Actions & Consequences (8/?)

"Remember Faith," Angel soothed. "Keep calm."

"Yeah calm," Faith muttered, barely hearing the vampire's words. She was going to see her babies for the first time ever, but at what price? She looked down at her trembling hands. "You driving Fang?" at Angel's nod she threw him the car keys. "Let's go."

They'd be on the road for two minutes when she noticed something. "We've got a tail."

Angel nodded tightly. "I know, we don't exactly have time for evasive action. Besides it's probably someone from Wolfram & Hart making sure we don't bring anyone else."

Faith's mouth twisted in distaste. She was helpless, she fucking hated being helpless. When she'd got her powers she'd thought she'd never be helpless again. "Five by five." A troubling thought suddenly occurred. "Fang, why do they want you here?"

"I don't know," Angel lied smoothly. He knew full well why Wolfram & Hart wanted him there. He would be the deal-clincher, when Faith staked him she would get her children.

But could he do it? He'd die in a second to protect Faith and by extension her children. But what if by doing that he tied Faith into a lifetime of slavery? And if by doing that he left LA unprotected?

His mind was still whirling as he pulled up by the park. His forehead furrowed when he looked around the dimly lit park, noting the trees and bushes for gunmen to hide in. It was a perfect place for an ambush; indeed, he could see half a dozen shapes in the shadows.

Quelling his unease, he turned towards his companion. "Let's go." Faith nodded slightly, her face pale and the sound of her thumping heart deafening him.

They had barely entered the park when a suited man with eyes colder than any vampire and an air of smug superiority that had him wanting to tear the prick's head off confronted them. Behind him there was three armed men wearing fatigues and two children, Angel forced a smile, oh they were Xander and Faith's kids alright, there was something about the way they glared at their captor that was reminiscent of their parents' spirit. "Ms Faith, I'm Daniel Wolfe, Wolfram & Hart's lawyer in this custody matter. It's a great pleasure to meet such an illustrious personality."

"Yeah sure," his friend's gaze was fixed on her children.

The lawyer moved between Faith and the children, blocking her view. "Once we have the niceties over with you can have your children back," the lawyer's smile widened, Angel tensed, here it came.

The Slayer looked at the lawyer. "Niceties?" she asked, her voice husky with pain.

"Kill Angel."

"W...what?"

"Kill the vampire, as a sign of good faith, if you will."

Angel pulled a stake out of his pocket and threw it to Faith. "Do it."
Buffy kicked the double doors of the demon bar open. "I see subtlety still hasn't entered your vocabulary," Wesley muttered beside her. "Maybe I could buy you a thesaurus."

"Bloody hell!" Buffy's pleasure at the assorted demons and vampires' died at one of the Falgara demons' next words. "Not you again, you and that Slayer nearly wrecked the place last time."

"Ah good," Wes smiled. "You remember me." Buffy watched open-mouthed as the Watcher turned off the blaring jukebox with the unique method of blowing a hole through it with his shotgun. Once the ringing in her ears had stopped she realised he was speaking. "That should make things easier. What do you know of the Order of Kali?"
Faith looked at Angel. "Do it," the vampire repeated. "I've had my time and more. They haven't," he said. "Do it for them."

Faith looked towards the vampire, her hero, then towards the children, her babies, and finally towards the smirking lawyer. God, she so wanted to smash that prick's teeth down his throat. Tears blurring her eyes, she raised a stake. "I'm sorry Angel," she whispered.

"Oh, I don't think so." Faith's head snapped round to see Xander rising out of the near-by bushes holding a shotgun. Suddenly the air rang to the boom of gunfire. One, then two of the men hit the ground, their heads blown off. Faith's heart stopped as the third man drew a bead on her frightened children, clinging to one another on the ground.

Suddenly she heard an enraged roar and saw Angel moving at a blur, his vampiriac face showing, as he slammed into the man knocking him halfway across the park. Hearing a bush rustle behind her, Faith moved into a spin- kick, her foot smashing into the man's wrist, sending his gun flying into the air. Moving forward, she grabbed the man around the throat and flung him headfirst into the nearest tree. "Bastard!" eyes flaming she turned to look for the lawyer only to find he'd disappeared. Her blood chilled as she saw another man rising out of the bushes behind her kids, too far for her to reach, she glanced at Xander. He'd seen them too, but was busy re- loading.
Wesley winced as Buffy threw the bar owner the length of the bar and into the far wall. "Where are the Order Of Kali?" the tiny blonde demanded.

"It appears Ms. Summers still has anger management issues."

"Oh," his red-haired companion commented. "You have no idea."

"I..I don't know," the demon sobbed.

"Then you're no good to me," the blonde's sword flashed down tearing the demon's head from his shoulders, splattering a green viscera on the grey wall behind.

"And," he refused to look at the balls of fire his companion was juggling, keeping the bar's patrons from rushing them. "How are you Miss Rosenberg?"

"My girl-friend's got a pierced tongue," the Wicca proclaimed proudly.

Wesley's cheeks reddened. "How fascinating."
Faith screamed her fury as the man began shooting. Suddenly her hero was between her babies and the man, the rounds meant for her children impacting with the vampire's chest, blood erupting from the wound and her ears ringing with Angel's pained bellow.

She started towards the shooter only for his head to explode into a red mist and his headless body crumple to the ground. She turned her head to see Xander heading towards Angel's crumpled body. "You okay Deaboy?"

Faith was surprised at the concern she heard in her fellow parent's voice. The vampire smiled weakly. "They don't make guns like they used to. Now the Colt Peacemaker, there was a gun," the vampire winced. "Need blood and then I'll be okay. The children."

Faith looked around, her heart dropping as she realised her two kids had disappeared. "SHIT!" Where the fuck had they gone?

Kennedy glanced at the African-American beside her. "Are you sure this is the place?" she whispered.

Gunn nodded. "Yeah, my contact said they've been bringing stuff in and out of here for weeks now, preparing for some big ritual. Strictly humans and not belonging to any of the known groups."

"Sounds good," Kennedy noted that Vi's voice was bubbling with eagerness. "How are we going to do this?"

Gunn grinned. "I was figuring on the direct approach."

"Come on Hope!" Alex Ashford gasped to his younger sister. "We've got to get away from those weirdos!"
"I want mummy and daddy!" his little sister sobbed.

Alex's own eyes burnt at the mention of mummy and daddy. "I want them too little sis," he replied. "But we've got each other. I'll look after you."

"Honest?" his sister stared up at him, her eyes scared .

"Honest Indian, come on Hoppy!" His sister screamed. Spinning round he saw a stranger picking up his struggling sister. Heart pounding he charged forward. "Get off Hoppy," he roared, hoping to scare the nasty man. Instead, the man hit him across the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that." Tears of pain blinding him, Alex didn't see anything but heard a thud, a crack, a strangled gasp, and then felt a pair of strong arms lifting him. He struck out desperately, attempting to free himself. "Hey sweetie pie," a woman husked. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

His vision clearing he saw the pretty woman from before effortlessly cradling both her sister and him in her arms. "W..who are you?"

The woman's face grew confused. "I'm a friend," her smile seemed real sad, like the one Hoppy would have when Greg Matherson would steal her dolls and he'd have to punch him in the nose to get them back. "I'm here to help you, okay?"

"Are they alright Faith?"

The pretty girl smirked. "I don't know X," she replied. "What do you think Hope, Alex, you five by five?" he nodded, mesmerised by the woman's smile. The woman chuckled. "They're five by five X. How's Fang?"

"Needs some blood," the man replied. "But he thinks he'll be alright."

"Wicked."

"W...who are you?"

The woman's face darkened making his sister whimper. "Don't you hurt Hoppy!" he shouted, ignoring his own fright.

"Sticking up for your sis uh?" the pretty woman chuckled. "You're a brave little guy." He was surprised to see tears in the woman's eyes.

"Don't cry Miss," he begged tearfully. "I'm sorry. Sometimes my daddy," he felt his bottom lip begin to quiver at the memories.

"Hey, hey," the girl clutched him to her chest. "I won't cry if you don't little guy. Deal?" he nodded. "That's a good boy. Let's get you two kiddos somewhere safe."

"Who are they?" he pointed a shaking hand to the one-eyed man looking strangely at them while holding up a weird looking man.

"That's Xander, and he's Angel my best friend in the whole world. They knew you were in trouble and came to help me make you safe." Suddenly he began crying. "What's up little guy?"

"They killed my mummy and daddy."

"Hey, hey, hey," the woman soothed. "Don't worry, I'll look after you. Nobody's going to hurt you again."
Joe Dawson glared at the pretty white girl stumbling out of the shadows on the arm of a wog. Bitches like her needed a white man to show the error of their ways. Quelling the racist thoughts that had gotten him thrown out of the Marines, he looked towards his companion, nodded, and unfastened his jacket allowing easy access to his automatic stepped forward and forced a polite smile. "Can I help you?"

The brunette looked up, her lips parted in a smile. "Yeah," she nodded. "We'd like our Watcher and Key back."

Eyes widening, his hand dipped inside his jacket only for the girl to slam a palm into his jaw, shattering the bone, sending him plummeting to the ground. Blood dribbling from his mouth he attempted to clamber to his feet but the brunette smashed a fist into the side of his head, knocking him out.

"That was," Kennedy straightened, "pathetically easy." God, she hoped Dawn and Giles were alright, she'd got them into this after all.

"Shall we?"

Kennedy glared at Gunn's offered crooked arm. "Not funny."

"Gee," Gunn's eyes rolled back. "You try and be a gentleman."