Chapter 3
"No, she wouldn't have just left without telling us," Jade told Spike as she pushed the backdoor open and walked back into the house. "She would have left me a note or. something."
Jade began to walk up the stairs back to her mother's room, where the demon had attacked her, followed closely by Spike. Jade walked back into the room and began rummaging through her mothers desk where she kept al the families important documents. Jade frantically searched her drawers for some indications of where she had gone.
"Spike help me look," Jade said as she continued searching. She expected Spike to help her but when there was no response she turned back to face him. "Are you gonna help or just sit there?"
"Jade," Spike kneeled down beside Jade. "I know this is hard but you need to stay calm."
"Spike how can you say that?"
"You're not thinking clearly love," Spike looked at Jade very seriously. "That demon was in here for a reason. Don't over react but it's possible-"
"No!" Jade pushed Spike away. "He didn't take her. he can't have. My mother wouldn't have gone quietly it's too." Jade was starting to believe Spike, she wasn't thinking clearly and Spike was. She instantly looked to Spike for advice, asking him for guidance with her eyes.
"Jade you're the slayer," Spike looked at her with caring eyes sparked with encouragement. "If anyone can find her you can. You just have to follow your instincts."
"Thank you," Jade got to her feet and dusted her skirt off and headed towards her bedroom.
"What's the plan love?" Spike asked following her.
"I hit the demons bars in town and get information."
"I thought we were gonna look through Dawn's desk?" Spike asked wondering what had happened to her instincts.
"That's what you're for isn't it?" Jade asked sarcastically closing her bedroom door to get changed into something she could fight better in.
"I think demon bars are slightly more my forte than paper work," Spike whined leaning up against Jade's door. He could her shuffling through her drawers savagely much as se had in Dawn's room. Spike was quite amused that even in time of great urgency Jade had to make sure she looked okay.
After another moment Jade opened her door - causing Spike so stumble slightly, Jade paused as Spike regained his balance, they were quite close together as Spike could feel the warm, human heat of her body. Spike realized he was in her way and quickly stepped back into the hallway, which Jade then entered quickly.
"You hit the books I hit the bars, got it?"
"Jade," Spike called after her. "Don't you have school?"
"It's called priorities Spike," Jade continued to walk down the stairs and out of the house where she didn't look back, though Spike could imagine her face perfectly; the look of determination.
~#^*()*^#~
"No," Angel backed away from Cordelia horrified. "That can't be right, there must be something I can do!"
"I'm sorry Angel," Cordelia moved towards Angel in a plea for him to listen. "It's the only thing you can do."
"No," Angel ran into the kitchen and began thrashing about in his cupboards and drawers. "I don't believe you!"
"Angel." Cordelia looked at Angel, and his eyes met hers. "I know this is hard for you, you don't want to abandon her, like you did Buffy."
"I didn't abandon Buffy I."
"I know," Cordelia put her hands softly on Angel's shoulder. "Angel I'm not the one you need to convince."
Angel tried to open his mouth but he couldn't find the words to convey his thoughts. He looked it Cordelia's gleaming eyes, which had once shone so brightly in his life, if only things were still so simple. Jade almost made things normal, but the connection between her, Dawn and Spike was stronger than any connection he had with them, maybe things would be easier if he left.
"Angel I'm sorry, but you know what you have to do." Cordelia looked into Angel's eyes, her own filled wit despair. "I didn't mean to do this to you but you had to understand."
~#^*()*^#~
Jade walked quickly down the dirty ally outside the demon bar, her fists clenched tightly searching for some sort of revenge. Jade stopped outside the back entrance and tried to calm herself enough to make a subtle entrance.
The door sat slightly open, the smell of blood and cigarettes blew into Jade's adept sense of smell, she peeked through the tiny gap to see many large demons sitting at a bar, maybe it would have been a good idea to take Spike with her, though during the day he couldn't really do much.
Slowly moving her legs Jade opened the door far enough for her to move through it into the demon crowded bar, she walked in quietly; see that none of the demons had noticed her. Jade walked closer to the bar and realized the she was the Slayer; she had to show them she meant business.
Jade looked around the room for some kind of weapon and she spotted the pool-sticks lying across the pool table. She walked over to them and picked one up, she liked how it felt gripped tightly in her hand. Her attention moved back to the bar, where the largest demon she could see in the place was about to get up. Jade walked up behind the demon ready for a fabulous display.
"Ahem," Jade cleared her throat gaining the demon's attention. I t turned around with an annoyed look which Jade instantly abolished with one quick thrust of the pool-stick straight into the demon's windpipe. It went down gasping for air and moaning in the great pain in its throat. Jade pulled the pool-stick out only to beat the demon, with it, repeatedly in the head, Jade finally stopped as the demon crashed loudly on the floor.
Jade looked around the room of demon faces, some fearful others amused.
"Well now that I have everyone's attention," Jade stepped up onto the bar stool the, now dead, demon had once occupied, once upon it she stepped higher on top of the bar. "I suppose you all know who I am so we'll skip the formalities. There was an ugly black slimy demon in my house this morning and I'm assuming at least one person in here knows why and what is was. Now is someone going to come forth or so I have to pierce some more wind pipes?"
Jade once again looked out into the now silent room, the demons did not even shift in their chairs they just watched her in fear surprise and in some cases great anger. Jade felt movement somewhere behind her, she reacted quickly in jolted her pool-stick in just the right place, she felt it hit a solid surface and sink into flesh. Jade kept her guard up and simply thrust the poll-stick deeper pulling it back to her before she heard the body of the demonic bartender crash.
"In case it wasn't clear before I'm in charge here."
"No, she wouldn't have just left without telling us," Jade told Spike as she pushed the backdoor open and walked back into the house. "She would have left me a note or. something."
Jade began to walk up the stairs back to her mother's room, where the demon had attacked her, followed closely by Spike. Jade walked back into the room and began rummaging through her mothers desk where she kept al the families important documents. Jade frantically searched her drawers for some indications of where she had gone.
"Spike help me look," Jade said as she continued searching. She expected Spike to help her but when there was no response she turned back to face him. "Are you gonna help or just sit there?"
"Jade," Spike kneeled down beside Jade. "I know this is hard but you need to stay calm."
"Spike how can you say that?"
"You're not thinking clearly love," Spike looked at Jade very seriously. "That demon was in here for a reason. Don't over react but it's possible-"
"No!" Jade pushed Spike away. "He didn't take her. he can't have. My mother wouldn't have gone quietly it's too." Jade was starting to believe Spike, she wasn't thinking clearly and Spike was. She instantly looked to Spike for advice, asking him for guidance with her eyes.
"Jade you're the slayer," Spike looked at her with caring eyes sparked with encouragement. "If anyone can find her you can. You just have to follow your instincts."
"Thank you," Jade got to her feet and dusted her skirt off and headed towards her bedroom.
"What's the plan love?" Spike asked following her.
"I hit the demons bars in town and get information."
"I thought we were gonna look through Dawn's desk?" Spike asked wondering what had happened to her instincts.
"That's what you're for isn't it?" Jade asked sarcastically closing her bedroom door to get changed into something she could fight better in.
"I think demon bars are slightly more my forte than paper work," Spike whined leaning up against Jade's door. He could her shuffling through her drawers savagely much as se had in Dawn's room. Spike was quite amused that even in time of great urgency Jade had to make sure she looked okay.
After another moment Jade opened her door - causing Spike so stumble slightly, Jade paused as Spike regained his balance, they were quite close together as Spike could feel the warm, human heat of her body. Spike realized he was in her way and quickly stepped back into the hallway, which Jade then entered quickly.
"You hit the books I hit the bars, got it?"
"Jade," Spike called after her. "Don't you have school?"
"It's called priorities Spike," Jade continued to walk down the stairs and out of the house where she didn't look back, though Spike could imagine her face perfectly; the look of determination.
~#^*()*^#~
"No," Angel backed away from Cordelia horrified. "That can't be right, there must be something I can do!"
"I'm sorry Angel," Cordelia moved towards Angel in a plea for him to listen. "It's the only thing you can do."
"No," Angel ran into the kitchen and began thrashing about in his cupboards and drawers. "I don't believe you!"
"Angel." Cordelia looked at Angel, and his eyes met hers. "I know this is hard for you, you don't want to abandon her, like you did Buffy."
"I didn't abandon Buffy I."
"I know," Cordelia put her hands softly on Angel's shoulder. "Angel I'm not the one you need to convince."
Angel tried to open his mouth but he couldn't find the words to convey his thoughts. He looked it Cordelia's gleaming eyes, which had once shone so brightly in his life, if only things were still so simple. Jade almost made things normal, but the connection between her, Dawn and Spike was stronger than any connection he had with them, maybe things would be easier if he left.
"Angel I'm sorry, but you know what you have to do." Cordelia looked into Angel's eyes, her own filled wit despair. "I didn't mean to do this to you but you had to understand."
~#^*()*^#~
Jade walked quickly down the dirty ally outside the demon bar, her fists clenched tightly searching for some sort of revenge. Jade stopped outside the back entrance and tried to calm herself enough to make a subtle entrance.
The door sat slightly open, the smell of blood and cigarettes blew into Jade's adept sense of smell, she peeked through the tiny gap to see many large demons sitting at a bar, maybe it would have been a good idea to take Spike with her, though during the day he couldn't really do much.
Slowly moving her legs Jade opened the door far enough for her to move through it into the demon crowded bar, she walked in quietly; see that none of the demons had noticed her. Jade walked closer to the bar and realized the she was the Slayer; she had to show them she meant business.
Jade looked around the room for some kind of weapon and she spotted the pool-sticks lying across the pool table. She walked over to them and picked one up, she liked how it felt gripped tightly in her hand. Her attention moved back to the bar, where the largest demon she could see in the place was about to get up. Jade walked up behind the demon ready for a fabulous display.
"Ahem," Jade cleared her throat gaining the demon's attention. I t turned around with an annoyed look which Jade instantly abolished with one quick thrust of the pool-stick straight into the demon's windpipe. It went down gasping for air and moaning in the great pain in its throat. Jade pulled the pool-stick out only to beat the demon, with it, repeatedly in the head, Jade finally stopped as the demon crashed loudly on the floor.
Jade looked around the room of demon faces, some fearful others amused.
"Well now that I have everyone's attention," Jade stepped up onto the bar stool the, now dead, demon had once occupied, once upon it she stepped higher on top of the bar. "I suppose you all know who I am so we'll skip the formalities. There was an ugly black slimy demon in my house this morning and I'm assuming at least one person in here knows why and what is was. Now is someone going to come forth or so I have to pierce some more wind pipes?"
Jade once again looked out into the now silent room, the demons did not even shift in their chairs they just watched her in fear surprise and in some cases great anger. Jade felt movement somewhere behind her, she reacted quickly in jolted her pool-stick in just the right place, she felt it hit a solid surface and sink into flesh. Jade kept her guard up and simply thrust the poll-stick deeper pulling it back to her before she heard the body of the demonic bartender crash.
"In case it wasn't clear before I'm in charge here."