Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming. I will be in San Diego for five days this weekend and next week. I hope to update one more time before then, but we'll see, as I also have finals this week.

Previously:

"Don't you worry now, little girl, that wound isn't fatal," he said. "But I did smother that bullet with poison, so you're going to feel a little disoriented for a while, until I've got you chained up where I want you."

"What…" Hailey muttered, her tongue becoming thick and heavy, and her vision blurring over.

"Don't try to talk, honey, you're just going to make it worse," Caleb said, kneeling down in front of her. "You and me, I think we're going to have lots of fun."

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Water was dripping from a broken, disintegrating pipe somewhere over top of her. Every couple of seconds, a drop of stale, brown water splashed down on her face. It smelled rotten. She did not know where she was, but she got the distinct impression that she was underground. A single light bulb swung from a string in the room, flickering on and off in a nauseating and disconcerting rhythm. The poison was working its way through her system. She could barely lift her arms, but each time she tried, pain shot through her shoulder. She could feel the bullet jabbed into her skin where it did not belong, scratching against bone and tissue. Blood seeped from the wound onto the floor and diverged, like ripples in water. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell into an uneasy slumber.

"Tell me a bedtime story," she begged as her father sat on the edge of her bed. He was wearing a suit with a blue tie. He looked tired and old, but he smiled. Nodding his head, he pulled her covers up to her chin and folded his hands in his lap.

"Once upon a time," he began in a gruff voice, "there was a girl. She was the most special girl in the whole world."

"Why?" Hailey interrupted eagerly.

Quentin smiled. "Patience, my child, is a virtue," he extolled. Hailey frowned, but remained silent. "This girl, she had a destiny that no one else in the world had. A beautiful destiny." Quentin's eyes took on a faraway look as he spoke. "This girl was a Slayer. She was stronger than any other creature on the earth. More powerful. She moved like a shadow in the night and nothing ever penetrated her."

"Is that what I'm going to be, daddy?" Hailey asked, yawning widely.

"Yes," Quentin answered softly. "That's what you're going to be. You see, my little girl is going to be a Slayer one day. You're going to have a great destiny and nothing will ever stand in your way."

"But then I'll have to fight the monsters," Hailey complained, her eyelids growing heavy.

"The monsters will all fear you. And you'll be able to rest easier at night knowing that you'll be protecting little girls all over the world, just like you now, who can't defend themselves," Quentin said. He looked down at his daughter and noticed that she had fallen asleep.

"And when the time for the next Slayer comes, you'll finally be able to rest," he murmured, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "My baby girl."

"Well, doesn't she just sleep like an angel," Caleb remarked, leaning over Hailey. Hailey's eyes shot open and she attempted to slide away from him, but her muscles would not cooperate with her wishes. "I'm almost sorry to have to wake you."

"What…" Hailey stopped, shaking her head in hope of finding some clarity, "what do you want?"

"What I want is really very simple. You see, I want you and all of the people like you to die so that the one, true evil can reign over this world. And seeing as to how you're the Slayer now, and not that other bitch, so long as I have you, I have the key to the entire line of Slayers," Caleb explained. "You see, if I kill you, another one will be called, and what good would that do? So I guess you and me are just going to have to put up with each other until I've killed all of the Potentials and the other two Slayers and there's no one left to take your place."

"And then what?" Hailey croaked. Her throat was raw. She painfully swallowed, feeling as though every time she spoke, she was ripping open her flesh.

"Then I'm going to kill you. It's a hard destiny to face….being the last one. But I have a feeling that you're just strong enough to bear it," Caleb said, grinning.

"You know, Caleb," the First Evil said, appearing from behind the preacher, "I don't think she quite understands how powerful we are."

"You don't think?" Caleb asked, glancing over his shoulder at the specter resembling Buffy.

"I think maybe you should show her just what we're made of," the First replied, smiling smugly.

"Why, that's a good idea," Caleb replied. "Boys," he said as two Bringers rushed forward and grabbed Hailey under the arms. They dragged her out of the cell that she had been placed in and deposited her on top of a cold, metal table in a larger room. They shackled her arms and legs to the table and backed away into the shadows. "I've always been a fan of torture," Caleb said, moving into the room. "I think it shows the true character of a person."

Hailey squinted in the harsh light of the bulb shining directly over her face. "Of course, it won't be pleasant," Caleb continued. "But I think when we're done, you'll have a much better understanding of yourself." Hailey laughed, the sound echoing throughout the room. Caleb stared down at her in confusion. "What is she laughing at?" Caleb asked, looking back at the First, who looked quite angry.

"What are you laughing at?" Caleb demanded, looking down at her again.

"Whatever you do to me, Caleb," Hailey said, "couldn't possibly hurt as much as I already hurt."

"What are you talking about?" Caleb growled. "We haven't even done anything yet. One, little gunshot wound and you're acting like it's the end of the world."

"Not all wounds you can see," Hailey murmured. "Some just run deeper."

"She's just trying to throw you off," the First replied, stepping forward. "Begin."

Caleb smiled coolly as the Bringers brought him a tray. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we?" He said, picking up a lighter. Caleb flicked it open and Hailey watched as a flame ignited. He slowly lowered it to the palm of her hand, watching her face as he pressed it against the skin. A tiny curl of smoke rose from her hand and she could smell her flesh burning. But the pain was nothing like the pain crashing through her heart.

Hailey smiled. "Is that all you got, preacher? A little fire and brimstone. I'm not impressed."

"Oh, we're just getting warmed up, little girl," Caleb replied. "I don't think you're going to be so glib in a couple of hours."

………………………………….

"Buffy!" Willow said, crashing through the door of Buffy's bedroom. Buffy bolted awake, glancing around wildly.

"Calm down, Red, what is it?" Faith asked, grimacing as pain crashed through her mind. Her headaches were not going away.

"Hailey," Willow said, trying to catch her breath. "Hailey left."

"What're you talking about?" Buffy asked, sliding off of the bed and rubbing the sleep from her face.

"Hailey saw Kennedy kissing me in the backyard and just took off," Willow explained.

"You kissed Kennedy?" Faith questioned in surprise.

"No," Willow said defensively. "She kissed me."

"I don't see the problem," Buffy replied.

"She's out there somewhere," Willow said, gesturing wildly out of the window. "Where all of the evil is."

"She's a Slayer," Faith said. "She can take care of herself."

"She probably just needs to walk it off, Will," Buffy added. "I'm sure she's pissed off and confused. She'll be back in the morning and you can talk to her then. But I wouldn't go looking for her. It'll only make her angrier."

"I can't believe you two," Willow said angrily. "You're not even worried about her."

"Of course we're worried," Buffy said in exasperation. "But nothing's going to happen to her. She just needs time. I know you're emotional right now. But overreacting is just going to make everything worse."

"She thinks you were kissing another girl, Red," Faith continued. "She needs to wrap her head around what she saw and realize that you would never hurt her like that. But she needs to do it on her own. All of the explaining and justifying in the world isn't going to do any good if she isn't ready to hear it."

"Forget it," Willow muttered, stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

"You said Hailey's out there?" Spike asked. He was standing several feet down the hallway, very obviously listening to the conversation between the three women.

"Yes," Willow said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't care if she is a Slayer, she shouldn't be out there. It's too dangerous."

"I agree," Spike replied. "So let's go find her."

"Really?" Willow asked, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Spike smiled kindly and nodded. "Really."

………………………………

Hailey's lungs were screaming for air, but she could not breath. Finally, Caleb yanked her out of the water. Breathing deeply, she could not stop shaking. The water was freezing. Caleb had her kneeling on the floor in front of a tub of ice water. "Are you starting to understand now?" Caleb asked. Hailey's teeth were chattering in her skull. When she tried to speak, she bit through her lip.

"I still don't think she is," the First said, obviously enjoying the spectacle.

"That water feel good on your burns?" Caleb asked, inspecting the blistering burn marks all over her face and neck.

"It feels bloody great," Hailey managed to say, blood spurting out of her mouth when she spoke.

"Again," the First commanded.

Hailey sucked in a breath as Caleb shoved her face back down into the water. Even her bones felt cold. Closing her eyes, she waited until she could breath again.

……………………………….

"We're going to have to go back soon," Spike said, glancing up into the sky. The sun would rise in an hour. Already, the sky was turning a light shade of gray.

"I know," Willow said worriedly. "But we've checked everywhere and no one's seen her. Where could she have gone?"

"Let's check the park," Spike replied. "It's close by."

"Okay," Willow said. They walked in silence to the park, each lost in their own thoughts. "Why are you helping me?" Willow finally asked. "We've never exactly been friends."

"No," Spike agreed. "But I like to think that Hailey and I are. She's different than the other Slayers, you know. She seems to understand the human in the demon. She doesn't look at me like I'm a vampire."

"She's a good person," Willow said.

"Yeah, she is," Spike agreed. "Stop," he added suddenly.

"What?" Willow asked.

"I smell blood," Spike stated, surveying the ground intently. "Over there." He began walking, Willow trailing behind him, to a bench in the park. A pool of blood stained the grass in front of it.

"That could be anyone's," Willow argued.

"But it's not," Spike said grimly. "That's Hailey's blood."

"How can you know that?" Willow asked anxiously.

"I'm a vampire," Spike reminded her. "I can tell."

"What are we gonna do?" Willow asked.

"Head back to the house," Spike said, then added from the incredulous look Willow shot him, "something tells me that Buffy and Faith will listen to you now."