LEGAL A/N: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, UPN and the WB. The Dead Zone and all characters belong to Shawn & Michael Piller, Stephen King, Lion's Gate Television and USA Network. No profit is being made off of this and no copyright infringement is intended.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sequel to Real. Post-BTVS S7 "Chosen" and post-DZ S4 "Vanguard"

5: Kidnapped

Knox sat at a table in a dark, smoky room inside of a warehouse. The young man in his late twenties pushed his wavy, blonde hair out of eyes. He gazed around at the men in dark suits and sunglasses as they stood around the table. A tall, lanky man in a black suit with dark hair combed back strolled casually through the room as he eyed Knox carefully.

The physicist wondered how he got in this peculiar situation. He was driving home from his job at Wolfram & Hart after he had bitterly said goodnight to Winifred Burkle before she rushed off with Wesley, her new boyfriend. He remembered the cars coming out of nowhere and parking in front and around him on the street. The next thing he knew, he was being yanked out of his car and dragged into a dark van where he arrived here amongst this multitude of men that belonged on an episode of The X-Files.

Knox looked over at the only man without sunglasses as he continued to pace calmly in front of the table. He examined a red ring on his finger with some sort of symbol engraved on it. Knox had seen it earlier. He recognized it as originating from some demon cult, but he couldn't recall which one.

"Mr. Knox," the lanky man named Malcolm Janus smoothly began, "I have brought you here tonight because I believe we can help each other. We can find a useful resource in one another."

"What-what are you talking about?" Knox stuttered. "Did somebody set you guys up to this? Was it Richie?"

"I assure you, Mr. Knox," Janus answered calmly as he leaned on the table facing the nerdy little man. "If I don't know any Richie of yours. And if I did I would have him killed."

Knox's smile faded instantly as Janus' eyes burned into him. "What's this about?" Knox asked after a deep gulp.

Janus nonchalantly responded, "Have you ever heard of the novel 'Needful Things?'"

"Stephen King?" Knox replied. "Yeah, I've read it. Movie's all right."

"Well I have something that you might consider needful," Janus responded. "I know what you've been planning. What you've been wanting. The sarcophagus of the demon Illyria."

Knox's eyes widened ten times their normal size. "You have it?" he asked in disbelief.

"Not on me, no," Janus replied with a slow speed. "But it's something that I could easily obtain. It could be yours… if you agree to give me something in return."

Knox stared at him curiously and then asked, "Am I making a deal with the devil?"

Janus gazed at him in silence as a smile formed on his lips. "The ancient texts of Utarefson," Janus declared. "You have them. I need them. Normally, you would just be killed and they would be stolen from your dead corpse, but I believe myself to be… a nice guy. I do truly think this is an offer you should take, Mr. Knox. It would be foolish to resist."

Knox stared at him in distrust. "If I give you the texts of Utarefson, you'll give me the sarcophagus of Illyria?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"But I thought the sarcophagus was predestined to disappear."

"No, you twit," Janus spat, rolling his eyes in frustration. "You actually have to go get it." He sighed, surrounded by incompetence. "Kids today. Lazy, lazy, lazy."

"I don't understand," Knox answered, agitating him even further. "Nobody really believes in Utarefson. Those texts are useless."

"Then you won't have any trouble giving them up," Janus replied. "Now please don't mistake my kindness for letting you live this long as foolhardiness." He glared at him impatiently. "Will you take my gracious offer, Mr. Knox?"

Knox stared at him for a few moments with a dumbfounded expression. "For Illyria," Knox declared, "I'll do anything."

Janus grinned, "Then it's yours."

Bruce opened his eyes groggily as he stared up at the ceiling of the hotel room. He felt as if he had just emerged from a coma as he sat up slowly and gazed around the room. It was empty… Johnny was gone.

"Oh, no," he whispered to himself, realizing that the four intruders had stolen him. He looked over at the clock – he'd been out for hours. He pulled himself to his feet, using the chair of the table for balance. He glanced at the computer screen with blurry vision as something caught his attention. His eyes widened as he gazed at the open program.

"All right, Johnny!" he grinned as he fit the puzzle pieces together. Bruce pressed play on the on-screen sound recorder and heard Xander's voice through the speakers.

"I'd listen to the little lady. She's got quite a temper."

Johnny had recorded the last conversation he had in the room on the computer.

Bruce shouted at his cell phone as he tried to drive through the L.A. traffic. "Giles," he repeated. "I'm not sure if that's a first or last name."

Walt, on the other end working late at the police station, asked in confusion, "Is that it?"

"All that was said," Bruce declared. "They must have left Los Angeles a few hours ago. They're going to Rome. Three other people – two women and one man – names Willow, Dawn and Xander should be on the same flight. The Xander guy said something about Johnny buying his own ticket."

Walt's fingers quickly moved across a keyboard as he accessed LAX's passenger files. "I have a Rupert Giles," Walt announced. "Flight 180 from Los Angeles to New York City. He's catching a connecting flight to Rome. Forty-seven years old from Westbury, England. Guy's got a criminal record from his teens and twenties. Quite the youthful offender."

"And now he's got Johnny," Bruce declared with worry.

"He'll be landing in a few minutes," Walt replied.

Bruce answered, "You've got to stop them."

"I'm on it."

Johnny walked down the terminal of the JFK airport in New York with Giles, Dawn, Willow and Xander around him. Every move he made, they kept him under a close watch. He felt more like an ant under a magnifying glass. This wasn't going to work. Not like this. He needed to get away.

They continued to walk towards the baggage claim as Johnny placed his foot down and received a vision of the future.

Two security guards stood at the end of the hallway talking amongst themselves as they saw someone standing in the distance. "There he is!" one of the guards shouted. "Rupert Giles, stop!"

Johnny paused as a thoughtful expression arose on his face. The others stopped and turned to him, gazing at him accusingly. Giles, "We have a plane to catch. I'd try to keep up if I were you."

"I've got to go," Johnny declared as he looked around. He spotted a two doors that were opposite from each other in a nook in the hall. "To the bathroom," he added.

"Are you kidding me?" Dawn exclaimed.

Xander shook his head. "You can go on the plane."

"No," Johnny said, raising his brows. "I've got to go. Now." They stared at him incredulously and sighed, shaking their heads.

"All right, Huggies," Xander said, rolling his eyes. "I'll go with him. Come on. Don't try anything." Johnny turned around and walked calmly towards the men's restroom as Xander followed. The other three stood in the hallway and waited as the two of them disappeared into the bathroom.

Johnny entered and moved to the center of the room, listening as he realized that it was empty. Xander walked in behind him and let the door close. "Okay," Xander sighed in frustrated. "Now let's get it over—"

In a flash, Johnny slammed his elbow into Xander's face powerfully, knocking him unconsciously to the floor.

Xander and Buffy sat outside on a bench in the backyard of 1630 Revello Drive. Buffy wore a white, zip-up jacket while Xander wore a bright yellow, button-up shirt. The two of them stared at each other emotionally as Xander folded Buffy into his arms gratefully.

Johnny turned around and looked down at his motionless body. "Sorry, Xander," he declared. "I hope you'll understand." Johnny opened the bathroom door and slipped out. He hid on the other side of a wall from the Scoobies who stood anxiously outside as a mass of people passed them.

He faced the wall and looked around the corner to see the others not paying any attention to the entrance to the bathrooms.

Buffy opened the door to the women's restroom and exited into the terminal wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. She glanced around, making sure the hall was clear of security, and then retreated back as two officers walked by. She waited until a large group of people passed by the bathroom entrance, put on a pair of sunglasses, and inserted herself in the back of the group, carrying on as if she were a part of it.

Johnny pulled his hands away from the wall and stared at it curiously. "She's in New York," he whispered to himself. He looked around the corner again as another large group of people passed by. He jumped into that crowd seemingly, disappearing into the mass of busy, bustling travelers.

"There he is!" a shout rang out. Giles, Willow and Dawn looked down at the end of the hallway to see two security guards pointing at them. "Rupert Giles, stop!" The guards broke off into a run towards them. Giles, Willow and Dawn bolted for the men's restroom.

"Oh, god, I'm not supposed to see this!" Dawn exclaimed as she followed the others into the bathroom. They stopped in the middle of the room and stared down at Xander's unmoving body, his nose bloody from a devastating blow.

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed.

"Willow, can you get us out of here?" Giles asked as he reached down and grabbed Xander's body.

"Hold on," she declared, as she grabbed on to Dawn's and Giles' shoulder.

The security guards rushed into the men's restroom to find it completely empty. They searched each stall in utter bewilderment, but found no trace of the escapees.

From across the gate, Johnny watched as the two security guards rushed out empty-handed, shouting frantically into their radios. Johnny got away, but so did they. He didn't have to be psychic to understand that they would meet again.