Hellmouth: Manhattan

The Coming Storm

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Buffy, Angel, and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This series takes place between the 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' fifth season episodes 'Triangles' and 'Checkpoint', and the 'Angel' second season episodes 'The Shroud of Rahmon' and 'The Trial'.

"You think you know what you are, what's to come?

You haven't even begun..."

Dracula

"Buffy vs. Dracula"

December 10, 2000

Manhattan

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Travis Marshall said. "This is Travis Marshall. Our top story at this hour…" He paused for a moment for dramatic effect. "Scientists and seismologists around the world are still baffled by the seemingly simultaneous earth tremors that struck at roughly 1:00 AM Eastern Standard Time this morning. Experts have verified that a mild tremor, whose epicenter has yet to be calculated, struck Manhattan at 1:00 this morning, Eastern Standard Time, and that other tremors were felt at almost exactly the same time in California, South America, London and even Japan. Local seismologists are baffled by the unprecedented geological activity that some doomsday cultists have said may mark the beginning of the coming Apocalypse. We now go live to Washington…"

Xanatos hit the 'Mute' button on the remote, turning off the sound as he turned to face his visitor. "What do you make of that?" he asked.

"Greatly disturbing," the Queen of the Fae said. Following the disturbance in Avalon, Titania had returned to the mortal world to check on her daughter Fox and Alex, Fox's son. "I see that the Weird Sisters were correct about the magnitude of the disturbance."

"And you felt it on Avalon?" he asked.

"We did," she said. "As was the case here, there was very little damage. More jangled nerves than anything else."

Xanatos sat back in his chair. This is serious, he thought. Any disturbance powerful enough to reach from the mortal world to Avalon was definitely bad news. "Do you know what could have caused it?" he asked.

Titania looked at her son-in-law. "Had I known what caused the disturbance, I would not have come here to ask you, David. But whatever it is, I suspect that it threatens us all." She turned to look at the muted television. "Have you had any word from Emrys?"

"None," Xanatos said.

"Then I guess London will be my next stop," she said as she turned to look at him. "But first, I think I will stop in to see my grandson one more time." She smiled as she disappeared, but Xanatos caught the hint of worry in her eyes. She's afraid that she won't get the chance to say good-bye to him, he realized. Now I am worried.

The Magic Box

Sunnydale, California

Giles watched as Buffy pounded on the bag, working out her anger. Several times, he winced as Buffy put another hole in the worn-out punching bag, and he had to act quickly to put a piece of duct tape over the hole to stop the sand from spilling out.

"Remind me never to get her mad at me," Xander said as he stood nearby. "I can just imagine what she's going to do to Riley..."

That brought an end to Buffy's assault on the bag, and she turned to look at Xander, the first hint of tears in her eyes.

"Oops," Willow said. "You said the 'R' word again."

Buffy turned back to the bag and began pummeling it again. This time, she didn't stop until she finally hit the bag so hard that the chain holding it to the ceiling snapped and the bag fell to the floor. Then she stopped.

Xander took a hesitant step forwards. "Buffy, I'm sorry," he said.

Buffy sniffed back the tears that were threatening to spill over. "No, it's okay," she lied. "I'm dealing."

"Are you?" Willow asked. "I mean, it's only been a few days since...you know...'what's his name' left, and..."

"I'm okay," she said. "I just need to do something other than think about him."

"Well, you could always go pound on Spike for a while," Xander suggested. "That always seemed to brighten your mood before."

Buffy frowned at that.

"Or not," Xander said.

"Well," Giles said as he went over to the devastated punching bag. "I need to go and purchase a new bag." He turned to Buffy. "Could you..."

"Right," Buffy said. She went over and effortlessly lifted the punching bag and headed for the back door. When she came back, she found the training room empty. She headed towards the door and entered the main part of the magic shop, where she found Willow sitting at the table with her girlfriend Tara and Anya, looking through several spell books, while her sister Dawn sat off to one side, watching a small portable TV.

"So," she asked. "Find anything?"

"No," Anya said. "I still don't see why Giles wants us to go through these books again," the former vengeance demon complained. "I mean, it's not like anything major happened..."

"Maybe not," Buffy said. "But you never know..."

The phone rang, and Anya quickly got up to answer it. "The Magic Box," she said. "Your one-stop spot to shop..." She paused as she listened to the voice on the other end. "I'm sorry, but he's not here. Can I take a message?" She paused again. "I don't know when he'll be back."

"Who is it?" Buffy asked.

Anya covered the mouthpiece. "Some pushy Englishwoman," she said. "Listen," she said, resuming her discussion with the woman on the phone. "I know that you said it's important that you talk to Rupert, but he just stepped out and I don't know when he'll be back. If you'd just give me your name and number, I'll let him know that you called." She picked up a pen and a pad of paper. "Okay, your name's Una? Is that a first name or last?"

Una? Buffy thought for a moment. Where have I heard that name before? She reached for the phone. "Can I talk to her for a minute?" she asked.

Anya surrendered the phone to her.

"Hello, Una?" she said. "This is Buffy Summers." She paused for a minute. "I know you don't know me, but I need to ask you something, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. Are you a gargoyle?"

There was a startled gasp on the other end. "Why do you ask?" she heard the other woman say.

"I heard Giles mention you once," she said. "He's my Watcher."

"Buffy!" she heard Willow gasp.

She held up her hand to silence her friend. "I'm the Slayer," she told the equine gargoyle.

On the other end of the line, Una looked at her mate, Leo. "The Slayer?" she asked.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "As in 'she who is destined to fight the forces of darkness'. That Slayer."

"Can you tell me where Rupert went?" she asked.

"He went to get a new punching bag," Buffy said. "You know, for my training."

"I see," Una said.

"Is there something you need?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Una said. "Something dire is approaching, and I needed to confer with him about it."

"Sounds serious," Buffy said.

"It is," Una said. "I need to talk to him about a Tarot reading I did earlier today." She paused for a moment. "But if you are the Slayer, maybe I could ask you..."

"The Tarot's not my thing," Buffy said. She paused as she looked at both Willow and Tara, who were looking at her expectantly. For a moment, she wondered if it had anything to do with the tremor earlier that morning. "But I do know someone who could help..." She covered the mouthpiece and extended the phone to Willow.

"Is that really Una?" Willow asked.

"Could be," Buffy said. "She called about a Tarot reading and she wanted to talk to Giles about it. Do you think you could..."

"Of course," Willow said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a deck of Tarot cards, then got up and headed for the phone. Tara got up and went with her.

"Hello, Miss Una," Willow said. "Sorry. Just plain Una." She listened as Una relayed to her what had happened. "Are you sure about that?" she asked. She opened the Tarot deck and began laying out cards. She paused for a moment as she caught the look of anxiety on Tara's face. This is not a good thing, she thought. "Okay, I'll tell Giles about this when he gets back." She hung up the phone.

"What's up?" Buffy asked. "I'm guessing it must be pretty bad."

"It...it could be," Willow said. "I mean, the layout that Una described is pretty bad. And when she told me that she kept putting down the same cards three times in a row..."

The phone rang again, and this time Buffy picked it up before Anya had a chance to. "The Magic Box," she chimed, trying to sound cheerful. She smiled a bit as she recognized the voice on the other end. "Hi, Oz. How have you been?"

"Okay," Oz said. "Just calling to see if you guys are okay. We heard about the tremor."

"It was nothing, Oz," Buffy said. "Want to talk to Willow?"

"Not right now," Oz said. "We've still got a lot to clean up after the one that hit us."

"A tremor hit Manhattan? When?" She paused and looked at Xander and Anya. "Has there been anything about other earth tremors on the news today?" she asked.

"Not that I know of," Xander said. "But then again, we have been cooped up in here all morning."

Buffy went to the TV and changed the station.

"Hey," Dawn protested. "I was watching..."

"This is important, Dawn" Buffy said. She found a station that was doing the midday news.

"Everything is 'important'," Dawn said, sulking as Buffy turned her attention back to the phone.

"Okay, Oz," she said. "We've got the news on."

"Still no word on the unexplained tremors that hit cities around the world early this morning," the reporter said. "Local scientists are baffled by the phenomenon, and the President has called a special session with leading scientists from across the globe to discuss the event."

"Cool," Dawn said.

"There's nothing 'cool' about it," Buffy said to her sister before turning her attention back to the phone. "Thanks for the heads-up, Oz," she said, then hung up the phone. She turned her attention back to the television. "Did they say when the tremors hit?" she asked.

"They said it happened at about one o'clock this morning," Willow said. "New York time. And since New York is three hours ahead of us…"

"That would put it at about 10:00 last night," Buffy said. "Giles was right. Something did happen."

"Do you think maybe the Hellmouth demon got sick and tired of Sunnydale and decided to move?" Willow asked.

Buffy's eyes went wide at the thought of the possible implications. "God, I hope not," she said.

"Uh, excuse me," Xander said, raising his hand. "You hope not? This may sound dumb, but if the demon is gone, doesn't that make things easier on us? I mean, Glory is bad enough, but if we don't have to go squatting in the old library anymore waiting…"

"The Hellmouth demon is my responsibility, Xander," Buffy said. "If it's decided to make the big move, then there's no telling where and when it'll show up again. What happens if a new Hellmouth opens up in one of the other cities that were hit by these tremors? God, what happens if it opens up in the middle of the Manhattan?"

"Not the kind of thing we want to see happen anytime soon," Willow added.

"Gotcha," Xander said. "Not a good thing."

"No," Buffy said. She quickly grabbed her coat. "I'm going to go find Giles," she said. "I've got to tell him about this." She looked at Willow and Tara. "I need you guys to go into serious research mode. We have to find a way of stopping this before it starts." She put on her coat and headed for the door.

"What say I go out and get a few burgers?" Xander said. "Like maybe a dozen. I get the feeling we're going to be at this all day."

"What was your first clue?" Willow asked.

Xander picked up a pad of paper and a pen. "Okay," he said. "Who wants what on their burgers?"

Into The Mystic

London, England

Leo watched as Una pulled a book from the shelf, looked at it for a moment, and then put it back before grabbing another and repeating the entire process. After watching her for several minutes, he went over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Take it easy, luv," he said, trying to calm his mate. "I'm sure that Rupert will call back as soon as possible."

"I hope he does," the equine gargess said, the sound of worry clear in her voice. She took another book down from the shelf and opened it. Satisfied that she now had the correct volume, she headed towards the back of the shop, where Emrys Hawkins, her clanmate Griff and his mate Brianna, and Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King of Britain were waiting for her.

"Did you reach him?" Emrys asked as Una sat at the table.

"No," Una said regretfully. "He had just stepped out when I called."

"Why is it so important that you talk with this 'Rupert Giles', Una?" Griff asked. "Who is he anyway?"

"He is a good friend," Leo said as he entered the back room. "Someone we knew a long time ago." He looked over at his mate. "He's helped us out from time to time when we needed…advice…about certain things that came into our possession."

Griff looked at Una, a question already forming. "What sort of 'things'?" he asked.

"Nothing dangerous, Griff," Leo quickly said. "Just the odd amulet or scroll that usually found its way to us, same as before the war. Rupert was a big help in figuring out which ones were authentic and which ones weren't worth the trouble in keeping on the shelves."

"If he was that invaluable to you," Arthur asked. "Then why isn't he here now?"

"He had other, far more…important duties to perform," Una said.

"What could be that important?" Griff asked.

Una looked at Leo hesitantly. "The Slayer," she said finally.

"Oh," Griff said in understanding.

"This Rupert Giles is a Watcher then?" Arthur asked.

"You know about them?" Una said.

Arthur looked at Emrys. "Merlin made it a habit of keeping me informed about the dealings of the Watchers Council," he said, setting his hand on the young wizard's shoulder. "I never personally met any of the members of the Council, but I do recall a young girl who visited Camelot during a time when a mysterious sickness fell across the countryside. Within days of her arrival, the sickness ended seemingly overnight, and it was not long afterwards that we discovered a vampire had descended on Camelot, and that the girl had tracked him to his lair and ended his evil once and for all."

"If memory serves, Arthur," Emrys said. "Not a lot of the knights were keen on the idea of a mere slip of a girl doing the task that they felt they would have been better suited for."

"Aye," Arthur said. "Even Guinevere thought it was not the girl's place to battle the fiend on her own. And I will admit that I too had thought that this young girl, who could not have been any older than Emrys is now, would not have been able to find and defeat him. That was before we realized just who and what she truly was."

Brianna had tried to follow the conversation, but now she looked at Arthur in total confusion. "I do not understand," she said. "This girl was human, wasn't she?"

"A special human," Arthur explained. "In every generation, there is born one girl, a Chosen One, who will be called upon to fight against the forces of darkness. This girl is known as the Slayer. She will be born with extraordinary abilities; strength, stamina, exceptional health. All which she will need in her battle against the dark forces of the underworld."

"And the Watchers?" Brianna asked.

"The Watchers are charged with training and preparing the Chosen One for her battles with the forces of evil," Una said. "They are the only ones who know where and when the next Slayer will emerge after the previous one has died."

"And that is what happened with our friend," Leo said. "The Watchers Council sent him to America to train the next Slayer. But he has stayed in touch with us. He owns a magic store in a small town in California called Sunnydale." He paused for a moment. "A town that has a somewhat notorious reputation."

"What sort of reputation?" Emrys asked.

Una looked at Leo. "Have you ever heard of something known as a Hellmouth?"

Emrys' eyes went wide in surprise.

The Labyrinth

Manhattan

"All right, Oz," Talon said as he opened the door to the cage. "In you go."

"Thanks, Talon," Daniel Osborne, better known to his friends as simply 'Oz', said as he stepped into the cage. Talon closed the door and locked it, then stepped back as Oz began to take off his clothes behind the metal privacy screen that had been permanently installed across the bars.

"Are you sure this is really necessary?" the Mutate leader said as Oz passed him his shirt and shoes. "I mean, you seem to be getting better at controlling the changes…"

"I still can't take the risk, Talon," he said. "Even though Willow managed to do something when she and Demona cast that spell five months ago, I can still feel the beast inside me, just waiting for me to let my guard down. I won't take that chance, especially now that I can sense that something bad is in the air." He paused for a moment as he looked over towards the stone figure of Delilah, who had taken to watching over him during his monthly transformations. "I don't want to risk hurting her," he said absently before turning his full attention to the Mutate leader. "Or anybody else."

Talon looked over towards the hybrid clone, who looked on him as not simply a leader, but family as well. During the past few months, he had noticed that the two seemed to be growing closer with each passing day, although both tried to deny it. I wish the two of them would just admit that they like each other and get it over with, he thought in exasperation. Of course, he knew that even though Oz was developing strong feelings for Delilah, and she for him, Oz still had very strong feelings for someone else; Willow, the girl he had left behind in Sunnydale to avoid causing her further pain, and who had come to New York back in July to try to cure him of his curse. The cure hadn't worked entirely as everyone had hoped. Oz still needed to be locked up during the three nights of the full moon, but with every passing month, he seemed to gain better control of the beast within him. On the first and third nights of last month's full moon, Delilah had actually been able to approach the cage without having Oz charge the bars in an attempt to attack her.

Talon looked at the clock on the wall, noting the time. With the first day of winter less than two weeks away, the nights were already growing longer, which meant that Delilah would awaken soon. If he was lucky, Oz would have a chance to talk with her before moonrise. "I'll be back before sunrise to check on you," he said.

"Thanks, Talon," Oz said. He watched as the Mutate leader checked the lock on the cage door one more time before turning to leave. Once he was gone, Oz sat back and waited for the hybrid clone to awaken.

The wait was short. Barely five minutes had passed before Oz's ears picked up the telltale sound of cracking stone. He got up and watched as Delilah awoke with a roar. As soon as she finished shaking off the remnants of her stone skin, she turned to look at the cage. She smiled as she saw Oz looking back at her.

"Hello, Oz," she said cheerfully as she approached the cage. "I didn't think I'd wake up in time to see you before you changed."

"The moon won't be up for a few more minutes," Oz said. He reached through the bars and gave the clone's hand a gentle squeeze. "When you've been doing this for as long as I have, you kinda become extra sensitive to the phases of the moon."

"Elisa says that's how things are for her now that she and Goliath are together," Delilah said. "She told me once that even when she can't see the sky, she can tell right when sunset is."

"I guess it helps when you're dating a gargoyle," Oz said with a smile.

Delilah's smile wavered just a bit at his remark. She took another step closer towards the bars, but then Oz pulled back, a frown crossing his lips.

"Uh, Delilah," he said. "Now isn't…a good time…"

She frowned as he retreated from her, feeling hurt by his apparent rejection, but then he hid himself behind the privacy screen as the change took hold of him. Delilah stepped back as Oz's body change, but when it was over, she approached the bars again, hoping that Oz had managed to gain a little more control over the beast within him. "Oz?" she asked.

The werewolf that was Oz slammed into the bars, snarling as he reached through, trying to claw at the hybrid gargoyle, who quickly retreated. Before she was fully aware of it, Delilah was by the far wall, where the only weapon in the Labyrinth was kept. It was a high-powered tranquilizer gun, which Talon had reluctantly agreed to allow in the Labyrinth when Oz decided to make it his permanent home. Her hand closed on the wooden stock for a fraction of a second before she stepped away from the weapon and turned back towards the cage. Oz had seemingly calmed down, and she took that as a positive sign. She slowly began approaching the cage again.

"Oz," she began calmly. "I know that you might not understand…"

Oz rushed the bars, causing her to jump back again. This time, he didn't give any indication that he was going to stop a second time. Delilah watched as he began slamming himself against the door, and her eyes went wide when she saw it begin to give way. She turned and quickly rushed for the gun, pulling it from its mount on the wall, and brought it up just as she heard the door to the cage finally burst open.

The Hyperion Hotel

Los Angeles, California

Angel sat at his desk, an ancient scroll spread out before him. Every few seconds, his eyes focused on one particular section of the scroll before shifting to another section and then going back to that same section. After three hours, he got up, releasing his hold on the edges of the scroll and letting the parchment roll back up. He began to pace back and forth, trying to come to a decision, and thankful that Cordelia and Wesley weren't around.

I can't involve them in this, he thought as he looked back to the scroll that lay on his desk. The Scroll of Aberjin, which he had stolen from Wolfram and Hart six months ago, and which Holland Manners and Lindsey McDonald had used to resurrect Angel's sire Darla. If what was in the scroll were true, then there was a good chance that whatever was going to happen in New York, it would involve Demona and her clan. And there was every indication in the scroll that if he went to New York, he was not going to be coming back. He couldn't risk Cordy and Wesley's safety if it turned out to be true. Especially after what happened with Kate and the Shroud of Rahmon...

No, this was something he was going to have to face alone.

Angel went into the lobby, where the weapons cabinet stood. He opened the doors and looked inside. Opening a hidden compartment in the floor of the cabinet, he found the dagger he was searching for and pulled it out. Pulling it from its sheath, Angel inspected the short blade with a practiced eye before returning it to its sheath and sticking under his belt. Returning to his office, he picked up the scroll and placed it in the cylinder that it had been in when he 'liberated' it from Wolfram and Hart. For a moment, he paused, wondering if he should leave a note for Cordelia and Wesley to let them know where he was going. No, he finally decided. If he did that, then they would end up trying to follow him, and that was something he couldn't risk. He couldn't risk losing any more of his friends or allow any of them to come to further harm. Or allow himself to harm them...

Even after several weeks, he could still feel the taste of Kate's blood on his lips as he fed off of her...

Angel paused for a moment, trying to banish the mental imagery that sprang to mind, and the feeling those images provoked. He had fed off of Kate at the museum during the theft of the Shroud of Rahmon, and deep down, a part of him had thrilled in the bloodlust that had momentarily swept over him. It had taken a concerted effort on his part not to give in to it entirely, attacking Kate and feeding off of her just enough to convince those who were with him that he had killed her. But a part of him had been tempted, driven to the brink by the sinister presence that existed within the shroud...

Angel set the container containing the Scroll of Aberjin down on the desk and pulled the sheathed dagger out of his belt, looking at the ornately carved hilt for a moment before returning it to its former position. If all went as he hoped, his bloodlust would soon be permanently purged, and he could once again live a normal life.

As a human.

Angel picked up the container and headed out of the office. He didn't even pause as the phone on the counter began to ring.

The Magic Box

Sunnydale

Giles looked at the cards Willow had set down on the counter. He then turned his attention to the young Wicca. "Are you certain that this is the pattern Una described to you?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Willow said. "When she described the pattern to me, I got kinda worried about it myself."

"You have every right to be," Giles said.

"So what's it mean?" Buffy asked.

"It means that the very world itself is in danger," he said.

"Again?" Buffy asked.

Giles looked at the Slayer. "I know, Buffy. How many times have we faced a possible apocalypse, only to manage to forestall it until the next one." He looked at the Tarot cards. "But I believe that this may be our greatest challenge ever, and I do not know if we may be able to prevent it."

"You always say that," Buffy said.

"But I may be right this time," he said. "And given what has transpired over the last few months, I believe we may be on the verge of a potential cataclysm. These cards," he added, indicating the Tarot cards, "show that there is indeed something on the horizon. Something that could affect the balance that exists between good and evil."

"Not a good thing," Xander put in.

"No," Giles said.

"Any idea when this, whatever it is, is going to happen?" Buffy asked.

"Not really," Giles said. "I'm going to have to call Una and consult with her, see if she can give me any additional insight. She is the one who did the initial reading on the cards." She looked at his watch. "Still a few hours before sunrise over there. I should be able to get all the information I need from her to determine what it is we could be facing." He looked at Buffy. "But if I am right, we could be facing an entirely new brand of evil, and we may not be able to stop it."

Buffy watched as Giles headed across the shop, a sudden sense of urgency in his step, and Buffy began to feel worried.

Great, she thought. As if dealing with Glory wasn't bad enough.

December 11, 2000

The Labyrinth

Elisa looked at the cage door, torn almost completely off its hinges, before turning her attention to the werewolf asleep inside the cage. Even though Oz was now shackled to the floor with chains that even Goliath would have a hard time breaking, she was still nervous. That door should have held, she thought as she tightened her grip on the weapon in her hand. The quake couldn't have weakened it that much… She turned when she heard her brother and Goliath approach, her grip on the tranquilizer rifle relaxing considerably. "How is she?" she asked.

"Pretty badly shaken up," Talon said. "But at least he didn't get a chance to maul her. He was probably unconscious the moment he hit her."

"I don't get it," she said. "You told me he was getting better at controlling his…urges."

"He was," Talon said. "I mean, last month he was pretty calm the first and third nights. He even let Delilah get right up to the bars without making a single aggressive move towards her."

"And the second night?" she wondered.

"About the same as the previous months," Talon admitted. "A lot of growling and snarling and pacing like a caged animal." He paused as he looked at the cage door. "But nothing like this. It's almost as if something was driving him to get out and attack her."

"Did Delilah say anything about what might have caused this?" Elisa asked.

"No," Goliath said. "She has only said that she feels that it is her fault. That she should not have gotten so close to the cage…"

"I tried to tell her that she shouldn't be blaming herself for this," Talon said. "Before she woke up, Oz told me that he could feel something bad in the air. I just can't figure out why it would affect him and not us."

"Werewolves are, by nature, supernatural beings, Talon," Goliath said. "Like vampires and the Fae. It is possible that whatever has caused Oz to regress to his more vicious nature, it may be of a supernatural nature and would not affect us in the same way it has affected him."

"So what do we do about it?" Elisa asked. "I mean, Oz is a good kid, but if this is just a sample of what's in store for us over the next couple of nights…"

"He should be okay in the morning," Talon said. "When he wakes up, I'll talk to Dr. Goldblum about the possibility of administering a sedative to Oz tonight and tomorrow night, just in case."

"We should also consider consulting with Demona about what may have caused this outburst," Goliath said. "She might know if there is the possibility of a supernatural cause behind this."

"That might be a good idea," Elisa said. "Aside from Owen, she knows more about sorcery and the mystical arts than anyone else I can think of. She might even know a way of keeping Oz quiet in case the sedative idea doesn't work." She looked at her watch. "But I can't do it right now. I have to get back to the station. There's been a lot of freaky activity going on ever since the tremor last night, and Matt told me earlier that the switchboard's been lit up like a Christmas tree all night." She handed the rifle back to her brother, then rose up on her tiptoes to give Goliath a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll try and stop by the castle after my shift to see how things are going," she said.

"Just be careful, my Elisa," Goliath said, a sudden sense of worry washing over him. "If Oz was correct and there is something coming, I do not want to risk losing you to it."

"Hey, don't worry," she said. "If I can survive the Unseelie War, I can pretty much survive anything." When she saw the frown cross his face, she quickly placed her hand on his arm in reassurance. "Don't worry, Big Guy," she said. "I promise to be careful."

Goliath took her hands in his. "I shall hold you to your word," he said, with just the barest trace of a warning in his tone. Elisa smiled at him, then left, leaving her brother and her lover to watch over the sleeping werewolf.

Los Angeles County Women's Prison

Los Angeles, California

She sat on the bunk in her cell, listening to the tape that Angel had given her during his last visit. Her eyes closed and humming to the music that was playing, she didn't even acknowledge the female guard's approach until she tapped on the bars of Faith's cell. Faith shut of the tape player and looked at the guard.

"What's up?" she asked.

"You got mail," the female guard said.

Faith paused for a moment to look at the manila envelope in the guard's hand. She took the headphones off and set the tape player aside as she got up from the bunk. She didn't worry about anyone stealing it; the last one that tried ended up with a broken arm, but it was still a good idea to make certain it was out of sight. "Who's it from?" she asked.

"Don't know," the guard said as she passed the envelope through the bars. "I'm not your secretary."

Faith frowned as she took the envelope from the guard. From the weight of it, she could tell that there was something inside. She looked at the front of the envelope. It had her name and inmate number on it, as well as the address of the prison, but there was no return address. Just a postmark that marked the package as having come from somewhere in Los Angeles. Suddenly curious, she took the envelope over to the bunk and began to open it, not even paying attention to the guard as she nodded to one of the security cameras and quickly headed back down the cellblock.

As soon as she finished opening the envelope, she turned it over, dumping the contents out onto the bunk. All that came out was an odd piece of jewelry. It was a flat piece of gold with a blue inlay, and what looked to be part of a golden bird decorating the center. Faith carefully picked it up and looked it over. The piece was no bigger than the palm of her hand, and as she turned it over, she could see that it had been broken. Half of it was missing. She picked up the envelope and looked inside. There was nothing else inside the envelope; no card or letter to tell her what she had or to offer an explanation as to why it was sent to her. And certainly not the other half of the thing she held in her hand. She looked on the bunk and the floor, knowing that if the other half had been in the envelope, she certainly would have seen it tumble out, but she had to make sure she hadn't overlooked it.

"Huh," she snorted as she turned her attention back to the broken gold and blue object in her hand. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do with you?"

As if in response to her question, the object began to glow. Before she had a chance to throw the thing as far away from her as she could, Faith was enveloped in a brilliant ball of flame.

Glory's apartment

Sunndydale

Glory pulled her fingers from the deliveryman's head, letting him collapse into a heap on the floor. As he lay there twitching, Glory casually stepped over his body and headed for the closet.

"So what do you think?" she said as she pulled two dresses out of the closet. "The red one, or the black?"

"We cannot presume to chose, oh most loveliest of all," Jinx, one of the two acolytes said. "Our own tastes pale before those of your own magnificence."

"Well, of course they do," she said, turning to look at the two acolytes. "I mean, look at you. All you wear are those dingy, smelly robes. Makes me wanna gag." She looked at both dresses, and then tossed the black one back into the closet. Tossing the red dress on the bed, she turned her attention back to the acolytes. "Now, have you guys had any luck finding the Key?"

"Unfortunately no, oh lovely one," Jinx said. "It proves to be as elusive as ever. Wherever the Slayer has secreted it, she has hidden it well."

That brought a frown from Glory. "I need to find the Key," she snapped. "Time is running out and I have to have it."

"We know this all too well," Murk, the other acolyte said. "But until we can determine where the Slayer has hidden it..."

"I want it!" Glory shouted. "I want it, and I want it now!" She snatched up a crystal vase and hurled it angrily across the apartment. It struck the wall and shattered into a million glittering fragments.

"We are trying, oh most beauteous one," Jinx quickly said. "We are doing everything we can to locate the Key, but as long as the Slayer protects it..."

"She cannot hide it forever," Murk said. "Sooner or later, she will make a mistake and then the Key will be yours."

"But when?" Glory asked. "When, when, when? I can't sit around forever and wait for the Slayer to screw up so I can finally get the Key from her. I need the Key, and I need it now!"

"Perhaps I can be of help in that department," a new voice said. The acolytes turned and saw a well-dressed human male enter the apartment. He was carrying a briefcase in his left hand, and Glory immediately focused on the right hand, which was artificial.

"Who are you?" Jinx challenged. "How dare you disturbed her magnificence..."

"Hey!" Glory snapped. "I'll ask the questions around here!" She turned her attention back to the human. "So, what's your name so I can carve it on your tombstone?"

"My named is Lindsey McDonald," he said. "I represent a law firm in Los Angeles known as Wolfram and Hart."

"A lawyer?" Glory said, disgust clear in her voice. "Don't have much use for them. They don't even make an appetizing snack."

"Of course not," Lindsey said. "But I do believe I can be of some use to you."

"Do you know where the Key is?" Glory asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Lindsey said. "But I do..."

"Then you're just as worthless as these scabby morons," Glory snapped as she picked up a poker from next to the fireplace, intending to impale Lindsey with it, but Jinx quickly rushed to her side. "If I may, most delightful one," he quickly said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We have heard many dark tidings about this particular 'law firm'," he said. "And if this human does indeed work for them as he professes, then it is possible that he can aid you in finding the Key."

Glory looked at Lindsey, then back to Jinx, who smiled and began the nod his head vigorously. "Okay," she said, turning her attention back to Lindsey while twirling the poker around between her fingers. "You got five minutes, so start talking."

"As I was saying," Lindsey said. "I don't know where the Key is." He paused for a moment as he looked at his watch. "But I do know someone who can help you find it."

"Really," Glory said, unconvinced. "And why haven't my boys here brought this particular person to me already?"

"Because she's on Avalon," Lindsey said.

"New Jersey?" Murk said, which earned him a quick swat from Jinx.

"Not that Avalon, you idiot," Glory snapped as she got to her feet. Then she turned her attention back to Lindsey. "You think the Fae would help me? I'm one of their worst nightmares! And even if I weren't, I've got no way to get there!"

"Not now, you don't," Lindsey said. "But you will shortly." He opened his briefcase and took out a small item made of gold.

"What's that?" Glory asked.

"I assume you've heard of the Phoenix Gate," Lindsey said.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"The Phoenix Gate allowed those who possessed it to travel back and forth through the fabric of time and space," Lindsey explained. "It was said to have been forged by Hephaestus himself, and that it was used to entrap the trickster Loki..."

"I know all about that," Glory said. "I don't need a damned history lesson."

"And at any rate," Jinx quickly added. "The Phoenix Gate is lost to us. I have heard that it was destroyed several years ago, and that Odin himself reclaimed the remains."

"That's true," Lindsey said. "But some time after the forging of the original gate, another one was commissioned. The second one didn't have the same power to travel through time as the first, but it still possessed the ability to transport the bearer to wherever they wanted to go."

Glory quickly walked over and snatched the faux gate from Lindsey's hand. After looking at it, she frowned. "It's broken."

"Deliberately," Lindsey explained. "The individual who had it made intended to use it to invaded Avalon and overthrow his brother. Unfortunately, it was stolen before he got a chance to use it."

"This belonged to Madoc?" Glory asked.

"You know him?" Lindsey said.

"The only Fae who was ever worth a damn," Glory said. "If he hadn't been so obsessed with taking on his brother Oberon, I think that he and I could have had some great times together. You said someone deliberately broke this?"

"Yes," Lindsey said. "We don't know by whom, but we're pretty sure that it was the same sorcerer who stole it to begin with. After it was broken, the two halves were lost. At least, until a few years ago."

"So whose got the other half?" Glory asked. "If this thing can get me to Avalon, I'll do whatever it takes to get it."

"That won't be necessary," Lindsey said. He stretched out his good hand and Glory reluctantly handed it back to him. "The interesting thing about this particular item is that, even split in half, it still has the power to transport people from one place to another. Although I am told the experience is rather unpleasant..."

Glory watched as Lindsey held up the small half of the faux gate.

"Deflegrate muri intervallia!"

Glory watched as a ball of flame began to form in the center of the room. It grew rapidly and for a moment, she thought that it would ultimately fill the apartment, taking not only her, but also her minions and Lindsey to Avalon. But just as the edges of the fireball reached her, it quickly vanished, leaving a young woman dressed in a prison uniform trembling on the floor.

"What's up with this?" Glory asked.

Lindsey quickly walked over to the young woman and reached down, plucking the other half of the faux gate from her fingers. He then backed away as she looked up and started to take in her surroundings. Frowning, she forced herself to her feet.

"Lindsey," she snarled.

"Hello, Faith," he said, with a trace of a smile. "It's been a long time."

"Not long enough," she said. Her eyes focused on his right hand. "Angel told me he took off your hand. You should've left me where I was, 'cause I'm about to finish the job." She took a step towards Lindsey.

"Sorry," Glory said as she raced up and caught Faith by the hair, yanking her back. "Can't let you mess up my lawyer." Grabbing Faith by the arm, she tossed the Slayer across the room. Faith hit the coffee table and smashed it. Grimacing, Faith began to force herself back to her feet, but Glory quickly stalked over and wrapped her fingers around Faith's throat. "She sure is spunky," Glory said as she began to force Faith to her knees, tightening her grip. "And strong, too," she added. "Not that it'll matter in a few minutes."

Faith's eyes began to widen as she felt her air supply being cut off. She began to beat on Glory's hand, trying to break her grip.

Lindsey watched with a hint of satisfaction as Faith struggled, then he looked at the two halves of the faux gate in his hand. "Don't kill her," he said, drawing Glory's attention away from Faith. "We still need her."

Glory looked back at Faith for a second, and then shoved her back to the floor. "Why?" she asked as she walked back to Lindsey, ignoring Faith as she began to cough harshly.

Lindsey turned the two halves of the gate in his hand until they were rejoined. The break repaired itself, making the piece whole again, and Lindsey smiled as he handed it to Glory. "In order to use it to get to Avalon, you'll need a living Slayer to activate it."

Glory looked back at Faith. "Wait a minute," she said. "Are you telling me..."

"She is a Slayer," Lindsey said.

"That is not possible," Jinx said. When Glory looked at him, he bowed quickly. "With all due respect, your magnificence," he said in supplication. "There is but one Slayer. We have seen her."

"Ordinarily, I would agree," Lindsey said. "There is supposed to be one Slayer. We're still trying to figure out how it happened, but we think that the current Slayer died for a few minutes, and was then revived. It took the senior partners by surprise when it happened."

Glory looked at the restored gate in her hand. "So I need her to make this thing work, huh?" she said, nodding her head back towards Faith.

"Yes," Lindsey said. He walked over to his briefcase and withdrew another item, a collar made of gold with a piece of obsidian imbedded in the metal, which he took over and fastened around Faith's neck. When Faith started to take a swing at him, he reached into his pocket, and a charge of electricity raced through her body, stunning her. "I wouldn't try that again if I were you," he said, standing over her as she lay moaning on the floor. He then walked over to Glory, pulling a small item from his pocket. "This will help you keep her in line," he said as he handed it to Glory.

Glory took the object from Lindsey, turning it over to examine it. It looked to be a simple piece of obsidian, no bigger than her thumb. "How do I turn this thing on?" she said, pointing it at Faith.

"It's very simple," he said. "As long as you have this in your hand, she won't even be able to take any action against you, or refuse any order you give her without suffering intense pain."

Glory smiled widely. "Really," she said. "Got any more of these?"

"No," he said. "Unfortunately, this is the only one left in existence. All of the others were lost a long time ago."

She frowned. "Too bad," she said. "I could've used a few more of these things." She looked to her acolytes, who looked at each other nervously.

"I'm sure you could," Lindsey said as he closed his briefcase.

Glory turned the piece of obsidian over in her hand a few more times before turning her attention fully towards Lindsey. "One question," she said. "Just who is it I'm supposed to find on Avalon?" she asked.

"Maeve," he said. "After she and Madoc failed in their last attempt to invade Avalon, she was imprisoned until Oberon could decide on her punishment. She's been there ever since, but the senior partners have a vested interest in having her released."

"And you think that Maeve can help me find the Key," Glory said.

"She is the Mistress of Dreams," Lindsey said. "Once you free her from Avalon, I'm sure she'd be willing to take a peek into the Slayer's dreams and find out where the Key is hidden."

"And what does Wolfram and Hart get out of this?" Glory asked.

"The senior partners also have a vested interest in seeing you return to your own dimension," he said as he closed his briefcase. "They have a few projects in the works, and your presence in this dimension is...complicating matters."

"I see," Glory said. "Well, you can tell them that as soon as I have the Key, I'll be on my way home. And they can do whatever they want with this pathetic mudball. I won't care."

"I'll let them know," he said. Picking up his briefcase, Lindsey turned and left Glory's apartment, leaving her with a smile on her face.

I'm one step closer to the Key, she thought. Things couldn't be better. She turned her attention to Faith. "Now to business," she said.

The Labyrinth

Oz inspected the weld one more time before putting the welder's mask back in place and lighting the torch. Behind him, Talon and Claw checked the chains that they would use to secure Oz to the floor of the cage as an added precaution, while Elisa inspected the tranquilizer rifle.

"Are you sure all of this is really necessary?" Maggie asked.

"I think it is," Oz said, pausing for a moment to remove his mask. "I could have killed Delilah last night. I don't want to take the chance of it happening again." He put the mask back into place and began welding again.

Elisa ran the bolt home on the rifle and pointed the barrel down before pulling the trigger. The sound of compressed air confirmed that the rifle was functioning properly. "I've got tonight off so I'll be keeping an eye on him," she said. "Just to be sure."

"I'm sure Goliath'll love to hear that," Talon said.

"I'll give him a call after he wakes up tonight," she said. "Under the circumstances, I think he'll understand." She walked over and placed the rifle back in place on the wall. "I checked with Demona earlier," she said. "She said that she'd take a look through her books to see if there was something she could come up with to try to keep Oz quiet tonight, but she wasn't making any promises. But she thinks that he might be right about something coming. There's been a lot of crazy activity going on lately, and with the new millenium coming up, she thinks that things could get a lot worse."

"I hope not," Maggie said. "After what happened last year, I'd hate to have to go through something like that a second time."

"Don't worry," Elisa said as she placed her hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "Whatever it is, we'll find a way of dealing with it. We always have in the past."

"I hope so," Maggie said.

"You hope what?" another voice said. They both turned and found a familiar redhead walking towards them.

"We're hoping that whatever's coming, it won't be as bad as last year, Fox," Elisa said. She paused for a moment. "What are you doing down here, by the way," she added. "If you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all," Fox said. "Goliath said there was some trouble down here last night, but he didn't go into detail about what happened."

"Oz broke out of his cage last night," Elisa said.

"Was anyone hurt?" Fox asked. After Oz took up residence in the Labyrinth back in July, the clan had told David Xanatos and Fox about him, and about his particular 'problem'. While Xanatos himself hadn't talked to Oz as of yet, his wife had felt compelled to get to know him, since she had suffered a similar problem several years earlier.

"He tried to attack Delilah," Elisa said. "But she shot him with the tranquilizer rifle before he had a chance to hurt her or go anywhere."

"That's good," Fox said, sighing with relief. She looked over to where Oz was working on the cage, and Talon and Claw was checking each link of the chain. "They're getting ready for tonight?"

"The night of the full moon," Elisa said. "They want to make sure Oz can't break free again, but..." She hesitated.

"Maybe my mother can help," Fox said, picking up on Elisa's uncertainty. "She might know about something you could use."

"Great," Elisa said. "Now all we have to do is find some way of getting in touch with her."

"Not a problem," Fox said. "She's at the castle right now, spending some time with Alex. I'll head back over there and ask if she knows anything."

"No need," another voice said. Again they turned, and this time, they were surprised to find Titania, the Queen of Avalon, standing before them.

"Were you eavesdropping, mother?" Fox asked.

"In a sense," Titania said. ""When you left the castle, I wondered where you were going. So I had a will o' the wisp follow you to keep an eye on you."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you keeping tabs on me like that, mother," Fox said.

"I keep an eye on you every hour of every day," Fox said. "You are very special to me, and I would do anything to keep you from danger."

"Speaking of which..." Elisa started.

Titania smiled, and waved her hands. Instantly, a coil of golden thread appeared in her hand. "This should suffice for the task," she said.

Elisa looked at the thin thread Titania held in her hand. "What is it?" she asked. "Wonder Woman's golden lasso?"

"No," Titania said. "Are you familiar with the legend of Fenris the wolf?"

"Not really," Elisa said. When she looked at Maggie, she could tell that the feline Mutate was as much in the dark as she was.

"Fenris was supposed to be one of the children of Loki, right?" Fox asked.

"Yes," Titania said. "In the Asgardian legends, Fenris was a creature so strong that no chain could hold him. So Odin commissioned the creation of a special restraint, one that no god could break."

"And that's what this is?" Elisa asked.

"Yes," Titania said. "This is just like the bindings that still hold Fenris today." She handed the coil of golden thread to her daughter. "No god can break this, and nothing forged by man can sever it. It is unbreakable, so I think that it will be enough to keep your werewolf from escaping."

"I hope so," Elisa said.

Titania smiled at her. "You needn't fear, Detective Maza," she said. "Avalon's magic is strong, despite what has been happening of late." She looked at her daughter. "I had best get back to the castle. Owen was just about to put Alex down for a nap, but I promised I would tell him a story. I will see you soon." With that, Titania disappeared from sight.

Fox handed the coil of golden thread to Elisa. "You might want to have Talon take a look at this," she said. "I'm sure that my mother is right, and Oz won't be able to get out of this, but you might want to make sure."

"Right," she said. Turning, she and Maggie headed back to where Talon and Claw were waiting.

Fox paused before looking at the spot where her mother had been standing. She had tried to hide it, but Fox knew that her mother was worried about something. There was definitely something in the air, and if it made Titania nervous, then Fox had every reason to be worried herself.

December 12, 2000

Hyperion Hotel

Los Angeles

The first thing Cordelia did when she came in the door was check to the answering machine. She listened to the messages carefully, making sure to write down the important ones. She looked up when she heard the lobby door open.

"Hey, Wesley," she said with a smile.

"Cordelia," Wesley returned. "Is he in?"

"Haven't checked," she said. She turned and walked into Angel's office. "Nope, not yet. He might still be upstairs."

"It's possible," Wesley said. "It is still early."

"Early for what?" they heard another voice ask. They turned and spotted Detective Kate Lockley walk in through the lobby doors. "Early for your boss? I can see why. The sun is still up."

"If this is about those unpaid parking tickets..." Cordelia started, but Kate cut her off.

"I want him down here," she said. "Now."

"Right," Cordelia said. She quickly went around the counter and headed upstairs.

"Might I ask what this is about?" Wesley asked.

"No," Kate said coldly.

Several minutes later, Cordelia came downstairs. "He's not up there," she said.

"Where is he?" Kate asked.

"I don't know," Cordelia said.

"Then you better find out," Kate snapped.

Cordelia looked at Wesley, a question look in her eyes.

"If we are to find out where Angel went," Wesley said. "Then perhaps you should tell us why you are looking for him."

Kate hesitated for a moment. "Fine," she said. "Faith escaped from prison last night."

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"How?" Wesley added.

"I don't know how," Kate said. "All I know is that she's gone, and obviously now so is Angel. So if you do know where he is, you better tell me now, because if you don't..."

"I know," Wesley said. He remembered being grilled by the police shortly after the incident at the museum, and it was something he didn't want to repeat. "Believe me, detective. If we knew where Angel was, we would tell you. Particularly if Faith were involved. Need I remind you that Faith tortured me, and I was none too happy when Angel gave her shelter afterwards. Faith may have made an effort to reform in recent months, but what she did to me is something I will not soon forget."

Kate sighed, realizing that Wesley was being honest with her. Cordelia Chase was another matter, but from the way the other woman had reacted to the news of Faith's escape, she had a feeling that Cordelia would tell her immediately if she knew where either of them were.

"Fine," she said. "But if you see or hear from either of them, I want you to let me know immediately."

"Don't worry," Cordelia said. "We will."

They watched as Kate walked out the door, and they both breathed a sigh of relief when she left.

Caritas

"So, Bernie. Do you think you can fix it?"

Bernie looked up at the green-skinned demon standing in front of the stage, a look of worry on his face. "I think so," he said as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. "If I'm right," he continued. "It should be…" He paused for a second, and then pulled out a burned-out circuit board. "Yep, just what I thought," he said, looking at the electronic component. "Let me guess. Nublar got dumped again and you let him sing one of those sad love songs, didn't you?"

"What can I say?" the Host said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's hard to say no to him. The ladies just love listening to him sing, especially when he does Manilow. And besides, I thought it would help him get over the heartache."

"This happens every time he gets dumped," Bernie said as he tossed the circuit board into his tool bag and pulled out a new one. "He gets emotional, starts to cry, ands ends up shorting out himself and anything electrical he happens to be within five feet of." He began to install the new board. "Ya gotta quit letting him get up on the stage, pal," he continued. "One of these days, he's gonna end up starting an electrical fire in this place, and then where will you be?"

"I know, Bernie," the Host said. "But ya gotta admit, when he starts singing Manilow…" He stopped when he heard the door open. He turned and saw an attractive blonde enter the nightclub. "I'm sorry, miss," he said. "We won't be open for another few hours…"

The woman hesitated for just a moment as she caught sight of the Host, but then she continued in his direction. "That's all right," she said as she reached into her purse and pulled out her badge. "I'm not here for the entertainment."

The Host paused as he considered the police badge. "What can I do for you, officer…"

"Detective," she said, her voice carrying an edge to it that caused the Host to worry. "Detective Kate Lockley. But I'm sure you already knew that."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But the name doesn't ring a bell…"

"I'm sure Angel's mentioned me on one or more occasions," she said harshly.

Oh boy, he thought. So this is the cop that's got the big hate-on for my boy. He turned his attention back to Bernie. "Ah, Bernie. Why don't you come by later and I'll write you a check…"

"Right," Bernie said, already feeling the tension in the air. He quickly packed up his tool bag and started off the stage.

"Hold it right there," Kate said, causing Bernie to stop in his tracks. "Let's see some I.D. first."

"Is that really necessary?" the Host asked. "After all, he's a working stiff, same as any other guy…"

"It's okay," Bernie said as he set down his tool bag and pulled out his wallet. "She's only doing her job." He pulled his driver's license out of his wallet and handed it to her.

"Bernard Casper," she said, reading the name aloud. "Got any priors?"

"No," he said.

"Then why are you in such a big hurry to leave?"

"I don't like standing on this leg for long periods of time," he said, patting his left leg. He then reached down and pulled up the pants leg. Kate flinched when she saw that his lower leg had been replaced with a prosthetic limb.

"How…" she started to ask.

"I lost it on a call," he said. "I used to work for the L.A. Fire Department and I got trapped in a structure fire back in '89."

"I'm sorry," Kate said, sheepishly handing Bernie back his I.D. "I didn't realize…"

"It's okay," he said, putting the license back in his wallet and then putting the wallet in his back pocket. "Like I said already, you're just doing your job." He picked up his tool bag. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, mentally kicking herself. She watched as Bernie left the nightclub, showing only the barest trace of a limp as he headed for the door. When the door closed, she turned her attention to the Host. "Where is he?"

"You're going to have to be more specific..." the Host started, but then Kate fixed him with an icy glare. "Right," he said. "I should have known. You mean Angel."

"Yeah," Kate said. "Where is he? I'm guessing if anyone would know where he is, it'd be one of his own kind."

"You didn't check with his people?" the Host asked.

"If you mean Chase and Pryce, I did talk to them," she said. "Extensively. They either don't know or don't want to tell me."

"Then I don't know what help I can be..." he started, but the look on Kate's face stopped him.

"I know that your kind tends to stick together," she said pointedly, causing the Host to frown as he fixed on the words your kind. "So you can't tell me that you don't know where he went."

"Actually, I can," the Host said. "All I do is run the bar and read people when they sing. I'm not a travel agent."

"Read people?" Kate asked, a hint of confusion on her face.

"I'm anagogic," he said. When he saw the look of confusion on Kate's face, he quickly continued. "That means psychic. I can see into people's futures, and give them a heads-up on what's in store for them."

"Really," Kate said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "And what do you get in return for this 'service'?"

"I'm not that kind of demon, detective," he said. "Believe me, if I wanted to charge people for the readings I do, I'd be making more money than Miss Cleo. I'm not in it for the money," he said, pausing for a second as he saw the expression on her face. "Or the souls, if that's what you're thinking. All I want to do is help people down the right path."

"So you have no idea where Angel is," she said, although the Host could still detect the hint of doubt in her voice.

"No," he said. "Believe me, if I knew where Angel was, I would tell you." He paused for a moment. "Can I ask why you're so all-fired up on finding him?" he asked. "I mean, if he's in some kind of trouble..."

"That's none of your concern," Kate said. She looked long and hard at the green-skinned demon, trying to catch him in a lie, but she realized that he truly didn't know where Angel was. She sighed. "I'm getting nowhere here," she said finally. "Obviously, you don't know where Angel is."

"I did say that to begin with," the Host said.

"But you will let me know if you hear from him," she said, pulling out a card and beginning to get up. "Or if anyone says they know where he is."

The Host took the card and looked it over. "Of course," he said. As Kate walked away, he pocketed the card. "Detective," he called out.

Kate paused for a minute, turning to look at him. "What?" she asked.

"I said I don't know where Angel is," he said. "But I can help point you in the right direction."

"How?" Kate asked, a sense of suspicion creeping over her.

"I told you that I was psychic," he said. "That I can read people when they sing. All you have to do is sing."

Kate crossed her arms across her chest. "I am not performing..."

"There's no one here," the Host said, indicating the empty bar. He paused for a moment. "Look," he said. "I want to help any way I can. But if you don't sing, I won't be able to point you in the right direction. You don't even have to say the words," he added. "Just hum a few bars of your favorite tune. I'll still be able to read you."

Kate sighed in exasperation. "Fine," she said. She took a deep breath and began to sing. "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. If one of those bottles should happen to fall..."

"Okay, okay," the Host said. "No more, please. Why is it that every cop that comes in here ends up singing that song?" He looked at Kate. "I was hoping for something by Sheena Easton or Juice Newton." He sighed in disappointment.

"Well?" Kate asked pointedly.

The Host looked at her. "There's a girl," he said. "Blonde, about this tall." He raised his hand until it was approximately level with Kate's shoulder. "She lives in Sunnydale. She probably won't be able to tell you exactly where he is, but she can lead you to him."

"A blonde," Kate said. "Do you know how many blonde girls there are in Sunnydale?"

"Not offhand, no," he said. "But I think you'll be able to track this one down. You've already met her once. Her name is Buffy Summers. She and Angel have a history." He paused for a moment. "But if I were you, I'd take a little friendly advice. Let this one go."

"You can't be serious," Kate said.

"I am," he said. "Like I said, I try to help people down the right path. But if you stay on the path you're on right now, you're going to end up destroying yourself." He took a cautious step towards Kate. "I see darkness ahead," he said. "Both for you and Angel. If you try to go after Angel, you'll only end up making things worse."

"Believe me," Kate said. "Things couldn't get any worse than they already are." Before the Host could say anything else, she quickly turned and left the club.

The Host sighed as he heard the door close. After a few minutes, he walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. "You're wrong, detective," he said. "Things could get a lot worse." He downed the drink and poured himself another, hoping that he could eventually banish the images he had seen.

Kate, lying on the floor, a half empty bottle of whiskey lying next to an open bottle of sleeping pills...

December 14, 2000

Summers' home

Sunnydale

"Hey, mom," Buffy called out as she walked down the hallway towards her mother's bedroom. "I need to ask you..." She stopped when she entered the room and saw an open suitcase on the bed. Off to one side, her mother was taking things out of the closet. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Good, you're home," Joyce said, a big smile on her face. "I need you to go pack a bag." She quickly folded the blouses she had taken off the hangers and placed them in the suitcase. "Dawn, are you almost ready?" she called out.

"Just about," Buffy heard her sister say.

"Mom, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"What's it look like, sweetie?" Joyce asked.

"It looks like you're planning on going somewhere," Buffy said, still confused by what was going on.

"Right," Joyce said. "And if you don't hurry and pack a bag, you're going to get left behind." She hurried into the bathroom and began gathering a few essentials. When she came out, Buffy was still in the bedroom, trying to figure out what was going on. "What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"An explanation would be nice," Buffy said. "What's going on?"

"Isn't it great?" Dawn said as she hurried into the bedroom, all smiles. "We're going to be spending Christmas in one of the ritziest hotels on the East Coast. And we don't have to pay for a thing."

Buffy's eyes went wide. "We're going to do what where?" she asked.

"Ms. Destine called the gallery this morning," Joyce said. "An artist named Andrea Calhoun is having a special art showing on Christmas, and Ms. Destine invited us to attend."

"Isn't it great?" Dawn chimed in. "And Ms. Destine's paying for the entire trip. She's even sending her corporate jet to pick us up at the airport. It is so cool!"

"Uh...great," Buffy said, stunned by the news. "That's great, mom. Really." She paused for a moment. "I'm sure the two of you will have a wonderful time."

"Buffy..." her mother started, but then Buffy turned to her sister. "Why don't you take your bags downstairs and I'll help Mom finish packing hers."

"Okay," Dawn said, her enthusiasm not the least bit diminished by Buffy's subdued tone. As soon as she was out the door, Buffy heard Dawn racing down the stairs. "And no running in the house!" she called out. She then sighed and turned to her mother. "I can't go," she said.

"Buffy..." Joyce started.

"I know, mom," she said. "I would love to go and spend Christmas with you and Dawn in New York, but I can't. I have responsibilities here."

"You'd think the forces of evil would give you at least a couple of days off every now and then," Joyce said.

"Yeah, well," Buffy said. "The only holiday they seem to want to give me is Halloween, and even then, I end up working anyway."

"Seems to me like you need to renegotiate your contract," Joyce said, a hint of a smile crossing her face.

Buffy couldn't help but return the smile. "Or maybe I should have had a lawyer look it over before I signed on the dotted line," she said. That brought an even wider smile on her mother's face, and for a moment, Buffy let go of her worries. "Come on," she said. "Let's finish packing..."

"Are you going?" Joyce asked.

"I can't," Buffy said. When her mother's smile started to turn to a frown, Buffy quickly continued. "Giles thinks that something is coming, and as much as I would love to be with you and Dawn in New York, I can't. I have to stay here."

"Fine," Joyce said. She reached into the suitcase and began to pull out the blouses. "Then I guess I'm just going to have to call Ms. Destine back and cancel..."

"Don't do that!" Buffy quickly said, reaching out and snatching the blouse from her mother's hand and tossing it back into the suitcase. "You and Dawn should go to New York. In fact, I insist that you go."

"You insist, huh?" Joyce said.

"Yeah," Buffy said. Then she cast an ear towards the door to make sure that Dawn wasn't eavesdropping. "The truth is," she continued, lowering her voice. "Dawn would probably be safer in New York than here right now. And I'd feel a hell of a lot better if the two of you were out of town for a while."

"You think it's that bad?" Joyce asked.

Buffy hesitated before answering. "Yeah," she said. "I really do."

Joyce sighed heavily. "I was hoping that the thing with the mayor was going to be a one-time thing," she said. "That you weren't going to have to face another...what was it you called it?"

"An Ascension," Buffy said.

"Right," Joyce said. "An Ascension. I thought you weren't going to have to face another one of those..."

"I don't think that's what this is," Buffy said. "But Giles is convinced that it's something real bad, and with what's been going on with Glory..."

"That's the woman that you keep talking about, right?" Joyce asked. "The one that's looking for Dawn?"

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Whatever's going to happen, I don't want to run the risk of Glory using it to figure out that Dawn's the Key."

"And you think we'd be safer in New York," Joyce stated.

"I really do," Buffy said. "I mean, you're going to be on the other side of the country with one of the most powerful sorceresses on the planet..."

"Is Willow going to New York?" Joyce asked, surprised.

"No," Buffy said. "I'm talking about Demo...I mean Ms. Destine. I told you before that she knows a lot about magic. If anyone can protect you and Dawn from Glory, it'd be her." She hesitated for a moment. "Don't worry, mom," she said. "Whatever this thing is that's coming, I'll deal with it, just like I have everything else." Then she smiled. "And I'll still have time to wrap presents and have 'em under the tree before the two of you get back."

"If you say so," Joyce sighed, not convinced. She had a feeling that there was something that Buffy wasn't telling her. It wouldn't be the first time her daughter had kept secrets from her, her destiny as the Slayer notwithstanding, but she was certain that if there was something that Buffy needed to tell her, she would eventually. "Buffy..." she started.

"Buffy!" Dawn called out from downstairs. "There's someone here to see you!"

"Just a minute!" Buffy called out. "I'll be right down!" She cast a look towards the suitcase, still open. "Why don't you finish packing and I'll see who's at the door."

"Okay," Joyce said, leaving what she wanted to ask her daughter unfinished. She turned her attention back to her suitcase. She knew the plane would not arrive for a few more hours, and that would give her plenty of time to ask what her daughter was worried about.

Buffy left her mother's room, satisfied in the knowledge that her mother and Dawn would soon be out of harm's way. She quickly headed downstairs to see who had come to see her. For a brief second, she hoped that it was Riley, returned from wherever it was he had disappeared to, but she realized that it was highly unlikely. Riley Finn was gone from her life, and she had to accept that.

As she descended the stairs, she saw Dawn closing the front door.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Looks like your past has finally caught up with you, sis," Dawn said, casting a quick glance into the living room.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked. She turned as she reached the bottom of the stairs and started into the living room. "Who..." she started, but then she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hello, Miss Summers," Detective Lockley said. "I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me."

"Like what?" Buffy asked, after finally getting over the shock of seeing the detective who had arrested Angel standing in her mother's living room.

"You can start by telling me where he is," Kate said.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"You know who I'm talking about," Kate said.

"Honestly, I really don't know..." Buffy started nervously, but then she heard her mother coming down the stairs.

"Buffy, do you know where my lavender..." she started, but then she paused when she saw Kate standing in the living room. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Mrs. Summers?" Kate asked. "I'm Detective Kate Lockley, LAPD." She paused long enough to pull out her badge and show it to Joyce. "I'm here to ask your daughter a few questions."

Joyce looked at Buffy for a moment. "About what?" she asked.

"Angel," Kate said. She looked at Buffy. "Where is he?"

Manhattan

Elisa was driving down the street, her partner Matt Bluestone sitting in the seat next to her, slowly shaking his head.

"Man, I'm getting too old for this," he said.

Elisa smiled at her partner. "Tell me about it," she said. "It's seems as if we're always stuck in a 'battle for the fate of the world'. If it's not Demona trying to wipe out humanity with a killer virus, it's rogue Unseelie trying to take over Avalon." She shook her head. "What I wouldn't give for a nice, quiet..."

She stopped as she saw someone leap through the plate glass window of a local store. She stomped on the brakes as the suspect dashed into the street in front of her, trying to avoid hitting him. The Fairlane skidded, but Elisa managed to get control of the car as the tires bit through the light covering of slush on the street. As soon as the car came to a halt, Matt jumped out and headed for the store.

"I'll check on the store owner," he called out.

"Right," Elisa said. She threw the car into gear and gave chase to the fleeing suspect.

Matt entered the store, his weapon drawn in case there was someone else lying in wait. He found Mr. Jaffe, the storeowner, lying on his side behind the counter. He quickly holstered his gun as he rushed to the older man's side.

"Mr. Jaffe, you okay?" he asked as he placed his hand on the other's shoulder.

Mr. Jaffe groaned. Matt hesitantly turned him over. He winced as he caught sight of the blood on the side of his throat. "Oh, man," Matt said. "Lie still. I'll call for an ambulance." He pulled out his cell phone.

Jaffe sat up and put his hand to his throat. "It's okay, Matt," he said. "He didn't..." He stopped as he felt wetness on his hand. He looked at it and saw the blood. Then he started feeling dizzy. "Or maybe he did."

"Keep still, Mr. Jaffe," Matt said. "Ambulance'll be here in a few minutes." He took Jaffe's apron off and pressed it against the wound. Not very sterile, he thought. But it's better than letting him bleed to death. "What happened?"

"Guy came in," Jaffe said. "Tried to rob the place. But when I started to open the register, he said that wasn't what he wanted."

That caught Matt by surprise. "A robber who's not interested in money?" he said. "That's a new one. What was it he wanted?"

"That's the weird thing," Jaffe said. "When I asked him, he said, 'Your blood.' And that's when his...face...changed."

"What do you mean 'changed'?" Matt asked.

"I mean it changed," Jaffe said. "One minute it was normal, the next, it was like something out of a horror movie. And then he jumped me. He...bit me."

Matt removed the apron to get a better look at the wound. The bleeding had slowed, and Matt was able to get a good look at the bite marks on Jaffe's neck. Bite marks of a type only a vampire would leave.

"Oh, Christ!" he cursed. "Elisa!"

Elisa watched as the suspect ducked into an alley. After blocking the entrance with her car, she called for back-up, then headed into the alley on her own. She was hoping that Goliath would be in the area and give her a hand, but it was close to sunrise, so it was possible that he and the rest of the clan were already back at the Eyrie Building, getting ready for their stone sleep. Too bad I can't be there with them, she thought. But this guy almost caused me to wreck my car, and I'm not going to let that slide. She drew her gun and walked into the alley.

"All right," she called out. "I know you're in here. I've got back-up on the way and there's no other way out of this alley, so you might as well give yourself up right now."

For a few moments, there was silence. It was unnerving. Then, finally, a voice called out. "Okay, okay. Ya got me," she heard him say.

"Put your hands up," Elisa challenged. "And step out where I can see you."

She saw a pair of hands appear from behind a dumpster. Then the suspect stepped out and faced her.

"Well, officer," he said. "You got me right where I want you."

Elisa smiled slightly. "I think you've got that backwards," she said. "Come on, step into the light."

"I don't think you want me to do that," he said.

Now Elisa frowned. "If you don't do as I say..."

The suspect stepped forward. "Okay," he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you." He stepped into the light.

Elisa gasped as she caught sight of the suspect's face. It was misshapen, and she could see a set of fangs in his smile. "What the hell..." she started.

The moment of shock was all the vampire needed to get the drop on her. He rushed forward and tackled her. Her gun was knocked out of her hand, and his hand clamped on her throat.

"Like I said," the vampire said. "You've got me right where I want you." He smiled as she struggled in his grip, trying to get free. "You know, you're probably going to taste a hell of a lot sweeter than that old man did," he said as he shifted his grip on her, pulling her close and pulling her head to one side in order to expose her throat. He looked towards the street. "And with the sun about to come up, I won't have to worry about those damned gargoyles interrupting my breakfast."

Elisa's eyes went wide in terror as she realized what was going to happen, and she screamed as she felt the vampire's fangs sink into her throat.

To be continued...