Chapter 12 - Safe

Emily Stevenson knew she was dead. In an intellectual way, she understood that she had been dead for over a year. Despite that, she had never considered herself anything other than alive. Now it was different. She must be dead. She could think of no other possibility. Of course, the whole theology regarding the fate of vampires, once their tenure on the earth was over, was misty. None had ever come back to confirm the theories. Of course, the most popular theory was that they went to Hell. There was no definition of which particular hell dimension they went to, but it was generally believed to be a very unpleasant place.

Emily didn't find her location at all unpleasant. The pain she remembered from when? Something told her she had recently been in pain, but the memory was hazy, like a half-forgotten dream. There was no pain now. She considered the possibility that where she was would be unpleasant for your average vampire. She knew she wasn't an average vampire. She had never killed a human. She had never felt the urge to. She knew that she would have allowed herself to starve before she would do such a thing. She was certainly not a typical vampire, but she still dismissed the idea that any creature could find her current situation particularly unpleasant.

She started to consider how she felt. Adjectives came into her mind, and were all dismissed as inadequate. Warm. Safe. Content. Secure. Happy. Home.

There was nothing about how she felt that was threatening. Even in the throes of the most pleasant physical sensations she had experienced, there was the knowledge that they would end. Even if they were renewable experiences, they didn't last. There was nothing precarious about how she felt. There was no sense that it would, or could, ever end or pall in any way.

Her thoughts drifted to Alasdair. She knew he was worried, but even her sadness for him had a peace about it that almost changed the feeling to its opposite. She had no idea of how long she had been where she was. Time didn't seem to have meaning, she simply was.

She didn't see the creature which watched over her. The Phoenix had assumed his preferred shape, and a single glance explained the name he used. He was a bird. His feathers had a pearlescent nature, their colours shading from cream around his beak through to palest pinks and lilacs on his tail. His wings shaded from blue through to green. Despite the apparent cacophony of colour, there was nothing discordant in his appearance. Somehow, the colours changed so subtly that he was quite simply a living masterpiece. Of course, that was exactly what he had intended.

As he watched, he thought over the thousand years he had spent on his task. He felt excitement welling within him as he realised that his purpose was coming to an end. Of course, there would always be another purpose. There was also concern that the final result would not be the one for which he had worked. There was still so much that could go wrong.

It was a relief to shuck off the appearance he had maintained during his contact with humans. He had calculated minutely and come to the conclusion that the one he had chosen was the one least likely to arouse suspicion among the humans with whom he had to deal. They expected demons to be ugly, and he had given them what they expected. Beauty was always suspect.

*-*-*

Once they had traded information, Grianne left the others again to return to Maria's flat above the health food shop in Mayfair. She told them it was magically shielded, and therefore safer for her. She suspected that the Council already did, or soon would, find out that she was free, and she expected to be attacked. She promised to work with Maria to find out more about Emily, and left the others to celebrate Giles' return.

It was Buffy's idea. Spike really didn't approve, but she made it clear that she might withhold certain privileges if he didn't agree, and so he did. Of course, he wasn't actually as irritated at the idea as he pretended, but he had an image to maintain. There was a new Disney film showing at the local cinema, and there were afternoon showings during half term. Lizzie was desperate to see it, and the vampires knew that, with judicious use of trees and underpasses, they could get there without exposing themselves to sunlight. Accordingly, Stephen was strapped into his push chair, and Lizzie given specific instructions on how to behave around vampires. A special reminder not to run off - especially into the sunshine - was met with disdain. She put her hands on her hips and huffed at the stupidity of adults. Of course she knew about vampires and sunlight. She wasn't stupid!

Alasdair declined the invitation to join them, saying he preferred to catch up on some sleep. The cinema-goers left, and Alasdair retreated to his bedroom, leaving Giles and Jenny alone. They were soon also in their room, and so involved in being together again, that for a short while, the rest of the world ceased to exist.

By the time the film was over, it was dark. Accordingly, the walk home was more leisurely, and circuitous. They spent some time in a toy shop, and stopped off for pizza. Buffy fed Stephen from a bottle provided by Jenny. Truth be told, he was the one thing Buffy had worried about. It was one thing to deal with a child who can communicate with you, but it was another to cope with a baby. To her relief, Stephen had slept all the way through the film, and was pacified by the movement of the pushchair when they left. He only started to get irritable when that movement stopped.

They got home later than they intended, but a call while they were eating pizza had set Giles' and Jenny's minds at rest. They went into the flat with Lizzie excitedly telling her parents about the film. They both looked relaxed and happy, and in Jenny's case, significantly younger than the day before. Jenny was trying to hush Lizzie, in case she woke Alasdair. Spike was surprised that Alasdair had slept so long, and went to his door to check. The lack of an audible heartbeat on the other side of the door alarmed him, so he opened the door to find the room empty, and no sign that the bed had been occupied recently.

Giles was readying the children for bed when Spike came back with the news. He told Buffy and Jenny what was happening. Jenny got up to go and take over bath duties from her husband, when Spike told her to sit down.

"Buffy and I'll try to find him. You just enjoy being a family again."

Jenny smiled gratefully. She had more or less decided not to let Giles out of her sight again.

Alasdair had listened to the celebrations bitterly. He was glad to see Giles too, but the most important person to him - Emily - was still missing, probably still being used as a vivisection subject by the Council of Watchers. He knew he was being uncharitable, but he felt bitter towards the others.

Even worse than noisy celebrations, was the quiet that followed. It wasn't silent. It was quite obvious that Giles and Jenny were enjoying some 'couple' time. When the sounds retreated to the bedroom, Alasdair quietly made his move.

There was only one thing on his mind as he started his car. The Council Headquarters. That was where she was. They were responsible.

It was mid afternoon when he arrived. He had calmed a little, and had decided to simply walk in and see what happened. It wasn't much of a plan, but he didn't have anything better.

To his surprise, he wasn't challenged. He showed his pass and was waved through. Deciding his luck was in, he headed for his own office. Several people expressed surprise at seeing him, but he didn't respond beyond a smile and a shrug. He reached his own desk and was surprised to find a note in his diary to the effect that he would be out of the office for an indeterminate period.

While he was reading that, the group secretary came in. "Alasdair. What are you doing back? You're supposed to be in the States."

"Change of plan," he replied.

The woman's face became a mask of sadness. "Isn't it terrible?"

"What?"

"Michael Barrat? Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"He's dead. Vampire attack. The funeral's tomorrow. And, there's something else going on. They're not telling us what, but you know how it is. There are rumours. I heard the Master has disappeared."

Two shocks in a few seconds in his already delicate emotional condition left Alasdair bereft of speech. Seeing this, the woman left him, remembering that the Highlander tended to be a man of few words.

He didn't understand. If Barrat's dead, what did that mean? It seemed a bit coincidental that the man apparently responsible for Emily's abduction just turned up dead. He cast his mind back to what Grianne told them. He realised what must have happened. When Emily's status was recognised, Barrat was killed to ensure the information didn't leak. But what did the bit about the Master mean? Was it just a red herring? Or was there something significant going on?

He was considering his next move when the security alarm started to sound. He stood up quickly, panicked by the sound.

"Seventh time today!" someone at a nearby desk complained. "I wish they'd just tell us what the hell's going on!"

Alasdair decided not to wait. This most recent alarm might be nothing to do with him, but he didn't want to take the chance. He headed for the main door, trying not to look as if he was in a hurry. He reached it to find a number of people standing by the main door, waiting for the end of the security alert. He joined them, adding his own grumbles to theirs, until the alert over siren was heard. Heaving a sigh of relief, Alasdair left the building.

He returned to the car, considering his next move. His first inclination was to find somewhere to get drunk. He remembered the night he met Spike, when the vampire had decided on that exact 'cure' for his problems. That wouldn't help. He thought some more, and decided on a different course of action.

*-*-*

Spike and Buffy arrived at Green Park station, and headed towards the Council headquarters. They weren't sure what they should or could do when they arrived. On impulse, Spike suggested paying Grianne a visit before they did anything else. The flat above the shop where Maria had done her spells was on the way anyway, and they reasoned Grianne might be able to help.

They were surprised to find Alasdair's car parked close to the shop, and the two vampires increased their rate of walking. They were welcomed cautiously, and taken upstairs. Grianne was holding a sobbing Alasdair in her arms, rocking him as she sat on the sofa. It looked incongruous, but Grianne nodded to the others as they entered, gesturing them to sit down. Alasdair seemed not to have noticed.

Maria had bustled out of the room and returned a little later with a tray laid for tea. She busied herself putting milk in the cups, and asking preferences regarding sugar, before pouring the tea from a china teapot.

Something in the clinking of teacups on saucers seemed to filter into Alasdair's consciousness in a way nothing else had. He looked up, bewildered to see his friends surrounding him. He immediately looked embarrassed, but Spike took pity on him. "So, why didn't you tell us you were going visiting? We could have come with you."

Alasdair looked confused for a second before telling them, "I went to the Council headquarters."

"Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" Spike shouted.

Alasdair looked a little guilty at that. "There wasn't a problem. I just walked in, and no one said a thing. Of course, that might be because security's in a mess there today. Apparently Michael Barrat's dead. He was killed by a vampire. And, there's a rumour that the Master's missing. No one's saying anything official, but …"

The others were silent while they assimilated that.

"Couldn't 've happened to a nicer bloke!" Spike pronounced. "I'd have liked to have done it myself, though. Never did like that blighter Barrat."

"So," Buffy intervened, digging Spike in the ribs as she did so. "What about the Master? Any way we can find out?"

Grianne thought for a second before answering. "There might be, let me make a call."

She disappeared for a few minutes. During her absence, Spike and Buffy made small talk with Maria to let Alasdair have some more time to collect himself. When Grianne reappeared, she was smiling.

"I've contacted Eleanor. If anyone can find out what's happening, she can. She's officially abroad at the moment, but she's one of a very small number of people who are trusted with the innermost secrets of the Council. She's going to call around, and get back to us as soon as she can."

The news when it came was better than expected. Eleanor could confirm that the Master had indeed disappeared. The families who controlled the Council were in turmoil as a result. Some factions were actually accusing others of being responsible for his disappearance. There was nothing to suggest that it was anything to do with Emily. As far as the family was concerned, that matter was finalised. Eleanor confirmed that the details of the prophecy had been discussed by the senior committee, and that its members had been told that the problem had been eliminated the night of the abortive rescue.

The extra news had come directly from Jeanette Borkett. She had given Eleanor the information that all standard efforts to eliminate Emily had failed, and that the Master had decided to do something secret.

"It doesn't make sense," was Buffy's opinion. "I mean, Barrat, maybe. But why would the Master be missing?"

Spike shrugged, and Grianne seemed similarly lost for an explanation. "I think we need to do one of two things. We should let Giles have access to the actual writings about the New. His experience may allow him to shed some further light on things." Grianne paused to acknowledge the nods from around the room. "I also need to investigate Emily's whereabouts more thoroughly. Maria and I were discussing a possibility before Alasdair arrived."

Grianne got up and went to another room, returning a few moments later with some papers. "These are the documents Giles needs to see. I've got the best translation to which we have access, and the originals. They are both copies - the originals are much too frail to be transported around. You can hardly believe the fuss I had trying to get the coven to let even these off the premises!"

She handed the papers to Buffy, looking at each of her friends in turn. They all looked tired. "Go back and get some sleep. Maria and I will do what we can, and I'll call you in the morning."

She approached Alasdair, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I haven't given up yet, not by a long way. We'll get her back if there's any way it can be done."

Alasdair nodded at Grianne. He wasn't sure he believed her, but he allowed her faith to instil some resurgence of hope in him anyway. He followed the two vampires into the street outside the shop, and from there to his car. They drove back to Swiss Cottage in silence, each determined to be ready to act when Grianne provided any inkling of where Emily might be.