Chapter Twenty

Aphrodite sat as prone and still upon Her seat as a statue, yet inside She trembled. It was taking all She could do to keep the full moon from affecting the Alderberan catpeople, and though She was doing all She could to keep them from feeling the emotions, She was feeling every bit of the moon's pull. She groaned low in Her throat as She shifted Her position.

She did not know how much longer She could last. She had never been this horny without being in the process of getting off! At least, thank Zeus and Herself, Zora and Vang were both unconscious now -- even if She had slipped just a tiny bit in Vang's case. All right, in trying to keep Tom, Katrina, and Celina down, She had slipped completely, but She had known that there were plenty of Her people there to knock Vang out. He was no longer a problem, and She only had three left to concentrate upon.

Ares teleported in to Aphrodite's presence and was surprised at the look on Her face. She looked as though She was in pain and might need a trip to the throne room, so tightly was She squeezing Her body. In the midst of battle, He figured that that was definitely one thing She'd put off until the last minute. "How did I do," He asked Her, wanting Her praise worst than anything at the moment, "with Faith?"

"Faith . . . ?" Aphrodite murmured. She had trusted Ares to handle the situation and had not been keeping as full a check on Faith and the others as She had intended to. She moaned in the back of Her throat. Gods, She'd wanted to see Him! Oh, well, She'd simply have to rewind time a bit when She got the chance to, but now certainly wasn't the time!

"Honey, what's wrong?" He asked concernedly as He moved closer to Her. He was worried as She looked even more figidity. "If You need to go that badly, I can handle it here alone for a while!"

Aphrodite dared to open one eye, and She moaned again as Her blue eyes feasted upon the handsome visage that was the God of War. "I . . . It's not that," Her voice hovered between a murmur and a groan. "It's . . . " Her fingers gripped Her seat even tighter. "Well, it's just not that."

"Is it something I can help with?" He asked worriedly. "I'll do whatever I can." Never in His wildest dreams did He figure that the lovely vision before Him was in need of His stud service, and as She was a Goddess, He could not read Her mind. "You have to tell Me what's wrong. You know I can't read Your mind," He reminded Her.

"And, Zeus, is that ever a good thing!" The admission was out before She could stop it, but Aphrodite didn't even realize it. She was far too busy feasting Her eyes upon Ares and imagining all the things She could do to His hard, muscular body. She moaned again.

"Baby, tell Me what I can do to help You!" He pleaded with Her even as He was growing more frustrated. Did She not trust Him to be able to handle a simple war!

"Ares, it's . . . It's . . . " She moaned low in Her throat again. "Gods, how I want You!" Uh-oh! Aphrodite thought immediately. That wasn't supposed to come out! Come on, girl! Now that You've got the stallion's motor revved, You've gotta turn it off before You forget everything!

It had to be a test, Ares realized. It wouldn't be this simple to get into Her basket of flowers again, or could it be? What had She been doing to make Her feel this way? Surely it wasn't Her seeing Him with Faith?

His mind quickly sped over the other Pirates and came to realize two things: First, that it was a full moon. He had never been much of one to know when the moon was full, but he couldn't help what He could now see: the full moon in all its glory. Secondly, there were Alderberan cats aboard, and when the moon was full, there were none hornier! Just what had His beautiful Goddess been attempting to do with the cats but control them? And now, their emotions were controlling Her!

His stallion leaped to the ready! He was not about to sneeze at this offer, not even if She hated Him the next day! He reached out and touched Her with a lecherous smile on His face. "Oh, My beautiful, beautiful darling, Your stallion is ready and aching for a ride!"

Aphrodite's body shot toward His the very second His skin touched Hers. "We . . . We really . . . really mustn't," She murmured yet She was already leaning into His embrace. "We . . . We can't leave now . . . "

"It will only take a little while, My sweet," He promised Her even as He gathered Her close to Him, inhaling Her delicious scent. "They won't even miss us! I'll take You there, and then I'll bring You back!" His lips sought Hers even as He teleported Her to His throne room.

Aphrodite's, and therefore also the Alderberan catpeople's, defenses were shattered the very instant Ares touched His mouth to Hers. Her body arched against Him, Her hips cradling His stallion, and Her arms wrapped around His shoulders. Her mouth crushed down upon His, Her tongue sweeping instantly into His warm contours.

He melted at Her touch even as He felt Himself engulfed in flames, but He could think of nothing else but Her. He had loved Her forever, and He had only recently discovered that! He had not told Her, because He knew She'd never believe Him. His lips continued to kiss Her every spot that He could reach, trying to drive Her even wilder in Her desire.


Kurt returned to the hold after making sure that the chains were secure on both Zora and Vang. He was still having a hard time keeping himself from thinking about what he had seen the big cat doing to first the Vampiress and then the floor. He felt the heat rise and knew that it was from embarrassment.

He wished the ladies had not seen that. It wasn't fitting for a woman to have to look at, but he knew the tiger could not have helped himself and felt sorry for him at the same time. He hoped he did not have too many splinters the next day. He appeared next to Sean, who was standing with his arms around Emma.

Kitty's mind was going a hundred miles a minute. She couldn't stop thinking about Lockheed, Wolverine, the others, or the danger that they were undoubtedly in. At least, thank Gods, she knew that her beloved Kurt, Rachel, and Sean were all okay, and Sean had his Emma back. Still, though, she was presented with yet another problem. Kurt had been avoiding her since she'd appeared, and she had a feeling that he may have heard Rachel's comment.

She sighed inwardly. Just why couldn't her friend ever be quiet when asked to be! Knowing she had to face Kurt and being concerned about his well-being as she could see his bruises and a puncture wound on his neck, she started to move forward. Just as she was about to speak, however, the blonde woman who was evidently Sean's long-lost love spoke.

Like Kitty, Emma had been thinking while Kurt had been bamfing. She was still uncertain as to rather or not what was happening was real, true life, but she knew she had to act as though it was and not just a wonderful dream or Heaven. "Kurt," she spoke, her blue eyes meeting his yellow orbs, "I owe you an apology."

He smiled at her before reaching out and briefly clasping her hand. "All is forgiven. I am just happy zat I could be of help getting Sean back to you. You two belong together, and it makes my heart feel good to see you reunited."

Emma smiled even as her blue eyes shimmered and she hoped yet again that this was reality. "Thank you, Kurt," she told him, "and I look forward to . . . getting to know you better as a friend." It had been such a long time since she had last had friends, or even allies, to talk to that she was having some difficulty picking her words. "I . . . I also have a question for you. Are there . . . Is there any healer among your . . . people?"

"Yes, ma'am, we have several. I am not sure vhere zey're at, but ve can go in search of zem."

"The healing can wait until all are rescued," Emma replied, "but I ask . . . not for myself . . . but for another who has fallen prey to these wretched creatures who call themselves Pirates." She moved slightly, changing her posture and Sean's, and gestured with a hand to the woman who lay, trembling and wrapped in a blanket, in the back of the cell.

Kurt had already been aware of the injured woman. He did not know what was wrong with her but had been watching her for a while. She seemed to shake and quiver with a disease of some kind, perhaps ague. He looked Emma in the eye. "I vill carry her, but I do not vant ze rest of you to touch her. She may have somezing highly contagious."

He heard a motion at his back and turned around. His eyes took in the luscious sight of Kitty, and he smiled at her. "Hi, mein Katzchen. Missed you," he told her with a slight twinkle in his eyes. He drank in every sight of her as a thirsty man drinks in water. His eyes quickly took in the bandage. "You vere shot, mein Katzchen?"

Despite all the worries running rampant throughout her mind, Kitty couldn't help but to smile when Kurt finally spoke to her. He wasn't ignoring her, after all! At his concerned observation, she tried to shrug the fact off with her good shoulder. "I'll be fine," she told him, "and I've had worse."

"How about you, Fuzzy?" she asked, her eyes searching his deep, yellow orbs as she stepped closer to him, all others forgotten for a brief moment. "Are you okay?" Her gaze shifted to the puncture wound on his blue neck. "What happened?"

"A tasty snack for a Vampiress? It vill heal in time."

"Is she dusted yet?" If she wasn't, she would be as soon as Kitty found her.

"Oh, ja. Spike took care of her. Ve had two of zose nasty females, and I do believe Spike took care of both of zem. Ve have a great many of us injured," he told Kitty, "but zank ze Gods none of us are dead."

Kitty wanted to reach out to Kurt, but she stopped herself just short of doing so, her eyes gazing longingly into his. Her hand ached to caress his soft fur, and her lips were dying of thirst for his mouth. She knew that now was not the time, however, and that instead it was time to take command.

Kitty forced her eyes to move from Kurt's and look instead to the woman wrapped in a blanket that he and Emma had just been discussing. Her eyes then moved from the injured woman to Emma. "I'm Kitty Pryde. I was Sean's Captain," she spoke formally, "and I'm glad to see you two back together. Do you know what is actually wrong with her?" She gestured to the trembling woman.

Kurt's hand reached out to gently touch his Captain's face. His thumb gently caressed her lip, and he smiled at her. He wished that he could drink from her lips but knew that now was not the time or the place, but her eyes had held promise when she looked at him, and he knew that when the rescue was over, they'd have plenty of time to be together. Now they must rescue their group.

Kurt's touch sent shivers sweeping through Kitty. Her hand reached up to take his, and her fingers entwined with his as her eyes returned to him. "I love you too, Fuzzy Elf," she told him quietly, "and missed you, and thank Gods you're alive."

Though she was loathe to break up their reunion, Emma knew that they had to get the show on the road before they were found by the enemy. She coughed, reminding Kitty that there were others still there and duty to be handled.

Kitty sighed inwardly and stole a moment to brush her lips over Kurt's three-fingered hand before turning her attention back to Emma. Her brown eyes implored the blonde to go on.

"She was used as a test subject for something belonging to the Satanic Priest. It was a . . . an instrument he intended to use for one of your people, I believe."

Although Lorne had not made any comment, he had not missed a single thing that had happened in the room. When he heard Satanic Priest, his blood ran cold. That was the same bastard who had stolen his Crystal! He was having a hard time not crying, because he was afraid he'd never see Crystal again. He figured whatever the Priest had done to Crystal, he had done it to Faith, as well. Sad tears began to trail down his face, one of them splashing onto Angel's upturned face.

Angel's eyes opened. His mouth tried to say "Cordy", but he couldn't get it out.

Lorne heard him. "She's here, safe," he told Angel. "What can I do to help you recover?"

Angel's eyes sought Lorne's. "You know what I need. I can't get it for myself."

Connor was sitting on the other side of Angel and looked at Lorne. "What does he need?"

"Blood." Cordelia's voice was quiet from where she stood beside Lorne. She had wanted to kneel down beside Angel, but the realization of what was wrong kept her from doing so. Instead, her hazel eyes turned to sweep the cell until landing on the sword Kitty wielded.

Angel looked at Cordy and, in that moment, read her mind. "It can't be yours," he barely whispered.

Lorne looked up at her, knowing she could not hear what Angel had said. "Angel just said it can not be your blood. It has to be some one else's."

"Then take mine," Connor volunteered and looked at Angel who shook his head.

"And it can't be mine," Lorne said. "He's never had green Demon blood before. There's no telling what kind of affect it can have. One of us has got to go out and get him some." Even as he spoke, Lorne pulled his jacket off and covered Angel's groin area, which all had been desperately trying to divert their eyes from.

"I'll go," Connor told him, "but I can't . . . I'm not in any shape to fight any one."

Lorne looked at him. "Bring a dead body. That's all you need. They're freshly killed." Lorne was talking as though he was talking about regular food while his skin crawled at the mere thought of some one having to drink blood from any kind of body.

"Come down here," Lorne told Cordy. "Be next to him. It will comfort him, because although he's not able to move much, he knows it's you." He moved back out of the way with Connor. "Be quick, Connor. We have got to get off this ship, and we've got to save your father!"

Connor nodded and slowly began to take the long walk out to get a body. A hand reached out and touched Connor on the shoulder, and Connor's eyes went to the hand and then to the owner. "I'm going with ya," Spike told him. "Two of us will get there and back faster." Spike slipped out of his coat and handed it to Connor. "Take care of it. I'll expect it back."

Connor quickly covered himself with the coat. "Thanks," Connor told him, and together they made their way upward and out.


Lex could not believe his eyes! At long last, Clark was slowly waking. He was going to be all right, thank the Gods! "Clark, I love you!" Lex told him and pulled him to him in a big hug.

"Lex?" Clark questioned. His hands felt of Lex's back, checking every spot of his beloved that they could reach. "You're . . . You're alive! I knew in my heart you had to be!" Tears ran down his face even as he moved his mouth over Lex's.

Cole had adverted his eyes from Lex and Clark's reunion by looking solely upon Piper. He thought she looked more beautiful every time he saw her. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "Can I do anything for you, love?"

Piper's worry for her sisters had been steadily growing, but she had been loathe to send Cole back into battle. After all, she could not see him and, therefore, had no real idea of how badly he was hurt. "Cole," she hesitantly replied, her hand touching his and her fingers wrapping around his, "I . . . Sweetheart, you know the last thing I want to do is send you back out into that Hell, and I know you really want to be with me now just as I want to be with you, but . . . Well . . . "

"Yes, darling?" Cole asked concernedly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Cole, I can't see," Piper reminded him. "I'm helpless to help my sisters. Could you . . . Could you save them for me," she pleaded, tears shimmering in her dull eyes, "if it's not too late?"

Before Cole could answer, he was startled out of his wits when he heard a loud yowl. He turned to see that it was coming out of Katrina. "What the Hell!"

The very second the heat had rushed into Tom, he had began to change. Now, instead of a catman, he was a four-legged cat. He returned Katrina's yowl, his husky voice matching every bit of her pitch, before launching himself at her.

Katrina, now a four-legged cat, rolled with Tom into the corner where she began to lick him and nuzzle him, wondering why it had taken him so long to change.

Cole took one look at what was going on and he spoke to Lex, "Get Clark out of here. I need to get Piper out of here, as well. I'll come back for them later. If you two will touch me, I can shimmer all of us to safety."

"Cole, what in the world is going on!" Piper questioned frantically. "Are Tom and Katrina all right!"

"Darling . . . They are doing what cats do naturally. I'll find your sisters as soon as I get all of you over to Destiny's Ghost."

Piper's brow furrowed. What cats do naturally? What did cats do naturally? Lick themselves?

Clark shivered as the sight of Katrina's naked body played through his mind. "Trust me," he murmured quietly, "you don't want to know."

"Cat in heat season," Cole told her gently, hoping he wouldn't have to go into further details. Piper's deep blush told him he wouldn't. Cole picked Piper up and waited for the boys to touch him. The minute he felt their hands on him, he shimmered all of them over to Destiny's Ghost.


As soon as Judson had sensed that his plans for Faith had been interrupted, he had made short work of his current prey and snuck off. Though it would be extremely difficult to miss a Demon of the stature he had been, he had shrank himself and turned himself as black as night. Now, as he slipped across the deck, he passed by unnoticed by all.

Judson paused only a few feet away from his cabin. There, he solidified his body, allowing himself to return to normal. He knew that things were not going at all to plan, and he did not like the way the tables had been turned. He did, however, know exactly how to tip them back in his favor.

Judson reached out with his mind across thousands of miles. He passed over the vast ocean and many lands until finding the mind he sought. Hello, lover, he thought.

The response he was granted with was icy cold. What do you want, Judson?

Aw, what's wrong? Did I interrupt your little reindeer games? No matter. I know you'll find what I have to tell you of much more importance.

Speak, the ice-cold voice returned, but I warn you: Do not waste my time. My patience with you has long since melted.

Judson was not at all surprised. After all, they had only had a brief fling, and it had been years since he had last seen the geezer. What if I could tell you, he replied, exactly where your niece is?

WHAT! the voice roared within his mind. I thought she was dead! I should've known the bitch found a way to escape me!

Judson laughed but was careful to keep his amusement from his telepathic voice. Stopping to laugh almost as soon as he had began, Judson started filling his ex-lover in on his most recent conquests. Then, as he was finishing his conversation, he pulled a pistol from his pocket. The light of the moon caught on the glistening metal, and Judson grinned wickedly as he broke contact with Frostbite and began to work a new spell . . .


Helvira had known the very instant the battle had began, but unlike her fellow Piratesses, she had not gone on deck to join in the fighting. Instead, she had set about putting the next part of her plan in action. It had only taken a few spells to completely extinguish all light from the hold, chain the prisoners even more completely, and fasten iron gags over every prisoners' mouth so that none could speak a warning to whichever opponent might next come into her lair.

Since then, Helvira had been scuttling on all fours across the ceiling, which she hung upside down from, like a black widow awaiting the next snack to fall into her web. She had also been watching the battle from a crystal ball she had kept tucked away inside her dress' bodice. She paused as she heard a creaking in the roofing above the cell. Her slanted black eyes turned to the spot, and she was just in time to see a sight that filled her with delight as her sister and a one-handed Pirate fell into the cell. Before either could recover from their fall, Helvira had swiftly whispered another set of spells that chained both, snapped power-preventing collars over their necks, and fastened iron gags over their mouths.

Then, and only then, did Helvira approach the cell again. She peered down into the cell even as Delvira struggled to her feet. "How lovely of you to drop in, sister dear," she crooned, "and your little friend too. Oh, yes! I recognize you!" she told the one-handed Pirate. "You're the one who claims to love the little thing squished beneath you while screwing a woman on deck!"

James could not believe that he had fallen from one spell into another one, and of all things, to land on Smee, who he could not see in the darkness! His eyes grew wide with fear as he recognized the voice of Helvira, who sounded exactly like Delvira! He wanted to scream out that he did not knowingly want to screw the woman on deck. He had had little choice in the matter, but he knew that his family was in this room and that they would not believe the truth as they would not be able to hear the truth from his own lips and all that they would be able to hear were the lies from the bitch.

He knew he had landed on something, and he moved as soon as he heard it was Smee. He feared he had hurt his beloved, but he could not see him in the darkness nor could he touch him as he could not move his hands. You lying bitch! his eyes cast at her, but it only made him more aggravated as he knew he could not actually tell her that.

Where was she? Her voice sounded like it was coming from all over. Could he get to his feet? He tried only to find he was chained too tightly to get up.

Frederic could not believe that his father would actually have gone after a female, not after he had caught him and Smee together! He knew his father loved Smee! It had to be a spell!

He had been struggling for a while to get free but to no avail. He did manage to roll over to where he knew Smee had been laying when the lights had gone out. With his chained hands, he reached out and ran his hands over Smee.

Smee seemed to be unconscious and barely breathing. Fear for his father filled Frederic's heart. If some one did not come soon, it might be too late to save him! He wished fervently that he could get free and get a sword in his hands. He'd love to kill the bitch!

Smee had been laying where James had landed on top of him, his emotions too hurt for him to even want to move, when he felt Frederic's hands tentatively touching his portly body. Smee had always known that the day would come when James' attention was drawn to some one other than himself for he was too old, ugly, and fat to keep James' love forever. He had thought it would be a man, though, but it made no difference that it was a woman.

Frederic's gentle touches told Smee that he was still wanted, however. Even if the man he loved more than life itself was no longer faithful, even if he no longer wanted him, his boy still needed him. Smee lifted his head.

Frederic's hand went immediately to touch Smee's face, reassuring him that he would be near. He was glad that his father had moved. He still could not fathom the thought that James could be so faithless!


The very instant Cordelia had knelt down beside Angel, her hand had gone to him, and she had began to lovingly stroke his face and hair. She had also been whispering repeatedly to him, reminding him that she was there, she was all right, and that they were both going to get out of this alive or, in his case, undead.

Angel turned his face into the palm of her hand, and he kissed her. It took a lot out of him, but he had to touch her and he couldn't talk and tell her how he felt. He hoped the kiss did.

Cordelia smiled through her tears as she gazed down at the man she had come to love more than life itself. "I love you too," she whispered. "And you know," she added, trying to make light of the situation, "you may be a Vampire, but as Vampires go, you're pretty cuddly. We've got to get you better so that we can cuddle some more."

In response, he kissed her palm again.

Cordelia stroked Angel's face once more as she tuned into the conversation being held between Emma, Kitty, Kurt, and Sean. It seemed that the injured woman they were concerned about needed help but the fever that had fallen over her due to her wounds was highly contagious. Of course, they didn't want any one else catching the fever regardless of how much they wanted to help the woman.

Cordy's hazel eyes lifted back up to Lorne. "Lorne, do you hear that?" she questioned. "You know more about the healers in the crew than the rest of us. Do you think her fever's something they can cure, or is it too great a risk?"

"I'm . . . not sure what's wrong with the woman," Lorne told Cordy, "but the healers can handle anything if something has not happened to them. Isn't the blonde lady a mind-controller? Maybe she can use her telepathy and locate one?"

Cordy's brow furrowed. Lorne was now talking quite a ways out of her experience. She was just beginning to figure out exactly what telepathy was, but she still had no clue when it came to mind control. "Why don't you ask them?" she suggested in a whisper. "If we don't figure out what to do with the woman, we're not going to get moving, and we can't have some one coming down in here and finding Angel like this."

He nodded and looked toward the other group. "I couldn't help but to overhear. Do any of you have telepathic powers?"

Emma and Rachel spoke simultaneously. "I do."

"Perhaps you could use them to locate a healer or connect with their minds to bring one here?"

Emma glanced at the redhead. "Are you at all familiar with their crew?"

Ray shook her head. "Nope, but if Kitty and I link-up . . . "

Kitty quickly interrupted Rachel. She cared deeply for her friend, but until she smoothed things over with Kurt and made sure that he knew she was not a Lesbian, she didn't want to be close to Rachel if she could help it as it might end up giving him more reason to doubt her. "Actually, Ray, I think you'd better concentrate on waking Elizabeth up. You can't keep floating her everywhere."

"True," Rachel sighed as her green eyes dropped back down to the blonde. She shook her head. "What a wimp! I mean, all you did was phase into that bitch's stomach and rip her guts out!"

"Euuw!" Lorne thought aloud and made a grimace, his face getting even greener than it usually was. Gods! he thought to himself. These women were braver and stronger than he was. He didn't envy them that, but he was very thankful he had not had to see that sight!

Fighting his stomach, he looked at Rachel. "Not every one can stomach seeing a sight like that." That was more than he could handle. He walked over to a corner and threw up.

Cordy's eyes had gone wide at the redhead's statement, and she had quickly covered her mouth with her hand. When she saw Lorne's reaction, however, it was just too much. With one hand clamped even tighter over her mouth, she gently laid Angel's head back down to the floor and rushed after Lorne.

Kurt gulped. "You did vhat, Katzchen! Zank ze Gods I did not have to see zat! Poor girl! Must've frightened ze wits out of her!"

There were tears shimmering and anger glowering in Kitty's eyes, and she refused to look at Kurt or Rachel. "Rachel," she commanded just as the redhead started to speak again, "shut it and concentrate on waking Elizabeth up. Kurt, what the Hell would you have done if they had shot your Mother! Emma, mind-link with me, and we'll find the healers."

"Sorry, Katzchen," Kurt told her, "about your Mother, and I am not condemning you for your mode of fighting, just saying zat I am zankful I did not have to see it."

Sean shook his head. He had seen Kitty fight before many times, and although he did not agree with some of her methods, he knew she was fair in a fight. "I am sorry, me friend, about yer mother, but I am thankful ye had time tae meet her. It is better tae have met an' lost than tae ne'er have known." He reached out, squeezed her forearm gently, and gave her a reassuring smile.

Kitty nodded, her anger ebbing slightly and more tears coming to the surface of her eyes. She fought them down determinedly. "Thanks, guys, but we don't have time to dwell on what's happened." Her teary eyes met Emma's gaze. "Emma?"

Our connection is complete, Kitty. Think of your healers, and we will see if we can find them.


Faith was still backed into her corner, her wild eyes searching Dawson in her heart's fetal attempt to find something that would make her believe in him again and her brain's determination to be ready to ward him off when he next moved toward her. Her body had ceased its shaking and instead grown as still as a statue, but her heart still thundered and she continued to shake inside.

Her mind's demands for an explanation would not stop pounding through her aching skull. How could this have happened! How could she have allowed herself to be such a fool, to believe that she might actually be able to have what she'd known she would never have ever since she'd been a child! How could she have let him get this close to her, given him such power to be able to hurt her, destroy her!

Of all the things Faith might have expected to happen, none was what happened next for as the door slid open, another figure entered . . . a figure that looked exactly like the one she was already staring at! Faith's eyes turned to stare at the new Dawson in disbelief, and she watched as his eyes shot wide in horror and his face paled.

Dawson had wanted to reach out and touch Faith again but was afraid to. He didn't want her pulling further away from him. He had just about made up his mind to try talking to her again when the door had opened and he was face to face with his double! "Who the Hell are you!" he asked as he jumped to his feet and stood between the newcomer and Faith.

"F-F-F-F-Faith!" the second Dawson trembled almost as much as his voice did. "I-I-I-I-I don-don't know what h-h-h-he's," he pointed a shaking finger at the other Dawson, "d-d-do-done t-t-t-to y-y-you or . . . or wha-what he-he's to-told you, but you have to b-believe me, this is me, no-not th-that!"

"L-Look at-at th-the sw-sword he-he's ca-carrying!" the new Dawson continued. "You . . . You know I-I can-can't fight or even wi-wield tho-those th-things! Bu-But I-I di-did fi-find th-this on . . . on my way he-here!" His motions were extremely slow as he scooped, removed a pistol from his pocket, and slid it across the deck straight toward Faith.

Faith touched the pistol with a trembling hand, her stricken eyes constantly dancing back and forth between the two Dawsons. It was now obvious that Judson was, beyond any possible doubt, taking Dawson's form. It had been Judson who had whipped her as Dawson, Judson who had used her guy's form to destroy her. But which Dawson was the real Dawson, and which was Judson? Slowly, the trembling spreading from her fingers all throughout her arm, Faith raised the pistol.


Delvira's black eyes cut into her sister, but she could say nothing for the iron gag prevented her from being able to speak. She growled at her, but Helvira only cackled in return. "You might as well just calm down and wait! It's not as if you're going anywhere! First, you'll get to see me kill our little idiot of a sister, and then, when the so-called fighting's over, I'll make my decision as to rather to kill you or your little husband . . . " She moved aside to wave a hand at Jareth. " . . . first . . . "

Delvira's eyes went to her husband, and her heart leapt into her throat. Thank Gods, he was still alive, but what had her heartless monster of a sister done to her beloved! His clothes had been torn into shreds, and he seemed to be barely alive from where he hung on the wall. What made her heart feel dead in her chest, however, was the sight of his legs and feet. From below his drooping member to the ends of his feet, there seemed to be nothing but mangled flesh and gushing blood! She tried to cry out, but the gag forced her cry into a whimper!

Delvira's enraged gaze turned onto her triplet. Helvira would pay! She didn't care what it took; she would kill the bitch this time! She tried to conjure a fireball and then stopped in perplexion when she couldn't remember the spell!


Spike grinned. They didn't even have to go up to the deck to find a willing body as a live Piratess was heading straight for them! She grinned evilly as she spotted the two men. Spike looked at Connor. "Move out of the way; I'll take care of her."

Connor, who now realized he had been in no shape at all to go after a body, leaned heavily against the wall and watched as Spike moved in on his target and broke her neck in two easy snaps. Spike lifted her and carried her easily to where Angel was.

"What happened?" Spike asked as his nose was assailed with the stench that now permeated from the shadows of the hold.

Cordelia stole a glance back toward the questioning Vampire. She was glad to see that he'd brought a body but did not answer him. Instead, she set about tearing a part of her skirt off.

Lorne shook his head. "Don't wanna know, Spike. Suffice it to say, it was enough to make both Cordelia and me sick, and it just had to come up. And I don't want to watch that, so I'll go see what happened to the boy." He headed off in the direction Spike had just come from to find Connor sitting on the floor, his back against the wall.

Lorne wondered. If Connor came from two Vampires, would that not mean that he was a Vampire, too? Might he also need blood? "Connor," he asked as he laid a gentle hand on the boy's head, "do you drink blood?"

"Never . . . have," Connor told him. "I might need it, though. Am I not a Vampire? My parents both were."

"I'm not sure," Lorne told him. "I'll help you get back to your father. He should be recovering soon. Perhaps he'll know?"

Lorne assisted Connor to his feet, and together they made their way back to where the others were.


Jareth could not believe that the bitch was now talking to herself out loud again! He got tired of hearing her voice and wished that he could put a gag on her, as well. He could not feel his body below his waist any longer. He had long since lost track of how many Goblins the bitch had killed.

He only hoped that his lady wife was safe, wherever she was at. In the periods that he had been unconscious, it seemed he came from being with Delvira and their being together had renewed his strength to help him to hang on just a little bit longer. His crystal balls were taken Gods only knew where. His amulet was gone, and he knew he had no real powers left as he had been trying desperately to free himself or any of the others.

His owl eyes picked up some things that were moving around in the pitch black hold, and he realized, in his fogged brain, that not only was Helvira no longer by herself but Delvira was there or either Elvira! He couldn't make out which. He could see that they were bound and gagged, as well.

His dazed brain began to listen to the conversation that Helvira was spitting out and realized that it was Delvira. Damn! he thought. Why did it have to be Delvira! Elvira doesn't have any power to begin with, but Delvira would have stood a chance to save us!

He did not move or give himself away in any form, because he did not want Helvira to think about further torture on him so that she could show his beloved Delvira who was in charge. He felt the person next to him shake violently. He did not know how to help him as he knew he was being shocked with the collar. He could sense it was a full moon and knew that the collars were the only things holding the Werewolves. If they got free, they could save the rest of them!

Wolverine, at the other end of the line-up, knew that Jareth was conscious. He sensed it the minute he opened his eyes, but he had known it long before. He did not know how the guy was holding on. He had seen the tortures inflicted upon him and had been thankful that they had not been inflicted upon him, even though he knew that his healing factor would have healed him once he was freed.

If Jareth could somehow get free, Logan hoped he'd be able to help. He knew his claws had not grown back and feared that they might not even when the collar was off. He'd never had them completely ripped out before. He kept his breathing steady and his eyes closed so as not to alert Helvira, but he kept himself ready at the same time to help if anything presented itself.

To Be Continued . . .

Author's Note: We want to let everybody know that there has been a huge update to our website for the series at http/k. Part of the update was the resetting of all kept polls and the creation of a new poll. The polls will be very important from now on as we are considering releasing some more characters from the storyline and will partially base our decisions as to who to keep and who to . . . send elsewhere . . . on our readers' choices.