Disclaimer: I own no one ... yet.

Author's note: Thanks to, Moonjava, Ka-mia2286, ReganX, Marcus Lazarus, nookyfiction, Darklight, Euley, Little Illy, SpecialEddie, rcaqua, angel-cordy, and Digital-Dragon-Master, for reviewing the previous chapter!

Your reviews mean so much to me! lol.

Oh, and I started a new Buffy story called "Born Yesterday," if anyone wants to read and review it.

"Cordy," Liam called, as the five year old ran past him at 100 miles an hour. "Come see our picture."

The little girl didn't stop running, even though she knew she'd regret it when her hair got all knotty as a result.

"It was a present for Fred," Krev informed the blur, sounding slightly less stiff. "Something cow ... humans like even more than killing Drokkens."

"They're playing weapons," Wes yelled, as Cordy sped further down the corridor.

"Bang, bang, CRASH," Liam added happily.

A door slammed.

"Father says it's rude to slam doors," Wes said seriously, no longer yelling.

Liam nodded in agreement. "Father would be sure to call her a filthy wench for that."

"Liam!" Fred scolded gently, her wet hair still dripping from the bath.

Little Fred took her hand out of Fred's, and sighed in a very grownup way. "I'll go and speak to her," she said responsibly, pointing to the room which Cordy had shut herself in. Then, before anyone could stop her, the tiny Texan ran after her potential friend, just as Krev spoke up, "What's a wench?"

Lilah collapsed against a wall, moaning in pain, her hands clutching her stomach. Her legs gave way, and she fell onto the floor.

"Lilah?"

Her head span, pictures occasionally coming into focus, a male voice drifting in and out of her mind.

"Stay with me Lilah."

And then she was on her feet, being helped to her desk. "Wesley?" she asked feebly.

"What was that?" he asked suddenly, confirming that it was him, as a loud crash of metal clanged outside the room.

"The fat lady singing," she quipped, her head rolling back.

"Lilah!" he said again, shaking her gently, noticing her bleeding stomach for the first time. "What happened?"

"It was a game," she said sarcastically, despite her injuries, looking down at the red patch on her shirt, where the Beast had plunged his hand into her abdomen, "How many fingers can we stick into Lilah before she screams." The lawyer paused with a pained laugh. "We used to play that, remember?"

Gunn turned to Angel, having watched the scene silently. "Them two?" he mouthed in confusion.

Angel gave a brief nod.

"Dude, that's just weird," Gunn continued. "It's like ... "

"Where's Connor?" Angel demanded, interrupting Gunn and causing Lilah to jump; she hadn't realised anyone else was there.

"Fighting the good fight," she said dismissively, turning back to Wes who had started inspecting her wound. "The building automatically shuts down under full scale attack," she warned him.

"Lilah!" Angel tried again.

"Windows, doors, air vents. Nobody gets in or out."

"Where's Con ... "

The door crashed down and the Beast stood, menacingly, in the space where it should have been.

"Oh boy," Gunn muttered.

"What are you doing?" Little Fred asked shyly, as Cordelia emptied drawer after drawer. She didn't know what she was looking for yet, but she would when she found it.

"Nothing," the little girl lied. "Why?"

Fred sat on the bed, playing with her thumbs nervously. "Just wondered, is all."

Cordy stopped what she was doing and sighed dramatically. "I'm going to find Daddy," she explained, making an effort to sound big and brave. If she had to tell someone, then they might as well be in awe of her.

Fred's eyes widened, "Nuh-uh," she said in disbelief.

Cordelia nodded, sitting on the bed next to Fred. "Don't you wanna find your daddy too?"

Fred thought for a moment. She did miss her parents a lot, even more than tacos, but she knew they'd find her in the end, not the other way around. Her mommy and daddy always found her, even when she wasn't lost, just like she always found Feigenbaum, even when he fell down the side of her bed. "No."

"Are your parents mean?" Cordy asked in a sympathetic tone, unable to think of any other reason why she wouldn't want to find them. "Mine are sometimes. Daddy said I can't have a car till I'm a lot bigger," she held out both hands, "Maybe not even till I'm 10!"

The door creaked open and Krev stuck his head around. "Are you a wench?" he asked Cordy, unable to get an explanation out of a speechless Fred.

"Yes," Cordelia decided, unsure what it meant, but certain it was something good, maybe like a Princess. "A Royal wench."

"Come on Lilah," Wesley insisted, an arm around her waist, guiding her to safety. "There must be a way out."

"Poor Bastard," she said dryly, noticing Gavin's body outside the supply closet where he had been trying to escape. Then she realised, "It's in there."

Wesley helped her inside without questioning it, closing the door and leaving Gunn and Angel with the Beast.

Lilah began rifling through the rolls of toilet paper, just as Gavin had done, while Wes watched her curiously, "Are you sure this is ... " he began.

Lilah, pulling on a lever, didn't answer him. He could see for himself that the gaping hole in the wall meant she'd found a way out.

XXXXXXX

The Beast glared at Angel, its eyes shining red.

The vampire glared back, both him and Gunn armed with weapons.

"Connor."

At the sound of the Beast's gravely voice, Angel realised it hadn't been looking at him at all, but behind him, at his son.

Angel turned quickly, "Connor," he said in relief, although aware that the Beast had said it two seconds before. "Thank God."

"Uh ... Angel," Gunn started, getting his attention, as an earth shattering crash sounded through the halls of Wolfram and Hart. "Looks like our friend had an elsewhere to be."

The vampire turned again in confusion, to see a huge hole in the ceiling, and no Beast. "Damn!"

"I bet my mommy and daddy will be pleased to see me," Cordy thought aloud, with a happy smile. "They'll probably have lots of presents."

Fred walked beside her silently, regretting following the little girl already. However, the tiny physicist hadn't wanted to see Cordy in danger, so she'd stupidly gone after her to make sure she was safe.

"Mine won't be pleased," Krev said sadly. "Mother says I belong on the maggot pile."

"Why are you here then?" Cordelia demanded, honestly confused. If he didn't want to go home, then why had he followed her?

Krev shrugged. He, like Fred, had been thinking the same thing. He'd only wanted to know what a wench was, and Cordy had said that they were like Princesses who looked for their parents.

"Go away then," she continued, annoyed to be held back by a confused demon.

He looked around at the dark surroundings and shook his head. He wasn't courageous like the rest of the Deathwok Clan, and he didn't want to go anywhere alone at night.

Cordy sighed angrily, just as Fred screamed.

A huge demon, larger than any Drokken Krev had ever seen, and made of more rocks, or what looked like rocks, than Cordy's favourite necklace, stood in front of them, with Fred in its hands.

All three children burst into floods of tears.

Fred cried the hardest; all her life she'd wanted other people to believe aliens existed, and now, when one held her in its hands, she really wished they didn't.

"Put her down!" Cordy screamed bravely, stamping her foot. "Put her down, put her down, put her down!"

Strangely enough, the Beast lowered its face to hers and looked her straight in the eye, "Cordelia," it growled.

She leapt back, bumping into Krev, taking them both on to the floor, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Put her down!" she cried again, sliding backwards across the stony floor as fast as she could, to get away from the Beast.

It stepped back away from the children slowly, gently lowering Fred to the floor. "As you wish."

TBC: ...

Please review!