Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 7

"It's been almost two days. Two whole days!" Xander yelled, "And we have no idea where to find her!"

Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Angel and Giles were all huddled in the library looking through ancient books as they so often did when another demonic entity threatened their world, attempting to find more information about the spell Ethan had cast on Halloween. Buffy never found them after the spell was broken and come 7 o'clock in the evening, it will have been two days since they last saw their friend.

"Well freaking out about doesn't get us any closer to finding her", Cordelia added.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the brunette.

"What?! Why does everyone always look at me like I'm so insensitive? It's the truth! Losing our heads about this whole Buffy thing isn't going to help us find her any faster! And since Giles said another slayer hasn't been called yet that means she's still alive somewhere!"

"Alive, but for how long?" Angel spoke, almost to himself.

"Sh-she could be hurt. Waiting for us to come find her." Willows eyes opened wide and she looked to Giles with tears in her eyes, "What if we find her too late?" she asked, choking back a sob.

Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"As surprised as I am to say it, Cordelia is right. Panicking over where Buffy may or may not be will not clue us into her whereabouts any more than it already has. Our best option is to continue researching as much about Janus and that spell Ethan cast as we can and pray it leads us to Buffy."

"What about her mom? If we don't find Buffy soon what are we going to tell Joyce?" Willow questioned.

Giles looked at Willow at a loss for words. Would he have to deliver bad news to his charge's mother? Usually parents knew of a slayer's calling and placed their daughter under the care of their watcher for the remainder of their life, but Buffy's history in telling her parents was… complicated- to say the least.

He'd heard through the watcher's council that her parents had institutionalized her sometime after her calling. Word of a scheme to break her free of the facility and bring her to London for conditioning had reached him not long after the incident. The watcher's council, and the world really, could not afford to have the chosen one barred between padded walls over ideas the general population could not even begin to fathom.

Giles was also very aware that even though he had not yet heard of another slayer being called, it did not mean it had yet to occur. Sometimes it could take weeks to locate the new slayer if one who had not yet been identified as a potential was called. It was very possible that it was only a matter of time before he received dreadful news, and every time the phone rang, his heart admittedly sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

"We have until Sunday night when Joyce returns from her conference in Los Angeles. I will think of what to tell her by then."

Xander stood, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. "Well I'm going out to look for her."

"I've already looked everywhere, Xander. She's not out there." Angel said.

"Well I have to try! Anything could have gotten to her on Halloween! Have you forgotten how many demons and vamp…" Xander cut himself off, lost in thought.

Angel looked back up at him with wide eyes and it was as though they'd read each other's minds.

"Spike", they both said in unison and Angel shot up out of his chair.

"Oh my God", said Willow, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"Dear Lord, why hadn't I thought of this before?" Giles said aloud.

"He could have her chained up right now, torturing her!" Xander cried.

"Go! Go find Spike!" Willow yelled at Xander and Angel in a hurry. "We-we'll stay here, a-and keep researching. P-Please let us know if you find her as soon as you can!"

Angel and Xander were already out the door.

Persephone slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Mind still cloudy from sleep it took her a moment to remember where she was… why she was where she was.

She bolted right up off the bed and made a break for the door.

Locked.

She looked around for something that would help her break through the door for just a moment before coming to the realization that regardless of what she found, there was no way she'd get out of that room unless someone opened the door from the outside. She felt her chest begin to tighten and the air in the room seemed to escape.

She was panicking again.

"Stop it, Persephone", she told herself. "You're not a child! Crying wont fix anything!"

She was suddenly filled with a new feeling… rage.

She'd never felt so angry in her life. She'd also never been locked up against her own free will and forced into a life she hadn't chosen for herself. She wanted her life back, and she'd be damned if she didn't at least try to make it home… literally.

"Hades!" she banged on the door, screaming for her captor. "Hades, let me out!"

Hades sat in one of the many chambers of his palace, listening to Persephone's cries echo throughout the halls. A sly smile graced his face as he watched his three Furies enjoying themselves on the bed before him bed. They were all so beautiful and he'd had the immense pleasure of enjoying each of them, oftentimes all at once, but today- and as he lately did on most days- he just sat back and watched.

"Would you please just go and see what she wants? Her screams are loud enough to wake the dead", one of the goddesses told him.

"How humorous of you, Megaera", another one of the Furies named Alecto spoke, not once relenting in her efforts to bring her other surrogate sister, Tisiphone, pleasure. "But I agree, your prisoner is beginning to give me a headache."

"Why don't you bring her here? We can all play together," Tisiphone spoke the words through bated breath, her head hanging from the edge of the bed, watching Hades through lust filled eyes. "Or at least you come join us… ahhh", she moaned.

Megaera had since joined Alecto in her pleasuring of Tisiphone. Hades watched them all as they moved on the bed, writhing in pleasure, moaning, reaching out to him in silent invitation. But he had since replaced their faces with Persephone's, imagining himself surrounded by three of her and pretending the angry screams echoing in his ears were actually her cries of pleasure.

That it was Persephone, calling his name over and over again as he brought her over the precipice of orgasm.

He watched Tisiphone as she squeezed her eyes shut, mouth open in bliss as she moaned his name. He saw all of the muscles in her body tighten before suddenly relaxing, sending her into a fit of convulsions.

Tisiphone was admittedly his favorite. Her hair was the color of gold and fell around her shoulders in waves Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green and her lips were full and round and looked like… like Persephone's.

In reality they had completely different personalities and mannerisms, but they had enough physical similarities for him to think of Persephone every time he looked at her. Not to mention they had very similar names.

Ever since Hades laid eyes on Persephone he hadn't been able to look at Tisiphone without thinking of the woman he wanted to make his own… make his wife. His infatuation grew and grew and the stronger his obsession became, the less he was able to touch any of the goddesses before him, but especially not Tisiphone.

Hades broke himself from his reverie and stood from his chair.

"Carry on, ladies", he said. And with that he was gone.

Persephone grew tired of calling out for Hades and she had beaten her fists raw against the door. She turned around and rested her back against the adjacent wall, throwing her head back to bang against it and slowly slid down to the floor in defeat.

Suddenly, Hades appeared out of thin air, startling her. His chest was bare with his only garment riding low on his hips and he was holding a platter of fruit.

Her eyes slowly roamed over his body, appreciatively taking in every dip and curve of his masculine form. She had never seen a man in such an indecent state. He took a few steps toward her and she observed as every muscle in his body rippled in response.

Hades watched Persephone as her eyes scanned his body and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

'She's admiring me', he thought. Taking advantage of her momentary preoccupation, he kneeled before her and spoke.

"You called", he said in a sultry tone.

She looked up at the smile on his face and knew she'd been caught staring. Her face instantly flushed with embarrassment and she turned away from him.

"What do you intend by keeping me locked in this room? I thought I was to be your wife, not your prisoner."

"Overly eager, are we?" He said turning his head to the side and moving his hand out to brush a strand of hair that had fallen out of place from her face.

She swatted his hand away before he could touch her and she stood.

"I'm not interested in either but you can't keep me locked in this chamber like an animal", she spat.

Hades let out a deep breath and stood as well.

"If I let you come outside do you promise to behave?" He questioned.

He saw a glimmer of deceit cross her face before she pathetically attempted to suppress it, but she didn't bother hiding her intention, knowing she would not be able to fool him.

"I didn't think so." Hades said, resting the platter of fruit on a nearby table. "You should eat something."

And then he vanished, leaving her alone to wallow in self-pity.