-Hyperion-
Everyone stood by the cars outside with the exception of Buffy and Willow who were waiting for the results of Willow's pregnancy test. They stood outside the bathroom door for the two minutes needed. Willow looked Buffy in the eye and took her out of her stare in to space mood, "How you doing?"
Buffy sighed and rolled her head along the wall, "It's been a long couple of weeks."
Willow nodded, "Oh yeah. We should take a vacation after this."
Buffy nodded, "Yeah, sure, if we're not all dead."
Willow glared at her and changed the subject, "Conner is amazing."
That put a smile on buffy's face, "He really is. I hadn't really thought about how kids would change my life ever since Angel told me he couldn't have them. I loved him so much then and when he said it wasn't possible every other chance at kids went away." Willow gave her an awe and she continued, "I mean there was that scare with Riley but I never really got scared or happy about it, it was like it wasn't happening. Like it could never happen unless it was Angel. Guess that was the truth huh?"
Willow grabbed her best friends hand, "This is all going to work out Buffy."
Buffy shook her head and looked Willow in the eye once more, "No it's not." She let a tear fall, "He still doesn't want to be with me. He still doesn't think it's going to work."
Willow wrapped the somewhat crying slayer in her arms, "Oh Buffy, you don't know that. He...he could just be really confused and he doesn't know yet or..."
Buffy shook her head, "I can feel it Will, he doesn't want to be with me."
Willow spoke in her stern comforting voice, "You listen to me Buffy, Angel could never stop caring about you, ever! No matter what's been going on or what will that's never going to change. Now let's go make sure I'm not a demon and then go home." Buffy smiled, wiped a tear and followed Willow into the bathroom.
-Outside The Hyperion in Shadows-
Everyone stood around leaning on cars and waiting for Buffy and Willow. When they walked out and witnessed the deadly silence Willow sighed, "Who died?"
Buffy smiled and addressed everyone, "Who's riding with who?"
Cordelia shrugged, "Why don't you Sunnydale people take the car you came in and we'll take Angel's car."
Buffy looked Angel in the eye hoping he would object but it was Conner who made the objection, "I'm with Buffy."
Buffy was suddenly sorry for the pain in Angel's eyes. Somehow she knew her new found closeness with Conner would hurt him in some way. She only nodded, "Let's ride then. The sooner we get there the sooner we die. No point in putting it off."
Angel watched Buffy walk to the car and hop in first. Spike looked at Angel when Conner followed her, "Don't worry peaches. I'll keep the family safe."
Spike winked and ran towards the car under his coat. He hopped into the back seat knowing the sun was up. Willow looked at Angel and whispered in his ear before leaving, "You be careful this time. Be careful or you're going to lose her."
The words rung in Angel's head as he watched his family drive off. He looked at everyone else from L.A, "Gunn, you're driving. Let's go."
Cordelia watched as Angel sighed and stared at the car that had just driven off for a few seconds before running for his own under his coat. It was going to take a lot to keep Buffy and Angel apart, especially with the kid being hers now too. As she walked towards the car she knew that Buffy was starting to become a real BIG problem.
-Sunnydale Car-
Buffy looked at Conner and then at Spike before smiling, "So, how are my boys?"
Conner ignored her completely and stared her in the eyes, "Am I going to like your home? Will they like me? Do they know about me?"
Willow giggled a bit and kept her look in front of her but spoke to Conner, "Oh sweetie, remember what I said? Buffy's loves you so we all do. It's true for everyone but Spike and Angel. Xander can't stand them."
Spike sighed, "It's not like I can stand the ponce either."
Conner smiled, "Who's Xander?"
Buffy thought about it, "He's your uncle." Buffy grabbed Conner's hands, "They're all going to love you, what's not to love?" Conner only smiled but the nerves in him still lingered.
-L.A. Car-
Faith was squirming all over the back of the very cramped car. "Damn I should of road with the Buffy. Too many people in this damn car."
Wesley sighed, "I couldn't agree more."
Fred giggled from the front seat, "Imagine Buffy's house. All those girls must make the place pretty crowded."
Faith was still extremely annoyed, "No place is more crowded then here." There was a silence for about five minutes until she couldn't help herself, "Are we there yet?" Everyone sighed and groaned as Gunn just drove even faster.
-Woods-
A teenage girl continued to run through the woods out of breath and glancing back every few seconds. She was running for her life as bringers were chasing her down like prey. When she made it to the road she noticed an old pick-up truck and ran in front of it waving her arms in the air.
She even started to cry out, "Stop! Stop! Stop, please!" The driver slowed down and stopped before the girl ran to the passenger door and screamed through the window to the confused driver, "Please get me out of here!"
The man was dressed in a preacher get-up and spoke with a southern accent when he questioned her, "Was someone hurt? What is it?"
The girl opened the door, hopped in and shut it, "Just drive sir, please."
In the truck the girl finally got the time to catch her breath. The man gave her a few seconds as he drove away from that part of the woods until his curiousity overcame him, "Well, that was, uh... Are you all right?"
The girl was still panting when she answered, "Thank you. Thank God you were there."
The man smiled, "Well, let's not give him credit for everything. No, I'm funning you. I don't believe it was a coincidence. I also don't believe young girls should be out in the woods late at night...Should be tucked in bed."
Girl sighed and spoke softly, almost a whisper, "I wish I was."
The man agreed with her, "I expect you do at that. Look, I don't mean to pry, but those boys... they looked like... Well, you didn't happen to fall in with devil worshipers, did you?" The girl stayed quiet and didn't answer as her gaze stayed glued to outside, "Na, I'm... I'm sorry. You, uh, you look like you've been traveling a while. I didn't think that... Is there some place you'd like me to drop you? You heading some place?"
The girl nodded, "Sunnydale."
The man half smiled again, "I'm going there myself. I ain't never been, but I expect we could find a police station..."
She cut him off instantly, "I just need to get to Revello Drive." The man nodded and the girl started to feel a little uncomfortable as she finally noticed what the man was wearing, "Um, thanks, Father..."
The man smiled, "Call me Caleb. Never was nobody's daddy."
The girl half smiled back, "I'm Shannon."
Caleb was once again curious, "Well, Shannon, you feel like telling me why those Freaky Joe's were after you?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, do you ever think that maybe they were chasing you because you're a whore?"
Shannon was taken completely by surprise. She looked at Caleb and scoffed, "What?"
Caleb stayed as calm as ever during his explanation, "Now, I know what you're thinking. Crazy preacher man spoutin' off at the mouth about the whore of Babylon or some-such. That ain't me. I'm not here to lecture you. I mean, what's the point?" He pressed in his dashboard cigarette lighter as he continued, "My words just curdle in your ears. Wouldn't take in a thing." Shannon stopped paying attention and got nervous as she stared out the window. "Head's filled with so much filth that ain't no room for words of truth. Well, you know what you are, Shannon? Dirty."
Shannon was defenitely offended so her teenager attitude kicked in, "What? I'm not! What're..."
Caleb cut her off, "Now, now, now. There's no blame here. You were born dirty, born without a soul. Born with that gaping maw wants to open up, suck out a man's marrow. Makes me puke to think too hard on it." It was then that Shannon discretely grabbed the side door handle and tried to open it but there was no handle and she was trapped. Caleb only shrugged it off, "Yeah, that there door's problematical. I don't know as I could recommend steppin' out at this speed anyway. You're like as not to tumble some. But, of course, there's my boys back there...Ooh, they hate to miss a mark."
Shannon was instantly shocked, "Your boys?"
"Well, they ain't exactly my "blue eyed boys" but they're hard workers. And they don't truck with Satan...that was just me having fun. Satan is a little man." Shannon reached for the steering wheel but he pushed her away easily and pinned her against her seat. He shook his finger at her, "I don't like back-seat drivers."
Caleb reached the dashboard and grabbed the cigarette lighter. He placed the heated coil of the lighter on a ring he just happened to be wearing on his middle finger of his right hand and pressed it for a moment. Shannon saw what was happening and cowered, "Please...don't hurt me."
Caleb seemed disappointed but not surprised, "Well, now, is this the part where you offer to do anything? Because I tried to make it clear, you got nothin' I want to explore." Caleb put the lighter back in the dashboard and pressed his heated ring into Shannon's neck which made a horrible sizzling sound. She screamed with shock and pain.Caleb only fed off her pain, "Oh yeah. That's it! That's a cleansing fire. Hallelujah! Now, if I'm not mistaken, there's two cars a little ways behind us, and I do believe there's some folk in it goin' the same place you are. Now, I want you to deliver a message for me, you tell the one and only, the original, accept-no-substitutes slayer. Would you tell her something for me?"
Shannon was scared into speaking, "Yes."
He seemed sincere as Caleb said thank you but then he took out a knife and within seconds the knife was imbedded into Shannon's stomach. Caleb lent in to whisper in her ear before backing away with a smile, "Now, let's see what we can do about that door."
-Highway-
Caleb kicked open the door and threw Shannon out. Without a look back or anything Caleb and the truck were out of sight. Shannon wasn't alone and bleeding on the ground for long as Willow slammed on the breaks. The sun had set and everyone in the car hopped out. Buffy was first to her still moving body and noticed the mark upon her neck instantly but didn't recognize it.
Buffy saw the girl blink and made sure she was okay, "Are you OK? Can you hear me? Can you talk?" The girl just lay there obviously not too conscious. That's when the L.A. car pulled up and everyone hopped out. Angel and Faith were by Buffy in seconds. Buffy looked up at Angel, "This girl's bleeding badly. She has a mark on her neck so I'm guessing she was a messge from some new player but if we want her to tell us what happened we have to get her to the hospital."
Faith sighed unfazed, "Yep. Guess I'm back in Sunnydale."
A/N - Th car part with caleb is to the script and I didn't like it, sorry. I know late update but I just re-read this story and ideas are flowing a little more. Thanks a bunch for reviews, I love it love it love it!