Disclaimer: Do I look suicidal! No wait, I am suicidal, 'cause of the Muses that are showing up for this story!

Author's Note: Why is it that every time I write and decide to take a break because nothing's coming to me, my Muses decide to finally speak? It's infuriating, I tell you!

Author's Note 2: Alright, for everyone's info, this is a Buffy/Angel/Highlander crossover and nothing else. I don't watch television anymore, except for Buffy, Angel and the News on occasion, as well as read Buffy, Angel and/or Highlander fanfic. 'Nough said?

Author's Note 3: I've just had the most terrifying revelation of who the "villains" are supposed to be... SHUDDER! I can't even begin to tell you how scared stiff I am of who decided to show up and join forces! One I already knew of, but the other...GEAH!

Author's Note 4: Sorry this part took so long guys. I didn't have Writer's Block, but something close to it. I was Stumped. I knew what I wanted to do, I just couldn't get the words out for awhile. Again, sorry for the wait.

Author's Note 5: A collective "Thank You!" for all the feedback I've gotten. I've enjoyed every single word of it -- and in a few cases, gave me something to think about --. Keep it coming!

Twilight Unicorn: The Vampiric Unicorn (who is cringing in her seat as she hears maniacal laughter behind her, and cries out in desperation, "HHHHEEEELLLLLP!")

Part 2

LA: Hyperion Hotel, 8am, Day 1

"Tell them to leave me alone!"

"Dawn, you have to talk with them or you won't be able to go with Adam when he gets here!" Angel called in exasperation through Dawn and Spike's closed, locked and bolted door.

"I DON'T CARE!"

"Spike, talk some sense into her... Please! She'll listen to you!"

"No good, Sire. I've already tried. Got a bloody nose and nearly staked for it."

Angel leaned his head against the young – and not so young – couple's door and groaned in frustration. Just about then a policeman entered the hallway and went towards the souled vampire. As the officer came to a stop, Angel looked wearily out of the corner of one eye, and said, "Yes?"

"We're done questioning your wife, sir. All we need do is talk to your daughter and go."

Angel closed his eyes and nodded slowly once, then said, "Give me a few more minutes and I think I'll be able to get her downstairs to talk. She's still upset."

The officer nodding in understanding said, "Very well, sir," then turned around and left the way he came.

"Dawn, your hear that?" Angel called gently through the door. "They'll go as soon as you tell them what they want to know."

Angel waited as he heard Spike quietly talking to his daughter, and her replying every once in a while. Five minutes later the door was unlocked and opened as he backed away. Holding Spike in a near death grip – and he her –, Dawn glanced at her father before going down the hallway. Angel followed after a moment when he heard Buffy call to him, sighing heavily.

LA: Hyperion Hotel, 9pm, Day 1

The police had long since left and the sun no longer in the sky when Methos and Joe arrived.

Looking around the barely lit lobby, Joe murmured to Methos, "Is it just me, or does this place feel deserted?"

"But it isn't," the ancient Immortal murmured back. "They're here, I can feel them." He cocked his head. "And here comes one of them now."

The pounding of footsteps heralded the arrival of Dawn to the balcony above. "Uncle!" she called in relief before jumping over the balcony. Methos easily caught her as she flew into his arms. He felt her trembling as he held her, and soothingly rubbed the young Immortal Slayer's back as he looked up to the balcony to see Spike standing there, looking down on his mate in concern. He nodded to the vampire as Buffy and Angel came out to the balcony as well.

A grin suddenly upon his lips, Methos said, "Hello, Brother!"

Smiling faintly, Angel replied, "Hello, and welcome. Come on upstairs. We're trying to make it look like no one's here so the reporters don't bother us." Glancing at the Watcher beside Methos, he then said, "Joe, we fixed the left elevator. So you can take that one to get up here. Meet us on the third floor."

Joe nodded his thanks while he moved towards said elevator as Methos and Dawn went up the stairs.

As Joe stepped out of the elevator and onto the third floor – looking around –, he whistled in appreciation before saying, "Man, this puts any gym I've ever seen to shame!"

Hearing decidedly wicked laughter to his right, the Watcher turned to see Cordelia and Wesley. Smirking, Cordelia said as she put one hand on her hip, "It should! The Council of Watchers put enough money into it...as a peace offering."

"A peace offering to who," Joe asked, his eyebrows raised.

Counting off on one hand, the Seer said, "Let's see. There's Buffy – of course –, Angel – that one reluctantly and only because Buffy demanded it 'or else' –, Wesley here – to apologize for sacking him so that they could rehire him –, Dawn – so that she would allow them to work with her, but only through Wes and Giles –, and that's it on our front. They also did something similar to this for the guys in Sunnydale too."

Joe shook his head, chuckling. As he then went to sit on a bench by one wall beside his fellow Watcher, he said, "I know from Wesley's reports some of what's been going on around here...at least on the non-demon front." He again looked around the third floor, which had become one large room – as far as he could tell –, and all the equipment in it. "But this is a surprise. Why didn't you tell me about this, Wesley?"

Wesley grimaced as Joe looked at him. "I was about ready to send you my unofficial reports for the year just as all this happened," Wesley explained.

After a moment, Joe nodded his understanding, then turned to look towards a door as he heard laughter and feet pounding up stairs. Moments later, Dawn – followed closely by Spike – came out of a doorway in the wall opposite Joe, running, grins on their faces. They skidded to a halt in front of Joe and the others, just as Methos – cursing – came out the door, his face cross.

"Have you ever heard of respecting your elders!" Methos said irritably, as he practically stalked over to Dawn and Spike.

"Yeah, but think about who you're saying this to, Uncle," Dawn said, a smirk on her lips. "The energy that I was created from is supposed to be even older than you."

Joe chuckled – as did the others –, as the Ancient Immortal glared at the former-Key-to-the-dimensions-made-Slayer-now-Immortal, before saying, "She's got you there, Adam."

"Who got who," Buffy asked as she and Angel finally came out of the doorway to the third floor, holding hands.

"'Bout time you guys got your lazy butts up here," Cordelia said, just as Dawn answered, "I got Adam about the age thing."

Angel smiled knowingly and shook his head at Dawn's reply as Buffy rolled her eyes at Cordelia's comment.

"As much fun as we're having at my expense," Methos said crossly, "but don't we have some more serious matters to discuss?"

"Like what?" Cordelia said as she folded her arms, her head tilted to one side.

"Like why the Taraka Order's after me again," Buffy said frowning, her amusement gone.

The Seer snorted before replying, "As if that's not obvious! The whole demon population wants you dead, especially since you've teamed up with Angel again."

"I've been back with Angel for four years now. So if it's them, why haven't they acted before this?"

Shrugging one shoulder, Cordelia answered the Slayer, saying, "Who knows? I'm only part demon and working on your side, so don't expect me to know."

"Part demon?" Joe asked, startled.

With another off-hand shrug, Cordelia said, "Last year on my birthday the PTBs gave me a choice of either being what I'd always dreamed of or become half-demon to handle the visions. I told them to stuff it about me having my dream come true and to go ahead and make me part demon." There was fire in her eyes as she then said, "No one is taking me away from my friends and true family!" With a malicious grin, she continued, "Who else is going to make sure that this group sticks together and doesn't kill each other by the end of the night?" Her expression became serious. "Anyway, back to the topic. How are we going to narrow down the 'Let's Kill Buffy' list to find out who hired the Taraka Order?"

"How do you know it's the Taraka Order that's after Buffy," Methos asked suddenly. "What proof do you have?"

Buffy grimaced as she dug into a pocket of her jeans, pulled out something, and tossed it to the Ancient Immortal. Catching it with ease, Methos looked down at the object in his hands, then said casually...too casually – as he looked up, his eyes hard –, "You're right. It's them."

Buffy then explained, "We were running from the Taraka Order when Dawn and I got on that bus with the gunmen." Joe noticed Dawn shiver, and so did Buffy as she then said suddenly, "But enough about that. Cordy's right. How are we going to narrow down that list?"

"We could go see Lorne and see if he can tell us anything," Angel said quietly, his voice just loud enough to be heard by the humans.

"A good idea," Wesley said as he stood up from where he sat beside the head Watcher. "But I would recommend we see Dawn and Spike off with Adam and Joe before anything else."

"Less targets for the Order to hit at," Buffy said in understanding before nodding her head in agreement.

At Methos' Jet

"Spike!"

"Yeah, Sire?" Spike said as he stopped walking towards the Ancient Immortal's jet, and turned to face his Grandsire who was coming up to him.

As Angel reached Spike, he put an arm around Spike's shoulders casually, then tightened. In a voice that was a combination of Angel and Angelus' darkest and most deadliest tone, the souled vampire hissed into Spike's ear, "Make sure nothing happens to her, Boy. Or there will be Hell to pay when you get home," and released him.

Taking a quick step back from his Grandsire as he felt a shiver of fear go up his spine, Spike said seriously, "If anything were to 'appen to her, Sire, I'd 'ave ta be dust first."

Nodding his satisfaction, Angel turned and walked back the way he had come. Shuddering, Spike walked towards the jet where Dawn and Adam waited for him.

Alright, everyone. After this part, everything gets a little hectic, as I actually have several different storylines at different places -- that will eventually intermingle -- in this story. So to say I am going to go crazy is a positive.