"Headache?" Cole asked Alex as she unbraided her hair.
"More like a body ache." She replied.
"Judging from what you told me and considering you're still having problems," Elizabeth put in, "he kicked up the pain level up a notch."
"What do you know about this chip?" Wesley inquired.
"Well, it was put in while Alex was in New York. As far as I know its used as a tracking device and a pain chip." Elizabeth told them.
"I've looked at the x-rays Elizabeth smuggled out and it looks to me like its wrapped around your vertebrates." Marcus diagnosed.
"Meaning what?" asked Cole.
"Meaning its very possible that if Seth kicks it up to the highest level, it could snapped your neck." Marcus shook his head.
"Is it possible to remove the chip?" Wesley wondered.
"I don't know....." Elizabeth and Marcus answered.
~~~~~~~~~
"I worry about you sometimes Miss Drummond." Alex looked up at the bartender and smiled.
"Now why would you worry about me Wen?"
His deep brown eyes were concerned. "Because my mother worries, my brother as well, therefore I worry." He put a brandy glass in front of her.
"Rye, like his older brother worries too much for his own good." Alex told him.
"So do you."
"Wen, would you take these off my hands?" She pulled from her bag the colored stones she used in Sunnydale.
"Why?"
"They are impure, I cannot use them in my spells."
"If you insist." He put them under the bar.
"How is your mother?"
"Worried about you."
She shook her head. "When do I get to meet her?"
"She's coming to visit in a few weeks, she looks forward to your company."
"Are you going to pour or not?" Wen smiled and poured her a little blood into the glass. "I assume, that your blood thirst is giving you problems?"
"How's Rye?"
"Concerned about you." Rye's brother smiled and continued. "Like me."
"Could I bunk with you for a few days?"
"On one condition."
"What?"
"You think very hard about your next move, confronting Seth alone, isn't using your head." Wen reminded her.
"How did you know? Never mind, you won't tell me anyway." They both smiled.
~~~~~~~~~
Three days had past since Alexandria left her friends in London and took refuge in the house of her gypsy friend Wen.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Excuse me!"
Aricia groaned at the voice approaching her.
"What are you doing here Wesley?" She asked looking at her shooter full of blood.
"I'm not leaving." Wesley dropped the plane ticket on the bar.
"I don't need you." Her voice was steady and gave no emotion.
"Yes you do." He sat down on the stool next to her.
"Faith needs you."
"She's in prison Alexandria. You're the one I'm concerned about."
"Did Faith tell you how we met?"
"No."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The two of you were on your way to Sunnydale. There was that layover in, Atlanta. Do you remember that?" She asked.
"Yes, we were three days behind schedule." Wesley thought back.
"You let her go hunting alone."
"Yes. Not the smartest decision I've made, that I admit."
"Somehow, I had painted myself into a corner. Cypen lead me into an old warehouse, where Adern was, needless to say, I took a bad beating at their hands." She sipped her blood before continuing.
"One of the minions came barreling into the middle of everything, with Faith on his heels. She ashed the minion, before he could say anything. Faith stared them down as I reloaded my bow and got my back on my feet.
More minions appeared, and we had to leave," Alex laughed, "Faith grabbed me by the arm, told me we had to leave, it wasn't safe, I didn't trust anyone back then.
She pushed me behind some old crates, I aimed my bow at her, Faith didn't even blink.
She said that, if we wanted to make it out alive, I was gonna have to trust her."
"She never told me."
"I figured as much."
"You do need me." Wesley told her.
"No," she drank down the blood, "I've never needed you. Go home."
Wesley looked like a child pouting, his lower lip began to quiver as he left.
~~~~~~~~~~
Cordelia was out on date, well if you could call it that. It was a double date, a friend from acting class talked her into a double date with her friend's cousin, major let down.
The pain shot through her head like a bullet. As she fell from the booth, a brandy glass fell to the floor.
She saw the conversation between Wesley and Alex in the bar, then Wesley about to get on a plane to come home. Then a crippled Cole, laying dead in a stone hallway.
With her friend's help she stumbled towards the bathrooms. After a few minutes she emerged with Wesley's cell number and dialed it on the nearest pay phone.
~~~~~~~~~
"Hello?" Wesley was just about to step onto the plan when Cordelia called.
"How did you know?" Wesley frowned at what Cordy told him, turning on his heels he left the airport.
~~~~~~~~~~
