Missing

"God damn this is painful," Faith yelled after having a particularly painful contraction, "I mean I'm a slayer for crying out loud…what's the deal?"

Gunn gave a nervous look. "Oh man…a slayer complaining about pain…I am so glad I'm not a woman."

"Yeah well pretty soon your gonna have to hold my hand and then you'll get to see just how painful it is," Faith said agitatedly.

Gunn raised his eyebrows and simply responded, "Yes ma'am."

"Oh man their getting closer together," Faith said as she had yet another contraction, "That usually means it's getting close to that time right?"

"I'd have to say so," Gunn responded. "That, and when your ten centimeters dilated."

"Alright Faith," Dr. Matthews said with a smile as she popped her head up from between Faith's legs, "Your ten centimeters dilated…it's time to start pushing."

Faith took a deep breath and readied herself for this huge moment in her life. Before she started to push she looked at Gunn worriedly. "I hope everything is going ok with Red and B."

XXXXXX

Angel all but ran into the waiting room. He was very distraught and he just wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was going on as fast as he could. "Guys…I think we might have a problem," Angel said to those in the lobby as soon as he reached them.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked with a very worried expression on her face.

Angel took a deep pointless breath before starting. "The doctors haven't come back with Buffy's son yet. They've been gone for well over an hour now and Buffy and I are getting really worried. She said she has a really bad feeling that something's wrong and I think she might be right."

"That is quite strange that they would hold the child from Buffy for so long," Wesley agreed. "Have you asked anyone?"

"We asked like two or three nurses and no one has gotten back to us yet," Angel responded. "I've got a bad feeling about this, Wes. I think someone might have taken Buffy's son. I think someone might be after the babies."

"You're sure?" Wesley asked.

"Look at the facts Wes…everyone and their brother is going to be after these babies," Angel responded. "I honestly didn't think we'd have to worry about it this soon but what else could it be?"

"Well we have to do something," Spike burst into the conversation. "We can't just stand here and keep chatting about it we have to find Buffy's little one."

"Do we know if anyone else had their babies yet? Willow would have been next did she…" Angel started, but was interrupted.

"Giles was just out here a little while ago," Cordelia interrupted. "He said that Willow had her baby and that Tara would be having hers pretty soon too."

"Did he say if they took the baby anywhere?" Angel asked with frustration in his voice. Now it wasn't just Buffy's child that may have been taken but also Willow's was a possibility as well.

"He didn't say," Connor answered. "He went back in pretty quickly…didn't want to leave them alone."

"Alright…" Angel was about to say something but was interrupted again.

"Oh no," Anya interrupted.

"What is it sweetie do you know something?" Xander asked anxiously.

"Umm…no," Anya responded, "But I think I'm next."

Everyone looked down to see a puddle of water underneath were Anya was standing. "Oh boy," Xander responded. "Nurse!"

"Alright," Angel picked up where he left off, "Xander go with Anya we'll find you and give you updates on what's going on but for now just act like everything is normal."

"Easy for you to say," Anya snapped. "You're not the one having a baby coming out of your vagina that might get taken!"

"Anya, don't worry," Xander tried to reassure her. "I won't let anything happen to you or our baby, I swear to you."

Anya just looked at Xander with worry. What he said was comforting but not comforting enough. The nurse came with the wheel chair and Anya hesitantly put her care in the hands of the hospital. Xander fallowed as the nurse wheeled her into a room.

"Well now that that's taken care of what's next fearless leader?" Spike asked mockingly.

Angel was now getting even more aggravated then he already was. "Listen Spike we really don't need this right now so you can either help us out or get the hell out."

Spike rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What's the plan?"

"Normally I'd say we should all split up and try and figure out where Buffy's child is but Dawn, Fred and Cordy could go into labor at any time," Angel started to explain.

"We'll be fine," Fred said.

"Yeah Angel we need to help," Dawn said persistently. It was clear as day by the look on her face that she was extremely worried about her new nephew.

"Alright here's how we're going to do this then," he began to explain. "We'll do teams; Wesley and Fred, Connor and Dawn, and Spike and Cordelia. Lorne I need you to go into Buffy's room and stay with her, keep her calm."

"Sure boss," Lorne answered, "But is that really a good idea with you know…the whole I'm a demon thing?"

"Just keep your hat on and your coat collar up, there haven't been many people in there since she had the baby anyway," Angel explained. "She needs someone to be with her."

"Right," Lorne said as he started walking to Buffy's room. Before he got to the door he stopped and turned around, "What should I tell her?"

Angel paused for a moment to think. "Just tell her I'm checking things out and I just sent you to keep and eye on her. Tell her I'll check up on her in a little while."

"Right," Lorne repeated this time actually walking into Buffy's room after he spoke.

"Fred, Wes, I want you guys to check the newborn's room," Angel ordered. "Dawn and Connor I need the two of you to check up on Willow, Tara and Giles. Find out what's going on with Willow's baby and when Tara is going to have hers. Let Giles know what's going on but try not to worry the girls. Spike, Cordy, I need you guys to figure out what's going on with Faith. I think she's going to be the next one to have her baby. When she has the baby Cordelia you stay with Faith and Spike you and Gunn fallow the doctor. Don't let her out of your site and don't let her know your fallowing her either."

"Got it," Spike said with a head nod. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna find Buffy's doctor," Angel responded with a deep tension evident in his ton. "She was the last one I saw Buffy's son with so right now she's my prime suspect."

Just the thought of someone taking Buffy's child was enough to make Angel clench his fists. Talking about the fact that it might be her doctor was beginning to make him draw blood.

"Alright everyone know what they have to do?"

The others all nodded their heads.

"Good…lets do this."

XXXXXX

"Willow?" Dawn said as she popped her head into Willow and Tara's room.

"In here Dawny," Willow responded.

Dawn and Connor walked into the room to see a very tired looking Willow. "How are you feeling?" Dawn asked.

Willow simply replied, "Tired." Then she smiled with extreme excitement, "And…I'm a mommy!"

"Congratulations," Dawn said as she tried to give Willow a hug. Since Willow was in a bed and Dawn's stomach was still very large it didn't exactly work, but it was the thought that counted.

Connor went to give her a hug next and also gave his congratulations.

"Thanks guys," Willow said with a smile.

"And how are you feeling?" Dawn asked Tara who was currently in the bed next to Willow doing her breathing exercises with Giles.

"Quite exhausted actually," Giles replied.

Dawn giggled a little. "I was talking to Tara."

"Oh," Giles said with embarrassment, "Right…of course."

Tara also managed to giggle a little as well between her breathing. "I'm…doing…ok…Dawny," she responded between breaths.

"Good…so everyone is…good," Connor said as he tried not to alarm the girls in any way.

He failed miserably. Tara wasn't really paying much attention but both Willow and Giles could tell that something was up. Willow's face started to turn from happiness to worry. "What's going on?" she asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Dawn tried to cover, "Nothing is going on. We just…wanted to see how you guys were."

Willow wasn't buying it. "You're a pretty good liar Dawn but Connor really sucks at it," she said. Dawn gave Connor a disappointed look. "It's written all over his face," Willow added. "Now tell us what's going on before I start to get really worried."

Dawn sighed. She knew they were beaten and she would have to spill. "Alright but please please please try not to freak out." Willow crossed her arms and gave Dawn a 'get to the point,' kind of look. Dawn decided not to beat around the bush so she simply said, "We think someone may have taken Buffy's baby."

"What?!" Willow, Tara and Giles said at the same time.

"Did the doctor let you hold Emma?" Connor asked Willow, "Or did she just take her out saying she needed to get her cleaned up and stuff?"

Now Willow's face started turning very pale. "She took her right away," Willow responded softly.

"That's what happened to Buffy and it's been well over and hour now since she's seen him," Dawn said. "No one will tell her what's going on or why it's taking so long. She told Angel that she had a really bad feeling so he came out and told us that he thinks someone might have taken him."

"Since these babies are supposed to be very important for the side of good there's bound to be a lot of people or…other things that will try and take them or kill them," Connor added.

"We didn't think we'd have to deal with it this soon but there's a very real possibility that this is already happening," Dawn continued.

"But…how?" Tara asked. "We're in a hospital and the doctors are the ones that took Willow and Buffy's babies."

"Someone could have taken the babies from them," Connor suggested as a possibility.

"That wouldn't make sense," Giles said. "If someone were to take Buffy's child from Dr. Miller then she wouldn't be around to deliver Dawn's baby and that would be too suspicious."

"So who do you think it is then?" Dawn asked.

"The doctors," Willow answered.

"Are you serious?" Dawn asked with disbelief in her voice. "We've been with these doctors since we got to LA. We know them…we trust them."

"Exactly," Giles said as he began to understand what Willow was thinking. "They somehow find out about the children, make sure that they become your doctors, gain your trust and then take the children," he explained.

"We'll have to be sure," Connor said.

"We need to find Angel," Dawn said.

"Right," Giles agreed, "Connor, go see if you can find Angel and tell him about our theory."

Connor shook his head in defiance, "No. I won't leave Dawn. If she goes into labor I want to be with her. I'm not leaving her side."

Dawn looked at Connor and smiled. They had become very good friends since he first came there being that they are pretty much the same age. They had never explored the possibility of dating before but Dawn, unbeknownst to Connor, had kind of had a little thing for him since he first moved in.

She had never acted on her feelings though. Partially because she was afraid he might not feel the same way and partially because she figured even if he did there was no way an 18-year-old boy was going to date a pregnant 16-year-old girl. The fact that Connor was being so protective and caring, however, was starting to make her think that theory might be wrong.

"Right," Giles agreed, "Well…I can't go. I need to stay here with Tara."

"We'll both go," Dawn said.

"Are you sure?" Connor asked as he took her hand in his.

Dawn forced a smile on her face. "Yeah…I'll be fine. Let's go."

XXXXXX

As Buffy lay in her bed she felt about a million emotions all at once. She felt joy at the fact that she had just become a mother, but extreme worry for her son. She felt very angry towards anyone who might have anything to do with why she wasn't able to see her son, and at the same time helpless because all she could do was lay in her bed.

She closed her eyes and put her hands over her face as she felt some tears about to overcome her. Before she even had the chance to cry she heard a nock at the door. It startled her at first but then when she regained her composer she managed to chock out, "Come in."

Lorne peaked his head through to make sure there was no one but Buffy in the room. When he noticed the coast was clear he walked in. "Hey there sweet cheeks," he said as he tried to force a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Buffy looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. "You're kidding right?"

"Sorry," Lorne apologized.

"Where's Angel?" Buffy demanded.

"He came out and told everyone what was going on," Lorne responded as he tried to avoid the question. "He asked me to come in and stay with you."

Buffy's frustration was building now. "I'll ask you one more time and then I'm going to start to get cranky…where's Angel?"

As much as Lorne knew that Buffy was going to freak out, he also knew that there was no way he was going to be able to keep this from her. He took a deep breath before starting. "Alright…Angel's looking for your son."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I know that but something's going on. If there wasn't something going on he would have come back in her himself."

"He thinks," Lorne started to say but hesitated a little, "He thinks that someone may have taken your son."

Buffy's face immediately turned pale. When her son hadn't been brought back to her she was worried that maybe something was wrong with him. She thought that maybe he wasn't healthy or something went wrong with the check up. She couldn't even believe it but the thought of her son being taken hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Considering how valuable these children are to the forces of good…it's a very good possibility that he's right," Lorne said with a giant frown on his face.

For a moment Buffy was stunned. She didn't move, say anything or do anything. But when she snapped out of it, she really snapped. She practically jumped out of her bed and started walking towards the bed. "I have to find him," she said with determination in her voice.

Before she even made it three feet she almost collapsed. Luckily Lorne was there to catch her. "Easy there sweet heart I don't think that's such a good idea. Angel is on top of the situation. Spike and Cordelia are watching Faith, and Connor and Dawn are with Willow and Tara."

Lorne helped Buffy to stand up and as soon as she was up straight she held her head in pain. "Something…something isn't right," she said as she continued to hold her head. "I just had a baby but instead it feels like I just got ran over by a bus. I can't…I can't move."

A look of extreme worry appeared on Lorne's face. Buffy finally took her hand away from her head long enough to look into Lorne's eyes. "I think I've been drugged."

XXXXXX

Spike and Cordelia walked as fast as they could to Faith's room. They knew that if she was going at the same schedule as the other girls she would be having her baby any minute now and they needed to get there before she did. Spike nearly ran into the room. "Faith?" he called out as he opened the door and walked into the room.

Faith and Gunn were both smiling but they looked completely exhausted. "What's up?" Faith asked when she saw the look on Spike's face.

Before Spike could answer Cordelia ran into the room a little out of breath. Spike's heart dropped as he looked at Cordy and said, "We're too late." Faith had already had her son and he was no where to be seen.