Chapter Six – Don't Let Go
"Get a move on, you stupid git. Watcher's gone around the bend, yet again."
Spike could be so, well, Spike sometimes, Angel thought. He wasn't making a bit of sense.
"Wesley?"
"What? Are you still snogging him in your sleep? No, not Percy. Giles. He's got Willow downstairs and is gonna wreck the whole place if we don't help."
Magicks. Angel really wished that all the magicks would just disappear. Of course, he wouldn't have a soul. On that count, neither would Spike. At least Spike couldn't lose his if he got too happy. Damn, and he would so love to stake the bastard sometimes, if just on principle alone.
"Not sure what we can do, Spike."
"Get Red the hell out of the way is what," Spike yelled as they raced down the stairs.
As they made it to the foyer, they found at least a dozen of the wiccas planning something. They had too many supplies to not be.
"Can we help?"
"Unless you know magicks, I don't think so," one of them spoke up.
Clarisse rounded a corner, waving her hands frantically at them. "Xander, Buffy. They need help right this instant. Do you understand?"
Angel groaned. Buffy was here? Why didn't anyone tell him anything?
So here he was, ready to do battle against someone he knew, yet again. Angel was getting good and tired of this nonsense. The next time he saw Cordelia, he would give her a piece of his mind. She knew this would happen. Why else was she so cryptic?
Before he could say anything, Spike was off down the corridor that Clarisse had just appeared from. Following behind, he heard several noises, then slams against the other side of the wall. The doors that Spike stopped in front of rattled, but didn't open.
"This it?" he asked the other vampire.
"That's the one. Any plan?"
Angel sighed. Why did everyone look to him for a plan? "Your show."
"Go in and knock Rupert's head against the wall a few times. Should do it."
Angel doubted that physical force would work against an insane magicks user. Spike was liable to get himself slammed up against the wall more than just a few times. But he didn't have any other ideas in mind at the moment.
"Spike, bad plan."
"You got any ideas, Peaches?"
"Not at the moment. OK, go in and knock heads. Just make sure you keep yours attached."
"Sounds like you actually care."
"Sounds like I don't want to explain to anyone that after surviving one of the deadliest fights ever you got your head taken off by some wacko watcher with too much magicks running through his body."
"Still think you care, mate."
"Spike, stuff it. I don't fucking care, alright?"
"On three, then. One, two," Spike started, but instead went before three.
Angel was anticipating the stupid twit would do that. He had done it so many times before, it wasn't even funny now. So diving into the room, he got the lay of the land pretty quickly. Buffy and Xander were facing Giles, while Willow looked to be chanting something under her breath. Instead of being all black and veiny, she was now white-haired and glowing. Giles' arms were flung out to his sides, like he was trying to resist, but couldn't because Willow was just too strong.
"It work?" Xander yelled back to Willow.
"I just so love a party. So sad that I didn't get an invitation," Ethan said from behind Angel.
Before Angel could turn around to clock the man, he was flying across the room, slamming into the opposite wall.
"That so should not have just happened. Where'd she go? Fred?" Cordelia called.
Fred had disappeared into some kind of portal. The kind of portal that should not work in this dimension. Besides, they were all dead in the human sense. Something else would have to have been pretty strong and know how the physics of their dimension worked to be able to open up a portal like that.
"Get her back. Now," Lindsey demanded.
"If I could, do you think that I'd be standing here right now?"
She wanted to add you jerk to the end of that sentence, but knew it would only make matters worse. Lindsey did seem to care for Fred. Fred had that kind of personality. She had everyone wrapped around her pinkie in no time.
"Love, you called?" Doyle arrived, out of breath.
"'Bout time."
Cordelia did not want to start a fight with Doyle again. She needed him, in more ways than one. He would keep her grounded, keep her brain from going into overload.
"Something just ripped Fred out of here," Lindsey added.
"Not possible," Doyle answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It happened. Get her back," Lindsey demanded yet again.
"Gather everyone. I mean everyone. Don't spare anyone. If someone could break into here and swipe someone right out from under my nose, then they could possibly take over the whole dimension."
"So? We just help people. Why would that make a difference?"
"They could get access to the Powers, you git. We are the link. We go down, then all humankind could be next. And any good demon too."
"Oh," was all Lindsey could say.
Doyle had made his point, a little too clearly. Cordelia usually didn't like telling the newbies what they were exactly, especially someone like Lindsey, who was still working for redemption.
"Mr. Doyle, you raised the alarm?" a beautiful girl with long, flowing hair said as she opened the door.
"Yes, yes. Tara, my dear. There's trouble. Did you bring," Doyle had started to say, only to be shut up by the next woman charging into the room.
"This better be good. I was helping that shopkeeper man makes oodles of cash. The profits were going to be huge."
"Anya, focus," Doyle implored.
Great, Cordelia thought. Just what she needed. A slightly scared Tara, a money-meddling Anya, a redeeming weasel Lindsey, a half-demon, sort of mad at her Doyle. She so wished that Fred or even Wesley was there to help. At least they could maybe come up with a plan.
"Yeah," Lilah's voice added to the chaos. "This better be good. I gave up my manicure for this."
Cordelia sighed in resignation. She hoped, no she prayed that others would show up to help. But at least all of these former people knew the players involved. A lot less explainage to do.
"It seems that our earthly friends have gotten themselves into a lot of trouble," Cordelia informed the group.
"See. Told you that Xander would be better off with me guarding him. I mean, me being his guardian angel."
"I don't think that's how it works, Anya," Tara pointed out quietly.
"Well, then I should have gotten Wes, not some bitch slayer," Lilah chimed in.
"Ha. Don't think that Cordy would give up that one, I tell ya," Doyle angrily added.
"Oh, crap. Will all of you just shut up for a minute? Someone just swiped Fred right out from under us. And Lilah, so help me, if you say a word, I will bitch slap you into next Tuesday."
Lilah smirked, but didn't add anything to the conversation. The door opening again brought everyone's attention.
"Sorry that I'm late. It's just these guys don't know when to quit and I mean that in a negative way."
"Jenny, good. A voice of reason. We need your help."
"Glad to be here. Now what's up?"
"We, I think. Oh hell. I'll just come out and say it. Someone opened up a portal to this dimension, taking Fred. No one, and I mean no one knows how to do this, other than me and a few others. None of you know how. Yes, we know how to project ourselves down to our charges, but not all of our essence goes down. Fred's just gone. All of her. Which means one thing. Either one of the Powers is in cahoots with the bad guys, or something has figured out how to break into our dimension. And if they can break into our dimension, then they can get to the Powers That Be and destroy all of them. We can't let that happen."
"Nice speech, Cordelia. Why should it concern us?" Lilah asked.
"Because the Powers go down, we all go down. All humans cease to exist in short order, and lots of nice demons too. Entire dimensions could crumble."
"You mean evil would win?" Tara pointedly asked.
"Exactly. Not a pretty sight," Doyle finished for her.
"What makes you think any of us could make a difference? Since some of here weren't exactly very nice when we were alive," Anya piped up.
"Hey, speak for yourself there missy," Doyle told her.
"Oh, Mr. Gambling Debt, I'm So Not an Alcoholic Guy. Don't even talk," she charged back.
"I don't think that this is helping," Tara quietly told the group.
"Oh, you forgot the I'm a Half-Demon and I Don't Want Anyone to Know it Guy," Lilah gleefully told everyone.
"Evil incarnate," Lindsey mumbled Lilah's way.
"You have an evil hand," Lilah shot back.
"Better than having an evil . . . ," he started to answer back.
"Stop it, stop it. All of you. I really don't care what any of you did or didn't do. We all had our faults."
"Not like you didn't have your faults, Ms. I Tried to Destroy the World with Peace and Kindness," Lindsey looked at Cordelia with a sneer.
"That so totally wasn't me. Just my evil offspring. That took over my body. You stupid jerk."
"I am so glad that I missed most of this. Although, hey, I had to die to miss it all," Jenny chimed in.
"Are we done? I need to go kill Rupert Giles," Lindsey said.
"What? No you won't. You won't touch a hair on his head," Jenny yelled at Lindsey.
"He's evil."
"No, Lindsey. He's not evil. Jury's still out on you. You will not kill him. Got it. We need him. Looks like Willow's having some success slapping him down," Cordelia told them all, turning on the large television set behind them.
"It's been so long," Tara said lovingly looking at the screen.
"Oh, Xander looks just as manly as before," Anya pointed out.
"Why do I think those two are gonna screw things up?" Doyle muttered to Cordelia as they watched Angel and Spike enter the room.
"Cause they're gonna distract Willow, making Giles break whatever bonds she just successfully put on him. Where's Wesley?"
"Great. He's all you can talk about?" Doyle responded.
"No. It would just be nice to have all the players in one room."
"Uh oh. Looks like the lovebirds have gotten themselves into some trouble," Lilah gloated.
"Switch it to Wesley and Faith, now."
Doyle complied with Cordelia's request immediately. What she saw was so not good. If something didn't happen soon, they would both drown.
"Looks like I might be out of a job," Lilah quipped.
"Not likely. We have to break Willow's hold on Giles. She's taken all of Wesley's power. If I knew they could share power, I would have never," Cordelia went on.
"Never what? What did you do, Cordelia?" Doyle asked.
"Well, see, I just thought that since Wesley was alive again, that he could keep all that power he gained from Vail. I never thought it was fair that Angel and I had these things we could do. And I thought that Wes could handle it."
"You changed him? After he got sucked back down?" Anya questioned.
"Sounds familiar," Tara added.
"Ok, this isn't getting us anywhere. So we need to stop Giles, we need to rescue this Wesley guy and that Faith girl and find your friend Fred. So why are we sitting here watching?" Jenny inquired.
That got Cordelia's mind working finally. Not that she hadn't created a lot that had just happened. And here she thought she was doing a good deed. Another inquiry in line for her when this was over.
"You're right. Lindsey, take Tara and Anya and stop Giles. Do not kill him. Just somehow get that black magicks out of him. Two, Jenny, help Lilah get Wes and Faith out of that mess. Doyle and I will try to find Fred. Now let's move people."
They all stood around, looking at Cordelia like she had lost it. "What are you all waiting for?"
"Be nice if you said please?" Anya asked.
"Go. Now," Cordelia shouted.
The only reaction Cordelia could see was one of disdain, except from Doyle, who was smirking.
"You have a way with people, darlin'."
"Doyle. So not in the mood. We need to trace that portal."
"What I wouldn't do for that watcher's brain right now."
The rest had disappeared to do their jobs.
"It's just us chickens. We have to get Fred back. The thing that grabbed her. I'm scared that it'll…."
"I know. This time her soul just might be gone. Not gonna happen, sweetheart. Not to that sweet girl."
"Squeeze, Illyria," Fred shouted.
Fred was trying desperately to do something to help Illyria take the creature down in front of them.
"I am not sure how you broke through the dimensional barriers, but when I do, I will destroy your dimension completely."
"OK, enough on the dimension destroying Illyria, we need to just kill this thing."
Fred heard a crack as the creature got the upper hand on Illyria, twisting her wrist around viciously.
"If I tear the creature's head from its body, it will cease to exist."
"Killing me didn't work the last time, now did it my dear."
Fred looked around the cavelike room, trying to find something to fight the creature before them. Picking up a heavy rock, she slammed it into the thing's skull. Some kind of fluid escaped, but it still didn't go down. It finally wrenched Illyria's injured wrist away from its throat, sending her flying yet again. Fred managed to get another slam in again before the same thing was done to her. Her body must have more bruises than she'd ever had fighting with Angel Investigations.
"You are not fit to fight with the god-king Illyria. You swine. I will see to it that you are pulled apart piece by piece until all that is left is your eyeballs, which I will crush under the weight of my wrath."
"OK, gross visual. On three. One, two," Fred started.
Illyria pounced before three. Her leather suit was torn in places, revealing blue skin underneath. Fred never had even a miniscule portion of that kind of strength when she was alive. Now to watch her sort of body do the things that Illyria was doing was kind of crazy, but a little satisfying.
The thing pushed Illyria back against the rocks, now trying to choke her. Fred picked up another, even sharper piece of rock and went forward. She punched out with it, striking the thing in the back at least a dozen times before it dropped Illyria and whirled on her.
"You puny, pathetic human being. Even in death, you stink of humanity. Why didn't you stay dead?"
"Hey, I'm certainly feeling quite dead right now, buster."
"Your soul, Winifred. If your soul was truly gone, then he could regain his power. Instead, he gets his minions to do his dirty work."
Illyria took her hands to the stunned creature's neck and twisted, resulting in a sickening crack. The creature fell to the ground with a thud.
"You did it," Fred cheered.
"For the moment," Illyria answered. "He is not dead, yet. We must flee before he regenerates."
"Yeah, and you'll tell me what you know," Fred said as she headed down the corridor, to get as far away from that creature as possible.
"I will tell you what I know. But you must promise me."
"Uh, I don't think I'm gonna be makin' you any promises anytime soon."
Fred stopped at a juncture in the corridors. She turned to see Illyria looking at her, literally staring a hole through her.
"If you do not, all will be lost. You must understand the ramifications. If we are to save..."
"Listen, whatever you are, you're not exactly on my friends list right now. What makes you think I'm gonna do anything for you?"
"Because if you do not, Wesley will die. This time, permanently. His soul will be obliterated along with yours, mine and several others. You must do as I ask."
Fred reached out and slapped Illyria. The sound reverberated off the rock walls, making the slap sound harder than it was.
"And I'm asking again, why should I believe you?"
"If you love him, as you love Angel and the others, you will believe me."
Fred didn't want to back down this time. She wanted this creature with her face in front of her to believe that she wasn't some damsel in distress, that she could indeed make her own decisions, find her own way out of this mess.
"What do you know? You helped destroy him. Don't think I don't know. I saw it all. Saw what you did to Wesley."
"If I knew then what I know now human, I would not have treated him in such a way as to cause him any more distress."
"You killed me."
"For which I am sorry."
The corridor became silent as Fred took in the few words that Illyria just said to her. She was sorry that she killed Fred? Illyria really didn't have a choice of whom she infected to be able to come back.
"You loved him," Fred announced, hoping she was wrong.
Fred realized that this creature in front of her loved Wesley too. Because Fred couldn't deny the fact that she had always loved him, on some level. It was just never their time, never meant to be. She would grieve for that loss later, when she was alone and could cry her eyes out.
"He was my guide, whom I utterly managed to destroy in a short amount of time."
"You didn't answer my question."
"For which I do not have an answer available. I do not understand what it means to love, human. But I do realize what I did while I inhabited your world. For that I am truly sorry."
Fred still wanted to slap Illyria again. But it seemed that they wanted the same thing. And if it got her the hell out of there, then that would just be great. Only the sound below her feet made her think. Where were they? Where had that ugly creature dragged them off to?
"You don't happen to hear rushing water, do ya?"
"Your hearing is not adequate in this instance. I do not hear," Illyria stopped, cocking her head to the side. "I am wrong. The sound is very much like water. But where might it be coming from?"
"Let's just hope it's not coming this way."
Faith's head went under, but something caught her hand, holding on for dear life. When her head finally surfaced, she saw that Wesley had somehow managed to catch her before she fell all the way out of reach. But the water was almost at the level of their small perch.
"Faith, hold on," he yelled as his other hand joined to pull her out of the rising water.
Faith coughed and sputtered after he managed to lift her out of the water. Thank the fuck this slayer wasn't too large or overweight, or she would be history. He pulled her close as she hacked up half her lung trying to get the water out.
"Oh god, I thought I'd lost you."
Since he managed to shock the hell out of her, she thought that she was a goner too.
"Your power back?" she managed to croak out.
"No," he whispered.
"How long can you hold your breath?"
"Faith, I am not giving up."
"Why do you think I asked? I don't want to give up either."
Wesley cleared out the rest of her hair from around her face, placing each of his large hands on her cheeks. When he brought his lips to hers, he gently kissed her until she was yet again dizzy.
"I can't lose you now," he declared.
"Not gonna. I love you, you big jerk."
He looked at her, stunned. Now she went and did the wrong thing. He'll think she just said that because they were in danger. It's just that the danger brought out the truth, she wanted to yell at him.
"I said it. And I can't take it back."
He still didn't speakto her. That must mean that he didn't feel it back. Now she really screwed this all up. His last thoughts of her would be her stupid confession. Instead of talking, he pulled her close to him, squeezing her with all his might. Now that was sort of a good sign, she thought. He didn't fling her away with disgust.
The water was now to the rim of the shelf they were sitting on.
"Time to swim," he announced, holding her hand tightly.
"Yeah," she gulped out. "We swim."
TBC
Author notes: Have any of you figured out who the big bad is? Maybe I haven't dropped enough hints. We're getting near the end of this fic, I promise, so loose ends will be tied up (hopefully). Keep reading and reviewing!