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Chapter 14
 
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The bloody orb had been replaced by darkness. Not replaced really. He was sure it was still there. But the blackened forest made it impossible to see the sky.

He had been walking. Time once again held no meaning with no way to tell the minutes were passing but the increase in the intensity of his hunger. And yet even that was not as bad as he would have thought it to be. It barely registered with him now.

The vines had grown thicker the deeper into the foliage he had wandered. His destination was unclear. He had only managed to go from one seemingly never-ending place to another. But it had to end somewhere. Unless this really was hell.

Spike thought about the demon he'd killed. It had told him death was a relief from this place. Had it meant the forest or this world in its entirety? What kept sticking out in his mind was the demon demanding to know how it had gotten here. And why had the creature thought Spike was somehow responsible? Had the demon been too close to the hellmouth when he'd closed it?

There was a tugging at his mind again. Something was wrong about his thoughts. There was more… more that he could not remember. But it was no use in trying. He'd been trying for days, weeks maybe.

A strange noise coming from up ahead caught Spike's attention. His eyes scanned the area as he tried to see whoever or whatever was moving around him. But the dark vines hanging around him concealed the noise maker. He moved slowly forward, readying himself for a fight. Chances were, if there was one demon, there would be more.

But as he inched forward, and the sound grew ever louder, he realized, aside from the rustling noise, he could also hear voices. He stopped and used his vampiric hearing to listen to what they were saying.

"I have no choice," a male voice was saying.

"There is always a choice." The second voice, a feminine voice, was familiar. Too familiar.

"Not in this world."

"So I'm just supposed to go with you?"

"Yes, vampire."

The girl huffed. "Well, I don't need your help," she told him and Spike could picture her with her hands on her hips. "I was doing perfectly fine on my own."

"Like hell. I saved your ass from that sand worm. Though for the life of me, I can't figure out why."

Spike weighed his options as they continued to snap at each other. On the one hand, having potential companions on the journey through this unknown land was appealing. On the other, spending any length of time with at least one of the individuals on the other side of the thicket made him want to poke both of his eyes out. He had decided to chance making it on his own when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Spike inwardly cursed himself for not hearing the creature approach. He'd been too wrapped up in listening to the arguing.

"Vampire," the creature said. It was taller than Spike by about two feet and had skin that looked more like scales, dark brown scales. "Do you wish to do us harm?"

"I guess that depends, mate."

"Mafius, I have found another vampire," it said.

Mafius, the man who Spike presumed he'd heard talking, came pushing through the bushes. He was average height and build, but was obviously a demon. He was wearing an armored vest and short brown pants but his skin was completely blue. He was the perfect blend of a medieval soldier and a Smurf.

Another familiar thought tugged at the corner of his mind, but he couldn't quite get a grip on it.

"Is he as… talkative as the other one?" Mafius asked.

"Hey, was that an insult because I…" she broke off when she saw Spike, a mixture of anger and happiness on her face. "Blondie bear?"
 


Spike opened his eyes and sat straight up on the bed. He was sweating and his body felt drained and tired, yet if he were human, he knew that he would probably be hyperventilating. Red's spell had done a number on him.

He'd been able to recover a few more memories from his time in wonderland, it seemed. Spike didn't feel as drained this time, though it was probable that the dream had been leftovers from the last spell. He knew that if they were not able to find Angelus soon and stop him, he would have to try the spell again. And if the first go round was any indication, Spike wasn't sure he'd survive what it would take to remember everything that had happened to him.

The bedroom was dark, but his super human eyesight allowed him to see the sleeping form beside him. She was curled up into a little ball, snoring softly. Her mother was on her other side, seemingly in a deep sleep.

He reached out and brushed the hair back from the little girl's face. She'd asked him to be her father, told him she loved him, which put her on the short list of people who ever had, and he loved her, with all of his un-beating heart. Spike had never wished so badly that he was human. He wanted nothing more than to spend his life with Camilla and her mother, and even the short 50 or so years they would have together would be worth everything.

But Spike knew that if he were human now, he would not be able to protect the girl and the gods only knew how many more threats lied in wait to attack Buffy and her daughter in the future. He sighed, knowing full well that the day would come when he would have to let them go, and he dreaded it with all of his being.
 


"Alright, time to go," the younger Summers said with a look at her watch. "Don't wanna miss our flight. You know Giles gets upset when he has to wait."

"I can't wait to see Grandpa Giles," Camilla said. "He said he has a present for me. And Uncle Xander promised to take me to the big clock."

Since she had found out she was going to England, Camilla had asked Spike a hundred questions about it. He'd told her a few sights he'd enjoyed seeing as a boy and as an adult, changing a few facts around so as not to give away his true age. He'd shown her pictures on the computer of a few different things and she'd decided that Big Ben was on the top of her list of things to see. Though the council was not in London, it was close enough that they could take a day trip down there.

Buffy didn't seem keen on the idea of them ever leaving the council at all, and Xander had promised they wouldn't until they were sure Angelus was taken care of. But nonetheless, the little girl was all kinds of excited at getting to take a trip. She didn't fully understand why she was going whereas her mommy and Mr. Spike were staying at home, and Buffy hadn't wanted to frighten her with the details. All they had told her about the whole situation was that there was something mommy and Mr. Spike had to do before they came to England. Buffy assured her they wouldn't be far behind and only hoped she was right.

She wanted this whole situation with Angelus to be over. How many times would she have to face her ex-lover's malicious alter ego? Once upon a time, the idea of having to take him out would have devastated her, but now that she was a mother, now that he'd harmed her family, it was only a dull ache of emotion. She had considered trying to save him and knew Willow could perform the soul restoration spell, but how long would it be before he lost it again?

Buffy had found herself wishing that he would be like Spike and earn his soul, the permanent kind that he could not lose no matter how much happiness he experienced. It was almost comical, she realized, that for so many years she had pushed Spike away because he wasn't more like Angel and now she wished Angel was more like him.

She couldn't let herself dwell on her first love for too long though because she would start to remember everything good about him and she couldn't let herself do that. She knew he would always hold a small part of her heart, but an even bigger part now belonged to the man in front of her, the one currently holding a Barbie backpack and a stuffed monkey. Buffy smiled as she watched him listening intently to Camilla run over the list of items that she had to take with her.

'She really loves him,' Buffy thought. 'And so do I.'

The thought caught her a little off guard and she was glad no one was looking in her direction. They would surely ask about the look she knew was on her face.

She loved him.

And it was more than a friendship, more than a lover, more than two people who'd bonded over their ability to kill a demon. It was love, real love, pure and simple.

She was in love with him.

It was almost a relief to admit it to herself. She had been confused over her feelings for Spike for so long that knowing, truly knowing, felt like a giant weight had been lifted. And all of the problems that were sure to come with this understanding seemed insignificant and bothersome to think about. There would be plenty of time for worrying about that in the future, once they were safe again. Right now, Buffy decided to bask in her personal revelation and take all of the joy she could out of it.

"That's everything," Camilla announced proudly. "Are you ready to go, Lola?" she asked the monkey in Spike's arms.

Presumably, the animal said yes because the little girl placed her hands on her hips and looked at Dawn. "Ready," she said.

Dawn smiled at her and nodded to Eric. "Alright. Let's go then."

Buffy and Spike accompanied them to the airport, the slayer checking and double checking everything with her sister. She was so uneasy about sending Camilla out of the country without her, that Buffy almost changed her mind about the plan five times. But eventually she was able to calm her nerves a bit, enough so Camilla wouldn't be worried, and said goodbye to them at security. She hugged her daughter and promised her she would see her really soon.

After the three had disappeared into the crowd of flyers, Buffy and Spike headed back to the apartment. Willow had stayed behind. She was knee deep in research, making phone calls and trying to find anyone else that might be able to help them. The coven had still not been able to track the notorious vampire and was becoming increasingly sure that he must have a powerful Wiccan on his side.

Buffy's phone rang almost as soon as they walked into the apartment. The caller ID told her that it was her sister.

"I thought you were supposed to turn your phones off on the plane," she said when she answered.

"She's gone, Buffy," Dawn cried from the other end of the line.

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Buffy asked, trying to stay calm though thousands of terrible scenarios ran through her head.

"Camilla, she's gone. Someone took her."
 


Gone.

That was the only word that stood out in her mind. Gone.

"Buffy, I swear it was just for a second." Dawn was in hysterics.

But the slayer wasn't listening anymore. Camilla was gone. And it was probable that Angelus had taken her. Less than an hour. That's how long they had been gone from the airport. Less than one hour. She knew sending Camilla without her had been a mistake. The phone slipped from her hand onto the floor.

"Buffy," Spike said, concern evident in his voice. Her face had paled completely.

He picked up the phone from the floor. "Dawn, what happened?" Spike tried to keep his voice calm, but it was difficult.

Dawn tried to explain through her tears, but eventually Eric had to take the phone to relay the story.

"They were standing in line to get a soda. Dawn let go of Camilla's hand for just a second to pay for it and when she look down… Cam was just gone. We looked everywhere. They've put out an alert. Security is looking for her."

"And where the bloody hell were you in all of this, mate?" Spike asked, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

"I had to go to the bathroom," Eric said. "I was gone for five minutes."

Spike bit his tongue to keep from yelling at the wanker. "You left them alone," he gritted out. "You left them alone when you know Angelus is after her!"

The man on the other line seemed distressed and didn't even attempt to defend his actions.

"If you had something to do with this…" Spike started, already plotting painful ways to kill the bloke if he was somehow involved.

How well did any of them really know Eric? Dawn herself had only known him for a little over a year. Thoughts ran through Spike's head at a rapid pace. What if the whole thing had been a plot, a way to get closer to Buffy and her daughter? Eric was a decent enough looking guy. He was smart, charming… the perfect weapon. And conveniently he had not been injured in their assault, aside from a mere broken arm.

Spike's thoughts were interrupted when Eric spoke. "I would never do something like that. I would never hurt Dawn or Camilla or anyone," he protested.

"I hope for your sake you are telling the truth, mate. Because if I find out you're lying…"

"You won't."

Spike hung up the phone and slammed it down on the table. If Angelus dared lay his hands on Camilla, he would rip his grandsire limb from limb. And he was sure Buffy would do the same. Spike realized she hadn't spoken since she'd dropped the phone and he turned around to look for her, thinking she may already be on her way to the airport.

Instead she was standing exactly where she had been and had a blank expression on her face. Spike got a sense of de ja vu accompanied by a minute feeling of panic.

"No you don't, slayer. Not again." He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Buffy? Buffy, look at me." But her eyes would not focus. They just stared through him. "Buffy," he tried again, shaking her slightly. "Stay with me. I need you to stay with me," he said cupping her face in his hands. The last thing any of them needed was for her to go into another paralyzed coma like she'd done when Glory had taken Dawn all of those years ago.

He considered slapping her across the face as he had done the last time she sank into a comatose state, but remembered how ineffective it had been and opted for something he hadn't before. He kissed her.

At first she didn't respond, but slowly her lips began to move, and as soon as she seemed to realize what she was doing, she pulled away from him.

"What the hell are you doing? My daughter is missing and you want to make out?" she sounded furious and Spike sighed in relief.

"Sorry, luv, thought you were zoning out on me."

"Well I'm not." She still looked like she might punch him so Spike took a step back.

"We need a plan," Buffy said, her voice suddenly on the verge of tears. "We need to think. Where would he take her? Wha…what would he… he wouldn't… I…"

Spike took a small risk and took her hands into his own. "We'll find her." He tried to make his voice sound as reassuring as possible, but it fell on deaf ears.

"If he lays a hand on her, I swear to God…"

Buffy was struggling not to panic, not to completely lose it. That would do her absolutely no good. What she needed was to keep a level head. If she could do that, they would find her daughter. She had to believe that.

Willow came out of the bedroom and stared at the couple standing in front of her, both of whom looked upset and angry.

"What happened?" the witch asked.

Spike explained the situation and Willow immediately pulled out her map to do a locator spell. Buffy had snapped out of her daze and commenced pacing around the room, running through multiple scenarios, all in which involved the death of Angelus, in her head. She was trying desperately not to panic but it was becoming increasingly difficult the longer it took Willow to complete the spell.

The phone vibrated on the counter beside her and Buffy reached to pick it up. The number was unknown. It was him. It had to be.

"Where is my daughter?" she demanded, anger evident in her voice.

"Buffy," a male voice hissed from the other line.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Corner of 5th and Broadway. One hour. Come alone or she dies."

The line went dead before Buffy had the chance to respond. She hadn't recognized the voice, but that could be easily disguised. Whoever it had been had her daughter, and that was enough for Buffy. She knew it was stupid to go alone, dangerous even, but if there was any chance Camilla would be harmed… well, she just couldn't take that risk.

She glanced up at Willow and Spike. Her best friend was chanting whilst Spike was looking warily in Buffy's direction.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"No one."

Spike raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of her answer. Buffy silently pleaded with him to accept her response, but Spike was not one for subtly.

"I have to go alone," she told him.

Spike started to protest, but Buffy held a hand up to stop him. "I'll be alright. You stay here and wait for the locator spell. We're getting her back."

"Where are you going?"

"He called, told me where to meet."

"That easy?"

"No, it's probably a trap. But he has my daughter. I can't take the chance."

Spike nodded in understanding just as Willow called out Camilla's location. It wasn't the same address as the mysterious voice had provided.

"Go there," Buffy told Spike. "I'll go meet Angelus."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather switch, luv? Are you sure you'll be able to off him if it comes to that?" There, he'd finally asked the question that had been on his mind for weeks. Would Buffy be able to send his grandsire back to hell, and without regret? He feared what he might see in her eyes, but when he looked into them, there was only determination.

"Yes."


A bloody warehouse. That's where Red's spell had led him. Spike let out a growl of frustration. He'd had quite enough of warehouses for one eternity. He listened with his vampiric ears for any sounds within, but the buzzing of the florescent street lights combined with the thick steal of the walls made it impossible.

Spike had prepared himself for a fight, assuming Angelus would have the warehouse guarded by some of his lackeys, but even as he entered the large dark building, he still heard nothing.

There were crates stacked ten feet high with a small path cut between them and the warehouse smelled faintly of mold and sawdust. Spike made his way through the building as quietly as he could manage, ears open for any sound. He was preparing to curse Red aloud for not giving him more specifics when he heard it. A tiny sound. A whimper.

An intense feeling of deja vu washed over Spike and he knew instantly that the sound had come from Camilla. All thoughts of stealth tossed aside, Spike ran in the direction of the cry. His whole body was instantly flooded with relief when he saw her. She looked frightened at first, as if she had been caught, but when she realized who he was, she flung her little body at him.

"Mr. Spike!"

Spike fell to his knees and took her into his arms, squeezing her tight. "Bit, are you alright?"

She shook her head up and down, the universal sign for yes, but she looked far from it. She was shaking and sniffling against his shirt. Spike continued to hold her and wasn't sure he'd ever been happier to see anyone in his life. This little girl, he realized, was his world now. When she had finally calmed down, he pulled back to look at her. She didn't look injured in any way, but he knew he had to get her out of here.

"Let's get you home, huh?" he said and she nodded. Spike stood to his feet and looked around. He still hadn't seen any signs of Angelus or any mindless followers. "Cam, who brought you here?"

Before she could answer, a voice from behind them made his spin stiffen.

"Camilla. There you are. I've been looking all over for you, you little sneak."

She looked warily at the man and stepped closer to Spike, who turned and sized the wanker up. He was average height and build, and he was human. Spike wondered why Angelus would leave a human guarding the girl. This man could be taken out in an instant, and if Camilla hadn't been standing right beside him, the bloke would have been dead already.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Spike demanded, expecting the git to say something smart ass or challenging.

Instead the man just smiled at him.

"I'm her father."

 
 
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