I found Dahle still sitting alone beside the water.
"You have to leave," he told me without turning to face me.
"I know what you're planning to do." I told him.
"I know that you know what I'm planning to do."
"It's a bad idea, Dahle. Very bad."
"I knew you were going to say that, too." he muttered.
"Dahle - "
"Keth, don't, alright? Just - don't."
"But - "
"No," he cut me off, standing up. He took my hands in his. "This can't go on, you know that. You've always known that."
"But - "
"Shh," he put his finger to my lips. "I have to go now." he kissed my forehead, then left.
I took the Eye out of my pocket. "What is going on?" but the Eye remained a black, oval-shaped rock. I closed my eyes, and sighed.
"Thinking about Spike again?" Angel asked me.
"No," I replied flatly.
"He's dying - but I guess you already know that, huh?" I didn't answer. "You could save him."
I turned around. "What do you want?" I demanded angrily.
"I know what you were going to ask. You were going to ask me why I was doing this. Well, the answer is simple: I despise this dimension and everything - especially you - in it. I want it gone, in every sense of the word - just gone." Angel paused, scanning me, taking in my expressionless face, trying to read my thoughts the way I could read everyone else's. "You didn't know that, did you? I mean - you knew because you know, but you didn't actually know, right? You can't read me, like you can others, right? I'm a - "
"Dark spot on a map of bright lights, yes." I finished for him. "You don't know your own power, do you? No, of course you don't. How could you? You've never figured anything out on your own, have you? There's always someone there to guide you, or at least point you in the right direction, dropped you in a desert with a shovel and told you to dig up the buried treasure, et cetera, et cetera. You could pull it off, Angel."
"Pull what off? You confused me with all that buried treasure talk."
"I have nothing more to say to you, Angel." I turned to leave.
"But..but Spike needs you." Angel said over-dramatically. I turned back, but didn't say anything. "I want the Eye." Angel told me frankly.
"I don't have it." I lied.
"Are you sure?" Angel asked, taking a step closer.
An image flashed through my mind. Dahle was up in a tree, waiting for Angel to attack me so that he could use that as an excuse. "I don't have the Eye." I repeated.
Angel kept coming closer. "I know you're lying. Where is it? Does Buffy have it? Or one of her friends - Xander maybe? I think I'll ask one of them."
"You leave them alone." I wanted to say that they weren't that important, but I knew that that wasn't true. Xander, Willow, Cordelia, and Giles were in this as deep as anyone.
"Alright, so maybe - just maybe - you don't have the Eye. But you do know where it is. You'd have to. Tell me."
"No."
"The longer I wait, the more angry I become, the more Spikey pays for it."
"Let Spike go." I said.
"Give me the Eye." Angel shrugged, holding out his hand.
I saw the vision a moment too late. "Dahle!" I exclaimed.
Dahle didn't notice the vampire until it was too late. He swore loudly as he fell, and landed with a grunt. He lay there silently trying to catch his breath.
I dropped to my knees beside him. "Are you alright?"
His gaze drifted from the vampire in the tree to me. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He tried telling me telepathically instead. He told me he was fine.
"Are you sure?"
Dahle sat up slowly. "Positive," he managed. He popped his shoulder back into its socket, then looked at Angel. "That was totally uncalled for." he muttered angrily.
"Yeah, but it was pretty damned funny." Angel said, trying to hide his smile.
"I'm gonna - " Dahle tried to get up, but fell back down. "Sit here and stare at you angrily." he growled in frustration.
Angel burst into hysterical laughter, as the second vampire dropped down from the tree. "See ya later, Bryn." and Angel left.
"You leave him alone. When I find the Eye, I'll contact you. You hear? Leave Spike alone." I called after him.
"No promises," Angel replied.
Dahle turned to me. "Bryn? Bryn? Why Bryn?" he demanded the question he'd wanted to ask me since he'd heard it spoken by Angel.
"I like it," I shrugged.
Dahle shook his head. "Help me up, Bryn. God, it sounds like a drink, or something. 'Yes, bartender, I'll have three martinees and a Bryn.' Ow!" he exclaimed. I'd let him fall again - on purpose. "Dammit, Keth!" he whined.
I shook my head. "You're pathetic, you know that?"
"I am not," he whined. "Why don't you try falling out of a tree, then we'll see who's pathetic."
"Come on," I helped him to his feet.
"You're mean," he scowled.
"Do you want me to knock you over again?"
Dahle shook his head.
Xander took a Pepsi out of the fridge, then went back into the livingroom. Bryn had been gone for over an hour, and he was beginning to worry. He went to the front door and looked through the peep hole. When he saw nothing, he sighed, and went into the livingroom.
Xander sat down, and picked up the phone. He dialed Cordelia's number.
She picked up after the second ring. "Hello?"
"Hey, Cordy."
"Oh my God! Xander? Is that you? Buffy said that you'd been kidnapped! Are you alright? Where are you?"
"I'm at Buffy's, and I'm fine, don't worry." he assured her.
"I'll be there in five minutes." she told him.
"I'll be here," he replied.
"Are you sure you're alright? You sound depressed."
"I'm just - I dunno," Xander shook his head.
"I love you," Cordelia told him.
"I know."
"That's not the answer I was hoping for."
Xander sighed. "Sorry."
Cordelia paused, trying to decide what to say. "I'll be there soon." she promised.
"Okay," Xander waited for her to hang up.
Angel watched Xander hang up the phone, trying to decide how to lure him outside. He ducked under the window, and signaled to the other vampire to knock on the door.
Xander went to the front door, and looked through the peep hole. No one was there. Just then there was a knock on the back door. He jogged to the back door and looked through the window.
"We have to hurry," I told Dahle, breaking into a jog.
The doorbell rang at the front door.
"Who the hell's out there?" Xander shouted. The doorbell rang again. "Goddamn it, who's there?"
A rock sailed through the window, just missing Xander. He dropped to all fours and crawled to the window. Taking a deep breath, he peeked out. Another rock flew through the window, this time hitting him on the forehead.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, putting his hand to his head. It stung, so he took his hand away. There was blood on his palm.
Xander knew he was trapped in the house until Cordelia got there. "Oh, no!" Xander jetted for the phone, and dialed her number. There was no answer. He was too late. Then he remembered her cell phone number. "Come on, come on," he urged the phone.
"Hello?" Cordelia answered.
"Oh, thank God," Xander sighed in relief, wiping blood and sweat from his brow. "Cordy, don't come here."
"Why not? I really want to see you."
"I know, I know, but someone or something is outside. Go to the hospital instead."
"Why?"
"Because that's where Buffy is - and because it's safer. Please don't argue with me."
"Alright, but what about you?"
"If it's who I think it is, he can't come in. As long as I don't leave the house, I'll be fine. Don't worry, Cordy."
"I'll call you from the hospital."
"Okay, 'bye."
"'Bye." Reluctantly, Cordelia hung up.
"Hurry, Bryn." Xander whispered to the air, as someone rang the doorbell again.