Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Mercedes and Audrey.
CHAPTER 24-LOST AND FOUND
She nervously climbed the last flight of stairs and rounded the corner. After telling Willow everything Kennedy had been at a loss as to what to do. The only thing that popped into her head was the need, if not the desire, to find Mercedes and get some answers. Knowing that if she told anyone where she was going or brought any of them with her that it would end badly she instead left a message saying that she was going to get some answers and slipped out into the streets of Rome. Her only decision to make was whether or not to go to Mercedes or Kristine's apartment. She was halfway to Mercedes' apartment before she thought better of it and retraced her steps back to Kristine's, getting a workout on the stairs instead of taking the elevator. She did this to try and alleviate some of the pent up energy and emotions that were running rampant through her body.
She pulled the knife out of her boot as she neared Kristine's door, getting a shock at finding it half open. Having to steel herself against rushing in Kennedy instead slowly made her way to the door, trying to be as quiet as possible and listen to see if anyone was around. She thought that she heard a faint sniffling sound and dared enough to stick her head around the corner and take a look. The once pristine living room was now a total mess, with chairs and tables overturned and the television smashed up against the far wall. As she slowly crawled into the apartment was unnerved at the sight of a large bloodstain on the floor, especially as it looked fresh. She was confused a bit by this as she couldn't see any bodies lying around anywhere. She was just about to look in the kitchen when she heard the sniffle again, this time though she was sure that it came from the bedroom. She brandished her knife carefully as she made her way down the hallway and around the corner. When she entered the room the first thing that she saw was the large bed, covered in silk sheets. Even though she knew that she shouldn't her mind drifted back to the memory of how soft those same sheets were against her bare skin. She had loved it those few special nights.
She was about to turn away when she saw the top of someone's head rise up above the top of the bed on the far side near the door to the bathroom. The bathroom held special memories as well, though none with Kristine. Her hand went to the light switch and she was about to flip it on when instead she heard a familiar voice.
"Don't bother, the lights broke," Mercedes stated softly with a very somber and depressed tone to her voice before Kennedy relaxed a bit, pulled her hand back, and stood fully up.
"Mercedes, what are you doing here," Kennedy exclaimed with a sigh of relief as she cautiously hurried into the room and slid over the bed.
"Reminiscing," Mercedes mumbled back softly with a pained pout on her face before Kennedy got a good look at her via the light from the nightlight in the bathroom. From head to toe Mercedes was dripping wet and only wearing a pair of dark crimson panties and one sock. The droplets of water from her hair were falling off and running down her chest and stomach, finally collecting in a small damp spot on the rug in between her thighs.
"What happened, Mercedes…the blood, what happened," Kennedy asked with a very impatient and scared look on her face as she sheathed the knife and laid a hand on Mercedes' shoulder.
"They didn't find what they were looking for, they were trying to erase her…I couldn't let that happen," Mercedes started to reply softly through the veil of her hair as she hung her head and Kennedy could only see her through the gaps between locks of brown rooted red. As she finished speaking Kennedy moved around to the side a bit and got a better look at her lover. There were several cuts, scrapes, and bruises all over Mercedes' usually smooth skin and sculpted physique. But what was most striking of all was how red her eyes were, obviously from crying rivers of tears.
"I don't," Kennedy started to say back with an unsure look on her face before Mercedes looked up and into the bathroom, finally leaning over and catching sight of the bodies of several men that she recognized as those that had worked for The Immortal.
"They tried to get rid of her, make it like she…like she," Mercedes started to reply with a dull tone to her voice before her eyes filled up with tears and she looked to Kennedy. Acting more on instinct than a plan Kennedy leaned back towards the half naked vampire and pulled her into her arms, holding her close as Mercedes let the tears fall. Kennedy hummed a nursery rhyme that her mother had sung to her when she was little as she squeezed Mercedes into a tight hug as the vampire let loose the wave of tears that she had been holding in.
When Mercedes finally seemed to be calming down Kennedy took the opportunity to survey what surrounding she could without letting go. She saw that there were several photo albums and other personal affects strewn about the floor in such a way that seemed to suggest that Mercedes had been looking through them, remembering the happier times and trying to come to terms with Kristine's death in her own way. She still wasn't sure exactly what had happened but knew that she needed all of the answers if she was going to help her friend.
"Tell me what happened, tell me everything…please," Kennedy asked with a soft and supportive smile on her face as she lifted Mercedes' face up enough to lay a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Okay…I came here to remember the good times, get a few things, I was just starting to look through the photo albums when they busted down the door, they weren't happy to see me," Mercedes replied with a serious look on her face as she focused her gaze on a spot on the wall on the other side of the room and her gaze never deviated. "I couldn't help myself, I could smell it…they were there when he," Mercedes started to add with a nervous glazed over look on her face before her eyes filled up with tears again and she dropped her head down to Kennedy's shoulder before they fell.
"When the Immortal hurt Kristine, he hurt her," Kennedy stated softly and clearly out loud in an effort to both wrap her head around it and make sure that she was hearing Mercedes right.
"He didn't hurt her, he killed her…then he sent these flunkies here to clean up, they didn't last very long," Mercedes sniffled back into Kennedy's shoulder as one of her hands found its way to Kennedy's forearm and squeezed so hard that Kennedy thought that her arm was broken. Pulling away from Mercedes just enough to get a good look at the bodies of the men Kennedy saw that a few of them had their necks snapped while the others looked to have had their throats ripped out or to have been shot to death. Nearby the bloody and ripped apart shreds of Mercedes' clothes lay on the floor and it looked as if she hadn't fully turned the shower off after using it.
"Mercedes, you didn't," Kennedy started to declare with an almost frantic tone to her voice as she grabbed both sides of Mercedes' head with her hands and made her look her straight in the eye.
"Turn them…course not, I was hungry…I know when to stop, we can't let him get away with this Kennedy, we have to stop him," Mercedes stammered out with a terrified and insanely serious look in her eyes before she bit her bottom lip and lowered her head back down to Kennedy's shoulder.
"Don't worry baby, we'll make him pay, I swear it," Kennedy vowed with a very heartsick and determined look on her face and tone to her voice as she pulled Mercedes back into a tight embrace as the minutes continued to tick by.
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"Miss…I'm sorry, miss," A frantic nurse exclaimed as she dropped what she was doing and raced out of the room and into the hallway, doing her best to keep up.
"Where is he…I have to find him," Faith shouted in a panic as she slumped up against the wall and lurched her way down the hallway, using the wall to keep her standing upright. Rather than unhook the machines that she was patched up to after waking up Faith had instead just ripped enough wires and tubes away until she could get out of bed and make it to the door. Now her only concern was finding Wesley and making sure that he would be okay, she couldn't rest until she knew that he was safe.
"Please, you have to return to your room," Another nurse exclaimed with a confused and very surprised look on her face as she hurried to rush around Faith and get in front of her.
"Have to see Wes, have to make sure that he's okay," Faith mumbled back softly in reply with a very determined and scared look in her eyes as she brushed the woman aside and continued on down the hallway.
"Security," The nurse that Faith brushed aside shouted with a panicked tone to her voice as she got back up to her feet.
"Faith stop," Angel declared with a very serious and commanding scowl on his face as he came to a stop just a few feet behind Faith. After hearing the nurses shouting he had very nearly flown through the hallways fearing the worst. Now he wasn't sure what to think.
"No Angel, I have to see him," Faith shot back with a very determined and exhausted expression on her face as she found the strength to lift her head up and peer through her bangs while fervently trying to figure out which room Wesley was in.
"I understand Faith, but not right now, you're to weak," Angel replied with a nervous look on his face as he started to catch up to Faith, which wasn't hard since a toddler could keep up with her lurching stride.
"I am not," Faith shouted with a furious sneer on her face as she felt Angel closing in on her and she responded buy throwing a terribly aimed punch at him to get him to back off. Instead of striking Angel her fist instead struck open air and sent her spinning around like a top until she couldn't support her own weight and crumpled down to the floor.
"Oh really, now do you believe me," Angel said back with an impatient tone to his voice as he started to kneel down to help Faith up but she did her best to brush him away.
"No Angel…stay back, I can do this on my own, after I see Wesley I can rest…I have to make sure that he's okay," Faith growled back at first with a very angry tone to her voice before her countenance softened considerably and she looked more like what she was, a thoroughly exhausted and weakened slayer just trying to put her mind at ease.
"Fine Faith, I'll help you see Wesley, but you have to let me help you, you won't make it to his room like this," Angel said softly with a concerned and worried look on his face as he slowly and carefully knelt back down beside Faith, careful not to make any sudden movements until finally he laid a hand on her shoulder and she didn't flinch.
"Damn it," Faith grumbled under her breath as she had to admit that Angel was right and that she didn't think that her legs would be able to carry her the rest of the way.
"Faith, what…how," Dawn exclaimed with a very surprised expression on her face as she and Willow walked around the corner and caught sight of Angel helping Faith up into a wheelchair.
"I don't know Dawn, I just found her like this," Angel replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders as Faith halfway looked up and over at Willow.
"Let's go already," Faith started to say with an impatient scowl on her face before she started to make to get up out of the chair.
"Okay, we're going," Angel said back with a still confused frown on his face as he shook his head before he started to push Faith down the hallway, with a confused Dawn and Willow clearing the way.
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"Excuse me, what did you say, Angel is," Buffy exclaimed at first with a flabbergasted look on her face as she shook her head to try and clear things up.
"My father, now tell us where he is or," Connor replied with an emotionless look in his eyes as he repeated his statement before he started to take a step forward towards Buffy.
"Okay buddy, that's far enough, you think that you can just show up, claim that you're Angel's son and," Xander started to argue with a defensive tone to his voice as he stepped in front of Buffy and put his hands up to if necessary physically stop Connor.
"I am his son," Connor replied back with a reluctant scowl on his face before he suddenly grabbed Xander's left arm and in a flash flipped the former carpenter over his shoulder and then slammed him hard down onto the ground on his back.
"Xander," Buffy shouted in alarm with a shocked and surprised look on her face as she recovered from the initial shock of what had just happened before she clenched her hands into fists and looked ready to fight.
"Connor no…we can't do this, come on guys, we're all friends here," Kate interjected with a skittish and nervous smile on her face as she walked past Gwen and laid a hand on Connor's shoulder.
"Hardly honey, the only friend that I'm looking for is Angel, he and I have some unfinished business to sort out," Gwen sharply stated with an alarmed and impatient expression on her face as the spark that was going between the fingers of her gloveless hand intensified.
"Really, what kind," Xander asked with an interested smirk on his face as Kate got Connor to let go of his arm and step back before Buffy quickly helped him to his feet.
"Xander," Buffy growled softly under her breath with a very serious pout on her face as she started to think about a game plan.
"No Buffy, she says that she and Angel are friends, why not prove it," Xander replied with a slightly hurt and embarrassed look on his face as he brushed himself off while keeping an eye on Connor.
"Okay…I'll bite, he helped me out of a couple of jams a few months back, after that I never got the chance to properly thank him," Gwen replied with an irritated and annoyed frown on her face at first before her frown turned into a smile at the end and there was a slight twinkle in her eye.
"Meaning," Buffy asked with a very serious look on her face and tone to her voice as she pushed Xander behind her as the two backed away a bit.
"Meaning blondie that I already know that he's one hell of a kisser, I wonder what else he's good at," Gwen casually replied with a taunting smile on her face and amused tone to her voice as Kate couldn't tell if she was actually being serious or just toying with them.
"Gwen, we don't have time for this, we have to find Angel and the others before it's to late," Kate interrupted with an impatient frown on her face as she did her best to hold her tongue and keep her temper in check.
"They came this way, Angel was here, but wait…there is another, faint…but similar to Angel's," Groo said with a very confidant edge to his voice as he walked back towards the group after having quickly checked something out in the nearby alley.
"I give up, what," Xander exclaimed with a confused smirk on his face as he threw his hands up in defeat and turned to face Groo.
"He means that my father has been by here recently, and that there was someone else with him that leaves a trail almost identical to his, perhaps not all of them perished," Connor answered softly with a very contemplative expression on his face as he turned away from Xander and began to check out the street surrounding him.
"Duh Daniel Boone, we already know that Wesley's alive, looking like a Punisher knockoff no less, and Faith switched sides for the like the hundredth time," Xander said with a sarcastic frown on his face as he shook his head and kept his distance from either Gwen or Groo.
"Good to know at least one of them survived," Gwen mumbled softly to herself, though not low enough for Buffy to miss it, before she snapped her composed countenance back into place.
"I do not know this Faith, is she a vampire like Angel," Groo asked with a confused look on his face as he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned back to face Xander.
"She's a slayer Groo, like Buffy…only she still has a mind of her own," Gwen explained with an amused smirk on her face that only grew with Buffy's immediate reaction.
"Hey," Buffy exclaimed with an angry scowl on her face as she whipped her head around and glared over at Gwen.
"It's not her, I know Faith, this is not her trail…it's his, we need to follow it," Connor said softly as he shook his head before he turned to glance back at Kate briefly before turning away and racing off into the night. Groo looked nervous for a bit before he bowed to Kate and the others ever so slightly and then took off after Connor.
"This is insane, Connor…Groo…stop, we're not done here yet," Katy shouted out loudly after Connor and Groo before she turned back around and sighed.
"Looks like they have other ideas," Gwen joked with an amused smirk on her face before she shrugged her shoulders and pulled her glove back on. Before Kate could answer Gwen shook her head and then slipped back into the shadows.
"No Gwen wait…damn, no matter what you think of us we're on the same side here, we all want the same thing," Kate replied with an anxious and nervous smile on her face as she shook her head before Buffy spoke.
"And what would that be," Buffy asked with a curious expression on her face as she let her guard drop as she didn't believe that Kate posed a threat.
"To see justice done," Katy replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders before she turned and walked away, despite Xander's calls for her to stay put and answer all of his questions.
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"Come on Mercedes, we can't stay here any longer," Kennedy said with a harsh tone to her voice as she stepped back into the bedroom to see Mercedes standing at Kristine's closet door, stripping off her panties.
"I'm not ready yet, I have to find where she put clothes, I've stayed here a few times and left some of my clothes behind, she washed them for me and said that I should pick them up sometime but I never did," Mercedes replied with an impatient and nervous frown on her face as she started to look through the shirts and blouses that were hanging on hangers.
"Have you tried looking in any of the drawers, they're going to figure out that something happened to those guys in the bathroom and send more, we can't be here when they get here understand," Kennedy shot back with a very serious look on her face as she walked across the bedroom and then pulled open one of the drawers.
"Kristine always kept everything in her closet…except for herself, they have to be in here somewhere I just…ha, see told you," Mercedes started to reply with a bored pout on her face before she grinned a bit in the middle and then proudly produced a bag of clothes out of the back of the closet seconds later.
"Okay good, so come on already, get dressed, we have to find Willow and the others," Kennedy said back with a serious and impatient frown on her face as she shut the drawer that she had opened and straightened up, sighing softly at the end of the action.
"Are you sure, won't she want to torch me, now that she knows about us I don't see her being very forgiving," Mercedes replied with an unsure expression on her face as she tossed the bag of clothes onto the bed and pulled out her underwear.
"She's not like that…anymore, sure she's mad, but she knows that there's something going on here…if we don't rush into this I know that she'll listen to you and then she can help us against the Immortal," Kennedy answered with what she hoped was a confidant response as she ripped the bag open and then picked out a pair of jeans and handed them to Mercedes as she was slipping her bra on.
"Really…I heard that she skinned the last guy that crossed her, no…the best thing for us to do is find Angel and help him," Mercedes replied with a skeptically tone of voice as she pulled her jeans on and then sucked her stomach in a bit to get them snapped quickly.
"We can't avoid Willow forever, if I have any chance with her I have to come clean and get everything out into the open, that includes you," Kennedy replied with a nervous frown on her face as she began to dig through the pile of clothes until she found a pair of shoes and socks.
"So you want to stay together with her, what about us," Mercedes asked with a curious look on her face before she bragged a tight black sleeveless shirt and pulled it on, half tucking it in before yanking a long sleeved denim shirt out of the pile as well and starting to put it on.
"What we had was…," Kennedy started to say with an unsure look of embarrassment on her face as she stared down at the tops of her shoes before Mercedes chuckled.
"Planned out from the beginning by the Immortal to break you and Willow up, divide and conquer…except after a week it was all just to much fun to stop, you want the honest truth fine…here it is, if you and Willow stay together good, thank your lucky stars or whatever and don't look back, if on the other hand she dumps you, don't expect me to pick up the pieces, I don't see me staying here in Rome after this is over," Mercedes replied with a nervous look on her face as she sat down on the edge of the bed and started to put her socks on.
"So then it was all just a game, you didn't actually like me, you never had any feelings for me," Kennedy asked softly with a bewildered expression on her face as she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Mercedes. After sitting silently there fro a second Mercedes reached over and pulled Kennedy into a powerful kiss.
"Would I have just done that if I didn't…look, you're great in the sack, but other than that there really is no us to speak of, if you want to change that then look me up after this is all over and we'll give it a shot, though I'm not going to wait forever, who knows what'll happen if I get my soul back, you may never find me again after that," Mercedes said softly with a very honest and serious tone to her voice as she went back to putting her socks on and then her shoes. She had finished putting them on and had just grabbed a coat to leave when Kennedy finally found her voice.
"You're a real bitch you know that," Kennedy grumbled with an impatient scowl on her face as she looked up and glared at Mercedes after she grabbed a hold of her arm to keep her near.
"Baby…trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet, when I get my hands on the Immortal he'll wish that he'd staked me to," Mercedes replied softly after looking hurt for a moment before she leaned down, placed a soft kiss on Kennedy's forehead and then quietly left the room, leaving a confused and anxious Kennedy to sit there and stew about her choices.
END OF CHAPTER 24
Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed this story, I've now tied my all time high in reviews and am only one away from setting a new personal record. As to the story Faith's willingness to pay for her crimes and full acknowledgement of her actions played a great deal in her being healed, though not fully, just enough to see Wesley with a little help from Angel. Mercedes isn't saying that she wants to be together with Kennedy, she's saying that she's okay with it if Kennedy and Willow work through this and stay together. But if they don't then Mercedes won't wait very long for Kennedy to change her mind, especially if she obtains her soul. So basically the proverbial ball is in Kennedy and Willow's court. Mercedes went to Kristine's apartment to have a good cry basically, then some of The Immortal's men showed up, she killed them in a rage, and then took a shower to clean up, throwing all of the men into the bathroom to hide them from anyone that just glanced into the apartment. When Kennedy found her she had only stepped out of the shower a few moments earlier, not going far enough to strip completely nude to take the shower, just jumping right in and ripping her bloody clothes off in the process. So thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, you all give me the drive to continue.