Lyrics: "You and Me" by Vonda Shepard
*~*~*
As Rockaway loomed ahead, Adriana instructed Gunn to veer down a gravel path towards the beach, right on the water's edge. "It's low tide so we'll be able to get in."
Gunn parked the van and they all filed out individually. No one spoke or said anything. They just stared at the wall of rock. There was no building. No sanctuary.
Cordelia sighed and closed her eyes, going back to the van to curl up with her tears, holding her head once out of sight. The pain in her head was tearing her apart. But she couldn't let the others know. They had to worry about Chandra and the baby right now.
Angel stepped forward. "Uh, Adriana? Isn't this a wall?"
Spike chuckled. "Bloody duck has lost it."
She grinned. "Of course it's a wall." She faced it and raised her arms, then made some high squealing noises, forcing everyone to cover their ears. The wall vanished to reveal ancient pillars in the front of an entrance way. "Now it's not." She smiled and headed back to the van. "Oh no!" She ran over to Cordelia, who was unconscious with blood coming from her ears.
Lindsey shoved Adriana away and knelt next to her. "Cordelia? Baby, wake up." He brushed some hair from her face. "She's not breathing!" He lifted her into his arms and held her close.
Angel ran up but Adriana intercepted him. "Wait." She turned to Lindsey. "Get her inside." She turned to Giles. "Olivia as well. The healing power of this place will help them."
Everyone entered the haven. With the first step in, they felt a wave of energy flow over them. Lindsey looked down to Cordelia. "She's still not breathing."
Adriana drove the van in and they watched as a window of energy formed, blocking the wind. "To all outsiders, this is a wall again."
Spike surveyed the cavern. "It's rock, it's damp, it doesn't have much light."
Adriana rolled her eyes and waved her hand, simultaneously lighting torches around the cavern. "Better, Blondie?"
He nodded. "As long as torches are the only things you'll be lighting on fire." He sat in the corner and sighed.
Giles and Lindsey were still waiting by the women they loved. Adriana motioned for them to follow her. She led them to the back where a fountain was pouring from a cavern wall. "This water," she explained, "is blessed. Give it to them to drink."
Both men did as they were told, cupping a handful of water and trickling it into the mouths of the Olivia and Cordelia.
*~*~*
Chandra stood by the entrance and watched the surf as the waves crashed to the shore. Her thoughts were jumbled, going this way and that.
"Care to ramble a bit this way, Slayer?"
She turned to Spike with a grin. "It's nothing."
He swaggered his way up to her. "You'll get through this you know."
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a soul. Why are you caring?"
"Something to do, really." He lit a cigarette. "Thought of a name for your little tyke?"
"Fia."
"Fia?" He scoffed. "What kind of name is that?"
"Celtic."
"Like her Papa. How sweet. Excuse me while I puke." He rolled his eyes. When he focused his eyes back on her, she was studying him. "What?"
"You haven't eaten. You're color is off."
He shrugged. "Not much I can do about it. I can't hurt any of you."
"What if I let you drink willingly?"
He had to do a double-take. This was too good to be true. A slayer willing to bare her neck to him. "Pardon? Mind saying that a little louder? Don't think the poof heard ya!"
She shrugged. "What do you mean?" Leaning in, she bared her neck.
Spike stared at the pulsating vein the loomed before him. His eyes were fixed on the smooth surface. Slowly, he leaned in, wrapping an arm around her waist. She moved her hair from her neck and giggled as he licked her skin.
Angel growled and lunged, prying Spike from her and to the ground. The vampires snarled and wrestled. Chandra stood there a bit stunned, not sure of what was going on. Faith and Gunn quickly jumped into the fight, separating the two who were both in full vampire face.
Chandra looked to Angel. "What did you do that for?"
He snarled to Spike. "He was going to feed."
"And I was going to let him. He's weak."
Angel's demon face melted. "What? Are you that stupid?"
She looked as though he had slapped her. "What?"
Giles joined the argument. "He'll kill you. And you're blood has unknown effects. What the hell were you thinking?" he snapped.
She took a deep breath and everyone could see she was holding back tears. "I was trying to help."
Spike chuckled. "Someone's been a naughty girl. Time for a spanking?"
Adriana stepped back out and looked about. "What happened?"
Chandra sniffled. "Guess I fucked up again." She ran away down a tunnel.
Adriana stopped Angel from following. "She can't be hurt by this cavern. Let her go."
Spike whistled and lit another cigarette. "Another not so stable slayer. This could be fun."
Angel looked to Adriana and sighed. "I'm weak."
She nodded and took his hand, leading him back to a secluded part of the caverns and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You can feed from me. It won't hurt me."
He only held her close, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her scent. She smelled so much like Buffy. He could remember when Buffy had offered her own neck to his thirst. But this wasn't her. She was dead. He tightened his grip around the girl and let his game face slip on, slowing sinking his teeth into her flesh. The warm blood didn't taste of the copper that most did. Hers was sweet, like nectar. She gasped and curled her fingers into his coat. They were lost in each other. Nothing else mattered. For this moment, they forgot about the baby or the bounty hunters after them. They forgot about the troubles of Cordelia and Olivia. They gave in for a moment, just being in each others essence.
When he pulled back, he licked the wound till it ceased bleeding and looked into Adriana's eyes that were filled with lust and longing. She was panting slightly and pulled him closer. "Angel…" she whispered. "I… I want you."
He stepped back. "We can't." He looked down. "You said it yourself."
"But do you want me?"
He swallowed. "Yes. I want you."
They both heard a gasp and turned to see Chandra standing there. "Angel?" She looked hurt, tears brimming. "What's going on?"
Adriana reached her hand out. "Chandra it's nothing. Really. Come here."
She didn't move. "What can't anyone ever think about me?"
He moved toward her. "I do."
"No, you think of her." She pointed to Adriana. "Now if you'll excuse me." She pivoted and made her way back to the others.
Angel sighed and looked at the ground, defeated.
*~*~
It had been about twenty minutes since Giles and Lindsey had given the water to Olivia and Cordelia. Nothing had happened.
Lindsey was cradling Cordelia in his arms, singing softly to her, barely audible. But Giles could make out the words.
"Part of me wants to break the ice. And part of me wants to leave it exactly as it stands. Part of me wants to roll the dice and part of me wants to keep them curled up in my hands where they will be safe and no one will know how I really feel and I'll never be real. And I'll roll with the punches that I'll never feel and I'll have a heart that no one can steel. It's you and me and you're nowhere to be found. I'm rolling on the ground. It's you and me and I'm nowhere to be found…"
Lindsey closed his eyes and let a tear fall. "I love you."
Cordelia groaned as her eyelids fluttered open. "Lindsey?"
He clung her to him. "Cordelia? God I thought I'd lost you!"
Giles looked down to Olivia to find her gazing up at him. "Rupert?"
He smiled. "Everything's alright."
*~*~*
Faith and Gunn were sitting by the entrance. Neither one had spoken. Tension was tight. She skimmed rocks against the invisible field while he wielded some stakes.
She sighed. "Gunn, I think we need to talk. Or have some sex. One of the two." She smiled. "I mean, you've been all quiet."
"I just… It's weird that you're seeing that Adriana chick."
"Oh!" She laughed. "That? Well, I can't have best of both worlds?"
He shook his head. "I can't do that. I mean, I dig you, Faith. You're fly. But I can't get down with that. It's not for me." He sighed. "Maybe it really was those demons."
She looked sad. "I really like you."
"And I like you. But not with her."
*~*~*
Lilah pushed the gas a little harder on the Porsche, trying to keep up with the flying demon just ahead. She would have that baby. Come hell or high water. It was leading her up the Oregon coast. High water might have been the right phrase.
*~*~*
Spike put his coat around Chandra's shoulders and sat next to her. "Why the tears, Pet?"
"It hurts." She hugged her knees close and pulled Spike's coat around her more.
"Peaches? You'll get over him. Randy little fox like yourself." He smiled and rubbed her back.
"No, not that."
He furrowed his brow. "What then?"
She raised her head and straightened her legs. "This." She moved his coat to show her severely bloated belly. "She's growing so fast it hurts."
His eyes widened in shock. "Bloody hell! Angelus! Get in here!"
Angel and Adriana rushed into the cavern and gasped. "What the…?"
Adriana crouched down by her. "What's happening?"
"Does it look like I know?" Chandra's tears flowed down her cheeks. "It hurts so badly."
Angel kneeled by her. "I'm here."
Adriana gently touched Chandra's belly. "I don't understand. This cave is supposed to protect." She looked to Angel. "She'll give birth soon."
*~*~*
As Rockaway loomed ahead, Adriana instructed Gunn to veer down a gravel path towards the beach, right on the water's edge. "It's low tide so we'll be able to get in."
Gunn parked the van and they all filed out individually. No one spoke or said anything. They just stared at the wall of rock. There was no building. No sanctuary.
Cordelia sighed and closed her eyes, going back to the van to curl up with her tears, holding her head once out of sight. The pain in her head was tearing her apart. But she couldn't let the others know. They had to worry about Chandra and the baby right now.
Angel stepped forward. "Uh, Adriana? Isn't this a wall?"
Spike chuckled. "Bloody duck has lost it."
She grinned. "Of course it's a wall." She faced it and raised her arms, then made some high squealing noises, forcing everyone to cover their ears. The wall vanished to reveal ancient pillars in the front of an entrance way. "Now it's not." She smiled and headed back to the van. "Oh no!" She ran over to Cordelia, who was unconscious with blood coming from her ears.
Lindsey shoved Adriana away and knelt next to her. "Cordelia? Baby, wake up." He brushed some hair from her face. "She's not breathing!" He lifted her into his arms and held her close.
Angel ran up but Adriana intercepted him. "Wait." She turned to Lindsey. "Get her inside." She turned to Giles. "Olivia as well. The healing power of this place will help them."
Everyone entered the haven. With the first step in, they felt a wave of energy flow over them. Lindsey looked down to Cordelia. "She's still not breathing."
Adriana drove the van in and they watched as a window of energy formed, blocking the wind. "To all outsiders, this is a wall again."
Spike surveyed the cavern. "It's rock, it's damp, it doesn't have much light."
Adriana rolled her eyes and waved her hand, simultaneously lighting torches around the cavern. "Better, Blondie?"
He nodded. "As long as torches are the only things you'll be lighting on fire." He sat in the corner and sighed.
Giles and Lindsey were still waiting by the women they loved. Adriana motioned for them to follow her. She led them to the back where a fountain was pouring from a cavern wall. "This water," she explained, "is blessed. Give it to them to drink."
Both men did as they were told, cupping a handful of water and trickling it into the mouths of the Olivia and Cordelia.
*~*~*
Chandra stood by the entrance and watched the surf as the waves crashed to the shore. Her thoughts were jumbled, going this way and that.
"Care to ramble a bit this way, Slayer?"
She turned to Spike with a grin. "It's nothing."
He swaggered his way up to her. "You'll get through this you know."
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a soul. Why are you caring?"
"Something to do, really." He lit a cigarette. "Thought of a name for your little tyke?"
"Fia."
"Fia?" He scoffed. "What kind of name is that?"
"Celtic."
"Like her Papa. How sweet. Excuse me while I puke." He rolled his eyes. When he focused his eyes back on her, she was studying him. "What?"
"You haven't eaten. You're color is off."
He shrugged. "Not much I can do about it. I can't hurt any of you."
"What if I let you drink willingly?"
He had to do a double-take. This was too good to be true. A slayer willing to bare her neck to him. "Pardon? Mind saying that a little louder? Don't think the poof heard ya!"
She shrugged. "What do you mean?" Leaning in, she bared her neck.
Spike stared at the pulsating vein the loomed before him. His eyes were fixed on the smooth surface. Slowly, he leaned in, wrapping an arm around her waist. She moved her hair from her neck and giggled as he licked her skin.
Angel growled and lunged, prying Spike from her and to the ground. The vampires snarled and wrestled. Chandra stood there a bit stunned, not sure of what was going on. Faith and Gunn quickly jumped into the fight, separating the two who were both in full vampire face.
Chandra looked to Angel. "What did you do that for?"
He snarled to Spike. "He was going to feed."
"And I was going to let him. He's weak."
Angel's demon face melted. "What? Are you that stupid?"
She looked as though he had slapped her. "What?"
Giles joined the argument. "He'll kill you. And you're blood has unknown effects. What the hell were you thinking?" he snapped.
She took a deep breath and everyone could see she was holding back tears. "I was trying to help."
Spike chuckled. "Someone's been a naughty girl. Time for a spanking?"
Adriana stepped back out and looked about. "What happened?"
Chandra sniffled. "Guess I fucked up again." She ran away down a tunnel.
Adriana stopped Angel from following. "She can't be hurt by this cavern. Let her go."
Spike whistled and lit another cigarette. "Another not so stable slayer. This could be fun."
Angel looked to Adriana and sighed. "I'm weak."
She nodded and took his hand, leading him back to a secluded part of the caverns and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You can feed from me. It won't hurt me."
He only held her close, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her scent. She smelled so much like Buffy. He could remember when Buffy had offered her own neck to his thirst. But this wasn't her. She was dead. He tightened his grip around the girl and let his game face slip on, slowing sinking his teeth into her flesh. The warm blood didn't taste of the copper that most did. Hers was sweet, like nectar. She gasped and curled her fingers into his coat. They were lost in each other. Nothing else mattered. For this moment, they forgot about the baby or the bounty hunters after them. They forgot about the troubles of Cordelia and Olivia. They gave in for a moment, just being in each others essence.
When he pulled back, he licked the wound till it ceased bleeding and looked into Adriana's eyes that were filled with lust and longing. She was panting slightly and pulled him closer. "Angel…" she whispered. "I… I want you."
He stepped back. "We can't." He looked down. "You said it yourself."
"But do you want me?"
He swallowed. "Yes. I want you."
They both heard a gasp and turned to see Chandra standing there. "Angel?" She looked hurt, tears brimming. "What's going on?"
Adriana reached her hand out. "Chandra it's nothing. Really. Come here."
She didn't move. "What can't anyone ever think about me?"
He moved toward her. "I do."
"No, you think of her." She pointed to Adriana. "Now if you'll excuse me." She pivoted and made her way back to the others.
Angel sighed and looked at the ground, defeated.
*~*~
It had been about twenty minutes since Giles and Lindsey had given the water to Olivia and Cordelia. Nothing had happened.
Lindsey was cradling Cordelia in his arms, singing softly to her, barely audible. But Giles could make out the words.
"Part of me wants to break the ice. And part of me wants to leave it exactly as it stands. Part of me wants to roll the dice and part of me wants to keep them curled up in my hands where they will be safe and no one will know how I really feel and I'll never be real. And I'll roll with the punches that I'll never feel and I'll have a heart that no one can steel. It's you and me and you're nowhere to be found. I'm rolling on the ground. It's you and me and I'm nowhere to be found…"
Lindsey closed his eyes and let a tear fall. "I love you."
Cordelia groaned as her eyelids fluttered open. "Lindsey?"
He clung her to him. "Cordelia? God I thought I'd lost you!"
Giles looked down to Olivia to find her gazing up at him. "Rupert?"
He smiled. "Everything's alright."
*~*~*
Faith and Gunn were sitting by the entrance. Neither one had spoken. Tension was tight. She skimmed rocks against the invisible field while he wielded some stakes.
She sighed. "Gunn, I think we need to talk. Or have some sex. One of the two." She smiled. "I mean, you've been all quiet."
"I just… It's weird that you're seeing that Adriana chick."
"Oh!" She laughed. "That? Well, I can't have best of both worlds?"
He shook his head. "I can't do that. I mean, I dig you, Faith. You're fly. But I can't get down with that. It's not for me." He sighed. "Maybe it really was those demons."
She looked sad. "I really like you."
"And I like you. But not with her."
*~*~*
Lilah pushed the gas a little harder on the Porsche, trying to keep up with the flying demon just ahead. She would have that baby. Come hell or high water. It was leading her up the Oregon coast. High water might have been the right phrase.
*~*~*
Spike put his coat around Chandra's shoulders and sat next to her. "Why the tears, Pet?"
"It hurts." She hugged her knees close and pulled Spike's coat around her more.
"Peaches? You'll get over him. Randy little fox like yourself." He smiled and rubbed her back.
"No, not that."
He furrowed his brow. "What then?"
She raised her head and straightened her legs. "This." She moved his coat to show her severely bloated belly. "She's growing so fast it hurts."
His eyes widened in shock. "Bloody hell! Angelus! Get in here!"
Angel and Adriana rushed into the cavern and gasped. "What the…?"
Adriana crouched down by her. "What's happening?"
"Does it look like I know?" Chandra's tears flowed down her cheeks. "It hurts so badly."
Angel kneeled by her. "I'm here."
Adriana gently touched Chandra's belly. "I don't understand. This cave is supposed to protect." She looked to Angel. "She'll give birth soon."