CHANCE
NOTE: I own none of the Scooby gang because they belong to mean old Joss.
A/N: I'd like to say thank you to everyone for the reviews that I've gotten so far. I have a plot planned out for this story but if you have any suggestions or requests then I might fill them in.
CHAPTER 17
Dawn lay stretched across the cell's bench, her long hair down touching the floor. Maggie sat in a corner hugging her knees, a frantic look on her face. It was like every minute she spent in the cell was a minute far too long.
"We're never gonna make it out," Maggie whispered, shaking back and forth.
"Don't say that," Dawn said, sitting up. "Buffy's faced worse than this. We'll get out of here."
Maggie shook more, like a restless jumping bean. "I cannot take it. It's too much."
Dawn's heart went out for her. The brunette's eyes peered over towards what looked like... "A vent! Maggie, look!"
Maggie looked where Dawn pointed and there was a small vent in another corner of the room. "Oh, gosh! It is. Let's make a break!" She practically tripped trying to get to the opening.
Maggie and Dawn managed to yank of the front of the vent and crawled inside. The passageway led down a thin tunnel heading in only one direction. Dawn and her British accomplice found themselves at another vent that was much higher up then the one that had led them there. Maggie paled when she saw high up the vent was from the room. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the ridhor demon crawling around like a large, blood covered roach.
Maggie nearly screamed but Dawn clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Shush!" Dawn hissed. "Be quiet."
Maggie nodded as Dawn removed her hand. "What do you think is going on?"
"Oh, Ridhor," a female, all too friendly voice called. "Come here."
The demon crawled over like a snail towards the voice.
"What is that?" Dawn wondered.
"Ridhor, my pretty baby, when are you going to get the others. You know we can't have our own clan with just the key and the detector. Come on. We need the others."
Dawn and Maggie exchanged a confused look. What was this woman talking about?
"Hey, Dawn, do you feel that?" Maggie asked after a moment.
"Feel what?" Dawn asked perplexed.
"I'm not sure but..." Maggie trailed off uneasily. "Can we just go back to the cell, please?"
Dawn worried about her and nodded.
At the Summers home Autumn lay in Dawn's bed a few minutes later at nearly four in the morning. Fred sat at the foot of the bed while Gunn paced back and forth holding an axe.
Autumn looked at Fred. "I really can't sleep with your hunky, ebony boyfriend waving that axe around."
"Oh, sorry," Gunn apologized, putting the axe at his side then smiled at the compliment. "And thanks."
Autumn smiled back and snuggled into a pillow.
"Everything will be fine, honey," Fred assured her. "We won't let anything hurt you."
"I know," Autumn sighed then went into thought.
Connor was in the living room, stretched across the couch with a soft cover on him, Jeff sat asleep in an armchair, a blanket on top of him as well, and Xander slept on the floor snoring soundly. Angel entered the room then followed by Spike.
Angel handed Connor a cup of water. "Here you go."
"Thanks," Connor grunted, sitting up and taking the cup.
"So what are we going to do?" Spike asked. "Watch the boy all night?"
"I don't need watching," Connor insisted firmly.
Angel looked at him. "Yeah, you do. Now shut up." He turned to Spike before Connor could say anything. "Whatever it takes."
"Pouf," Spike muttered, settling down in a chair.
"Do I get a say in my fate?" Connor asked.
Angel stuffed a pillow in his face. "Go to bed."
Connor muffled something then took the pillow off his face. "I'm going to the bathroom." He gave Angel a glare. "If that's all right with you."
Angel returned the glare but replied coolly, "Fine."
Connor removed his blanket and headed upstairs to Buffy's bathroom. As he was going in Autumn headed out, causing them to bump into each other.
"Great," Autumn sighed. "This night, well, morning was just going so well already."
"You think I'm happy?"
Autumn looked at him strangely. "Are you ever happy? Seriously, though." Connor rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. "Uh, didn't you have to make a tinkle?"
"No," the boy replied. "I just wanted to get away."
Autumn went over and leaned with him. "Join the club. At least you're used to the whole hell thing. My biggest worry has always been if my mom ruined my multi-colored t-shirt in the wash." Connor stood silent, looking away from her. "Oh, hey, Connor, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
Connor nodded slowly. "It's OK."
Autumn stood near him silently. "Connor?" He looked at her. "What's it like to have a father like Angel?"
He looked at her strangely. "What?"
"Well, it must be cool." Autumn sighed deeply. "Better than any human father."
Connor shrugged. "Sometimes good, sometimes annoying, sometimes... I want to make an escape."
Autumn giggled a little. "I bet Angel would never cheat on your family."
Autumn looked at him, "Escape? At least your father knows about this, this," she gestured about wildly. "This world," she finished. "He knows about what goes bump in the night. He goes bump in the night."
Connor scowled, "Yeah, but he also knows what hurts and what doesn't. He doesn't let me find out for myself. I think you have the better deal."
Autumn scoffed. "Your head has been in the whole darkness and vampire thing that you don't know what the real world is like." Autumn looked angry yet confused. "It's like in one moment your entire life is just one big, big..."
"Lie," Connor supplied.
A small smile appeared on the red head's face. "Yeah. You should know all about that."
"How do you know about—?"
"Fred knows all," Autumn replied in sort of a mysterious voice.
Connor slipped into Buffy's bedroom. "What do you think of all this?"
Autumn followed him. "What? The whole freakish woman coming after us and stabbing us open to make use out of our young blood?" Connor nodded. "After this slayer thing I'll buy anything. What about you?"
Connor sat down in a chair. "It's like every time something good happens something bad always follows."
Autumn offered him a smile. "Hey, everything will be OK. Fred said nothing would happen to us and I believe it."
Connor sat silently and just stared over at the wall.
Down in the kitchen Willow snored softly, asleep at the kitchen table. Wesley was also asleep at the table, still wearing his glasses. Buffy, the only one awake, sipped at a large cup of coffee. She looked up as Angel entered.
"Hey," they greeted simultaneously.
Buffy gave him a small smile and gestured towards her coffee. "You want some?"
Angel nodded and joined her at the table. "Thanks."
Buffy poured him a cup, added sugar, and gave it to him.
Angel thanked her again and took a sip.
Buffy went back to her own drink. "You know it's been a long day and night so if you're hungry—" A look from Angel cut her off. "Right. You're into blood. Good, sweet... blood. I might have some left over from one of Spike's visits."
Angel shook his head. "No, thanks." He sipped at the coffee. "I'm good."
"So what's it like being a father?" Buffy asked, starting up another conversation. "It can't be any worse than being Dawn's guardian and Connor seems like a nice kid in his own dark, grumpy kind of way."
Angel suddenly reached out and touched her hand kindheartedly, taking the slayer by surprise. "Buffy... why don't you just ask me what you really want to know?"
"What?" Buffy looked confused.
"I can sense that something is on your mind," he explained.
Buffy sighed and said lowly, "I want to know why you're here. This can't just be me helping your son because I know you can handle that on your own. You barely pick up the phone, in fact you don't. It's Willow who calls you."
Angel released an unnecessary breath. "Why am I really here?" Buffy nodded. "I went through a lot with Cordelia. I think I just needed—"
"A nice, former but not forgotten shoulder to cry on?" Angel was quiet. Buffy squeezed his hand tenderly. "Well, you have it."
Angel looked up at her and smiled lightly.
Buffy smiled back and they both took a drink of their coffee.
Back in Buffy's room Autumn and Connor had turned on the lights. Connor was still in his chair and Autumn stretched across the bed lazily. Connor seemed to stare at something and Autumn looked to see what it was. A small crack in the floor seemed to grow larger and large, along with Autumn's eyes. The ridhor pulled up out of the hole with a large growl.
Connor flinched.
Autumn raced for the door, getting it open. "Fred, Gunn, guys, it's in here! It's after us!"
Fred and Gunn rushed into the bedroom, Buffy, Angel, and some of the others behind them. Gunn swung his axe, taking a large chunk off of the demon, making it just growl louder.
Autumn thought of something and moved over to Connor. "Come on. We have to go."
"You mean run?" Connor asked.
Autumn shook her head, grabbed Connor, and leapt into the hole with him.
"Connor!" Angel exclaimed.
"Autumn!" Fred shouted after her.
The demon disappeared into the hole, closing it for good.
A/N: Yeah, stupid kids, jumping headfirst like that. Oh, well, what teen wouldn't? I would like to thank Pyro Bear for so much help with this chapter and Gidgetgirl for the previous chapter and for all the help with the plot. Thank you, guys. Please review.