“Haven’t seen an exodus like this since the First Evil took over Sunnydale,” Spike said as he pushed through the throng of people flooding through the streets of Brasilia at ten to midnight.
“Then I guess it’s good the doc got Dawn out of the area,” Lorne said as he tried to keep up with Spike.
“I thought you were sure Dawn’s baby is going to be evil?” Spike wondered aloud.
“Doesn’t mean the little tyke won’t be cute,” Lorne said.
“Shouldn’t you be leading?” Spike asked.
“Why?” Lorne asked. “Are we dancing? Because if so, these shoes are all wrong.”
“We’re not dancing. Unless we get the kid back alive, in which case I’ll waltz up and down the Andes with you. But you should be leading us because you’re the one who picks up all the vibes. Maybe you can tell us where all the evilness is coming from.”
“We’ve got evil vibes coming from every which direction you can imagine.”
“If I cleared some people out of the area, would you be able to tune in a little better?”
“Well, sure. But I don’t see how you could-”
Spike jumped onto the hood of a nearby care, vamped into his game face, and shouted, “I’m starving!”
The crowd began screaming and ran from the area.
“Nicely done,” Lorne said as Spike hopped off the car. He pointed down the street. “I think we might want to check out this way.”
*
“Here’s another,” Faith said dispassionately. She was doing her best to control her emotions; to not let others see the pain.
“That makes twelve,” Xander said.
“Fourteen,” Richard said as he opened he a closet door filled with bullet holes. Looks like these two tried to hide.”
“Maybe if they hadn’t, they’d have turned the tide and saved their own lives,” Faith said coldly.
“I doubt it. They couldn’t have been more than eight years old.” Richard opened the door further to show the others the dead bodies of two pre-adolescent girls. One was clutching a Teddy Bear. The other was curled up in the corner in the fetal position.
Faith turned away and put a hand to her face. She wanted to cover her eyes and hide the tears. Out of respect for her, Xander and Richard turned away.
“Give me some good news,” Faith said. “Anything.”
“There was a lot of ash around Susan and the others,” Xander offered. “Looks like they took out quite a few of the baddies before they went down.”
“I’m going to kill that kid,” Faith said.
“Kid?” Xander asked.
“Connor,” Faith said. “I know he didn’t mean tot start this shit storm, but look what happened.”
“As much as I like to blame things on Angel, Jr.,” Xander said. “The Markovics were planning on taking us out long before Connor attacked Vladimir’s warehouse. If anything, taking out the L.A. cell probably saved our lives.”
“I still want to kick his ass,” Faith said. “Helps relieve stress.”
“If you’re going to be so hard on the kid, why are we even bothering to bring him back from Brazil?” Xander questioned her.
Faith sighed, then shrugged. “Because he’s one of our people. And we look after our own. Right?”
*
“Breathe,” Kevin said as he held Dawn’s hand.
“I am breathing, you jackass!”
“I mean that special way. Like I showed you. Hee hee hee. Hoo, hoo, hoo.”
“You look so freaking stupid.”
“At least she said freaking,” Kevin said, rolling his eyes.
“Wait,” Dawn said as Kevin prepared to deliver the baby. “Can you find a woman doctor?”
“What?” Kevin asked, feeling a little hurt.
“It’s just . . . Connor’s the only boy who’s ever seen up there and I kind of want to keep it that way if I can.”
“I guess I can understand that. I’ll be right back. But don’t try to hold it in.”
“Why the hell would I do that?” Dawn yelled angrily.
“Right. Good.”
*
Willow raised her hand and a fireball formed in her palm.
“Willow!” Xander called. “Wait!”
“Nice try, Mayor,” Willow snarled. “But Xander’s missing an eye now.”
“No,” Faith yelled. “He fixed it.”
A fireball shot toward the mayor and he dodged it.
“Willow, it’s us,” Faith said.
“I can’t believe you’re with him again!” Willow snarled as she dodged Faith’s attempt to tackle her.
“Will, it’s true,” Xander said. “Don’t make me do the Snoopy dance to prove it’s me.”
“I can’t believe you’d use the Snoopy Dance against me,” Willow shouted. “Have you no shame?”
“Will, what do we need to for to get you to not incinerate us?” Xander called.
“What pet did I always want?” Willow asked.
“A puppy,” Xander said. “But everyone knows that. Ask me something hard? Ooh, like the crayon! Ask me about the crayon?”
Willow looked at Xander curiously, then raised her hand. “Find Xander,” she said. A ball of light shot form her hand and hit Xander in the chest.
“Hey!” he said, clearly offended.
“It’s just a spell to be sure it’s you,” Willow said. “But there’s something I don’t get.”
“The eye,” Xander said, nodding.
“No,” Willow said. “The eye is easy to understand. What I don’t understand is what are you doing with the Mayor!”
“Long story,” Xander answered. “But right now, we need to find a place to hide.”
*
Connor swung the axe, beheading the first Turok-Han. The second punched the axe and smashed the handle. It let out a mocking cackle. Connor swept his foot under its legs and tripped it. He slammed the broken wooden handle down into the Turok-Han’s chest, but the demon’s iron-like breast bone splintered the handle. Connor quickly grabbed the blade, still attached to a short stalk of wooden handle, and slammed it down into the demon’s neck like a guillotine blade. The blade seared the monster’s neck and it died.
Sensing the presence of death in the area, the other Turok-Han were drawn to the area. They ran around the corner of the hallway in front of him, into the vestibule of the mountaintop cathedral. Connor began backing up until he sensed that yet more were approaching from behind him.
Connor faced the Uber-vamps in front of him. He could hear the ones behind him closing in. He’d already taken in the hallway in which he stood. He knew it perfectly. He took two steps forward so that he was lined up with a giant stained-glass window.
The vamps charged him. Connor didn’t move. Just as they were about to overtake him, Connor made his move. Without taking his eyes off his attackers, he blindly threw the axe blade through the giant window. As it smashed, he grabbed two of the vamps in head locks and held them in place as the sun shined on them. Connor’s arms suddenly jerked as the vamps turned to dust.
As the other vamps took off, Connor looked at his arms. The Turok-Han had torn them up pretty badly while he was holding them. Injured and unarmed, Connor knew he’d have to retreat for the moment. He walked to the broken window, and leapt out. He dropped about ten stories to the ground beside that peak of the mountain. He was long gone before any other demons arrived at the scene of the scuffle.
*
The heart monitor showed Kennedy’s faint pulse. An air hose was down her throat and her brain activity wasn’t strong.
The group had retreated to Willow’s hideout to plan. But the witch could only stand guard over her lover’s body. She was unable to think of anything else.
“We sure could have used the doc here,” Faith said, regretting haven sent him off with Spike and the others.
“Giles seems to be doing a decent job,” Xander said weakly. About six slayers of various ages laid in the makeshift hospital Willow and Giles had set up.
“I should tell you,” Giles said, taking Faith aside. “Wood is here.”
“You really think I care about that at a time like this?” Faith asked in a drained voice.
“Willow keeps accusing me of being insensitive. I just want to cover my bases.”
“Bases covered.” Faith walked to Willow and hesitantly put a hand on the witch’s back. “How is she?”
“She’s not, not breathing on her own,” Willow said, barely able to speak. “And her higher brain functions have been impaired. She . . . she has brain damage.”
Faith wasn’t good at this. At emotion. At comfort. No one ever asked her to share what she was feeling. No one ever tried to comfort her. No one, of course, except Robin.
Faith tried to comfort Willow anyway. “I was in coma for . . . actually, how long was I out?”
Willow gave a slight laugh despite herself.
“Slayers are tough, Red,” Faith said. “If she’s not dead, then she’s not dying. Maybe she’ll be taking a nap for a little bit, but she’ll be back before you can say ‘wake up.’”
“Wake up,” Willow said.
“It’s just an expression,” Faith said irritably.
Willow looked up at Faith and smiled. “Just the fact that you tried means a lot to me.”
“Faith?” a deep voice came form behind them.
“Of course,” Faith said. “It’s my fault for trying to be touchy feely. I asked for this.” She turned to face him, making a point to look him straight in the eye. “Hi, Robin.”
“Hi Robin?” he said in an annoyed voice. “All this time and that’s what you have to say to me?” Then, to Faith’s relief, he hugged her.
She wrapped her arms around him and put her head into his chest. She started sobbing.
“Hey,” he said calmly as he ran his hand over her back. “It’s okay.”
“I thought you hated me.”
“You made it clear how you felt. I just didn’t listen. I’m not saying it didn’t hurt. But after thinking about it . . . I feel bad for you, really.”
Faith pulled away from him. She knew he was being condescending. She also knew this wasn’t the time for personal drama.
“I know time is of the essence,” Giles said. “But perhaps we should take a break to regroup emotionally.”
“We have more people out in the field, too,” Faith said.
“What?” said Giles. Willow, too, looked at her. “Who?”
“Lots,” Xander said. “Spike, Dawn, Lorne, the doc, and we hope Connor.”
Willow looked up smiling as Giles lowered his head and started to weep.
“What’s wrong?” Faith asked.
“Dawn,” Giles said. “When she didn’t show up with you, I just assumed-”
“Me, too,” Willow said, smiling slightly. “I assumed that thing, too. With everything that’s happened, I didn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to hear it.” Willow grabbed Xander and hugged him.
“Let’s take a break,” Giles said. “We’ll meet back in a couple hours.”
*
“Push!” Kevin said.
“I am pushing, you jack ass!” Dawn screeched. “What do you think I’m doing over here? You think I want to keep it in me?”
“I know you’re running out of strength, but-”
“You don’t know anything, you jerk. Where did you get your medical degree?”
“Just a little school in the West called Stanford,” Kevin said irritably.
“You seem way too uptight for Stanford,” said Dr. Melissa Cash, the physician delivering Dawn’s child. She wiped her brow. “Dr. Tam, I need to confer.”
“Doctor?” Dawn said. “This can’t be good if she’s calling you doctor.”
“Everything’s fine, Dawn,” Kevin said reassuringly. He stepped toward Melissa and she whispered to him frantically. He turned to an attending nurse and said, “IV.”
“Dawn,” Kevin said calmly as he stepped to her side. “I know you don’t want other guys down there, but . . . I need to see something. Is that okay? Don’t think of me as a guy. Just a doctor.”
“What’s wrong?” she said panicked.
“Nothing,” Kevin said. “Dr. Cash just wants some advice on the best way to proceed with the delivery.”
“I push. The baby comes out. End of story.”
“The baby’s not turning. We may need to do a Caesarean. Dr. Cash just wants a second opinion.”
“Just do it,” Dawn moaned.
“Dawn, I need to look and see what’s going on,” he shouted, at last losing his cool.
“Then tell me what’s really going on!”
“You’re bleeding internally,” Dr. Cash said. “The baby is blocking the area where we need to operate. And I don’t think we can birth it fast enough to save you.”
“We may need to terminate the pregnancy,” Kevin said calmly.
“No,” Dawn said.
“Dawn, you could die,” Kevin said frantically. “You can have other children.”
“Connor may already be dead,” Dawn said, beginning to cry. “If . . .if he is . . . this is all that’s left of him. If the baby lives, then some piece of him will survive. And so will some piece of me. Just save the baby. That’s what I want.”
Kevin pulled the cart with his supplies over to him. “I’m not losing you. We’re doing a Caesarean now.”
“She can’t take the blood loss of a Caesarean while she’s bleeding internally,” Melissa said urgently.
“She can if we do it fast enough,” Kevin said as he prepared to cut into Dawn.
*
Faith shoved Wood through the door and onto the bed.
“This is bad,” he said between kisses. “Old patterns.”
“I liked this part of the pattern,” Faith said, planting another deep kiss no his lips.
“I don’t want to be this for you.”
“So you’re saying you don’t want to have sex?” Faith asked.
“I’m not saying that!”
“Then shut up and take your pants off.”
Wood quickly slid his jeans off as Faith pulled her top off. She unclasped her bra as he pulled off his shirt. Wood grabbed Faith by the belt buckle and puller toward him. Even though she was a lot stronger than he was, she liked it when he was aggressive.
Wood planted a deep kiss on her lips and unbuckled her belt. He pushed her jeans and panties down and she kicked them away.
This was so different than the last time for them. It was familiar, yet still new and exciting. Maybe that’s what Faith craved; excitement. She wanted something to drag her away from her normal life. Well, the life that was normal for her, anyway.
They collapsed on the bed and a struggle for position ensued. Faith rolled Wood onto his back and slid up his body. He ran his hands from her hips up her back. She arched her back, pushing her breasts toward him. He pinched her nipples as he slid up into her. Faith moaned and panted and started rocking.
Faith leaned over him and pushed her hips down at his, bucking against him. She liked this. She liked fucking guys. Not laying while a guy fucked her. Faith wanted to get on top, push him down, and grind into him as if she were the one slamming a cock into a wet hole.
“That’s all you are to me,” she growled as her thoughts carried her away. “You’re just a warm, hard cock.”
Robin shot inside her. She grinded her hips against his, racing his shrinking cock. “Bite,” she moaned.
Wood raised his mouth to her breast and bit her nipple. She moaned, came, and collapsed onto the bed next to him. “How much time before Giles’ meeting?” she asked.
“About forty minutes,” he said.
“Shit,” she groaned. “I wanted to go again and have a shower. Well . . . I guess if Angel, Spike, and Connor aren’t going to be there, no one will really know if I didn’t shower.”
*
Dawn was exhausted, but forced herself to stay awake.
“It’s a girl,” Dr. Cash said quietly.
“Give her to me,” Dawn said.
“Just let us get her cleaned up,” Kevin answered.
“You think I care about cleanliness right now?”
“We need to clean her for the baby to be healthy,” Kevin said. “After all that to keep her alive, you wouldn’t want her getting an infection, would you?”
Dawn smiled and weakly shook her head no. “Thank you,” she said, touching his arm. “If another guy had to be down there, I’m glad it was you.”
“I’m not a guy,” Kevin smiled. “I’m just a doctor.”
*
Almost three months had passed since Connor had come in search of her. And now, here she was.
“You,” Illyria said, her scowl growing. “You are the one who did this.” Two more quick punches blocked as Connor backed away.
She cocked her head and looked at him analytically. Her scowl turned to a faint smile of admiration. “The Burkle memories recognize this.” She backhanded Connor and he flew across the great hall.
Connor rolled to his feet. “How dare you mention her?!” Connor shouted. “You destroyed her!”
Connor charged her. She gracefully stepped aside and clothes-lined him by slamming her forearm into his throat. Connor fell back and hit the ground.
Illyria walked around him appraisingly. “My Turok-Han are gone because of you. The other demons have fled, but they will return. Those who do not will suffer. But you . . . what to do with you?”
Connor flipped to his feet and kicked her in the stomach. She stumbled back, then delivered a spin kick to his head. Connor caught her foot just before it collided with his nose. Illyria pulled the foot away and quickly replaced it with a fist. She punched Connor hard in the forehead, knocking him to the ground. He rolled away and again got to her feet.
“Your size is deceiving. Your resilience . . . impressive. Usually I would kill you for your insolence, but I see great potential in you.”
“Potential to kick your ass,” Connor snarled.
Illyria grabbed Connor by the hair and flung him into a wall. Just to make a point, she literally kicked him in the ass. “Darkness knows darkness,” Illyria said calmly. “I see it in you. Supplicate yourself to me and I shall make you general of my legions.”
“Supplicate?” Connor asked.
Illyria cocked her head again. “Ah, yes. The Burkle memories indicate you are uneducated. How unlike your other self.”
Connor glared at Illyria. He charged her again, this time spitting his blood in her eyes. The distraction allowed Connor time to land two more punches on Illyria before she reached out blindly and grabbed him by the neck. She flung him against a wall and he crashed through it.
“Scum!” she shouted. “You dare defile my body with your bodily fluids!” She charged toward Connor and raised her arm, preparing to smash his skull when a shape suddenly fell on top of the boy.
“No!” the vampire cried. “No, great one, please!”
“Out of the way half breed,” Illyria growled.
Connor breathed heavily, fighting to get free from his unwanted vampire savior.
“Please,” Drusilla cried. “Let me have him. I have seen his future and he is no threat to you!”
Illyria smacked Drusilla, knocking her several feet away. “How dare you infer that I fear this mere mortal?! It is not a question of threat. I, who shall rule over this pathetic world, would not imagine to be stopped by this pathetic child.”
“I have worshiped and served you loyally,” Drusilla pled. “Please, do this for me!”
“I do not do service to servants. You shall follow me as tribute to my greatness, not for expectation of reward!” Illyria kicked Connor in the ribs. “As for this, he is nothing of what you said. I see no greatness in him. He has defied me and he shall suffer for it.”
“He does suffer!” Drusilla cried. “Look in his eyes. Read them and you will read see his pain and horror. No pain inflicted on him now could ever match the horrors of his own mind.”
Illyria looked down at Connor, a slight grin of satisfaction on her face. Drusilla was right. His eyes told her little, but it was all she needed to know. His eyes told her that he was ready. He was ready to die. But not just ready. He looked forward to it. He wanted that peace. That absence of violence. A sleep uninterrupted by nightmares or by waking to the harshness of reality. Suffering was what Connor did best. To really hurt him, Illyria would do the cruelest thing she could imagine. She would let him live.
Illyria turned and strutted from the hall. “Take him from my palace, half breed.”
*
Drusilla stroked Connor’s hair, then kissed him deeply. She wanted so bad to taste him, but knew now was not the time. She laid him on the bed in the small hotel room, then knelt beside him.
“I have done this for you, my love. You will suffer, yes. Such sweet, sweet, suffering. But the final revenge will be yours.” Drusilla kissed him deeply again as Connor struggled to push her away.
“That’s enough,” a harsh voice came from the doorway.
Drusilla turned back and grinned. “I’ve brought my baby brother back to you, daddy.”
Angel looked down sadly. “Yes.”
“Do you love me again?”
“No,” Angel said coldly as he scooped his battered son into his arms. “You know I don’t love you. You know I can’t.” Angel began to leave, but stopped and turned back. “But I’ll never forget this, Dru. I promise.”
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
