A Fallen Angel – Chapter 2
3 Years Later
Her eyes hurt. She had been staring at the computer screen in front of her for hours. Her coffee had gone cold and tasted sour. She put it down and made a face; that was the most disgusting thing I have ever had in my entire life. She picked it up again and threw it into the garbage can across the room. The cup sailed across the room and hit the garbage can dead center. She smiled to herself then turned back to the blinking screen in front of her. A headache began to form behind her eyes and she replayed the tape one more time. The images all swirled together and no longer represented individual people. She hit the pause button and leaned back in her chair. This was all so impossible. There was no way that three people could disappear overnight. She had spent three years searching for answers but all she found were more dead ends. A soft knock came from behind her and she swiveled around in her chair to see a tall young man framed in the doorway. He was six-foot-one with shoulder length brown hair; deep eyes that seemed to go on forever; he had a lean frame but well defined with muscle. He may look small but he was much stronger than one would assume. He looked at her with hope and sadness waiting for her to say something.
"Any luck?" He asked. She smiled at him and shook her head. He had asked her that question every day for the last three years and every day she had the same answer.
"I wish I could say that I did, but I don't. I have a big fat pile of nothing. You?" He shook his head as well as he walked into the small room and sat next to her. He leaned forward and put his head into his hands. He sat there for a moment then looked up into her green eyes.
"Nope. Nothing. As usual."
"We'll find something, eventually." She said to him.
"Eventually is not good enough."
"Connor, you have to trust me. There is no one in this world who wants to find Angel more than me. I have spent the last three years of my life looking for him and I promise you, I will find him. It's just going to take time." Buffy smiled at him and took his hand. She squeezed it for a moment and he gripped back.
"I know that. It just doesn't make any sense. Why would he disappear and…"
"And you still be here?"
"Yeah, me still here. I don't get it."
"We'll figure it out." Buffy said to him, "Willow is working round the clock just like Xander and everybody else. It's just a little more difficult than we could imagine." Connor smiled and looked at the computer screen that Buffy had been spending most of her time looking at.
"Anything new off this?" Connor asked moving to look at the screen. Buffy shifted back and hit the replay button.
"Nothing. Willow found this a couple of weeks ago, one of the first leads we've had in a long time. I have no idea how she found it and I'm not inclined to ask. The video shows Angel, Gunn, Spike and Fred talking to some guy…"
"Hamilton."
"Right, Hamilton. Anyway, they are talking to him in front of the pile of Wolfram & Hart ruble then a flash of light and they're gone. I've gone over the video numerous times and I can't find a shadow or a fleck out of place. I was hoping that if I looked at it long enough and slowed it down then I might find an extra shadow or…something that might lead me to an answer as to what they were talking about or where they went."
"Did Willow get anything on the magical end?"
"She ran over the tape at a very subatomic/magical level and she says that whoever created the light was much more powerful than a 1st grade warlock like Hamilton."
"Hamilton's a warlock?" Connor asked.
"Anyone who ends up working for Wolfram & Hart has to have some degree of magic in them. Anyone who works closely to the Senior Partners has to be a level two or higher. It's actually part of the job description."
"What did you research the company?"
"From top to bottom. The only way we are going to get anywhere is if we know our enemy inside and out. We spent at least six months pulling out all the stops on figuring out who Wolfram & Hart is." Buffy moved away from the computer and handed Connor a large file, "Wolfram & Hart didn't start as a law firm. That is what they evolved into. The Senior Partners have existed since the beginning of time, actually since the creation of the Slayers. The world works on a very delicate balance of good and evil, or heaven and hell if you prefer. Evil is born in everything; everybody in the world has the potential to be evil, as well as good. It all depends on which way you choose to go.
When the first Slayer was created, those warlocks used a large amount of pure evil to create pure good. Because of that, the Senior Partners were created. For every good deed there has to be an equal or more power evil deed. Demonic energies were used to create the Slayer as a result, there had to be an ultimate Evil, other than the First, to balance it out: the Senior Partners. Of course they weren't known as the Senior Partners in the beginning. Originally they didn't have a name. Each culture gave them a different name and meaning. Some believe that the Senior Partners were the first idea of Lucifer, or the Devil. They have evolved over time into a multimillion-dollar corporation. They went from being a folktale or legend to being the single most powerful entity in the entire world.
As time went on, the Senior Partners changed their image and their ways. But their ultimate goal has always been the same: bring about The Apocalypse. The end to all existence and the rebirth of pure evil. When one world ends, as will evolution, another is created. It happened with the dinosaurs and it will happen with man; the Senior Partners want to destroy the world in order to recreate it in a more sinister image." Connor flipped through the file and found a page about his father.
"What does my dad have to do with all of this?"
"From what we can tell," Buffy said handing him yet another file, "Angel is the key to everything. Angel is the perfect warrior."
"How so?" Connor asked.
"Angel went from being a undefined human to becoming the most evil creature every created. Angelus was pure evil. It didn't matter what he did or how he did it, his legacy, as the Scourge of Europe will exist forever. What makes him special is that he was cursed with his human soul. Angel went from being pure evil to being pure good. He fights every day to atone for every evil deed he has ever done; he puts everyone ahead of himself and he never asks for anything in return. He is the image of the perfect warrior. Super human, super evil, super good all rolled into one package. According to Willow and the research we've done, if Angel were to be sacrificed it would bring about The Apocalypse."
"But wouldn't killing him be considered an act of evil?" Connor inquired as he read through a file all about his father.
"Yes. I don't think, and neither does Willow, that they want to kill him. What they want is for him to sacrifice himself for humanity. An act of pure good would stimulate an act of pure evil. Especially if Angel sacrificed himself during the final alignment of the planets." Off his look of skepticism, Buffy laughed, "I know how stupid that sounds and how clique, but its true. The alignment of the planets causes a huge magical flux that if harnessed properly could bring about the end of the world."
"Dad wouldn't do it. Not if he knew."
"But that is where you are wrong. He would. You may think you know your father Connor, but you don't. Angel would still sacrifice his life to save humanity even if it meant a different result. He wouldn't hesitate. That is what makes him a true champion." Connor put all the files down and looked at Buffy. She was completely serious. Connor didn't want to believe that his father would actually sacrifice himself when he knew that it meant the end of the world. He shook his head and stood.
"You might be right but we'll never know unless we actually find him."
"We're looking. We still have to do all the other stuff we do everyday, but believe me I'm living, breathing and sleeping this mystery."
"Any luck on the Spike front?" Connor asked as he began to pace back and forth. Buffy closed her eyes and rubbed them hard.
"No. Willow has tried every way humanly and magically possible and there is just no way of waking him up. Willow says he's in some kind of vampiric coma. Vampire comas are not very common. They usually only happen when an elder vampire is sick of the world and decides to stop drinking blood. When a vampire goes without blood they eventually fall into a deep slumber living their remaining days under ground. The traditional way of waking up a vampire from this sleep is by feeding them undiluted human blood. Which is hard to come by in general because no blood sample is not diluted or polluted in some way. We've tried Slayer blood, including my own, and still nothing. Willow has also tried to link with his mind to see if he's dreaming or conscience of what is going on, nothing. It doesn't look good."
"I can't believe all this is happening. I mean, they thought of everything. They made Fred and Gunn disappear, along with sending Lorne by to Pylea; they put Spike into a coma he can't wake up from and then there is me. They didn't do anything to me. I still have all my memories, except for how I got here. Don't you think they would want to silence me as well?"
"That is answer we just don't have. We have no idea why they didn't just get rid of you too. Willow has a running theory. Do you want to hear it?" Buffy asked raising an eyebrow.
"Why? Don't think I'll accept the answer?" Connor asked. Buffy looked at him sideways as if to say 'yes' causing Connor to shrug.
"Willow seems to think because of your mysterious origins and miraculous birth, they couldn't touch you. You are a lot more important than you give yourself credit for and I think that is why they couldn't do anything to you. When they changed your memories and relocated you that was done on a simple plane of magic's; Willow thinks that you are immune to anything higher than that. Like you are…"
"A freak?"
"Your words not mine. No, like you are more powerful than the Senior Partners. They can't get you out of the way because they don't have the ability to. You are the product of two vampires; you are as special as they come. One day you may find yourself greater than every expected."
"Wonderful, I'm Clark Kent." Buffy smiled.
"Clark Kent had a cap and suit, if you ever put on spandex I'll kill you." Connor smiled at her and stopped pacing. Buffy was an amazing woman. He could see why his dad was so in love with her. She was so smart and so completely loyal to his father. It took an exceptional woman to spend three years of her life searching for someone she might never find again.
"Okay, so I'm not Clark Kent but it gives way to the theory that I'm an alien or some kind of all-powerful god."
"Your theory has merit but I don't think we'll ever find out. At least not right now." Suddenly, Xander burst into the room out of breath. Buffy turned to him with a frown on her face.
"Xander?"
"Willow found something. Come on!" Buffy shot up from her chair and raced after Xander. Connor followed leaving the computer and files askew on the table.
--
Willow was sitting in the middle of her room within a chalk drawn circle. Her legs were crossed and her eyes were closed; her hands rested on her legs and she was taking slow deep, calculated breaths. Her eyes flew open and she smiled. Now she was sure. Just then, Xander came back into the room with Buffy and Connor in tow. She saw hope in their eyes as she stood and dusted off her pants.
"The one thing I hate about chalk is that it gets everywhere." Buffy crossed her arms, clearly not amused with her friend.
"Willow…" Buffy began.
"Relax, you know me. I like to release the tension with a bit of humor. I found Fred." Willow announced. Connor moved forward shock registering on his face.
"Are you serious? How?"
"I searched for her essence. Every human has an essence or aura that only they have. It's usually easier to locate but Wolfram & Hart managed to hide it well. She's in the state of Texas."
"That's not a surprise," Connor said, "She's from there."
"So when to we go?" Buffy asked.
"We go as soon as I know its safe to do so. I have to make sure that the Senior Partners don't detect us when we go. The last thing we need is for them to assassinate some more Slayers in order to "scare" us. I'm going to create some clocking amulets to hide us from them, it won't last forever, but it will keep us hidden until we can talk to Fred." Willow moved to the large silver laboratory table set up underneath a window looking out onto the grounds of the castle.
"Do you think she'll know what's going on or will they have done something to her as well?" Connor asked. Willow continued to work as she answered Connor.
"I think that she won't remember a damn thing. She probably won't even know who we are. I doubt that Illyria is in her body anymore. The Senior Partners would have gotten rid of her or sent her back to her slumber; Fred will be Fred. It's easy to mess with a human's memories than an Elder's. What I want to do is get close enough so that I can rummage around in her head to see what they've done or tried to cover up." Willow made quick work of putting liquid together and grinding up powers and herbs.
"Can you actually do that?" Connor asked. Willow turned back her eyes as black as the night.
"Unlike most mortal men, I am a god. I have the ability to do just about whatever I want. But the Senior Partners are always one step ahead of me. They are one level ahead of me. Its rather infuriating." Willow allowed her eyes to return to their natural hazel and she went back to her work.
"Well, I'm going with you." Connor announced. Buffy had given up fighting him. In the beginning she had forced him to stay behind only to discover that he always managed to find a way to follow them. She was sure Xander had something to do with it. After the last time, she had stopped fighting him.
"We'll all go." Buffy said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yep, because you are going to be the distraction. I need Fred to be completely relaxed while I dive into her mind." Willow said. She turned back and handed each one of her friends an amulet, "These will mask our magical auras from the Senior Partners for a short time. We are going to have to make this a short and sweet trip." Willow put her amulet around her neck and stood in the middle of the room with outstretched hands. Connor hated this part. He'd much rather they travel the traditional way, but with time being sensitive, they had resorted to faster forms of travel. Connor stepped forward and took Willow's hand. Buffy took Connor's and Xander completed the circle. Willow turned her head to look at the brunette sitting on the bed.
"Don't wait up." She said. Kennedy smiled and blew her a kiss. Willow turned back and threw her head back. Several Latin incantations later they were gone.
--
The foursome stood in front of a small house with a white picket fence around it. Not exactly what Buffy expected for a house in Texas. They walked up to the house and stood still for a moment. A small dog was tied up in the front yard, barking and snarling. Buffy frowned. She hated yappy dogs. Connor put a hand on the gate and waited. Willow was still for a moment before she moved.
"We are safe. No one has taken an interest in our movement." Connor raised an eyebrow, "I have to make sure that no on has taken interest in our magical form of travel. The less attention we get the better." She walked up to the front gate and opened it. Connor, Buffy and Xander followed slowly closing the gate behind them. Willow walked with purpose up to the door she knocked loudly.
"Do you have a plan as to why we are here?" Connor asked.
"Of course I do." Willow said. A tall man with glasses opened the door.
"Can I help you folks?" He asked.
"My name is Willow Rosenberg. I'm here to talk to your daughter, Winifred."
"What's this about?"
"It's about her application to our science center earlier this year. I'd like to talk to her about her dissertation and possible grant money to fund her temporal time shift theories and tests." Willow smiled sweetly as the man assessed what she'd said.
"Well, I'm sorry. Fred's not here at the moment, but ya'll are welcome to come in and wait for her. She should be getting back shortly." Willow smiled.
"Thank you. We'd love to wait." The man held the door open and yelled into the house.
"Trish! Put some water on, we have guests." He walked away from the group and headed towards the kitchen. Willow took off her shoes and walked into the house towards the living room. Buffy, Connor and Xander did the same following their friend through the house. Buffy caught hold of Willow's arm and turned her around to face her.
"Willow, I don't know anything about temporal time shift theories. How are we going to keep her distracted when we have no idea what to say?"
"Don't worry. We won't last on that topic for long. The whole point is to keep her talking, even if its about other things." Willow sat down on the flower print couch and crossed her legs. Connor remained standing next to the large piano; Xander stood in front of the bay window and Buffy sat next to her friend. The waited until a small woman with mouse-brown hair flecked with gray came into the room. She was holding a tea tray very carefully; slowly she set it down on coffee table then took a step back.
"I hope ya'll are okay with tea. Fred was supposed to bring back coffee but that girl gets so distracted with her work that she has a tendency to forget." Willow reached for the cup and sat back. The rest of the team remained still. Trish, Fred's mom, sat opposite them in a large wingback chair holding her own cup. She looked like she wanted to ask them something but held it back. Willow, sensing her unease, took the opportunity to set the scene and dig around in Fred's mom's memories at the same time.
"I know this is a little short notice, but we have to keep our picks secret. If we told everyone we wouldn't be the leading center in scientific breakthrough. Fred's research is of particular interest to us and we want to jump on it before anyone else. We have a lot of money to offer Fred and if she takes it, well she won't lack for anything nor have any limits to what she would be able to do." Trish set her cup down and smiled.
"What center did ya'll say you were from?" She asked.
"I didn't. We like to remain anonymous. Fred will know who we are and will respect the need for us to keep our identity secret." Willow didn't skip a beat as she spoke. Buffy looked into her friends eyes and noticed that she was leading Fred's mom while she rooted around in her head. Willow's eyes always had a red rim when she was using magic. Buffy took the opportunity to distract the woman.
"You have a very lovely home. How long have you been here?" She asked.
"All our lives. This little thing was a gold mine. When we were younger, newly married, we were search for a fixer-upper; we love doing renovations and we wanted the house to be a complete reflection on our family and us. We didn't even complete all the rooms until we were having a baby. The extension on the house we did three years ago when Fred came home. Fred needed a little extra room for all her work so we didn't see them harm in building her a little laboratory of her own. She's always workin' so hard." Trish picked up her cup again and took another sip.
"I love your yard. I enjoy gardening and what you've done with yours I've never been able to achieve," Buffy leaned forward and finally took a cup, "I love gardening but I tend to kill everything."
"The garden is my husband's forte. I've never been good it with myself. He works so hard on it. Out there are some of Fred's hybrid plants. The neighbors always ask were we got them but there is no way to tell them because they are Fred's creations."
"She's very gifted." Buffy commented. Willow finally relaxed and took a deep breath. Trish's unease seemed to settle at the same time. Buffy smiled. Her friend always amazed her, "May I used your bathroom?" She asked. Trish directed her to the bathroom and Buffy stood and walked out of the room. Buffy closed the door and sat on the toilet. She crossed her legs and put her hands on her knees. Taking a few deep breaths she closed her eyes and continued to wait. Suddenly an image shimmered behind her eyelids and Willow's floating form appeared.
So, did you find anything? Buffy asked.
Not a whole lot but there is definitely a block there. There was no memory erasure or built memories. I think that they were in on it. I think that three years ago when Wolfram & Hart did this they brought in Fred's family. Made them some kind of deal, they keep Fred and live their lives like nothing had happened. Any parent would take up that offer.
Is there anyway to get around the mind block to find out for sure?
I don't think so. Not if I don't want to kill them. I believe the block was created for this exact purpose. To stop people like me from finding out that their involved and what's going on.
Do you think they know more than what they were told?
I don't think they were told much. They were most likely threatened or given an ultimatum. Do this or we'll kill Fred, that kind of thing. Her parents are just trying to protect Fred. They are apprehensive of us and we need to be careful. I also get the feeling that if someone comes poking around looking for Fred; they are to call the wolves.
How much time do you think we have?
Not much. If we are going to dig around in Fred's head she needs to come home soon. I'd like to check her dad. So that's my next step. Buffy nodded to herself then watched as Willow's image disappeared. She opened her eyes and stood. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Keep up appearances; Buffy walked back to the living room to find that Willow was gone and Connor was sitting on the couch. Buffy sat next to him and picked up her drink. Moments later Willow returned with Fred's dad and stood in the doorway. Within moments of reentering the room the front door opened.
"Hello! Mom! Dad! I'm home!" For a moment, Trish looked at her husband and a slight hesitation reflected in their eyes. Her husband nodded ever so slightly and Trish turned back to the group.
"We're in here!" Fred, the real Fred that Connor remembered, walked into the room but stopped short, "What's going on?" She asked. Willow smiled warmly and stepped towards her extending her hand.
"Fred? My name is Dr. Willow Rosenberg. I'm from the Scottish Institute for Scientific Evolution, I'm sure you've heard of us." Fred's face broke into a smile and she took Willow's hand; she shook it fiercely.
"Oh, wow. I didn't think ya'll had gotten my application. I can't believe you would come all the way here!"
"Well, we like to be one step ahead of our fellow competitors. We thought we'd come down in person to talk to you about your theories regarding temporal time shift anomalies. Of course, only if you have the time?" Willow's eyes flared slightly red as she began to probe her way into Fred's mind. Fred took a slight step back but smiled.
"I'd love to! You were always my first choice but I wasn't sure if my work would be good enough for you. Ya'll are at the head of your game and I'm just a small Texas girl. Still you could have just sent me a letter…" Fred's thoughts trailed off as she entered the living room. Beads of sweat appeared on Willow's brow and her brows furrowed together. Buffy stood and walked to her friend.
"Willow?" Willow doubled over and hit the ground. Fred backed towards her parents with a hand over her mouth.
"Is she all right?" Fred asked. Trish and her husband shared a quick glance and looked back at Willow. Willow rolled onto her side and looked into Buffy's eyes. Buffy could tell that something was really wrong. Xander knelt beside them and put Willow's arm around his shoulder. Connor stood and went to help Xander take Willow outside.
"I'm really sorry. She's really sick and was so stubborn about making this trip. She shouldn't be traveling and sometimes it just gets to her." She walked towards Fred and her family and searched Fred's face for any recognition of Willow or Connor. There was nothing except fear in her eyes, "Thank you so much for your time and the Institute will be in touch at a later time." Buffy turned on her heel and walked out of the house. Xander and Connor had Willow on the front lawn. She was taking deep, deliberate breaths with her hand on her chest. Xander held her shoulders and Connor stood. He was looking at the large bay window of the Burkle home. Buffy turned and saw that the threesome was staring at them. Trish grabbed hold of the curtains and closed them. Buffy turned back and walked towards her friend.
"I don't think we are getting anything out of them now." Connor crossed his arms and frowned. Willow finally stood and dusted off her pants from the ground.
"What happened?" Xander asked.
"Whatever Wolfram & Hart has done its more than I can break through. When I started to go through her memories I hit a block but it wouldn't release me. It's like it is a failsafe in case someone tries to get in. It was rather painful." Willow shook her head then looked to her friends.
"I'm sorry. But I don't think we are going to find out anything from the Burkle's. We might have better luck with Gunn, if we can find him. When we get back, I'll start the search."
"Are you sure you want to dive around in another one of their heads?" Xander asked concern etched on his face.
"It might be stronger with Fred because they had to rip the demon out of her and replace the read Fred which most likely had gone missing," Willow walked away from the house and headed back to the extraction point, "They had to do more work with her. It might be less with Gunn. I won't know until I try. We can't just let these people scare us away from finding Angel, or do you want to give up?" No one said anything and Willow nodded holding out her hands. The group took a hand each and within moments they were gone heading back to the base.
--
Buffy needed a little space after they came back to Scotland. Willow had locked herself back in her room in a desperate search to find Gunn. Xander had gone back to the tape they had found thinking that maybe a fresh pair of eyes would be beneficial. Connor needed to blow off some steam and had headed to the large gym. Buffy just wanted some silence. She walked the long hall of the infirmary and turned into a small room at the end of the hall. She stood for a moment in the doorway, leaning against the frame. In a typical hospital there would be tubes and machines hooked up to the individual lying in the bed, but this was a normal patient. Instead, Spike simply lay silent in a small bed with a single light illuminating his features. His skin had turned white from the lack of blood in his system. His face seemed sunken and hallow; the veins on his hands had turned blue and began to stretch up his arms. There was a single chair in the room and Buffy moved silently to sit in it. She moved the chair closer to the bed and sat down picking up Spike's fragile hand. It felt rough like the skin was beginning to chafe away. She only held it for a moment then put it back down. She leaned forward and brushed a hair away from his face. She had never seen Spike with hair, but because they weren't cutting it, the blonde had begun to grow out revealing dark hair underneath. She smiled and allowed tears to form at the brim of her eyes.
"Spike we are hitting a dead end, again. I know that you can hear me. You need to wake up. We need you; Angel needs you. You have been in this stupid coma for three years. The Spike I know wouldn't just lay here and take this crap!" She was so frustrated with everything. She hadn't had a good night sleep in three years. Buffy rubbed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. Spike slumbered on as Buffy stared into his face. There was nothing they could do for him; Willow had no way of waking him up and they were all sure that his coma was magically induced by Wolfram & Hart. As soon as they solved this puzzle she was going to take Wolfram & Hart down; finish the work Angel had started. At the moment they were at yet another dead end. Eventually they would find something, but Connor was right eventually was just not good enough.