A/N: I should explain that something terrible is happening to Faith, and it will be explained later.

Chapter 19

Five Days later- Initiative

Faith couldn't believe this was happening to her. After awhile, her body became numb; she physically became dead to what the bitch was making the vampire do to her. If only she could close off her mind and be somewhere else...

She pretty much accepted the fact that she was never getting out of there. No one was going to save her. But then, she thought, I probably deserve punishment of some kind. But even this treatment was extreme. She might have been guilty of murder, but never torture; it wasn't right.

If only they would stop the drugs. If her mind wasn't so cloudy maybe... No point in thinking of the impossible.

Death would be a relief. Never had she thought of giving up, but she had to wonder: what exactly did she have to live for? No one cared about her. In fact, the people that she knew would probably jump for joy once they found out what happening to her.

Her mother would be so disappointed in her. She had wanted so much more for her, but this was not to be. She screwed up as a daughter, a slayer, a friend, and as a human being. Now she disappointed herself. She let her own weakness get to her. She was never a quitter, until now.

It was only one thought that kept her sane, that gave her hope: Buffy would come. Whether it is to kick her ass or to gain some type of retribution against Maggie and the Initiative, she had to come. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

***************

L.A.- Hyperion

The doctors were marveled to see the immediate progress of the baby. All of her vitals were normal, her electrolytes (sodium, potassium and calcium levels) were completely stabilized and she was very healthy. But as a precaution, the doctors insisted on keeping her there another week or two. Most premature babies needed all the help they could get. But within five days, Joy was as strong as any regular baby. She could breathe on her own and feed from her mother with no trouble at all.

The only troubling thing was that the doctors were hell bent on keeping her there for further observation, which made Buffy, Spike and the LA gang all the more uncomfortable. Joy's parents were in mutual agreement that since she was very much acclimated to her environment and had no need for wires, tests, machines and the like, that they could go back home. Well, the hotel anyway. So at three o'clock in the morning, Joy Anne Summers was taken out of the hospital by her parents to the Hyperion. A few hours later, Giles and Joyce arrived there as well. Joyce immediately fell in love with her granddaughter. She marveled at her clear blue eyes and her relatively quiet demeanor. She was an angel. Giles was struck with a silent awe, especially seeing Spike in a fatherly role. He found it disconcerting, but was highly comforted by the fact that Buffy and her baby girl would be watched over with care and love from him. He was even more shocked to see Angel in a state of elation for them.

"Has anyone contacted Xander and the others about all of this? Do they know?" Giles asked.

"Oh, I called them from the hospital. I let them know that everything is okay now. They said everything is pretty much quiet over in Sunnydale, which is like a big first." Cordelia

said.

"Well perhaps Quentin has taken care of the problem." Giles said.

"Wow, it's kinda weird. Everything quiet in Sunnydale, everything quiet here-" Buffy

stopped mid sentence with the entrance of Darla and Dru. "It seems I've got a bit of a problem, lover." Darla said. Everyone took in the slight bulge of her belly.

"My daughter's got a big surprise." Dru sing songed. Damn. It's always something. Buffy thought ruefully.

England- the Council

The board members made low murmurs in their state of shock as Quentin Travers

revealed a secret that he and two other members of council had been keeping secret for several months.

" As you all know, Rupert Giles has requested of me to find a solution to getting rid of the Initiative. However, what he did not know and what you, the board, also did not know was that Margaret Walsh was acting, initially, under myself, Mr. Stuart, and Mr. Grants supervision. Ever since the departure of Ms. Summers, we wanted to be sure that the

demons on the hellmouth were properly taken care of. As it turns out, Buffy has continued her job and done it well. We had people from both ends closing in on the demons. But now, it seems that Ms. Walsh has lost sight of the plan- of our vision.

It is because of these reasons that I am sending out a team of five men to Sunnydale to retrieve Ms. Walsh and bring her in for immediate psychological observation. I would

like to keep the Initiative in business, and I hope that in the meantime we can find an adequate replacement for Margaret. I hope you all can understand our predicament, and to handle the situation as covertly as possible."

******************** Riley never felt so good in his life. As it turned out, the girl that picked him up was a vampire. Somewhere is his drunken haze, he became curious as to what the fuss was all about. They went out into an alley together and he let her get a taste. The feel of her fangs in his flesh was intoxicating. So this is why she does it. It made him forget about everything- all of his problems and misfortunes seemed to melt away.

He finally came to his senses and pulled out a spare stake he kept in his pocket. He pressed the tip hard over her un-beating heart. She jerked her head up in shock at him.

"I don't normally do this, but I'm feeling charitable. You go back to your crypt, and I'll go back to my home, okay? Oh, and this is our little secret." He said in a slightly slurred voice. The vampire glared at him in return and silently backed away. Riley put a hand to the two puncture wounds in his neck and began to head in the opposite direction. For the first time in a long time, he thought of no one but himself. *******************

The Initiative- Thoughts of Jonathan Levinson

I was having the most amazing time. I actually had friends, well, other than Warren and Andrew. Anyway, so I was doing a demon check, you know, classifying the new demons that came in. It was when I saw her, this girl. She was about my age I guess with dark hair. She was really out of it. I asked one of my partners why she was strapped to a gurney. He explained that she wasn't human at all. He said she was a shape shifting

demon. He said it with such a straight face that I almost believed him. Almost. The thing of it is, I've seen her before. I just can't remember where. Maybe it'll come to me later.

I asked Warren and Andrew what they thought. They said not to get involved. Andrew said that if I said anything that they may try to lobotomize me so I wouldn't spill their secrets. He kinda freaked me out with that. But if she human, I'm almost certain she is, maybe I should help her. God knows what they've been doing to her.

*******************

As Maggie Walsh walked across the parking lot that night, she was accosted by two men. They drugged, bound and gagged her and tossed her into the back of the black, non descript van. They were on an important mission, and refused to have any problems. Wouldn't do for her to wake up screaming during the middle of the trip. However, at the same time, someone was awaking. He was on a mission too.

Adam opened his eyes, took in his surroundings and said one word.

"Mother?"

tbc