Chapter 30: Party

After Carmichael left, Buffy studied the video camera for signs of activity, but it stayed silent and still.

"So," Haig said. "What are you two in for?"

"Raping and pillaging," Dawn quipped.

The corners of his mouth turned up. "That would have been my first guess. Are you two finding the accommodations to your liking?"

"Our kennel, you mean?" Buffy asked.

Another quarter-smile. "Ah, so you are the werewolves. I didn't know whether it was polite to ask. Emily Post doesn't cover circumstances such as this. Werewolves. Hmmm. I had a patient with clinical lycanthropy once. Felt compelled to turn around three times before settling onto the couch. Quite trying. But he always brought in the paper from the front stoop."

"Doctor Haig," Dawn said. "So, you're a shr—psychiatrist?"

"A shrink, yes. My special abilities aren't very profitable in everyday life. I suppose they might help if I was to become an international assassin, but I'm a terrible shot. And please call me Armen. Formality seems rather out of place here."

"I'm Dawn and this is my sister, Buffy. Psychiatry, eh? So, did you know Matasumi? Before you came here?" Dawn said.

"I'd heard of him." Armen said with disgust. "Parapsychology. With a reputation for skirting the code of research ethics."

"Really?" Buffy said. "Go figure. You must have no shortage of people to analyze here, between the captives and captors."

"Frighteningly enough, the ones in the cages would be more likely to earn my recommendations for early release."

"Matasumi's got some definite issues," Dawn said. "And Bauer?"

"One of the sanest, actually. Just sad. Very sad. The one I'd most like to get on the couch is Tyrone Winsloe. Though once I had him there, I'd be sorely tempted to tie him to it and run like the devil."

"What's wrong with him?" Dawn asked.

"Where do I start? Tyrone Winsloe is"—Armen cocked his head toward the door; footsteps entered the waiting room, and then stopped—"out of town on business at the moment." He lowered his voice. "If you need any help … adjusting, please ask. This isn't a very pleasant place. The sooner we can be out of it, the sooner we'll all feel much better."

As he fixed the sisters with a knowing look, they knew he wasn't offering help with their psychological adjustment.

"As I said, my special ability isn't very useful," he murmured. "But I'm very observant … as a psychiatrist. And like everyone, I can always use companionship. For moral support. Additional resources and strength. That, I believe, is your specialty. Strength."

The doorknob turned. Carmichael bumped it open with a clipboard and walked in, flipping through pages.

"Off you go, then, Mrs. Danvers and Mrs. Danvers," she said. "Your escort is in the waiting room."

"A pleasure to meet you, Buffy, Dawn," Armen said as they left. "Do enjoy your stay."

Bauer and the guards took the sisters back to the interrogation room. Then Matasumi and Tess joined them, and they endured round two of interrogation.

A couple of hours later, as Bauer walked the sisters to their cell, they checked across the hall. The opposite cell was empty.

"Where's Ruth?" Dawn asked.

"A slight setback. She's in the infirmary."

"Is she okay?" Buffy asked.

"There's no immediate danger. We're probably overreacting, but our guests' health is very important."

"Can we see her when she comes back?" Dawn asked.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," she said, reaching for the door to their cell. "But I have arranged for company of a different sort."

"We'd like to speak to Ruth," Buffy said.

Pushing open the door, Bauer walked through as if Buffy hadn't said anything. The guards prodded the sisters forward. They stepped into the cell, and then stopped as they spotted Leah.

"You two remember Leah, don't you?" Bauer said.

The red-haired half-demon sat at the table, pouring a glass of wine. She glanced up and smiled.

"Hey," she said. "Dawn and Buffy, right?" Dawn and Buffy nodded. "Welcome to the party. Can you believe this? Wine, cheese, fancy crackers. I don't eat this well at home. Are you joining us, Sondra?"

"If you don't mind."

"The more the merrier." Leah beamed a smile 100 percent sarcasm-free. "May I pour you ladies a glass?"

"Please," Bauer said.

"Sorry," Dawn said. "Buffy and I don't drink."

Leah nodded and filled a glass for Bauer.

"Dawn and Buffy are journalists," Bauer said.

"Really? TV or radio?" Leah asked.

"Print," Dawn murmured.

"They do freelance work," Bauer said. "Dawn was covering Canadian politics, when she and Buffy lived in Toronto."

"Oh? Interesting. They have a prime minister, right? Not a president." Leah asked as Dawn nodded. She laughed. "Well, there's the extent of my knowledge of international politics. Sorry."

"I've been meaning to ask," Dawn said. "How do you know about Toronto?"

"Oh, you mean because you faked your deaths when you returned to New York?" Bauer asked as Dawn nodded. "At first we didn't. But one of Ty's associates recognized your writing style as someone she used to read when she vacation in Toronto."

"Who?" Dawn wondered.

"I doubt you would know her. I don't even know her last name. Her first name is Maggie," Bauer said as Buffy and Dawn looked at each other. She looked at Leah and smiled. "Did you know that Leah's a deputy sheriff in Wisconsin."

"So, you're a police officer," Dawn said thankful that this is few years before Buffy burned down the gym at Hemery.

"Not as exciting as it sounds," Leah said. "Especially not in Wisconsin. Cheese, anyone?"

She cut wedges from a round of Gouda and proffered the cheese board. They each took one, along with a lacy cracker. As they munched, Bauer refilled hers and Leah's half-empty wineglasses.

"So, Dawn, Clayton is your husband, isn't he? And Jeremy is yours, Buffy? We couldn't find a marriage record for either of you, but when we were following you two, I noticed they both wore wedding rings." She glanced at the sisters' hands. "Oh, but you two don't. Those are engagement rings, though, isn't it?"

"There will never be an official marriage license," Buffy said.

"And why is that?" Bauer wondered.

"Because of what we are," Dawn said. "Our aging is slowed enough that we would have to get new identities every decade or two. Adding marriage licenses to the deal is harder. Most people wouldn't even look for an actual marriage license anyways." She inched back in her chair as she glanced briefly at Buffy. "So, how about you two? Married? Boyfriends?"

"I've run through the marriageable material in my little town," Leah said. "I've put my name in for a transfer before the seventy-year-old widowers start looking good."

"I've been married," Bauer said. "Youthful rebellion. Married him because my father forbade it and soon realized that sometimes father does know best."

"What does this Clayton do?" Leah asked Dawn and Buffy.

"Clayton's an anthropologist," Bauer answered before Dawn or Buffy could deflect the question.

"Oh? That sounds … fascinating."

Sipping her wine, Bauer gave a giggling laugh. "Admit it, Leah. It sounds perfectly awful."

"I didn't say it," Leah said.

"No, but you were thinking it. Trust me, this guy is no tweedy academic. You should see him. Blond curls, blue eyes, and a body … Greek god material."

"Got a photo?" Leah asked the sisters.

"Uh, no. So, how do you like—" Dawn said.

"We have some surveillance pictures upstairs," Bauer said. "I'll show them to you later. Dawn is a lucky girl."

"Looks aren't everything," Leah said. "It's performance that counts." She downed her wine. "I have a question. If it's not too personal."

"And even if it is," Bauer said with a giggle.

"You guys Change into wolves, right?" Leah said. "So, Dawn, when you and this Clayton are wolves, do you still … you know. Are you still lovers?"

Bauer snorted so hard wine sprayed from her nose.

The door opened as a guard stuck his head inside. "Ms. Bauer?"

In an eye-blink, Bauer was sober. "Yes?" she said.

"We have a situation," he said. "With prisoner three."

"They're not prisoners," she snapped, getting to her feet. "What's the problem with Mr. Zaid?"

"His clothes are gone."

Leah snorted a laugh and covered her mouth with her linen napkin.

"What's he done with them?" Bauer asked.

"He—uh—hasn't done anything, ma'am. He finished his shower and they were—uh—gone. Started raising a hel—ruckus. Cursing, ranting. All that voodoo stuff. Demanded we get you. Immediately."

"Tell Mr. Zaid …" She stopped. Hesitated. "Fine. I'll speak to him. Step inside. I'll be right back."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Bauer wasn't gone long enough for Leah, Buffy and Dawn to exchange more than a few sentences. When she returned, she brushed past the guard she'd left in the cell with them. She didn't look pleased.

"How's Curtis?" Leah asked.

"Fine," Bauer said after a moment's pause. "He's fine. Just … unnerved by all this."

"Where were his clothes?" Leah asked.

"Oh, on his bookshelf." Bauer settled into her chair and refilled her wineglass. "Neatly folded on the top shelf."

"The spirits are at work," Leah intoned, grinning mischievously.

"Don't start that," Bauer said.

"Can you move things you can't see?" Buffy asked.

Leah waved a cheese-topped cracker, scattering crumbs. "Nah. It would be fun, though. Telekinesis is limited to a half-demon's range of vision. If I can't see it, I can't move it. My powers aren't very precise either. If I tried lifting a pile of clothes—" She turned and looked at the sisters' bed. The folded blanket at the end levitated, floated over the side, and fell in a heap on the carpet. "Gravity takes over. I could throw it against the wall or toss it in the air, but when I let go, it would never fall nicely folded."

"So, it's that random psychic energy thingy, then?" Buffy asked Bauer.

"They're back," Leah said in a high-pitched child's voice.

Bauer laughed. "Stop that. That's what I meant. Leah's pet theory. She thinks we have a poltergeist."

"Oh great," Buffy said. "Just what I need to deal with. Once was plenty enough."

"You've dealt with a poltergeist?" Leah asked.

"Once," Buffy said. "Not the most pleasant of experiences."

Leah nodded. "About the poltergeist, I was kidding anyways. Sondra hasn't even seen the movies."

"Don't get her started," Bauer said.

"How do you not know about poltergeists?" Leah asked Bauer.

"I walked out during the second movie and skipped the third. That's the limits to my knowledge," Bauer said.

"Well, I'm something of a self-taught expert," Leah said. "When I was in high school, I read everything I could find on poltergeists. Because of the similarities with my 'condition.' I wanted to know more about myself and my kind and figured maybe so-called poltergeists were really manifestations of telekinetic half-demons. Poltergeists typically appear around children approaching puberty."

"Not always," Buffy said. "I was in my junior year of high school, turned 17 not long before."

"Interesting," Leah said. "And you're sure that it wasn't a half-demon? They don't come into their full powers until closer to adulthood."

"Very sure," Buffy said. "Because it possessed me. To my knowledge no demons have that kind of power."

"Hmm then it's possible," Leah said. "Very possible. As Buffy can probably attest to, poltergeists are also associated with noises and voices, which aren't part of my repertoire. Neither is stuff like rearranging furniture or neatly moving objects from one place to another, other marks of a poltergeist."

"Well the poltergeist that I dealt with never moved things around. It possessed me, a couple teachers, another student, my lover. It showed me visions and I definitely heard it," Buffy said.

"We haven't heard any strange noises," Bauer said.

Leah nodded. "Not all poltergeist manifestations involve sound. Everything else about these occurrences points to a poltergeist."

"A poltergeist that just happened to appear here?" Dawn said. "Of all places? I know it's possible just unlikely."

"It's not Savannah," Bauer said, slanting a warning look at Leah.

"The young witch?" Dawn said as she noticed that Buffy looked at the wall and toward where she knew to be Savannah's cell. Was Buffy concerned for the girl's welfare?

"Just another theory," Leah said. "Savannah is at the perfect age, and with her powers, she'd be an ideal conduit, especially under these strained circumstances."

"You think she conjured up—" Bauer said.

"Oh, no, no," Leah said. "Savannah is a sweetheart. A total innocent, I'm sure. Now, her mother was a real piece of work, and I wouldn't have put anything past her, but I'm certain Savannah didn't inherit any of her darker powers."

"You can't inherit dark magic," Dawn said. "It is only something you can learn. More than likely her mother delved into it at some point. She wasn't born with it. So, unless Savannah studies dark magic she won't practice it."

"If," Bauer said. "And I repeat, if Savannah has caused some kind of poltergeist to materialize, which I doubt, I'm sure she isn't aware of it."

"Certainly," Leah said. "She probably can't even control it. There's been no evidence to the contrary … well, except for …"

"It's possible," Dawn said. "With the right amount of power, she could do just about anything."

Bauer sighed. "A few of the more alarming disturbances have revolved around Savannah. When she becomes upset, the activity increases."

"If that poor guard hadn't ducked …," Leah said. "But no, I still say it's beyond Savannah's control at least at this stage of her development."

"I have to agree," Dawn said. "As she learns to control her magic these things will get better."

"Until then it's likely, her anger spurs the poltergeist to react. An unwitting emotional connection, though potentially, it could be quite dangerous if someone were to cross—" Leah said.

"It's random psychic energy," Bauer said firmly. "Until Doctor Matasumi or I see anything to the contrary, that's the assumption."

The door opened.

"Yes," Bauer snapped, then turned to see Matasumi's assistant hovering in the doorway. "I'm sorry, Tess. What is it?"

"It's nearly four-thirty. Doctor Matasumi thought I should remind you—"

"Oh, yes. The conference call. I'm sorry. I'll be right with you. Could you please send the guards in to escort Leah back to her room?"

"Party's over," Leah said and chugged the rest of her wine.

After dinner, the voice the sisters heard the night before called again. This time they were sure they were awake.

"Who's there?" Dawn said aloud.

"It's me, dear. Ruth."

Buffy and Dawn hurried to the hole they'd punched between their cell and the next, crouched, and peered through. No one was there.

"Where are you?" Dawn asked.

"Across the hall. It's a telepathy spell, don't you know one, Dawn?"

"No, I never learned one," Dawn said. "A friend of ours did. I wish I had learned it."

"I could try and teach you, but we will leave that for later," Ruth said. "Anyways thank goodness I finally got in touch with you two. I've been having the devil of a time. First the sedatives. Then the blocking field. Just when I figured out a way around that, they whisked me out of here because my white blood cell count was low. What do they expect at my age?"

"Blocking field?" Dawn repeated.

"I'll explain. Sit down and make yourselves comfortable, dear."

Their captors had taken Ruth around the same time Bauer and Xavier had trapped Buffy and Dawn, so she hadn't known they'd been kidnapped, which meant she didn't know whether Jeremy and Clay had returned to the others or even if they knew what had happened to them. When they told her, they hadn't been able to contact Jeremy, she was surprised to the point of shock, not that they couldn't make contact, but that any werewolf had telepathic abilities. She hadn't expected another werewolf, except Dawn, to have mental powers like a witch.

"What happened when you tried to contact him?" she asked.

"We can't do that," Buffy said. "He's the one with that power. And as Dawn said she doesn't know a telepathy spell. We have to wait for him to make contact."

"Did you try?" she asked.

"Again, neither of us would know how." Dawn said.

"You should try. It's very simple. Relax and pretend—Never mind. It won't work anyway. Since they've put up that blocking field. Just out of curiosity did you not feel it, Dawn?"

"I can't feel much outside of whatever room I'm in. They put up a ward specifically attuned to me, so I couldn't teleport," Dawn said.

Ruth sighed. "Doesn't surprise me with their spell-caster. Have you met him?"

"No," Buffy said. "We've heard of him, though. Katzen, I think they called him."

"Isaac Katzen?"

"You know him?" Dawn asked.

"I know of him. He was with one of the Cabals, I believe. Oh dear, I hope they aren't involved. That would be the devil of a problem. Sorcerer Cabals are—" She stopped. "Sorry, dear. We'll go into depth on that another time."

"What about this Katzen guy?" Dawn asked. "Do we need to know anything about him? Bauer says we're not likely to run into him. How'd she put it? He doesn't associate with lower races?"

A short chuckle. "That is most definitely a sorcerer. No, dear, I shouldn't think you'd have to worry about Isaac Katzen. Sorcerers have little use for witches. If he even senses the magical energy coming from you, Dawn, he's more than likely just going to ignore it. Since they already have you, I would even doubt he will even mention it to them, assuming of course they don't already know."

"They know," Buffy said. "Dawn gave them an example of why they couldn't hold us. We only remained to gather intel or we would have teleported out long before the ward went up."

"On the one hand it might have been a good idea to get out. On the other gathering intel before making your escape is also valid. Anyways Sorcerers aren't male witches. Completely different race. Nasty bunch, I'm sad to say. No sense of themselves as part of something greater. An absolute absence of altruism. They'd never dream of using their powers to help—" A sigh and a chuckle. "Stop digressing, Ruth. Age, you know. It's not that the mind starts to wander; it's that it's so stuffed full of information that it's forever jumping off track and zipping down tangents."

"We don't mind," Dawn said.

"Time, my dears. Time."

Dawn looked to Buffy as if to ask is anyone coming. Buffy shook her head.

"If they have Isaac Katzen 'on staff,' as you two says, then he has almost certainly cast a spell to block telepathy, going at least out of the compound. Though if he detects my spell, he might do to me like he did to you, Dawn. Limit my powers to the room I'm in."

"So, you are saying he could be monitoring us, right now?" Dawn wondered.

"No, dear. His kind need to be close by to do that, and I've already ascertained there's no one down here but our fellow captives. Do be careful, though. If he does visit the cells, he could listen without using the intercom system. For most spells, he'd need to be nearby."

"Can you contact someone outside the compound?" Dawn asked.

"I believe I can, though I haven't had a chance. I will later. I'll get in touch with Paige and tell her you two are here, so she can communicate with you. She's had the proper training. Never had the need to use it, but it should go well. She'll be a very powerful spell-caster someday, maybe not as powerful as you Dawn. But she has the potential and more than enough ambition. Some difficulty accepting her boundaries right now, so it may not go as smoothly as she'd like. Be patient with her, Dawn. Don't let her become frustrated."

"Let me guess the reason you want me to talk to Paige is because of Savannah," Dawn said.

"You've met her?"

"We've seen her," Buffy said. "Dawn felt her magical energy before you showed up."

"Horrible, isn't it?" Ruth's voice clogged with emotion. "Just horrible. A child. How anyone could be so callous—but I can't dwell on that. I need to help her."

"You can get her out of here?" Buffy asked.

Ruth continued, "No. Sadly, that's beyond my capabilities. Though Dawn's are another matter. But the ward would have to come down for you to do anything. Anyways the best I can do is give the child the tools she'll need to survive. At her age, she has only the most rudimentary knowledge and can cast only very benign spells. I need to give her more. Accelerate her development. Not the path I'd choose under any other circumstances. It could be … well, it may not be the best thing, but given the choice between that and perishing …"

"You're thinking of teaching her dark magic," Dawn said. "Aren't you?" She didn't wait for Ruth to respond. "You know she will need help afterwards."

"Yes, I know," Ruth said. "It is quite easy to get addicted to dark magic. Anyways I'll let you both know when I can. Now, here's what you'll need to do to help Paige communicate with you."

Ruth told the sisters how to prepare for Paige's telepathic spells. And taught Dawn how to cast her own. Without practice Dawn would not be able to contact Jeremy but at least she and Buffy could communicate with each other as long as Katzen wasn't nearby.

"Now," Ruth said when she'd finished. "One caution. You mustn't let Paige know about Eve's child. Savannah, I mean."

"Did she know her?" Buffy asked.

"Savannah? No. Eve left; we didn't even know she was pregnant. Paige probably doesn't even remember her. She was only a child herself then. No one was close to Eve. It doesn't matter. If Paige knows there's a young witch here, she'll insist on rescuing her immediately. If she couldn't get to her and something happened …" Ruth inhaled sharply. "Paige would never forgive herself."

"It won't matter. When we break out, we'll take Savannah." Ruth paused. "No, you two can't concern yourselves with the child. Not now anyways. I'll give Savannah what education I can in the use of her powers. You two must concentrate on getting yourselves out."

"What about you?" Buffy asked.

"It's of no consequence."

"No consequence? We're not leaving—" Buffy said.

"You'll do what you must, Buffy. You and Dawn are the important ones now. You've met these people. You've seen this place. That knowledge will be invaluable in helping the others fight this threat. As well, your escape will secure the aid of your Pack. If you two don't get out—but you both will. You both will get out, and your Pack will help the others to stop these people before they capture more of us. Then, when you return, you can worry about the child. If—when—you get her free, you have two options, Dawn. Start your own Coven and take Savannah with you. Or take her straight to Paige. That's important. After what I'm going to do for Savannah, only you or Paige will be able to control the damage. Dawn, you have my permission to start your own Coven. There is no way we could force you to join ours and we know it. You are too powerful for one and the other is your Pack. As your leader alluded to they would fight us if it came down to us forcing you to join our Coven—" She stopped and fell silent. Then, "Someone's coming, dears. I'll speak to you two when I can. Be ready for Paige."

"Okay," Dawn said. "Expect the second ghost when the clock strikes two."

"Now get some sleep. Good night."