Disclaimers - See Part 1
E-Mail: LunarMyth@yahoo.com


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It was cold. It wasn't the weather that bothered her, but Spike's absence. How could he make her feel this guilty? She hadn't wanted to break it off with him. But if he didn't love her.... Arg! It was all his fault!

A twig snapped behind her and she spun around. There was nothing to see. A whispering wind blew through the tree tops, making the shadows dance. But that didn't mean she didn't feel them. The shadows were teeming with the undead, prowling around and watching her.

"Come on out. It isn't fun playing alone," she called out. A twig snapped behind her and she turned in time to see a pile of ashes falling at her feet. "You creeps never learn, do you?"

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. But Miss Edith says you're a special one."

Kiara turned around slowly, her silver eyes glinting hard behind the veil of her hair. "Well, if it isn't the nut."

Drusilla smirked prettily and danced in a circle around Kiara. "You've been a bad, bad girl. You've tempted my Spike away and Miss Edith says you have to be punished." She stopped and looked to Kiara, her head cocking to the side as if listening to something. "Do you think so? Do you think you should be punished for being so naughty?"

"I guess that would depend on your definition of naughty," Kiara said.

Drusilla scowled. "Miss Edith tells me you're a Slayer. My Spike would never love a Slayer."

"And my Spike would never love an insane twit, but I guess we don't all get what we ask for, do we?"

"Kiara? Spike?"

Kiara grimaced. "Angel, don't come any further!" she called out just as Angel walked into the stepped into the grove. He never even knew what hit him as seven of Drusilla's minions attacked him and tied him up. "Angel!" Kiara cried out, letting her guard down. As she turned to run to him, a net dropped down over her, knocking her down. Her head hit the corner of a tombstone and the last thing she saw before blacking out was two vampires dragging Angel away.


***


"Oh bloody hell, who is it and what do you want?" Spike grumbled as he walked downstairs, pulling his shirt on violently and fidgeting with the buttons. The pounding on his front door had started almost ten minutes ago and it hadn't slackened yet. "What?" he demanded, yanking open the door.

"Where have you been?" Buffy demanded, pushing past him as she walked inside.

"Dammit! Just because you're human you think you can just waltz inside without an invitation? And what do you mean 'where have I been'?" He combed his fingers through his hair and glanced at her. She didn't look too much better than he felt. Which was pretty bad since he was sobering up.

"It's five after ten. We were all supposed to meet at the Bronze at nine. Where's Kiara? What have you two been doing?" A blush heightened her cheeks as she reconsidered her question.

Spike's eyes flashed furiously. "How the hell should I know where the chit is? And we haven't been doing anything, for your information."

Buffy looked sharply at him. "You don't know where she is? Well...didn't she stay here when you two got done patrolling?" It was common knowledge that Kiara had moved into Spike's house after the Thanksgiving fiasco and that she was letting Faith live in her old apartment.

"We didn't patrol together, Slayer. We had a fight and I stalked off. I don't know what she did after she finished, but she sure as hell didn't come here."

Buffy's anxiousness quickly escalated to worry. "This doesn't sound too good. I sent Angel to go find you two and he never came back so I went home. Now you're telling me you weren't with Kiara. And Angel and Kiara are nowhere to be found. This is not good at all...."

Spike grabbed hold of her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Slayer. Slow down. Now. Why is this such a horrible thing? The Poof's probably at the mansion. Maybe Kia spent the night there."

"No, I already checked there," Buffy told him. "Besides, Angel would never show up late to a meeting. Not after we found..." her eyes opened wide as she looked up at Spike. "Oh no," she whispered.

"Found what?" Spike asked. He didn't want to admit it, but worry for Kiara was beginning to grip him and Buffy's attitude wasn't helping at all.

"We...I...found...a doll at the graveyard last night. It looked..." she hazarded a glance up at Spike. "It looked a lot like one of Drusilla's."

His hold tightened on the Slayer until she flinched and pushed herself away from him. "Why didn't you tell me this as soon as possible?" he asked angrily.

"Well duh! I thought you knew! You were supposed to be with Kiara last night, how was I to know you'd be stupid and pick a fight with her?" she asked defensively.

"Hold on. Who said our fight was my fault? It just so happens that it was all her fault."

Buffy look up at him. "Yeah, whatever. That's not even the point right now. The point -"

"No. Why am I always the bad one? Why does it have to be my fault?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Number one, call me biased, but you are the soulless demon. Number two, I'm willing to bet it's your fault. Let me guess, it went something like this: Everything was fine and cozy. Someone brought up the subject of love. She asked you how you felt about her. You didn't answer her. She finally got fed up with you and blew up. You stalked off and abandoned her. Right? Yeah, see, all your fault. Definitely. Now. On to bigger things. What do we do about Angel and Kiara? They're still missing."

"What?!? How is that my fault? She's the one who said she wanted the break. Not me. I was fine and dandy with our situation. Well, except the fact that her idea of sleeping together is...sleeping together. Still. Everything was fine."

"You are such a guy. Old, but still immature. God, you people never see. You are totally the lesser of the species. Can't you see anything? Kiara loves you. She came back for you. Though I think that was a real mistake on her part. But my opinion doesn't matter, obviously. She loves you and you can't even make a commitment to her. You can't let go of Drusilla and that hurts her so much. No, she's not asking you to forget about your past. I mean, she's loved other people too, and she still cares about them. But she's not living her life for them. You can't let Drusilla go. But you won't let Kiara go either. You're being totally unfair to her. You expect her to give her all to you...but you can't do the same for her? There's no excuse, Spike."

Spike stared down at her, a nerve ticking in his jaw. "They're missing," he said without preamble. "I guess somebody has to find them." Shoving on his duster, he jerked open the door again and stepped out after the Slayer, letting it shut with a slam that rattled the window panes.


***


"Why don't you just give this up?" Kiara asked tiredly. They were in some kind of old factory filled with old pipes. One of which she was chained to--or hanging from, her arms straining above her head to hold her weight. Angel was next to her, also chained up. He, however, was unconscious. Drusilla's fiends had beaten him badly, and even Dru had gotten involved in a little torture session of her own before having him brought to the main room and hung next to Kiara. She herself had come to only a few hours before. She had no idea whether it was night or day. It seemed like an eternity that she'd been hanging there, unable to do anything but dust every vampire that came near her or Angel. At least she was able to do that. But Drusilla never stopped. She sent wave after wave of her loyal subjects to Kiara, and none ever came back. Kiara had begun to wonder if she was stupid as well as insane.

"I want my Daddy back," Drusilla told her. "But Miss Edith says he's gone forever now...and it's all your fault. What do you have to say about that, Slayer?"

Kiara chuckled. "I'd have to say Dolly is correct again. You'll never get your Daddy back, luv. He's gone forever...and he's happy. Without you. It's so tragic when a dear family is torn apart...by the other woman."

Drusilla screeched in fury and charged at Kiara, but she was flung backwards by some invisible force.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Drusilla. How very unladylike of you. I'd watch that, if I were you," Kiara murmured sweetly.

Drusilla leaped to her feet, vamped out in rage. She called her number one minion to her. "Kalli!" The tall, lithe female appeared immediately beside her mistress. "I want you to gather everyone, bring them out. Find the little blonde Slayer and make sure she doesn't get anywhere near here. If you must, kill her. The stars dance with the blood of the Slayers. Destiny will be met tonight. I can feel it."

"Yes, Mistress," Kalli obeyed and with a turn she went to gather her siblings.

Drusilla smiled cruelly as she waltzed towards Kiara. "You see? You can't ruin my party. You've taken my Daddy...you've taken my Spike. Well, I can take things from you too."


***


"...Let's see what new disease you'll fetch. I mean that fucking you is strange and adored by me throughout, oh no it's you again..." Faith sang softly as she patrolled through the streets. It was quiet tonight. Too quiet. Which is why it was easy for her to hear the scuffling noises coming from the park. She hurried down the street, careful to keep an eye out for any unwanted attention. But it seemed that the entire place was deserted. Until she crept behind the bushes near the park and peeked out.

"This wasn't exactly the party I was planning for tonight," Buffy huffed, kicking backwards as she lunged forward, staking a vamp.

"What? Violence doesn't do it for you, Slayer?" Spike asked as he took on three of his former employees. In the last ten minutes, while thirty of Drusilla's minions ambushed them, Spike had become painfully aware the fact that he no longer felt the same towards the female vampire he'd spent so much time coddling. And maybe she hadn't meant for him to be with the Slayer during this attack, but truth was, he'd switched sides. Permanently, it seemed. He wrestled with one of the older servants and wrenched his sword from his grasp. With a sweeping gesture, Spike took off three of their heads, stopping a hair's breadth before hitting Buffy. "Duck?"

"Gee, how reassuring," she said, eyeing the sharp blade before shoving it forward through one vampire's throat, holding her still while she shoved the stake through her heart.

Faith watched them, contemplating joining in. But when she saw three vampires hedging away, she decided to follow them. Buffy and Spike seemed to be able to take care of themselves. Silently she ran around the perimeter of the park, keeping a safe distance from the three. With any luck, they'd lead her back to their Master.





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