A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to get the next chapter posted! I love writer's block, don't you? I'm finally done with school for the summer and currently jobless, though that won't last for long, I hope! Anyway, please r/r…I miss getting those!
Disclaimer: BtVS, Angel and TbaA do not belong to me; they belong to their respective creative geniuses. I'm only borrowing them for a while and I will return them without too much damage...
Chapter 14
"Oh, God...Willow!" Buffy sobbed in Xander's arms. In normal circumstances, Xander would not be the one Buffy turned to. But he was Willow's best friend too, and he understood how she felt. "I can't believe I let her get taken. It's all my fault!"
Xander pulled her closer, gently stroking her back. "Shh...Buff, it isn't your fault. How could you have known?"
"If I had made her come with me to the lounge...but no. I was too wrapped up in my own self-pity to even think about her."
At this, Cordelia huffed loudly. "Excuse me, miss 'I'm not over myself yet', if you're so worried about being wrapped up in self-pity, then what exactly are you doing right now?"
"Cordelia-," Wesley said warningly.
She waved him off with a flick of her wrist. "No, Wesley. Look, I'm scared for Willow too; I felt what she felt, remember? All I'm saying is whining about what we could have done differently isn't going to fix things. We have to find Willow, and we need to be strong."
Xander and Buffy had abandoned their embrace and were now looking at Cordelia in amazement. Where did she come from? , Their gazes seem to ask.
Cordelia moved in front of Buffy, looking the blonde in the eye sincerely. "Buffy, I am sorry about Willow. We will find her, I promise you." She stepped forward hesitantly, as though to give Buffy a hug, but she wasn't sure if she should. Impulsively, Buffy stepped forward as well; embracing the one they had all called Queen C in high school.
"Thanks Cordy. You should stick around Sunnydale; I think your lack of tact would keep us all sane." Buffy said softly as the tears fell.
They gave a quick, reassuring, squeeze then let go as Cordy said, "Me? Stay in Sunnydale? Not even if they put a Saks 5th Avenue in the mall."
The girls grinned at each other but immediately grew sober as they realized what lay ahead of them. Buffy's eyes grew wide as she realized something. "Giles!"
Xander scratched is head in confusion.
Angel looked at Buffy expectantly.
Wesley polished his glasses.
Cordelia pulled out a nail file.
Buffy looked at them, waiting for them to understand what she had said. "You guys? Giles? Doesn't know about Will? Who's going to stay here and tell him?"
Wesley cocked his head thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, Merrick is still there with him. I can certainly go and explain the situation to them and be on my way to help you track Willow down."
Buffy nodded in agreement and sent him on his way. "Oh, and Wes?"
He stopped midstride to look back at the woman who had once been his charge.
"Tell him we'll back with Willow as soon as we can. And be careful. I don't want to lose anymore of my people."
Wesley nodded and went on his way as Buffy led the rest of the gang out the door. Angel quickened his pace so that he could talk with her quietly. "Any ideas of where to look?"
Buffy looked at him briefly and nodded. "I thought I'd try the old warehouse. He took Willow and Xander there last year when he was trying to get Drusilla back."
Angel nodded in agreement. "How are you holding up?" He asked her, the concern evident in his brown eyes.
The Slayer shrugged indifferently before replying, "I'm ok. Not really of the good, but I'm hanging in there. I'm scared out of my mind for Willow though. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her." Buffy looked up at Angel, her large hazel eyes filling with tears.
Angel held her arm by the elbow, stopping outside of the Sunnydale Cinema. "Buffy, listen to me. We will find Willow. Nothing bad will happen. I promise." She nodded in response, but it was clear that she was still frightened by what could happen. "We're not accomplishing anything by standing here, so lets get a move on." He turned to face Cordy and Xander. "Ok, folks! Let's get a move on!"
"Buffy! Angel! Wait up!" A voice called out somewhere down the street. Buffy squinted to see who was yelling at them to stop, extremely annoyed. She had some best friend saving to do. When the figure came closer Buffy's hand rose to her open mouth and she gasped in surprise. "Oz??"
Part 15:
"Tess, I don't understand! Why aren't we with them? They need us!"
"Angel Girl, be patient. Just because we aren't there now does not mean that the Father won't call us soon. Willow will need us shortly, this I know. But until we hear anything further, we are to stay put."
Tess and Monica were standing outside of an abandoned warehouse in what Cordelia had once called "the bad part of town...about a half a block from the good part of town." Neither angel had any idea why they were there, only that the Creator had told them they must be there at 10:00 pm. As usual, Monica was getting impatient and Tess was getting irritated at Monica's persistent questions.
* "Hola, mis amigas!" A familiar voice rang out in the night air. Monica and Tess perked up at the sound; it was another fellow angel, Rafael.
"Hello, Rafael," Monica smiled at him. "What brings you to this assignment?"
"I'm to deliver a message to you both. Andrew is with Willow right now, merely comforting her. She is fine, Adam hasn't gotten to the "dissect and experiment" as of yet. However, Monica you are supposed to go to her and protect her as best as you can when that time comes. Tess, you need to stay here. Buffy is on a search for Willow and she's on her way here. You need to direct her away from the warehouse and to the Initiative caves. She'll know where you're talking about."
Monica nodded, relieved that she finally had something to do, yet frightened for the young girl she was to protect. "Of course. I'm on my way."
Monica and Rafael hugged briefly before she left. As she walked away, Rafael called out to her, "Oh, and Monica? Be careful…and hurry!" Monica hurried her pace, eventually fading into nothingness.
"I'd love to stay and chat Tess, but I have to be on my way. I'm sure I'll be back to Sunnydale before the night is through."
"Of course. Thank you for the information, Rafael. It was muy bien to see you," Tess chuckled, trying out some Spanish.
"Si, senorita. Vaya con Dios!"
"Adios!"
Part 16
Andrew cringed as he watched Adam begin to torture and beat Willow. Until God told him to step in, there was nothing he could do, and it was eating at his heart. At the present moment, Willow or Adam could not see him, yet Adam seemed to sense another presence in the room. He kept glancing around, looking for any enemies he could maim and destroy.
'Oh, Father, where are You? I can't just stand by and watch him destroy this innocent life! I know you have not given Your word yet, but I cannot stand by and do nothing. Please, Father, help her. You know how difficult this is for me to watch, but I will do as You have asked and I will wait. I know You have a plan and a purpose, and I will not interfere. All I ask is that You will send help to this young girl. I love you, Lord.' Andrew could not stop the tears from flowing down his face once they started. He felt every blow, every strike as though they were brought upon his own body. Just when he felt all was lost, he noticed Monica walk into the dark, dank cave.
"Monica!" Andrew was overjoyed. He knew the Father would provide for young Willow. "Please, help her! I don't think I can stand this!"
Monica hushed him and walked swiftly to Willow. She glanced at the face of the monster and shuddered violently. It was not the fact that Adam was made up of human and demon parts that disturbed Monica. What frightened the Irish angel was the lack of compassion and emotion for a human life. Even those creatures that were viewed as evil showed a level of emotion, even hatred, when committing a heinous act such as this one. Adam did not.
Turning her back to him, Monica covered Willow's small form with her own slight frame, enduring every strike, blow and stab. The Angel winced and nearly cried out from the pain but she would not give herself the satisfaction of screaming. If she gave in, it would be as though this monster had taken some sense of dignity and pride from her. And Monica would not let that happen.
Oddly enough, Adam seemed to tire of beating Willow and returned to his console of televisions and computers. No one besides Maggie Walsh and Adam knew of the entrance to the caves from Initiative HQ and until the time was right, it would stay that way. The security cameras allowed Adam to see what was going on in the Initiative at all times and the computers let him control what happened there. It was the perfect plan as far as he was concerned. Nothing would stop him from completing Maggie's dream.
Andrew came over to Monica and Willow, kneeling beside the fallen woman and angel. He reached out to touch Monica's cheek gently. "Are you alright?" He asked her softly.
The tears filled Monica's eyes but she nodded bravely, unable to speak through the pain.
To her own surprise, Willow was still conscious. After all Adam had just done, it was amazing that she was even alive, let alone a part of the waking world. It didn't take long for reality to set in however and soon her eyes were filled with tears of fear for herself and for her friends. She began to pray aloud, yet quietly, to whatever gods were listening. "Help me…please help me. I want to go home! I can't die, not yet! I have too much to do…graduate from college, get married, have kids…I want to grow old." Willow stopped as the idea of God entered her mind for the first time in over a year. Sure, she went to Temple with her parents, and to her cousin's Bar Mitzvah, but God? Ever since she had been following the ways of Wicca, God had taken a back seat. Maybe now was the time for Him to take the steering wheel. "God? Are you there? It's me…Willow. I guess you knew that though, huh? God I know that I haven't followed Your ways for so long and I am sorry. I have no excuses. God, please help me. I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. I can't leave Buffy and Xander...or Giles. My best friends; my family. Don't take me away from them yet. I don't think they could handle it. I know I couldn't if I lost one of them. Please, Lord, help me! I don't ask for a lot, I only want to live..." Willow trailed off, as the tears became sobs. She couldn't bear the thought of dying and leaving her friends.
Little did the little redhead know, two angels were standing watch over her that very minute, waiting for God the Father to give His instructions to help her.
* OK, here's our Spanish lesson for the day.
Hola: Hello
Mis amigas: My friends
Muy bien: Very good
Si senorita, Vaya con Dios: Yes miss, Go with God
Adios: Good bye
A/N: All I have to say is: Review, Review, Review! Ok, you've seen it three times. Now say it three times...then do it! Three times would be cool, but I'm not that needy! Again, sorry for the long wait!
Disclaimer: BtVS, Angel and TbaA do not belong to me; they belong to their respective creative geniuses. I'm only borrowing them for a while and I will return them without too much damage...
Chapter 14
"Oh, God...Willow!" Buffy sobbed in Xander's arms. In normal circumstances, Xander would not be the one Buffy turned to. But he was Willow's best friend too, and he understood how she felt. "I can't believe I let her get taken. It's all my fault!"
Xander pulled her closer, gently stroking her back. "Shh...Buff, it isn't your fault. How could you have known?"
"If I had made her come with me to the lounge...but no. I was too wrapped up in my own self-pity to even think about her."
At this, Cordelia huffed loudly. "Excuse me, miss 'I'm not over myself yet', if you're so worried about being wrapped up in self-pity, then what exactly are you doing right now?"
"Cordelia-," Wesley said warningly.
She waved him off with a flick of her wrist. "No, Wesley. Look, I'm scared for Willow too; I felt what she felt, remember? All I'm saying is whining about what we could have done differently isn't going to fix things. We have to find Willow, and we need to be strong."
Xander and Buffy had abandoned their embrace and were now looking at Cordelia in amazement. Where did she come from? , Their gazes seem to ask.
Cordelia moved in front of Buffy, looking the blonde in the eye sincerely. "Buffy, I am sorry about Willow. We will find her, I promise you." She stepped forward hesitantly, as though to give Buffy a hug, but she wasn't sure if she should. Impulsively, Buffy stepped forward as well; embracing the one they had all called Queen C in high school.
"Thanks Cordy. You should stick around Sunnydale; I think your lack of tact would keep us all sane." Buffy said softly as the tears fell.
They gave a quick, reassuring, squeeze then let go as Cordy said, "Me? Stay in Sunnydale? Not even if they put a Saks 5th Avenue in the mall."
The girls grinned at each other but immediately grew sober as they realized what lay ahead of them. Buffy's eyes grew wide as she realized something. "Giles!"
Xander scratched is head in confusion.
Angel looked at Buffy expectantly.
Wesley polished his glasses.
Cordelia pulled out a nail file.
Buffy looked at them, waiting for them to understand what she had said. "You guys? Giles? Doesn't know about Will? Who's going to stay here and tell him?"
Wesley cocked his head thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, Merrick is still there with him. I can certainly go and explain the situation to them and be on my way to help you track Willow down."
Buffy nodded in agreement and sent him on his way. "Oh, and Wes?"
He stopped midstride to look back at the woman who had once been his charge.
"Tell him we'll back with Willow as soon as we can. And be careful. I don't want to lose anymore of my people."
Wesley nodded and went on his way as Buffy led the rest of the gang out the door. Angel quickened his pace so that he could talk with her quietly. "Any ideas of where to look?"
Buffy looked at him briefly and nodded. "I thought I'd try the old warehouse. He took Willow and Xander there last year when he was trying to get Drusilla back."
Angel nodded in agreement. "How are you holding up?" He asked her, the concern evident in his brown eyes.
The Slayer shrugged indifferently before replying, "I'm ok. Not really of the good, but I'm hanging in there. I'm scared out of my mind for Willow though. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her." Buffy looked up at Angel, her large hazel eyes filling with tears.
Angel held her arm by the elbow, stopping outside of the Sunnydale Cinema. "Buffy, listen to me. We will find Willow. Nothing bad will happen. I promise." She nodded in response, but it was clear that she was still frightened by what could happen. "We're not accomplishing anything by standing here, so lets get a move on." He turned to face Cordy and Xander. "Ok, folks! Let's get a move on!"
"Buffy! Angel! Wait up!" A voice called out somewhere down the street. Buffy squinted to see who was yelling at them to stop, extremely annoyed. She had some best friend saving to do. When the figure came closer Buffy's hand rose to her open mouth and she gasped in surprise. "Oz??"
Part 15:
"Tess, I don't understand! Why aren't we with them? They need us!"
"Angel Girl, be patient. Just because we aren't there now does not mean that the Father won't call us soon. Willow will need us shortly, this I know. But until we hear anything further, we are to stay put."
Tess and Monica were standing outside of an abandoned warehouse in what Cordelia had once called "the bad part of town...about a half a block from the good part of town." Neither angel had any idea why they were there, only that the Creator had told them they must be there at 10:00 pm. As usual, Monica was getting impatient and Tess was getting irritated at Monica's persistent questions.
* "Hola, mis amigas!" A familiar voice rang out in the night air. Monica and Tess perked up at the sound; it was another fellow angel, Rafael.
"Hello, Rafael," Monica smiled at him. "What brings you to this assignment?"
"I'm to deliver a message to you both. Andrew is with Willow right now, merely comforting her. She is fine, Adam hasn't gotten to the "dissect and experiment" as of yet. However, Monica you are supposed to go to her and protect her as best as you can when that time comes. Tess, you need to stay here. Buffy is on a search for Willow and she's on her way here. You need to direct her away from the warehouse and to the Initiative caves. She'll know where you're talking about."
Monica nodded, relieved that she finally had something to do, yet frightened for the young girl she was to protect. "Of course. I'm on my way."
Monica and Rafael hugged briefly before she left. As she walked away, Rafael called out to her, "Oh, and Monica? Be careful…and hurry!" Monica hurried her pace, eventually fading into nothingness.
"I'd love to stay and chat Tess, but I have to be on my way. I'm sure I'll be back to Sunnydale before the night is through."
"Of course. Thank you for the information, Rafael. It was muy bien to see you," Tess chuckled, trying out some Spanish.
"Si, senorita. Vaya con Dios!"
"Adios!"
Part 16
Andrew cringed as he watched Adam begin to torture and beat Willow. Until God told him to step in, there was nothing he could do, and it was eating at his heart. At the present moment, Willow or Adam could not see him, yet Adam seemed to sense another presence in the room. He kept glancing around, looking for any enemies he could maim and destroy.
'Oh, Father, where are You? I can't just stand by and watch him destroy this innocent life! I know you have not given Your word yet, but I cannot stand by and do nothing. Please, Father, help her. You know how difficult this is for me to watch, but I will do as You have asked and I will wait. I know You have a plan and a purpose, and I will not interfere. All I ask is that You will send help to this young girl. I love you, Lord.' Andrew could not stop the tears from flowing down his face once they started. He felt every blow, every strike as though they were brought upon his own body. Just when he felt all was lost, he noticed Monica walk into the dark, dank cave.
"Monica!" Andrew was overjoyed. He knew the Father would provide for young Willow. "Please, help her! I don't think I can stand this!"
Monica hushed him and walked swiftly to Willow. She glanced at the face of the monster and shuddered violently. It was not the fact that Adam was made up of human and demon parts that disturbed Monica. What frightened the Irish angel was the lack of compassion and emotion for a human life. Even those creatures that were viewed as evil showed a level of emotion, even hatred, when committing a heinous act such as this one. Adam did not.
Turning her back to him, Monica covered Willow's small form with her own slight frame, enduring every strike, blow and stab. The Angel winced and nearly cried out from the pain but she would not give herself the satisfaction of screaming. If she gave in, it would be as though this monster had taken some sense of dignity and pride from her. And Monica would not let that happen.
Oddly enough, Adam seemed to tire of beating Willow and returned to his console of televisions and computers. No one besides Maggie Walsh and Adam knew of the entrance to the caves from Initiative HQ and until the time was right, it would stay that way. The security cameras allowed Adam to see what was going on in the Initiative at all times and the computers let him control what happened there. It was the perfect plan as far as he was concerned. Nothing would stop him from completing Maggie's dream.
Andrew came over to Monica and Willow, kneeling beside the fallen woman and angel. He reached out to touch Monica's cheek gently. "Are you alright?" He asked her softly.
The tears filled Monica's eyes but she nodded bravely, unable to speak through the pain.
To her own surprise, Willow was still conscious. After all Adam had just done, it was amazing that she was even alive, let alone a part of the waking world. It didn't take long for reality to set in however and soon her eyes were filled with tears of fear for herself and for her friends. She began to pray aloud, yet quietly, to whatever gods were listening. "Help me…please help me. I want to go home! I can't die, not yet! I have too much to do…graduate from college, get married, have kids…I want to grow old." Willow stopped as the idea of God entered her mind for the first time in over a year. Sure, she went to Temple with her parents, and to her cousin's Bar Mitzvah, but God? Ever since she had been following the ways of Wicca, God had taken a back seat. Maybe now was the time for Him to take the steering wheel. "God? Are you there? It's me…Willow. I guess you knew that though, huh? God I know that I haven't followed Your ways for so long and I am sorry. I have no excuses. God, please help me. I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. I can't leave Buffy and Xander...or Giles. My best friends; my family. Don't take me away from them yet. I don't think they could handle it. I know I couldn't if I lost one of them. Please, Lord, help me! I don't ask for a lot, I only want to live..." Willow trailed off, as the tears became sobs. She couldn't bear the thought of dying and leaving her friends.
Little did the little redhead know, two angels were standing watch over her that very minute, waiting for God the Father to give His instructions to help her.
* OK, here's our Spanish lesson for the day.
Hola: Hello
Mis amigas: My friends
Muy bien: Very good
Si senorita, Vaya con Dios: Yes miss, Go with God
Adios: Good bye
A/N: All I have to say is: Review, Review, Review! Ok, you've seen it three times. Now say it three times...then do it! Three times would be cool, but I'm not that needy! Again, sorry for the long wait!