AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, aren't I overwhelmed with these reviews? I am, just so you know. Fred was originally going to get her revenge on Bruce in the previous chapter, but after some brainstorming I decided to go about things a little differently. You haven't heard the last of Bruce, he might be back (in a way) already in the next chappy, depending on how I pace these things. Anyhoo, thank you for everyone for the reviews and keep them coming, they surely work well to motivate me.

CHAPTER 19 -THE START OF A LONG ROAD-

Angel glance at the rear-view mirror of his convertible. Mabon was wrapped up in blanket and resting on the backseat. Fred sat next to him, her eyes never leaving Mabon's shivering form. By the time Angel and the others had returned to their cars, Wesley had Mabon safely deposited on Angel's backseat. Angel could only see Mabon's face from the blanked, but could smell an odd, sweet smell emitting from the elemental.

The ride back to the Hyperion went over peacefully. However troubles began the minute Angel made an attempt to remove Mabon from the car. The elemental pulled back, not appearing to be aware of where he was.

"It's me, Mabon, Angel. Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Mabon's eyes opened momentarily. "Angel?"

Angel nodded. "Yes. We got you out, you'll be okay."

Mabon closed his eyes and shook his head. "No."

"Yes you will. I'm going to take you inside now." Angel bend down to cradle Mabon in his arms.

Mabon shifted beneath the blanked in a vain effort to fight his out of Angel's hold. Everyone moved into the hotel.

Angel noted that the sweet smell from before was now feeling more like a terrifying stench. He could feel something wet seep through the blanked and onto his hands. Angel looked back at Fred, she was distressed. He then looked at Wesley and discreetly nudged his head at Mabon. Wesley looked at Fred and shook his head.

Angel narrowed his eyes for a second and then turned to Cordelia. "Get some bandages and follow me upstairs."

"Okay."

Gunn set down his axe. "You need some help?"

Mabon moaned and shifted again.

Angel sighed. "We might. Wesley, you and Fred stay here and-"

"No!" Fred protested.

Wesley stepped in front of Fred and looked into her eyes. "Maybe it's best. This won't be easy for anyone and you're already emotionally exhausted."

"So what, I'm supposed to go to bed?"

"We need to figure out how we can help him. That man back in the room, he looked familiar. If we can find him in one of my books, we'll know just what he did to Mabon."

"I can't believe-"

"Fred, you know Angel will not harm Mabon."

"I know. Sorry, Angel."

Angel smiled. "It's okay. We'll take good care of him."

Angel walked up the stairs, trailed by Gunn and Cordelia. They entered Mabon's room and Angel set Mabon down onto his bed. He gently peeled back the blanked to reveal the series of cuts decorating Mabon's upper body and his feet and palms.

Cordelia winched in sympathy. "Oh."

Gunn ran his hand over his head. "No wonder he's hurting."

Angel shook his head. "No, it's not that."

He pushed his hand on an uninjured part of Mabon's chest. The elemental screamed and curled himself into a ball.

"We have to bandage his feet and hands."

"What's that collar still doing on him?"

"I don't know. We'll ask Wes about it later. Gunn, help me hold him still for a while, we don't want him to hurt himself."

"Or us."

Gunn stepped next to Angel while Cordelia snuck on to the bed. Angel pried Mabon to a straighter position.

"No!" Mabon whimpered and tried to curl up again.

"It's okay, we're going to help you. Everything will be alright."

As Cordelia worked to bandage Mabon up as quickly as possible, she could not help but notice something in Angel. As the vampire held Mabon very much pinned to the bed, his face was neutral, but his eyes reflected a deep sorrow. Cordelia wondered whether it was just sympathy or perhaps some unpleasant memory from Angel's past.

Then she recalled what Mabon had said to Angel before Bruce had taken him away. "Tell the when I'm gone." Maybe Angel had been privy to something in Mabon's life and was worried because of that rather than something in his own life. Cordelia made a mental note to talk to Angel later.

Cordelia took a delicate hold of Mabon's hand, just this one to go. She wiped most of the oddly coloured blood away and wrapped in up in. By that time Mabon had evidently given up the struggle and reverted to merely sobbing under the grip of Angel and Gunn. Cordelia got up from the bed gave the elemental a sad look.

"I hope he'll be okay."

"Yeah," Gunn said and moved back. "Whatever they did to him, it really screwed him up."

"He'll be okay. Let's get Fred up here, she can calm him down." Angel went to the door and left the door.

Gunn sighed. "It's not gonna be easy recovery."

"I know. Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Wesley leafed through a book on infamous "people" n the world of the occult. His visual memory was not the best in the world, but he had no doubt in his mind that he had seen the man in the metal room before.

Close to him Fred paced the lobby, occasionally casting pained looks at the stairs.

Finally Wesley's eyes fell on a drawing of an old and kindly man. He read the text beside the picture and burrowed his brow.

"I found him."

"Huh?" Fred turned to him.

"That man we saw. Well, he's not really a man per say..."

Fred walked to Wesley's side and peered at the page. "What's it say? My Latin's kind of rusty."

"He's name is Shadrar The... Master of Pain." Wesley sighed uneasily. "He's the demon world's leading executioner and torturer."

Fred gasped. "Oh, God."

"Says here that he specializes in prolonged pain by the means of the occult arts. That's it!"

"What?"

"Well, I've read that certain chemicals can be used to induce pain on humans, maybe the same is possible with elementals. It would account for Mabon's obvious confusion, he's drugged."

"What can we do to help him?"

"Well... I'm not that familiar with alchemy, I have no idea what Shadrar might have used."

Fred thought for a second. "What about Lorne?"

Wesley gave Fred a quizzical look. "I don't think he knows anything about these sorts of things."

"No. What I mean is, he knows a lot of people, one of them could be an alchemist."

"Yes," Wesley mused. "It's very possible. I'll give him a call."

As Wesley reached for the phone, Angel descended from the stairs.

Fred hurried to him. "How is he?"

"Same as before, but we got his hands and feet wrapped up."

"I'll be upstairs with him."

"Let us know, if you need anything."

Fred practically ran up to Mabon's rooms. Leaving Angel and Wesley alone in the lobby.

"Find out anything?" Angel asked.

"Yes, a bit in any case. I'm calling Lorne to see if he knows any alchemists."

"Alchemists?"

"I'll tell you later. Hello, Lorne."

"Why, honey, isn't this a lovely surprise. Something wrong?"

"Well, yes. Mabon was captured a few days back."

"Sparrow? Oh my God. Who did it?"

"A metallurgy demon, it's a long story."

"Was it Bruce?"

"How did you-"

"I saw it when he sang to me."

"I see. Anyway, we freed him this night, but I'm afraid that he's been drugged. Are you familiar with any alchemists?"

"Yes, a few."

"Could you-"

"What about the collar?"

"Oh, the... well we haven't-"

"You have to get it off. Look, I'll take my "little black book" and I'll be right there."

"You don't have to."

"Nonsense, sweetcake. I'm coming." With that Lorne hung up the phone.

Wesley glanced at Angel, who shrugged. "Can't hurt to have him here."

"I suppose so."