Author's notes: I apologize for the delay in this chapter. Real life recently hadn't been conducive to writing the angst I needed here, because it hit too close to home. I needed a diversion (which is the main reason I started "…Nail Polish".) All is fairly well now, so we can bring on the angst again. Hopefully my next chapters will not take such a long time. Thank you to all who have stuck with me and read the story so far and especially to those of you who have reviewed. Special thanks to Sethoz for the beta.

Slight warning – This chapter contains some dark situations.

Summary: Previously - The Scoobies had to deal with the aftermath of Xander's abduction. Angelus and Xander annoyed one another. A little more of Gnash's evil plan was revealed. Someone from L.A. arrived to help the Sunnydale gang – Connor.

Chapter 7: Power

Flashlight in hand, Connor scrutinized the old, deserted mansion, taking notice of every detail. There were little signs of him… and the other… everywhere. There were even signs of Spike, but somehow Connor got the feeling that this place never felt like home to the younger vampire.

Maybe someday he'd ask Spike for the whole story if he got the nerve, or if he wanted to get a good sparring session out of him. A smirk forming on his lips at the very thought, Connor was momentarily distracted from his exploration as his mind wandered to the last few months. He enjoyed sparring with the vampire. They shared a mutual respect. Spike might often use the words "boy" and "kid" when addressing him, but he always treated him as an equal. Others in his life often went out of their way to avoid those terms, yet all too often it was only lip service. He much preferred the moniker of "kid" to being treated as one.

His departure from L.A. amidst much adult disapproval had only been the latest example. Though he'd argued fairly convincingly that he'd been fighting demons longer than most of them put together, he'd still gotten the "you're too young" lecture and the "you're staying right here so Angel doesn't have to worry" admonishment. They'd even tried locking him in and watching him like a hawk. That stopped him for about half a day. Escaping from a locked room was nothing compared to surviving some of the tests Holtz put him through. It just went to show that they hardly knew him at all.

Connor sighed and returned to the task at hand. After checking the place thoroughly, he finally dropped his weapons bag in a bedroom upstairs and made himself somewhat comfortable on the bed. He didn't bother to get under the covers or get undressed except for removing his shoes. Those he tossed on the floor after retrieving the knife he had stashed in the left one. That he placed beside his head on the vacant pillow. Some kids liked to sleep with a teddy bear or a pet to keep them company and make them feel safe. He'd take the comfort of his knife any day.

Connor stared up at the dark ceiling, thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow he'd find his dad. That thought in his head, he drifted off into a light sleep that would last until morning.

...

Xander felt completely useless. He'd tried and tried to come up with a good plan to counter Angelus, but in the end he'd come up empty. Not that it mattered anyway except as a reminder to his bruised ego. Gnash had made it nearly impossible for him to even try to save the girl. Xander gave a frustrated yell and slammed his fist against the dirt. Damn it! He would've at least liked a decent chance, but his bloodied leg and hands and his sprained ankle were testaments to the fact that his efforts only got him hurt.

And still she screamed.

The woman had materialized on top of one of the jagged rock formations. An electric hum and a flash had accompanied her arrival, even though such indications hadn't really been necessary. Angelus had scented her almost immediately. He'd given Xander a knowing smirk and raised his eyebrows.

"Looks like whatever you had planned won't make a difference. Dinner is served," he'd taunted, and taken off towards the rocks.

That had been almost an hour ago. It'd taken Angelus only a few moments to scale the rock outcropping and reach the top. The pleading and screaming had been going on ever since.

Xander had tried for half an hour to scale the rocks, but without Angelus' strength and abilities, he'd only managed to get half way up before sliding down again. By then he'd known it was likely too late anyway. He'd heard her pitiful cries and knew what the vampire had been doing to her.

Now Xander wished it would only end soon and that Angelus wouldn't remind him of his failure or describe exactly what he'd done to the poor girl when he came back down. It was wishful thinking, he knew. The likelihood of getting even one of those wishes was as remote as his chances of getting out of here anytime soon.

And still she screamed.

...

It was only them now. Willow looked at her lover, admiring the spill of her hair across the ancient pages of text and the steady rise and fall of her chest. Tara had fallen asleep just a few moments ago after yet another lead had run dry. Their attempt at a locator spell, the first thing they'd tried after their short nap, had yielded them nothing either. Their magic just wasn't strong enough.

Buffy and Angel's patrol had similarly turned up nothing in the way of information, though it had allowed her friend to finally sleep, mostly due to exhaustion. Many vampires and demons had paid with their lives to get Buffy to that much-needed state. Angel went with her to rest only because Spike had driven their shared body into the same drained state as well as sustained a few minor injuries that required rest to heal. Willow envied their ability to let exhaustion give them peace, even temporarily.

Anya had been harder to convince. After finding her buried in books when they returned from their short rest, Tara had finally persuaded her that if she got some sleep, she'd be of a sharper mind to talk to her demon contacts the next day and ask for information. Well, that and the mild spell she'd used to make Anya drowsy. They'd placed her on the couch in the training room where she'd slept until an hour ago. She'd left to contact her demon friends without a word. Despite all the times Willow had wished Anya would be quiet, the silent departure had unnerved her.

Now it was their turn for rest again. She could hear Buffy and Angel returning from the cellar below, reminding her that it was now mid-morning. With careful hands she brushed the hair back from Tara's face and called to her softly. Her girlfriend roused, only a little startled, and smiled at Willow sadly.

"Time for us to sleep again, baby."

Tara nodded and rolled her shoulders and neck, stretching sore muscles as she rose from her chair. "Maybe we'll have a better chance when our minds are refreshed."

Wishing she shared her confidence, Willow forced a reassuring smile in response. "I'm sure we will," she said, but she didn't believe it. Keeping the smile plastered on her face, she quickly explained to Buffy and Angel which books they'd gone through and gave them hasty goodbyes and words of encouragement.

Only she knew she didn't expect them to find anything, and that after a few hours sleep, she planned her own information gathering foray that would likely make that problem moot anyway. If all went as planned, she'd wake before Tara and conduct a little magical inquiry. Tara might be able to read auras, but Willow had a few skills up her sleeve, and she would use them to find out something about that orb. Xander's life likely depended on it, and she had no intention of letting him down.

...

If there was any way to send encouragement across space, Gnash would've given almost anything right now to make it so. As it was, his growl of frustration practically shook the walls, and his taloned fingers twitched in their desire to give a prodding nudge. The red witch was so close, so close to activating the orb, but he could do nothing except watch through his little window and grind his teeth. Sometimes not acting directly had its disadvantages. The payoffs, though, they were always so sweet. Gnash smiled evilly. Nothing felt as good as getting away with something scott free, and that was a pleasure reserved only for a master manipulator.

He refocused his concentration as he almost lost the image. His anticipation was making it difficult to remain calm enough. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment and hoped he wouldn't miss anything while he centered himself. Then he slowly opened his eyes and continued his surveillance.

...

A power seemed to seethe just out of reach, tantalizing her with its potential. It manifested itself as a sort of tingling energy that sent shivers down her spine and caused the hairs on her skin to stand on end. It was thrilling and seductive, and Willow wanted it.

She hadn't thought she'd be able to see so much of the orb's potential just by a simple, meditative visualization exercise, but the fact that she could only furthered her belief that it held great power. And it was power that she needed to help find Xander.

Her breath catching in her throat, Willow pulled back mentally from the orb. The seductive pull still called to her, but there was something else too, something foreboding and dark. She knew this. It'd gotten her before. The last time she'd been drunk on that much power, she'd hurt Dawn and had almost lost Tara, but she was different now, she reasoned. She'd come back from that, learned from her mistakes, and this time she'd be careful. Evening was coming and in a few hours, their first day would be up with only one more day to go.

Her trembling finger reached out to touch the orb's cold surface, and she admonished herself for the reaction. She'd held the thing already. Why should touching it now be any different? Because now you are open to the possibility, she answered herself, and that makes all the difference. Caressing the surface carefully, she closed her eyes. It always amazed her what she could see with her eyes closed. Flashes of dark danced in her mind's eye, the idea contradictory at the same time as it made sense, and a cold jolt shot up her arm. Her eyes flew open as she jerked her hand away. Frowning, she snorted and tried again. Strangely, the effect wasn't as bad this time. The flashes she saw were brighter and the cold was replaced by a cool tingle. See not so bad, she told herself, I can do this if I have to. Almost reluctantly, her fingers drew away from the orb.

She exhaled and glanced towards the bedroom door, listening for any stirrings of Tara. All was quiet, so she looked at her watch. She had approximately one hour to go over the spell. If no one had found out any information, Willow wanted to be prepared to do whatever she had to do to save Xander.

...

The sun cast its last rays of light over downtown Sunnydale. It was that long shadow time of day when the sun slipped towards the horizon and the sunbeams were their darkest gold. The irony that she thought this the most beautiful time of day wasn't lost on Tara. Most people thought she preferred the early morning hours, the dawn, and perhaps she did, but this time, the hour before sunset, inspired her the most. That it happened to come just before one of the most unsettling times of day in this town was just an unhappy coincidence.

On the subject of unsettling, Tara thought as she let her gaze slip to the woman accompanying her. Willow hurried towards their meeting at the magic shop with an uncharacteristic nervousness. Yes, things were tense and this would likely be their last group meeting before they once again separated to each do their part, but this didn't totally explain her lover's distance, both emotional and physical. Tara had expected that Willow would be leaning on her for support, much like she had earlier in the day as they'd gone home for their much needed rest. She had the uneasy suspicion that something strange had happened that she somehow missed. Resisting the urge to read Willow's aura, she hurried to walk alongside her.

"Do you think Anya found out anything from her demon contacts?" she asked.

Willow startled at her question, causing Tara to frown. "What, um, I don't know. Demons aren't always so reliable I've always thought."

"Well, that's true, but maybe she got lucky," Tara ventured hopefully. Not that it mattered. Willow was once again distracted and anxious, grabbing at the magic shop door without even acknowledging Tara's reply.

Something was definitely wrong.

...

"Nothing!" Anya spat out the word like it was a curse. "All the walking, all the groveling, and they couldn't tell me anything." She stared at the assembled group accusingly as if they were somehow partly to blame.

Angel wrinkled his brow. "That's surprising. The demon community is usually pretty good at knowing each other's business."

Buffy snorted. "Yeah, but it usually takes a few punches to the nose to get the goods." She seemed to be lost in memories of said times before returning her attention to the group.

"Well yes, but that mostly only worked for Spike," Anya said with an eye roll. "And no demon gives up that much information without an ulterior motive."

"Yeah, like our cold, hard cash," Buffy said.

"Oh yes, that was the only reason Spike spilled the beans," Anya said dubiously.

"Well, when he was evil," Buffy protested, obviously not comfortable with the direction of this conversation.

Anya looked at her. "Oh yeah, when he was evil. Like there still weren't enough sparks flying between you two even then to start a bonfire. Does a certain spell of Willow's ring any bells?"

"That was the spell," Buffy protested, blushing visibly. "And this is so not what we need to be discussing now." She lifted her chin. "You're just mad because you couldn't find anything out."

"Damn right I'm mad! I need this information! Doesn't over a thousand years of dedicated service dishing out bloody vengeance count for anything? I mean, you'd think I'd earned some little consideration. Instead, nothing." She sighed. "Although there was one demon who seemed to be lying. I think he knew more than he was telling."

"How could you tell?" Willow asked.

"After you've lived as long as I have you know the signs. But I also knew that no matter what I tried or threatened he wouldn't spill."

"Why?" Tara asked.

"Because some things are worse than potentially being killed," Angel said knowingly.

"Exactly," Anya agreed. "I have a feeling that whatever this is, it's big, it's evil, and it's very powerful, and the only reason we haven't seen more of it yet is because it doesn't want to be seen." Her eyebrows furrowed a bit. "One odd thing though." She addressed Angel. "No one else had seen any Vishnak demons. Aren't they usually fairly conspicuous on the rare occasion they do show up?"

"Yes," Angel answered. "They usually create some havoc when they appear."

"So either we have very restrained Vishnak demons…" Willow began, but stopped when Anya shook her head. "Or they're working with someone powerful enough to control them," she concluded.

"Or they're the warm-up act, the diversion," Buffy supplied.

"Oh," Tara said. "Then I don't want to see the main act."

"I do," Buffy said. "At this point I'd take a nice, visible foe. Something I could fight. Something I could kill. Right now all I know is that the demon and vampire activity seems to be up a little, but none of them know anything and there's no organization to it."

"No apparent Big Bad that they're toadying for then," Willow observed with disappointment.

"No. Just random pains in my butt that get us no where closer to finding Xander, and who know nothing helpful. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to patrol again soon. We have to find Xander, but I can't let the vampires just roam free in the meantime."

"Then you need my help." The voice from the doorway wasn't loud, but it was confident.

Angel looked up and only partially hid his surprise. "Connor, what are you doing here?"

...

Gnash's eyes narrowed at the sight of the boy who now came into view in his observation glass. This was no ordinary boy, he could tell. He emanated power and strength that was not entirely of this world. He was definitely dangerous.

The demon growled under his breath. He'd been aiding demon activity subtly in the last couple of days, both to cover for his own foraging activity when supplying Angelus with fresh blood and to distract Buffy and her vampire with the need to patrol. Now, though, he was going to have to step up his efforts: something he didn't have time for right now. He had to prepare for the next step in case the gang of do-gooders didn't activate the orb, maybe even up the stakes a bit. That was going to take careful planning, and for that he needed to focus, not worry about a new player this late in the game.

He only needed to hear a little more to learn just how dangerous this boy was. Grunting in frustration, he waved his hand and let the glass go dark. His plans would have to wait. Right now he needed more distractions. He needed this new boy out of the big picture, and to do that he needed demons to keep him busy. It was time to open a little tear in the time fabric. He'd choose a nice, close dimension that wouldn't take too much effort. Now where was that Scrivener amulet? He didn't have all night.

...

Connor strolled from the doorframe and crossed to Angel. "What do you think I'm doing here, Dad?" The last word was said deliberately, almost defiantly. "I'm here to help. You need demon fighters. Here I am."

"But you're so young. Just a kid," Anya said.

Sneering a bit, Connor looked at her with the indignation only a teenager could affect. "I've never been a kid." Then he dismissed Anya, instead turning back to Angel. "Right, Dad?"

"You were always something more," Angel assured him with a smile of fatherly pride.

Connor smiled lightly then reached out and cuffed his father on the side of the head. The action startled everyone. The boy smirked amiably as Angel's face changed. "Hey, evil demon, how's my dad treating you?"

"Same as always," Spike replied, cuffing Connor in return.

"Ow, jerk!" Connor complained.

"Brat," Spike countered. He sniffed conspicuously. "You've been a busy boy today. Out harassing the demon population, I suspect."

"Well, I gotta have some fun. Why, you up for a round?"

The vampire shook his head and his face changed back to his human features. "You can fight with Spike later, Connor," Angel admonished.

Connor pouted. "Can we spar with swords?"

"No! No real damage. I've got to stay healthy….

"Hey, wait a minute," Anya interrupted, gesturing exaggeratedly between Angel and Connor. "Spike hit him! He's not supposed to be able to do that."

"The chip doesn't work on me," Connor said with a shrug. "Must be all that time I spent in Quortoth. Or maybe I'm not quite human."

Buffy couldn't take her eyes off him. She'd heard so much about him, but this was the first time she'd actually seen Connor. What she'd heard definitely didn't translate into the young man she saw in front of her. When Spike had said "ferocious little fighter," she hadn't imagined the thin, lanky youth with the delicate face that she now saw. She supposed that was something they had in common. Words from Tara startled her from her thoughts.

"You're human," Tara told him. "But there is something more." When everyone turned to her, she dipped her head shyly. "I-I can tell. I can read people."

"That's right," Willow said proudly. "She can read their auras"

Connor tried to pretend indifference, even though his initial facial expression had clearly shown interest. He seemed distracted though as his eyes moved to Buffy.

Buffy knew she'd been caught staring and wasn't about to turn away now. "You must be Connor," was all she could think to say. "Angel's told me a lot about you. Spike a little too."

Connor stared at her. "Then you must be Buffy. Spike tells me I fight like you." He looked her over. "Now I'm not so sure whether that was a compliment or not. I thought you'd be taller."

Buffy just smiled. "So do the demons. I thought you'd be..."

"Broodier? More glowery?" Anya supplied.

"No," Buffy said. "Darker. Dark hair, dark eyes."

Angel touched his son's hair. "He gets this from his mother."

"Dad," Connor complained, lightly shooing Angel's hand away.

"And he broods just fine. At least according to Spike," Angel added.

"Do not," Connor complained, making it obvious to Buffy that he did. "And I didn't come here to get picked on. Just tell me where to find him."

"Where to find who?" Anya asked.

"My other Father," Connor said, his tone almost annoyed.

"It's not that easy," Angel told him. "We don't know where he is right now, and we don't think he's working alone."

"All the more demons for me to kill."

"Is he really that good at killing demons?" Willow asked.

"He's really that good," Angel replied solemnly.

"Then you take him out and show him where to go," Buffy said to Angel with a decisive nod. "Tara and Willow, I need you to come with me. I've got to pick up Dawn from her friend Mandy's. I need you to put a protection spell around the house. Something that'll keep out demons."

"What about Dad?" Connor asked.

"Yeah good point. Oh, I know." She turned to Willow and Tara. "Could you make it so that only beings with a human soul can come in? That'll cover all of us and Angel."

"We can do that," Tara said.

"Good. Okay Anya, you…"

"Keep researching, I know."

"And we'll be back as soon as we can," Buffy added. "Though I might take one more crack at…. well, cracking heads in the seedier part of town before I get back here. I will find out something this time."

With little further discussion, the group spilt up to pursue their own tasks: all different, but all in the service of a common goal.

...

So we have some more help. Score one for the good guys, Willow thought. Then how come I don't feel any better? She answered herself easily. Because no amount of demon hunting is going to bring us closer to finding Xander. No, that was up to her. And she better figure out a way quickly.

She went with Tara to Buffy's. It would take a couple hours to set up a decent protection spell. Dawn, sensing the severity of the situation, helped them get things ready for the spell then retired to her room. Buffy, after eating a cursory something she dug out of the refrigerator, said her goodbyes and reassurances to Dawn before heading for downtown Sunnydale's disreputable part of town. The door banging shut and the lock clicking closed marked her departure. It was only them again. That made it difficult to hide.

"Honey, are you all right?" Tara asked as soon as they were alone.

Willow frowned. "No. My best friend is out there somewhere with God knows what happening to him, so a big 'no' to that, but if you are asking me if I can do the spell, then yes, I can."

She nodded, and Willow tried a reassuring smile. Inside though, she wanted only to get this spell done then find an excuse for Tara to remain behind while she went to the Magic Box. Just an hour alone in the training room: that was all she wanted. Then she'd have all the power she needed. She briefly considered caving in and telling Tara her plan, but she stuffed that thought down quickly. Tara would never agree. She'd want to be cautious and there was no more time for that. Tara would have to be kept oblivious and here, but how?

Wracking her brain, Willow thought of something. Dawn needed dinner, and the rest of the gang could use some food. She'd have Tara call up for something or fix something for Dawn and bring some food to them as well. Fixing something would take longer and fit their budget better. Buffy's job at the high school and Tara's tutoring didn't bring in much. Willow brought in what she could by hiring out her services as a computer nerd to needy college students, but still pizza and take out didn't come cheap, so it shouldn't take much convincing to get Tara to cook something. That decided, she smiled more broadly, her confidence somewhat restored. She was ready to do this protection spell. In a couple of hours, she'd be more than ready for the next spell.

They completed the protection spell in only an hour and a half.

...

Tara smiled at Dawn as she ate. The girl attacked her dinner with the vigor of a teenager, tearing into her food as if she were starving.

"I'm glad you cooked. You're so much better than Buffy," the teen told her around a mouthful of chicken. "I can tell this is chicken and everything."

"Now, Buffy can't be that bad," she replied with a chuckle as she packed the rest of the chicken into a large-sized plastic container.

"Compared to this?" Dawn chided, her eyebrows arching and her hand lifting the chicken as if in salute. "No contest."

"Well I'm glad you approve," Tara said as she took the potato salad out of the refrigerator. The green beans she'd given Dawn wouldn't travel so well. The rest were just going to have to skip the vegetable this time. She packed the food in the car, carefully watching her surroundings as she did so then returned for her spell books. "You're going to be okay, right?" she asked Dawn.

"I'll be fine. No leaving the house, I promise. I'll be staying right here under the protection of your spell."

Tara gave her a stern look. "Not even if a puppy comes limping up the driveway, whimpering its little heart out."

Dawn crossed her heart with an index finger. "I'll go upstairs and put on my headphones, because I so would know that was a trap."

"Good." Tara said, and she believed it, at least for a moment. As she returned to the living room though, a strange feeling washed over her: an inexplicable dread that she didn't understand. She looked around the room in dismay, trying to figure out what had spooked her. Then her eyes fell on the coffee table. A book was missing. She searched the room, but didn't see it anywhere, knowing that she wouldn't find it. Still that was okay, because there was the box, right where she'd seen it last, and… With increasing dread, Tara approached the ornate box. She didn't want to open it, knowing that if she did the answer would be final. She had to though. She had to know, and the answer couldn't wait. With trembling fingers she touched the lid, praying to whatever goddess would hear her that Willow wouldn't, not now, not after what she'd almost done before. Her fingertips unhooked the clasp, and she flipped back the lid as if it would bite her. It didn't, but the sight inside stung her just as much. Just as she'd feared, the box sat empty. The orb was gone.

TBC