Part 13
Stepping
into Darkness
Part 13
~~~~~*****~~~~~
"Where could they be?"
Buffy paced the floor as Giles kept looking out the window.
"I'm sure they're fine. Fliq
can take care of herself," Angel replied, not actually
answering the question.
"What do you know?" Buffy
looked at him questioningly.
"I...What do you mean?"
"Don't pull that crap with me,
Angel. What do you know?"
Angel sighed, cursing himself for
allowing a 19 year old to see right into his 343 year old heart,
and be able to tell when he was lying, "Well, they might
have gone to the Sanctuary. I heard the Sunnydale club was
opening tonight."
"What's the Sanctuary?"
Buffy asked, confused.
"It's a safe haven for demons
and creatures of the night. No violence and no Slayers,"
Angel added, to emphasize that they shouldn't go charging after
them, knowing that that was exactly what Buffy was about to
suggest.
"Then how would Fliq get in?"
Angel floundered trying to come up
with an answer, but luckily was saved by Cordelia, "Wouldn't
the whole Wicca thing mean she was a creature of the night?"
~~~~~*****~~~~~
"Look, Buffy, didn't you hear
what I said? You can't go in there."
She didn't look at him, instead, she
just kept walking straight ahead, her pace remaining at it's
steady speed, "No, but you can."
Angel groaned and hurried to keep up,
"What do you think I can do? Fliq's old enough to make
decisions for herself and so is Willow."
"They're in there with a bunch
of demons, and I don't care what you say, I don't trust that."
"Come on, Deadboy, you telling
us you trust this thing completely?" Angel growled at Xander,
not noticing as Buffy stopped quickly, causing him to bump
straight into her.
"So where do we go from here?"
Buffy asked, hands on her hips.
Angel quickly weighed up his options.
He could tell Buffy that he didn't know and have her severely
pissed off at him, (as well as having to restrain himself from
taking a leaf out of his childe's book and strangling Xander), or
he could tell her where to go and have Fliq severely pissed off
at him. He sighed, *How do I get myself into these situations*
Groaning, he walked ahead of Buffy, who quickly started to follow.
They turned into a street and Angel
followed the blue mists. He stopped at the end of the street,
away from the building, just allowing himself a moment to breathe
in the calmness and freedom the mist offered. He sighed, then
opened his eyes as he sensed four people exiting the club.
"Looks like I don't have to go
in after all," Angel walked towards them, annoyed that he
could sense Spike as part of the group. He had his arm around
Willow, and from what it looked like, he seemed to be holding her
upright.
"Come on, Red. Time to get you
home to the Slayer."
"No. Don'...hic...wanna go. I
like this place, Spikey. 'S nice."
Spike laughed, "Now Red, we don't
want to have Buffy staking me, now do we?"
"She wouldn't dare!"
"Oh she would," Buffy
stepped into the light in front of the red head who stopped, a
little shocked, before her face widened into a broad grin.
"Buffy! Hello Buffy. It's good
ole Buffy. Look, Spike, it's Buffy."
"I see her, pet."
"Buffy's nice, don't you think?"
Spike smirked at the Slayer, wagging his eyes. Willow giggled and
turned back to face Buffy.
"We're having a great time!
Spikey saved me from a meanie of a demon and then we danced and
why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're drunk, Will."
"Wow, how very perceptive,"
Buffy's mouth dropped open at Willow's words as she, like
everyone else, was speechless. Spike, however, laughed before
quickly turning it into a cough as he caught a look from his sire
but noting that Angel was also having a hard time not laughing.
"Will?" Buffy asked.
"What? I don't..." Willow
placed a hand on her stomach and turned her head to look at Spike,
"Spikey, I don't feel so good."
"Okay, Red, lets take a deep
breath. We don't want you puking all over Spike's nice leather
duster, now do we?"
Willow snickered then quickly placed
a hand over her mouth. Spike took her to the edge of the street,
but after a few moments she stood up straight, "I'm okay...but
I feel kinda pooey."
Spike laughed, "Let's get you
home, Red."
They started to walk when Willow
turned quickly and Spike had to catch her from falling, "Ooh,
Fliq. We forgot Fliq."
Spike turned his head, "Hey,
short stuff. Collect your tongue and get your arse moving."
His reply was a simply a raised finger. He sighed.
"I don't think Jeff's gonna let
her leave too quickly." Willow said, frowning over Spike's
shoulder.
"Bloody prick. Thinks just
cause he's famous, he can do what he wants and bugger all to
other people."
A few moments later Fliq joined them,
groaning as she saw Angel, Xander and Buffy, "So," she
said accusingly at Angel as her glamour faded and her face
slipped away to be replaced by Buffy's.
"It was Cordelia!"
"So, what kind of demon was he?"
Xander asked, looking at the multicolored hair of the retreating
form that Fliq had been with. They watched as he joined another
two people, one of whom looked a lot like him, from what Xander
could see.
"Oh, he's human."
"That's human?"
~~~~~*****~~~~~
There was a roar in the crowd as the
man knocked his opponent down, his partner keeping others out of
the ring. He climbed the ropes and raised his arms before
performing something that resembled a somersault and landed
athletically on his opponent.
Xander turned to Fliq, who was still
staring at the television, "Again...that's human?"
"Fliq, may I have a word?"
Fliq sighed as she stood up and
walked towards the kitchen with Giles. She had been dreading the
conversation that she knew was coming. The look that Giles had
given her when they had got back had made her feel like a five
year old again.
"Fliq..."
"I know, you're very
disappointed in me."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry, you remind me a
little of my dadthe look I just got meant that he was
disappointed in me."
"Oh. I'm just worried. Someone
with your power shouldn't be tampering with those kinds of
energies."
"Giles, this isn't about being
stronger, although it does make me stronger. This is about faith.
Faith in the Goddess and God. The practices are a part of that
and regardless of some Sacred Duty, I need to follow my heartI
need something to believe in."
Giles smiled at her, "You know,
I think that's the most I've heard you talk since I met youwithout
scowling of course."
Fliq narrowed her eyes, but for a
change they were smiling, "I think I resent that." They
smiled at each other before Fliq cast her vision to the floor,
"Thank you."
"For what?" Giles asked,
his confusion evident.
Fliq looked back up at him, "For
reminding me of who I used to be, the person I was beforewell
a long time ago."
"You're welcome." They
walked back into the main room, where the others were seated,
"Just promise me that you'll be careful."
"I promise." she smiled
and sat down next to Buffy on the settee and joined her in
watching Xander and Spike with interest.
"Oh, that is so not true!"
"T'is so. I could kick her arse
in a second."
"Chyna? The Ninth Wonder of the
World? I don't think so. For a start she's got to be like twins
with Xena, Warrior Princess and..."
"Yeah, well I could kick her
arse too."
"Oh please."
There was a crash and everyone
turned to look as Angel collapsed onto the floor.
Suddenly Anya stood from her chair
in the corner, her voice shaking with terror, "It's starting."
Giles, the nearest to him, grabbed
Angel's arm as Buffy, Fliq and Cordelia jumped up from their
seats and began to help him. Suddenly Angel collapsed in pain
again and it took a combined effort to keep him standing. Soon
everyone was crowded round, watching as Angel dissipated in a
swirl of red smoke.
~~~~~*****~~~~~
"Where's Angel?" No one
answered, "Where is he?"
"A spell."
Cordelia turned to Fliq, "Well
obviously."
"Hey, don't take it out on me!
I meant there's a spell we can use to find out where he is. It's
a seeing spell. But we need four people. Four people with real
power."
"Oh great, Willow has a
hangover, and even then there's only you, her and Anya that can
do anything." Cordelia continued as Buffy finally came out
of her trance.
"Amy."
"Yeah, Giles, I'm sure her
ratness will be of great help."
"Who's Amy?" Fliq asked.
"She's a friend of mine, she
turned herself into a rat so that she wouldn't be burned at the
stake," They turned to look at Willow, who was (with Spike's
help) walking towards them, "But we...I can't turn her back."
"Burned at the stake?"
"Long story," Cordelia
sighed, turning to Fliq, "I'm sorry."
"I know," She turned back
to Willow, "Take me to the rat and let's see what we can do."
Willow moved towards her and Spike was only just able to catch
her before she fell.
"Maybe Spike should come with,"
Willow said, holding onto his arms. "You know, just for
support."
~~~~~*****~~~~~
"Okay, so what do we do?"
"Well, you say she called the
Goddess Hecate to help her, so I guess we try to reverse the
spell."
"That's what I've been trying."
"Yeah, but I've had the books
at the Watcher's Council behind my Wiccan learning. I know a
spell that might work."
Willow looked confused, "The
Watcher's Council let you use their books?"
Fliq smiled, "I never said they
let me use their books, I simply said that I had."
"Look can we get on with it?"
Spike asked impatiently. Fliq glared at him and then sat down
opposite Willow, placing rat Amy in the center. "You're
still pretty ill, pet. You sure you should be doing this?"
Willow smiled, "I'll be fine."
The two girls closed their eyes and
rolled their heads back a little. Their hands intertwined,
closing their bodies in a protective circle. The air hummed with
magick and Spike stiffened a little as they cast their circle.
There was a pause and Spike shifted on the bed.
"Goddess Hecate, we call to
thee. We beseech thee, release the spell that binds this child of
the Goddess and God. Release her to her human form. Release the
magick that binds her. This is our will, so mote it be,"
They opened their eyes and clasped their hands around two small
glass bottles, pouring their contents in a circle around the rat.
"Hecate, we beseech thee. So
mote it be," Both Willow and Fliq's voices ricocheted around
the room and Spike's eyes widened as the two were surrounded by a
brilliant light, so bright that he had jumped behind the bed in
case he set on fire. He opened his eyes and his vision was
obscured by blotches of color floating across his field of view.
He rubbed his eyes.
"Short Stuff? Red?" He
could hear their voices releasing their sacred circle, but they
seemed far away. He opened his eyes, "Fliq? Red?"
"Spike! Close your eyes!"
Willow yelped as he looked towards them.
There was now a third form, seated
in the middle of the circle, "Willow?" Willow smiled at
her as she placed a blanket around the naked, shivering form
whilst Fliq packed up their ingredients and Spike pretended he
wasn't looking into the mirror at them.
"Hey Amy."
~~~~~*****~~~~~
"I'm still confused..."
"What's confusing you?"
Willow asked.
"Well, two things. Starting
with her," Amy pointed at Fliq, "That's not Buffy."
"I'm Fliq, but we'll fill you in on the way to Giles'."
"Okay."
"What else?" Willow asked,
retrieving some clothes for her.
"Him," She pointed to
Spike. "What I don't get is that he's a vampire, he tried to
bite you but he's impotent..." Spike growled, "...he
was dating Buffy who's the slayer and now you two are dating?"
"I was never dating the slayer,"
Spike said, a little sadly.
"I think she means the spell
Spike...the one to have my will done."
"Yeah, the one that me human
again for about two seconds."
"What?"
Amy smiled, "'One minute she's
a regular human being and the next she's a rat'...that about
right?"
"That worked?"
"Yup. You have access to so
much power, Willow. You've only just begun to access it."
"Well," Fliq said, closing
the chest at the bottom of Willows bed, "if we want to save
Angel, she'll have to learn to access it. Fast."
~~~~~*****~~~~~
A cry echoed through the darkened
tunnels, piercing the eerie silence. The figure gasped in pain.
It screamed in agony and then all was silent. The two figures
around it closed in and the red head bent over, touching its bare
back.
"Welcome home, Puppy."
~~~~~*****~~~~~
END OF PART 13
Sorry that wasn't too
great, but it gets better!!!!
DISCLAIMER: as
much as I want him, Jeff Hardy doesn't belong to me! As far as I
know he belongs to himself, same with all WWF wrestlers that I
might happen to use or mention.