Here we are, near the end of all things again. Just a few tiny chapters remain (about 6). They'll be nice, long  and detailed just so you can get what will happen and the confusion will just melt away. At least, that's MY  intention.

In the past three or four chapters... we've found out that Anya is the one spreading ill will. She used Kennedy  as her pawn to do her will and get the supplies needed to do the spell on Dawn. Dawn and Draco have been taken to  the American Ministry and have been reunited with their daughter, Joy. Buffy and company are about to attack the  American Ministry before the spell to restore Dawn's key powers is complete. At the moment, Buffy and company are  on their way, Anya has been beaten into submission, and Warren is the only thing standing between Buffy and the  American Ministry.

In the rest of the story... look for an intense battle between the best of the Ministry and the Slayers. Dawn is  about to become all she can be, but at a terribly high price. Willow has been ripped from reality as her magic  has been stolen to do evil. As she barely holds on, only one person can keep her alive, and it's through love.  One person will make the ultimate sacrifice to save two worlds and to protect the destiny of the Chosen forever.

This is the twenty-sixth chapter. Do enjoy. And many, MANY thanks for all of your kind reviews. I know things may  seem confusion now, but it'll all melt away, hopefully. I love getting your reviews. If there's anything you'd  like to know or see, just write it in. I don't mind criticism. I usually try and fix things.

I am going to warn you too... there is a lot of darkness ahead. If you don't like seeing your favorite characters  in pain or in a near-death situation, don't read it. Like its prequel, it's dark. And it has repercussions. If  you want lighter fluffy stuff, I've created a new fic as a giftfic that I would really appreciate any and all  feedback on.

Many thanks to Alyson for being the bestest almost-sister-in-law ever and the bestest beta reader a girl could  ask for. Mwah!

- - - - -

Chapter 26

Captive Pursuit

- - - - -

It was a beautiful moment.

Dawn was facing Draco, will Joy lying sleeping in their arms. Draco's eyes were closed and he appeared to be  peaceful, even when he was sound asleep. She shifted slightly to watch both of them, wonder shining in her eyes.

He was there. And she was too. It was their perfect moment of bliss, their one moment with their daughter. She  knew it was a moment to cherish forever, because it was in this moment that she could truly see with conviction  how wonderful Draco was. He sighed a bit and shifted in his sleep. With the tips of her fingers, she brushed his  long golden bangs from his face, appreciating the way they seemed to create a halo. In this light, with Joy's  face turned toward her Father's, her soft peach skin seemed to glow.

Dawn sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It had been several hours since Draco had wanted to take a nap.  Dawn had decided to lay with him. It was Joy, babbling in her soft baby speak, that had crawled between them,  sucking on her thumb and trying to cuddle close to Dawn.

Now it was Draco that Joy's attention was enraptured by.

Just the way it always should have been.

She stretched, glancing around the large, comfortable room. Someone had delivered a large box near the door. Dawn  bent over and opened it as quietly as she could, careful not to wake Draco or their daughter. Inside were enough  supplies to keep Joy occupied for the next day. Diapers, bottles of different fluids, little jars of food and an  entire dish set. On the other side of the package were brightly-colored boxes of crackers and a large bag of  pretzels. Taking the pretzels, Dawn straightened and cut the bag open, pouring some into the tiny bowl that had  been given to Joy.

As she put the bag away, she noticed that Draco, too, was sitting up, looking as happy to be waking up next to  his daughter as Dawn had been. "That was incredible," he said softly, his eyes glued to Joy, her face so tiny and  yet so full of the name given to her.

Dawn extended the bowl towards him. "I didn't hear anyone come in here," she said, taking a few for herself.

"Maybe we should wake her," Draco said, glancing at Joy. "She could be hungry."

"We've got enough food to feed her for the next couple of days," Dawn pointed out, setting the bowl down and  reaching for the box again. "How about... this looks like a juice of some sort. And... eww. Squash?"

Draco chuckled as he, too, searched the contents of the box. "There's apple juice... and how about a nice bit of  apricots for the little bit."

Dawn smiled affectionately as she recalled that nickname used on herself by a certain vampire. "All right, let's  try it." She walked over to Joy, gently lifting her into her arms. Joy's eyes slowly opened and her tiny mouth  stretched into a silent yawn. Dawn could feel the tears starting in her eyes as Joy glanced up, her soft silvery  eyes alight with recognition. She knew her own Mother.

The little girl was simply too precious to put down.

Dawn sat down, cradling the baby. Draco moved next to her, a small bowl of stewed apricots in one hand and a  bottle in the other. "Are you hungry, baby?" he cooed softly. He handed the bottle to Dawn and lifted the bowl of  pretzels. As Dawn fed the baby the bottle, Draco fed her pretzels. "Now..." he continued, his eyes shining,  "isn't this the way it should be?"

Dawn gazed at him with such sincerity in her eyes it took his breath away. "It's the way it always should have  been. And what it always must be. Because now I feel complete. I have my baby... and I have my baby."

Draco smiled and kissed the side of Dawn's head, his fingers combing gently through her hair. "I love you, Dawn.  I know that you can't possibly say it back because of all the bad blood... but I do love you."

Tears were threatening again as Joy happily sucked on the bottle. "I love this," she admitted quietly. "And most  of all, I loved waking up next to you, just like it used to be."

"If only you'd let it happen again," Draco said wistfully as Dawn traded the bowl of apricots for the apple  juice. "Then you can see all of the amazing things this family could be."

"Yeah," she echoed, her eyes lost in time. "Just imagine."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door being pushed open behind them. "Dawn!" Draco said crisply.  Dawn stood up, dropping the apricots, Joy securely in her arms.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked Lilah coldly. "I thought I told you to leave us--"

"My turf, my rules," Lilah interrupted, nodding at someone outside the door.

"What--" Dawn started, but then several people walked briskly inside the room. They all seemed to surround Draco.  "No! Leave him alone!"

"Give me the child," Lilah said, now standing directly in front of Dawn. Dawn glared at her, the other people in  the room seeming to circle her. "Just do it, and she won't be hurt."

"I've heard that one before," Dawn said, her arms tightening around Joy, who was starting to cry. "Get out of  here."

One of Lilah's perfectly arched eyebrows lifted smugly as she nodded to the people surrounding Draco. A shiny  blade flashed in the air, and rested solidly on Draco's neck. "Just force my hand, Dawn. Do it. Kill your  boyfriend."

"No," Dawn whispered, stepping forward. She had very little room to move since Lilah was standing in front of her  and blocking the progress. "Don't hurt him!"

"Give me the girl," Lilah said, her voice more forceful this time. "Or I will give the order to kill him."

Dawn's thoughts were racing as Joy sobbed over her shoulder. Draco was shouting something, although her ears  wouldn't let her brain process that. She finally turned to Lilah and mutely held out her daughter. "Let him go,"  she said, her anger threatened by tears as Lilah took the child, bouncing her against her hip.

"There, there, Joy... your Mommy just let you live."

The knife still hadn't been released from Draco's neck though.

Lilah stared her up and down. "Take her to disembarkation," she barked, tilting her head so that others would  follow. "Kill the spare."

"What? NO!" Dawn screamed, twisting as hands surfaced from all around, pushing, and pressing her forward. She could  hear Draco screaming in protest behind her, but there was little she could do. "Noooooooooo!"

Her wails finally disappeared when the door closed heavily. One of the men holding Draco to his spot moved to his  front, the knife pulling slowly away from his neck. "You tell us what we want to know and we'll let you live. If  you don't, well, then... you'll die."

Draco gulped, groaning inwardly. Dawn had just been dragged to who-knows-where. Joy had once again been seized  from them. He saw that he really had no choice, especially since he had already promised himself that all three  of them would leave this place behind.

"Tell me what you want to know," he said calmly, "and I'll see what I can do to help."

The man smiled. He was missing several teeth. "That's a good little Wizard now..." he said, his grin spreading  evilly. "Now, tell me..."

- - - - -

"This is where Anya said to go," Faith said, as both she and Buffy got out of the black SUV they'd driven down  the road. Behind them, several other vehicles came to a stop. In front of them was a walking path leading further  into the mountains. There appeared to be a clearing about a hundred feet or so behind the closest series of  rocks.

"We'll split up," Buffy decided, turning to Faith. "Take your team due north. I'll head west. We'll meet in that  clearing." She turned behind her to where Tara was half-dragged a struggling Willow over the dusty road. "Tara,  stay here with Wil. It'll be dark soon and it'll be easier to carry her once we know where we're going."

Tara nodded, brushing her dusty hair aside. "All right."

"Watch your backs," Buffy said, opening up the trunk to the vehicle as the Slayers loaded up on weapons. "Let's  move out!"

- - - - -

Dawn groaned and rolled over, feeling as though she'd been through some sort of press. Her insides ached as she  placed a hand over her stomach, which churned sourly. "What did you do to me?" she asked, her voice weak and  throaty.

"Welcome, Dawn," a high-pitched voice replied as a figure stepped inside the small, all-white room. "I see you're  conscious again."

Yes, she was. Dawn blinked, trying to remember what had happened. She remembered being in a large room with Draco  and Joy and suddenly she'd been ripped away. Joy had been taken from her. And Draco was most likely dead.  Blinking away the tears, she found herself wanting to curl and cry.

It was another feeling in her gut that made her glance up though, the tears disappearing from her face. Anger was  etched in every line and fury blazed in her eyes. "Where is my daughter?" she asked, her tone cold and direct.

The woman in front of her smiled and shrugged.

"Where is Draco?" she asked, her voice rising.

Another shrug.

Inside the adjoining room, Lilah watched with satisfaction as Dawn drew closer to the naive, insipid girl. She  crossed her arms and looked at Amy, who was surrounded by her pack of warlocks. "Nice one," she said  appreciatively. "The power has been planted but we need the rage to take over."

"The Slayer will be here soon," Amy reminded her.

"I know," Lilah smirked. "Can you imagine a better person to kick off Dawn's new chaos-and-rampage party than to  give her the one person who sold her out?"

"Anyanka," Amy said, her chin lifting, her eyes clearing.

"The one and only," Lilah replied, walking around the desk and opening the door. "I think it's time to begin the  tests, gentlemen. Amy, come with me. It's time to talk to our newest member."

Dawn glanced up as Lilah and a slightly familiar woman walked into the room. "W-What are you doing here?" she  stammered, suddenly feeling ashamed, the anger dissipating rapidly. "What's going on?"

"We're just here to see how you are, Dawnie," Lilah said, walking around behind the bed where Dawn was sitting.  "Oh, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce the Witch involved in this case, Amy Madison."

"Amy?" Dawn gasped, the name registering in her memory. "You... you..."

"Me, me, me," Amy said with a slight sneer as she sat on the end of Dawn's bed. "Good to see you, Dawnie."

"Don't," Dawn said, her voice cold. "Don't ever call me Dawnie."

Lilah scoffed in surprise while Amy looked taken aback and slightly offended. "Some people have to get their  manners cleaned out," Lilah replied, her voice light and airy. As she repeated her steps behind Dawn, she  suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of Dawn's head of hair. Dawn gasped and out of the corner of her eye,  she saw another table of instruments being brought in, along with several menacing looking men in long crimson  robes. "I'd be very, very careful on who I'd smart off to, Dawnie."

Dawn drew in a sharp breath as one of the robed men stepped up next to her, his weathered hand stroking her face.  "She is young, and pure. It shall be done."

"Do it already," Amy said coldly, standing up and joining Lilah, who finally released Dawn. "Start the tests."

"What?" Dawn cried out. "No, God no! Buffy! Help me! Buffy!"

- - - - -

Three falcons were suddenly dislodged from a large tree somewhere behind them. Buffy's eyes followed their track  until they disappeared from view.

It was a warning, she decided. Her sister was in mortal danger.

"Buffy?" a soft voice asked from the ridge above her. She turned to see Melanie standing with two other Slayers  on the higher ridge, gazing ahead. "I think there's something ahead. It looks like a cabin."

"It's the clearing," another voice said at her elbow. It was Vi, and she looked slightly sick to her stomach.

"Let's check it out," Buffy replied, as they approached the cabin from two different directions. A large black  sedan was parked in front of it and along the side was a large black van. Buffy quickly slid next to it and  peered into the window. It was full of the same video and camera equipment as the van that had nearly killed her  and Faith. "Whoa."

She pointed Melanie and her two fellow Slayers to check out the sedan while she took the rest of the group and  peered into the cabin. Inside, it looked empty, except for a cabinet in the corner. In the wide living room,  there was a fireplace and a single chair.

The chair was occupied by a sleeping Warren.

Suddenly, an alarm was set off. Buffy gasped out and ducked down below as Warren jumped inside, the glass of rum  in his hand falling and shattering on the cold wooden floor. "Bloody hell!" he screamed, grabbing the rifle from  the mantle and gazing at the few windows.

Buffy and the others crawled behind a large group of rocks, where Melanie and the other two Slayers had already  taken refuge. "It sounded like a perimeter alarm," Mel explained.

"It doesn't make sense!" Buffy moaned. "We were all within the--"

Her voice was cut off as two gunshots echoed in evening.

There was a scream. It was very high-pitched and very feminine.

"Oh, my God," Melanie gasped. "It's..." Her voice died as her eyes drank in what she saw.

Faith was running along side the cabin toward their location, a few others in the rear. Buffy jumped up, raising  her arms and waving them. Faith and the others spotted her and hid behind the rock just as Warren came charging  out of the cabin, a rifle in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other.

"Warren," Buffy said coldly. She turned to Faith. "What do we do?"

"Everyone else is back at the road, and that's almost a half mile from here," Faith said, placing her hand on her  side. "I don't know what to do."

"Buffy," Melanie said quietly, "may I make a suggestion?"

Warren had just completed a perimeter search when suddenly he heard hurried footsteps.

He lifted the rifle and aimed in the general direction of the footsteps. "I know you're there!" he shouted out,  taking off after them. "I'm going to take you all out!"

"Oh, yeah?" a voice said behind him. He twisted around to see a dark-haired woman standing behind him, looking  bored. "You can't possibly just take me out."

With a cry, she kicked the weapon from his hand and used a second kick to knock him over before taking off in the  same direction as the other footsteps. By the time Warren had recovered, he couldn't hear anything anymore. All  he could see was a walking path and his instinct told him that the dark-haired woman had run in that direction.  With a sneer, he lifted his rifle over his shoulder, and began to walk.

- - - - -

"Tara?"

"Willow?"

Tara moved gently to where Willow was laying across the backseat of one of the vans. She put a trembling hand to  Willow's face. "Are you all right?" she asked gently.

"I feel... different," Willow said, her voice growing weaker still. "I know the magic's are gone... but I'm  connected to them somehow. I can feel something big..."

"What do you feel?" Tara asked, her voice quieter still as she got down on her knees beside Willow.

"Death," Willow said, her eyes locking onto Tara's. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

Tara felt her breath catch. "I'm not... I can't..."

"It's okay," Willow said, forcing a bright smile, although the tears in her eyes gave away her sadness. "I'm  ready."

"How can you say that?" Tara asked her. "How can you..."

"It's okay," Willow said, her hand weakly touching Tara's face. "I know that you'll find me again."

"But I just found you," Tara said, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Please, Wil, hold on... because how can I lose  you again? I already lost you once... I'm not giving up yet. We'll find a way to bring you back."

Willow's smile was genuine, though her face was glowing from the tears. Her head tilted slightly and her  breathing became more erratic. "I... I..."

"Save your strength," Tara advised, holding Willow's hand tight. "I'm not going to leave your side."

The van door was suddenly pulled open and a head of bushy brown hair appeared. "Tara?"

"Hermione," Tara said, wiping the tears away from her face before turning to the other woman. "What is it?"

"Trouble," Hermione said, the serious look on her face appearing to get even tighter as she disappeared from the  doorway.

Tara turned back to Willow, who's eyes were closed. "I'll be back, baby. I promise." Laying Willow's hands gently  by her side, Tara quickly exited the van.

Just then, a group of Slayers ran down the hill from the walking path, lead by Buffy. "Tara!" Buffy cried, coming  to a stop in front of the Witch. "Faith's about a hundred yards behind. She's got Warren on her tail. We need--"

Melanie suddenly stopped next to Buffy and explained the plan. Both Tara and Hermione nodded, although Hermione  wasn't just going to take orders from the girl who nearly took Ron's heart. After glaring at her a moment,  Hermione nodded and pulled out her wand. "Ready?" she asked Tara.

They both ran for the path.

Buffy pulled the van door open and saw Willow in the backseat. "Willow?" No response.

"How is she?" Mel asked from behind her.

"Sleeping," Buffy replied, closing the door. "Hopefully sleeping."

Down the path, Tara suddenly stopped and turned to Hermione. "You approach him from the south. I'm going for the  north."

"What?" Hermione gasped, but before she knew what had happened, Tara had disappeared from sight. "Oh, right, a  bloody American Witch."

She continued on the path until suddenly a figure barreled at her from out of nowhere. "Look out!" the woman  screamed.

Hermione shrieked.

When their bodies collided, they both tumbled down the rocky hills in the forest.

Tara continued due north until she passed someone with a rifle. It was Warren. She didn't know that Faith and  Hermione had collided and both of them were out of the picture.

She jumped easily down onto the ground a few dozen paces behind Warren and began moving south again.

Warren paused, wondering. He'd heard a scream and the sound of scuffling. He shook his head. Could it be true?  Was the bitch he was following completely out of the picture? An evil grin crossed his face. He glanced around,  feeling even better than he had before. As he continued his paces, his smile suddenly melted off his face.

There were at least a dozen black cars and probably many more lining the dirt road outside the path. He could see  a lot of people milling around.

"Crap," he muttered, backing away. As he moved, he hit something hard. No, he realized as he turned around and  screamed, it wasn't a something. It was someone. "You!"

"Me," Tara said, moving directly in front of him. "I should have known you were behind it all."

"Call it poetic justice," Warren sneered. "I kill you, she kills me, and it's all one big happy family."

"Right," Tara said, crossing her arms. "And I'm just going to let you go and shoot a bunch of people? Not  happening."

"I could kill you again," Warren taunted, his eyes glittering as he lowered his rifle ever so slightly. "I would  take great joy in it."

"I could kill you in the snap of my fingers," Tara replied, her eyes hardening. "Only I won't. Why? Because I  still have power over you."

"You think I'm gonna tell you little scoobies how the hell to get to the Ministry?" Warren asked with a laugh.

"I'd start talking if I were you," a cold voice said from behind him. Warren whirled around and glared at the  person behind him. She was someone new.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"A friend," the woman replied, lifting a battle axe from her bloody hands. "Tara, catch!"

Tara caught the axe easily and lifted it, holding it to Warren's neck. "Now..." she said, her pretty face  twisting into a hard look, "start talking."

- - - - -

Dawn was shaking from head to toe as Lilah walked around the experimentation bed. Her eyes were barely open as  one of the warlocks approached her, a soft hand running a magical red seal over her body.

"The tests are complete," the one announced.

"Release her," Lilah replied, crossing her arms and standing back.

The warlocks began their chant and soon the reddish field was lifted, leaving Dawn motionless and groaning.

She slowly sat up.

"How do you feel?" Lilah asked her, trying to sound as though she cared.

"Different," Dawn said, gazing at her body, running her trembling fingers over her hands. "Whoa."

A strange green glow emanated from her fingers and began to surround her body with pure green light. The energy  was absorbed back into her. As Dawn glanced up, her eyes were pure green energy.

"It's about time," Lilah said, her voice dancing.

"Mistress," a voice said from the entrance. "We have a problem."

"Not now," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

"But it's the Slayers. The worm ratted on us," the man replied crisply. "They'll be here within a few hours."

"And Warren?" she asked coldly.

"He's dead."

"Good," she replied, arching her eyebrow. "At least something has gone right today."

Dawn was still shaking as she watched the green energy bounce from hand to hand. It was so bright and so pretty,  it echoed around the all-white room. "What is this?"

"The key's energy," Lilah explained, shoving her visitor away as she approached the bed. "It's your power, now."

"What does it do?" Dawn asked in wonder, twirling a hand that seemed to fazing out of existence.

Lilah braved another step. "It's yours to do with as you please. You're stronger now. More powerful. All of the  armies of the underworld and those of other dimensions will fall in line to be servants to that power. Your power  has existed far longer than many worlds can even begin to desire. And now that power is yours. The channels have  been open. Demons will answer the call. And the American Ministry of Magic will become more than just a mere  name. It'll be a legacy. Our legacy. Your legacy. Can you imagine the thousands of worlds and billions of beings  that will fall to your feet as a result of your power? The portals will open. Blood will be shed. And it'll start  with the destruction of the Slayers and the British Ministry of Magic. We'll have an army so deadly, so forceful,  and so invulnerable so that no one will ever be able to defeat us. And it's all thanks to you... our Black Goddess."

- - - - -

To be continued...

Chapter 27 - the battle begins! And Warren's death is described in painful, intimate details.