Dawn had a splitting headache when she awoke. She was in a temporary modular structure with office furniture. In front of her were two blue pills and a glass of water.
"Take them," said an Eastern European voice from behind her. "They'll help with the headache."
Dawn started and looked behind her. In retrospect, it was pretty obvious someone must have been watching her. Otherwise, she could have just waked out. She was in a cheaply-made prefab building that served as an office, not a jail. Pyotr and two cronies sat behind her, all holding large firearms. Large boxes were piled everywhere. Dawn briefly entertained the notion of making a run for it. But even in the unlikely event she could outrun them, she knew they could outgun her.
"I try not to take food, let alone drugs, from vampires or kidnappers," Dawn said sweetly. "But thanks for the offer."
"If we wanted you dead, we'd have killed you as you slept. If we wanted you drugged, we'd have drugged you while you slept. But take the pills or not, I don't care."
The door behind Pyotr opened and Dawn could see from the sky outside that it was nighttime. Vladimir entered with another man.
"You!? Dawn yelled.
"Me," Ethan Rayne said with a smile.
"You're the Risen One?"
Ethan laughed. "Sorry, dear, no. I'm actually quite anxious to finally meet him. But that will unfortunately not be until after you help me perform a little ceremony to bring him forth, so to speak."
"Sasha won't be here for another half hour," Vladimir said.
"Sasha?" Dawn said.
"Ah, yes," Ethan said. "My last assistant, Miss Madison, was unfortunately killed. Terrible accident, really. So I've had to lease, at considerable expense I might add, an associate of Vladimir's to help me with the ceremony. Then you'll barely feel a pin prick and the ceremony will be over."
**
"Call Spike," Buffy said calmly.
"He's still trying to get Faith-"
"Riley, I need you to put your rivalry with Spike behind you. Faith can take care of herself. He can get to Dawn before us. Call Spike."
Riley nodded and pulled out his cell phone. He called Buffy's phone, which Connor was now carrying.
"Slayer Search and Rescue," Connor answered as he climbed out of the sewer. "How can we help you?"
"Colin?" Riley said, surprised to hear the boy's flippant tone.
"Connor. My name is Connor."
"You get Faith already?"
"Why? You want to talk to her?"
Riley covered the phone and looked at Buffy. "They got her!" he said smiling.
"Well, don't pee your pants.” Buffy already had jealousy issues when it came to Faith and Riley.
Riley went back to the phone. "Listen. We need you, Faith, and Spike to get down to Sunnydale."
"Sunnydale? That town is toast, man."
"Then it shouldn't be too hard to find Dawn there."
"Dawn's in Sunnydale?" Connor asked glancing up at Spike, who was now helping Faith up. Connor nodded to Faith's car, then the to the motel room where Eve was bound and gagged.
"What am I?" Spike growled. "A dog?"
"We tracked Dawn's kidnapping to a dark magician named Ethan Rayne,” Riley continued. “He's now in what remains of Sunnydale. He's working for a demon called the Risen One. So far, the council has turned up dozens of demons that go by that name or a variation of it. So we have no idea what we're dealing with. I wish I had more information for you."
"You told me where she is." Connor climbed into the driver's seat of Eve's car. "That's all the information I need."
"Watch out there, young pup," Spike said, returning to the car with Eve. "One good plan, and suddenly you're acting like you're Julias Caesar." Spike shoved Eve into the back seat, where Faith was already waiting.
"Those vampires that grabbed Dawn in the first place," Riley continued. "They'll probably be there."
Connor started the car. "Understood." He hung the phone up and drove out of the motel.
"So what's the deal, kid?" Faith asked from the back seat. "When Eve told me you were a terrorist, I thought she was cracked. But then I see you beating down cops, blasting prisoner transports, and busting chicks out of prison. Que Pasa?"
"A terrorist, huh? No, I'm not a terrorist. I'm just a pissed off kid who's going down to Sunnydale, getting Dawn, and killing every fucking vampire I see."
"Hold on there, Marshal Connor," Faith said. "You got the rage-filled kill-all-the-vamps thing going on, and I respect that. But there's three of us here that'll be going to Sunnydale, getting Dawn, and killing every fucking vampire we see." She looked at Eve. "Sorry, but you're going to have to wait in the trunk."
Connor smiled. "I know we haven't known each other very long," he said, eying Faith in the rear view mirror. "But it's nice having you back."
***
Sasha was a tall and pale girl of sixteen with eyes so big and green they looked like emeralds. Her hair was black with red highlights. Despite her stylish clothing, she couldn't shake the appearance of someone who'd spent most of her life in a death camp.
"Sasha, darling," Ethan greeted her. "It's lovely to meet you." He bent down and kissed her hand. "I hope your flight was pleasant."
"I am here to do the spell," she said in an accent even thicker than Vladimir's. "Where are the supplies?"
"And they say we Brits are cold. The girl is this way." He walked to Dawn, still sitting in the middle prefab office. "Here we are.”
Sasha looked at the desk in front of Dawn appraisingly. "I see that black robe and candles. And my cousins are bringing the triplets. But the spell calls for a key."
Dawn's eyes went wide. She noticed Ethan cast a sideward glance at her.
"Yes, um, about that," Ethan stammered in his attempt to find a reasonably credible explanation. "It's, um, a metaphorical key. The girl, here, she should suffice. Most girls should suffice, but of course this is the one we have."
"She is not one of the sacrifices?" Sasha asked.
"Um, well," Ethan stammered on. "She's a bit old for that, no?"
"I still do not see how she fulfills the ingredient of key." Sasha stared at Ethan intensely for a moment. "But my payment is not contingent on the success of the spell. Only on my fulfilling those duties assigned me."
"Right you are," Ethan sighed with relief at not needing to produce further explanations.
As Pyotr entered, the small office room filled with the sound of screaming babies.
"Babies?" Dawn said, looking up at Ethan with disgust for him and pity for the three squirming infants that Pyotr and Vladimir brought. "You’re sacrificing is babies?"
Ethan shrugged. "Can't make an omelet . . . am I right?"
"You're pure filth, you know that?"
"I have my suspicions, yes. But why would you say that to someone who just covered for you? I didn't have to lie to them about the key, now did I?"
Dawn wanted to order Ethan to tell the vampires what she was. She wanted to tell him that she’d rather die than accept favors from garbage like him. But she remembered Buffy’s lessons on keeping cool and doing what was necessary to stay alive.
"Why didn't you rat me out? Want to keep me for yourself?"
Ethan smiled paternally. "No, my dear," he said in a sweet voice. "Truth be told, I always did have a soft spot for you. From the first time I laid eyes on you, I've often wished I could have a daughter as lovely as you. You were quite the image of preadolescent innocence in that cute as can be fairy princess costume."
"You mean the one that actually turned me into a fairy princess? I spent the night buzzing around Buffy's head, trying to grant her wishes."
Ethan gave a small chuckle. "Good times," he said nostalgically.
****
Buffy was staring at Riley as he sat across from her, talking on the phone. He didn't notice until he hung up. "You alright?"
Buffy nodded, but didn't speak. She just stared at him.
"You're kind of scaring me here," Riley said.
"Thank you. For helping. For going through so much trouble just for me and Dawn."
"It's not just for you and Dawn. I'm a watcher now. I work for you and the council. So this is pretty much my job." Riley was nervous. He didn't want to get into the deeper reasons.
"Buffy," Riley whispered. "You know what Dawn is. And you know what could happen if someone evil and powerful got a hold of her."
Buffy shook her head. "She's not . . . she doesn't . . . Glory missed her chance, Riley. Dawn can't be used that way anymore."
"But how else can she be used? That's the threat."
Buffy's eyes began to tear with sadness and anger. "Can't you even pretend you care about me anymore?" she sobbed.
Riley moved to the seat next to Buffy's and wrapped his arm around her. "I do care, Buffy. I do. I just need you to understand the full realm of what's possible here. But, Buffy, look at me. Look at me."
Buffy sniffled and looked up at Riley. Her arms weren't as strong as hers, yet, as they gripped her shoulders, they seemed so powerful.
"Sometimes," she said as she gazed into his eyes. "I don't want you to be a soldier. Or a watcher. I just want you to be Riley. Like you were when we met at UC Sunnydale."
Riley shook his head, though he didn't back away when Buffy's head moved closer. "I don't think we can ever be those people again.”
Buffy nodded, her head still inclining further and further toward his. "I know.” She was so sad and worried. She was so vulnerable. "But can we pretend?" This wasn't fair to herself. Or Riley. Or his wife Samantha, who was obviously justified in her objections to Riley going on this mission. "Can we just pretend?"
Riley shook his head no as his lips parted. Buffy continued leaning forward. Finally, Riley leaned toward her. He pressed his lips over hers. Buffy's tongue darter into his mouth. Riley pressed down hard on Buffy's shoulders. He slid his hands down her arm, keeping the pressure on so that he simultaneously rubbed her arm and pushed her sweater off.
Buffy lowered her arms to allow Riley to push the sweater off. She moved her hand to the center of her chest and undid the snap of her bra, located in front on this model. Riley lowered his hands to her breasts, massaging them gently around the nipples. It had been so long since he'd seen Buffy. And now he was staring at her beautiful, half-naked body, wondering how it was possible that she was even more beautiful than he remembered.
Buffy ran her hand up Riley's chest, pushing his shirt up. Riley raised his arms so that she could remove it. As the shirt passed over his head, the intercom on the plane squawked.
"Sir, we've located temporary structures near the center of the Sunnydale area. Is that where you'd like us to put down?"
Riley jumped back from Buffy, filled with shame and embarrassment. Pulling his shirt down, he stared at Buffy as if waking from a trance. He only wished he could use that as an excuse. But he’d known what he was doing.
"Sir?" the intercom box called again.
Still catching his breath, Riley hit the intercom button. "Yeah. Drop us there."
"We should arrive in about forty-five minutes."
Buffy had closed her bra and was now pulling her sweater back on. "I'm sorry.”
"No. No. I should be . . . I'm sorry." He looked toward the front of the plane. "I'm going to go to the cockpit for a minute. I need to talk to the pilots."
Buffy nodded, knowing she wouldn't see Riley again until they landed.
*****
The black candle, placed atop the black cloak, burned with a black flame. The candle had burned for at least a half hour, yet no wax dripped from it. Dawn whimpered as the blood dripped from her wrist onto the candle. Dawn was bound to a chair, her arm wrenched out at an unnatural angle and bleeding on to the sinister makeshift altar. With each drop, Dawn was sure the blood would extinguish the candle. Yet the candle seemed to absorb her blood. The flame did not flicker. Nor did the blood fall to the robe below.
"Mother of Darkness," Ethan called loudly as Sasha began to hum behind him. "We pray to you devoutly. Answer our supplications and re-embodied he who sought to ascend to your side."
Sasha stepped forward, holding one of the still screaming babies. "As proof of our loyalty to your dark purposes," she said, removing a long silver dagger from her own robe. "We shed this innocent blood."
Dawn could swear Ethan winced as Sasha slit the infant's throat, draining the blood over the candle. It absorbed the baby's blood as it had Dawn’s.
Pyotr handed Sasha another baby. "As a sacrifice to you, we give you this innocent’s heart."
Dawn closed her eyes and cried, but still heard the baby's shrieking as Sasha dug her knife through its chest. Dawn didn't see what became of the infant's heart, but assumed it, like her blood and the blood of the first infant, had been absorbed into the candle.
Hoping to compel him to some act of compassion or humanity, Dawn tried to make eye contact with Ethan. The wizard, however, was looking down, unwilling to meet Dawn's gaze or watch the grizzly spectacle before him.
Sasha slid the dagger back into her robes and took the third baby from Pyotr. Dawn prayed that this child would be spared. That it not meet the horrific and disgusting fate.
"In exchange for the body of our brother and your most obedient son. We give you this innocent vessel." Sasha quickly snapped the babies neck and wrapped it in the robe.
Ethan overturned the candle, igniting the robe. Dawn felt the warmth of the fire below as her blood continued to drip onto the burning pyre.
"With this key," Ethan said, his eyes now fixed on the blaze. "We open the gates to your dark realm. The soul we have. The body we need. We beseech you, return your servant and son to us!"
The flame continued to burn black and seemed to fill the room with a kind of dark light. Shadows appeared as people and people as shadows. Shrieking, screaming, and moaning like Dawn never heard poured forth from the flames. The room shook like an earthquake was swallowing the building. Dawn cried more loudly, sure that the very pits of hell were opening beneath her.
Then, as suddenly as the horrific noises began, they ceased. The room was quiet and lit as usual. Looking down, Dawn saw that something now occupied the robe. Something roughly the size and shape of an adult human.
"Master!" Ethan exclaimed, moving to the side of the robed figure. He slowly lifted the Risen One to his feet.
"Thank you Mr. Rayne," the raspy voice of the Risen One said. "That was very considerate of you."
"You don't sound well, Master.”
"I need water."
"Of course. Of course." Ethan walked to the water cooler near the door of the office and poured a glass. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire rung out from out side.
"Bloody hell," Ethan said.
"Now, now, Mr. Rayne," the raspy voice said. "There's no need for that kind of talk. There is a young lady present."
Vladimir and Pyotr were already running outside, weapons at the ready, to see what the commotion was. Sasha, on the other hand stared intently at Dawn.
The Risen One walked to a first aid cabinet and grabbed a box. He approached Dawn and she shuddered. Removing a long roll of gauze, the Risen began bandaging Dawn's wrist.
******
Outside, the vamps had succeeding in blowing out the tries to Eve's car and stopping it about fifty feet from the prefab construction office where the Risen One was dressing Dawn's wound. Vladimir and Pyotr approached carefully. They couldn’t see the driver and assumed he was crouched low in the seat, waiting to spring an attack. The engine was still revving and the wheels were still spinning. The tires, however, were so deflated from being shot out that the vehicle could not get enough traction on the rocky ground to move forward.
Vladimir stepped up and looked into the car. The steering wheel and gas pedal were held in place by duct tape. Vladimir turned to Pyotr. "Who's watching the back?"
There were few structures that had been reassembled in Sunnydale. Other then that, it was flat and desolate. After a year long battle between environmentalists and developers, the decision was made that the land be sold and buildings be erected again. But small hills and valleys of dirt still existed in the area. At this moment, Spike and Faith were catching up to Connor, who had just ducked behind one such dirt mound.
"Ready," Connor said.
"Wait up," Faith said, still breathless from her run from the car before they set it rolling toward the construction office.
"No time.”
"Looks like we're up, luv," Spike said.
Spike and Faith jumped from behind the mound. Faith landed right behind Spike. The instant her feet touched ground, Faith and Spike ran toward the back of the prefab structure housing Ethan, Dawn, and the Risen. The single guard still behind the building opened fire on Spike while Faith remained behind him, using him as a shield from the gunfire.
Hearing the gunfire, Connor moved from behind the mound and hurled a Molotov cocktail at the vamp. The burning bottle exploded, dousing the vampire with burning gasoline. Connor ran forward with all his speed as the vampire quickly pulled off his burning body armor.
Looking up, the vamp saw that Connor had already run up to him. The boy's fist was flying through the air. Not having time to block the punch, the vampire braced himself for the impact. Suddenly, a wooden stake sprung forward and protruded from Connor's sleeve. Connor wasn't punching the vampire. He was staking it.
Connor plunged the stake into the vamp's heart and backed away quickly as it burst to dust before him. Vladimir rounded the corner and cocked his rifle. Connor quickly backed around the corner to where Spike guarded Faith as she cut a hole in the cheap aluminum side of the prefab office.
There was a dull, barely audible thud above them. "On the roof," Spike said.
"I heard him," Connor answered.
"Ears like dogs," Faith groaned as she punched the wall, knocking in the section she just cut out. "We're in."
Though injured, Spike entered first to block any potential gunfire. Faith and Connor followed.
"Stay low," Connor called, crouching down behind the desks. "If we can cut through the walls, they can shoot though them."
"Shut up before you start giving them ideas!" Spike called back.
"Spike!" Dawn shouted happily from the center of the room.
"We're here, Little Bit.”
Sasha came around the corner toward Connor. She began to speak, but Connor, ready with a lighter and a bottle, quickly lit another Molotov cocktail. He smashed the bottle over the girl's head, igniting her as he had the vampire earlier. The witch let out an inhuman scream and ran blindly toward the water cooler by the door. Connor gasped, realizing the girl was human, not a vampire.
Faith, Spike, and Connor could hear movement around the room as Dawn's captor's jockeyed for the most defensible positions. Then, the loud sound of an airplane touching down outside.
"That out cavalry or their's?" Spike yelled.
The sound of gunfire rung out from outside the building. "Sounds like ours," Connor called back.
Small footsteps took off, and then the sound of a struggle.
"I have your friend," a British voice called. "Leave now or I'll cut her--"
Connor leapt in the air, clearing the wall of boxes in front of him. He landed behind Ethan, who was holding a knife to Dawn's throat. Connor's arm shot out and grabbed Ethan's wrist before the man could flinch.
Dawn pulled free and ran toward where she heard Spike. "Spike! Spike! Spike, help!"
Dawn's shouts were muffled when the robed figure of the Risen One grabbed her.
Spike knocked over a row of boxes and charged forward. Still holding Dawn with one hand, the Risen raised his other hand, now holding a fire ball. Spike froze. Faith came from around a corner and froze like Spike.
"You can't take both of us," Faith said.
The Risen's hooded head turned and lingered on Faith as he backed toward the rear wall. Suddenly, the fireball vanished. He shoved Dawn forward and ran out through the hole that Faith cut in the wall.
Spike grabbed Dawn and pulled her into a hug. "Looks like we're all . . . Bloody Hell! Connor, what are you doing?!"
Dawn and Faith turned to see Connor, shoving Ethan back at an unnatural angle. He had Ethan's knife up to the wizard's throat and looked as if he were about to kill him.
Faith grabbed Connor's arm and tried to pull it back. She merely slowed him down as the knife shallowly pierced the skin of Ethan's neck. Blood trickled from the wound.
"Connor, ease up," she said. "He's human. Ease up."
"He kidnapped Dawn. Cut her. Tortured her. You call that human?" Connor's voice barely seemed human itself.
"Yeah," Faith said calmly. "A shitty human. But still human. Come on. Ease up."
Connor's arm went limp and Faith finally pulled him back. Spike moved forward and gripped Ethan as the front door opened. Riley and Buffy ran in. Dawn moved to her sister, hugging her tightly.
"Ethan Rayne," Riley said with a smile. "Looks like you don't have any more deals to offer us."
Faith walked with a quiet Connor out toward the transport plane. As they passed the hugging Summers sisters, Dawn looked up at Faith. "You should have let Connor kill him.”
"That's not what we do," Buffy said. "We don't kill humans. And he's not a demon."
"Yeah, I know," Dawn rolled her eyes. "But . . . can we just pretend he is?"
Connor gave an appreciative laugh and heard Faith do the same.
"Everyone ought to get to pretend something," Buffy said sadly.
"Come on, kid," Faith said. "I'll let you drink one of those beers left over from the six pack we bought for your Molotov cocktails."
"Giving booze to a minor's a crime," Spike said, walking out with Ethan. "Especially one as young as him."
"No problem," Faith said. "If they lock me up, kid here can come and bust me out again."
"Yeah," Spike said with mild appreciation. "He is the man with the plans. Or the kid with the plans anyway."
Riley followed Spike and Faith out, leaving Buffy alone with Dawn. Buffy was still hugging Dawn tightly.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said. "I'm sorry I wasn't the one who came and got you. I'm sorry I didn't rescue you before all of this."
Dawn shook her head. "Don't be. Whether you're with me or not, you always come to my rescue. The things you taught me, the lectures you gave me, and all those times you trained me . . . Buffy, that's what kept me alive."
Buffy cried, pulling Dawn into an even tighter hug. In the past, Dawn would have mentioned that the slayer strength was now becoming an issue with this hug. But Buffy and her preparation really had saved Dawn's life countless times during this ordeal. So Dawn decided her sister deserved one good hug.
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