Chapter Twenty-eight

"Why?" Joseph finally asked a question that he did not know why any one else had not asked yet. "Why is he after us? If he's as powerful as you say, he could take any one in the world, so why come after us?"

Crystal took a deep breath and allowed herself to close her eyes for just a second as she braced for the impact of their accusations. "He's after me."

Rogue looked at Crystal in concern. "Why's he after ya, shugah?"

Before Crystal could answer, Derek spoke up without thinking. "If we give him what he wants, won't he leave us alone?"

No sooner did the words come out of his mouth than he felt himself being lifted off of the deck and shook before being dropped back down. He looked up and saw Angel looking down at him, his fangs glistening angrily in the dark. "Any more stupid questions?" the Vampire hissed down at him, his eyes burning with anger and a hatred Derek had never before seen, a fury and hatred that was turned upon him!

Derek started to speak, but Hansel quickly covered his mouth. Turning a sheepish grin and an apologetic look up at the mad Vampire, Hansel shook Derek's head for him. "Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Nothing at all!"

"Think about it," Lorne stated. "Which one of you would want to give yourselves up willingly to stop a monster from attacking the rest of your family?" Lorne looked at all of them. "It is all that we can do to keep Crys from turning herself into him! We love her and do not want her to do that, but that is not the only reason why we are fighting against her will to turn herself into him. If she does, he will absorb her powers. He will become even more powerful and destroy our world and others. If we can't destroy him now, how do you think it will be if he swallows Crystal?"

"Don't even go there!" Ace exclaimed. "I, for one, would sacrifice myself for those I love." Looking again at the woman, he said, "I can tell she would be one to do the same thing. I wouldn't let her do it, and, if for some reason, that bastard does swallow her, there'd be no hope for mankind. Nothing could save us. I suggest we haul ass!"

Matrix moved up from the shadows to stand closer to the group, his one eye glaring angrily down at Hansel. One hand held his gun constantly at the ready, and his other arm was wrapped around AndrAla's waist. "I'm never one to run from a fight," he told them, "and I've learned that, even when everything looks impossible, there's always a way. It just has to be found."

"Sparky . . . " AndrAla started.

He squeezed her to let her know he wasn't done yet and remind her to trust him and continued on. "But sometimes, you have to turn your asskey to the wind and zoom out of a fight. This may be one of those times, but I'm sure, somewhere, some way, there's got to be a way to stop this thing."

Willow nodded. "I have contacts in England. Giles can probably come up with something."

"What I want to say is," Enzo paused a minute to look at Angel, "your family is our family. After all, you're part of Spike's family. I can not speak for everybody, but I can and do speak for my family. We're behind you, and when the time comes and we know how to stop this virus, you can count on my gun."

Spike looked at Enzo with respect in his eyes. Matrix never spoke much and always let his actions do the speaking. Of all the people there, Spike had not expected Enzo to say anything, let alone pledge his gun to the cause. He was proud of him and was glad when Angel stepped forward and spoke.

"Thanks," Angel told Matrix, offering him a hand to be shook which Matrix took after sliding his gun into his holster. "All I can tell you is that I appreciate each and every one of you who stands with us, but we understand if you don't want to. We just don't have any way to get us out of here until the rest of us go too."

Hansel thought every one had forgotten Derek's ignorant outburst and that Derek had calmed down, but then he released his beloved with a yelp. Holding his throbbing hand, Hansel turned accusing eyes at Derek. "You bit me!"

"Come on, people! What makes you think this thing can just absorb her powers? Besides, if he does, maybe we can get the Hell gone in the . . . " He stopped suddenly and fell out against the deck.

"I'm glad somebody shut him up!" Lorne said.

"You're welcome," Willow replied with a shy smile. "I just couldn't stand to hear his mouth running any more." Looking to the blonde, she told her, "Sister, we all have things we're running from. Well, maybe not all of us, like the idiot on the deck . . . "

"Hey!" Hansel protested.

Willow continued, ignoring the blonde man. "But most of us do. Can you tell us what this thing's name is, though?"

"I dare not speak it aloud," Crystal told the redhead, "for if I do, he will hear and come even faster. He hears whenever any one speaks his name."

"Then maybe you can give us a hint?" Kennedy, standing beside Willow and holding her hand, suggested.

"Frost . . . " Crystal's voice trailed off, and she started to make as though she were biting the air. The others clearly were not understanding, however, until Blue, Cindy, and Elvira all began chomping.

Willow paled; she'd read the name before. "Let's get the Hell out of here!"

They all headed off to different parts of the ship to get ready to sail.


Cole looked at Paige and nodded, hoping that she would understand he could use the pick if he could only reach it. Gonk had gotten up and run away from them, and he could no longer see the dog. He saw that Kit was still sitting and hissing on top of Prue. He looked hopefully at Paige.

Paige eyed Cole, trying to figure out why he hadn't headed for the lock. Her eyes roamed his body. He was a tall man with good, strong muscles and a build that she was sure brought Piper plenty of pleasure, but he was chained. Could he walk? Could that be why he hadn't gone for the pick? "You need . . . me . . . to get it?" she asked between gulps of oxygen.

Cole shook his head. He wanted to say, "Help me get to my feet," because he had already tried to stand but couldn't. The pain had been too great. How could he get the message across to her? He decided to try to crawl. Maybe she could understand?

Paige's brown eyes widened as she watched Cole trying to maneuver like a baby crawling across the floor. He claimed not to need her help to get the pick, but he still clearly needed her help to get there. Her body shook as she forced herself to a standing position. Then bending, she held her hand out to Cole.

Using her hand and then her arm, Cole pulled himself to a standing position. He gritted his teeth as he waddled over to the lock. The collar had shocked him so many times, and the pain he felt from the shocks let him know that he was probably bleeding as the chains' teeth bit deep. He knew Paige would have no way of knowing. Turning his back to the lock, he used his hands the best he could with the pick. It took him several tries, but he finally started hearing the clicks . . .


As one, Jack's and Will's swords turned toward the Demoness that was rushing Will, and as she leaped toward them, their swords went in up to their hilts in her heart. She exploded, throwing ooze, slime, guts, and blood all over the both of them. Jack shook his head. "Not with my man, you don't!" He then turned his attention back around to the front and the original bitch.

Will shivered and thanked Gods yet again for his beloved Jack. Then, he forced himself to turn back to the battle even while murmuring aloud to himself, "Perhaps I should have listened to Eddie . . . "

"Who's Eddie?" Jack questioned, his eyes never leaving the Demoness and his sword meeting her next move.

"Donkey," Will replied, his sword blocking his next attacker.

"Wonderful! You finally named him!"

"We can talk about Eddie, or Donkey, later, boys!" Ororo called over the sounds of battle to Jack and Will. "For now, concentrate on the battle! Katheryne," her blue eyes turned to Kitty, "cover Wesley and myself; I have a plan."

Kitty quickly took up Ororo's front. "Whatever it is," she warned her father's lover as she cut away at the on-rushing Demonesses that never seemed to end, "do it quick!"

Ororo nodded even as she turned her back to Wesley, closed her eyes, and concentrated. A wind whipped up in the room, causing her long, white hair to lift over her head and flutter above her. Thunder rumbled outside, shaking the ship, and lightning cut jagged through the night sky. Lifting her arms and stretching and splaying her fingers toward the heavens, Ororo cried out in her birth language.

"Moeder Aanerd, hoor my skreeu! Dié sonder hart wees behoor sterf, net dood alleen kleingeld haar, aangee haar na behaal krag en lewe!" As the spell built, her voice grew louder, and her eyes opened, revealing that her blue irises and black pupils were gone. All that was left was a whiteness. "Afslaan haar dis, Ek smeek, in muis!"

Jack recognized 'Ro's words as being African, but he had not the foggiest clue as to what she was saying. He did not feel the wind in the room, but he saw it caressing 'Ro's body. In fact, he watched in amazement as she was lifted from the floor, her hair flowing all around. Everything else in the room was still, the Demonesses too frightened to move, and then the air was split with the sound of squealing.

Willow recognized the squeals immediately and jumped forward to join the battle. Here, at last, was an enemy that he felt he could overcome with very little trouble! As mice sprang from the very floor, so did Willow attack, biting their tiny jugulars and spilling their blood all over the floor!


Donkey had about given up when he finally heard voices. He stood up on his hind legs and placed his front hooves on the railing. Seeing a redhead who appeared to be lifting a blonde and sending her toward the ship he was on but without touching her, he called hopefully to the redhead. "HEY! IF YOU CAN GET HER OVER HERE, CAN YOU GET ME OVER THERE!" he asked. "PLEEEEEEEEESE!"

Rachel had been carefully carrying the blonde toward the other ship when an unfamiliar voice met her ears. The redhead's green eyes turned toward the sound, and she almost let her charge fall to the deck. Telekinetically catching the blonde just before her butt hit the deck, Ray exclaimed, "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU -- A TALKING DONKEY!" Kitty always had had the strangest friends!

"YES, MY NAME'S EDDIE! CAN YOU PLEASE GET ME OVER THERE! MY BOY'S OVER THERE! I JUST KNOW HE'S IN DANGER! I NEED TO BE THERE TO RESCUE HIM!"

Ray's eyes widened with even more surprise as she resumed floating the blonde to the rescuing ship. "YOUR BURRITO'S OVER HERE!"

"YES!" Donkey cried enthusiastically. "HE'S OVER THERE SOMEWHERE! I'VE JUST GOT TO FIND HIM!"

If they haven't already skinned him, Ray thought sadly, a shudder passing through her at the memory of all the animal meats she'd been forced to cook and the whippings she'd received twice a day. Those bitches will eat anything! "ONE PASSANGER AT A TIME," she called back to the donkey. Had he said his name was Eddie? Who named a jackass?

"THANKS!" Eddie called. "HIS NAME'S WILL! HE'S JUST ABSOLUTELY LOST WITHOUT ME! I KNOW THAT NO-GOOD CAPTAIN IS NOT TAKING CARE OF HIM LIKE HE SHOULD!"

"HE?" Rachel repeated, raising the blonde as she carried her over the Ghost's railing. "I HOPE YOU DIDN'T ENTRUST HIM TO THAT BASTARD!" Surely, even a jackass couldn't be that stupid! "IF YOU LEFT HIM WITH HIM, I . . . I HATE TO TELL YOU THIS," sympathy slipped into her voice, "BUT HE'S PROBABLY ALREADY DEAD."

"OH MY GODS! NO!" Donkey screamed. "THAT CAN'T BE! HE'S ONLY BEEN GONE MAYBE A HALF HOUR! JACK WOULD NEVER EAT HI . . . MAYBE HE WOULD, BUT NOT NOW! PROBABLY LATER!" he said with a very serious look on his face. "PLEASE HURRY!" he reminded her that he needed desperately to get over.

Rachel's eyebrow had shot up at the donkey's words. Jack? Could it be Jack Sparrow the donkey was talking about? Then, it hit her that the burrito had only been gone for a half hour! There was no way that a baby donkey could have changed ships by himself, especially not when his bouncing father couldn't! "SOME FATHER YOU ARE!" she shot back. "HELL, YOU'RE ALMOST AS BAD AS MY DAD!"

"I TRIED TO STOP HIM! HONEST, I DID! HE RAN SO FAST HE LEFT ME FAR BEHIND! PROBABLY THOUGHT I WOULDN'T BE ANY GOOD IN BATTLE FOR HIM!" He let one big tear fall the long way down his face. "I TRIED TO GO WITH HIM! JACK SPARROW BETTER BE TAKING CARE OF HIM, OR HE'LL ANSWER TO MY HOOVES WHEN HE RETURNS!"

Rachel shook her head as she descended the blonde woman to what she hoped was a relatively clean spot on the other ship's deck. "YOU HONESTLY EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT OVER HERE BUT YOUR KID COULD!"

She was about to yell more at him when something rammed the ship even harder than what had already been hitting it. The Wench was thrown up on her side, and Rachel, as well as the unconscious men left in her care, began to slide down the deck.

"DAMNATION!" Donkey yelled. "IF I WAS OVER THERE, I COULD HELP YOU! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!"

"SOME HELP YOU'D BE . . . " Rachel's remark back at Donkey was cut off when something slammed hard into her breasts. She looked down from where she had telekinetically stopped her fall into a pair of brown eyes that were becoming all too familiar. "NOT YOU AGAIN!"

Morph grinned sheepishly up into the redhead's face, his marriage vows not keeping him from enjoying his chin's perch between her breasts. The young woman certainly was well-endowed! "Oops?" he offered.

"DAMN RIGHT OOPS!" Without a further warning, Rachel telekinetically threw the brunette away from her. Morph sailed over the ocean, not catching sight of Janeesa, and landed on top of . . . none other than Donkey!


Reentering the room, Sam's eyes were drawn immediately to the woman, whose coloring was returning. She's beautiful! he thought. Smooth, creamy skin! How could some one hurt something as beautiful as she? He walked over, touched her skin, and was relieved that the fever had not returned.

He waited with his back against the wall, watching her to see if her eyes would open. There were no chairs in the room and no cots. There should have at least been a cot and not just a table. He was thankful there was a table and that they had not laid her on the floor for that would have caused even more serious infection.

The woman stirred slowly in her sleep, her full lips parting to murmur phrases in Spanish. "Madre Maria. . . Justine. . . Daño. . . ¿Dónde?"

Sam moved closer to her and began to soothingly talk to her in Spanish. "You're safe. Who is . . . Justine? Where do you hurt?" He had thought he had healed her, but she was still hurting. That should not be!

At the unexpected male voice that sank past the veil of sleep, the woman's brown eyes flew open. "¡Quiénes son usted! ¡Qué usted desean! ¡Déjeme solo!" Her panicked words jumped from her dry tongue in a hurry, and she scrambled backwards, frantically trying to escape the stranger.

Sam continued to talk in a reassuring voice. "My name is Sam. I am a healer. I thought I healed you. If you will tell me where it hurts, I will see if I can do something else to help."

The Spaniard watched him through eyes rounded with distrust and fear. Her heart pounded in her chest. Where had this man come from? He had healed her? It was true that she was no longer in the physical pain she had been in for so long, but still, he was a man and experience had taught her that men could never be trusted! As she stared at him, however, she began to feel the pull of the full moon. She pressed a hand to her stomach as she felt the urges well up within her. "Usted. . . ¡Usted debe irse!"

Concern filling his voice, Sam questioned, "Why should I leave? Does your stomach hurt?"

"¡Licencia!" the woman persisted, pointing a shaking finger at the man. It was then that the familiar pain welled up within her. She wailed in pain and slipped off the table.

Sam rushed forward to help. Could this woman be in labor? He had not sensed the child, but what else could be bothering her! She was tearing at her stomach as though the Devil himself was trying to get out! "What can I do to help?" he asked. "Tell me what's wrong!"

The woman shoved away from him. She pressed one hand against the floorboards, but her other arm shot backwards at him to ward him off. Red fur sprouted over her dark skin.

Sam knew then that he was confronting a Werecreature, and he orbed first to the door that he locked and then outside. He had to get something to keep her within! He ran out onto the deck and looked hopefully around.


"It's going to work," Piper said with a nod, a smile, and a heavy, relieved sigh. "It'll just be slow, like it was the last time. It starts with tiny spots of light, and I can see the torch's flicker every now and then."

Lex reached out, touched Piper's shoulder, and reassuringly squeezed it. He continued to listen to the spell as Phoebe read it. It was simple enough, and he was glad that it was working. In the past, he had heard of spells that had to be read three times to make them work and even some that had to have more than one voice reading.

Joxer listened quietly. He was amazed every time Phoebe's mouth opened. Each word sounded more beautiful than the last! He got up and walked to stand beside Phoebe.

Piper sat silently as her little sister's chanting voice filled the sleeping quarters and Lex's hand lingered on her shoulder. She welcomed his touch, and it warmed her heart to know that he cared so much. She knew that no matter how many times Phoebe read the spell, it wouldn't change anything, but she also knew that the spell was working and that she would be able to see again! Tears welled in her eyes, and she batted them away without ever saying a word. At the same time, her mind wondered and feared for Cole and Prue.

Lex pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Piper. He had to dash a tear out of his eyes, as well. Thank Gods for the Book! he thought. He would love to get his hands on it and read what was in it!

If even a simple spell was this powerful, imagining what could be between the covers gave him a thrill! Why, there might even be a spell in there to conquer his father! Maybe he could borrow it sometime? After all, he was family!

Piper took the handkerchief with a grateful smile turned up in Lex's direction. She dabbed at her eyes, still thinking about Cole and Prue and her heart beating a hopeful rhythm. "Phoebe," Piper spoke when her younger sister had finished, her voice soft yet leaving no room for argument, "move on. My vision will return. Thank you," she added, giving her sister's arm a gentle squeeze, "but we really must move on in the Book. There might be something in there to help free the rest of our family or even fight against You-Know-Who!"

Phoebe nodded and resumed her search. The rustling of the ancient, yellowed pages and the four humans' nervous breathing were soon the only sounds in the sleeping quarters.


The first person Connor ran into was Spike. Breathing heavily, he stopped abruptly in front of the Vampire. Spike started to speak, but Connor cut him off with an impatient demand. "Do you have something I can use to pick the lock on Zora's collar?"

Spike was immediately alarmed. "You can't turn her aloose! She's a Werecreature! It's a full moon! Don't you know what that means!"

"She can't continue to keep being shocked, either!" Connor told him.

Connor's words and the emotions in the boy's eyes told Spike just how deeply the kid cared for the Werecat. "I'll come down with you and we'll take the collar off, but we're not taking the chains off."

"And what does that mean?" Connor asked him, referring to Spike's earlier question, as they headed back into the hold together, as though he really didn't know.

Spike shook his head. "Connor, you're not a child. You know what it means when a cat is in heat. Zora is a Werecat. You saw what Vang did tonight! Do you want Zora to do that to you!"

"Hell no!" Connor hurriedly exclaimed. "I just want to get that damn collar off so that it'll quit shocking her!"

"You take the collar off, and I'll be watching," Spike told him, "just in case." By this time, they had reached the cell.

The very second she heard Connor returning, Zora shouted at the door that was just then beginning to open. "CONNOR, YOU CAN'T!"

"You can't keep being shocked, Zora!" Connor told her, his fiery determination matching hers. "They could kill you! Spike and I can handle you if you get out of control!" Knowing she did not believe him, he tried to reason with her, "You are still chained." He moved in closer to her so that he could work on the collar.

Zora tried to struggle, but her chains held her to the wall. "Connor, you don't know what you're dealing with. Without the collar, I'll change, and you can not be around me when I do! You don't -- " Her words were broken off yet again by another shock.

"Then I'll run like Hell when I get it off of you!" Connor persisted. "This can't keep happening!" Zora's eyes were closed tightly by the pain, so she missed the emotions that flashed in Connor's eyes. It only took him seconds to take the collar off, and as soon as the collar was off, he moved away from her.


Will stared at Ororo, his surprise clearly evident on his stunned face. "Jack . . . " he spoke slowly, "is she . . . is she okay?"

Kitty stole a glance over her shoulder at Ororo, and when she saw Ororo's pure white eyes, she wondered the same thing for a brief second. Then, she remembered Illyana and some of the powerful spells her friend had pulled. She started to return her attention to the battle but stopped in amazement when the Demoness she had been fighting shrank in size and began sprouting fur, whiskers, and a tail!

Jack continued to look at 'Ro even though he felt mice running over his feet and wished for more cats. "She will be okay, Will. Right now, she's in the midst of a spell. She's changing the Demonesses into mice!" He began to strike the floor, attempting to hit mice.

Will's jaw slackened at Jack's observation. "How . . . " he started to ask but stopped when his own puzzled eyes saw the truth for themselves. He didn't know how it was happening, but he did know that Jack was right and started piercing the little buggers' hearts with his sword.

Jack had already lost count of how many mice he had killed, but he also noticed that they were not returning to life. He moved over, sheathed his sword, and started to finish the job that 'Ro had started on Wes.

As Will, Kitty, and Willow continued the fight and Jack worked feverishly on Wesley's remaining bond, Ororo finished her spell and slowly settled back onto the planking. The wind died down, and the thunder outside quieted. Sleet and snow continued to pour, however, and as Ororo breathed heavily, leaning on the table, her blue eyes turned to Jack. "It's been a long time," she explained, "but, Jack . . . We have more trouble."

"That's right!" Kitty called from behind 'Ro. "It's snowing!"

Will, hearing the conversation, threw his bit in. "He's coming, Jack!" he called, slicing through another batch of mice. "We have to find the others and get out of here!"


This couldn't be happening! This couldn't be real! The thoughts continued to run ragged in repetition through Faith's mind as Judson continued spinning her around the room and hitting her body into each wall. She was shaking and crying, and each impact against a wall either tore a new hole into her flesh or broke another bone.

This couldn't be real! This couldn't be happening! This was insanity, and the absolute worst kind! Dawson couldn't be dead! Judson couldn't be this powerful, and the God of War couldn't have popped in, healed her, and popped out! This was pure insanity! It couldn't be real, and this couldn't be happening! Dawson couldn't be dead!

She screamed again as memories whirled through her head. She remembered the talks she'd had with Lex that had led to his union with Clark, Salem's wise advice, and the day that she had finally accepted them and the others into her heart and as her family. She thought of Jack, Lex, and Salem. She recalled Angel, Katrina, Brendan, and the others.

They had all claimed to love her, but it had been lies for otherwise they would be here now. They had all lied to her. All of them. All of them but Dawson.

Dawson, who had clung to her the most fiercely and who she had fought the hardest against letting into her heart, into her soul. Dawson who had come for her at last. Dawson who had loved her, despite all her insanity, all her bitchiness, and all the many, many reasons why he shouldn't have. Dawson, who now lay, dead, on the floor. She screamed again, her shattered heart finally accepting the truth, and Judson let her fall to the floor in a sobbing heap.

To Be Continued . . .