Chapter 3

Sheridan pulled Dana out of the car and with the aid of several uniformed officers marched Dana in front of a big man in blue. "Sergeant, get this girl's prints." Sheridan walked out.

Daryl looked at the Sergeant, "She is a murder suspect."

Daryl caught up with Sheridan, "What's with you?"

"What? The girl killed that old man."

"You don't know that for sure, and even if she did, you are way out of control. You know you can't just start pushing and shoving a suspect in custody. She was not resisting."

"The girl had a machete." Sheridan's voice was tight and strained. "How should I treat a person that carries a machete?"

"That's even more a reason to be careful and not try to set her off."

They walked into the main office and sat down at their desks. In about 10 minuets they were called into the captain's office. "Sergeant Alberts just called up." The man said.

"That's fast," Daryl said. "Does she have a record?"

"Don't know yet. He tried to get her prints but she fought back and destroyed his entire desk. He says he and several other officers were putting her into a holding cell to let her cool off when an inmate across the hall said he saw her before."

Both detectives were listening intently, "Who said they knew her?" Sheridan asked.

"One of the less injured boys from the park two nights ago IDed her."

"You're kidding," Daryl said. "It's her?"

"Well that would be your job lieutenant. Get to it."

Sheridan and Daryl left the office. They went out into the hall and were heading down stairs to speak with the sergeant.

"We need to talk to the guy from the park and see if any of his buddies in there with him will cooperate." Sheridan said.

"Yah, I know the drill."

"Hay," Sheridan stopped, "Why don't you call Piper Halliwell. She saw the girl."

"Okay, I'll give her a call." Daryl said. Before they reached the door Daryl stopped and held Sheridan by the shoulder. "What did forensics find off the tapes from the Hospital? Were they able to see the guy in black?"

"No, they saw him but his face was always turned. If this is the girl than we can find out about him as well."

About an hour later Sheridan was sitting across a table with three kids from the park. She had already talked to the one that had said that this was the girl that attacked them in the park. These three were keeping their moths shut.

"Well, is this the girl or isn't it?"

"Look…officer," one dark skinned boy said, he looked Latino, "I've never seen that girl before, and I don't want to see her."

"Are you afraid of her? Is that it? Jeez, she's behind bars and you are afraid of what? That she might break out and beat you guys down like your palls in the hospital?"

"Look," another boy said, "this ant the girl. Toney was wrong."

"Fine," Sheridan said. She got up and left the interrogation room. A uniformed officer took the boys back to their cells. Sheridan saw Daryl looking at her. He had been listening from behind the one way merrier. "What?"

"I think they are afraid of her."

"Jeez, you think."

"Hey, I'm on your side here."

"No, Lieutenant, your not. This case is starting to reek of the Halliwells, and not just because Piper Halliwell was a witness. You're still protecting them."

"Fine, believe what you want, Sheridan. I'm going to go call Piper and see if she will come down to identify the girl." Daryl turned around and walked off and left a fuming Sheridan behind.

Piper picked up the phone off the rack. "Hi, Daryl, what's up?" She was balancing Chris on her hip as she maneuvered the phone to her shoulder.

"Hi, we brought a girl in to day. She fits the description of the girl from the park," Daryl's voice said over the phone. "A guy already identified her but his buddies are afraid to agree with him. We need you to come down and see if you can get her out of a line up."

"O…okay," Piper said. "I'll just um…take care of things here first and will be right over. Piper hung up the phone. She really didn't know what to do. On one hand she knew she should go and identify the girl but on the other hand she was also a bit worried about what if it was the girl. The kid had saved her life but there was something that just made Piper nervous.

"Hi," Phoebe said coming in from the living room. "You know I think I'm finally starting to get used to my sabbatical. It's nice having a day to just do nothing. I was reading this book about a guy on a ship…"

"Daryl called," Piper interrupted. "He thinks they found the girl."

"The girl from the park?"

"Yah, um…they want me down there to identify her."

"Well you should go."

"Phoebe the girl saved my life and the DA wants to prosecute her. How can I repay someone like that with turning her over?"

"Honey, listen to me." Phoebe said. "This kid saved your life, and Chris' life and Wyatt's too. For that I give grate thanks but the police do have a reason for trying to catch her. If this is her than you need to go and identify her. If you don't it will look suspicious and the last thing we need is Sheridan having more reasons to look in on us."

Piper slowly nodded her head. "Your right." She put Chris into his high chair. "Can you look after the boys for me?"

"Sure, but don't you want someone to go with you?"

"Yah, I'll call Leo."

"Um…okay, but in his state do you really think you should bring him to see this girl, you know just in case she is demonic?"

"Phoebe," Piper said, in the drop it tone.

"Okay. Butting out."

"Good." Piper then went into the foyer and called, "Leo!" No orbs. "Leo! Come here now."

The orbs came and Leo appeared. "What, did something happen?"

"The police say they have found the girl from the park. They want me to do a lineup and identify her." Piper said.

"Okay, so lets go." Leo reached out to take Piper's arm.

"Leo, we can't orb to a police station," Piper said. "We'll take the car."

"Oh…alright," Leo said as Piper lead the way out the front door.

Phoebe looked at baby Chris, "I just hope your dad keeps it together." Baby Chris gurgled and Phoebe smiled and took Chris up to bed, it was getting late anyway.

Angel passed back and forth back at the warehouse. Illyria stared out a window. Her cold blue eyes never blinked once. She knew what Angel was worrying about, she felt the same. No…not worrying, that was the wrong word. Both Illyria and Angel knew of Dana's abilities and strengths. She could handle almost anything that came her way. The Worry was not for Dana directly but more for themselves and what they may deal with in the Slayer's one day permanent absence.

The sun had set over an hour ago. Angel had held himself back from looking for Dana figuring she was just making her way back. He had had no problems letting her go on her own when he figured she would have found nothing but what if he was wrong and she found something or something found her.

Angel and Illyria had stayed bellow and swept through the sewers. They destroyed several nests of vampires and a small group of demons. Through out the search no creature 'flamed'. Illyria had stayed silent most of the time except to speak before and after she had committed 'violence'.

"I'm going to go out and look for her," Angel said. He was still wearing his long coat and made his way to the front door.

"I shall accompany you." Illyria said and turned to fallow. "I grow board waiting for the child."

The two of them walked out into the shadows. It was with ease for them to move over the roof tops or going between alleys and hiding in shadows. Angel could have walked out on the side walk but he didn't want to have to deal with the other people. It was easier to avoid them all together.

Angel and Illyria perched over the edge of a small roof top. Below them was a cop car. The two officers inside were talking. Angel concentrated on the sounds and his vampire hearing filtered through the space and car to hear what they were saying. Illyira was more or less ignoring the police.

"So, did you hear?" Officer one said. "Daryl caught a psycho with a machete."

"Wow," cop two said. "Can you believe what is going down these days? This used to be a good place with out all the gangs."

"Well, what can you do?" cop one answered.

Angel pulled away from the roof's edge and looked at Illyria, "A psycho with a machete is being held by the police."

Illyria looked at him, "Dana?"

Angel looked at her with the 'who else look'.

"Which police fort do we look for her at?" Illyria asked.

"The cops were talking about a third officer, my bet he is from their precinct. And since cops are assigned beats I'd say Dana would be being held at the closest one from hear. We'll need a map" Angel said.

"Or we can inquire the information." With that Illyria jumped off the side of the building and with out a sound landed on the balls of her feet. The cops hadn't seen her. She stood up and Angel could see her morph. Her cloths changed form leather to cloth, and her hair went from blue to brown. Ever her skin changed from white to a human peach. Her pants altered into a short minny skirt and the top into a low cut blouse.

Angel's chest grew tight, Fred, his Fred was now where Illyria had once been. No, no can't think like that. This is Illyira; she is just taking on Fred's likeness. It's the same as a mask, like the one he wore to make himself look human.

Fred/Illyria walks up to the police car from behind and smiles at the driver (cop number one). "Hi," she says and bends over at the waste to lean into the window, "can you guys help me, I'm looking for the police station and…well, I just don't know where it is." She flashed a weak and helpless smile. The same smile Fred used to give.

Angel watched from his roof perch. He was surprised for the most part; Illyria was a really good actor. He realized that the tightness in his chest was gone; the pain of loosing Fred to Illyria was becoming less. That was both a good and bad thing at the same time.

"Well, our precinct is just a few blocks from here," officer one said. "Is there something wrong, ma'am?"

"Oh, no" Fred/Illyria smiled. "My friends and I are new here and we agreed that if we got separated that we would meet up at the police station, that's all."

"Well, can we give you a ride," officer two asked. He raised his eye brows and gave her a wink.

Fred/Illyria smiled, "No thanks, I'll walk. I might see my friends on the way over. Thanks anyway." Secretly Illyria wanted to smash the man's nose in. This man was on duty and he should perform it diligently with out filling his small human brain with ideas of the opposite sex. She walked away and went behind the corner and on to the sidewalk.

After walking a block away she stopped at an alley. Angel walked out of the Alley. "Well done, I didn't know you could work so…smoothly."

"There is much I can do, vampire," Fred/Illyria said. She maintained Fred's exterior but her demeanor and posture had changed into Illyria. "We can go and recover the child." Angel nodded his head and they both fell into step beside one another and walked down the sidewalk.

Piper and Leo parked the car in the station's parking lot and got out. They both walked up the steps and into the building. Daryl met them down the hall.

"Hi," Daryl said.

"Hi," both Leo and Piper said at once.

"So, you have the girl?" Piper asked. It was a stooped question but it help fill the silence. Despite Daryl helping them out, there still was a kind of uneasiness between them.

"Yah," Daryl said more than willing to fill the silence. "She is not very cooperative and they are having trouble moving her."

"Oh," Piper said. There was more silence.

"So," Daryl said, "what are we going to do if she is a demon?"

"Well, if she is a demon I think she wouldn't be here," Piper said.

"Oh...yah...right." Daryl said.

The three of them were walking down the hall to the small room where they could view the girls for the line up. "If she is a demon, we can handle it," Leo said. Piper looked at him. She wasn't sure if he meant take care of it in her freezing and runny away or he blowing her up with lightning bolts. "Just saying," Leo said.

Angel and Fred/Illyria entered the building through the front door. Both made sure to keep their faces low so the security cameras couldn't see their faces. Angel took a sniff of the air. "Dana," he said. "I can smell her."

"It amazes me how you half breeds can separate one filthy human sent from another," Illyria said.

"Practice," Said Angel. He surveyed the area. There were too many cops with guns, so no frontal assault. "Check the holding cells," he whispered to Fred/Illyria. I'll see if I can get a distraction." With that the two separated.

Angel was familiar with police stations. He had visited them several times when he and Kate had been on good terms. She at least was a success story, or as much of one as Angel got these days. After he saved her from overdosing on pills she stopped hating him. Last he heard from her was that she got an assumed name and identification and went to law school. She was now somewhere up in New York City and was a DA or something like that.

He looked around the office and looked like he belonged there. No one bothered him. That was good. Finally she found what he wanted. He then went back out and found a spot to lean against the wall out of anyone's way.

Fred/Illyria walked confidently into the holding cells. A guard tried to stop her but he was an obstacle easily overcome. He would regain consciousness with in the hour or so. She stashed the unconscious man in one of the cells and draped a blanket over him so no one would see him.

"Hold on honey, we don't want to hurt you!"

Fred/Illyria looked up from her task at the sound. There were sounds of a struggle going on a ways down behind a corner. She moved up and poked her head around to take a look. She saw Dana wrestling with four big police officers. She wasn't really fighting them; if she had she would have laid them all out in moments. Dana was simply resisting just buying time.

Fred/Illyria walked out from her hiding spot and came up to the guards. "Excuse me," She said in a happy girly voice. "Um, I'm kind of lost."

A guard turned around to look at her leaving a space for Dana to see her too. Dana's brow furrowed. She had never seen Fred but at the same time she could see the likeness to Illyria. Fred/Illyria walked forward after the guard said stay there and then she faked a fall that landed her at his feet.

"Shoot, these heels. Man you would think I should wait to think before I leave the house while wearing them. They're such a distraction." She said as she picked herself up.

"Ma'am," the big guard said, "you can't be back here."

"Oh, well I was just lost. You see I am here to report loosing my puppy. Her name is Dana, and well she is always escaping from her leash and…"

"Miss, I will take you back and you can report on your puppy."

"Oh, thank you, you see she is really nice but she always fights her way free when everyone else is distracted…"

"Come on ma'am." The officer took Fred/Illyrai's arm and led her the other way. "Can you boys take care of her? Make sure she stays still for the line up," he yelled back to the other officers.

Dana had stopped struggling. That had bin Illyria but she was different. Then the answer came to her. She was accenting certain words: leave, distraction, escaping, fights her way free, distracted. Dana figured it out. She had to fight her way out when there was a distraction. Later she would ask what happened to Illyria to make her look like that.

Dana cooperated with the officers after Illyria had left. She held up a number card, four, and walked into a room with several other girls that looked very much like her. She looked into a large merrier that showed all five of the occupants. But before she turned to the left with the other girls a loud piercing ring emanated all around her, a fire alarm.

Piper was with Leo and Daryl along with Sheridan in the observation room. She saw the five teens walk in. Her hart almost skipped a beat when she saw the kid. Piper, now having a good look at the girl, saw so many things she didn't notice before. The kid's hair, face and cloths were dirty and disheveled, even worse than when Piper had recalled her.

"Its number…," Piper said slowly but a fire alarm sounded all through the room. For a moment everyone was in shock from the surprise.

Sheridan looked at Piper with her steely glare; it was obvious that she was thinking Piper was behind this. "Which number did you say?"

Piper was covering her ears and Daryl was moving everyone out the door. "What?" Piper said over the defining ring.

Just then all four persons in the room are stunned again by the one-way mirror shattering and a figure throwing her self through it. The girl rolled on the ground then was up in front of the group.

Sheridan moved to intercept her. "Halt." The girl grabbed Sheridan by the shoulders and brought her knee up into Sheridan's stomach. Then lifting her up threw her against the opposite wall. Sheridan was paralyzed by the pain and the air being knocked out of her.

The girl turned from Sheridan and with amazing speed moved for the door. Daryl was behind both Piper and Leo, blocking the door but the girl just took him and pushed. All three people went flying through the door and were met by the wall on the other side of the hall. The girl ran right past them and down the hall.

Leo got up to give chase leaving both Piper and Daryl on the ground. With the sudden supper human strength his mind found only one answer, demon. He rounded the corner and ran through the offices and out the front door. He could see on the other side of the street the girl running towards two other figures.

A cop car spun around the corner trying to block off the trio's escape rout. As Leo ran to get closer he saw something he had never seen before. The man turned to him from across the street but his face was distorted with ridges more like an animal than a human. The creature moved to the center of the street over a man hole cover. It pulled the cover up with one arm and threw it like a frisbee letting it smash into the cop car destroying the front.

Leo forgetting anything about Piper or restraining his powers in public let loose a lighting bolt that struck the back of the demon's shoulders. It went flying forward but instead of vanquishing it landed on all fours then stood up in a combat stance. It's demonic yellow eyes made contact with Leo's blue eyes but instead of shimmering or throwing a energy ball or fire ball it turned its attention from him and fallowed the girl and young woman into the sewers.

Leo was still standing at the base of the steps to the police department when a horde of cops swept the area. Then he remembered leaving Piper inside and ran back to her. Daryl was helping Piper to a seat.

"Are you alright?" Leo asked concerned.

"Yah, no thanks to you," Piper said. Her voice was both filled with hurt and anger.

"I'm sorry, it was just…" Leo started to say.

"She has a sprained ankle, Leo," Daryl cut in. Then in a whisper, "I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you."

Leo nodded his head and saw Sheridan coming up from the back. She looked like the crap had been beaten out of her. "I'll take Piper home. Letter her rest up that ankle," Leo said.

"I don't think so," Sheridan said. Her voice was weak but still held the detesting tone she always had toward the Halliwells. "You both are staying and giving statements on what happened."

"She is hurt and we don't need their statements," Daryl said. "You saw just as much as they did."

Sheridan was about to argue. "And we don't even have the suspect in custody anymore."

Sheridan had a staring contest with Daryl for a moment before her obvious exhaustion got the best of her. She turned and walked away. Daryl didn't have to say anything and helped Leo get Piper back to her car. Then Leo and Piper drove back to the Manner.

Dana and Angel with Illyria, now back in her true form, were making their ways through the sewers. "Keep moving guys, it will take them awhile to come down her but they will," Angel said. He grunted in pain from the injury on his back.

"What happened?" Illyria asked.

"That's what I want to know." Angel said and looked at Dana.

"I meant concerning you injury," Illyria said.

"I know what you meant. Lets get back to the warehouse and then I'll tell you."

Dana was just coming down from her adrenaline rush. "Thank you for saving me."

Angel was silent but Illyria was not. "We do not leave our own behind. To do so would be cowardly."

After they had traveled several miles through the sewers and above, through back allies and dark streets, they made it back to their home for lack of better words. Dana collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. Angel and Illyria separated. Illyria went to make a fire so Dana could warm up and dry off from their excursion and Angel went to a small cooler to pull out some stale bread and water. While he was there he took one of his few remaining blood packs. He too was hungry.

After Dana had a chance to dry off and eat something she seemed much more like her normal self, quiet. "So, are you going to tell us what happened?" Angel asked after taken a gulp from the cold blood pack.

"I was searching for what had killed the girl but I didn't find anything," Dana started. "After several hours I was going to turn back but I came across the street kids robbing the store." She paused recalling how they had though she was one of them. "They though I was one of them and were surprised when I fought them. Then one of them got away and the police came. The red haired woman said I had killed the old man, which I didn't." Dana made the last part very specific. "I didn't kill anyone, just like you said." Angel nodded his head in understanding. Illyria ignored it as if it was inconsequential if she had killed him or not. "Well after they tied me up I asked my self what was I supposed to do. We help people but was I supposed to fight these people? They weren't doing anything wrong. So I stayed put. I only started fighting back when they tried to take my finger prints. I know about them because Faith used to talk about having hers taken and then it being a reason she wore gloves a lot and I just didn't want them to have mine.

Dana continued uninterrupted by Illyria or Angel. She told how one of the boys from the park identified her when she was put into the cell. Then she heard how the other boys wouldn't say it was her. Then she described Illyria in Fred's form and then everything up to the three of them getting into the sewers.

Angel finally let out a breath. "Well, the first thing is they don't know who you are. This is a good thing. I'll bet any security tape from the store only got the girl running out and then you running in so they would think you were her."

"What about her face or her weapon," Illyria reminded. "They still have those."

"I'll take care of them. Tonight," Angel said and stood up.

"It would be more prudent to move," Illyria offered. "We have no ties here and we can simply relocate."

"No," Angel said. "This place is having something happening to it. That body we found; I want to find what did it and stop it."

Illyria looked at Dana and then up to Angel, "Why go through all the effort?"

Angel looked at both his companions but then focused on Illyria, "I've been running for a year now. That was from the worst evil in the world, no bunch of DAs is going to scare me out." Then he was quiet for a moment, "We can do some good here. That was once what we used to do. I want that back."

Illyria didn't say anything and let Angel leave again.

"He never said what attacked him," Dana said quietly.

"I know," replied Illyria.

The car drove into the drive way. Piper got out of the car and tried to limp to the steps.

"Piper, let me help you," Leo tried to get her arms but she batted him away.

"No, you just stay away. You go hunt your demons," she said angrily.

"Piper, at least let me heal it."

"No," Piper said and struggled to get up the stairs. It was obvious that it was painful for her.

Leo finally just waved his hand and she orbed from the out side into the living room on to the couch. Leo fallowed and reappeared before her in a shimmer of orbs.

"You used your powers on me," Piper said in clear surprise.

"Well you weren't making it easy."

"I can't believe you used your powers on me."

"Well you blow me up."

"Don't compare me to you!"

"Um, guys," Paige said coming in from the kitchen.

"What!" Both Leo and Piper said.

"Okay, okay, don't bight my head off."

"Sorry," Piper said and then glared at Leo.

"Well, I just thought I should tell you that the boys are asleep and Phoebe just hit the hay so keep it down," Page said and ran up the stairs.

Piper and Leo just stared at each other. "Well are you going to say something?" Piper demanded.

"Would you like me to heal that for you?"

"No!"

"Fine," Leo said and orbed out.

Leo orbed into an alley back behind the police station. He was angry at Piper but the rational part of his mind told him that he had to make sure that there was no exposure. He had been a fool to use his powers when he did. There could have been a security camera on the out side of the building and if there was he needed to find it. And if there were any witnesses, Leo had brought along a pouch of memory powder with him.

The station was pretty quiet because almost all of the night shift was out looking for the girl that broke out. Leo slipped in unnoticed. One guard saw him but a pinch of dust took care of that problem.

"What are you doing here?"

Leo jumped from the surprise and spun around. He ran face to face with Daryl. "Oh," Leo let out a breath of relief, "Its you."

"Yah, its me," Daryl said. He looked behind him and shoved Leo into the stairwell. "What are you doing here?"

"I used my powers to get the demon and…"

"Waite the girl's a demon?"

"I think so or at least a warlock. That would explain her strength, but even if she isn't the guy helping her was. His face was…he was a demon."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I used my powers and now I need to get rid of the evidence."

Daryl looked like he was suppressing a desire to curse but he held back. "So how are you going to do that?"

Leo held up the pouch of powder. "Memory powder."

"NO!"

"Shuuuuuuuu," Leo said at Daryl's outburst.

"No," Daryl repeated in a low voice. "No magic."

"Well I don't know what else to do."

"Okay," Daryl said and straitened up. "We'll go upstairs and see if there were any security camera's picking up your light show and then you do what ever, but then your out of here."

"Got it. Which floor?"

"Third…"

Leo grabbed Daryl's arm and they orbed into the dark hallway of the third floor. "Okay lead on," Leo said.

Daryl looked both stunned and pissed but again bit it back. "This way."

"Why is it so dark up here?" Leo asked as they made their way down the hall.

"I don't know, maybe a few lights went out."

There was a lighted room at the end of the hall. Daryl walked towards it. "What's in there?" Leo asked.

"It's the security room. That's were we keep all the building security system controls."

They both walked into the room and looked around. Daryl immediately went for his gun. Leo had his hands up ready to fire. A guard at the desk was lying in his seat unconscious. Daryl reached for his wrist and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"He's alive," Daryl whispered. Behind the guard's desk was a door that led into another room. The door was closed. Daryl gestured with his gun, "That's the control room."

Taking point Daryl kicked the door in rushed in only to be put out cold. Leo jumped in after him but met with a different fait. Leo's eyes widened. It was the man from earlier tonight. His face was human but Leo could tell by the cloths and long black coat. He raised up his hands to take a shot but the man was much faster. With a swift sidekick Leo went flying back into the wall. He had the wind knocked out of him but was not hurt. He took a shot and a quick burst of lightning shot out but the man was not were he was.

Before Leo knew it the man was at his side. With moves too fast for Leo to register the man grabbed his outstretched wrist in one hand and the back of Leo's shirt with the other. In the next move Leo was lifted off the ground and before he could orb away his head met the wall, hard. The man then dropped Leo on the ground next to Daryl. Leo was barley conscious but he saw the man turn around and going back to the control panel pick up a video tape and several pictures. The man put them into a mettle trashcan and set them on fire with a match and some litter fluid he took out of his coat. The man then came back to Leo.

Leo looked up into his dark face. The man was young, but his eyes seemed to burn into Leo. With his left hand the man lifter Leo up off his feet and held him against the wall. "I want some answers," the man said. "Starting with who the hell you are?" The man held a machete in his right hand.

Leo was too disoriented to struggle but he tried to grab the man's arm that held him up. The man's arm was like solid stone; it wouldn't budge. Before Leo could answer the fire alarm went off again because of the burning trash can. There was a loud rumble of people coming from the hall. The man dropped Leo and in one leap jumped out the window. Leo didn't have time to see what happened. He grabbed Daryl and orbed them both out and back to the Manner. When the cops burst in there was only the first guard and the burning trash can.