Chapter 23

"I can't wait till the babies get here." Dawn said. She and Buffy were curled up in the den watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They were still in their pajamas and it was around three in the afternoon. Angel and Connor were at the Hyperion doing whatever it was they did at the Hyperion.

"Well, you're going to have to be here when the babies get here." Buffy shot at her little sister.

"I really don't know what came over me."

"That boy."

"He's really a great guy."

"Whatever you say. All I know is that until you met him, you were happy here."

"You know, I haven't called him in almost a week."

"And you're not going to start now. Besides, that scene where Legolas slides down the stairs on that shield is coming up."

"You can keep your Legolas, I want Aragorn."

Buffy laughed. "Pass the Ben and Jerry's!" Dawn picked up one of the containers. It was Karmel Sutra. "No, no, the other one." Dawn grabbed the purple container that said 'Phish Food.' "Yes!"

"You're going to be huge!"

"I'm already huge. Pass a spoon too."

Dawn handed her a spoon. "Anything else?"
"The whipped cream looks good."

Dawn passed the whipped cream canister to Buffy and watched as the Slayer positioned it over the ice cream container. "You're going to spray it in the carton?"

"Why waste time doing dishes? It's easier this way." Buffy sprayed a ton of whipped cream in the middle of the carton, scooped up a large spoonful, and shoveled it in her mouth.

"God! I swear, pregnancy baffles me."

"That's why you shouldn't have kids until you're much older."

"Hey, do you think that they're planning on storming the place where Shy could be?"

Buffy shrugged. "I doubt it. They wouldn't want to risk the wrath of me. It's bad enough when I'm not hormonally driven."

"I don't know. I think they might."

"Let's just watch the movie and enjoy the quiet. Once these kids get here, it's not going to be quiet at all."

"We need to keep this quiet." Willow said. Everyone was convened in the office after getting the phone call about the compound in England. "Buffy would flip out if she found out."

"I can't believe we didn't see this coming." Giles said. "I feel like such an ass that I left."

"It's Buffy. You left for her." Angel said.

"All those girls. They never saw it coming."

"We didn't either."

"Yes, and we should have." Angel was silent. "I need to get back there. Try and salvage what's left."

"I've arranged for the survivors to come here. No need to go back there for nothing."

"This isn't nothing, Angel. This is war and it's begun."

"It began a long time ago." Angel sighed and moved around the desk to lean on the front of it, facing Willow and Giles in the chairs.

"What are we going to do?" Faith asked.

"My question in when are we going to hit Shy?" Connor asked.

"This is no time…." Giles started.

"This is the perfect time!" Connor snapped. "They've attacked us and we're just sitting around here talking about how sorry we feel. We need to do something! We need to hit the Powers where it hurts."

"And where's that?"

"Shy!"

"He's been in remission for quite some time now. I doubt he's their biggest weapon anymore."

"Maybe that's why he's been in remission." Xander said. "He's been growing a new arm and restocking the strength cans in aisle Hell."

"And what about Elijah?" Faith asked.

"What about him?" Giles asked.

"Well, he's connected to Shy. Why don't we just smash and crash his face and make him tell us everything?"
"It's a good plan…."

"Except that I can't find him." Connor said. "His apartment's been cleaned out, there's no records of him being at school, and it's only been five days since I followed him."

"I think the Powers are setting up their pawns in this game." Illyria said. They all looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"I believe that something more than just a birth will happen when the Slayer begins the stages of labor."

"You get visions?" Spike asked. "That wasn't on my chart."

"I do not get visions. But I feel the energies of this world shifting and preparing. The air around this city is becoming charged. It is filled with something I cannot describe with words."

"That doesn't sound too good." Faith said.

"No, it doesn't." Giles said. "Illyria, is there any way to feel the epicenter of this charge?"

"I have not ventured out into the city, but I could find out." Illyria said.

Angel cleared his throat. "Ok, Connor, Illyria, Faith and I will go to the place Connor found. We'll see what Illyria picks up on the way."
"Does someone need to bring a chart?" Spike asked.

"No, no chart. This is strictly recon."

"Right."

"Willow, you work on souping up that protection spell on this place. Call the furies if you need help. Xander, can you be errand guy?"

"Always am." Xander said. "What errands?"

"Whatever Willow needs and when those Slayers start arriving, we'll need plenty of blankets and pillows."

"Got money?" Angel handed Xander his credit card. "What's the limit?"

"There isn't one. It's linked to one of my accounts in Europe."

"Nice."

"Necessities only."

"Scout's Honor."

"Giles..."

"I'll help Xander prepare for the Slayers." Giles said.

"Good." Angel started to walk out, but stopped. "Oh, and guys?" They all paused. "No one tells Buffy about this. If she calls, we went out shopping for more weapons."

"Got it." Willow said.

"What am I supposed to do?" Spike asked.

"Play guard dog." Angel said as they walked out of the office.

Connor led his father, Illyria, and Faith to the apartment that he had followed Elijah to. Illyria had mentioned that the energies were varying. They weren't stable. Connor stopped them just outside the building and they looked at Illyria.

"I feel nothing." She said.

"What?" Connor asked.

"Let's just go inside." Angel said.

"Big Blue and I'll cover the rear entrance. Meet you at the top." Faith said, heading around back with Illyria in tow.

"How does she know where it is?" Connor asked.

"She doesn't. She's just good at snooping and finding trouble." Angel said. "Lead the way, son."

Connor took the lead and quietly mounted the steps. There was no sign of trouble all the way to the highest floor. Faith and Illyria joined them a moment later from the rear stairs. They shook their heads. Connor pointed at the door that Elijah had gone in. Angel walked to the door and pressed his ear against it. There were no sounds behind the door. He looked at Connor as if to say, "You're crazy." Connor looked at him and walked up to the door. He didn't hear anything either. They motioned for Illyria to come and check the energies.

"There is nothing." Illyria said. "Not even a trace of demon energy left behind."

"He was here." Connor said.

"Calm down, Connor." Angel said. "Let's just knock on the door."

"Oh yeah, and when Shy comes and pulls off YOUR arm..."

"He's not. We'll just... run." Angel knocked on the door before anyone could say anything. After a few minutes of silence, he tried the knob. It was unlocked. Angel glanced at the others and pushed open the door. "Moment of truth." He stepped across the threshold with no problem.

"Guess that proves half my point." Connor said as they stepped into the empty apartment. As they looked around, they realized that this place was indeed too new to be part of the building. "And here's the other half."
"Illyria?" Angel asked.

"I am sensing a faint trace of demon inhabitance here, but it has been covered over." Illyria said from the middle of the room.

"We need to find Elijah." Faith said.

"Why?" Angel asked.

"He's involved in all of this."

"What do you got?"

"Nothing. I'm saying let's find his ass and make him talk."

"I'm with Faith." Connor said.

"Of course you are, Smash-and-Crash." Angel said. "We don't know that he's..."

"Ok, stop right there." Faith said. "The kid here saw what he saw. He isn't lying. We're standing in a swanky, billion-dollar apartment in the middle of Skid Row and Big Blue over there is picking up something on her Demon-dar. Elijah's involved and you need to jump on the bandwagon here."

Angel sighed. "Fine. Faith and Connor, go. Find Elijah and bring him back here. Illyria and I can check out the rest of the buidling and the neighborhood, see what crawls out of the garbage."

Giles watched as Xander brought in the last of the bags from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. He and Willow were unloading the sheets and blankets and pillows and stuffing them in a large cabinet they had found buried in the basement. Spike burst through the doors loaded down with grocery bags. Xander had parked in the shade and Spike was able to help unload everything.

"There's still twenty more bags out there." Spike said, heading for the kitchen. "These bleedin' refrigerators better be working." He muttered.

"I can't believe how much money I spent." Xander said. "Wal-Mart was insane. I cleaned them out of Ramen Noodles and most of their soups."

"You did get milk, yes?" Giles asked.

"It's still in the van." Xander headed out of the doors just as Spike came back out of the kitchen.
"Are they working?" Willow asked Spike.
"Don't know. Didn't check." Spike said, walking outside.

Giles rolled his eyes. "I'll put the groceries up, you finish with the beddings and what not." He said to Willow, heading for the kitchen.

Willow sighed. "Sure Giles. I can do that."

"It's not healthy to talk to yourself." Xander said, walking in carrying more bags to the kitchen with Spike right behind him.

Willow finished putting up all the covers, blankets, sheets, pillows, and towels and headed to the kitchen. "Guys, what about clothes?"

"What about em?" Spike asked.

"Those poor girls probably don't have anything left. They're going to need clothes and shampoo and conditioner and..."

"I got it Will." Xander sighed. "Guess I'm going back out."
"Gosh, are we having a party?" Dawn asked from the doorway.

"Dawn!" Willow gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Buffy's looking for Angel. He's not picking up his cell phone."

"Where is she?"

"Out in the lobby sitting down. She can't waddle too far. So, what's going on? Surprise party for the babies?"
"Not exactly." Giles said.

"Then what?"

"Dawn... Something bad has happened." Willow said.

"About the babies?"

"No. You'll know soon enough, but we need you to distract Buffy. Keep her away from here at all costs. Can you do that?"

Dawn looked a little confused. "Uh, yeah... Sure. Where's Angel?"

"He's out with Connor and Faith and Illyria."

"Illyria? Why would he go out with her?"

"Dawn, please just distract your sister. We'll tell you everything later."

Dawn sighed. "Oh sure, give me the impossible job."

"Nah, it's easy." Xander said. "Just take her to Baskin Robbins with Angel's credit card." Dawn raised an eyebrow and then turned and headed out. Buffy was sitting on the settee looking at a large cabinet that had appeared behind the reception desk.

"What's that all about?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know." Dawn said.

"Go check it out for me."

"It's probably just more weapons and magick-y type stuff."

"Please."

"I'm hungry. Let's go to Olive Garden and get you an all you can eat pasta bowl and all of the breadsticks and salad you three can handle."

"Sounds yummy."

"Then let's go."

"Not without Angel and Connor." Buffy crossed her arms and rested them on her stomach. "I'm not leaving till Angel and Connor get here."

Dawn sighed and headed back to the kitchen. "She won't leave." Willow, Spike, Xander, and Giles stopped unloading groceries and looked at Dawn. "She turned down the all-you-can-eat pasta bowls at Olive Garden because she doesn't want to go without Angel and Connor."

Willow sighed. "All right, I'll call Angel and get them back here."
"Where'd they go?" Buffy asked from the doorway.
"You know, for someone who's balance has to be off, you sure can sneak." Xander said.

"Where'd they go?" Buffy repeated, ignoring Xander.
"They went out shopping." Giles said. "For more weapons."

"What's with all the food and that cabinet out there?"

"We're just preparing."

"For a nuclear winter?"

"We want to have all of our bases covered." Willow said.

"Whatever. When's Angel and Connor coming back?"

"Right now." Angel said, walking in behind them.
"Boy, you superheroes have the best timing." Xander said.

"What's going on? Why are you here?" Angel asked Buffy, ignoring Xander.
"I came to find you." Buffy said.
"Why?"
"I was worried."

"I'm fine."

"Where's Connor?"

"He's out with Faith."

"Good, let's go and get him and go out."
"Go out where?"
"The Olive Garden. I want pasta and breadsticks and salad... And for some odd reason, a Shirley Temple."

"I can't right now..." Buffy glared at Angel as tears started to well up in her eyes. "But, I'm sure I can get Willow and Giles to cover everything." That perked Buffy up. She was all smiles now.

"Good, then let's go." She started to drag Angel out of the kitchen and towards the lobby.

"Now?" Buffy turned and glared. "Is as good a time as any. Let's go."

Just as Buffy reached the lobby, the main doors swung open and six teenager girls walked in. They were all haggard and tired looking and seemed as if they were on the brink of either falling over or crying. Maybe even both. "Oh my God." Buffy said. She rushed over to the girls, obviously sensing they were Slayers. "What happened?" The girls looked confused. They looked at Buffy strangely. Buffy turned and looked at Angel. "What happened?"