Title: Over The Next Horizon
Author: Karen
Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk
Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid.
Feedback: Yes please.
Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu,
Timeline: After season six
Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3
Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up.
Synopsis: Cordelia, Fred and Willow are on the run with Lindsey in a race
against time to save the Scoobs and the Batpack from a horrible death. The
others have finally figured out something's up and are on the case. Much
annoyance and shouting ensues. Angel is NOT seeing the funny side.
Rating: Overall an R I think?
Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's
bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse
that man anything?)
Dedications: As always to Jen, the woman works her socks off to get the work back to me quickly and never a word of condemnation has passed her lips over the length of time it takes me to complete episodes. This is as much her baby as it is mine ad I'm very thankful for all the effort she puts in on my behalf. Mel and Ina, always there with the f/b and the poking. The rest of the crew, Wic, Lady, TW, Scribe and Danel and all the others on list that make the net such a fun place to hang out. Guys, we REALLY need to start getting a life!
A/N : It may seem like there are huge chunks of scenes missing, I can explain. There are. Flashbacks and explanations will come I promise. =thoughts.
Part 7.
Angel and Spike walked into the club every sense on alert for any sign of their runaway girls. Spike glanced around the packed room and then flicked a wary glance at his companion
"You alright, mate?"
The taller vampire nodded as he stared around him at the laughing and dancing people. Somewhere in here was Cordelia. His body was tense with anticipation at the thought of finally having her before him after their long months of separation. His nostrils flared as he tried to catch her scent, he growled with frustration as he realised the impossibility of the task in the crowded room. His head weaved from side to side and Spike found himself uneasily picturing a big cat on the hunt as his grandsire's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared once more
"Take it easy, Angel. Don't want to give the chits a scare, do we?"
Angel gave the blonde vampire an unreadable look and then nodded to the right hand side of the club
"We need to split up. Go that way."
He stalked off into the crowd and Spike watched him for a moment before plunging into the crowd on his own side of the room suddenly really wanting to find the girls before Angel did. He pictured the grim look on his grandsire's face again and picked up his pace considerably, almost knocking over a dark haired man over in his hurry to find the girls first.
Lindsey swore and tightened his grip on his beer as the blonde haired man crashed into him
"Hey, asshole! Watch it!"
He caught his breath as the man spared him a brief glance over his shoulder before moving on without a word. That looked like...Lindsey began to shove his own way through the crowd to where he'd left Fred and Willow, cursing as people didn't move out of his way fast enough. Shit, shit, shit! If he was here then the chances were that....Shit! Where the hell were the girls?
Fred sipped at her soda and let her gaze drift casually around the packed club as Willow exchanged pleasantries with the young barman. They had met up with Lindsey earlier that night and now were waiting for Cordelia to conclude her dealings with the witch that owned the club before bedding down for the night in a nearby motel. She smiled as she saw Lindsey head towards them and then her face gradually creased with concern as she saw the look on his face. That couldn't be good. She nudged Willow with her elbow as Lindsey pulled up breathlessly before them
"We need to get out of here. I've seen Spike."
Fred felt the blood drain from her face and turned to stare wordlessly at Willow at Lindsey's breathless announcement. Lindsey slammed his beer on the bar top and grabbed hold of their wrists, tugging impatiently
"Go! I'll find Cordy."
Willow shook her head and stuttered
"Bu..but Spike wouldn't be here. He..he's in Sunnydale."
Lindsey gave them an impatient shove towards the door as he stared anxiously around them
"Run now, discuss later. Get going and stay low, we don't know who else is here."
Fred froze suddenly
"Yes we do. There's Angel!"
Lindsey spun and followed her shaking finger as she pointed at the far side of the dance floor. He cursed and shoved them again
"Go!"
He paused only to make sure they began to head for the exit before he ducked behind a pillar and peered casually round it. Yep, no doubt about it, that was the Broodmeister. He pulled his head back as Angel glanced his way and tried to think of a way to get to Cordy without being spotted, which would, of course, lead to his bloody, beaten body being found in a ditch somewhere and then Cordelia and the others trussed up like virgin sacrifices on their unwilling way back to California. He took a brief moment to chuckle at the thought of anyone using the word virgin and Cordelia in the same sentence and then applied his mind to the problem in hand.
Think, McDonald, think!
Cordelia eyed the woman before her with disbelief and drawled
"Say that again?"
The blonde woman who looked to be in her mid-forties sighed and placed her hands on her slim hips
"My name is Glinda. I'm the witch."
Cordy fought to keep a straight face
"Yeah, that's what I thought you said. So, how's things? Dropped a house on anyone lately?"
The witch rolled her eyes and turned away to walk around her desk and sink gracefully into her big leather armchair
"You know, those references just never get old."
Cordelia shrugged and took a seat before the desk, giving her own sigh as the ache in her lower back began to ease
"Sorry, too good to resist."
Glinda nodded and opened a plain file before her, glancing down at the top sheet
"I was incredibly flattered when Mr Baum initially decided to base his good witch on me but after hearing the same lame jokes decade after decade I'd happily drop a few farm houses on him. And for the record it was that stupid kid that did the dropping, I just happened to be there."
Cordelia opened her mouth to reply and then shook her head impatiently
"Whatever, look I need your help."
The witch nodded briefly and reached into the top drawer of her desk to pull out two tumblers and a bottle of Jim Beam, eyes still on the page on front of her
"So I hear. Drink?"
Cordelia shook her head and watched as the woman filled the deep glass three quarters full and quickly drained the contents and then refilled the glass once more. Her eyebrows rose in disbelief as the second glass quickly followed the first and then the glass was once more refilled
"Bad day?"
The older woman shook her head and looked up to meet Cordelia's eyes ruefully
"Not yet, but it's about to get that way."
She shook back her blonde hair and leaned back in her chair to look at the Seer appraisingly
"But we have about three minutes before the shit hits the fan, so tell me why I should tell you about the Light."
Cordelia frowned uneasily and flicked a quick glance over her shoulder at the closed office door
"Is there trouble?"
She thought worriedly of Willow and Fred downstairs in the bar and gripped the arms of the chair as though to rise. Glinda leaned forward and placed her glass down on the desk with a small clink
"Isn't there always? Your friends are fine. Tell me why I should help you. What makes you so special?"
Cordelia gritted her teeth at the woman's mocking tone and her eyes flashed as she tore them away from the door and refocused on the witch
"Nothing makes me special. I got a link to the Powers by default and I get to play hero for the rest of my life. Aside from never needing to visit a gym again because I get a regular work out battling the forces of darkness, I can't think of a single thing that marks me out from the rest of the planet."
Glinda laughed and made a show of examining her long red finger nails
"Really? What about being a higher being, being in love with a vampire with a soul and fighting evil for years before you ever heard of the Powers? That makes you pretty unique in my book."
Cordelia glared and folded her arms saying coolly
"Everyone needs a hobby. I'm from Sunnydale, it's either dust vamps and kill demons or spend your life drinking coffee and shopping in the same five shops over and over again."
The other woman was silent for a moment and then threw back her head and laughed out loud. Cordelia glared harder and reminded herself they were on the same side, there would be no butchering of the good witch. Unfortunately.
No one said maiming isn't allowed though
She shook the thought out of her head and instead settled for maintaining a dignified expression and saying in a voice you could fine chop diamonds with
"Something funny?"
The witch wiped her eyes and said with a grin
"Yes. Let me ask you something. Do you actually believe that claptrap?"
Cordelia scowled in confusion
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Glinda sobered and took another long sip of her drink and fixed her eyes on Cordelia saying seriously
"You actually believe you fight the fight because you got bored and there was nothing better to do? Please, you live for this. Knowing that you make a difference with every breath you take, that every time you go into battle you make the world a better place."
Cordelia stayed silent for a moment and stared at the carpet and then raised her eyes to the woman across the desk
"I can't think like that. If I did, there'd come a day when I start to believe it and then before you know it I'd be making judgements and decisions I had no business making. I'd be no better than the things I fight. Everyone on this miserable little planet makes a difference, every day, and if I believe for one moment that I'm more important in the scheme of things than they are then I wreck lives. They'll always be warriors and heroes, what this world needs are the ordinary people, going about their business and doing what they do. I just make sure they have the opportunity to do that."
Glinda nodded
"Good answer. The Light can't be carried and cannot be contained. You'll take out of its home exactly what you take in. Go to this address and ask for Mike, he'll take you to the portal."
Cordelia watched as the woman scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and held it out to her. She took the small scrap and stared disbelievingly over the desk
"That's it?"
Glinda swigged back the last of her whisky and grabbed the bottle to upend it once more
"That's it. You've still got a way to go and a hard path to tread but you'll make it. Mainly because it's never going to occur to you that you can't. You've got balls and I like that in a woman, now get out of here and get gone. Things are about to get dicey."
Cordelia jumped as a loud crash came from downstairs and then was on her feet and moving, yelling over her shoulder a brief "Thanks!" as she flung open the door and raced down the staircase.
Glinda shook her head as the door banged shut and muttered under her breath
"There was a phone right next to him, he could've just called up. Bruce Willis has a lot to answer for. 'Die Hard' my milky white ass."
Fred and Willow burst through the club doors and then came to a screeching halt as they came face to face with Gunn. Willow cursed loudly and thrust Fred behind her
"Get out of our way!"
Gunn scowled and stepped forward
"Not gonna happen. Just calm down and stay there. Fred, get out here."
The dark haired girl shook with nerves and reached under Willow's jacket to pull out the long dagger the redhead kept strapped to her back. She slid it from the sheath and slipped it into Willow's hand as the red head gave her a shove, pushing the girl far to the side and out of immediate harm's way
"Fred, get the truck."
Willow's voice was calm and betrayed none of her nerves or fear. She stepped forward as Gunn tensed to lunge for her friend
"Don't move."
Gunn looked at the wicked looking blade in her hand and the confident way she faced off at him. He knew she couldn't use magic thanks to the information Spike had given him but he also knew that she could hold her own in a one on one takedown. He moved his gaze to Fred
"Baby, please..."
The dark haired girl stared at him for a long moment and then gave Willow a shaky smile
"Watch your back."
She turned and ran off into the dark leaving Gunn staring incredulously after her
"FRED!!!" "Whoa, big fella, just take a breath there."
Gunn re-focused on the slender redhead holding him at knifepoint
"Look.Willow, right?" She gave a small nod "Look Willow, we've been looking for you for months. We know there's a big problem and we want to help. Now put that damn fool thing down and quit playing around."
Willow ignored the sick feeling in her stomach at his words
"Who's 'we'?"
Gunn scowled with impatience as he tried to see into the darkness beyond her to where Fred had disappeared
"All of us. The whole team."
Willow squeaked in alarm and Gunn narrowed his eyes speculatively on her bone-white face
"Yep, me and the boys and the Slayer and the whole kit and caboodle all down here lookin' for our girls. Man, they're pissed with you guys."
Willow felt fear twist in her stomach and bowels and backed up two steps shaking her head, tears being to pool in her expressive eyes
"No, they aren't here, they can't be here."
Gunn frowned at her obvious distress and took a step closer only to swear and stumble back as she slashed wildly at him with the knife
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" "Ok, ok, just calm down, alright?"
He held his hands out loosely to the sides and kept his voice soothing and calm. Willow shook fiercely as she stared at him and tried to think what to do. They'd only dispatched the last lot of bounty hunters that night and she shuddered as she realised that spies from Wolfram and Hart could be watching them even now and reporting back to Lilah. She paled as she thought of the incredible danger her friends were all in and the risks they were unknowingly running. Her eyes widened further as she was suddenly struck by the thought that at any moment one of her friends could appear and touch her, triggering the curse.
Gunn watched the fast play of emotion across Willow's face and mentally reviewed his options Make a lunge for her and get stabbed Wait for Angel and Spike to find Cordelia and drag her out, make a lunge for Willow, *then* get stabbed
The door behind the witch flew open and she span around in surprise, conveniently pointing the knife at the new threat
Or, 3, wait till her back's turned and THEN make a sneaky play for her
Gunn shot forward and wrapped two long arms around the redhead. He ignored her scream of terror and caught hold of the hand that held the knife and squeezed. Hard.
"Drop it!"
Willow yelled in panic as she tried to twist away from him, her one thought to prevent the curse from activating. She sobbed as his arms tightened around her and her hand burned under the pressure from his larger one, Gunn ignored the pitiful sobbing breaths and dragged her into the shadows at the side of the building, away from the people that were screaming out into the night
What the...?
"A gun, he's got a gun!" "Call 911!" "Somebody's been shot!"
Willow froze for a second as she realised that the large man holding her wasn't bursting into flames, she sagged in relief
The bitch said it would be different; she must be controlling the activation. Oh thank the goddess!
Gunn shook Willow's limp hand and the knife skittered away under a nearby car. He took a firm grip on her arm and then quickly changed their positions so Willow was pressed up against the wall of the club and he loomed over her, cutting off all avenues of escape
"Let's try this again. What the hell is up with you three?"
Inside the club Cordelia ran down the stairs from Glinda's office to a scene of total pandemonium. Everywhere she looked people were screaming, running and fighting each other in a panic to suddenly be elsewhere. She stared intensely around her, searching for a sign of Fred, Willow or Lindsey
Where the hell are they?
She jumped down the remaining three steps and started to head toward the bar, grunting as a large body appeared in front of her. "Excuse me." She made to push past and then froze in sheer horror as a strong, cool hand gripped her forearm
"Cordelia"
No! It can't be!
She tried to tug her arm free, even as her appalled eyes met two very pissed brown ones
"Angel!"
Her fist swung out and she kicked at his kneecap at the same time. Angel pivoted and moved behind her to twist her arm sharply up her back, wincing at her gasp of pain
"Nice moves, shame I taught you them." "Angel, let me go! You don't understand!"
The vampire slipped his other arm around Cordy's waist and heaved the writhing girl off her feet
"Yeah? On the upside you're about to get a lot of time to explain it to me." "Nooo!"
Cordelia gave a sobbing breath and then screamed as a huge flash blinded her. She lost her breath as she crashed to the floor, tears streaming from her eyes when she thought the flash she had seen was the triggering of the curse. She shoved away from Angel, rolling to her knees and then gasped in a mixture of relief and horror as she stared into an enraged, blood-soaked face that wasn't the least bit on fire as far as she could see. She pushed to her feet as she realised that the vampire had been shot and she was wasting precious seconds of running away time.
Oh, thank you Powers!
Cordy turned away from Angel and plunged into the now hysterical crowd, screaming as someone grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the exit. Lindsey shoved his way through the crowd ruthlessly and yelled over his shoulder
"It's ok, it's me!" "You SHOT him?"
Lindsey punched the back of a man's head and dragged Cordelia over the fallen body without breaking stride
"What you'd prefer I go up to him and ask him nicely to let you go? CHRIST! Will you people MOVE!"
He threw himself forward and rammed people forcefully out of the way and then they were out the door and stumbling onto the asphalt of the car lot. He gave Cordelia a shove to keep her moving
"Get to the truck and get out of here! I'll catch you up. GO!"
Cordy nodded and whirled around as Lindsey sprinted to his own car, then gasped as she caught sight of a very familiar baldhead
"Gunn!"
The black man's head snapped round as he heard his name and he met Cordelia's eyes
"Cordy! Stay right th....Ooof!"
His eyes went wide as Willow's knee crashed with unerring accuracy into his groin and he folded over onto the floor
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Willow leapt his body and ran to Cordelia's side, " We need to go, all the others are here." "Shit, where's Fred?"
Willow opened her mouth to reply as she glanced over Cordelias' shoulder and her eyes went wide with shock
"ANGEL!"
Cordelia didn't look back, "Run!" The two girls took off across the parking lot, dodging through the hysterical mob from the club. They looked round as they heard a loud, insistent horn and then threw themselves to the side as the truck, with Fred at the wheel, screeched to a halt
"Get in!"
They flung themselves into the cab and slammed the door shut as Fred floored it, Willow looked back through the rear window
"Angel's coming!"
Cordelia spun in her seat, staring with wild eyes at the vampire jumping from car to car to beat them to the exit. His entire left shoulder was covered with blood and as he jumped in and out of the streetlights she saw his bloodsoaked face in furious, stark relief. Willow swallowed
"He looks pissed." "Ya think? Fred, keep your foot down. Willow, weapons!" The redhead dropped to the floor and rummaged frantically until she came up with a solid wooden bat and an axe. Cordelia grasped the axe and said grimly
"Do whatever it takes short of killing him."
She kneeled on her seat and stuck her head, shoulders and arms out the window
"INCOMING!"
Willow screamed as a hefty thump on the roof of the truck signalled the arrival of one very annoyed vampire and then followed Cordy's example, popping through the window to swing her bat as best she could at Angel's legs. Fred risked a quick glance at the rear mirror and was reassured that no-one else seemed to be on their tail. She flinched as Cordelia yelled in terror and scrabbled for a hold to prevent herself being dragged bodily through the window and then Fred saw it. Their salvation.
"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!"
Cordelia barely heard Fred's yell as she was too busy trying to breath against the stranglehold that Angel had on the back of her jacket. She rolled her eyes upward and caught a glimpse of his face, her hands let go of his and she threw herself backwards as hard as she could whilst taking a death grip on the inside door handle. There was a loud bang, a sickening moment of unbelievable pressure and then she was falling back into the truck.
"What.did you...do?"
Cordy rubbed her hand over her sore neck and gasped the words out as Fred swung the truck onto the road and pressed her foot to the floor once more. The dark haired girl stared into the mirror and satisfied they weren't being followed flicked a glance at her friend
"There was a low branch on a tree. Y'all couldn't have fought him off when he's that angry so I drove at it and kerplooie!"
Willow sank in a trembling mass against the seat and echoed weakly
"Kerplooie?" "Uh-huh. Angel road kill."
Cordelia gave a shaky laugh
"Kerplooie, gotta remember that. What the hell happened back there? Willow?"
Willow shook her head and twisted trembling fingers into a knot
"We were at the bar and Lindsey told us he'd seen Spike so we left and then saw Gunn. Then the screaming started."
Fred gripped the steering wheel and said quietly
"He was mad." "Hun, I think we can safely say they were all pretty annoyed. Will, Angel touched me and he didn't die."
Willow nodded and tried desperately to get her thoughts in order
"I..I think that the curse is being controlled by Lilah, she said it'd work differently, I think it's only got the juice to be used once over so many people. Gunn touched me too." She frowned as Fred gasped and said firmly "He's ok. Well, I had to hit him and he might be a bit bruised, but he's ok."
The Texan sagged in relief
"Thank god."
Cordelia rubbed her sore neck again
"Don't thank him just yet, we still have to make sure we lose them for good. Any thoughts?" "Just keep driving. Gunn told me everyone's here, we can't risk them finding us again." "Shit. Everyone?" "That's what the man said."
Cordelia leaned her head wearily against the seat back
"Fred, just keep going."
Spike had missed most of the fun. As soon as he'd realised that the first gunshot into the mirror behind the bar had probably been a diversion he'd run for the back exit and the car lot. He'd missed Angel being shot and Gunn's humiliating defeat by Willow but he'd managed a ringside seat for Angel being squashed like a bug by a low hanging branch. Ignoring the terrified, yelling humans he'd made for a row of motorbikes and ripped the guard chain from a powerful looking hog. Making short work of hotwiring it, he'd leapt on board and roared over to his grandsire as he lay stunned on the floor
"Going to follow them. I'll give you a call when we stop."
Angel raised his head as Spike tore out of the lot in a cloud of dust and rubber, yelling over his shoulder
"Keep your bloody phone on!"
The older vampire let his head fall back and stared up at the night sky as he thought of Cordelia and Willow beating at him with their weapons and, in particular, of Cordy as she's attacked him in the club
"I'm going to kill her."
He rolled painfully to his feet and hobbled off to find Gunn, unaware of the pair of worried eyes watching him leave. Lindsey waited in the cab of his truck until the Angelmobile had roared past him with a grim-faced Angel and Gunn in it and then turned over his own engine and swung out onto the road.
Gotta find the girls
They kept going all through the night and all the next day, taking turns behind the wheel and doubling back on themselves until they were convinced nothing short of god himself could have tracked them. Cordelia groaned as she swung off the road and into the lot of a shabby looking motel.
"Ok, end of the line. If I don't pee soon it's there's gonna be a pressing need for Noah and his Ark in here."
Willow summoned up a half-hearted giggle
"Nice picture." "Let's get checked in."
They tumbled out of the truck and sucked in grateful lungfuls of fresh air. Fred stretched and moaned as her joints popped and snapped
"I'm thinking the next time I go on the run with you guys we get a Winnebago. That truck just isn't made for the long term running in panic."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and gave a huff of impatient breath
"I keep telling you guys, we aren't running in panic we're.." "Exploring our options."
Willow and Fred finished her sentence and laughed softly. Cordy gave them a grin
"See, now you're getting it. Grab your bags girls and let's go get us some shut eye."
Willow passed her bag to Fred and climbed back into the driver's seat
"I'm gonna go park around back. Just in case."
Cordelia watched the truck disappear around the side of the motel and then motioned for Fred to follow her
"Come on. Shower, food and bed. In that order."
Angel swung the car to the side of the road and watched as Cordelia and Fred moved out of sight into the Motel lobby.
"Got 'em." "Not yet we don't."
Gunn stared grimly out the window and flexed his big hands. When he got hold of Fred he was gonna...
"What's the plan, Peaches?"
Spike spoke up from the backseat and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Willow re-appear from around the back and follow her friends into the building. All three together and alive, thank the Lo..well, whoever.
He'd followed them the previous night for hours, the lights off on the bike and hanging well back so the noise of the powerful engine wouldn't reach them on the deserted roads they had stuck to. Gunn and Angel had met him just before dawn and they'd ditched the bike and he and Angel had gone under cover on the back seat as Gun had taken over the tailing of their quarry.
All through the long day on the road Spike had listened to the various threats and promises that had flown back and forth between the other two men as they'd discussed how they would deal with the girls when they got their hands on them. Angel had definitely been the most vocal whilst his bullet wound had healed. The raw wound on the side of his neck had slowly closed over during the day until it was finally just a faint red line above his collar when they'd cleaned the blood off.
Spike stared at the entrance to the motel and tried to think of what he'd say to Willow when he saw her. It was all right for the other two, they had some basis for being angry, what did he have? A tenuous friendship based on years of not quite succeeding in killing her. Oh yeah, that was gonna cut some ice he could tell.
He blinked and shook off the despondent thoughts as Angel spoke
"Give 'em a couple of hours to get settled in and drop their guards, then we'll move in and grab them."
Gunn nodded and shifted on his seat, trying to get comfortable for the long wait. He glanced at the clock on the dash. Just gone ten, the place would be mostly bedded down for the night about midnight. He gave a feral grin as he stared out into the dark
All the better to kidnap your ass, my dear
Willow shifted uncomfortably on the bed and watched as the hands on her travel alarm clock ticked over to midnight. She sighed and sat up, raking rough hands through her mop of red hair. She'd gone to bed an hour before but Morpheus obviously had other business tonight because she was still wide-awake and not so much as sniffing at the coat tails of a dream.
Typically stupid man. Never there with the good stuff when you need him.
She swung out of the bed and dragged her clothes back on. Moving quickly and quietly she slipped out of her room and headed down to the truck to grab the herbal sleeping tablets she kept in the glove box. Angel stepped out of the small janitors closet he'd pushed the guys into when he'd heard Willow's door open and watched her disappear around the corner
"Spike.." "On it."
The blonde vampire melted down the corridor and vanished after his prey. Angel sniffed the air in the confined space and pointed to a door a little down from where they were, mouthing silently to Gunn
"That one."
Gunn nodded, checked they were still on their own and then moved quickly into position, the key they'd lifted from the reception desk whilst Angel had distracted the clerk clasped in his hand. Angel sniffed the air again
There!
He stepped in front of the door next to Fred's and nodded at Gunn
"One, two, three."
He gripped the door handle and twisted sharply, smirking when he heard the lock snap. Gunn silently turned the key and with a last nod at Angel disappeared into Fred's room.
Cordelia jumped as she heard a sharp crack come from the doorway. She reached for her axe and edged towards the door, coming to a halt just as Angel pushed it open. For a second they stood staring at each other and then Cordelia spat
"You are SO not invited."
Angel grinned
"Ask me if I care."
Her eyes widened in horror as he stepped across the threshold and into her room. Angel's grin widened as he winked at her and said jovially
"Public place. Ooops!"
Cordelia gasped as he made a lightening move and snatched the axe from her hand, Angel tossed it casually behind her on the floor and took another step closer, eyes narrowing in satisfaction as she backed up
"Now, where were we before you had me shot? Oh yeah, just about here I think."
He lifted his hands and reached for her as she backed away.
End Part 7.
Dedications: As always to Jen, the woman works her socks off to get the work back to me quickly and never a word of condemnation has passed her lips over the length of time it takes me to complete episodes. This is as much her baby as it is mine ad I'm very thankful for all the effort she puts in on my behalf. Mel and Ina, always there with the f/b and the poking. The rest of the crew, Wic, Lady, TW, Scribe and Danel and all the others on list that make the net such a fun place to hang out. Guys, we REALLY need to start getting a life!
A/N : It may seem like there are huge chunks of scenes missing, I can explain. There are. Flashbacks and explanations will come I promise. =thoughts.
Part 7.
Angel and Spike walked into the club every sense on alert for any sign of their runaway girls. Spike glanced around the packed room and then flicked a wary glance at his companion
"You alright, mate?"
The taller vampire nodded as he stared around him at the laughing and dancing people. Somewhere in here was Cordelia. His body was tense with anticipation at the thought of finally having her before him after their long months of separation. His nostrils flared as he tried to catch her scent, he growled with frustration as he realised the impossibility of the task in the crowded room. His head weaved from side to side and Spike found himself uneasily picturing a big cat on the hunt as his grandsire's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared once more
"Take it easy, Angel. Don't want to give the chits a scare, do we?"
Angel gave the blonde vampire an unreadable look and then nodded to the right hand side of the club
"We need to split up. Go that way."
He stalked off into the crowd and Spike watched him for a moment before plunging into the crowd on his own side of the room suddenly really wanting to find the girls before Angel did. He pictured the grim look on his grandsire's face again and picked up his pace considerably, almost knocking over a dark haired man over in his hurry to find the girls first.
Lindsey swore and tightened his grip on his beer as the blonde haired man crashed into him
"Hey, asshole! Watch it!"
He caught his breath as the man spared him a brief glance over his shoulder before moving on without a word. That looked like...Lindsey began to shove his own way through the crowd to where he'd left Fred and Willow, cursing as people didn't move out of his way fast enough. Shit, shit, shit! If he was here then the chances were that....Shit! Where the hell were the girls?
Fred sipped at her soda and let her gaze drift casually around the packed club as Willow exchanged pleasantries with the young barman. They had met up with Lindsey earlier that night and now were waiting for Cordelia to conclude her dealings with the witch that owned the club before bedding down for the night in a nearby motel. She smiled as she saw Lindsey head towards them and then her face gradually creased with concern as she saw the look on his face. That couldn't be good. She nudged Willow with her elbow as Lindsey pulled up breathlessly before them
"We need to get out of here. I've seen Spike."
Fred felt the blood drain from her face and turned to stare wordlessly at Willow at Lindsey's breathless announcement. Lindsey slammed his beer on the bar top and grabbed hold of their wrists, tugging impatiently
"Go! I'll find Cordy."
Willow shook her head and stuttered
"Bu..but Spike wouldn't be here. He..he's in Sunnydale."
Lindsey gave them an impatient shove towards the door as he stared anxiously around them
"Run now, discuss later. Get going and stay low, we don't know who else is here."
Fred froze suddenly
"Yes we do. There's Angel!"
Lindsey spun and followed her shaking finger as she pointed at the far side of the dance floor. He cursed and shoved them again
"Go!"
He paused only to make sure they began to head for the exit before he ducked behind a pillar and peered casually round it. Yep, no doubt about it, that was the Broodmeister. He pulled his head back as Angel glanced his way and tried to think of a way to get to Cordy without being spotted, which would, of course, lead to his bloody, beaten body being found in a ditch somewhere and then Cordelia and the others trussed up like virgin sacrifices on their unwilling way back to California. He took a brief moment to chuckle at the thought of anyone using the word virgin and Cordelia in the same sentence and then applied his mind to the problem in hand.
Think, McDonald, think!
Cordelia eyed the woman before her with disbelief and drawled
"Say that again?"
The blonde woman who looked to be in her mid-forties sighed and placed her hands on her slim hips
"My name is Glinda. I'm the witch."
Cordy fought to keep a straight face
"Yeah, that's what I thought you said. So, how's things? Dropped a house on anyone lately?"
The witch rolled her eyes and turned away to walk around her desk and sink gracefully into her big leather armchair
"You know, those references just never get old."
Cordelia shrugged and took a seat before the desk, giving her own sigh as the ache in her lower back began to ease
"Sorry, too good to resist."
Glinda nodded and opened a plain file before her, glancing down at the top sheet
"I was incredibly flattered when Mr Baum initially decided to base his good witch on me but after hearing the same lame jokes decade after decade I'd happily drop a few farm houses on him. And for the record it was that stupid kid that did the dropping, I just happened to be there."
Cordelia opened her mouth to reply and then shook her head impatiently
"Whatever, look I need your help."
The witch nodded briefly and reached into the top drawer of her desk to pull out two tumblers and a bottle of Jim Beam, eyes still on the page on front of her
"So I hear. Drink?"
Cordelia shook her head and watched as the woman filled the deep glass three quarters full and quickly drained the contents and then refilled the glass once more. Her eyebrows rose in disbelief as the second glass quickly followed the first and then the glass was once more refilled
"Bad day?"
The older woman shook her head and looked up to meet Cordelia's eyes ruefully
"Not yet, but it's about to get that way."
She shook back her blonde hair and leaned back in her chair to look at the Seer appraisingly
"But we have about three minutes before the shit hits the fan, so tell me why I should tell you about the Light."
Cordelia frowned uneasily and flicked a quick glance over her shoulder at the closed office door
"Is there trouble?"
She thought worriedly of Willow and Fred downstairs in the bar and gripped the arms of the chair as though to rise. Glinda leaned forward and placed her glass down on the desk with a small clink
"Isn't there always? Your friends are fine. Tell me why I should help you. What makes you so special?"
Cordelia gritted her teeth at the woman's mocking tone and her eyes flashed as she tore them away from the door and refocused on the witch
"Nothing makes me special. I got a link to the Powers by default and I get to play hero for the rest of my life. Aside from never needing to visit a gym again because I get a regular work out battling the forces of darkness, I can't think of a single thing that marks me out from the rest of the planet."
Glinda laughed and made a show of examining her long red finger nails
"Really? What about being a higher being, being in love with a vampire with a soul and fighting evil for years before you ever heard of the Powers? That makes you pretty unique in my book."
Cordelia glared and folded her arms saying coolly
"Everyone needs a hobby. I'm from Sunnydale, it's either dust vamps and kill demons or spend your life drinking coffee and shopping in the same five shops over and over again."
The other woman was silent for a moment and then threw back her head and laughed out loud. Cordelia glared harder and reminded herself they were on the same side, there would be no butchering of the good witch. Unfortunately.
No one said maiming isn't allowed though
She shook the thought out of her head and instead settled for maintaining a dignified expression and saying in a voice you could fine chop diamonds with
"Something funny?"
The witch wiped her eyes and said with a grin
"Yes. Let me ask you something. Do you actually believe that claptrap?"
Cordelia scowled in confusion
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Glinda sobered and took another long sip of her drink and fixed her eyes on Cordelia saying seriously
"You actually believe you fight the fight because you got bored and there was nothing better to do? Please, you live for this. Knowing that you make a difference with every breath you take, that every time you go into battle you make the world a better place."
Cordelia stayed silent for a moment and stared at the carpet and then raised her eyes to the woman across the desk
"I can't think like that. If I did, there'd come a day when I start to believe it and then before you know it I'd be making judgements and decisions I had no business making. I'd be no better than the things I fight. Everyone on this miserable little planet makes a difference, every day, and if I believe for one moment that I'm more important in the scheme of things than they are then I wreck lives. They'll always be warriors and heroes, what this world needs are the ordinary people, going about their business and doing what they do. I just make sure they have the opportunity to do that."
Glinda nodded
"Good answer. The Light can't be carried and cannot be contained. You'll take out of its home exactly what you take in. Go to this address and ask for Mike, he'll take you to the portal."
Cordelia watched as the woman scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and held it out to her. She took the small scrap and stared disbelievingly over the desk
"That's it?"
Glinda swigged back the last of her whisky and grabbed the bottle to upend it once more
"That's it. You've still got a way to go and a hard path to tread but you'll make it. Mainly because it's never going to occur to you that you can't. You've got balls and I like that in a woman, now get out of here and get gone. Things are about to get dicey."
Cordelia jumped as a loud crash came from downstairs and then was on her feet and moving, yelling over her shoulder a brief "Thanks!" as she flung open the door and raced down the staircase.
Glinda shook her head as the door banged shut and muttered under her breath
"There was a phone right next to him, he could've just called up. Bruce Willis has a lot to answer for. 'Die Hard' my milky white ass."
Fred and Willow burst through the club doors and then came to a screeching halt as they came face to face with Gunn. Willow cursed loudly and thrust Fred behind her
"Get out of our way!"
Gunn scowled and stepped forward
"Not gonna happen. Just calm down and stay there. Fred, get out here."
The dark haired girl shook with nerves and reached under Willow's jacket to pull out the long dagger the redhead kept strapped to her back. She slid it from the sheath and slipped it into Willow's hand as the red head gave her a shove, pushing the girl far to the side and out of immediate harm's way
"Fred, get the truck."
Willow's voice was calm and betrayed none of her nerves or fear. She stepped forward as Gunn tensed to lunge for her friend
"Don't move."
Gunn looked at the wicked looking blade in her hand and the confident way she faced off at him. He knew she couldn't use magic thanks to the information Spike had given him but he also knew that she could hold her own in a one on one takedown. He moved his gaze to Fred
"Baby, please..."
The dark haired girl stared at him for a long moment and then gave Willow a shaky smile
"Watch your back."
She turned and ran off into the dark leaving Gunn staring incredulously after her
"FRED!!!" "Whoa, big fella, just take a breath there."
Gunn re-focused on the slender redhead holding him at knifepoint
"Look.Willow, right?" She gave a small nod "Look Willow, we've been looking for you for months. We know there's a big problem and we want to help. Now put that damn fool thing down and quit playing around."
Willow ignored the sick feeling in her stomach at his words
"Who's 'we'?"
Gunn scowled with impatience as he tried to see into the darkness beyond her to where Fred had disappeared
"All of us. The whole team."
Willow squeaked in alarm and Gunn narrowed his eyes speculatively on her bone-white face
"Yep, me and the boys and the Slayer and the whole kit and caboodle all down here lookin' for our girls. Man, they're pissed with you guys."
Willow felt fear twist in her stomach and bowels and backed up two steps shaking her head, tears being to pool in her expressive eyes
"No, they aren't here, they can't be here."
Gunn frowned at her obvious distress and took a step closer only to swear and stumble back as she slashed wildly at him with the knife
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" "Ok, ok, just calm down, alright?"
He held his hands out loosely to the sides and kept his voice soothing and calm. Willow shook fiercely as she stared at him and tried to think what to do. They'd only dispatched the last lot of bounty hunters that night and she shuddered as she realised that spies from Wolfram and Hart could be watching them even now and reporting back to Lilah. She paled as she thought of the incredible danger her friends were all in and the risks they were unknowingly running. Her eyes widened further as she was suddenly struck by the thought that at any moment one of her friends could appear and touch her, triggering the curse.
Gunn watched the fast play of emotion across Willow's face and mentally reviewed his options Make a lunge for her and get stabbed Wait for Angel and Spike to find Cordelia and drag her out, make a lunge for Willow, *then* get stabbed
The door behind the witch flew open and she span around in surprise, conveniently pointing the knife at the new threat
Or, 3, wait till her back's turned and THEN make a sneaky play for her
Gunn shot forward and wrapped two long arms around the redhead. He ignored her scream of terror and caught hold of the hand that held the knife and squeezed. Hard.
"Drop it!"
Willow yelled in panic as she tried to twist away from him, her one thought to prevent the curse from activating. She sobbed as his arms tightened around her and her hand burned under the pressure from his larger one, Gunn ignored the pitiful sobbing breaths and dragged her into the shadows at the side of the building, away from the people that were screaming out into the night
What the...?
"A gun, he's got a gun!" "Call 911!" "Somebody's been shot!"
Willow froze for a second as she realised that the large man holding her wasn't bursting into flames, she sagged in relief
The bitch said it would be different; she must be controlling the activation. Oh thank the goddess!
Gunn shook Willow's limp hand and the knife skittered away under a nearby car. He took a firm grip on her arm and then quickly changed their positions so Willow was pressed up against the wall of the club and he loomed over her, cutting off all avenues of escape
"Let's try this again. What the hell is up with you three?"
Inside the club Cordelia ran down the stairs from Glinda's office to a scene of total pandemonium. Everywhere she looked people were screaming, running and fighting each other in a panic to suddenly be elsewhere. She stared intensely around her, searching for a sign of Fred, Willow or Lindsey
Where the hell are they?
She jumped down the remaining three steps and started to head toward the bar, grunting as a large body appeared in front of her. "Excuse me." She made to push past and then froze in sheer horror as a strong, cool hand gripped her forearm
"Cordelia"
No! It can't be!
She tried to tug her arm free, even as her appalled eyes met two very pissed brown ones
"Angel!"
Her fist swung out and she kicked at his kneecap at the same time. Angel pivoted and moved behind her to twist her arm sharply up her back, wincing at her gasp of pain
"Nice moves, shame I taught you them." "Angel, let me go! You don't understand!"
The vampire slipped his other arm around Cordy's waist and heaved the writhing girl off her feet
"Yeah? On the upside you're about to get a lot of time to explain it to me." "Nooo!"
Cordelia gave a sobbing breath and then screamed as a huge flash blinded her. She lost her breath as she crashed to the floor, tears streaming from her eyes when she thought the flash she had seen was the triggering of the curse. She shoved away from Angel, rolling to her knees and then gasped in a mixture of relief and horror as she stared into an enraged, blood-soaked face that wasn't the least bit on fire as far as she could see. She pushed to her feet as she realised that the vampire had been shot and she was wasting precious seconds of running away time.
Oh, thank you Powers!
Cordy turned away from Angel and plunged into the now hysterical crowd, screaming as someone grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the exit. Lindsey shoved his way through the crowd ruthlessly and yelled over his shoulder
"It's ok, it's me!" "You SHOT him?"
Lindsey punched the back of a man's head and dragged Cordelia over the fallen body without breaking stride
"What you'd prefer I go up to him and ask him nicely to let you go? CHRIST! Will you people MOVE!"
He threw himself forward and rammed people forcefully out of the way and then they were out the door and stumbling onto the asphalt of the car lot. He gave Cordelia a shove to keep her moving
"Get to the truck and get out of here! I'll catch you up. GO!"
Cordy nodded and whirled around as Lindsey sprinted to his own car, then gasped as she caught sight of a very familiar baldhead
"Gunn!"
The black man's head snapped round as he heard his name and he met Cordelia's eyes
"Cordy! Stay right th....Ooof!"
His eyes went wide as Willow's knee crashed with unerring accuracy into his groin and he folded over onto the floor
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Willow leapt his body and ran to Cordelia's side, " We need to go, all the others are here." "Shit, where's Fred?"
Willow opened her mouth to reply as she glanced over Cordelias' shoulder and her eyes went wide with shock
"ANGEL!"
Cordelia didn't look back, "Run!" The two girls took off across the parking lot, dodging through the hysterical mob from the club. They looked round as they heard a loud, insistent horn and then threw themselves to the side as the truck, with Fred at the wheel, screeched to a halt
"Get in!"
They flung themselves into the cab and slammed the door shut as Fred floored it, Willow looked back through the rear window
"Angel's coming!"
Cordelia spun in her seat, staring with wild eyes at the vampire jumping from car to car to beat them to the exit. His entire left shoulder was covered with blood and as he jumped in and out of the streetlights she saw his bloodsoaked face in furious, stark relief. Willow swallowed
"He looks pissed." "Ya think? Fred, keep your foot down. Willow, weapons!" The redhead dropped to the floor and rummaged frantically until she came up with a solid wooden bat and an axe. Cordelia grasped the axe and said grimly
"Do whatever it takes short of killing him."
She kneeled on her seat and stuck her head, shoulders and arms out the window
"INCOMING!"
Willow screamed as a hefty thump on the roof of the truck signalled the arrival of one very annoyed vampire and then followed Cordy's example, popping through the window to swing her bat as best she could at Angel's legs. Fred risked a quick glance at the rear mirror and was reassured that no-one else seemed to be on their tail. She flinched as Cordelia yelled in terror and scrabbled for a hold to prevent herself being dragged bodily through the window and then Fred saw it. Their salvation.
"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!"
Cordelia barely heard Fred's yell as she was too busy trying to breath against the stranglehold that Angel had on the back of her jacket. She rolled her eyes upward and caught a glimpse of his face, her hands let go of his and she threw herself backwards as hard as she could whilst taking a death grip on the inside door handle. There was a loud bang, a sickening moment of unbelievable pressure and then she was falling back into the truck.
"What.did you...do?"
Cordy rubbed her hand over her sore neck and gasped the words out as Fred swung the truck onto the road and pressed her foot to the floor once more. The dark haired girl stared into the mirror and satisfied they weren't being followed flicked a glance at her friend
"There was a low branch on a tree. Y'all couldn't have fought him off when he's that angry so I drove at it and kerplooie!"
Willow sank in a trembling mass against the seat and echoed weakly
"Kerplooie?" "Uh-huh. Angel road kill."
Cordelia gave a shaky laugh
"Kerplooie, gotta remember that. What the hell happened back there? Willow?"
Willow shook her head and twisted trembling fingers into a knot
"We were at the bar and Lindsey told us he'd seen Spike so we left and then saw Gunn. Then the screaming started."
Fred gripped the steering wheel and said quietly
"He was mad." "Hun, I think we can safely say they were all pretty annoyed. Will, Angel touched me and he didn't die."
Willow nodded and tried desperately to get her thoughts in order
"I..I think that the curse is being controlled by Lilah, she said it'd work differently, I think it's only got the juice to be used once over so many people. Gunn touched me too." She frowned as Fred gasped and said firmly "He's ok. Well, I had to hit him and he might be a bit bruised, but he's ok."
The Texan sagged in relief
"Thank god."
Cordelia rubbed her sore neck again
"Don't thank him just yet, we still have to make sure we lose them for good. Any thoughts?" "Just keep driving. Gunn told me everyone's here, we can't risk them finding us again." "Shit. Everyone?" "That's what the man said."
Cordelia leaned her head wearily against the seat back
"Fred, just keep going."
Spike had missed most of the fun. As soon as he'd realised that the first gunshot into the mirror behind the bar had probably been a diversion he'd run for the back exit and the car lot. He'd missed Angel being shot and Gunn's humiliating defeat by Willow but he'd managed a ringside seat for Angel being squashed like a bug by a low hanging branch. Ignoring the terrified, yelling humans he'd made for a row of motorbikes and ripped the guard chain from a powerful looking hog. Making short work of hotwiring it, he'd leapt on board and roared over to his grandsire as he lay stunned on the floor
"Going to follow them. I'll give you a call when we stop."
Angel raised his head as Spike tore out of the lot in a cloud of dust and rubber, yelling over his shoulder
"Keep your bloody phone on!"
The older vampire let his head fall back and stared up at the night sky as he thought of Cordelia and Willow beating at him with their weapons and, in particular, of Cordy as she's attacked him in the club
"I'm going to kill her."
He rolled painfully to his feet and hobbled off to find Gunn, unaware of the pair of worried eyes watching him leave. Lindsey waited in the cab of his truck until the Angelmobile had roared past him with a grim-faced Angel and Gunn in it and then turned over his own engine and swung out onto the road.
Gotta find the girls
They kept going all through the night and all the next day, taking turns behind the wheel and doubling back on themselves until they were convinced nothing short of god himself could have tracked them. Cordelia groaned as she swung off the road and into the lot of a shabby looking motel.
"Ok, end of the line. If I don't pee soon it's there's gonna be a pressing need for Noah and his Ark in here."
Willow summoned up a half-hearted giggle
"Nice picture." "Let's get checked in."
They tumbled out of the truck and sucked in grateful lungfuls of fresh air. Fred stretched and moaned as her joints popped and snapped
"I'm thinking the next time I go on the run with you guys we get a Winnebago. That truck just isn't made for the long term running in panic."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and gave a huff of impatient breath
"I keep telling you guys, we aren't running in panic we're.." "Exploring our options."
Willow and Fred finished her sentence and laughed softly. Cordy gave them a grin
"See, now you're getting it. Grab your bags girls and let's go get us some shut eye."
Willow passed her bag to Fred and climbed back into the driver's seat
"I'm gonna go park around back. Just in case."
Cordelia watched the truck disappear around the side of the motel and then motioned for Fred to follow her
"Come on. Shower, food and bed. In that order."
Angel swung the car to the side of the road and watched as Cordelia and Fred moved out of sight into the Motel lobby.
"Got 'em." "Not yet we don't."
Gunn stared grimly out the window and flexed his big hands. When he got hold of Fred he was gonna...
"What's the plan, Peaches?"
Spike spoke up from the backseat and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Willow re-appear from around the back and follow her friends into the building. All three together and alive, thank the Lo..well, whoever.
He'd followed them the previous night for hours, the lights off on the bike and hanging well back so the noise of the powerful engine wouldn't reach them on the deserted roads they had stuck to. Gunn and Angel had met him just before dawn and they'd ditched the bike and he and Angel had gone under cover on the back seat as Gun had taken over the tailing of their quarry.
All through the long day on the road Spike had listened to the various threats and promises that had flown back and forth between the other two men as they'd discussed how they would deal with the girls when they got their hands on them. Angel had definitely been the most vocal whilst his bullet wound had healed. The raw wound on the side of his neck had slowly closed over during the day until it was finally just a faint red line above his collar when they'd cleaned the blood off.
Spike stared at the entrance to the motel and tried to think of what he'd say to Willow when he saw her. It was all right for the other two, they had some basis for being angry, what did he have? A tenuous friendship based on years of not quite succeeding in killing her. Oh yeah, that was gonna cut some ice he could tell.
He blinked and shook off the despondent thoughts as Angel spoke
"Give 'em a couple of hours to get settled in and drop their guards, then we'll move in and grab them."
Gunn nodded and shifted on his seat, trying to get comfortable for the long wait. He glanced at the clock on the dash. Just gone ten, the place would be mostly bedded down for the night about midnight. He gave a feral grin as he stared out into the dark
All the better to kidnap your ass, my dear
Willow shifted uncomfortably on the bed and watched as the hands on her travel alarm clock ticked over to midnight. She sighed and sat up, raking rough hands through her mop of red hair. She'd gone to bed an hour before but Morpheus obviously had other business tonight because she was still wide-awake and not so much as sniffing at the coat tails of a dream.
Typically stupid man. Never there with the good stuff when you need him.
She swung out of the bed and dragged her clothes back on. Moving quickly and quietly she slipped out of her room and headed down to the truck to grab the herbal sleeping tablets she kept in the glove box. Angel stepped out of the small janitors closet he'd pushed the guys into when he'd heard Willow's door open and watched her disappear around the corner
"Spike.." "On it."
The blonde vampire melted down the corridor and vanished after his prey. Angel sniffed the air in the confined space and pointed to a door a little down from where they were, mouthing silently to Gunn
"That one."
Gunn nodded, checked they were still on their own and then moved quickly into position, the key they'd lifted from the reception desk whilst Angel had distracted the clerk clasped in his hand. Angel sniffed the air again
There!
He stepped in front of the door next to Fred's and nodded at Gunn
"One, two, three."
He gripped the door handle and twisted sharply, smirking when he heard the lock snap. Gunn silently turned the key and with a last nod at Angel disappeared into Fred's room.
Cordelia jumped as she heard a sharp crack come from the doorway. She reached for her axe and edged towards the door, coming to a halt just as Angel pushed it open. For a second they stood staring at each other and then Cordelia spat
"You are SO not invited."
Angel grinned
"Ask me if I care."
Her eyes widened in horror as he stepped across the threshold and into her room. Angel's grin widened as he winked at her and said jovially
"Public place. Ooops!"
Cordelia gasped as he made a lightening move and snatched the axe from her hand, Angel tossed it casually behind her on the floor and took another step closer, eyes narrowing in satisfaction as she backed up
"Now, where were we before you had me shot? Oh yeah, just about here I think."
He lifted his hands and reached for her as she backed away.
End Part 7.