HELLO ALL, SORRY IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE MY LAST UPDATE, WORK, HOLIDAYS, MARRIAGE, THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES OF LIFE. ANYWAY PLEASE R & R AS ALWAYS.

DISCLAIMER: IF I OWNED IT I WOULDN'T HAVE TO POST A DISCLAIMER NOW WOULD I?


CHAPTER 7

FAMILY STRIFE

Dana and Connor kept following the sound of the continuous screaming to an alley behind a club about six blocks north of the Hyperion. They had managed to avoid any demon encounters, in fact except for that screaming there was not a sign of anything, living, undead, human, monster, or otherwise. It was a fact that quite honestly gave Connor the creeps.

"I think it's over here," he said to Dana as they approached the alleyway. The screaming had been replaced by sobbing as they saw a petite figure lying on the ground.

"Be careful," Connor whispered to Dana. The formerly insane slayer shot him an annoyed glance as she made her way to what looked to be a woman wearing a blood red dress, and her hair looked kind of retro.

"Miss, are you ok? Do you need our help?" Dana asked.

The woman looked up and smiled evilly. "Hello pretty thing," she said as her face morphed into that of a vampire ready to feed.

"Connor!" Dana screamed. "She's a vampire, run!"

Connor started towards the young slayer to help her but saw more vampires fall in front of him as they jumped from their hiding places on the rooftops. Six of them stood between him and Dana who was in a fighting stance facing the creepy female vamp. The slayer had a stake ready but Connor only had himself. The scary woman looked at Dana and smiled. "Poor little girl, I can see oodles of pain behind those pretty eyes."

Dana began to look very unnerved, "You know nothing about me vampire shut up and fight me!"

The vamp giggled, "In a moment dear, but I want have my fun first. All work and no play make Drusilla a very dull girl. Dana began to shudder as the woman looked over her.

"Poor little girl, mummy and daddy were taken away by a very bad man."

"Shut up!" Dana screamed

"Shhh" Drusilla put her hand over the slayer's mouth and Dana went still like she had been hypnotized.

"Dana!" Connor screamed.

Drusilla turned her gaze to him. "You look like my Daddy," she said with a giggle.

"Don't worry little boy I'll come play with you after I'm done with my new precious girl."

Connor decided it was time to act and leaped into the six other vampires. The fight was on. "Oh goody," Drusilla clapped. "It's a party." She grabbed Dana turned her around. "Don't worry little one, you'll have a new mummy soon, Drusilla will take good care of her new baby."

Angel was starting to wish he had brought anyone but Spike and Buffy with him on his search for Connor. He had tried to stay at a hurried pace running down the street, however the bickering between his two allies was, in his view, dangerously slowing their progress.

"I had my reasons for not telling you I wasn't dead, what's yours for not saying more than three words to me since you got here?" Spike snapped.

Before Buffy was able to reply with her verbal barrage Angel turned around and growled. "Will you two please both shut up! I don't care what you two are fighting about, I really don't care if you want to fight to the death about it when we get back to the hotel, but until we find my son stuff it!"

Buffy and Spike both looked like they had been slapped by a disapproving father. Angel turned around and started running again. "How long has he been like that?" Buffy asked.

"Wanker had been in a bad mood for awhile now. I think he's losing it." Spike replied shocked at his concern for his grandsire.

A shout from a nearby alley interrupted their conversation and got Angel's attention.

"That was Connor," Angel said as he ran toward the source of the shout. He looked back at Spike and Buffy. "Hurry, he could be in trouble."

"I'm in serious trouble," Connor thought as he was thrown against a wall by one of the vamps. That freaky goth vampire hadn't bitten Dana yet. It was like she was making the slayer watch him get beaten to a pulp. He took a punch to the jaw and a familiar rage began to build up inside him. He grabbed one of the vampires and slammed his head against the wall, and then dove into the rest of the gang howling madly. The howl seemed to have caught the vamps off guard and Connor tore into them. His feet and fists connecting with their bodies and faces, they were the enemy and he was going to destroy them. He was about to reach for the stake Dana had dropped when he saw something hurling towards him. His attempt to dodge was too late and found himself against the wall with Dana on top of him. That freaky goth vamp had thrown her at him!

Drusilla now stood over him, and the other vamps had regrouped. He was surrounded. "Looks like Drusilla is going to have a new family," the vampire giggled. "A little boy and little girl, oh I'll be good mummy."

"Drusilla!" The freaky vamp's dreams of a new family were interrupted by a familiar voice. The evil woman turned around to see very three familiar and unwelcome figures in the alleyway entrance.

"Aww, Daddy, Spike, and the nasty Slayer have come to spoil my fun." Drusilla stepped behind her vampire gang. "Get them my luvs." The crew of six vampires charged the heroes, but a flurry of swords and stake quickly dispatched them all. Angel decapitated the final vampire and turned to see Drusilla with her deadly nails at Connor's neck.

"I think Daddy has a secret, and I think it's this little boy."

"Let him go Drusilla," Spike snarled.

"But I want to play with the little boy, I need a new toy, your no fun anymore Spike," she looked at Angel. "Please tell me I can play with him Daddy."

"Drusilla, you hurt him and I will kill you." Angel replied.

"Bad Daddy ruining my fun," Drusilla said as she shoved Connor into his father. "Bye Daddy, Bye Spike, I'll see you soon," she taunted as she ran off.

"Do you want me to go after her?" Buffy asked.

"No," Angel replied. "We don't want to run the risk of bumping into anything else out here." The vampire turned to his son. "You okay?"

Connor nodded, "Where's Dana?"

The young slayer was in a fetal position on the ground sobbing. "Mom, Dad," she wept.

Buffy went to her and put her arms around the crying girl, "Shh it's ok let's get back to the hotel."

Dana had not said a word since she and Connor had been rescued from Drusilla. She just sat on a bed in the room serving as an infirmary, staring at the wall. Buffy watched her for a moment and then turned around shaking her head. "Another one we won't have," she mumbled. She glanced outside and saw Connor and Angel standing outside in the courtyard. "Hope Connor isn't as stubborn as his Dad," she thought. "Otherwise their fight might last awhile."

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Angel growled at his son.

"Trying to help someone Dad!" Connor replied putting a sarcastic tone on the word Dad, a tone Angel noticed.

The vampire stood rigid, trying to retain what little control he had left. "Did it ever occur to you that it might be a trap?"

"No, it didn't," Connor replied. "I thought someone was in trouble. I acted, tell me you wouldn't do the same."

Angel sighed; tired of all the fighting he had been doing lately. "Look, from now on you get more help than just one inexperienced, mentally unstable slayer ok?"

Connor rolled his eyes in a typical teenage fashion but agreed, "Yea ok, but," Connor stopped as he noticed Angel look around. "What is it?"

"Go inside," Angel ordered. "Go get help now!"

Connor obeyed his father and left Angel to face his other child, the one he had made over a century ago. "Don't worry Daddy," he heard her say as a dozen or a variety of demon and vampire backed her. "They don't want your little boy just yet, they just want you. Come with us and nobody will get hurt."

"Somebody help!" Connor screamed as he busted through the door of the Hyperion. Spike grabbed him by the arms.

"Whoa, what is it kid?"

"Your, your Spike," Connor said frantically. "Angel, my dad, he told me to get help, he's outside!"

"All right, calm down kid," Spike replied. "Where is he?"

"The courtyard," Connor answered.

"Okay, let's round up some backup and see what Peaches has gotten into."

"Drusilla," Spike hissed as he sniffed the air.

"You sure?" Buffy asked.

"I can smell her, she was here, and I'd wager she brought a small army and probably dragged Angel to who knows where." Spike replied.

"We have to save him!" Connor said frantically.

"Calm down Connor," Cordelia had been trying to comfort the youngster since they went outside to find Angel missing."

"It only took us a minute to get out here," Spike said.

"What are you implying?" Connor glared at the vampire.

"I believe Spike may be suggesting that Angel may have gone with Drusilla willingly," Marcus said joining the conversation as he investigated the scene. "No real sign of a struggle," he kneeled and touched the ground. "Spike you could probably tell better than I, but I detect no blood."

Spike seemed to smell the air more closely, his vampire senses taking everything in. "I think a fight may have started, but otherwise I think your right, How did you know all that?"

"I'm full of surprises," Marcus said with a smirk.

"This is all just great," Buffy interrupted, "but how does this help us find Angel?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found," Giles said.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Buffy snapped at her Watcher.

The Englishmen looked sourly at them all. "I think we must recognize the possibility that Angel wanted to go with whoever came given his recent track record."

Cordelia glared at the Watcher. "I hope your not saying what I think your saying."

"He has spent the better part of a year working for the greatest evil on earth," Giles barely got the words out of his mouth when he felt himself slammed against the wall.

"You ever say anything like that again and I'll rip your throat out Rupert!" Spike's face was vamped out and he was not happy.

"Take your hands off me Spike," Giles grunted.

"Or you'll do what Rupert?"

"Spike, put him down now!" Buffy demanded.

Spike smiled wickedly, "Sure thing pet."

"Oof," Giles made the sound as Spike dropped him to the ground. "Bloody idiot vampire," he grumbled.

"If you are all done I think I may have a plan to save Angel," Marcus spoke. "That is if no one has any objections to saving him." Everyone stared at Giles.

"Fine let's save the bloody fool," Giles scowled.

Marcus smirked a tad amused at the obvious hatred between Spike and Giles. "Good, Spike do you think you could track down Drusilla?"

"Yea, I'm sure I could smell her out," he replied.

"Good, your vampire senses will be useful. You, I, Faith, and Willow will find Angel.

"Wait," Connor said. "I'm going too."

Marcus shook his head. "No you are not; I have chosen this team for a reason. Spike and I can track Angel and Drusilla, Faith will provide some extra fighting skills and Willow's magic can be useful on all fronts. We are all that is going."

Connor started to argue but was interrupted by Cordelia. "Connor we need you here."

"Cordelia is correct," Marcus agreed. "If another attack on the hotel is made we must have strong warriors at the ready to defend it."

Cordelia placed her hands on Connor's shoulders. "Marcus and the others will save Angel, he's too important for them not to, but you need to stay here.

Connor nodded weakly, "All right." The teen turned to Marcus, "Don't let them kill him, he's given everything for me.

Marcus nodded, and then addressed the others. "The plan is this, Spike, Faith, Willow, and I shall find Angel. Buffy, I suggest you and Giles form a defense plan in case more forces are sent to attack. I don't know what the Wolf, Ram, and Hart are planning but I don't want any more surprises."