The plan seems to work for several days. Morgan has no more nightmares, and the pair become very close. When they are together they spend time talking and they each learn that the other is not exactly the same person they once were.
The morning of the fifth day, Morgan and Xander are awakened by a knock on the bedroom door. Vic peeks in the room, "I don't want to wake you, but I found this on the door step when I went to get the paper." She hands Xander the plain white envelope. Written in a neat hand on the front is simply the name Lance.
He looks at Morgan, a little confused and tears open the envelope. In side he finds a handwritten note and a lock of red hair. The note reads,
'You have something that belongs to me. When you return it you can have back what belongs to you.'
Xander looks at the hair in his palm, "He has Willow."
"Oh no," Morgan says, putting her hand to her mouth. "This is all my fault. How do we find her?"
"First we get Buffy, then we meet him where he indicated. He left directions for us." He hands her the note and climbs out of bed.
An hour later, they stand with Buffy in front of a cave entrance. "Are you sure you can't reach Giles?" Morgan asks Buffy.
"Yes, he had to go out of town. He won't be back till tomorrow."
Morgan looks at the cave entrance, the dread she feels evident on her face. "Morgan, are you alright?" Xander asks, putting his arm around her.
"I can't do this again. I can't ask you go in there Buffy. It's all the same as before. Let me go in alone….. That's what he wants…." she says, but is cut off by Buffy.
"Yes, that is exactly what he wants and it is not what he is going to get."
"But, this isn't your fight," Morgan replies.
"Yes, it is my fight, I am a Slayer. This is what I do."
"And that is why I sent Gwinn to her death," Morgan says as the tears well up in her eyes. "I can't let you both put your life on the line for me…. Not again."
"Well, it isn't your decision. I have a job to do. You are not telling, or letting me do anything. If you want to come along, that's fine, but I'm going in with or without you." Buffy stands before her waiting for an answer.
"She's right, Morgan. I won't blame you if you don't go in, but I have to go with her. Willow is my friend, and we have to get her back…. And we are not letting him have you to do it." Xander kisses her forehead and turns to walk with Buffy into the cave. Morgan stands for just a moment before jogging to catch up.
They walk deep into the cave and eventually come to a small cavern. It is furnished with a few chairs and a bed barely seen in one corner. It is well lit with candelabras and they can see Willow laying in the middle of the floor. She seems to be asleep and they can see she is chained to a metal loop in the floor.
Buffy rushes forward to her friend, but before she can reach her a figure walks from the shadows and steps between the red head and the group. Though he is dressed in more modern attire, it is the same young man that Buffy had seen in Morgan's book. "Well, well," he says in a soft, but powerful voice. "A new attack strategy, Morgan?"
"You can't use that day against me, Mordred. I am no longer a Watcher. These two are here of their own free will, I did not send them."
"No, but they are still here because of you. Now I will be able to claim two more Slayers, one I over looked and a new one, how pleasant." He steps back behind Willow and kneels next to her. "You know I don't favor red hair, but her blood will taste even more sweet because it will hurt you, Lance."
"I don't know who you're talking to, Lance-a-lot is dead, has been for a long time," Xander says, angrily.
"What you call your self now matters little to me. A seasoned warrior or a frightened little boy, I will still enjoy killing you."
"Let her go, Mordred, it's me you want." Morgan says walking forward. "If you let them go you can have me."
"No, he'll let her go or he'll die." Xander says, putting his hand on Morgan's shoulder to stop her.
"Do you really think that I would miss the chance to kill all of you? Morgan, you under estimate me. I have gotten over you, it has taken a long time, but… I don't want you anymore."
Morgan moves Xander's hand from her shoulder with a look that begs him to trust her and walks forward a few steps. "If you let her go, you can have me, Mordred. I will give my self to you willingly, like you wanted so long ago." She begins singing,
'Catch me as I fall Say you're here and it's all over now Speaking to the atmosphere No one's here and I fall into myself'
Mordred stands once more, looking amused and watches Morgan. "Your not a good liar, Morgan."
'This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away If I will it all away Don't turn away Don't give in to the pain Don't try to hide Though they're screaming your name Don't close your eyes God knows what lies behind them Don't turn out the light Never sleep never die'
"Stop it, Morgan, you only put her in more danger by trying to trick me." Mordred says, starting to look a little unnerved.
'I'm frightened by what I see But somehow I know that there's much more to come Immobilized by my fear And soon to be blinded by tears I can stop the pain if I will it all away If I will it all away'
Step by step as she sang, she drew near to him. Inches from him she looks him in the eyes, "Isn't that what you had promised me?" The look on his face is somewhere between lust and hunger, while she speaks. "To stop the pain, to never sleep… To never die?" She reaches up and pulls her hair to one side and tilts her neck so that he has a full view of her neck.
He looks at her longingly then leans in, his fangs bared, then he spins around and grabs Buffy's hand. She had snuck up behind him while Morgan was distracting him. "Now you will all die." he says and back hands Morgan into the cavern wall, knocking her out. He pushes Buffy to the floor and turns to face the charging Xander.
The two exchange several punches and Xander is knocked down. Buffy had time to recover and attacks Mordred with several kicks and tackles him to the floor. They roll back and forth, always to far away from a stake for Buffy to finish him.
He gains the advantage and gets the Slayer on her back and bares his teeth ready to drain her. Over his shoulder, Buffy sees Morgan walk up behind him. She raises her hand and swings her arm over his shoulder as hard as she can, piercing Mordred's chest with the stake she had picked up.
The vampire doubles over and rolls off of the Slayer onto his back. Morgan steps over to him and watches him, knowing the stake is not quite deep enough to kill him. "You could have had me a long time ago, if you had not lied to me, Mordred. I almost loved you,… but now you are just a memory." She raises her foot and kicks the stake all the way into his heart and watches as he turns to ash.
Xander approaches her slowly, "Are you ok?"
She bends down and digs through the ashes. When she stands again she holds up a key. "It's over," she says handing Buffy the key. They unlock and revive Willow and make their way out of the cave.
They find out that Willow had only been given a sleeping pill in her drink the evening before at the Bronze, and there was no harm done to her. They all went home and after taking showers, Xander and Morgan find themselves in her bedroom alone.
Xander sits on the edge of the bed looking upset. "Xander, are you alright?" Morgan asks, standing next to him.
He stands and faces her, "What you said to Mordred,…"
"Yes, Xander, I almost loved him. When I met him, I did not know what he was and he said and did all the right things. He drew us to that cave to make me submit and allow him to turn me. I told him it would never happen, and I guess it affected his ego. I had no idea he lived through that night, even if I had known, I didn't think he would even know he could find me again. I was wrong. I under stand if you don't want to see…"
"Morgan, I love you," he cuts her off with the simple phrase. She looks at him and sees he is sweating and rubbing his hands together nervously. "You… aren't the Morgan that Lance once knew and loved.." He stops like he unsure of what to say next. "I know Morgan Feya, and… that's the one I love. I love you Morgan, not a memory. I know that now. I realized it when you tried to give your self to him to save Willow. It hurt so bad to think that he might take you from me" He looks at the floor then back up to her. "I didn't ask you before, but…."
She puts her hand to his lips, gently. When she looks into his eyes, all she sees is Xander, a teenage boy, scared to death that the girl in front of him will turn him down,… and she smiles. "Lance is finally at peace," she says as the tears falling from her eyes. "Yes, I love you, not Lance, Xander." She Wraps her arms around his neck and Xander and Morgan finally have their first kiss. THE END?