The Knight's Tour is a puzzle that has amused chess players for generations. It requires the knight to cover all the squares of the chessboard in successive moves.
The vampire screamed.
In the last remaining seconds of his existence, the events of the night
spasmed through his consciousness...
Waking with the bloodlust fierce upon him...watching as the tall bearded
stranger staggered from the bar...following his target through the narrow
alley...closing for the kill.
And then- it had all gone horribly wrong.
For his victim had whirled to face him; and the vampire was suddenly
staring into eyes as cold and dead as his own.
Then...somehow he was flat on his back in the reeking alley, with the
stranger standing above him....
HOLDING A STAKE.
But just before the stake began its downward plunge, he looked again into
the face of his prey turned predator.
And...saw a faint smile.
The tall, slim blonde hurried up the steps of Sunnydale High School,
searching for her best friend. But...there was no sign of Madison Hope.
Where could she be? The blonde was worried...maybe something was
wrong...well, more wrong than usual...at home.
"Willow! Over here!"
With a feeling of relief, the blonde heard Madison's voice. She turned
eagerly in that direction...only to stop short in surprise. Madison,
usually so depressed and miserable, looked...animated. Looked happy.
Looked TOTALLY absorbed in a lanky, dark-haired boy that Willow had never
seen before.
"This is Jesse Knight!" Madison said excitedly. "He's new."
"Hi Jesse," Willow smiled, "I'm Willow Osborne."
"Willow's father owns the Bronze, where everybody in Sunnydale hangs out."
Maddy told Jesse. "Why don't you stop by tonight?"
Willow was startled; it wasn't like the shy Madison to be so...obvious?
But she was looking at this guy like he was the man of her dreams...
"I will." Jesse didn't notice Maddy's gaze; his gaze was turned on
Willow. "And- I expect to get the grand tour!"
She felt a bit breathless- his eyes were so dark...they almost seemed to
devour her face.
"You will,' she promised. "Meet us there tonight."
He finally smiled. "I'll be there. Nothing will keep me away...."
"Hi, Dad!" Willow gave her father a quick hug as she bounded through the
kitchen at 1630 Revello Drive.
The short man with the rakish red beard grinned at her. "You're late!"
"Met a new boy in school," Willow offered, eager to discuss Jesse with her
dad.
He looked interested; but just then the pot on the stove started boiling
over.
"Ooops!" He grabbed a towel and lifted it off the burner. "Well, it'll be
well-done. Better call Uncle Giles."
She laughed and hurried up the stairs. "Uncle Giles? Dinner's ready!"
He was seated at his desk, as usual surrounded by a pile of huge old books.
She got the impression that he'd just replaced the telephone receiver into
its cradle. He frowned up at her, clearly still distracted. "Hmmm?"
"You know...that meal we eat every evening?" Willow prompted
affectionately. She adored her uncle; but he did get so involved in his
research for the scholarly articles he wrote that he tended to overlook
things like regular meals.
"Oh yes." Giles got to his feet and reached for his cane. "I do seem to
recall that."
He smiled at her fondly. He loved her so much....almost as much as he had
loved her mother.
Almost.
Madison Hope tried not to hear as her parents screamed at one another...
She could never decide which was worse, the terrible raging fights; or the
icy silences when they just wouldn't speak. She'd thought things would be
better when her father had finally moved out, but they were as bad as
ever...her mother moping in a cloud of misery or else calling him on the
phone, begging him to return. And- on his rare visits, the shouting and
yelling...
She couldn't wait to escape to the Bronze.
The guard at the studio gate waved her through, recognizing the beautiful
brunette in her thirties as one of the stars of a series that had recently
been axed.
But Cordelia Chase wasn't upset; she was sorry to lose the job where she
played a columnist on a big city newspaper, but she had some promising
auditions coming up; and meanwhile, it would be nice to have a little
break.
She considered her options...she could hang around her house in the
Hollywood Hills...she could take a cruise to Martinique...she could go to
Munich for Oktoberfest, or to New York for shopping.
Instead, she sighed; and aimed the car toward downtown L.A.
She already knew that she would go to the same place she went almost every
night. She had the feeling she could drive this route blindfolded...
The building looked like a warehouse; but it had a sophisticated lock...she
used her key, and took the elevator to the basement. No windows here, but
the furnishings were expensive, with lots of leather, and the rich dark
colors he loved.
"Angel?" As she called his name, he hung up the telephone and turned to
greet her.
"You're late." It was a comment rather than a question; but she refused to
be distracted.
"Who was it on the phone?" she inquired.
He met her eyes. "Giles."
Cordelia drew in her breath sharply. "Is anything...?"
"Wrong? I think so. And Giles thinks so."
The ring of the bell startled them both; visitors were rare here.
Angel strode to the door and opened it, growling in anticipation. He
froze.
Cordelia peered over his shoulder at the lean blonde man dressed entirely
in black.
"Well, luv," the street London accent hadn't changed in the seventeen
years since she had heard it last, "aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Jesse's not here yet," Maddy said, scanning the crowd.
"I hope he'll find us in this mob," Willow said pessimistically. The
dance floor was so crowded it was hard to move; and the line at the bar
was four deep.
She understood why, of course. The Millennium Plague had killed millions;
so the year it had ended- the same year of Willow's birth- had seen a
population explosion that rivaled the notorious Baby Boom after World War
II.
"There he is!" Madison exclaimed, pointing up the stairs. "But..who is
THAT?"
Willow looked, and grinned. "Uh-oh, more competition? And- she IS a
hottie, as my dad would say!"
Jesse stood at the top of the steps, talking with an extremely pretty
blonde girl. He spotted them, and headed in their direction...the girl in
tow.
"Is it always this crowded?" Jesse asked, looking around.
"Pretty much," Willow put in. "My dad says there's always an increase in
population after a great crisis, like the Plague."
"Yeah," Jesse sobered. "My mother...died in the Plague."
"Really?" Willow's ready sympathy was aroused. "So did mine."
"So, Jesse, who's your friend?" Madison had been eyeing the blonde
resentfully.
The girl smiled at her, not appearing to notice her hostility. "I'm
Buffy."
"I'm Willow Osborne; and this is Madison Hope," Willow smiled back.
Something about this girl struck her as eminently likable.
"Madison Hope..." Buffy frowned slightly; then shrugged apologetically.
"That name sounds...familiar."
"Madison is my mom's maiden name," Maddy said stiffly. "She was Amy
Madison. And my dad is Scott Hope. He's the mayor of Sunnydale."
Cordelia handed one of the wine glasses to Spike, and another to Angel.
The third she took herself...it was the only one that contained actual
wine. They sipped in silence for a few minutes, each surreptitiously
studying the other two.
Cordelia concluded that Spike was not doing so well...there was a tension
about his mouth, and his face looked gaunt, almost...haunted. His eyes-
they were utterly bleak; but they met hers defiantly...as if he knew what
she was thinking.
"You're looking well, Cordelia," he told her, with barely a trace of his
old mockery. But the compliment was justified; her beauty was more
refined and polished than when she'd been a teenager.
But the years hadn't changed her in one regard- Cordelia had never been
known for her tact.
"You're not," she told Spike bluntly. "You look more dead than undead!
What's the matter with you? And- where's Buffy?"
Spike's mouth twisted. "She's...left me. And...I believe that answers
both questions."
"Left you?" Angel sat bolt upright. "When? And, why?"
Spike laughed without humor. "Hopeful again, Angel? You won't bother
even to pretend, will you?"
His sire glared at him. "You're here for a reason, Spike! So don't YOU
pretend! What happened?"
The Englishman sighed. "She's...been having the dreams again. She
wanted...to go back to Sunnyhell. But, we CAN'T go back there...you know
why!"
"Yes." Angel nodded. "I know why."
"Willow?" Madison bent over her friend anxiously. "Are you ok?"
"Maybe we should take you to the emergency room," Jesse urged.
They were standing in front of the Bronze; and the blonde girl had
disappeared. "Where'd Buffy go?"
Madison shrugged. "I guess she left...what happened to you, anyway? Since
when do you get anxiety attacks? I could see it if I did, but what do you
have to be stressed about?"
"Giles," Oz said quietly, "sometimes I feel we should have been
honest...with Willow. Told her the truth about who she is...what she is."
Giles sighed. "Easy to say, in retrospect. But could she...could
anyone...handle such knowledge? We did what we thought was best."
Oz looked unconvinced. "What did Angel have to say?"
"He's driving down tomorrow night," Giles said.
"Good," Oz approved. "If your prophecy is correct, we'll need all the
help we can get!"
"Are you sure you're fine?" Jesse was still worried, and had insisted on
walking Willow home.
"Yes," Willow tried to reassure him. "Sometimes I get
these...feelings...almost like anxiety attacks, except they
include...anger. I'm not sure what causes them, but I've had them my whole
life."
She paused on the porch. "Want to come in, and meet my father and my
uncle?"
Suddenly the front door opened. "Willow? Home already?" Oz asked.
"Oh, Dad...I want you to meet..." Willow turned to introduce Jesse, only
to see him rapidly retreating down the street. "Too late, I guess!"
She shrugged; then noticed her father still stood, immobile- in the
doorway.
"Dad?" she said inquiringly.
He wet his lips. "That boy..."
"What boy?" It was Giles, coming to see what was going on.
Willow stared from one to the other. "That was the new kid I was telling
you about."
Oz drew in a sudden breath. "I...thought I...recognized him."
"His name is Jesse Knight," Willow offered, beginning to feel a little
frightened.
"Did you think he was someone else, Oz?" Giles prompted.
"He looked just like..."
"Who, Dad?" Willow demanded, puzzled.
Oz took a deep breath, and met Giles' eyes.
"Xander Harris."
The mansion on Crawford Street looked deserted; but Jesse knew better.
No sooner had he entered the grounds than the challenge came....Reese, of
course.
"The Major wants to see you." Reese related the message with all the
inflection of a robot.
The Major, thought Jesse bitterly. Not...your father. Never that.
Inside, all was as usual...Parnell and Rodriguez were bent over a map of
Sunnydale; Moretti was practicing with his swords again. And his father
was on the radio, deep in conversation with his anonymous partner.
Every spare inch of space was covered with high-tech arms; and medieval
weapons that would have been at home in any museum. It was a sight that
was only too familiar to Jesse- the command center of a highly trained
military squad.
Or- the lair of a vampire hunter.
For as long as Jesse could remember, his father and his father's unknown
partner had devoted themselves to eradicating vampires.
He could hear his father's voice on the radio, "Black Bishop, this is
White Knight...."
Jesse wondered why they used the chess aliases- perhaps because the one
vampire they most wished to kill was known as the Black King. Jesse knew
his father had tracked this vampire for years- and finally had decided the
time was ripe to destroy him for good.
Major Knight glanced up, and caught Jesse's eye. Immediately he signed off
on the radio and led the way into his private den.
"Well?" he asked his son. "Did you manage to make friends with the girl?"
"Yeah," Jesse shifted uncomfortably. "I think you're right about
her...she gets these stress attacks."
"If I'm right about her, she'll get them whenever a vampire is near," the
Major said with satisfaction. "Dhampirs sense the presence of
vampires...and soon become enraged with the urge to destroy. The girl will
make a notable addition to our force...a regular vampire bloodhound."
Jesse clenched his fists. "But I...she...she's a nice girl."
His father stared at him in amazement. "She is an abomination. A thing
that should never have been created. But she'll serve a good purpose if
she can help wipe out the bloodsucking ghouls that infect the earth!"
"Dad..." Jesse looked at his father in appeal. "This...crusade of
yours...Willow won't get hurt, will she?"
Something flicked across his father's lean face for a moment.
"Willow....they named her Willow."
"Dad?!" Jesse insisted.
The Major shrugged impatiently. "I have no way of knowing, Jesse. But if
she dies, it's worth it. If we all die, it's still worth it! Does that
answer your question?"
"Yeah," Jesse said hopelessly. "I guess it does."
The tension in the car was palpable. Spike was driving with a grim purpose
that Cordelia found unnerving; while Angel, alone in the back seat, stared
blankly out the side window.
Cordelia decided to breach the silence. "Where will we go when we reach
Sunnydale?" she asked. "It isn't safe to go to the house, especially
with Willow there. Too bad Giles isn't still the school librarian; seems
like that's where we should be."
Angel stirred. "Oz suggested we meet in his office at the Bronze."
"It's that or Sunnyhell cemetery," Spike put in. "Joyce died in a car
crash less than a year after Willow was born; so Oz and Giles assumed
joint guardianship. Giles was injured in the accident as well; it seemed
a good time to leave his librarian's post and devote himself to
Willow...and his Watcher duties, of course."
"He's still a Watcher, even without a... Slayer?" Cordelia murmured.
"Once a Watcher, always a Watcher," Spike said flippantly.
"And...once a Slayer, always a Slayer?" Angel taunted.
Spike's hands clenched on the steering wheel.
Cordelia interrupted quickly, "Spike...how much of a head start did Buffy
have? How long ago did she leave you?"
For a second she feared he wouldn't respond; but finally he said, in a
voice that was barely audible, "Six days."
She had to strain to catch the rest.
"And fourteen hours; and thirty-seven minutes."
"But Dad," Willow protested, "why can't I go to the Bronze tonight? I
told Madison I'd meet her there."
"Sorry, Willow," Oz said firmly, "but...I may have a visitor this
evening...it's not certain...and so someone must be here."
"Uncle Giles..."
"Is attending a lecture at the museum," Oz said smoothly. "And you can
ask a friend to come here," he added, unaware of the disaster he was
inviting.
Madison slipped on her jacket and tiptoed toward the front door. Her
mother huddled in the living room, clutching a plate of brownies...and a
bottle of scotch.
Ewwww, Madison shuddered at the combination; but her mother seemed able to
eat brownies with anything.
Her hand was on the knob when her mom called out "Maddy?"
"Mom...I have to go. I'm meeting some friends at the Bronze."
"What...friends?" Her mother's voice was slurred.
Madison sighed in exasperation. "Willow."
"Willow...she was my friend." Amy Madison Hope's glazed eyes brightened.
"We...were wrong...shouldn't have. The love spells...should have left it
alone. It didn't last and when he...figured it out, he hated me! Hated me
for losing her..."
Madison eased open the door.
"Willow..." Amy's head slumped. "She...was...my friend."
"Hello, Madison."
The blonde girl...Buffy, that was her name...smiled at her from the edge of
the dance floor. "Where's Willow tonight?"
"I thought she'd be here," Madison admitted, "with Jesse."
A sudden terrible thought struck her. "They...couldn't
be...together...could they?"
"I don't know," Buffy said thoughtfully. "Want to go find out?"
Jesse looked uneasy, Willow decided. Funny...she hadn't thought he was the
shy type. Or maybe it was her...reacting to her own guilt? When her
father had suggested she invite a friend, she'd known he was thinking of
Maddy.
But- Willow had asked Jesse instead; waiting until he stopped at her
house so he wouldn't mention including Madison. It was weird- how much
she hadn't wanted Maddy.
Jesse picked up a photo of a slender redhead with a delicate face.
"My mother," Willow said softly.
"You don't look much like her," he commented.
"No, I don't resemble either of my parents," Willow agreed.
"Some people think...I'm like my father. JUST like him."
"That boy looked exactly like Xander Harris," Oz told the others. He was
sitting with Giles, Angel, Spike and Cordelia in his small office at the
back of the Bronze.
"Xander?" Cordelia found it difficult to speak. "But...how could it be?"
"Easily, if the boy is Xander's son," Giles said calmly. "And it will fit
the prophecy...
'Offshoots of the poison'd stem
Entwine about the Chosen One
Fire that called the darkness forth
Burns till it consume itself.'
It seems clear that the boy is a threat of some sort."
"The Chosen One...that's Buffy, right?" Angel asked.
"Perhaps," Giles was frowning thoughtfully. "Unless it's Willow. She was
the one chosen to stop the Millennium Plague. And if the boy is Xander's
son, then he is definitely an offshoot from a poisoned stem!"
Spike said nothing; but Cordelia saw a tiny muscle in his jaw twitch.
"We have to find Buffy!" Angel insisted.
"I think she'll find us...when she wants to," Oz countered.
Angel began to protest; but Cordelia was still watching Spike.
"Spike?"
He turned his head to look at her.
She kept her voice low so the others couldn't hear. "You're angry, aren't
you?"
"Why shouldn't I be?" he snapped. "She walks out on me without a second's
thought...well, who cares?"
"She's your wife," Cordelia said.
"Not acting much like it, is she, pet? No...I don't think so."
"What...are you going to do?"
His blue eyes blazed at her. "Do? Sod all, ducks! If Buffy wants me, she
can bloody well come after me! And then maybe...just maybe...I'd be
willing to overlook this! But, I doubt it."
Cordelia sighed and slipped out of the office...she could really use some
coffee. And she was relieved to get away from the men. Spike and Angel
had abated none of their old rivalry; Spike was in a filthy temper; and
even Giles was not as calm as he seemed.
Cordelia herself was more than a little upset...all the talk about Xander,
of course. He had disappeared when Willow died in the Plague... or was it
when he learned how the Plague could be stopped?
Gazing around the Bronze, she felt a wave of nostalgia. Almost she was
young Cordelia Chase again, hanging out with Willow, and Xander, and
Buffy...
Suddenly she saw Buffy right in front of her, heading for the exit in the
company of a short, dark-haired girl.
"Buffy!" Cordelia latched onto her friend with determination.
"Cordy!" They met one another's eyes; but they didn't hug...they'd never
had that kind of relationship.
Instead Buffy asked nervously, "How did you get here?"
"I drove down from L.A. with Angel...and Spike." Cordelia was watching
Buffy narrowly.
Buffy froze. "Spike's here?"
"He is, and breathing fire," Cordelia told her grimly. "Be prepared to
grovel."
Buffy bit her lip. "I know he's angry..."
"Angry? Oh no, he's wayyy beyond angry right now. He's verging on
psychotic!"
"But...I had to come," Buffy looked at Cordelia pleadingly.
Cordelia relented. It was strange to stand here with Buffy- a Buffy who
still looked the same as she had in high school- and talk about love
problems and a new crisis threatening Sunnydale. It was almost like the
Plague...and the changes it had caused... had never happened.
Then Madison pulled at Buffy's jacket; and the brief illusion vanished.
"Aren't we going to Willow's house?" she queried.
"Yes." Cordelia stepped forward briskly. "And...I'm coming with you."
They were too late; the house was empty.
"Where would they go?" Buffy asked Madison.
"Uh...I don't know...Jesse's house?" Maddy shrugged apologetically.
Buffy frowned. "Jesse said he lived on Crawford Street...there's only one
place it could be!"
"Wait!" Cordelia objected. "Let's go back to the Bronze; and get the
others!"
"No time! You go...I'll follow Willow and Jesse."
"What about me?" asked Madison.
"It would be best if you went home," Buffy instructed. Madison began to
protest; then stopped when she saw Buffy's resolute face. They went out
together....
Cordelia turned back into the house, to try telephoning the Bronze. Oz
picked up on the first ring.
"Oz," she began, "Buffy's gone after Willow; tell..."
The phone went dead. Cordelia stared at it in disbelief.
"It's no use, Cordy." The soft voice echoed in the room, setting up a
thousand memories to stab her like tiny splinters of glass. She whirled,
and saw him in the shadows...
She took a single step forward. "I used to wonder...if you were still
alive. But then, somehow, I thought i'd know...if you weren't."
"Am I supposed to apologize? I won't," he said coldly. Then his
stone-like face softened. "But...I thought about you, Cordelia. So many,
many nights...I thought about you."
Her throat closed; she couldn't speak.
He went on..." After they...murdered Willow; after I understood what they
were going to do to Buffy, I knew I couldn't stick around and watch it
happen. I was crazy, almost as crazy as that psycho bitch Drusilla. So I
ran....ran as far and as fast as I could...but I couldn't outrun the
demons. And- worse than any demons on the hellmouth were the demons in my
head."
He stopped then; and looked at her with a kind of plaintive appeal. "I
went north to Canada, and joined a Quebec separatist movement; and let
them teach me what I wanted to learn. There was a girl there; her name
was Gabrielle, and she looked a little like you."
Cordelia found her voice. "She was Jesse's mother?"
He nodded. "We were together for almost a year; long enough to have
Jesse, long enough for her to get herself killed in one of the little
'demonstrations' our group initiated."
"I'm sorry," Cordelia murmured.
"Don't be." Xander shrugged. "I can hardly remember her face; everytime
I try, I see you, instead."
Tears were trickling over her cheeks; he wiped them away with his fingers.
"Cordelia..."
With a swift sudden movement, he bent his head and kissed her. And she put
her arms around him, pressing him to her, holding him with all her
strength.
The years rolled away, and she was back in the utility closet in high
school, in love for the first time and kissing Xander Harris. And wanting
him so much she ached with it.
"I have to go, Cordy," he whispered. "I need to finish it."
"Finish..." she didn't understand.
"There's no one at Crawford Street," he explained. "I sent Buffy there to
get her out of the way, while the real action is elsewhere. You see," he
smiled at her, "I borrowed a leaf from Angel's book. So don't worry,
Cordelia....Nothing's going to happen to Buffy."
Tenderly, he stroked her cheek.
The last thing she remembered was his touch.
The phone rang; and Oz fairly lunged at it. "Cordelia?!"
"Mr. Osborne?"
"Who...oh, Madison. " Oz recognized Willow's friend.
"Umm, Buffy said I should call you," Madison said uncertainly. "Willow's
here, with Jesse. Buffy said you'd want to know."
"Thanks, Madison," Oz said gratefully. "Look, we're on our way; just
keep Willow there until we arrive."
He hung up the phone and turned to face the others. "Willow is at the Hope
residence...and so is Jesse."
"What about Buffy and Cordelia?" Giles asked.
"Buffy must be there too; Cordelia said she went with Madison." Oz
recalled.
Angel got to his feet. "Let's go."
"Right, Angel. Rush in like Sir Sodding Galahad," Spike sneered.
Angel's jaw tightened. "Stay behind if you want to, Spike. I'm going."
He strode angrily to the door, followed by Giles.
Oz hesitated.
"What?" Spike said jerkily.
"I have...a weird feeling about this," Oz admitted. "If you won't join us
for Buffy's sake..."
"Bloody hell! That's between us!" Spike glared at him.
"Then...for the sake of your daughter??"
"Don't you mean...your daughter?" The vampire snarled at the werewolf.
"My daughter." Oz stated calmly. "And yours. The daughter we both love.
Or...am I wrong about that?"
The Englishman watched him impassively. Then..."You're not wrong," he said
at last.
"Willow..." Jesse dropped his head into his hands. "I never...I didn't
think things would go this far."
"But Jesse, your father is right!" Willow exclaimed. "Vampires are evil,
and must be destroyed. And, if my mother was a former Slayer, then...she
believed that, too."
"Are you so sure?" Jesse objected. "You told me that your father was a
werewolf; does that mean he should be killed?"
"My mother used to practice witchcraft," Madison offered. "But she's a
good person, really she is!"
Willow looked uncertain. "That's true but...somehow, I feel vampires are
different! Not just because I'm a dhampir or whatever....but because, if
this Angel killed my mother, then I want him dead! No matter what."
Cordelia woke up on the living room couch; for a minute she could not
remember what had happened. Then reality came crashing in. She dashed to
the phone, remembered it wasn't working. Frantically she tried to
think...how long had she been out?
Xander had sent Buffy out of danger, to the Crawford Street mansion. So-
he would go where?
The young Cordelia had always been able to read the young Xander; but this
cold hard-eyed man was a stranger. No...not when he had held her. Then,
he was suddenly Xander again.
He wouldn't go to the crowded Bronze. That left only one other place-
Madison's house. Also, Cordelia realized, the home of Amy Madison and
Scott Hope.
Scott....Buffy's one-time boyfriend who'd pursued her relentlessly for two
years, and then dumped her right after they'd started dating. Cordelia had
never understood that. And Amy, the wannabe witch whose one party-trick
had been that devastating love spell.
Love spell? Something nagged at Cordelia's mind- something Giles had once
said. About how love spells were deadly but eventually wore off... she
made her decision.
"Dad?" Willow's eyes flicked from her father and her beloved uncle to the
two strangers who accompanied them. "Please...tell me about my mother?"
With a resounding crash the doors slammed shut!
"That's right, Oz! Tell her..about her mother." A slight, balding man
entered the room, aiming a crossbow.
Spike's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Point that at me, mate, and I'll wrap
it round your neck- after I've broken it!"
"You're in no postion to make threats," Scott Hope retorted. "Take a look
around."
Rodriguez, Parnell, Reese and Moretti filed in and ringed the room, all
heavily armed.
Willow ignored them. "I want to know about my mother! They said you..."
she looked at Angel, "made her into a vampire."
"Willow," Giles said softly. "He loved your mother; he did what he did
to save her, after she nearly died in childbirth."
"Right." Major Knight's voice cracked like a spent cartridge as he strode
into the room. "He saved her...by turning her into a THING she'd fought
against with all her strength! They used her to stop the Plague, by
making her into a vampire's slut!"
Angel growled; Spike said nothing, but his eyes fastened on Xander's with
a searing intensity.
"Xander!" Giles' voice was stern. "Stop this, right now!"
"Major Knight," the dark man corrected. "Xander Harris is dead."
"I don't believe it!" Cordelia came in from the back entrance.
"Xander...inside, I know that you are still you! You can't do this!"
" I won't have to," he told her softly. "Willow, use your stake!"
"No, Willow!" Jesse cried out. "Please...don't do it!"
Reese stepped forward, lifted his stake, and hit Jesse expertly over the
head. The young man crumpled to the floor. And Major Knight nodded his
approval.
She stood hesitantly in the center of the room, eyes wide with shock.
"Jesse? You hurt him!"
"He'll be fine," Xander said indifferently. "He didn't understand that we
are at war! But you do....and you know what you have to do!"
"That's enough!" Spike snapped. "I remember you, boy! As always, you
hide behind women. Haven't got the guts to do your own killing, have you
mate?"
"On the contrary," Xander said, "it will be my pleasure to kill you,
Spike. And to do it right in front of your daughter."
Willow's head jerked up. "What? My..." she stepped closer to Spike,
studying him. "You...you look like me...But, you can't be my father! You
just can't...my mother..."
"Was beautiful," Xander said coldly. "and she was brave, and loyal. They
made her into a baby machine to produce a dhampir; anything to stop the
plague! Even if they had to turn her into a vampire's whore!"
"Shut your hole!" Spike shouted. "Have a care how you talk about my wife,
or I'll tear your filthy tongue out!"
"My mother is...your wife?" Willow asked numbly.
"Bloody right," Spike's face softened. But despite his raging emotions,
he would not beg his daughter.
"It's true, Willow," Buffy's voice stunned the assembled group into
silence. "His wife, and your mother..and this is also true- we both love
you very much."
She stepped into the room from the back entry; and Willow stared in
disbelief at the tiny blonde girl who looked no older than herself- yet
claimed to be her mother.
"All present and accounted for," Scott Hope smiled meanly. "Hello, Buffy!
Remember me? It's been a long time; and I've changed a lot. You haven't
though."
Buffy never broke eye contact with Willow. "Why are you doing this,
Scott?"
"Please, Buffy, call me by the name I prefer! I'm the Black Bishop these
days, just as Xander is the White Knight. Like Angelus is the Black King
we're sworn to destroy! Like you are the White Queen, my dear, and young
Willow is...well, at the moment she's just a pawn! But don't worry, it's
checkmate!"
There was no warning; Scott raised the crossbow one millimetre, and fired
straight at Buffy.
Spike screamed, leaping directly in front of Buffy to take the bolt.
But someone else had been before him.
Xander stared across at his former partner, the shaft of the bolt
protruding from his chest. He started to fall, but Angel caught him and
lowered him gently to the floor.
Scott hoisted the crossbow again; and two things happened simultaneously:
Giles' cane crashed down across Scott's arm, breaking it and causing the
bolt to discharge harmlessly; and Willow threw her stake with unerring
accuracy.
Scott Hope, the Black Bishop, was dead before he hit the ground.
The fight that erupted ended almost as quickly as it had begun; the
mercenaries were trained and efficient but had no chance against three
vampires, a dhampir, and a werewolf.
Giles calmed a hysterical Madison while Cordelia fought her way through to
Xander, cradling his head in her lap. Blood was pooling out from the
wound; she could see it was hopeless. Tears streamed down her face, and
at first she was unaware of the man who knelt close by her side.
Until Xander's eyes fastened on him eagerly. "An...gel," he managed, a
question in his voice.
Angel hesitated; then nodded, resigned.
Gently, he took Cordelia's arm, pulling her to her feet.
"What...NO! I want to stay with him! Angel..."
Ignoring her protests, he stepped away, to where Buffy was whispering
urgently with Willow.
"Buffy," Angel murmured.
She turned to face him sharply, hearing the supplicating note in his voice.
Her eyes went past him to Xander; and she looked at Angel questioningly.
Angel merely nodded, while Cordelia stared uncomprehendingly.
Buffy knelt beside Xander, pulling him into an embrace. "I'm here, Xand,"
she told him softly.
The agonized strain left his face, to be replaced by a look of peace.
Slowly, with infinite care, he lifted his hand to touch her cheek.
"Buffy..." it was barely a breath, "I lo..." he went still.
Wordlessly Cordelia turned and left the house. Outside the stars were
still shining; and she felt some surprise about that.
Then- Angel was beside her. "I'm sorry, Cordelia."
She shook her head. "There's no need to be sorry. You brought him the
woman he loves; and he died there in her arms where he would have wanted
to die. Nothing to be sorry about."
He stood in the living room of the house on Revello Drive, staring out into
the night with eyes that saw nothing. He sensed rather than heard her come
up behind him.
"Spike?" Her voice was soft; but he felt it go right through him as if it
had been a piercing shriek. He turned, arms folded and expression
forbidding.
Buffy 's heart sank. She stood in front of him, solemn and insecure,
disconcerted by his stoic silence. It would have been so much easier, she
thought ruefully, if he'd shouted at her.
She took a deep breath. "I'm sorr..."
"No!" Spike shook his head convulsively, and dread settled in her. She'd
been certain that, despite their quarrel, he would forgive her for leaving.
Instead he stared at her, blue eyes blazing. "I don't want to hear sorry!"
His voice dropped to a muted whisper. "You have come back to me,
and...that's all that matters!"
He jerked her into his arms, mouth ravaging hers in a starved kiss, too
desperate and needy to be gentle.
Buffy found that she couldn't speak if she wanted to., not even to
apologize.
"Never mind," she thought dazedly, as her arms closed willingly around his
back. "Lots of time for that later..."
As if he had heard her thoughts, he lifted his head and growled, "You had
me almost out of my mind with worry, pet! I ought to punish you for that!"
Buffy grinned up at him teasingly. "Oohhh, promise?"
She burst out laughing at the expression on his face, a mix of astonished
outrage and guilty desire. And, after a moment, he joined in.
"You won't be laughing much longer, luv!" he threatened; but the
tenderness in his eyes belied his words. Buffy decided that any punishment
he'd come up with would be well worth it.
She leaned forward and said in his ear, "I can't wait."
A tactful cough warned them they were no longer alone, and they turned to
see Giles.
"How's Jesse?" Buffy asked immediately.
"He'll be fine; the hospital is keeping him overnight for observation."
"They think he has concussion," Willow corroborated, coming in with Oz.
"I'm going to see him tomorrow."
She stopped and looked at her parents shyly. "I'm sorry
about...everything."
Oz put his arm around her comfortingly. "Not your fault; we should have
told you the truth much sooner."
Willow smiled at the man who would always, in her heart, be her true
father. Then she took a step toward Buffy and Spike. "Will I see you
sometimes?" she asked hopefully.
"We'll be around, pet," Spike promised.
Willow felt the familiar malaise creeping over her; but chose to ignore it
while she hugged both Buffy and Spike.
"I'm glad you came," she told them honestly.
Buffy's eyes shone with unshed tears, but she managed a smile. "So am I,"
she admitted.
Spike said nothing, but his hand reached down and found Buffy's fingers.
Cordelia sat at the kitchen table, sipping the coffee Angel had made. She
didn't speak, and after awhile, he decided to break the silence.
"Cordelia..." his voice trailed off uncertainly.
"We need to go back to L.A. tomorrow night," she said quietly. "I mean
tonight. It's almost dawn, isn't it?"
"Yes. We'll have to spend the day here." He hesitated. "Cordelia? Will
you stay with me?"
She nodded, surprised he would even ask. "Of course."
"I mean...when we return to L.A."
For seventeen years she had stayed by his side; she wondered why he would
question it now. But then the answer slipped into her mind, and she spoke
it out loud.
"You thought that I couldn't let go of Xander, didn't you, Angel?"
"Yes." He reached carefully out and touched her hand with one tentative
finger. "I know you need to mourn for him..."
"No," Cordelia shook her head decisively, "I already did. Seventeen
years ago. Right now what I want, the only thing I want, is to go home.
With you."
Angel sat still, accepting her words, a little startled at the sudden spurt
of happiness they gave him. She had been many things to him: his friend,
his guardian, his ally; even, when the loneliness threatened to overwhelm
him, his lover. But now for the first time, he felt they had the chance to
become something more. To become mates for the remainder of her life.
She smiled at him. "Why don't we try to find a QUIET dark corner in which
we can spend the day?"
"Preferably away from Spike and Buffy," Angel returned her smile. "I
don't think those two know the meaning of quiet."
Cordelia shrugged. "Maybe we should think about giving them a little
competition in the noise department?"
Angel's smile widened. "I think I like that idea!"
