Spike and Angel marched silently through the underground tunnel.
“So,” Spike said after a longer silence than he could bear. “Aren’t you going to ask how I figured it out? Besides the fact you’re both so girly.”
“No.” Angel was still concentrating on drawing his son’s scent in. He stopped and looked up at a manhole cover above them. “Looks like they went above ground.” Angel quickly turned and looked behind Spike.
“What?” Spike said worriedly, not liking Angel’s look.
“I thought I heard something. We better move.”
“In case you haven’t noticed mate, it’s daytime out there.”
Angel pulled his coat over his head. “I’ll throw it back to you when I make it to shade.”
Angel climbed the stairs, open the cover, then ran hard for the shadows provided by the nearby alleyways. Once he made it, he turned and hurled his coat toward the manhole cover. The coat landed with a flop, half hanging into the hole, the other half on the street.
“You throw like a sissy!” Angel heard Spike yell.
Finally the coat dropped into the tunnel and, a few minutes later, Spike was repeating Angel’s sprint for cover.
Angel grumpily pulled back his coat. “This way. Connor’s close.”
**
Connor’s eyes opened and he stared up into Drusilla’s eyes. Quickly, he moved to shake her off of him.
“Shhh,” Drusilla whispered. “No, no, my love. Those nasty boys are coming for a right proper reunion. But I have a surprise for them.”
***
“I’ve done what I can,” Willow said as they walked. “But I need more information. More than we have. More than Dana can give.”
“Keep your voice down,” Faith whispered. Dana walked not five feet in front of them. “What kind of information do you need?”
“Details. Details that are too painful to ask her to relive. But I think I can concoct a way for her to work through some things if I can have more details about what happened.”
“Parents are dead,” Faith whispered. “Sons of bitches that did this to her are dead. She’s not talking. Sorry Will, looks like we’re out of options unless you can do that Volcano mind meld thing.”
“What?” Willow said, shocked at Faith’s sci-fi knowledge.
“I don’t know,” Faith said with slight annoyance. “Some shit Andrew was talking about once.” Faith looked ahead to the slayer walking in front of them. “Hold up, Dana. This is the place.”
“I’m still not sure about this,” Willow said.
“Neither am I,” Faith responded nervously. “But she’s a slayer. Tons of pent up strength and energy. We don’t take this puppy out for walk, she’s going to tear up the house. And maybe Spike.”
****
On the third try, Angel smashed through the door. Wood splinters flew everywhere as Angel stumbled into the studio apartment. Spike strolled in after him. The windows were all covered to keep the sunlight out. This was definitely the place. Angel walked cautiously, following his son’s sent to the back of the large room. There was an area there hidden by dark drapes.
Finally, Angel smiled, filled with relief, as his son stepped from behind the drapes. He was battered, but obviously well enough to stand. Suddenly, Angel’s smile faded as he saw Connor raise a large axe.
“Why can’t you leave us alone?” Connor said angrily.
“What?” Angel said.
“Me and Cordy. Why can’t you leave us alone?”
“Whoa,” Spike said. “He shagged Cordy, too? Little runt gets around!”
“Son, Cordy’s dead.”
Slowly Drusilla sauntered out from behind the curtains and wrapped her arms around Connor from behind.
“Don’t listen to him, baby,” Connor heard Cordelia whisper to him.
Spike’s pale face almost went red with rage. “Oh. You. Slut!” Spike yelled, unsure whether he was speaking to Dru or the kid. He raised his sword. “That’s it!”
Angel held his hand out to stop Spike. “Connor, look, you needto-”
“Angel,” Spike said. “Want to take a look around?”
Angel looked around to see the room filling with vampires from behind them. Connor raised his axe. And then, distinctly, Angel heard Druilla’s voice whisper, “Kill them, my love. For us.”
Angel put on his game face and turned to Drusilla. “Why won’t you brunette, brain-washing bitches leave my boy alone?!”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “Nice alliteration, mate!”
Spike and Angel raised their swords. Dru’s vampires closed in around them. Angel wasn’t sure how it started, but in an instant, he was separated from Spike, hacking his way through Dru’s unarmed lackeys and cutting a path to his son. Spike groaned as he fought somewhere over Angel’s right shoulder.
Angel spun around, his back to Connor and his face to the door and Spike as he slashed at the vamps that were closing behind him. Spike was cutting his way back toward Angel. Angel lost sight of Spike. He saw a shadow on the floor. Turning quickly, Angel was knocked back by the head of an axe. Spike had made his way to Angel’s back and used his sword to slice Connor’s axe handle a split second before the boy would have decapitated his father.
Spike cocked his sword and swung for Connor. “No!” Angel yelled, just as Connor ducked Spike’s cut and lunged forward, tackling the blonde vampire. Connor rolled off Spike and came up with Spike’s sword. Angel looked down to see a vampire scooping up the sword he dropped when the axe head hit him.
Spike jumped to Angel and grabbed his shoulder. “We gotta go!”
“Not without my son!”
Spike pulled Angel toward the door. “Outnumbered and no weapons. Gotta go!” Angel had been pulled into the stairwell before he understood that they had to fall back. He broke into a run with Spike. As they made it to the bottom door, they found a large metal wall where the entrance had been.
“Oh bloody hell,” Spike said.
They were trapped. Outnumbered, unarmed, and confined to a space so cramped that their speed was useless. As the vampires slowly made their way down the stairs, Connor appeared at the top, holding Spike’s sword.
“You should have left us alone,” Connor said angrily.
Angel gulped. How much harm had Drusilla done? Had she found a way to strip him of his memories of a happy youth and loving family? Or would all this be done once he was freed of Drusilla’ thrall. It was a moot point. The vampires were closing in. Soon no one would be left to break her spell.
The vampire in front of Angel raised his sword. Suddenly, the vamp’s head flopped forward and it burst to dust. Behind the vampire stood Dana, holding an axe menacingly. Faith gripped Dana’s arm and pulled her back. “These two are ours,” Faith said, indicating Angel and Spike. She then pointed to the multitude of vampires behind them. “Those you kill.”
Dana turned and, like a force of nature began hacking away at the vampires pouring down the steps. Faith turned to help Dana. Willow shoved swords into Angel’s and Spike’s hands, then turned and walked toward the steps. She raised her hands and moved them to the side. The vampires on the stairs all moved to the sides around her as if she were parting the Red Sea. Willow walked up the stairs determinedly toward Connor and Dru.
Connor raised his sword and walked slowly down to meet Willow. Angel charged forward to come to Willow’s aid, but the passage through the vampires closed behind her, cutting her off from Spike, Angel, and the slayers. Connor cocked the sword and prepared to swing, but Willow held her hand up and whispered. Connor’s eyes closed and he dropped to the floor. Willow grabbed Connor’s sword and continued toward Drusilla.
Angel and Spike joined with Dana and Faith. The four swung and hacked hard, dusting the vampires that stood between them and Drusilla.
“We need to get to Willow!” Angel yelled.
“Red can handle herself!” Spike yelled.
Willow approached Drusilla, but was shoved against a wall as the vampires behind her ran up the stairs and passed her. They were falling back from the onslaught of armed vampires and slayers below.
Drusilla scowled. She lurched forward toward Connor, but suddenly felt constricted as if something were holding her back by the throat. Willow squeezed her hand and pushed up. Several feet away, Drusilla rose into the air. “Leave him,” Willow said in a voice that sounded barely human.
Angel charged up the stairs and picked Connor up, holding him in his arms. He looked so battered. “How could you let her do this to you?” he whispered sadly to his son.
“Actually,” Spike said, walking past him. “That would be Dana’s damage. Quite a charmer, that one.”
With a jerk, Drusilla pulled free of Willow’s magical hold. She quickly ran from the room. Willow and Faith ran after her, but Dru’s minions quickly threw themselves in their way. Willow shot a fireball, blasting two into flames while Faith hacked away at the other two. But it was too late. Dru had vanished from the room.
Spike turned back and looked at Dana. She stood still, not attacking. But her eyes were still filled with fury. To Spike, she seemed to be calculating exactly how much dust he’d make. She held her axe threateningly.
Faith walked back down the stairs to Dana. She gently touched the axe and pushed it down. “Good work. You killed all the right vampires.”
Dana still glared past Faith toward Spike.
“Come on,” Willow said sweetly as she took Dana’s hand. “Let’s go home.”
Connor’s eyes sprang open and she struggled in Angel’s arm. “What’s going on?!”
“Surprise party for your birthday,” Spike said in a dull voice. “Surprise.”
*****
Angel still had Connor in his arms as he descended into the sewers. He didn’t like exposing his son’s open wounds to the bacteria-infested channels, but he couldn’t run through the open sunlight while carrying his son.
Willow, Faith, and Dana headed out through the door Willow had conveniently made in a wall upstairs. Spike followed Angel into the sewer. They stopped beneath a manhole that led into a beat up motel where Angel was staying. He didn’t want to go back to the Hyperion while Wolfram & Hart was still pursuing him.
Angel looked at Spike intently. “Spike,” he said uncomfortably. “Thank-“
“Don’t,” Spike said, holding up his hand to stop Angel. “After all this time, wouldn’t feel right.”
Angel shook his head. “Thank you. You’ll never know what you did for me today.”
“Tell you what. Back in New York, your kid got my leather jacket ruined. Buy me a new one and we’re all square from where I stand.”
Angel smiled. “I’ll get you one for every day of the week.”
Spike shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe this good deed will go on my tally for that Shanshu thing.”
Angel opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t. He didn’t want to deceive Spike, but he also didn’t want to crush his hope. Ripping someone’s hope from them, that was something that Angel couldn’t bear to do. He nodded quietly. “Maybe.” Angel turned to go.
“Oh, wait,” Spike said. “Promised Eve I’d tell you about her.”
Angel turned back and glared at Spike. “What about Eve?”
“She helped us on some stuff. Don’t know why, but she seemed intent on me telling you she was at least playing white hat. Still don’t trust her, but she asked me to tell you she’s been helping. And she has.”
Angel nodded. “Where is she?”
******
Spike walked in amid sentence. “Yes,” Dawn was saying. “They’re absolutely sure. Markovic is back in Belgrade.”
“Must mean the Risen One hired someone else to kill me,” Faith said.
Willow was at the laptop computer typing. “Dawn, are you sure all the files are on here?”
“Whatcha need, Red?” Spike said, walking up to the computer.
“Dawn said all Connor’s hacking code was on this laptop.”
“Yeah,” Faith said. “Something about having the code on one computer and using the other to do the hacking.”
“It’s not working,” Willow said. “The only think he hacked was the LAPD’s traffic division.”
“What’re you talking about?” Dawn said, stepping behind Willow and looking at the screen. “He showed me Faith’s criminal record on here.”
From the other room, Dana started screaming.
“Dawn, can you check on her?” Faith asked. “It’s probably another nightmare.”
“What?” Dawn said. “Why me?”
“Because she likes you,” Faith answered. “She says she thinks you’re soothing. Besides, it’s my criminal record we’re discussing. I’d like to be here for it.”
Dawn turned and walked out of the room in a huff.
Faith shook her head. “Sometimes Dana says the weirdest shit.”
“You’re telling me,” Spike said coldly.
“She calls Dawn ‘glow-ball.’ Says ‘I like glow ball. She’s soothing.’” Faith shook her head.
Spike and Willow looked at each other knowingly, then back to the computer screen.
“Yeah,” Spike said. “Where’s the criminal stuff? All that’s here is unpaid traffic tickets.”
“What?” Faith said, walking around to view the computer. “I never got any traffic tickets in California.”
Willow looked at Faith nervously. “Let me look into the bank transfers Connor downloaded.”
“Shouldn’t you be working on loonie toons upstairs?” Spike asked.
Willow shook her head. “I’ve done what I can. Without specifics on what happened, I don’t know what else I can do.”
“What do you mean specifics?”
“Specifics,” Faith said in a grouchy tone. “What are you, slow or something? She needs specifics about what happened. And everyone there is either dead or not talking.”
Spike looked down. “There’s a demon. Hard to track down. Very hard. But I think I can find him. Might be able to help. If Dana doesn’t kill him of course.”
Willow looked up from the computer. “Find it. I’ll work on this. When you get back with your demon, we’ll go back to work on Dana.”
Spike nodded, turned, and left.
Faith sat next to Willow. “I don’t get it. I’m wanted for murder and busting out of prison, and the Risen One goes to the trouble to frame me for traffic tickets?”
Willow looked up from the computer. “Turn yourself in and pay the tickets.”
“What?!”
Willow turned the laptop to face Faith. On it, the entirety of Faith’s criminal record was listed. It consisted solely of six unpaid traffic tickets.
“The Risen One didn’t hire someone to kill you, Faith,” Willow said nervously. “He bribed someone to get rid of your criminal record.”
*******
Angel sat next to Connor’s bed, gazing down intently at the sleeping boy. Connor’s eyes fluttered open. He was looking into Angel’s eyes. Angel looked back apprehensively.
“Going to try to kill me again?” Angel asked.
“Maybe. But not today. Too sore.” Connor sat up. “How long was I out?”
“Couple hours. You okay?”
Connor nodded. “She . . . I thought it was . . .”
Angel shook his head. “It’s fine, son. Just . . . just don’t. Alright?”
Connor nodded. Even in their deep conversations and arguments, Connor and Angel had skirted the issue of Cordelia. Connor knew Angel would never understand how deeply he loved Cordy. And he knew that he would never know how terribly he wounded Angel.
Connor’s face when red and guilt gushed over him as he thought of Buffy. He wanted to blame alcohol and hormones, but he was lusting for Buffy the second he saw her. And now, he felt sick. He felt a deep fear that Angel would find out. He desperately wished there was some way he could take it back.
“What’s wrong?” Angel asked.
“I’m just wondering how the others are,” Connor lied.
“I have to go see someone. Are you sure you’ll be alright here?”
“Why can’t I just go back to the hotel?”
“I don’t want you going back there until I take care of this.”
Connor nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
********
“Why would this Risen guy want to wipe out my criminal record?” Faith asked as she paced the room. She turned quickly and assumed a fighting posture only to see Dawn walking down the stairs.
“Dana was having a nightmare,” she said.
“Probably because he wants to kill you,” Willow said, answering Faith’s question. “You’re a lot easier target if you’re not in a maximum security prison. Even the First Evil couldn’t kill you in there.”
Faith had already resumed pacing, lost in thought. “The construction trailers.”
“What?” Willow asked.
“That’s where he took me,” Dawn said. “Construction trailers in Sunnydale.”
Willow snickered. “Who’d let all that prime real estate go to waste?”
Faith walked to the counter and grabbed the keys to Willow’s rental car. “I’m going back there.”
Willow stood. “I’m coming with you.”
“No,” Faith shook her head. “You two stay here. Take care of Dana. Keep her chilled ‘til Spike gets back with his demon shrink. I’m going to go check out the scene of the crime.”
*********
“You wanted to see me,” Angel said. It was a statement, not a question. “Here I am.” It was not quite dusk yet. Angel had not had an easy time getting inside Eve’s office without bursting into flames.
Eve looked up from her paperwork and smiled warmly. “Angel!” she said as if greeting an old friend.
“What do you want, Eve?”
“I’d hoped Spike would have told you how helpful I’ve been. I even kept your son’s secret from his chums.”
“Not well enough.”
“Angel, the point is, I’ve been on my best behavior. Helping the white hats. Fighting evil. I really, really wanted to prove myself to you.” Eve stepped closer as she rambled on enthusiastically. “I really, really wanted you to see that I could be a good guy, too. I wanted you t come to me and talk to me and trust me.”
“I don’t trust you, Eve.”
“But you’re here,” she said smiling flirtatiously. “And that’s good enough.” She placed her hands on Angel’s chest. “Because all I want.” Eve tilted her head up toward Angel’s as if to kiss him. Then, she whispered. “All I want . . . is to make you pay for what you did to Lindsey.”
Angel felt the chain flop over his head and around his neck. He moved quickly and grabbed Eve, but she slapped a cross on his hand, burning him until he released her. The chain pulled back, dragging him to the ground. His feet flailed, trying to get enough traction to stand. He looked up to see one of Dru’s lackey’s holding the chain. Drusilla herself stood behind him, grinning widely. The lackey pulled again, jerking Angel to the ground as another lackey roped chains around Angel’s legs.
Drusilla looked down over the now bound Angel. “You’ve been a naughty daddy. Keeping me and my baby brother apart.”
**********
Faith arrived at the construction site just after dusk. The sun was dark and, again, the once vibrant town seemed an eerie desert wasteland. Faith walked cautiously toward the makeshift structure that served as the office for the construction team’s management. As she reached the door, she heard a voice inside. He paused in his speech and no one answered. He must be on the phone.
Faith pushed open the door and entered the office. The man at the desk looked up. “Mike, I’m going to have to call you back,” the man said. He hung up the phone and smiled at Faith. He was grinning so widely it looked like his eyes would pop out.
Faith stared at the man behind the desk, shocked to see him despite the fact that she’d know, not suspected, but known that he would be the one she’d find there. He looked thin and pale and tired, yet somehow younger than the man she knew. But if Faith thought the man’s face and voice were a phantom from her imagination or a trick of the light, the plaque on the desk reading ‘Richard Wilkins IV’ told her otherwise.
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