Chapter Three

"Hello Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless." Cordy answered the phone on its second ring, in her usual cheery manner.

It was a week since the group had met with Babe and so far they hadn't been able find out what could be trying to harm her. Cordy's vision hadn't given them anything to go on, other than where to meet her the once and all attempts to find where she lived had been a flop. The bar had been staked out 24/7, Gunn and Fred during the day and Angel at night, on the off chance that she would return there, but she hadn't. Wesley was going through the police database after illegally hacking into it, but without her surname it was a long search, so far he had found nothing on her. They were beginning to worry that they were too late and whatever it was trying to hurt of kill her could have already succeeded.

"Hello…Cordelia? Is that you?" the voice on the other end of the line was so weak and quite that Cordy could barely make her out.

"Babe?" she asked quickly as she snapped her fingers at Wesley to get his attention, he immediately jumped to his feet.

"Yeah," Babe answered. "I didn't have anyone else to call…" he voice wavered.

"It's fine, what's wrong? Where are you?" Cordy asked her.

Cordy had to stain to hear Babe's reply. "I'm so weak…I don't know what wrong with me." she started crying. "I don't know what else to do. You said if I ever needed help…"

"Babe, calm down it's okay. We're gonna come and get you, just give me the address."

Wesley read the address that Cordy wrote down over her shoulder and got out his cell dialling Gunn's number. He was at the bar with Fred and was only around the corner,

"Be careful." he told him. "Whatever is harming her could still be there."

…

"No problem." Gunn said and hung up the phone. "Come on, we've got her address." he told Fred, rising from his seat.

The apartment was only a couple of minutes away, but not knowing what they could find they took the truck anyway. They may need a fast get away.

20 minutes later, Gunn strode back into the hotel with Babe in his arms and followed by a worried looking Fred. They couldn't believe the state they had found her in, crumpled up on the floor, next to the phone. She was so weak that she had barely been able to lift her head up when they entered. She looked so scared and helpless, but when she saw whom it was a kind of relief had washed over her. He had quickly picked her up and got her out of there, not wanting to stick around to find out what had done this to her, they could find that out once they got her out of danger and back to the safety of the hotel. She didn't look good and he didn't want that happening to himself, or more specifically Fred.

Angel was upstairs in his room when they got back, but he came down as soon as he heard Gunn's voice. He ran down the staircase in time to see him carefully lowering the feeble blonde onto one of the red couches by Wesley's office.

"This is Angel." Gunn told her, his voice low, as if a loud noise could break her.

"Hi." Angel said, just as softly as he sat down across from her. "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

Babe wearily turned her head to face him and her eyes twinkled with recognition, she frowned. "You?" she said quietly, almost under her breath, looking puzzled.

Angel was taken aback. She knew him? Yet he was sure he had never met her. He would have defiantly remembered her. "Have we met?"

She closed her eyes and shock her head, as if trying to get herself together. "Oh…I'm sorry…I just…I'm just tired."

"Don't apologise just tell us what happened."

"I'm not really sure, it all started a couple of days ago, I started getting really weak and dizzy all the time. My muscles ached like I'd been on a twelve mile run ad I didn't have a clue why…it just kept getting worse…Now I can hardly move." She closed her eyes for a second, then added. "Even talking makes me tired.

Angel, who had remained silent taking every detail in without questioning, now scooped her up into his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting you to bed." he told her. "You can get some rest here. Don't worry we're very good at figuring out things just like this."

She rested her head against his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you." she really did need some sleep. Usually she had trouble sleeping in strange or new places, but for some reason she felt at ease with these people. Plus she was too tired to worry about anything at the moment. She closed her eyes, feeling safe and comfortable.

"Don't thank me yet." Angel said as he made his way upstairs and into one of the many spare rooms. She was already asleep when he laid her down on the bed and pulled the blankets over her.

He looked down at her sleeping form and his stomach knotted up. She had known him, downstairs she had recognized him. She had tried to blame the reaction on her fatigue but he suspected there was more to it than she was willing to say at the moment. She was a stranger to him. He was sure he would remember her, had he seen her before. She was incredibly beautiful, with long golden blonde hair (he had always liked that), a toned, athletic body, with freckled skin.

She looked so helpless at the moment, but he could sense that there was an incredible strength within her.

Whilst watching her sleep, he was aware that he had licked his lips more than once. He had an almost uncontrollable urge to kiss her full lips. The butterflies in his stomach where doing back flips and he swallowed hard trying to compose himself.

After a while he managed to pull himself away from her and rejoined the gang downstairs.

"Well?" Gunn asked him as he reached the lobby.

"She's incredibly weak." Angel told them. "It felt like I was going to break her. Also I could smell blood on her." he said, wondering if that had been the reason for the urges he had felt, though he doubted it. It was a desire more than an instinct.

"Blood?" Cordy questioned.

Angel nodded.

"Why is there always blood? Just once I'd like the PTB to send me a nice vision, with no blood, or slime, or-"

"Cordelia." Angel interrupted the seers ramble, bringing her back to the present situation. "We need to focus here. Time is running out and we have no idea what's causing this and no leads to go on."

"Could this be some kind strength sucking demon?" Fred asked.

"Could be, or maybe some kind of witchcraft." Angel added.

"Couldn't she just be ill?" Gunn said. "Not everything has to be supernatural you know. People do just get sick."

"True, but Cordy had a vision. They don't call us for the regular cases."

"No, they'd call 911." Fred joked, beaming widely.

"We need more information." Angel said. "I'm going to see if Kate has any news. Other victims that match the symptoms or anything that could be related. Maybe she has something on her address." He started heading for the door. "Look into any demons that could be doing this, or spells, or anything." he added as he rushed out.

…

1980 Iowa.

The moonlight glistened over the slopping hills and lush fields, turning the fresh greens to dull greys. Suddenly, a blue Volkswagen beetle skidded round the bend, disrupting the peacefully silence of the night.

A woman sat in the passenger seat, clinging on to the side and dash of the car, attempting to hold herself in the seat as the car skidded around bend after bend. "Slow down. You've lost them." she cried to her husband desperately, peering over her shoulder through the rear view window at the dark and empty road behind them.

Curled up snugly in the baby car seat, their newborn baby daughter amazing slept soundly through the turbulent ride.

"Have to be sure." her husband replied, from behind the wheel as he skidded round another bend. "They keep coming, always when we think we've lost them."

"They must have some kind of locator spell on us."

"Can't you, I don't know, un-spell their spell?"

She had to stop herself from laughing at him; for a half demon her husband was very naive when it came to the mystical arts. "Not without knowing what spell they've cast. They don't know she been born. Our only chance is to get her somewhere safe before they find us again."

"None of this would be necessary if we had just destroyed the prophecy in the first place."

"I've already told you, destroying the prophecy wont stop it becoming true. The best we could do is get rid of the piece we had, so they cant uncovering the full meaning."

"I just hope The Wolf, Ram and Hart aren't present in whatever detention you sent it to."

Choice-less the couple pulled into the hospital, lifted the baby-seat from the back and with heavy heart carried their most precious treasure to the rear entrance of the building.

The witch desperately tried to clear the tears from her eyes so she could see her baby, if this was the last time she would see her cherished daughter she didn't want the memory to be clouded. She hated herself for leaving, abandoning her baby, but knew beyond every thought, every feeling that this was the only choice left for them. As heartbreaking as leaving her was, keeping her with them would result in her death and she would rather not see her baby again and know that she was alive then watch her killed.

"We should leave a note, name her so we can find her again if we get out of this." her husband said mournfully, giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

Gently, she shock her head. "We can't do that. Knowing someone's name gives you power over them. Without a name she'll be stronger and she's going to need all the strength she can get. She'll just have to remain; baby girl."

"Our little Babe."

…

"Babe…Babe…" Angel gently shock her. "Wake up." He wanted to let her sleep for longer, but his need for answers had a greater need. Whatever was happening to her could still be accruing, so she wasn't safe until he figured out what it was.

Kate had found out that a Stan Marshal also lived at the address, he had gotten a criminal record a few years before for handling stolen goods and had received three months imprisonment. He had not been in any trouble since and hardly fitted the bill of which angel was looking for, but it was the only lead he had.

Babe blinked a few times, yawned and looked up at him, it was a very nice was to wake up and she smiled.

"Who's Stan Marshal?" Angel asked her.

Babe's smiled faded instantly. She looked away from him and sighed. The easiness she had felt when she had seen him not left her. "He's my boyfriend." she told him reluctantly, avoiding eye contact. "Why?"

"I'm looking into every possibility. We need to know who's doing this to you."

"But why? I mean…I'm getting stronger, can't we just leave it, maybe it'll go away on it's own." she said panicked. "Besides, who says someone's doing this to me?"

Angel frowned in confusion. "Is there something you're not telling me?" He could hear her heart rate increase when he had mentioned Stan Marshal and not in a good way, something was very wrong with that. He could smell the fear on her and could only think of one reason why she would fear her own boyfriend, it would also explain the blood. "Does he hurt you?"

The look that flashed briefly in her tired eyes told him that he had guessed correctly, although she denied it strongly.

"No! of course not." she lied, she didn't want him to know, she found it embarrassing and she didn't want Stan blamed, he used to be a nice guy and she didn't want him judged for a few recent acts that he would no doubt feel bad for.

"What does he do to you?" Angel persisted.

"Nothing." she replied although her voice cracked when she spoke.

Angel decided to try another approach. "Can you think of any reason anyone-" he stopped himself from saying 'else' "-would be doing this to you?"

Babe sighed. "I'm empathic. I can sense things, like emotions, sometimes I get a hint of a thought…I've always been able to for as long as I can remember…some people don't like it. They think it's intrusive and since this…whatever it is, I haven't been able to."

"And what does Stan think of these powers?" Angel asked, not liking that there was clearly something about this man that she was keeping hidden.

"He used to think it was kinda cool." Babe said. She was a little shocked, she had rarely told anyone about her empathic-ness and those she did tell were either greatly shocked or just thought she was crazy. Angel however didn't seem to react at all to the news, he just carried on as if she hadn't told him anything unusual at all.

"And now?" he asked.

Babe paused and looked away again, not wanting him to see the truth in her expression. He knew there was something she was keeping quite, she could tell, she could feel the hint of suspicion radiating off him, along with a determination, that told her, without a doubt that he wasn't going to let this drop. She didn't have a choice, she had to tell him. Surprisingly she found it to be a relief, she didn't understand why, but she hated lying to this man.

She took a long, deep breath while she decided hw best to answer his question. "He hasn't been the same since…since I noticed a change in him."

"What kind of change?" Angel asked sitting forward, needed to know more.

"He seemed…" Babe's eyes moved from side to side, as if searching her brain for the right word for what she had sensed. "…Hollow." she said finally.

"Hollow?" Angel repeated, disliking the sound of that.

She nodded. "And not just that, he changed on the outside too. He was cold, cruel and mean. he was never like that before…he just wasn't the man I fell in love with." she added sadly.

"Was that when he got aggressive?" Angel asked hoping that now she had started she would give him the full story.

"No!" Babe said adamantly.

"Okay." Angel nodded, raising his hands not wanting to push her to the point where she'd close up, she had given him something to go on and would tell him the rest when she was ready, he knew she would. He didn't know how he knew that, but somehow he just did.

"I better get back downstairs and help the other." He stood to leave.

"Angel." she called as he reached the door.

He paused in the threshold and turned back to face her.

A pause and Babe took a deep breath, he saw tears forming in her eyes. "He likes to cut me." she said quietly, her chin trembling.

Angel said nothing. He closed the door and returned to the bed, sitting down beside her, waiting for her to continue.

"It's always the same. It's been happening for weeks now. Mostly on my thighs, but sometimes on my arms. Places where I can hide."

"Let me see." Angel said sounding more persistent than he meant to.

Babe swallowed hard, bit her lip to try and stop the trembling. She looked nervous as she let Angel roll her sleeve.

He studied the wound on the inside of her elbow for only a fraction of a second, not needed more time than that to recognize it. "This isn't a cut." he told her. "It's a bite."

Confused, Babe double checked the scar. It was defiantly the one she had gotten from Stan and now Angel mentioned it it did look very bit-like, but that seemed, not it was impossible. "A b-b-bite?" she stammered. "What do you mean?"

"Is Stan a vampire?" Angel asked her keeping his sight focused on her eyes, searching for any truth that she might try to hide. He had seen no other being, demon or otherwise, leave a puncture mark like that on the flesh. Also, it was directly above one of her major arteries, the perfect place to get an easy flow of blood. He guess that if he saw the other they would be the same. She had said thigh and there was a nice vein on the inner leg.

"Are you…serious?" Babe asked, eyes wide, but she already knew that he was. She was getting more and more uncomfortable and scared by the minute.

Angel smelt her fear hitch up further and didn't wish to scare her further, but he had to continue. "You said he changed. Is he cold to the touch? Has he been staying out of the daylight?"

Babe thought about it for a long moment…Angel was right. His skin had been cold every time he had touched her and he had spent every day inside, only ever leaving the apartment after the sun went down...but a vampire?

She looked him straight in his eyes, searching for any sign that he was lying to her…she found none, and that didn't surprise her. Somehow she already knew that he was being honest.

Angel saw the moment the realisation dawned on her. She took it better than most, but then growing up empathic probably helped her except the strange and supernatural.

"A vampire?" she said somewhat uncertainly, seeking answers to questions she didn't know how to put into words.

"Some do that. Young vampire, newly turned, they keep a victim alive for as long as they can while they lean to hunt, as a safety net. Meanwhile the victim gets weaker and weaker from blood loss, until they…" he didn't need, or want to finish his sentence. She had had a lucky escape, if she hadn't phoned them when she did he knew she wouldn't have had the strength for one more feeding from him.

Babe was staring ahead, blankly. It was a lot to take in, yet she still felt that honesty from him and as much as she wanted to doubt what he was telling her she simply couldn't. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she compared this situation to every vampire movie she had ever seen. She absentmindedly ran her finger over the scar on the inside of her arm as she thought. "Does this mean I'll become one?"

"No, common misconception made by most people. In order for that to happen, you would have had to feed on his blood as well."

She screwed her face up, wrinkling her petit nose. "Eeww…How do you know so much about all this?"

"You need to get your strength back." Angel said rasing off the bed. "I'll get Fred to get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Babe said quietly, although she hadn't eaten in ages, the thought of eating while he mind was this troubled seemed impossible, there was just too much going on in her head.

"You should eat something. You need to get your strength back and you're staying here until you do. We'll figure out what to do then, but in the meantime I've got a vampire to slay."

"Slay? Do you mean kill? No!"

Angel sighed and looked down at the floor, avoiding her intent gaze. He knew how hard this was when it happened to a loved one, but it had to be done. "It's not Stan anymore. You said it yourself that he wasn't the man you fell in love with. That man died the moment he was turned. It's a demon that now resides in his body, a evil, soulless killer and it has to die before it hurts someone else."

"What if you get hurt?" Babe asked worriedly.

Angel was taken aback with flattery and couldn't help the brief upward twitch of his lips, he honestly hadn't expected her to be concerned for his safety, but he was thrilled she did. "Don't worry, this is what we do. I won't get hurt. Get some sleep, I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" she pleaded, the worried look still ghosting behind her tired eyes.

"I promise." He smiled again keeping his eyes locked to hers to confirm the sincerity of his vow. The strong urge to kiss her was back with abundance. He raised his hand to stroke his fingers down her cheek, but stopped himself as he started to reach towards her. 'What am I doing?' he thought. 'No. I can't be. I just can't be, please God no! Don't let me be…

…falling in love.'