A/N: One more chapter after this!

Xenafannz, glad you liked the twist! I wanted it to catch people off-guard as best I could :)

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It was more on a terrible hunch than any actual sleuthing skills that Spike found Beth in a crypt. He didn't know why he had thought she was there (like father like daughter?), but he found her so he wasn't complaining.

He stepped into the dusty crypt, his boots kicking up petrified bits of wood and dried leaves. She was over behind one of the stone caskets, and he only noticed her because he saw her foot peeking out from behind it. Quietly he walked over to her and crouched down beside her. She had her head bowed so her hair obscured her face. He had a sick, twisted thought that maybe she was dead, but her finger twitched and her saw her chest rising and falling, so obviously that wasn't so. Besides, she was a fighter; she wasn't going to let anything take her down.

"Pet?" he asked softly, reaching out for her shoulder.

She shuffled suddenly to stand up, surprising him.

"Took you long enough to find me," she told him, sitting on the edge of the casket. Her eyes were red so he could tell she'd be crying. The only thing he didn't know was why, though he had a very terrible guess.

"Found out Zack's s'not dead," he offered, standing up slowly, like she was some wild animal he might spook if he moved too quickly.

"I know," she responded, her face neutral. Her eyes were hard, like flint, as she regarded him with some level of defiance. Definitely not a scared animal.

"Oh," was all he thought of to say. He didn't want to assume anything and hoped she'd fill him in before he reacted.

"Ran into him," she continued, her voice sounding a little husky—definitely been crying. She probably wouldn't tell him that though; too much like her mother that way.

"He spoke to you?" he hedged, coming a step closer.

She sighed, her shoulders drooping. "He did," she answered. "He said some stuff, I mostly listened. The usual."

Honestly not the usual. Beth wasn't a fan of listening, especially if it was the opposite of what she wanted to do. "He's possessed, you know," he informed her. "Found out those words weren't for soul givin', but possession. He's not 'imself."

"I guess that makes sense," she admitted heavily, "considering the topic of conversation we had."

"And what was that?"

She leaned back, bracing her hands against the side of the rock lid. "Let's just say it wasn't something for mixed company."

"Did he say anything cruel to you?" he immediately asked, his tone low but harsh.

Beth went into teenager mode and rolled her eyes at him. "No, Dad, he complimented me on my fashions sense," she snarked.

"Beth," he warned.

"He said everything anyone has ever said to me because of what I am," she said, looking down at her shoes. "He called me a monster and said that I used him. Can we not talk about it, maybe? I just had to live through it so I'm not exactly ready to relive it just yet. Ask me about it again on your deathbed."

He reached over and pulled her into a hug and she slumped against him. She was trying to act so strong with her blasé tone and steely eyes, but he could see in her posture what it meant to her. She'd trusted him and he'd destroyed it.

"Don't believe it," he told her, stroking her hair. "Wait until all of this is over and he can tell you 'imself."

"I already heard it, why would I want to hear it again?" she asked defiantly.

"Whatever is in control of him is makin' him say whatever it wants him to," he explained. "If he means it, let him say it on his own." He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth—since when did he defend the gangly, hormonal boy?—but he also could see the deep, heart-wrenching impact Zack's words had had on her, unfair considering he knew within his heart that as much as he hated Zack, he did not hate him because he thought little of Beth. No, Spike knew that if he had asked Zack, the boy would have thought Beth could have moved the Earth itself, slayer strength or not. And he thought that maybe for once Beth deserved to hear just that.

She hummed a begrudging agreement, pulling herself out of his embrace. He let her, looking at her sadly.

"We need to go home," she decided. "Also figure out how to fix this. I got us into this mess, so I'm going to get us out of it."

"Beth, don't blame this on yourself," he told her, but she shrugged off his comment, sliding off the casket to the floor.

"You drove here, right?" she asked, walking toward the door.

Knowing he was getting as much as he was going to get out of her tonight, he let out a sigh. "No, I walked. Been walkin' around lookin' for you."

"Guess we got a long journey home then," she realized. "Best we get going, yeah?"

-.-

Her mother embraced her as soon as she stepped through the door, surprising Beth. She stumbled backward a bit, her arms awkwardly encircling her mother.

"There, there?" Beth offered.

"Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me?" her mother commanded, pulling back to give her daughter a stern look before pulling her back into a tight hug. "I was so worried when I saw you weren't in your room and with Zack—"

"I'm fine," she stressed, trying to swiftly fight herself out of her mother's hold without being rude about it. She was failing miserably (was her mother part leech or something?).

"She ran into him," her father announced and Beth glared at him. What a tattle-tale.

"You did?" her mother gasped, jerking her back again. "Did you talk? What did he say? Do I need to hurt him?"

"Mum," she moaned aloud. "I said I was fine, didn't I? And yes, we talked, but he's possessed so I'm not putting much stock into it." Yet, she silently added. While it was wiggy to hear her father defend Zack (since when?), she could not overlook what she was and what that could mean to Zack, someone who hated vampires. It was half of what she was, and him finding out about that had never been something they had discussed. It was possible that he held onto those feelings, letting them simmer under the surface.

"We'll fix it, don't worry," Willow assured, glancing over at Andrew. That was apparently his que to nod his head vigorously as that's what he did. Beth half-expected it to fall off.

"Nadja wants you to call her," Willow told her. "She's worried. Mostly about you, but Zack as well. He went by her home too."

"Great," she murmured, walking toward the kitchen.

"Beth?" Buffy asked, making a move toward her.

"I'm going to call her now," Beth told her, "but I'd like to do that in peace. Please?"

"Okay," Buffy responded, taking a step back.

Once Beth had disappeared into the kitchen, she rounded on Spike. "Where'd you find her? You were obnoxiously vague in your text message."

"I found her in a crypt," he informed her. "She'd been cryin'. She'd run into Zack just before an' he'd said some things. And before you ask, no, she didn' tell me."

"Weird, she tells you everything," she remembered.

"Used to," he corrected. "Girl's gone an' grown up. Don't need her dad anymo'."

In the kitchen, Beth sat on a stool, staring at her phone. She didn't know what to say to Nadja. Sorry I basically messed up your cousin after letting a whole building drop on you and hundreds of other people? I'll do my best to fix everything? Oops? Were there Hallmark cards for this sort of occasion?

Before she could chicken out, she quickly pressed dial for Nadja, putting the phone up to her ear. She hoped she'd get a second to compose herself but apparently Nadja had been waiting by the phone because she picked up with a breathless, "Hello?" after one ring.

"Hey Nadja," Beth said weakly, looking skyward as she cursed the god who did this to her.

"Beth!" Nadja nearly shrieked and she had to pull the phone away from her ear. "You're fine! Oh god, I'm so glad to hear that! Everyone kept telling me that, but I didn't really believe it until I heard you! Oh my gosh, I'm so relieved."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured, scratching her nails against the counter. There was a spot on the tile, one that looked like dried spaghetti sauce, though she didn't know when they'd last had spaghetti? Salsa, maybe (her dad did like his spicy food)?

"What on all the world is going on exactly?" Nadja questioned. "Your Aunt said Zack has been possessed. I know that is close to the exact opposite of what was really supposed to happen in that cave. Is it true?"

She let out a loud exhale. "What, that Zack's been possessed? Well, there's not really like some test for that, you see—"

"Beth," Nadja warned. "I am injured and hopped up on so many meds I sometimes can't feel my face, so I'm going to need straight answers from you before I get really mad and start swinging my crutches."

"Yes, I believe so," she stated. "I couldn't tell you to what degree, but he is off. Or, at least, he's more forward than he's ever been."

Nadja snorted. "Zack wouldn't know how to be straight with someone if he got a twelve-week program for it."

"I know and that's what concerns me," she murmured.

"Beth," Nadja began, sounding serious once more. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I have nothing to the contrary that states this isn't reversible," Beth told her as way of assurance. "According to what my aunt told my dad, apparently the Latin phrase the entity tried to trick me into saying was pretty basic possession magic. Once we weaken the entity, Zack should be released."

There was a long pause on Nadja's side of the phone as Beth held her breath, waiting for her to reply.

"So, it all depends on us finding the entity again," Nadja stated, sounding a little defeated. "And if he really did go home?"

She took another deep breath. "Rest assured, my aunt doesn't think it could control Zack across dimensions—too much power with too little results. We think the entity is still hanging around, waiting to see what happens. We don't think it was really stuck anyway."

There was another pause.

"I'll fix this, I promise," Beth told her a little desperately.

"And if you can't?" she asked quietly. "What happens to Zack?"

"Nothing," Beth said quickly. "Nothing at all because I am going to fix this."

"Beth, you're not a miracle worker," she cried. "You're a slayer who kills the bad things! Right now, Zack is looking like one of the bad things!"

"I'm not going to kill him!" Beth shouted, the line dropping into silence. The words rang through the air and she heard the conversation die down in the other room. "He's not going to die," she stated again, this time in a quieter voice. "I caused this, so I will fix it. That's my job, to save people, not kill them. Though, I understand that with me being part-vampire, that part gets a little mixed up."

"Beth—" she started, but Beth didn't let her finish, throwing her phone down as a way to end the conversation. She must have thrown it pretty hard, as the screen shattered and went black. Well, not like she liked that phone anyway.

Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself a moment, rubbing her hands over her face and tugging at her hair. She felt within her a deep urge to cry, but she was really tired of all the waterworks. Like geez, she was going to need to guzzle an entire sports water jug to get rehydrated.

"Is everything alright?" She dropped her hands and whipped around to see Daniel standing in the doorway. He and Maea must have come back when she was in the middle of the call.

"Yes," she replied tersely, straightening herself up.

He gave her a troubled look, walking over to sit at the counter beside her. "I do not need to be an empath to know that is a lie," he stated, with what might have been a hint of humor.

"Great," she muttered. "So not only can you feel my inner turmoil, it's as plain as day on my face."

"It is loud enough to call attention," he informed her. "Normally, it is more subtle, something easily missed when it is not specifically looked for. Now, it is loud. It wants to be noticed."

"Not really, no," she informed him. "I would actually much more prefer everyone leaving me the hell alone."

"Your mother mentioned that you ran into Zack," he said. "I can only imagine what he said to you. As your friend, Zack knows all your worst fears, and the power that is controlling him will use that to its advantage. Do not let the weak make you weak, Beth. It only bring you down to its level because it cannot reach yours."

"Thanks, Yoda," she sighed, laying her head down on the table. "Any other more life advice for the young grasshopper, Sensei?"

"They are all keeping a wide berth from you," he told her, ignoring her comment. "I think they are afraid that you will break. He did not mean it, you know. Zack would not say such cruel things to you."

"And how do you know that?" she whined softly. "Are you in his head, hm, Daniel?"

"Maybe not his head," he conceded, "though something else is right now. But when I am around him and you, there is no pain and there is no anger. It is a much nicer feeling, actually. Something I sometimes feel around your parents when they are not at ends with one another."

She was quiet, not sure how much face-value she should award his words. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? It was hard to believe, when all she could think about were the nasty words he had hurtled her way.

Turning her head, she faced him. "Is this you trying for a pep talk?" she inquired. "Did they send you in because they heard me yell?"

He shrugged. "Maybe so, but I chose to come. I do not mean for this to sound arrogant, but I think I am possibly the best as reading your emotions without misinterpreting them. I may not always know the origin, but I know how you feel."

"You do," she promised, though she sounded put-out about it. "I hate you sometimes."

"I hate myself sometimes too," he agreed. "It is a common feeling towards oneself. But for now, maybe you could not hate yourself? You have the power to be strong, I only ask that you utilize it."

Groaning, she lifted her head from the counter. "Right, so this was a pep talk."

He smiled. "I only tried."

Rolling her eyes, she slipped off the stool and stretched, cracking her neck a few times. Right then. On with the show then, savvy? "Now, we can't save Zack until we've got him so we need to figure out how to get him here and quick. I'd like this to all be over sometime today."

He followed she as she strode back into the living room where everyone else was waiting. Maea turned her head in inquiry when Beth came into the room, while both her mother and Willow jumped up. Her father looked like he made a move to stand, but thought better of it. Judging by his posture though, he was prepared to rush over to her if deemed necessary. Had she really seemed that ready to break?

"Are you alright?" her mother and aunt asked in near unison.

"Tired of that question," she murmured under her breath, before adding in a louder tone, "I will be once all of this is over. We need to find Zack and quickly. Who knows what the entity is up to. While that's going on, Willow and Andrew need to find a way to get Zack back to normal—and, while you're at it, find a way where I can personally kick that entity's butt. If he thinks he can mess around without any repercussions, he's dead wrong."

"You cannot go out and locate Zackariah," Maea informed her. "By now he must know that you are aware of the situation. You will not be able to approach him without causing him to flee."

She snorted. "What, you think Zack can run faster than me? Puh-leeze."

Maea shot her a contrived look. "That isn't what I am concerned about. Do not underestimate a sorcerer's abilities. Do we even have a clue as to how much magic Zackariah actually knows?" she inquired, looking around the room to receive all blank stares.

"He's really into spatial stuff," Beth remembered. "And moving things, with, um, that telekinesis-type ability."

"We do not know how far his teachings go," Maea continued, barely sparing Beth a glance. "It is possible that he is capable of much darker things than we think possible."

"And the entity, if it is as powerful as it says it is, could channel some of its own power into Zack," Willow added. "We really don't know what he's capable of. He might be able to destroy the world if he wanted."

"So we needed to act five minutes ago then," Buffy stated.

"Um, I don't think we have to worry too much about him staging an apocalypse now," Andrew butted in. "The entity's intention was to acquire Beth, not Zack. All its plans are likely ruined now. It'll have to come up with something else."

"But we don't even know what it wanted in the first place," Buffy realized. "Why did it even want Beth?"

"Because I'm a hot commodity," she cut in. "Or, at least, so I'm told."

"It's got to have somethin' to do with the soul," Spike decided. "An' the slayer dream. Maybe it was leading up to this—big hole in the sky?"

"Unlikely Beth even has the capacity to perform such a task," Maea argued. "It must have wanted her for something else. Though, once we capture Zack, we could ask him. If he truly is connected to the entity, he will have answers."

"But we need to send someone he wouldn't suspect so he doesn't go chicken and run," Beth recounted. "Or blow something up."

"Yes, we need to send someone he would not suspect," Maea agreed. "Your parents and Watcher are out of the question—they were all present when it first occurred and would therefore likely have been with you after that. He has already visited Nadja and likely would assume he'd tipped her off, especially since she already had suspicions when calling us."

"I could go then," Willow offered. "I'd be able to take him and I wasn't present in the cave."

"But would he not still be wary of you, considering your power?" Maea questioned. "And would he not assume Beth and her family would go to you once they figured everything out?"

Willow opened her mouth and to rebut that, but closed it just as quickly. "Darn," she muttered, sinking back into her chair.

"Then that leaves only me," Daniel realized. "After all, why would Beth wish to mix up another possible human casualty in all this?"

"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Daniel," Beth sniped.

"I am here of my own accord," he reminded her. "I am not so naïve to not consider the danger I have put myself in. If I'm hurt, that is my own fault."

"Daniel is unassuming," Buffy agreed. "And does Zack know about his feeling ability?"

"Uh, no, I don't think I've ever told him," Beth answered.

"Then perfect, we send the boy as bait an' hope he doesn't get killed," Spike commented sarcastically.

"Okay, wait, I am not just going to let another friend of mine walk into a treacherous situation," Beth cut in. "Zack is already bearing the brunt of that mistake, and I'm not going to let Daniel go the same way."

"I will go with him," Maea promised. "Surely you agree I can look after him."

"This isn't a matter of who's the best babysitter," Beth argued.

"And this is not a matter where you have any control over me," Daniel told her pointedly, his sharp tone almost chastising. "I am the best suited, so unless someone has a better idea, I am willing to go. That is my choice. Because that's what we do, right Beth? Let people make their own decisions?"

Judging from the look in his eyes, she knew he was playing on her earlier decision to give up a soul. And after all the stink she'd put up about no one else getting to make that decision for her, it'd come off hypocritical for her to tell him to sit this one out. Even if she wanted to use bodily force to tie him to his chair.

"He knows you're a god, he's not going to want to get within a mile of you," Beth reminded Maea instead.

"I will remain unseen," she explained. "I have spent eons practicing stealth; a mere human boy and some bodiless-entity will not see me coming. He will not be able to detect me until I have already subdued him."

Everyone took a moment to think, considering the plan laid out in front of them. Finally, Spike sat forward, clapping his hands together.

"Well, 'm sold," he agreed.

"I think this may be our best bet," Willow agreed.

"He is the last person Zack would ever suspect of anything sort of subterfuge like this," Beth agreed begrudgingly.

"Then it's settled," Daniel agreed. "Now, how to we first locate him? The town is large and he could be anywhere. He also possesses a car."

Standing up, Willow said, "I can do a locator spell on him, find out where he is and let Maea do the rest to track him down. She'll subdue him and then we'll bring him back here." She hurried into her bedroom.

"Got some chains in the basement," Spike said with a grin.

"Spike, would that really be necessary?" Buffy asked.

"Not like we ever get to use them for anythin' else," he grumbled.

"It'll be fine," Beth decided. "Better than rope, I feel."

"It would be best to secure him properly," Maea agreed. "We still do not know the extent of his abilities now that he has another power present in his body. He could be very dangerous. For that reason, Daniel, I ask that you do not provoke him."

"Really?" Beth asked, pointing at Daniel. "Does he look like someone who could provoke another person?"

"It has been said that my appearance and stature has provoked certain individuals into bullying me," he stated.

"Same," Andrew sighed, earning him a weird look from everyone but Daniel and Maea—the latter who only looked like she agreed with the comment.

"I found him!" Willow announced, coming back into the living room holding a map. "Looks like he's at—the country club?"

"The country club?" Beth repeated. "Why the hell would he go there? To golf?"

"Guess we'll find out," Spike said, standing up. "Suppose I'll drive."

"Don't do anything stupid," Buffy warned as the three headed out.

He only grinned. "Love, when have I ever done somethin' stupid?"

She rolled her eyes and he, Maea, and Daniel left, shutting the door behind them.

"You know he's probably going to exert more force on Zack than necessary," Willow stated.

Beth and her mother exchanged looks. "We know," Beth sighed, hands on hips. "Guess I'll go get the shackles ready."

"And I'll go find the first aid kit," her mother added. "Lord knows we're going to need it."

-.-

Daniel found Zack out on the grass near the club center, throwing rocks at the windows and cackling when they shattered. He approached cautiously, unsure of how Zack would now react. He'd never spent much time around possessed people and he wasn't sure of the standard social procedures.

"I did not peg you as one for nonsensical, delinquent behavior," Daniel commented as he approached Zack. "Also may I inquire as to where you got those rocks?"

Zack tossed another rock before turning to face Daniel. "Oh, so they sent you," he realized, looking just a bit put-out.

Well, so much for the element of surprise. It seemed he'd been anxiously waiting for someone to come to him. And in his boredom, he'd resorted to vandalism.

"Yes, me," Daniel assured, stopping beside Zack. He'd been right about Zack feeling off though; there was a general lack of reality when it came to the older boy and it was genuinely unsettling. He also felt an unknown source, something uncommon to humans, but powerful. It would have been frightening, had it not felt like the presence was being pushed through a tube. Whoever was controlling Zack was not nearby. "Were you hoping for someone different? Maybe Beth?"

Zack shrugged noncommittally, though he grinned. A flare of deep-seated hatred rushed Daniel and he almost had to stagger back from the force of it. "That'd be fun, wouldn't it? Our last interaction went pretty well in my book."

"I don't know exactly what's going on, but you do not know Beth," Daniel told him. "You must have full connection to Zack's mind, so is it not immediately obvious to you that she will not break simply because you try and bend her? You should know she is always willing to fight; Zack does."

"Oh, there you all go again about your exalted leader, Beth," he groaned, throwing back his head. "She's a beast, don't you know that? She's nothing but some filthy, little creature that let itself think it was human! You respect her! Why do you respect her?" He turned his eyes to Daniel, all but begging for an answer.

"If I have to explain it to you, you cannot understand," he finally said. Noticing a movement out of the corner of his eye, he added, "And Zack, I speak to only you now. I know you're in there. And so, I would like to apologize for what I'm about to do. Or, more accurately, what she's about to do."

"What?" Zack asked, jerking his head back in confusion. He didn't have much more time to ponder Daniel's weird comment before he was struck over the head, sent sprawling to the ground, unconscious.

"He's talkative, isn't he?" Maea mused, looking down at his unmoving body.

"You did not hurt him too bad, did you?" Daniel inquired, worried about him. While he had only met Zack on a few occasions, he liked the boy well enough to not wish him any ill-will.

"Nothing that cannot be fixed," she replied. She nudged his shoe. "He shouldn't wake up until we have safely transported him. We should move quickly though; the entity is only aware as long as Zack is. As long as he's out, the entity is disconnected from us. And besides, I don't think he'll be happy once he awakens."

"Of course," he agreed. "Should I take legs or shoulders?"

-.-

Beth stood leaning against the opposite wall as she waited for Zack to wake up again. They'd gotten him into the house and chained up with no fuss. Maea claimed he should wake up soon, as she hadn't hit him that hard—though the growing bump on his head begged to differ. She almost felt sorry for him, knowing the pain would last longer than the possession would, but right not she wasn't much in the mood for sympathy. She was the epitome of authority now and she was downright pissed.

A soft groan reached her ears and she looked up to see Zack slowly moving, readjusting to consciousness. He didn't seem to notice her at first, becoming fully involved with his shackles once he realized they were there. He pulled on his arm and the chains rattled.

"Damn, fucking bitch," he hissed, reaching up to touch the tender spot on the back of his head.

"Good morning, sunshine," she greeted chirpily and his head whipped up to see her. He almost looked surprised that she was there. What, had he expected her to be a weeping mess right now? Sorry, that show got cancelled. "You look like you got hit with a bus. Or, more accurately, a freakin' God. That's something to write home about, I'm sure."

He smiled deprecatingly at her. "Oh Beth, still masking all that pain with your weak humor. Defense mechanism you know, laughing your pain away. You've got a lot of those, don't you? Defense mechanisms, that is."

"Okay, Dr. Phil," she said, walking over toward him. She stayed far enough away that he couldn't touch her, but close enough to get a real good look at his face. If it wasn't for the burning hatred of her in his eyes, she'd almost believe it was actually him. The posture was the same and it wasn't as if he'd gone out and donned a catsuit or something. He was still dressed in the same clothes he'd been in the cave with all those hours ago. He still looked like the last time she'd seen him as himself.

"So what's with the medieval torture?" he asked, rattling his chains.

"Safety precautions," she told him shortly.

He guffawed. "What, afraid of little ole' me, Beth? Geez, I didn't think I had that kind of power over you."

She rolled her eyes from the sheer arrogance of the statement. "More for me than you. Because if you tried anything, I'd be forced to hurt you. Badly. And as long as you're occupying my friend's body, I'd prefer not to do that. Though, if you force my hand…well, broken bones can be mended. And I'll avoid the spinal cord at all costs."

He snorted. "God, you sure do think you're hot stuff. Tell me, how'd a freak like you get such a big ego? Or is this like a superiority complex or something?"

"Look, I didn't wait for you to wake up so you could go back to the mindless put-downs," she snapped. "It's like a fly buzzing in my ear."

"Wasn't like that last time you saw me," he sing-songed. "You looked pretty hurt over some of the things I said."

"That was before I knew that you weren't yourself," she replied, her stony expression revealing nothing.

"And what? You think that because something's gone and possessed Zack, that suddenly everything I say isn't true?" he asked. "Because let me tell you something: Zack and the entity? Connected one-hundred percent. I know everything. Every little thought, every little dream and hope and aspiration that dear Zackariah Emerson Kalder has ever had in his head. I know everything about him, even things he has never told you. I know what exists in the recesses of his mind, all the things he could never tell you. Like I bet you're curious to know exactly what he thought of you the moment he first saw your vampire face. If you beg nicely, I just might tell you."

"I don't care to know," she answered. "Hate to tell you this, but I'm not exactly hung up on something that happened two years ago."

"Could've fooled me," he replied snidely. "But just because Zack's 'out taking a walk right now,' doesn't mean I don't have access to his thoughts. I only told you what he thought. Don't blame me, Beth. I just thought I'd finally let you know what he really thought of you."

He smiled at her, giddy in his thinking that he'd brought her down. When she didn't immediately respond though, his smile faltered a little.

"Oh really?" she finally asked with exaggerated shock. "Well you know what, if what you said is so goddamn true, Zack can tell me himself. Don't worry, I can wait."

Taking a menacing step closer, she got right into his face, not afraid if he reached out for her. At this point, she'd break his whole damn arm if he so much as brushed the tip of his finger against her.

He didn't though, instead moving backward until he hit the wall. He seemed unsettled by her hard tone and blank expression, mostly because she refused to give him anything. If she wavered, he'd take a hit, and she wasn't going to let that happen. Not again.

"Now I'm tired of having to listen to you talk, so you tell me where your fucking master is or I break your fingers one by one," she threatened. "And with that human body of yours, you're real susceptible to pain."

Regaining some of his composure, he chuckled. "No need to resort to violence. I was going to tell you as soon as you asked, anyway. The last meeting didn't end as expected and he's hoping to meet up again and finally settle things. He's just about as anxious as you are to see him."

"So then tell me where he is," she commanded.

"Assuming you can reach across to him, the access point is at a construction site down near the university," he informed her. "First, you've got to figure out how to reach him though. But you've got the right people in all the right places, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon."

Taking a step back, she snarled at him. She wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.

"You said you're connected to your boss man, right?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral. "He's got power over you so that means he knows everything you know."

"Yeah," he snorted. "Why?"

So whatever I say to you, he hears," she continued.

He rolled his eyes. "What part of one-hundred percent connected did you not understand? Your blonde is showing."

She smiled. "Good, then you can tell him that I am really brassed off right now. I don't appreciateaspineless fecking pillock coming in here and playing with my friends. You don't mess with my friends. Because when you mess with my friends, you mess with me. And when you mess with me," she leaned in closer, pausing for dramatic effect, "you get fucked."

She didn't really give him much time to react to her threat, as she quickly pulled her hand back and punched him in the face. The back of his head hit the wall behind him with a thunk and he was once again rendered unconscious, his whole body going limp.

Taking a step back, she admired her work. Maybe she'd repay him later for hitting him so hard once all of this was over. Though only if the entity was lying. She frowned. That was something to take into consideration. Obviously, she couldn't trust what Possessed-Zack said now; he was possessed by an evil entity after all. But who only knew what went on in Zack's head? But she wasn't going to think about it now. No, she had more important things to think about. Like finding out how to absolutely murder the entity in the most inhumane way possible (she had the second part down pat—it involved a family favorite—but not the getting to him part yet).

The sound of the basement door opening brought her attention to the stairs and she watched her father's heavy boots carry him down to the ground.

"He piss you off?" he asked, jerking his head toward the once again unconscious Zack.

"Yeah, bit of a tosser, this one," she explained. "He kept wanting to talk, talk, talk—it was driving me around the bend."

He smiled at her, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "Found out where the entity is?" he inquired.

"Yeah, construction site," she answered. "Has Aunt Willow figured out how to make the playing fields fair? Or at least be the same playing field?"

Sighing, he dropped his arm and pulled back. "No," he admitted. "Turns out that havin' him on our plane or us goin' to his is a bit of a puzzle—higher level bein' an' all that rot."

"Darn," she sighed. "And here I was hoping to try out that new technique I learned. You see, I found this book on you guys, the Whirlwind—"

"I don't want to know," her father interrupted.

"Oh, don't be such a baby."

"Have you finally accomplished your goal, Beth?" Maea called down from the top of the stairs, eyeing them both.

"Yup," she replied. "We know where the entity is and I got to work out some pent-up aggression. Two birds, one stone—gotta love it."

"I do believe your aunt is coming closer to the answer," she told her, coming down the stairs. "Though that is relative. She's only closer than she was an hour ago. Opening up a riff will be hard enough, not to mention trying to bring a being made of pure energy into an organic life-form dimension. Is this where you train?" Maea's eyes roved over the basement and Beth couldn't tell if she was impressed or not.

"Yeah," Beth replied.

Maea's eyes scanned the rest of the basement before she immediately turned her gaze to the wall of weapons. Beth rolled her eyes. Why was she not surprised?

Maea must have noticed something odd, as she suddenly looked confused and shocked.

"What?" Beth asked, looking over the weapons and noticing nothing out of place.

Slowly tearing her eyes away from the weaponry to look at Beth and Spike, she announced, "I think I may have just figured out a way to open a rift."