The Sheppard Residence, the Hamptons, 1615 hours.
Patrick Sheppard couldn't believe it at all. She was gently rubbing the back of the head of the young woman who was hugging him to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He heard her sniffle as she held on tight to the older Sheppard while Patrick's eyes remained closed. He had so many questions going through his head; especially how long Major Sheppard had known about Tara. He knew the other questions could be answered by the girl who was hugging him tightly.
This was his daughter.
Patrick gently pulled away and placed both his hands on the young woman's cheeks and looked into her eyes.
"I.. I have so many questions" said Patrick as he looked at Tara who nodded her head.
It was then that Patrick shook his head and turned to Dave and introduced him as her older brother.
"We've had a first awkward meeting" said Dave as he gave Tara a hug. He looked at the Major while Tara held on to Dave tight, however the latter was still a bit nervous. He had several questions himself about the young woman who was hugging him, and as if the Major knew what he was going to ask… Major Sheppard answered it for him.
"We've already run a test against my DNA" said the Major as the two Sheppard men looked at the Major, "we're related."
"How long have you known?" asked Patrick as he looked at his oldest son.
"It's been two days" said the Major while Tara pulled back and just looked at Dave before smiling and wiping her eyes. She then walked back to the major and held his hand while he explained that he had just returned from a classified mission, and that when he checked his P.O box.. he found that letter from Laura. As they drove to the house from the airport, Major Sheppard told Tara that they didn't want to tell his family about demons, or Warren, or the supernatural… at least not yet.
"No sense in freaking them out" said Tara as the Major nodded his head, "plus hearing that from someone you just met is… is going to be strange."
"Oh yea" said the Major as he continued to drive the car.
So they came up with a story that was half true; that the Major immediately went to Sunnydale once he got the letter, they met and talked over some food and he stayed over in the city to get to know her a little. He told them that in the meantime he had gotten a test done thanks to a friend of his over at the Air Force Academy hospital who called someone in Sunnydale to run a DNA test. Once it was confirmed that they really were brother and sister, he told Patrick and Dave that he wanted to call them and gave them the news.
"But Tara thought it would be better" said the Major as he looked at a blushing Tara who was looking at both Patrick and Dave, "to come here and surprise you."
"And it's been a happy surprise" said Patrick as he walked towards Tara and held both her hands.
The blonde witch then looked up at her father, and smiled before she looked away when she felt an emotion coming from Dave. She looked at her brother and could see that he was doubtful about who Tara was, and she could tell that he was about to speak up.
"You.. you could… could run a paternity test" said Tara as she looked at Patrick, and then at Dave, "I… I don't mind and… and I.. I think it's… ummmm… good to know and… and be sure."
"Nonsense" said Patrick, "there's…."
"Dad" said Dave as he walked forward while looking at Tara, "I think Tara's right. I… I think we need to be sure that she related. Dad, I know you're happy about this… and I know John, I mean I guess John trusts her. But maybe it's better if we be sure that she's related to us… I'd like to know for sure that she's my sister. No offence, Tara."
"No" said Tara shaking her head.
The blonde witch knew that Dave didn't mean what he said in a disparaging way; he just wanted to be sure that she was who she said she was. And that's what Tara wanted, to relieve her brother off his doubts.
"Alright" said Patrick as he nodded his head at Dave, and then at Tara before he reached out with his elbow in Tara's direction. The young woman looked at the Major who nodded his head before the blonde witch walked towards the older Sheppard and then wrapped her arm around his elbow. Patrick then told Dave that he was going to walk with Tara out in the back garden.
"You have that meeting in Hong Kong" said Dave, "that acquisition and…."
"Call Mr. Gao and tell him that…"
"I… I don't want to keep you away" said Tara as she looked at Patrick and then at Dave, "I.. I really don't. I.. I guess I should have called first and…"
"Nonsense" said Patrick as he brushed Tara's hair from her forehead before looking at Dave, "Dave, can you contact…."
"Dad" said Dave as he walked towards Patrick. He then looked at Tara apologetically, and then at Patrick again, "getting this was a nightmare. And he already said that if we delay the signing, then he'll sell the company off to…."
"P… Please" said Tara as she looked at Patrick and gave a small smile, "you… you should go to Hong Kong. I… John and I can stay here and… and I can catch up with Dave and…."
"We'll be here" said Major Sheppard, "I took a few days extra leave so… I'll be here too."
"Why don't all of you come with me" said Patrick as he looked at Tara who gave him a smile that made his heart jump; it reminded him of Laura.
"I.. I didn't bring my passport" said Tara sheepishly while the Major just shrugged his shoulders.
"Let me talk to the man" said Patrick as he walked past Tara and headed to his table. It was then, while Patrick was walking away from her, did Tara notice something odd in his aura. Tara narrowed her eyes while the older man's back was to her as everything seemed to move in slow motion; she wanted to be sure that she really saw what she was seeing.
'A black spot on his aura' thought Tara as she looked with shock at Major Sheppard, who noticed the look on her face which slowly turned to distress. Dave had then walked past the both of them while Major Sheppard headed to Tara; the former so that he could help the older Sheppard look for Mr. Gao's number, and the Latter stood next to Tara and asked if she was alright.
"I… John, does Pat… I mean… does dad have a heart condition.. or…" whispered Tara as Patrick sat down on his chair while telling Tara and Major Sheppard that he'll convince Mr. Gao to reschedule. The Major nodded his head at his father and then looked at Tara again who's face indicated that she was distressed.
"I'm not sure, why?" asked the Major.
"I see a black spot on his aura right above the chest" whispered Tara as her eyes started to water after taking another glance in the older Sheppard's direction, "John… I… a black spot on the back of the chest and.. and I just saw another black spot on his front. It's not good, John… he… he…"
"Dad" said the Major as he turned to the older Sheppard who, along with Dave, looked up at the Major and then at Tara who had a look of distress on her face, "tell him that you need to see a doctor about your heart."
"That's a good idea" said Patrick as the dial tone on the other line stopped and a voice came through. Patrick was then talking to Mr. Gao while Dave looked on confused at the Major, and then at the worried look on Tara's face, and then back to Major Sheppard again. The man was shaking his head confused when the Major told him to get the car to the front of the house, that this wasn't a joke and that they needed to get to the hospital.
"John, I…" said Dave.
"Explain later" said Major Sheppard while he threw the keys to the rental car towards Dave who grabbed it in mid-air, "right now, get the car to the front door. Move!"
"Dave, please" said Tara as she looked at her new brother.
It was the look on Tara's face; a look of fear mixed with sadness that made the now Middle brother run out of Patrick's office and out the front door. In the meantime, Patrick had just put the phone down after agreeing with the businessman to hold the meeting in New York city instead of Hong Kong next week; he told Patrick that he was heading to New York to talk to another buyer, and that he'll give Patrick another chance to make an offer on his company.
"Now., we have all the time in the world to talk and…" said Patrick as he stood up just as a car honked from the front driveway, leading Patrick to look around him and ask where Dave have gone off to.
"Dad" said Major Sheppard, "don't argue with us… just get in the car outside."
"John?" asked Patrick, "what's going on?"
"I…. I have a bad feeling and… and when I have bad feelings.." said Tara as she shook her head before looking at Patrick again, "please, I… I can't explain this… this feeling I have. I just know it's bad and… and I just found I have brothers, and a father… and I want to spend time with you so please come with us to the hospital? Please?"
Patrick didn't understand what was happening, but one look at Tara's distressed face told him that whatever it was, was serious; that she was being serious. It's the same serious look that Laura had all those years ago. Nodding his head, he saw Tara walk towards him and gently held his hand. The man then walked out of his office, led by Major Sheppard before they went out of the house and entered the awaiting car. The Major sat next to Dave in the driver's seat while Tara and Patrick sat together in the back before Major Sheppard told his brother to drive to the nearest Emergency Room.
Dave looked at Major Sheppard confused before the Air Force officer told his brother to get a move on, that it was urgent.
"John, Tara" said Patrick while Dave nodded his head and then started to drive the car out of teh estate, "what's going on?"
"I…. I sometime have certain feelings when something bad's going to happen" said Tara as she looked at Patrick, "I… mean… my dad…. Or at least the man who I thought was my dad he… well, I have a sixth sense for problems and…"
"What does that man have to do with anything?" asked Patrick referring to Laura's husband as Dave looked at the rear-view mirror, and saw something on Tara's face that told him that she had said something that she didn't want to say. Dave then looked questioningly at Major Sheppard who looked back at him, and then avoided his eyes and looked out the windshield. It was then that Dave knew that something was terribly wrong.
"Tara" said Dave as he looked at the rear-view mirror at the witch; he had just met this woman who he just found was a sister he never knew existed from an affair that his own father had with her mother years ago… but the idea that she could have been physically hurt by Laura's husband sickened him to the core. However, he also knew that this wasn't the time to discuss all of this; that it would be better once the doctors had cleared Patrick so that all of their minds were at ease before they went home and talked, "we can talk about it another time; I mean we can talk about it now, but…."
"I… I would like that.. I mean talk about it later" said Tara as she looked at Dave's reflection, before looking at her father; Tara was worried that what she had to say about what happened to her would only exacerbate Patrick's condition, 'I just hope it's nothing bad… Goddess, please don't let it be anything horrible.'
"Dad" said Major Sheppard, "we'll talk about it later."
"You know what Tara's talking about?" asked Patrick.
"Yea" said the Major, "but Dave's right. We need to check you out, and then we can talk."
Patrick figured out that it was best just to listen as he nodded at the Major in agreement. The man looked at Major Sheppard's back, and wanted to open his mouth to say something that he had always wanted to say; ever since the day the Officer walked out of the house. Patrick shook his head and figured that the air could be cleared later on as he looked at Tara once again and held her hand tight. The four of them at un silence as the car drove into the hospital parking lot.
"Dad" said the Major as he got out of the car, along with the others, before walking towards the four story building, "just don't complain about anything, just listen. Dave, you too."
"Alright" said Patrick as he looked at the serious looked his oldest son was giving him before he looked at a confused Dave. The older Sheppard then looked at Tara who was nervously looking at the ground while holding on to his hand tightly, as if she didn't want to let go. Patrick then looked on as the Major asked him if he was seeing anyone for any problem, "I'm getting old John, of course I'm seeing someone for my back, my heart, my…"
"I need you to talk to the heart guy" said Major Sheppard as he opened the door to the lobby of the hospital and motioned the others to get in, "I know you wanna ask why, I know you wanna complain… but just for this one time, just listen to me."
"Alright" said Patrick calmly as he nodded his head at Major Sheppard.
It wasn't too long before the group was in Patrick's cardiologist's office. The doctor had scheduled the older man for a physical in six months, and was surprised he had come in early, and voluntarily, given that multiple calls had to be made to the man just to get him to come in for a check-up since he'd reschedule appointments. Patrick then introduced the doctor to Tara who the latter was surprised to learn was the older Sheppard's daughter.
"Wow" said the doctor after Patrick told him with pride that Major Sheppard had found Tara before bringing her to see him. The doctor then shook his head and asked the others to take a seat before he looked at Patrick and asked him if there was anything wrong, "it usually takes weeks of rescheduling after you're scheduled to even get you through the door."
"I just thought I'd get a surprise check up" said Patrick, not wanting to tell the doctor that Tara had a feeling that something was wrong. The older man then turned to Tara who gave him a small smile before nodding her head, indicating she understood the reason for the lie.
The doctor listened to everything Patrick had said when the younger man suddenly had a look on his face. Tara was looking closely while Major and Dave were standing together as the doctor asked Patrick to head to the third floor for a routine Electro Cardiogram; that he just wanted to rule something out. Patrick looked at the man confused, and then looked at Major Sheppard, Dave, and Tara before looking at the doctor and asking him if there was something wrong.
"The ECG will confirm my suspicions" said the doctor as he wrote something on a form, "take this to the third floor, and then once it's done.. I need you back here. I'm hoping it's nothing… I really am."
Patrick then got up and nodded at the doctor and sighed before turning around and looking at his newly found daughter. The young woman rushed out and held on to his hand and smiled before the four of them headed out. Tara, Major Sheppard, and Dave stood around patiently while Patrick did the ECG; the three of them not wanting to speculate on what was going on; Tara, in particular, hopeful that what she saw in Patrick's aura was just an aberration. She looked at the Major who was standing next to her while Dave was pacing.
It was nearly thirty minutes later that Patrick walked out of the room and then, with Tara's hands in his, the four walked back to the cardiologist's office where the nurse asked them to hold on for a few minutes while he checked out the results of the ECG on his computer. It was ten silent minutes later that Tara and the others walked back into the cardiologist's office where they noticed the look on the doctor's face.
"Patrick" said the doctor as he signalled at the older man to take a seat before he looked at the computer one more time, and then looked back at the older Sheppard, "after you told me that yesterday you had difficulty breathing…"
"I was just breathing hard" said Patrick shrugging his shoulders, "it's nothing big and…"
"You've also had pain in your abdominal area?" said the doctor as the older Sheppard nodded his head, "you may have had a very mild heart attack. Your ECG's showing signs of…. Patrick, I need you to trust me. Your ECG's showing that something's wrong. I want to admit you into the hospital and…"
"Now?" asked Patrick while Tara closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Now" said the doctor as he looked at Patrick, and then at a shocked Dave who looked Tara who was now looking back at him. The doctor then told Patrick that he needed to run a blood test o check for a chemical that dying heart muscles release into the bloodstream; that it would tell him if there really was a heart attack, and how bad, "if it wasn't an attack, then it could be a multitude of other conditions… but all I can tell you is that something's wrong with your ECG. I'll take blood from you now, and then put a rush on the tests; we'll get a result either way in an hour."
"Su… sure" said a shocked Patrick as he looked at Tara again who gave him a nervous smile.
It would be later that day that Patrick, and the others learnt that the older Sheppard really did have a mild heart attack the previous day. The doctor told Patrick that he was scheduling an angiogram the next day, first thing in the morning, to check his heart and that in the meantime he'll be giving the older Sheppard some medications to take.
"I don't know what made you come today" said the doctor as he looked at Patrick, "but whatever it is, I think it saved your life."
"B… but it was just mild" said Dave.
"Yesterday's one? Yes, it was" said the doctor, "but the next one may not be. That's why I need to check on what's going on."
"See, Patrick" said the doctor as he tuned to look at the older man, "this is why I always told you that we need an ECG during your physical. I should have pushed you."
"I'd have pushed back" said Patrick.
"We'll find out what's going on tomorrow" said the doctor, "in the meantime, I'll be admitting you into the hospital immediately. I'll have some medications sent to your room and in the meantime, I need you to relax."
"Can my children stay?" asked Patrick as he glanced at the smile on Tara's face.
Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles, 1700 hours.
Angel was in his office moping behind his desk with his hand rubbing his chin while he thought about what had just happened the previous night. Shaking his head in disbelieve, he stood up before walking out of his office and standing behind the counter of the hotel as he looked at the lobby and remembered the battle that occurred the previous night. He, Gunn, and Fred arrived back at the Hyperion in the nick of time to save his son, Connor who betrayed him earlier by sending him to the bottom of the ocean…. A fate that because of his being a vampire that Angel escaped from; and Cordelia, who he and the others were surprised to see following her being taken to the higher plains by what Angel would call the Powers that Be.
'Cordy' thought Angel to himself as he thought about the former Sunnydale resident. They were surprised to learn that she had returned with no memory of who they were, or who she was. Angel wanted to protect her from the truth about what Angel Investigations did, but after the attack by the demon last night; Cordelia had left the Hyperion. None of them knew where she had gone, not until a smug Connor told Angel that Cordelia asked him for protection… not Angel, and that he was going to give it to her.
"Stay away, dad" said Conner before he left, leaving Angel in bewildered surprise.
Back in the present, Angel was taken out of his thoughts when he looked at the time. He knew that he and Gunn were supposed to head to the California Physics Institute Symposium to hear Fred give her presentation in an hour. Angel was about to head back into his office to get some things for the road just as Gunn ran down the stairs and shouted at Angel to turn on the television that was hanging in the lobby, over the weapons cases.
The vampire picked up the remote and turned on the television just as Gunn grabbed the remote and turned the channel to the news. The two of them looked on in shock as the news showed what seemed to be an explosion coming from a building just before it collapsed into a smoking pile of rubble. They then looked on as the building right next to it fell as well.
"What the hell?" asked Angel as he looked at the screen while a news ticker at the bottom had just the words Breaking News written on it. He then looked at Gunn and was about to say something when the dark skinned man pointed at the screen again.
"That's not all, there was already one explosion" said Gunn as Angel looked at the screen as the view changed to another building, a towering office block that he recognized; a building that housed the single greatest evil organization he had ever known, Wolfram and Heart. Angel looked at the image and knew that the angle of the shot was probably from a security camera on the adjacent building.
All of a sudden, the picture started to shake as a loud booming sound appeared out of nowhere. Angel and Gunn looked on speechlessly as the glass from the Wolfram and Heart building crashed onto the ground in sharp shards while people ran. It was then, a few seconds later, that there was another massive explosion from inside the building itself that Angel that Gunn saw with eyes opened wide as numerous bystanders were killed instantly. Then, just as they thought it was over, there was another four explosions on different floors that led to the entire office building collapsing.
"We need to get out there" said Angel as he looked at Gunn, "call Wesley, call Lorne and…. Fred…. Tell Fred to stay where she is. We'll pick her up and…"
Angel and Gunn then turned towards the front door when they heard engine sounds that were heading towards them. It was just a few seconds later that the two of them dove for cover as a black van crashed through the front doors of the hotel and came to a stop in the lobby. This was soon followed by another van that crashed through the doors, and then through the counter, and the office, just as Gunn and Angel dove in another direction to avoid it.
"Check on that guy" shouted Angel as Gunn, his face covered in dust, and blood dripping from his forehead that was cut thanks to some flying debris, stumbled to the other van to make sure that the driver was alive. And if he was, Gunn wanted to beat him up until whoever it was told him why they decided to crash through the front door.
While Gunn stumbled off, Angel walked to the other van in the lobby with his 'vamp face' on and growled at the bald man who looking back at him with a smile on his face from the driver's seat.
"This guy's dead" shouted Gunn from Angel's office as he ran out into the lobby where Angel had already grabbed the bald man in the driver's seat by the collar and smashed him to the side of the van.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" shouted Angel as the bald man coughed up some blood before laughing.
"It's coming" said the man as he looked at Angel, "the allies of the Slayer… the one destined to save her… he'll die."
"What?" asked Gunn as he looked at the man, and then at Angel who was snarling at the man.
"What about Buffy?" asked Angel as he slammed the man against the side of the van again, "tell me!"
"From beneath you" said the man as he laughed, "it'll eat the world from beneath. It's coming… and now, with the passing of the destined one… the Slayer will fail. The Slayer will fail and the line will be ended."
"Angel?" asked Gunn.
"Get the phone" said Angel while he held on to the man, "call Buffy, tell her that…"
"No one can save her" said the bald man, "no one."
'Who sent you" said Gunn.
"Gunn! The phone" said Angel.
"I was the distraction" said the man as he turned his head towards the back of the van, and then looked at Angel again. Gunn noticed the look the man had on his face as he looked at the rear of the van before he looked at Angel again. The bald, dark skinned man then ran to the rear of the van while the man that Angle was holding against the van continued to talk, "a distraction that was meant to pave the way.. the way for it to take over the world."
"Who?" asked Angel.
"The First" said the man as Angel's eyes went wide while Gunn opened the rear doors of the van, and then stepped back n shock.
"Angel!" shouted Gunn, "Get out! Now! It's a…."
"The First is coming! From beneath you, it devours!" shouted the man as Angel's and Gunn's worlds turned white.
The aftermath of the two massive explosions had cause a minor tremor that took out the Hyperion Hotel, leaving it a smoking rubble.. just as the explosions that had taken out Wolfram and Heart, as well at Connor's loft where he and Cordelia were staying.
On top of the building that was adjacent to the Hyperion Hotel, a blonde young woman stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She was smiling at the destruction that her agents had caused before she turned around and vanished into thin air. She was heading back to the man who was her primary, the man who was strong enough to be her vessel.. to hold her power until she had her physical form again.
She had plans for their next target. And the next, and the next.
But the champions of the Powers had to be taken care of first. Along with the representatives of the Senior Partners. One was already killed in the explosion, and in the other… the Senior Partners knew that the First was in play, and they had better stay out of her way.
"Hello, Caleb" said the young girl who reappeared in the familiar flower dress, and brunette hair that the priest in front of her was so fond of- that of a girl he murdered years ago in a church.
"Plans are almost ready" said Caleb as he looked up and smiled at her.
"We have the biggest players against us taken out of the picture" said the girl with a grin, "I'll have my agent in the prison kill Faith, and then you'll take care of the other one…. The other threat… well, not a threat but a nuisance."
"The Watchers Council" said Caleb, "that'll be my pleasure. And the Bringers are ready to act against the sinners… those sinful women."
'Once they're gone" said the girl with a smile, "The Slayer's next."
TBC.