PART X
Comme tu veux. / As you wish.


Buffy snuggled into the front seat of Angel's car. She'd missed having a car. She'd missed him. Dinner plans had been interrupted when the front desk had called. Buffy had a guest. The guest turned out to be a Council informant. Angel dropped him off the balcony after Buffy gleefully picked the man's pocket. She kept the money and gave the credit cards and cell phone to Angel. She packed her clothes while Angel dumped the unconscious man at the nearest hospital. He left the credit cards and cell phone with a fencer. Angel took particular pleasure in seeing Buffy drive the man's car down a narrow crowded alley. They abandoned it in a questionable neighbourhood with a full tank of gas and the keys in the ignition. They were a block away when they heard the car's tires squeal.

The informant had been rather talkative once he realized he was dealing with a vampire. The Council's newest Watcher, Wesley Wyndham-Price, was staying at an upscale hotel in San Francisco. He had arrived from England the previous day. One of the Council's teams was on its way to Sacramento. It was time to leave. Angel stopped at his motel room to gather his clothes and make some phone calls.

One call was to Sunnydale. Buffy listend in stunned silence to Angel's side of the dialogue. She couldn't believe that he had dialed Giles' number. She was even more shocked at the normal tone of the conversation. When he hung up the phone, Angel pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, now you're starting to act like Giles. What gives?"

"Did you call Willow recently?"

"Yeah," said Buffy hesitantly. "A couple days ago. But I didn't tell her where I was, and I used a pay phone. Why?"

"She's been missing since Tuesday. Giles thinks the Council snatched her to find you."

"WHAT????" Buffy thought back to her phone call with Willow. She had asked about her Mom and Oz. They had joked about her new hair colour. Buffy had confided to her best friend how she felt about the vampire who still hovered at the edges of her life. "They tapped Willow's phone? They can't do that. It's illegal. Only the police or the FBI or the CIA or some other ABC spy agency can do that." She had a sickening sobering thought. "Angel, will they hurt her?"

"I don't know."

"Don't lie to me." He had not looked at her when he answered. "Will they?"

Angel reached for Buffy's hands. "They'll try and find out what she knows."

"How?" He stroked the back of her hands with his thumbs. "Angel, how?"

"There are lots of ways to get information, Buffy. Not all of them are painful or destructive." With the exception of the police, almost everyone else practiced the "how much pain can you stand" method. The Council was not answerable to anyone. Angel had no illusions about their interrogation style.

"Tell me."

"Do you really want to know, Buffy? Sometimes not knowing… well… it's easier." He watched her ponder the choice.

"If you don't tell me, I'll imagine the worst. So, yes, I want to know."

"Okay." He drew her towards the sofa and sat down beside her. "They'll probably try to bully her. Maybe do their version of 'Good Cop/Bad Cop'. When that doesn't work, they might try some drugs." The Council's preferred method was pain followed by death.

"Like truth drugs? Does that work?"

"I don't know. They hadn't been invented when I was …" Angel bowed his head

"They're going to kill her, aren't they?" Buffy's eyes flooded with tears. "Does Giles know where she is? Can we… can we find her?" Please tell me yes. Please. Please.

Angel raised his head and said quietly, "Giles doesn't even know where to start, and she's been gone at least two days. He's trying to find her. I'm going to call in some favours."

This can't be happening. "Angel, we have to go back. We have to find her." Tell me we can find her.

"If you go to Sunnydale, they'll kill you." He whispered the words against her forehead as tears splotched her pants. "That's not going to help Willow."

"But, we have to do something," Buffy begged.

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm so sorry, but you can't help Willow." Angel tightened his embrace as Buffy's screamed her frustration.

Oh God. Oh God. Willow, I love you.

*****


Angel did most of the talking as they drove to San Francisco. Buffy wanted to know everything that had happened while they had been separated. Angel reported that he had returned to LA and "taken care of" the second assassination team. Buffy didn't ask how. Angel was right. Sometimes it was easier not to know.

Giles was frantically trying to identify the members of the remaining teams, locate Willow, and reduce the volume of information on Buffy and, consequently, Angel. Unfortunately Xander had been only too happy to talk to the Council's investigators about Angel's relationship with the Slayer. His helpfulness had led to the knowledge that Buffy had regular contact with Willow. However Xander refused to believe that he was a crucial factor in Willow's abduction.

The ex-Watcher had tried to get the Sunnydale police involved. As soon as they discovered that Willow was dating a band player, they had downgraded the case from kidnapping to "probable runaway". Because the Dingoes were touring, Giles had been unable to reach Oz. He was skeptical that the Sunnydale Police Department had even bothered to find the tour schedule. Willow's parents were convinced that she was going through "a phase" and would return home when school started.

Joyce Summers had been equally uncooperative albeit unwittingly. She steadfastly stonewalled the Council's efforts to learn personal details of Buffy's life. Her distrust and disbelief were unbreachable. She clung to the illusion that her daughter was just troubled. She blamed Giles for encouraging Buffy's wild behavior. He suspected that her telephone line was also tapped However, since she had had no contact with her daughter, Giles believed the Council would monitor her movements but essentially leave her alone.

Hellmouth activity had continued to rise as word spread that the Slayer was gone. A new Watcher was arriving soon to assess the situation and determine if the new Slayer should relocate. Giles could provide little background information on the Watcher except it was a man and he was "freshly brainwashed."

Buffy smiled at the typical Giles' comment. "Aren't they watching Giles too? Listening to his phone calls? Following him around and stuff?"

Angel shrugged. "Giles said not to worry about it." He glanced at the overhead sign. "Which exit do we need?"

Buffy turned the map light on. "The next one, then we turn left at the second light."

She flipped the light off and watched the oncoming headlights streak past. Someone was going to pay for Willow. She didn't know who yet. She tapped Angel on the arm and pointed at the hotel marquee.

*****

When they left the hotel, Mr. Wyndham-Price was missing several teeth and all of his fingers were broken. Buffy hadn't planned on dislodging his teeth, but the British man had prattled incessantly about "a Slayer's sacred duty". She had cuffed him once just to shut him up, but she put all of her Slayer strength behind the punch.

The Watcher didn't know anything about Willow's kidnapping except that it had occurred. He wasn't the least bit remorseful. In fact, the man had treated Buffy with a great deal of condescension until Angel had flashed his fangs. The inexperienced Watcher had urinated in his chair and promptly started talking.

He told them that the second team had met with a freak automobile accident before leaving Los Angeles. Buffy shot Angel a questioning look. They knew about the team going to Sacramento. That left two that were unaccounted.

"Where are the other teams?" asked Buffy.

"They're already here."

"Where here? In San Francisco? In Sunnydale?"

"I have no idea."

"Fine. Do it the hard way. I can break your fingers or he can. I promise not to lick the blood off them. That's the only difference. Take your pick."

*****

Buffy sipped her mocha as she waited for Angel. He had sent her out of the room after she hit Wyndham-Price. She had protested, but Angel had silenced her with "Sometimes it's easier not to know." As she sat in the car, she was grateful that he had stopped her. Always nice to know I have a future in torture and maiming. Wonder if the Mafia hires females?

Angel opened the driver's door and climbed in. "You okay?" He had argued against her presence in the Watcher's room. She had overruled him by kicking in the door and throwing the surprised man into the television. Willow's kidnapping had awakened a spark in her that he hadn't seen since that morning in the mansion. Then she was fighting to protect the world. Now she was fighting to regain control of her life. Once the adrenaline rush passed, she would have to live with the consequences of her actions. Angel felt remorse and guilt every day for Angelus' actions. It took its toll. What would it do to Buffy?

She took another sip of her mocha. "Yes. And thanks."

"For what?"

"You were right. I shouldn't have… I got a little out of control in there. If you hadn't stopped me…" Wyndham-Pryce might be Puppy Chow.

"You would have stopped yourself." Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Maybe after you broke his arms and legs."

"And before I shoved a stake up his very British ass?" she rejoined. "I would have hated myself in the morning. Not that I'm real happy now." She rolled the paper cup between her hands. "Angel, I feel like I'm on a runaway train and I'm not the one driving. I keep pulling on the emergency brake and nothing happens." Buffy finished her drink. "Too bad I can't get frequent rider miles. We might actually be able to go somewhere."

"I know this is gonna sound clichéd, but sometimes life is like this. Out of control, meandering, reckless speeding. Doesn't mean it's always gonna be like this. You've got some say in what happens." Angel suddenly felt his 240-plus years "That Watcher's going to be in communicado for … several weeks, I'm guessing. Don't ask," he added as Buffy opened her mouth. "You really—"

"Don't want to know? I'm starting to get that." Buffy's stomach growled. "Hey, I got gypped out of my dinner. Does your offer still stand? 'Cause if it does, I could go for some cashew chicken."

She didn't want to talk about it any more. Angel suspected she wasn't done with the topic, but he didn't push. Instead, he started the car. "Ever been to Chinatown?"