Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy!
"Damnit!" Joyce screamed as she threw the phone as hard as she could onto the table. Everyone in the room turned to watch her.
"Joyce?" Giles started hesitantly.
"What?" she growled before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She held it for a few seconds then released slowly. "I'm sorry," she apologized when she opened her eyes, looking at those gathered around the room. She stopped on Giles. "It's just, they've been missing for five days now and Sunnydale police are doing about as much as they did last time, which was a big, fat nothing. And now, I can't even get Detective Kestrel to answer his phone." Giles moved over to comfort her.
"We will find them," Giles said, opening his arms which she gratefully fell into.
"How long this time," she said, tears falling from her eyes, "and what kind of horrors will they go through?"
"Buffy is strong," he reassured her. "She survived The Ring. She can survive anything they throw at them. And Xander is a lot tougher than he looks. They'll be fine. More importantly, they will keep each other safe. Of that I'm sure." Joyce nodded, trying to stop her tears from falling.
"Besides you have more than the Sunnydale PD working this case," Riley tried to cheer her up. "You have the best facial recognition software we have, courtesy of the United States military. Cameras are popping up in more and more places everyday and everything is going online. The Initiative has a back door pass to every surveillance system in the country. As soon as even one image of them is recorded anywhere, we'll know."
"You also have support and resources of the Council," Albert added. "We are searching abroad as well. Something we should have done last time."
"See?" Giles tried to cheer her up. "It's just a matter of time before we find them." Joyce nodded, trying to reclaim her composure.
"Are you sure that they don't have them?" she asked, finally looking up. Her eyes were red and splotchy but the tears had finally stopped.
"Nothing is for certain," Giles admitted, "but none of the signs point that way. In the middle of the day, using drugs instead of magic, when she could have simply snapped her fingers and have them disappear."
"Like she did with Willow," Joyce reluctantly agreed. "Another one of my kids that is missing."
"At least we know who is behind her disappearance," Giles said.
"And if we defeat The Crimson Witch," Ethan added helpfully, "Willow should be released from whatever prison she's in."
"If?" Faith spoke up. "That's really reassuring." She turned to the chaos mage. "Hey, why don't you do something useful and try a locator spell? I get why Dark Willow would curse her own magic, or how she could somehow block Tara's spell casting, but there's no way she could ever have anticipated a cowardly, self-centered, egotistical magician like yourself."
"Charming," Ethan grinned at her. "But I've already tried. I can only assume she's cloaking your friends. When she's defeated, that spell should also be broken."
"Are you always so optimistic?" Daniel asked.
"They've always foiled my plans," he answered roguishly. "I never thought I'd see the day when I was happy about their ability to interfere." He grinned mischievously until someone knocked on the door. Faith went to answer it and led Ben into the room.
"What's the emergency?" he asked.
"Not quite an emergency," Giles admitted, "rather an unusual situation we hoped you could help us with." Intrigued, Ben followed everyone as they went to the basement. "I'd like to introduce you to Darla. She is a vampire."
"What the…" he trailed off as he got his first look. "I thought vampires couldn't get pregnant."
"We can't." He jumped as Angel emerged from the shadows behind them. The others looked on in sympathy.
"You just gave me a heart attack," he glared at Angel before refocusing on the vampire sitting in the cage. Angel just shrugged. "So, if she's a vampire, and vampires can't get pregnant, what exactly happened here?"
"I am so hoping you can tell me," Darla answered from inside the cage. "That's the reason I agreed to come here in the first place. I never wanted kids when I was alive. I certainly don't want them now that I'm dead."
"I assume you know how she ended up in this condition?" Ben asked as he moved closer to the cell. Angel stepped up with him.
"Magic," he simply said.
"Okay," Ben replied. He turned to Darla. "How far along are you?"
"I'd say about five weeks," she deadpanned. Ben looked toward Giles.
"Magic," he simply said. "A succubus recently set up residency in L.A. They usually safeguard their nests by enslaving the male population, but this succubus decided to breed her own army as well."
"Not something that is usually done," Wesley picked up the story. "Breeding an army give the succubus complete control, but it takes time. Enslaving the population gives the succubus near complete control, but is done instantaneously."
"But I thought every guy was under her control?" Daniel asked.
"Every guy yes," Wesley answered. "But not every girl. In a bred army both genders are controlled. There is no individual thought at all. No chance for betrayal. A true hive mind." Wesley paused, glancing at Angel, before focusing again. "But it takes time."
"When we were enslaved," Angel took over, "she brought all the demons to a different building. Our only job was to create her army." He grew quiet for a minute. "I don't know where the women came from. Some were humans caught up in her thrall. Some were demons overwhelmed by her power. Some were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and abducted. But we all had one single mission. To breed."
"I'm assuming magical conception aids were used," Wesley spoke up. "Along with magical means of shortening a baby's gestation cycle."
"Ya think?" Darla snarled.
"Okay," Ben mumbled to himself. "I'm going to need an ultrasound. I think we left a portable one here," he said to Giles. He left to get the equipment.
"Careful Doc," Angel warned when Ben moved to open the door. "She can kill you in an instant. And she won't hesitate. If you're going in there, I'm going with you."
"I thought you wanted our help?" Ben questioned. Darla grinned.
"I do," she admitted, "but I want dinner more. And the only thing they'll feed me is disgusting. I'd love something fresh." They were quiet while they waited for Giles to return.
"I must give Willow credit for this," Ethan laughed. "This is ingenious."
"Willow?" Ben and Riley cried out at the same time. They looked at each other.
"Evil Willow from the future," Joyce answered, "who traveled through time to save the life of her vampire lover."
"Buffy," Riley checked to make sure he was on the same page. "Who we need to kill because a turned Slayer is bad news for everyone. Who is not the Buffy from this time, who was kidnapped along with Xander and their location is still unknown."
"Just another day on the Hellmouth," Giles said, returning with the equipment. Ben fiddled with it for a minute before motioning to the cell. Faith, Daniel, and Angel all went in with him. Darla growled but complied.
"And the Willow from this time?" Riley asked.
"Abducted by Dark Willow," Giles answered, "and probably won't be found until Dark Willow is dealt with."
"So if we come across either Buffy or Willow it is safe to assume they are the hostile?" Riley asked.
"Yes," Giles reluctantly answered, looking apologetically to Joyce. "But please don't kill them until you confirm they are the evil ones."
"And how exactly should I do that?" Riley asked, his hand rubbing through his hair in frustration. "Ask to see their villain card?" Giles smiled briefly.
"Since they have been outed, neither one has shown any desire to keep their identities under wraps. In a direct confrontation they will show their true colors. Buffy will morph into her vampire visage and Willow will employ such dark magic that you will tremble simply by being in her presence. You'll know if it's them."
"Right," Riley said unhappily, before frowning. "Why would Willow do this? I mean, we've been learning more and more about the supernatural world. A spell like this would take an enormous amount of power. What does she get out of it?"
"My soul," Angel said quietly. He looked up when the room turned quiet. "I've thought a lot about this. The curse only works with a Childe of Aurelius. Spike will never turn Buffy, Darla is too young to turn Buffy, and Dru hasn't been able to turn Buffy. That only leaves Angelus, but I need to lose my soul first. One moment of true happiness. Holding my child."
"But we know about the soul stealing catch now," Faith commented. "It's pointless to try and steal your soul now."
"You think this was done to me yesterday?" Darla hissed. "I've been dealing with this for weeks."
"Well before we knew," Giles added. "But that does bring up a good point." He turned to Angel. "Will you lose your soul?" The room grew silent again. Angel twiddled with the chains holding Darla.
"I don't know," he quietly admitted, more to himself than to anyone else.
"What would you do to keep your child safe?" Joyce asked suddenly. Angel looked up at the question. "From what I understand, a vampire goes after anything that binds them to their former humanity. A child would certainly qualify. So I'll ask again. What would you do to keep your child safe?"
"Anything," Angel instantly answered.
"Would you leave and never return," Giles pressed, "never holding them in your arms, never even laying your eyes on them, and never searching for them."
"Yes," Angel answered, moving toward the door as if to prove his devotion. He stared at Joyce desperately, a pleading in his eyes. "I would do anything for them." She and Giles shared al look. Giles finally broke, nodding slightly before facing the vampire.
"You'll be fine," Joyce said honestly. "Holding your child for the first time is not a moment of pure happiness. It's a moment of pure panic. It's willingly opening yourself to never ending fears and constant worry and knowing that despite everything that has and will happen, it will all be worth it. Its happiness with strings attached."
"Thank you," Angel said sincerely. He looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Nevertheless, we should take precautions when the baby is born," Giles added. Everyone nodded.
"Speaking off the baby," Ben suddenly broke the tension, "there you are." He studied the image for a few minutes. "Everything looks perfectly normal." He looked at Darla. "It's a normal baby boy."
"I have a son?" Angel whispered. Even Darla's haughty look faded for a moment.
"And the father shall kill the son," Wesley whispered across the room.
"What?" Ethan asked, looking at Wesley earnestly.
"Nothing," Wesley quickly backpedalled. "Just something I read somewhere." He tried to look away, but Ethan didn't let him.
"A prophecy in the Nyazian Scrolls?" Wesley's head shot up.
"Yes," he said quietly. Both Darla and Angel turned to stare at him.
"And how does yours end?" Ethan asked. Wesley looked everywhere but the two vampires before mumbling.
"The father shall kill the son." Darla immediately hissed, backing away from Angel as much as she could, while Angel started advancing on Wesley.
"I will never hurt my son," he growled, his face morphing in his anger. Faith moved to intercept the vampire when suddenly a booming laugh sounded. Everyone stopped and looked at Ethan.
"I must say," Ethan said once he calmed down enough to speak normally, "Sahjhan's got some balls on him."
"What?" Angel asked, his face changing back to normal.
"That particular prophecy is a favorite of mine," Ethan retorted, chuckling every now and then. "Rivers of blood and skies red with fire. And a vampire champion having a kid. So much chaos." He grinned as he thought about the passage before turning to Wesley. "My ending's a bit different though."
"Different?" Wesley asked. "How?"
"The son shall kill Sahjhan," Ethan said simply. Wesley shook his head.
"It doesn't say that," he insisted. "I've been studying the scrolls ever since I found out."
"I assure you it does say that," Ethan responded. "I've got five different sources with the same prophecy back at the shop. Not one of them says the father will kill the son. I can give you a good price if you want to see it for yourself."
"I don't understand," Wesley stammered. Ethan laughed again.
"Sahjhan rewrote the prophecy that you found," Giles said in understanding, "hoping someone would separate Angel from his son, making it much easier to kill the child."
"What?" Angel roared, rushing Wesley. He pulled him to the nearest wall, pushing him heavily against it. "Were you going to kidnap my son?" Wesley paled but looked Angel in the eye.
"If the alternative was letting you kill him, yes." Angel sighed and dropped Wesley to the floor.
"Thank you," he said sincerely, "for trying to protect my son. But in the future let's have more group discussions and less lone wolf tactics."
"I didn't think you could think clearly if you even suspected I would try and take the child away, even if it was for its own good."
"If it's truly what's best, I will never stop you," Angel told him. "But let's make sure it is for the best before you try anything." Wesley nodded.
"You heroes are so easily manipulated," Ethan smirked. "Good thing I'm here to keep you on your toes. Would you like to see the real prophecy?"
"Very much," Wesley spoke up. Angel simply nodded. Ethan and Wesley quickly left, chatting the whole time.
"Let's take this upstairs, shall we?" Giles suggested. Everyone nodded. Ben quickly cleaned up his equipment, leaving the ultrasound on a cart in the corner, before Angel checked the cage to make sure Darla was secure. When he nodded they made their way back to the living room. "How long until the baby is born?"
"Not long," Ben told them. "At the current rate of growth maybe a few days. But I have no idea how she's going to give birth. I haven't seen any signs her body is preparing for labor, or even pregnancy. Frankly, it looks like the baby is pushing her organs out of the way as it grows. I have never seen anything like it."
"How do I get my son out of her?" Angel asked, growling at the thought of anything hurting him, even his mother.
"A cesarean will be the only option," Ben admitted, "which will be very tricky if the mother in question tries to eat us as we perform the operation."
"She won't," Angel reassured them. "I'll make sure of it." Ben nodded.
"I'll call a colleague of mine. She specializes in difficult pregnancies, although I think this one might trump all the rest."
"Thank you," Angel told him. He nodded.
"Ben," Joyce called out as he turned to leave. "It's been five days since Buffy last had her medicine. How long can she go without it?" He sighed and turned to face them.
"I wish I had a straightforward answer for you Joyce," he told her gently, "but the truth is I don't know. Rejection is still not completely understood and that's not even taking her Slayer side into account."
"I thought her Slayer side was dormant?" Albert questioned.
"It can't be completely dormant," Giles answered. "If it was, the quest never would have worked. My best guess is it's in a passive mode."
"That's my diagnosis as well," Ben told them. "The Slayer is coming out just enough to keep her healthy. And while there were no active threats, and she was receiving plenty of food, rest, and medicine, a tiny amount of Slayer healing was enough to keep her healthy. But now those essentials are gone…"
"You're concerned," Joyce finished for him. He took a deep breath.
"We don't know how active the Slayer is and there's no way to know the conditions that she is being kept in. It might be too much for passive Slayer healing to overcome. On the flip side, if the full Slayer emerges again to keep Buffy safe, she might attack the kidney as a foreign invader like she did the first one."
"Which would be disastrous," Giles added. Joyce cried silently, prompting Ben to go place a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"Hey, none of that," he told her, squeezing gently. She nodded, trying to get herself back under control. "I know you're worried, but these are worst case scenarios we're talking about here. And even the worst case scenarios won't happen overnight. We'll find her and I'll fix her right up. And remember, she's with Xander. You taught him well. He knows what he's doing and he'll do everything in his power to keep her safe."
"That's partly why I'm worried," she admitted. "Three of my children are missing. And we only think we know where one is. And we really don't even know that." He smiled gently. Giles came over, wrapping her up in a hug.
"I'm going to go have a chat with the commandos," he told them. "They have the best chance of finding them if they're still in the US. They'll need to be prepared when they do." Joyce nodded. They watched him leave then she twisted around in Giles's arms until she was facing him.
"It's going to be okay," he reassured her. She didn't say anything, just laid her head on his shoulder.
"What else can go wrong?" she asked sarcastically. In response, the clear crystal by the door turned red.