asked.
“We find the owner of the boat,” Richard said, removing his cell phone and dialing. Richard stepped into a corner and started speaking quietly, then stuffed the phone in his pocket.
“We’ll have an answer soon,” Richard said. “I love cell phones. There just so . . . nifty.”
“One problem with cell phones,” an Eastern European voice came from the door. Faith and the boys turned to see Vladimir and two other goons. Half of Vladimir’s face looked bloody and cut up, but he wore fresh clothes. “Makes it easy for you to be tracked. You’ve been calling people all day. Made you easy to find.”
He stepped into the room, raising a pistol. His cronies entered and held up AK-47’s.
“Like my face?” Vladimir asked. “Your friend, the vampire’s son. It used to be all burned like this. I’ve been draining three people a day for almost two weeks, and yet this is all the healing I’ve done. The boy apparently knows some venom that makes it hard for vampires to heal. Very clever boy. Speaking of him, where is he?”
“Not here,” Richard answered.
“I can see that,” Vladimir said impatiently. “I don’t ask where he’s not. I ask where he is.”
Faith looked at the weapons bag behind the bed. It was filled with Initiative-designed demon fighting gear.
“Don’t even think about it,” Vladimir said, pointing his gun at her.
“Actually,” Richard smiled. “Why don’t you go ahead and do it, Faith.”
Faith dove behind the bed. Vladimir pulled the trigger, but Richard threw his hand up and the bullet froze in midair, then dropped to the floor.
Xander jumped forward and punched one of Vladimir’s goons while Faith popped just far enough over the bed to hit the other goon with one of the stun-rifles. The first goon threw Xander off as Vladimir turned to Richard. Richard knocked the gun from his hand as Faith stunned the other guard.
Vladimir punched Richard hard, knocking him unconscious. He jumped off the ground just in time to miss another stun ray from Faith and landed on the bed. He kicked her in the face and pulled the rifle away as she fell backward. Xander charged Vladimir from behind, but the vampire turned and stunned Xander.
Vladimir cursed himself. Xander was human and could be dealt with easily. He should have stunned Faith, who was now sweeping his legs out from under him. She grabbed another stun-rifle as he fell.
Vladimir hit the ground back first. He heard the rifle stop humming, meaning it was ready to fire again. He aimed to where Faith had been and shot blindly. Faith circled around the bed and kicked the gun away, then trained her rifle on him. He rolled out of the way as she fired, lighting the carpet on fire. He punched her in the gut, knocking the rifle out of her hands. He dove for it, but Faith grabbed him, pulled him back, and kneed him in the ribs. The fire was spreading quickly.
Vladimir pulled loose and turned, biting Faith on the arm and drinking heartily.
“I am so completely done with you and your bullshit!” Faith pulled her arm and Vladimir in front of her and, with all her might, pushed her body down onto the burning carpet.
Vladimir hit the burning carpet and Faith slammed on top of him. He shouted in agony for a moment before the fire caused him to burst into ash.
Faith pulled away as her own shirt began to catch fire. She looked around frantically for some way to put the fire out, but found nothing. She ripped the shirt off.
Faith grabbed Xander and Richard and pulled them through the door and out into the walkway. Fire alarms were blaring and people were pouring out of the motel in various states of undress, including Faith wearing blue jeans and a black bra.
“What’s with all the noise?” Xander asked, coming to. “Aren’t I dead?”
“Not yet,” Faith said.
“That’s good news.”
“Yeah,” Faith concurred. “But we need to find a new motel.”
“That’s bad news,” Xander frowned, looking up.
Faith watched intently as the fire consumed the two unconscious vampires in the room.
Faith carried Richard down the block as Xander limped behind her. They checked into another motel, a room for each of them. Faith paid all cash. Xander objected to the profligate spending until Faith asked whether he’d rather stay in her room or the mayor’s.
As Richard slept in his room, Xander and Faith talked strategy in hers. Suddenly, Faith turned and looked out the window.
“What?” Xander asked.
“Sunrise,” Faith said. “I generally tend away from the touchy-feely chick stuff but . . .” she shrugged.
“Beauty is beauty,” Xander offered.
“You’re such a girl.”
“Hey! You know for a fact I’m not a girl.”
“Oh, right,” Faith laughed. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“Ouch. Self-esteem,” he said weakly. “Waning.”
Faith laughed. She looked out the window at the sunset, then back to Xander. She touched his shirt chest. “You held up pretty well back there.”
Xander looked at Faith’s hand on his shirt, then back to her. She was still just wearing the black bra “Touching? When did touching start happening?”
“I’m not asking for love, Xander,” Faith said. “In fact, I don’t want it. It’s just comfort.”
Xander’s mouth became slightly dry. “Comfort is . . . comforting,” he said nervously.
“Just to make it easy,” Faith said, unbuttoning Xander’s shirt. “I’ll help you get started.”
“It’s okay,” Xander said anxiously as he began quickly unbuttoning his shirt. “I’ve been dressing and undressing myself since Anya and I broke up.” He looked up at Faith and laughed nervously. “Um, forget that last part.”
“I don’t need a speech, Xander,” Faith said, ripping his shirt open. “Just your cock.”
Xander kissed Faith roughly. It was rougher than he’d ever kissed a girl, but somehow he thought that’s how she’d want it. She purred and rubbed her body against his. She pushed him back on the bed and pulled her bra off. She quickly and awkwardly slid out of her jeans and underwear. Xander pushed his own off and had barely kicked them loose when Faith mounted him.
Xander pushed up and Faith moaned. “That’s good,” she moaned. She leaned down over him, her breast in his face, and he quickly took it into his mouth. “Mmmmm,” she moaned as she moved up and down faster. “Come on boy, giddy up.”
Xander laughed as he pushed up into her again and again. He ran his hand through her hair and looked her in the eye. Faith glanced away, Xander’s gaze too emotional for her to bare. She knew it wasn’t love for her in that look. It was love remembered. But even that felt too personal to share with him right now. Maybe when they were done.
Faith began moving up and down on Xander ferociously, trying harder and harder to get her release. Finally, she came with a loud moan. Xander pulled out and came on the sheets
“That was great,” Faith said breathlessly.
“Let me guess,” Xander said as he laid on the sheets. “You have to shower.”
“Probably,” Faith said. “But for now, let’s just lay here.”
“Wow,” Xander laughed. “You’ve on all soft and romantic on me.”
“And you went all soft and romantic on my sheets.”
*******
“Are you sure this was a good idea?” Dawn asked.
“Dawn, an earthquake just leveled half the city,” Kevin said. “And Brazil’s medical facilities were pretty inferior already.”
The two got on the plane bound for Florida. Half the city was behind them, clamoring to get on. Military personnel were only holding back the crowd with the threat of opening fire and even that threat was getting old. The crowd seemed to understand that if they didn’t make it to a plane and get out of the country, they’d probably die anyway.
In the mountains above the city, Illyria smiled with satisfaction as the earth opened before her. It was an army of Turok-Han. More like a platoon; about twenty. Still, Illyria knew, it would probably be all that she needed.
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