Title: Family: On to LA
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None, I think!
Summary: Sequel to Family: Back to Sunnydale, Family: Forward to LA and Family: Return to Sunnydale. The Scoobies visit LA and a haunted house.
"Wesley?" Cordelia exclaimed in surprised. "What are you doing here? Where is here?"
He squinted. "Cordelia?"
"Yeah Wes it's me. What are you blind?"
"I seem to have lost my glasses."
"So, you didn't happen to see who took you here and where here is?"
"I'm afraid not, is Fred here also?"
"Yeah, she's unconscious but still breathing. And I gotta admit, I could really use the bathroom right now."
He rolled his eyes at her. "I don't think that's number one priority right now."
"Hey you've been here about a minute; I've been here all night. So, what's the plan?"
"Are you tied up also?"
She nodded but remembered e couldn't see and answered. "I've loosened the ropes slightly from last night so I might be able to get out soon if I keep working them."
"Keep doing that." He advised. "You're the strongest of us."
"What do we do? Just wait until something bad happens?" She asked in frustration, pulling at her ropes.
"I'm afraid that's all we can do in the current situation." He admitted. "I do hope everyone else is alright."
"Me too." She murmured.
Everyone met in Spike's room after searching the hotel again. No-one had found anything. Buffy had spent half an hour comforting Claire, who was distraught at the thought of Fred being hurt. Al had decided to take matters into his own hands but had ended up pulling his back so was now bedridden.
"What now?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know." Angel admitted. "They can't have been taken outside the hotel as the ghosts need their bodies inside the hotel in order for the exchange of essences to take place. There could be a secret passage or a secret room I suppose."
"But if it's secret then there's no way for us to find it." Lorne concluded grimly.
"What's that up there?" Wes asked, looking up at the blurred ceiling.
"It looks like a trap door." Cordelia told him. "Maybe that's how we were brought in here."
"It has to lead somewhere." He mused. "I suppose all we can do is wait for them to find it and find us."
Cordelia strained at her loosening bonds. "Cordelia Chase waits for no- one!" She cried triumphantly as the ropes slipped enough for her to wiggle out of.
"Well done Cordelia!" Wes smiled.
She stood up and stretched her weary limbs.
"Do you want me to untie you?" She asked, eyeing the trap door. "Or get help?"
He thought for a moment. "As tempting as being untied sounds I think it would be better if you found help. We certainly can't leave Fred here and I don't know about you but I don't think we can get her out of here on our own."
She nodded. "Okay then, I'll go and find help and then I'll come back for you."
He nodded. "Good plan. And for goodness' sake Cordelia, be careful."
She went across to him and threw her arms around his neck in a hug he longed to return.
"Stay safe." He replied, his voice gruff with emotion.
She nodded and squeezed his shoulder.
She turned to the trap door and focused her power. Slowly she began to levitate off the ground until she was able to open it. She released her power and landed back on the floor.
"Here goes." She muttered.
With a jump she grabbed hold of the sides of the trap door and pulled herself up in the air. Using her strength she pushed herself up through the hole until she could sit on the side of it with her legs dangling.
"I'll be quick." She promised and then pulled her legs up through the hole and stood up.
She looked around the room she was now in. It was dark and there were no windows. She could see a door in the corner of the room and headed towards it. Banging on it a few times she found it to be not that strong. She stood back and delivered a hard kick to the middle sending it crashing through. She went through cautiously and ran up the stairs on the other side. She found herself looking through glass at the top.
"I'll contact Giles and see if he can suggest a spell we can do to somehow find them." Buffy decided, adding a little hope to their discussion. "And quickly."
She got up from her seat in the lobby and went to the phone.
Cordelia saw Buffy advancing the glass and banged on it with her fists. "Buffy!"
She made no indication of hearing or seeing anything as she picked up the phone and dialled.
"Why does this remind me of Scream 3?" Cordelia murmured to herself. "Buffy!"
She felt a cold breeze rustle through her hair and she clamed a hand on it quickly.
"Who's there?" She asked, her voice trembling. She pulled a face at her stupid-ness. "Yeah, 'cause a ghost is going to answer that."
She spun around and tried to peer through the darkness.
She turned back and saw Buffy doing her hair in the glass.
I must be behind the mirror in the lobby, Cordelia decided.
She banged on the glass again. "Buffy! For God's sake!"
Suddenly a blinding pain shot through her back, spreading to her front and she was pressed to the glass. She felt wetness on her shirt. She gasped in pain, trying to breathe.
"Oh God."
"The ritual will take place." A voice hissed in her ear. "Whether you like it or not."
Cordelia felt sweat break out on her forehead and upper lip. She felt around to her back and felt something sticking out of her. She grasped it with one hand and pulled it out with one tug. The pain she felt nearly sent her to the floor. She took a couple of deep breaths and looked through the glass, Buffy had gone. She raised the knife in the air and tried to ignore the wet stickiness of her blood on it. Gathering all of her demon strength she wiped her hair out of her eyes and then sent the knife through the glass. It shattered and sent her through it onto the lobby floor.
The sound of glass shattering had the group in the lobby jumping up and running to see what had happened. Angel's dead heart seemed to jump into his heart and he dropped to his knees next to her.
"Baby, are you okay? What happened?"
"I escaped, you need to go through there and get Fred and Wes out. They're going to kill them." She murmured. "Go!"
Spike and Gunn set off through the glass while Buffy, Angel and Lorne stayed with Cordelia.
"We need to get you to hospital." Buffy told her.
Cordelia shook her head. "No, I need to see if they're okay."
Angel nodded. "We'll get them out and take you straight to the hospital. Spike and Gunn have gone to get them. Just take deep breaths." He advised. "It won't be long."
He tried to ignore the feel of her blood coating his fingers.
Gunn and Spike were thrown backwards. A force field was now surrounding the room Fred and Wesley were in.
"What now?" Spike asked from his position on the floor.
"We get Cordy out of here and then we break through the force field and get Fred and Wes out too. Then we exorcise these ghosts." Buffy said. "If Cordelia. well, if the worst comes to the worst and she's in the hotel then part of their ritual is complete."
Cordelia smiled faintly. "I'm not going to die on you Buffy."
"Of course you're not. I'm just being silly." Buffy agreed. "So, I think we need to get Willow and Tara down here to break the force field. I have Wes's spell in my room so I'll go and get that and we'll exorcise these sons of bitches and get us all out of this hell hole. Who's for my plan?"
Cordelia raised her hand meekly.
"Go get the spell." Gunn said. "I'll go pick up Willow and Tara, call them and tell them I'm coming."
"Wait!" Angel objected. "What about Connor and Ashleigh? They can't come here."
"I'll go back with Gunn and look after the bubs." Lorne offered and stood up.
"Let's go." Gunn said and fished his car keys out of his pocket before setting off at a run to the hotel doors.
Buffy ran down the hall to her room. Her hands shook slightly as she fumbled to get the key in the door.
She swung the door open and screamed. Al was gutted on the bed, his blood coating the sheets and dripping off the edge of the bed.
"Breathe, breathe." She urged herself over and over. "Get the spell and get yourself the hell away from this place."
She found the piece of paper in her bag and ran out of the room and back to the lobby.
"Al's dead." She announced as she got back to the others. "He's on my bed."
Angel, Cordelia and Spike's faces showed shock and then sadness.
"We need to get out of here." Spike repeated.
Angel realised that Cordelia was shivering. "Help me lift her?" He asked Buffy.
"What are you doing?" She asked groggily.
"Just getting you off the floor chit, then you won't be as cold." Spike told her.
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"Open your eyes." Angel ordered. "Stay with me."
Her eyes flickered open and she focused on his face. "Always."
Spike rolled his eyes.
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None, I think!
Summary: Sequel to Family: Back to Sunnydale, Family: Forward to LA and Family: Return to Sunnydale. The Scoobies visit LA and a haunted house.
"Wesley?" Cordelia exclaimed in surprised. "What are you doing here? Where is here?"
He squinted. "Cordelia?"
"Yeah Wes it's me. What are you blind?"
"I seem to have lost my glasses."
"So, you didn't happen to see who took you here and where here is?"
"I'm afraid not, is Fred here also?"
"Yeah, she's unconscious but still breathing. And I gotta admit, I could really use the bathroom right now."
He rolled his eyes at her. "I don't think that's number one priority right now."
"Hey you've been here about a minute; I've been here all night. So, what's the plan?"
"Are you tied up also?"
She nodded but remembered e couldn't see and answered. "I've loosened the ropes slightly from last night so I might be able to get out soon if I keep working them."
"Keep doing that." He advised. "You're the strongest of us."
"What do we do? Just wait until something bad happens?" She asked in frustration, pulling at her ropes.
"I'm afraid that's all we can do in the current situation." He admitted. "I do hope everyone else is alright."
"Me too." She murmured.
Everyone met in Spike's room after searching the hotel again. No-one had found anything. Buffy had spent half an hour comforting Claire, who was distraught at the thought of Fred being hurt. Al had decided to take matters into his own hands but had ended up pulling his back so was now bedridden.
"What now?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know." Angel admitted. "They can't have been taken outside the hotel as the ghosts need their bodies inside the hotel in order for the exchange of essences to take place. There could be a secret passage or a secret room I suppose."
"But if it's secret then there's no way for us to find it." Lorne concluded grimly.
"What's that up there?" Wes asked, looking up at the blurred ceiling.
"It looks like a trap door." Cordelia told him. "Maybe that's how we were brought in here."
"It has to lead somewhere." He mused. "I suppose all we can do is wait for them to find it and find us."
Cordelia strained at her loosening bonds. "Cordelia Chase waits for no- one!" She cried triumphantly as the ropes slipped enough for her to wiggle out of.
"Well done Cordelia!" Wes smiled.
She stood up and stretched her weary limbs.
"Do you want me to untie you?" She asked, eyeing the trap door. "Or get help?"
He thought for a moment. "As tempting as being untied sounds I think it would be better if you found help. We certainly can't leave Fred here and I don't know about you but I don't think we can get her out of here on our own."
She nodded. "Okay then, I'll go and find help and then I'll come back for you."
He nodded. "Good plan. And for goodness' sake Cordelia, be careful."
She went across to him and threw her arms around his neck in a hug he longed to return.
"Stay safe." He replied, his voice gruff with emotion.
She nodded and squeezed his shoulder.
She turned to the trap door and focused her power. Slowly she began to levitate off the ground until she was able to open it. She released her power and landed back on the floor.
"Here goes." She muttered.
With a jump she grabbed hold of the sides of the trap door and pulled herself up in the air. Using her strength she pushed herself up through the hole until she could sit on the side of it with her legs dangling.
"I'll be quick." She promised and then pulled her legs up through the hole and stood up.
She looked around the room she was now in. It was dark and there were no windows. She could see a door in the corner of the room and headed towards it. Banging on it a few times she found it to be not that strong. She stood back and delivered a hard kick to the middle sending it crashing through. She went through cautiously and ran up the stairs on the other side. She found herself looking through glass at the top.
"I'll contact Giles and see if he can suggest a spell we can do to somehow find them." Buffy decided, adding a little hope to their discussion. "And quickly."
She got up from her seat in the lobby and went to the phone.
Cordelia saw Buffy advancing the glass and banged on it with her fists. "Buffy!"
She made no indication of hearing or seeing anything as she picked up the phone and dialled.
"Why does this remind me of Scream 3?" Cordelia murmured to herself. "Buffy!"
She felt a cold breeze rustle through her hair and she clamed a hand on it quickly.
"Who's there?" She asked, her voice trembling. She pulled a face at her stupid-ness. "Yeah, 'cause a ghost is going to answer that."
She spun around and tried to peer through the darkness.
She turned back and saw Buffy doing her hair in the glass.
I must be behind the mirror in the lobby, Cordelia decided.
She banged on the glass again. "Buffy! For God's sake!"
Suddenly a blinding pain shot through her back, spreading to her front and she was pressed to the glass. She felt wetness on her shirt. She gasped in pain, trying to breathe.
"Oh God."
"The ritual will take place." A voice hissed in her ear. "Whether you like it or not."
Cordelia felt sweat break out on her forehead and upper lip. She felt around to her back and felt something sticking out of her. She grasped it with one hand and pulled it out with one tug. The pain she felt nearly sent her to the floor. She took a couple of deep breaths and looked through the glass, Buffy had gone. She raised the knife in the air and tried to ignore the wet stickiness of her blood on it. Gathering all of her demon strength she wiped her hair out of her eyes and then sent the knife through the glass. It shattered and sent her through it onto the lobby floor.
The sound of glass shattering had the group in the lobby jumping up and running to see what had happened. Angel's dead heart seemed to jump into his heart and he dropped to his knees next to her.
"Baby, are you okay? What happened?"
"I escaped, you need to go through there and get Fred and Wes out. They're going to kill them." She murmured. "Go!"
Spike and Gunn set off through the glass while Buffy, Angel and Lorne stayed with Cordelia.
"We need to get you to hospital." Buffy told her.
Cordelia shook her head. "No, I need to see if they're okay."
Angel nodded. "We'll get them out and take you straight to the hospital. Spike and Gunn have gone to get them. Just take deep breaths." He advised. "It won't be long."
He tried to ignore the feel of her blood coating his fingers.
Gunn and Spike were thrown backwards. A force field was now surrounding the room Fred and Wesley were in.
"What now?" Spike asked from his position on the floor.
"We get Cordy out of here and then we break through the force field and get Fred and Wes out too. Then we exorcise these ghosts." Buffy said. "If Cordelia. well, if the worst comes to the worst and she's in the hotel then part of their ritual is complete."
Cordelia smiled faintly. "I'm not going to die on you Buffy."
"Of course you're not. I'm just being silly." Buffy agreed. "So, I think we need to get Willow and Tara down here to break the force field. I have Wes's spell in my room so I'll go and get that and we'll exorcise these sons of bitches and get us all out of this hell hole. Who's for my plan?"
Cordelia raised her hand meekly.
"Go get the spell." Gunn said. "I'll go pick up Willow and Tara, call them and tell them I'm coming."
"Wait!" Angel objected. "What about Connor and Ashleigh? They can't come here."
"I'll go back with Gunn and look after the bubs." Lorne offered and stood up.
"Let's go." Gunn said and fished his car keys out of his pocket before setting off at a run to the hotel doors.
Buffy ran down the hall to her room. Her hands shook slightly as she fumbled to get the key in the door.
She swung the door open and screamed. Al was gutted on the bed, his blood coating the sheets and dripping off the edge of the bed.
"Breathe, breathe." She urged herself over and over. "Get the spell and get yourself the hell away from this place."
She found the piece of paper in her bag and ran out of the room and back to the lobby.
"Al's dead." She announced as she got back to the others. "He's on my bed."
Angel, Cordelia and Spike's faces showed shock and then sadness.
"We need to get out of here." Spike repeated.
Angel realised that Cordelia was shivering. "Help me lift her?" He asked Buffy.
"What are you doing?" She asked groggily.
"Just getting you off the floor chit, then you won't be as cold." Spike told her.
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"Open your eyes." Angel ordered. "Stay with me."
Her eyes flickered open and she focused on his face. "Always."
Spike rolled his eyes.
