Hellmouth: Manhattan

Ill Winds

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Buffy, Angel, and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This series takes place between the 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' fifth season episodes 'Triangles' and 'Checkpoint', and the 'Angel' second season episodes 'The Shroud of Rahmon' and 'The Trial'.

Previously...

Angel set the container containing the Scroll of Aberjin down on the desk and pulled the sheathed dagger out of his belt, looking at the ornately carved hilt for a moment before returning it to its former position. If all went as he hoped, his bloodlust would soon be permanently purged, and he could once again live a normal life.

As a human.

"Any idea when this, whatever it is, is going to happen?" Buffy asked.

"Not really," Giles said. "I'm going to have to call Una and consult with her, see if she can give me any additional insight. She is the one who did the initial reading on the cards." She looked at his watch. "Still a few hours before sunrise over there. I should be able to get all the information I need from her to determine what it is we could be facing." He looked at Buffy. "But if I am right, we could be facing an entirely new brand of evil, and we may not be able to stop it."

"And you think that Maeve can help me find the Key," Glory said.

"She is the Mistress of Dreams," Lindsey said. "Once you free her from Avalon, I'm sure she'd be willing to take a peek into the Slayer's dreams and find out where the Key is hidden."

"And what does Wolfram and Hart get out of this?" Glory asked.

"The senior partners also have a vested interest in seeing you return to your own dimension," he said as he closed his briefcase. "They have a few projects in the works, and your presence in this dimension is...complicating matters."

"Mrs. Summers?" Kate asked. "I'm Detective Kate Lockley, LAPD." She paused long enough to pull out her badge and show it to Joyce. "I'm here to ask your daughter a few questions."

Joyce looked at Buffy for a moment. "About what?" she asked.

"Angel," Kate said. She looked at Buffy. "Where is he?"

Elisa's eyes went wide in terror as she realized what was going to happen, and she screamed as she felt the vampire's fangs sink into her throat.

Hellmouth: Manhattan

The Coming Storm

December 14, 2000

Manhattan

Elisa felt herself going numb as the vampire gorged himself on her blood. She didn't have any thoughts about trying to get away; she was already weak from loss of blood, and the vampire wasn't giving any indications that he had satisfied his hunger. She felt him shift his grip on her slightly, then bite down again. I'm sorry, Goliath, she thought in despair. Sorry I didn't...

The vampire suddenly stopped feeding, and Elisa felt him pull back. She looked at him and caught the surprised expression on his face an instant before he fell into a pile of dust.

Elisa felt herself falling to the ground, but then she was caught by a pair of powerful arms. Her eyes followed the arms up to what she thought had to be the hottest-looking hunk she had ever seen in her life. He lifted her slightly, then grimaced as he caught sight of the vicious bite marks on her throat.

"Looks like I got to you just in time," her handsome rescuer said.

"Who..." she said weakly.

"My name's Angel," he said.

"Angel?" she asked, barely holding onto consciousness. "I think I know..."

"Elisa!" she heard another voice call out. Her head turned limply towards the street and saw her partner running towards her just before she lost consciousness.

Matt ran up to them, and stopped as he caught sight of Angel cradling her still form. "Oh, Christ! No!" he cried out.

"It's okay, Matt," Angel said. "She's still alive. I got to her before he finished feeding."

Matt looked around, trying to locate the vampire who had bitten Mr. Jaffe, and who Elisa had chased into the alley. "Where is he?" he asked.

"Dust," Angel said. He carefully lifted Elisa's still form in his arms. "We need to get her to a hospital," he said as he started towards the street, but stopped as he caught sight of the emerging daylight. "I can't..."

Matt ran towards Elisa's Fairlane and quickly backed it into the alley. Angel carefully set the unconscious detective into the back seat, but hesitated before climbing in himself. Matt assumed that his hesitancy was caused by the daylight, which he knew was deadly to vampires, and quickly retrieved the emergency blanket from the trunk of the car, passing it to the vampire. Angel got into the back seat with Elisa and covered both himself and her with the blanket.

Matt looked into the back seat, making certain that Angel was covered with the blanket, and then threw the car into gear. Within seconds, he was tearing down the street, heading for one particular destination.

The ride wasn't easy for Angel. The scent of Elisa's blood was powerful underneath the blanket, and Angel had to make a conscious effort not to give into the bloodlust. Several times, he felt his features shifting as the demon inside him fought to take over as he heard Elisa unconsciously whimper, and he angrily battled it back. He was not going to give in to the bloodlust. Not again... Angel cautiously looked out from underneath the blanket as he felt the car come to a sudden halt and saw that they had stopped in an underground parking garage near a bank of elevators. "Wait a minute," he said. "This isn't..."

Matt was already out of the car and lifted Elisa's frighteningly light form in his arms. "We need to get her upstairs," he said.

"Where are we?" Angel asked as he got out of the car.

"The Eyrie Building," Matt said. He handed Elisa to Angel, then took off towards the elevators.

Angel quickly followed Matt, then paused for a second as he looked down at the woman in his arms. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"Positive," Matt said. He turned as one particular set of elevator doors opened and he quickly ushered Angel inside. "This will take us straight up to the castle." He paused as he looked at his unconscious partner. "I just hope we get up there in time."

David Xanatos was waiting for them as Matt stepped off the elevator, a gurney and a pair of doctors at his side.

"What happened to her?" he asked.

"Vampire," Matt said, not even bothering to ask how Xanatos knew they were on their way up, or that Elisa would need medical attention. He probably saw us on the monitors.

Xanatos started to motion the doctors forward, then paused when he saw Angel standing in the elevator, unable to enter the castle. "Who..." he started.

"This is Angel," Matt said.

"I see," Xanatos said knowingly. So this is the vampire with a soul, he thought. "You're welcome to come in," he said quickly.

Angel hesitated for a moment, looking at the windows on the east wall of the Main Hall. Xanatos caught the look of uncertainty in Angel's eyes and went over to his desk. He pressed a button on the desk, and solid steel shutters slid in place across the windows, blocking the daylight.

"Sorry about that," Xanatos said. "I forgot that vampires have a problem with daylight."

"That's all right," Angel said as he quickly stepped out of the elevator and carefully laid Elisa's still form on the gurney. The doctors quickly secured her in place, and then just as quickly disappeared with her.

"Is she..." Xanatos started.

"She'll live," Angel said, noticeably relaxing once she was out of sight. "The vampire who attacked her wasn't able to drain her completely, and I didn't give him the chance to turn her."

"So she's going to make it," Xanatos sighed. "Goliath'll be happy to hear that."

"Who?" Angel asked. Then he looked at Matt. "Wait a minute," he said. "Would that be..."

"Yeah," Matt said. "Elisa and Goliath are pretty much joined at the hip," he added. "So I'm sure he'll be happy to know that you saved her life."

"I take it the two of you know each other," Xanatos said.

"Yeah," Matt said. "We met in Los Angeles a few months ago during an incident involving Thailog."

"So that's where he disappeared to," Xanatos said. "I'm sure Demona's going to be happy to hear about that."

"She already knows," Angel said.

"You know Demona?" Xanatos asked.

"They have a history," Matt said.

"Interesting," Xanatos said, stroking his chin. "May I ask..."

"No," Angel said. He looked around the Great Hall. "If you don't mind, Mr. Xanatos. I need someplace to stay during the day. I'm not what you'd call a 'morning person'."

"Perfectly understandable," he said. "If you'll come with me, I'll have Owen show you to a room where you can spend the day." He paused for a moment as he considered the vampire. "One without windows."

"Thank you," he said.

"I'll be back in a little while to check on Elisa," Matt said. "I need to head back to the station to fill out the report on the robbery."

Xanatos lifted an eyebrow in confusion, but let Matt's statement pass. Whatever happened, I'll find out about it later, he thought. After watching Matt disappear back into the elevator, he turned his attention back towards Angel. "Now, let's see about that room," he said.

Summer's home

Sunnydale, California

"Angel?" Joyce asked. She looked at her daughter. "We haven't seen him. Not for a long time, as a matter of fact."

"I know your daughter had contact with him when she was in Los Angeles a few months ago," Kate said. She turned her attention back to Buffy. "I need to know if you've seen him since then. Especially in the past few weeks."

"No, I haven't," Buffy said flatly, even though he had shown up in Sunnydale a few days following her confrontation with him in Los Angeles. "Angel and I went our separate ways a long time ago, detective."

"Right after she got a new boyfriend," Dawn chimed in. "But...he did break up with her a few weeks ago and..."

Buffy turned and shot a furious gaze at her sister that caused Dawn to close her mouth. "I haven't seen or heard from Angel in months," she told Kate. "If he's not in Los Angeles, then I don't know where he is." She took a long look at Kate. "Why?" she asked. "What sort of trouble is he in this time?"

"There's been an escape," she said. "Faith. She escaped from a maximum-security facility a few days ago."

That caused a gasp to escape from Joyce. "Faith escaped from prison?" she asked.

Kate caught the sound of nervousness in Joyce's voice. "Yes," she said. "Has she had any contact with you over the past few days?"

"N...no," Joyce said. "Believe me, we would tell you if we had."

"The last time Faith was here," Dawn said harshly. "She threatened us with a knife. She won't be coming back here because she knows that Buffy'd kick her ass just like the last time."

"So you haven't seen either her or Angel then," Kate stated.

"No," Buffy said. "Like I said, I haven't seen Angel in months. Or Faith, for that matter." She paused for a moment. "What makes you think that Angel might know something about her escape?"

"Prison records show that he's visited her several times over the past few months," she said. "In fact, he's pretty much been the only person to visit her since her arrest. So it makes sense that he'd be the primary suspect."

"And no one else has tried to see her?" Buffy asked.

"No," Kate said. "Like I said, Angel's the only one who's been in to see her."

"How do you think he got her out of the slammer?" Dawn asked.

Kate looked at Dawn. "We...we're still trying to figure that out," she admitted. "All we do know is that she received a package just before she disappeared. It had a Los Angeles postmark on the front, but no return address."

"So you really don't have any proof that Angel had something to do with Faith's disappearance," Buffy said.

"Listen," Kate said. "I know that you and Angel have some kind of history." She paused for a moment. "But I don't think you know just how dangerous..."

"What happened to your neck?" Dawn asked.

Kate turned her head to glare at Dawn, even as she brought up her hand to try to cover the bite marks on her neck. But Buffy had already seen the marks. "Who..." she started.

Kate looked back at Buffy. "Angel," she said flatly.

"But I didn't think Angel drank human blood anymore," Dawn said, which earned her a sharp look from her sister.

"You know?" Kate asked, surprised.

Buffy looked back at her. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I've known about who and what Angel was for a long time." She turned her attention back to her mother and sister. "Can you give us a couple of minutes, mom?" she asked. "I think this is something..."

"I understand, honey," Joyce said. "Come on, Dawn," she then said, taking her youngest daughter by the arm.

"But I want to..." Dawn protested.

"Now," Joyce said.

Dawn let out an exasperated sigh, but then let her mother lead her out of the living room. As soon as she heard her mother leading Dawn upstairs, Buffy turned her attention back to Kate. "How long have you known?" she asked.

"A year," she said. "I found out just before my father died."

"So you knew that Angel was a vampire before I showed up in Los Angeles," Buffy said.

"Yes," Kate said. "When did you find out?"

"Four years ago," she said. "A few months after I met him. And believe me, I pretty much freaked when I found out. But after I got to know him..." She paused for a moment. "I know that you probably have every reason in the world not to like Angel, but I've known him for a lot longer than you, detective, so I think that I know him better..."

"No, you don't," Kate said sharply. "Probably the only thing you know about vampires is what you've seen in the movies."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "You have absolutely no idea who I am, do you?" she asked.

"No, I don't," she said. "What are you, some kind of superhero?"

"I'm the Slayer," Buffy said. When she caught the confused look on Kate's face, she continued. "Do you know what a Slayer is, detective?" she asked.

"No, not really," she said.

"But you know what Angel is," Buffy stated.

"I found out when one of his prize pupils blew into Los Angeles and called him 'Angelus'," Kate said. "After that, it was real easy finding out what kind of monster he is."

"What kind of monster he used to be," Buffy countered. "He has a soul now, detective."

"And that's supposed makes a difference," Kate challenged. "I've met a lot of people with souls that have done things just as bad as what he's done in the past. Just because he has a soul now doesn't mean he's no longer a killer." When Buffy began to protest, she cut her off. "I know that from personal experience," she said, pointing towards the bite marks on her neck.

"So do I," Buffy countered. She reached up with both hands and pushed the hair away from her neck. Kate's eyes went wide when she saw not just one, but three sets of bite marks on her throat.

"Angel?" she asked.

"Angel," Buffy said as she let her hair fall back into place. "The Master. Even Dracula if you can believe it. You're not the only person who's been attacked by a vampire and lived to talk about it."

"When did Angel attack you?" Kate asked.

"He didn't attack me," Buffy countered. "I made him do this." She paused for a moment when she saw the look of confusion on Kate's face. "Faith poisoned him last year, detective. She shot him in the back with an arrow that was coated with a poison that kills vampires. And the only way to cure him was to let him drain the blood of a Slayer."

"Which is..." Kate asked.

"Which is what I am," Buffy stated. "I'm human, detective. I have been since the day I was born. But I also had a destiny, a destiny to fight vampires and demons and God knows what else until the day I die." She paused for a second when she heard the phone ring, but then turned her attention back to Kate when she heard her mother pick it up. "You're a good cop, detective. But this is something that is way out of your league. You're not prepared to deal with the things I face on a daily basis. Wherever Angel is, and whatever he's gotten himself into, let me handle it. It's what I do."

"There is no way I'm walking away from this," Kate said.

"You will if you want to keep on breathing," Buffy countered.

"That sounds like a threat," Kate said heatedly.

"It's not," Buffy quickly said. "It's a simple fact of life. If you insist on going after Angel or Faith, you're going to end up getting yourself killed, and anyone else who happens..."

"Buffy," her mom said as she came back into the living room, the cordless phone clutched in her hand. "Giles is on the phone."

"This really isn't a good time..." she started.

"He said it's important."

Buffy stepped over to her mother, taking the phone from her as she cast a cautious eye towards Kate. "Yeah?" she answered.

Kate listened intently as Buffy talked on the phone. Her eyes drifted towards the phone that sat on the corner table by the couch, but she set aside any thoughts of picking it up. "What did he want?" she heard Buffy ask as the young girl turned her attention towards Kate for just a second to make sure she wasn't close enough to overhear what was being said. Then she caught the look of surprise on Buffy's face as she listened to Giles' reply.

"How does he know about Demona?" Buffy asked.

Kate immediately started for the front door. I should have known she'd be involved in this somehow, she thought angrily as she rushed past Joyce. Joyce watched as Kate stormed out the door, but when she turned to ask her daughter what was wrong, Buffy quickly shoved the phone back into her hand and took off after the detective.

"Detective Lockley," Buffy said as she followed Kate off the porch. "Detective Lockley, wait!"

Kate was halfway to her car when Buffy caught up to her. Buffy grabbed her by the arm, but Kate quickly spun around, breaking her hold. "Are you looking to spend some time behind bars?" she warned. "Because that's something I can arrange real easily."

Buffy retreated slightly, putting some distance between herself and Kate. "I wasn't going to try anything, detective," she said. "I just wanted..."

"You wanted to warn me about Demona, right?" she asked. "You wanted to tell me to stay away from her?" When Buffy hesitated, Kate pressed on. "I appreciate the concern, but I don't need it. I know all about Demona. Who she is. What she is. What she's done. I should've known she'd have something to do with Faith's disappearance, since she and Angel seemed pretty cozy when she showed up in Los Angeles a few months ago."

Buffy's eyes went wide in surprise. Demona hadn't said anything to her about any kind of history with Angel during her visit to Sunnydale back in May. Angel certainly didn't say anything about Demona when he showed up in Sunnydale just before her final confrontation with Adam...

Kate saw the surprised look on Buffy's face. "For someone who says she knows all there is to know about Angel, you look pretty surprised about this."

"I..." Buffy started hesitantly, but then she quickly mastered her surprise. "Angel never talked a lot about his past," she said. "What he did in the past was brutal and vicious, and he hated what he used to be."

"So he says," Kate countered. "Personally, I've seen what Angel is capable of..."

Buffy fixed Kate with a penetrating glare. "You've got no idea what he's capable of, detective," she said. "You've never seen Angel without his soul. I have. I've seen Angelus, up close and personal. You might think you caught a glimpse of what Angel used to be when he bit you, but I can tell you from personal experience that it was nothing compared to what he's done as Angelus."

Kate frowned. "I should've known I wouldn't get any real help from you," she said angrily. "You obviously can't look past your feelings for Angel to see what kind of monster he really is."

"Angel is not..."

"Yes, he is!" Kate snapped. "And believe me, once I catch up to him, I'm going to make his life a living hell. And God help anyone who gets in my way." She turned and walked to her car. For a brief instant, Buffy considered trying to stop her, but she stayed where she was when she saw a patrol car cruise by. As much as she wanted to keep Kate from going after Angel, the last thing she needed was for the Sunnydale PD see her get into a fight with the L.A. detective, and she knew she wouldn't be of much use to Angel locked up in jail. As soon as Kate's car pulled away from the curb, she started back towards the house.

Her mother was standing by door, the phone still clutched in her hand. Buffy took it from her as she closed the door and held it up to her ear.

"Yeah, I'm here, Giles," she said. "I'll be there in a little while." As soon as she heard him break the connection, she handed the phone back to her mother. "I'll see you later," she said as she started for the door.

"What's going on, Buffy?" Joyce asked.

Buffy stopped before she reached the front door. "It...it's nothing, mom," she said hesitantly.

"Don't give me that," Joyce said. "I'm your mother, Buffy. I know when something's bothering you, so you might as well tell me what it is." She looked at the door. "It has something to do with what that detective wanted, right?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly. "No. I don't know. Mom, this is one of those things that you have to trust me on. If I had time, I'd tell you, but I don't because..."

"The fate of the world is at stake," Joyce said.

"Yeah," Buffy said.

Joyce sighed. "Then I guess our trip to New York is going to have to be cancelled..."

"No way," Buffy said. "The two of you are going to New York even if I have to hog-tie you and carry you onto the plane myself." She paused for a minute. "What does that mean anyway, 'hog-tie'? How do you tie up a hog? I mean they've got those short, stubby little legs..." She paused when she saw her mother smiling at her. "What?" she asked.

"You always do that," she said.

"Do what?" Buffy asked.

"Make jokes when you're nervous," Joyce said. "Especially when there's something you don't want me worrying about. I caught on to that act a long time ago, Buffy. Please, tell me what's going on."

Buffy sighed. "Mom, I really wish I could, but I can't. There's not enough time. You and Dawn go to New York, and when you get back..."

"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Joyce said.

"Mom..." Buffy started to protest, but then she paused. "You know what? How about I tell you on the way to New York?"

"I thought you said you had to stay here?" Joyce said, clearly surprised.

"That was before Detective Lockley showed up itching for Angel's scalp," Buffy said. "And if I'm going to have any chance of heading her off, I'm going to have to go with you and Dawn to New York."

"You think that's where Angel went?" Joyce asked.

"I'm pretty sure," she said. "And if he's not there, there's someone there who might be able to help me find him." She cast a glance towards the stairs. "Why don't you pack a bag for me and I'll meet you at the airport. There's something I have to take care of down at the magic shop first."

"Are you sure you want to trust me with that responsibility?" Joyce asked. "I seem to recall your questioning my fashion sense on more than one occasion."

"I think I can trust you, mom," Buffy said. "After all, I was able to get you to stop making those fashion mistakes. And besides, you know that my closet is organized so that everything matches, so I think I'm relatively safe letting you pack."

"If you say so, honey," Joyce said.

"I do," Buffy replied. "As soon as I'm done at the magic shop, I'll meet you at the airport." She turned and quickly headed out the door.

Joyce sighed heavily as she started up the stairs, already dreading the task ahead. Despite her daughter's reassurances, she was nervous about going into her eldest daughter's closet. It wasn't the clothes that made her nervous, it was the other items that Buffy tended to secret away in the back of her closet that made her uneasy. Joyce had gone in there once after Buffy disappeared following her fight with Angel in order to figure out where she might have gone. After going through the assortment of stakes, knives, crossbows, axes and other implements of destruction that were in the trunk, Joyce had made the mistake of opening a long wooden packing crate, and paled when she spotted the rocket launcher. She vowed never to go into her daughter's closet again.

"So, what'd they get her for this time?" Dawn asked.

"What?" Joyce asked, then realized what Dawn had asked her. "Nothing," she said. "Buffy's not in trouble."

"Not yet, at least," Dawn replied.

Joyce frowned slightly at Dawn's sarcastic remark, but she decided to overlook it for the time being. "Listen," she said. "I need some help packing another bag."

"Another one?" Dawn asked. "No offense, mom, but I don't think you're going to need that many clothes..."

"It's for Buffy," Joyce said as she started towards Buffy's room.

"I thought Buffy wasn't coming with," Dawn said.

"She changed her mind," Joyce said as she entered the room and crossed to the closet. She hesitated for a second before taking a deep breath and opening the closet. She was instantly thankful when she saw that the packing crate that had held the rocket launcher was gone, and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She reached inside and pulled out a suitcase.

"Why doesn't she pack her own bag?" Dawn asked.

"Because she had to go to the magic shop," Joyce said. "Dawn, please..."

"All right, all right," she said in exasperation. She began taking items out of the closet and tossing them in the suitcase while her mother went through the dresser, carefully selecting undergarments. After a few minutes, Dawn bent down and began pulling the trunk out of the closet. "I suppose she wants us to lug this with us..." she started as she began to open it, but Joyce quickly raced over and slapped her hand on the lid.

"I don't want you going through that," she snapped.

"Why not?" Dawn asked. "I know what's in here. It's not like it's a big secret."

"It's just...I don't want you messing around with the stuff that's in there," she said. "Those things are dangerous. Besides, I don't think they'll let us take it onto the plane."

Dawn let out a frustrated sigh and began shoving the trunk back into the closet. She knew better than to try to argue with her mother. "You're probably right," she said. "And it's not like Buffy's going to be needing it in New York."

Joyce was visibly relieved when she saw Dawn finishing pushing the trunk back in place and then close the closet. She turned back and began sorting the clothes Dawn had tossed into the suitcase.

"I mean, if she needs to do any slaying," Dawn said. "Buffy can always borrow something from Demona. She's been around for almost forever, so she's got to have way more serious weapons than what Buffy's got in that trunk."

Joyce's back was turned to her, so Dawn didn't see her mother visibly pale at her statement. "What?" she gasped.

"Demona," Dawn said. "Angela told me her mother's been around for like a thousand years, so she's got to have some serious hardware in that big house of hers..."

Joyce blanked out the rest of Dawn's statement as she focused on the name she had mentioned. Demona? Buffy had mentioned the same name when she was on the phone with Rupert. Who...

Dawn paused as she saw the odd look on her mother's face. "What is it, mom?" she asked.

"Who's Demona?"

The Magic Box

"Thank you," Anya said as she handed the bag to the customer. "We appreciate your patronage."

The young woman gave the former vengeance demon a quizzical look before turning to leave. Anya didn't seem to notice it as she put the money into the cash register and closed the drawer.

"So Wesley didn't have any idea why Angel might suddenly take off for New York?" Buffy asked as she sat at the table. She had filled him in on what happened at the house as soon as she arrived, and Giles had relayed to her what Wesley had told him about Demona's visit to Los Angeles earlier that year.

"None," Giles said. "He did say that Angel took a scroll with him, along with something he had kept hidden in their weapons cabinet."

"Any idea what that might've been?" Buffy asked.

"Wesley said that the hidden compartment was small," Giles said. "So it could have been any number of things. A talisman of some kind, or a small weapon..."

"I'm still trying to figure out the whole 'Demona knows Angel' deal," Xander said. "I mean, I get the whole thing that she's like a thousand and change, but you'd think she'd have mentioned the fact that she knows Angel at some point in time."

"Not to mention the fact that she had a hand in restoring his soul," Willow offered. "If Miss Calendar had said something before...uh..." She paused when she saw the look on Giles' face. "I mean..."

"It's possible that Jenny didn't know that Demona was still alive," Giles said after a brief pause. "After all, immortal gargoyles are rather few and far between."

"Very few," Xander said. He looked at Anya. "I'm kinda surprised you didn't get involved in Demona's little act of vengeance."

"What, you think every wronged woman in the world needed my help?" she asked. "Believe me, there were plenty of women out there that got along just fine without my help, and I've seen Demona do things that would give D'hoffryn chills. You know, he even thought about offering her a job once."

"Really?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, but then he decided that she was perfect just the way she was," she said. "Besides, I think she would have turned him down anyway. She really didn't have a very high opinion of demons back in those days..."

"Can we get back to the problem at hand?" Buffy asked. "Detective Lockley seems to think that Angel had something to with Faith's escape from prison, and odds are that she's already at the airport buying a ticket for the first flight to New York. I have to get there before she does."

"Are you certain that's wise, Buffy?" Giles asked. "With all the activity that's been going on around the world..."

"The only reason I can think of for Angel to suddenly head for New York is Demona might have a handle on what's been going on," Buffy stated. "Wesley did say that there was a reference to her in that scroll they were working on, right?"

"Yes, the Scroll of Aberjin," Giles said.

"Then Angel might have found something in that scroll," she said. "Something to do with what's been going on." She paused for a moment. "Maybe this thing that he took with him is something Demona needs to stop whatever's coming our way."

"It is possible," he said. "But we should not jump to conclusions." He paused for a second as the phone rang, but continued when he saw Anya pick it up. "Until we know for certain what is going on..." He didn't get a chance to finish his statement, because at that moment, the interior of the shop was bathed in an eldritch glow. Buffy quickly jumped up, readying herself for a fight as several of the shop's now frightened customers bolted for the door, but then the glow suddenly dissipated, leaving a young woman with long silver-blonde hair lying trembling on the floor. Buffy took a quick step forward.

"Buffy, wait," Giles said quickly. He cautiously approached the figure on the floor. When he touched her gently on the shoulder, she lifted her head and focused on him.

"Merlin?" she asked.

"Not quite," Giles said before turning his attention to Buffy and the rest of her friends for a brief moment. "My name is Rupert Giles," he said. "I'm a Watcher. And you are..."

"I am Lily," she said. "But I am known to many in your world as the Lady of the Lake." She looked around briefly. "Where is Merlin?" she asked as she tried to get up. "I need to find him..." She stopped as a wave of dizziness swept over her.

Giles quickly steadied her as her knees began to buckle and began leading her towards an empty chair. "Willow," he said. "There's an herbal tea in the green jar over on that shelf. Can you get it and prepare a cup for our...visitor?"

"Right," Willow said as she quickly got up and rushed to the shelf Giles had indicated. Tara went to help her as Giles turned his attention back to Lily.

"What happened?" he asked as he took in her appearance. Her gown was torn in several places, and there was an ugly bruise forming around her left eye. She had clearly been in a fight, which made Giles realize that something was terribly wrong. Apart from the Asgardians and the Olympians, very few of the Fae ever resorted to physical combat. They always relied on their magicks to defeat their enemies.

The Lady of the Lake looked up and saw the concern in the Watcher's eyes. "A disaster," she said.

Into The Mystic

London, England

Leo looked towards the back of the store with concern. As soon as they had awakened for the evening, Una had sequestered herself in the back room, just as she had for the past several days, going over her books and scrolls, trying to find some way of averting what she feared was about to take place. To make matters worse, Arthur and Emrys had left shortly after sunset to investigate a bizarre occurrence at Stonehenge, and they had yet to return. He turned as he heard the bell above the door ring, announcing that someone had come in, and hoping that it was them.

"She in the back room again?" his clanmate Griff asked as he looked towards the back of the store.

"Yes," Leo said. The leonid gargoyle sighed as he looked at the door. "And the longer she stays in there, the more worried I get." He growled in frustration. "The worst part of this is the blasted waiting!" he snapped. "I want this over and done with so we can all get back to living a normal existence."

"It would be nice," Griff said. "But somehow I don't see it happening anytime soon."

Leo growled again. At that moment the phone rang. He quickly picked it up. "Into The Mystic," he said. "I'm not sure if we have that particular item, but I can check." Griff watched as Leo picked up a pen and quickly jotted down a name and a phone number. "I'll call you back as soon as I locate it." He hung up the phone. "Blasted doomsday cultists," he growled.

Griff looked at the name of the text Leo had written down as the gargoyle stalked towards the bookshelves. "Have they been keeping you busy?" he asked.

"The closer we get to the end of the millenium, the more they seem to come out of the woodwork," he said. He stared at the shelves for several minutes before he decided that the book the customer wanted was not on the shelves. "Between them and what's been going on lately, the more I think..."

The phone rang a second time. Leo growled as he stalked over to the phone and paused for a moment to try to calm himself before answering it. "Into the Mystic," he said as he answered the phone.

"Leo?" a very familiar and urgent sounding voice said. "This is Rupert."

"Rupert," Leo said. "I'm afraid this isn't the best time to call. Una..."

"I need to speak to Emrys," Giles said. "It's very important."

Leo looked at Griff, a look of concern on his face. "Emrys isn't here, Rupert," he said. "He and Arthur left a little while ago."

"Do you know when they'll be back?" Giles asked, and Leo quickly picked up on the urgency in his voice.

"I wish I could tell you, Rupert," he said. "They went to check on something going on at Stonehenge. For all I know, they could've gotten sucked into an alternate reality." He paused for a second when he heard Giles curse slightly. "Why?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"We've had an...occurrence," Giles said, pausing for a moment. "A woman showed up at the shop looking for Emrys. She claims to be from Avalon."

Griff caught the surprised look on Leo's face. "Did she give you her name?" Leo asked.

"She claims to be the Lady of the Lake," Giles said. "That's why I called." Giles paused to look at Lily, who was sitting at the table, a cup of tea clasped in her small hands. "While I don't doubt that she came from Avalon, I would feel better if Emrys or Arthur could confirm her identity."

Leo looked at Griff. "Well, as I've said before, neither one of them is here. But I still might be able to give you a little help." He placed his hand over the mouthpiece. "You told us that you and Arthur met the Lady of the Lake when you and he were transported to New York, right?" he asked.

"That's right," Griff said. "Why?"

"Rupert says there's a woman at his shop who claims to be her." He handed the phone to Griff.

"Hullo, Rupert," Griff said. "Leo says you need to be sure about who your visitor is."

"Yes," Giles said. "Have you met the Lady of the Lake before?"

"About four years ago," Griff said.

Giles looked at Lily. "Can you describe her?" he asked.

"She was very lovely," Griff said. "She had long, silver-blonde hair and she was wearing a white samite dress the last time I saw her."

"Can you tell me anything more?" Giles asked, and then listened intently as Griff gave him more information. "Thank you, Griff," he said. "You've been very helpful."

"Anytime, Rupert," Griff said. "Do you want us to tell Emrys and Arthur about this when they get back?"

"Given the circumstances, I think that they should be informed about this as soon as possible," he said.

"We'll try to get this information to them as soon as possible," Griff said. After hearing Giles end the call, he hung up the phone. "Think I can reach Salisbury before sunrise?" he asked.

"Not bloody likely, mate," Leo said. "You might be better off waiting for Arthur and Emrys to come back on their own."

Griff looked at the phone. "We may not have that much time," he said as he picked it up and began placing a call.

The Magic Box

"What did he say?" Buffy asked as Giles stepped away from the phone.

"Emrys wasn't there," Giles said. "He and Arthur were off checking a disturbance at Stonehenge." He looked at Lily. "But I did talk to someone who says he's met you before."

"Arthur's gargoyle companion, Griff," she said. "Yes, I remember him. He was with Arthur when he reclaimed Excalibur."

Giles was slightly surprised by Lily's quick statement, but it did match what Griff had told him. "Well, that does seem to confirm that you are who you say you are," he said.

"Arthur," Xander said. "Are we talking about..."

"King Arthur," Giles said. "Yes, the very same."

"And you know him?" Xander asked in disbelief.

"I met him when I went back to England a few weeks ago," Giles said. "Very pleasant fellow."

"But I thought he was still asleep on Avalon," Willow said. "At least, that's what the legends say."

"Arthur was awakened from his sleep four years ago," Lily said. "In truth, he was not supposed to be awakened for quite some time, but his assistance was required to defend the clan of gargoyles that had taken up residence on Avalon, and he was instrumental in the struggle against Madoc Morfryn and the Unseelie Court last year."

"And now he's back in England," Buffy stated. "But if he's there, then how come you ended up here?"

"That I cannot explain," Lily said. "I had intended to arrive in London and make contact with Arthur and Emrys, though why I did not succeed is puzzling."

"Leo mentioned a disturbance at Stonehenge," Giles said. "It is possible that if something were indeed happening there, it could have caused enough of a disturbance to prevent you from reaching them." He paused for a moment. "It still begs the question as to why you were attempting to locate them," he said. "Perhaps you should tell us what happened."

"There's been an attack," she said. "Avalon...has fallen."

"What?" Buffy gasped.

"How?" Giles asked.

Lily took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts. "It started just after dawn..."

Avalon

A few hours ago...

Oberon frowned as he watched the sun rise through the windows of the Main Hall. A new day was dawning, and his queen had yet to return from the mortal world. He turned his attention towards the Fae gathered in the hall.

"Any news?" Odin, the All-Father, asked.

"No," Oberon snarled. "Our lady Titania had said her visit would be brief, and yet a new day has come, and she has yet to return. We grow impatient."

The raven-haired Selene, who stood on the dais with her sisters, stepped forward. "Do you wish us to find her, lord?"

"No," Oberon said with a frustrated sigh. "We know where our queen has taken herself. She visits her daughter and grandson in the mortal world. We have no quarrel with that, but we do wish..."

Suddenly, a ball of flame appeared in the middle of the Main Hall and began to grow, causing the gathered Fae to back away quickly. Oberon quickly stood up, casting an eye towards the Weird Sisters in hopes that they could offer an explanation for the rude interruption. When they offered none, Oberon turned his attention back towards the flames. "We hope that you have a good explanation for this interruption, TimeDancer..."

The flames dispersed, leaving two women standing in the middle of the hall. One of them looked around with a wide smile on her face. After a few seconds, she focused on Oberon.

"Hi, baby," she said. "I'm back."

The Magic Box

"The Children fought valiantly," Lily said. "But she managed to shrug off their fiercest blows. I watched as Odin transformed himself into a mighty bear and charge her, but she held off his assault, and then tossed him aside as if he were nothing more than a toy. Not even Anansi was able to contain her." She paused for a moment to take another sip of the tea.

"What about Oberon?" Willow asked. "And the Weird Sisters?"

"The Sisters held back as the rest fought and fell before her," Lily said. When she saw the frown on Buffy's face, she continued. "It is their way. You may find fault in the fact that they waited while the rest did battle." She looked at Giles. "But there is a logic in it."

"Really," Xander snorted.

"I can see it," Buffy said, which drew a startled look from Xander. "Combined, the Sisters have got to be way stronger than anything we've ever faced."

"Buffy is correct," Giles said. "When they work in concert, their combined power is said to rival that of Oberon himself." He looked at Lily. "But I'm guessing even that wasn't enough."

"No," she said. "Even they were unable to defeat her. She swept them aside as if they were nothing, and then..." She trembled. "She faced Oberon in personal combat. When he encased her in ice, I thought that it was over, but then I saw her smile, and she broke free of the prison." She looked up at Giles. "That was when I left to find Merlin," she said. "I realized then that she could not be stopped, so...so I..."

"There is no shame in fleeing," Giles said. "Obviously there was nothing you could do, and if you had remained, you undoubtedly would have suffered far worse injuries."

"So who exactly was it that attacked you?" Buffy asked. "Was it one of these 'Unseelie' that you mentioned before?"

"Would that it were one of them," Lily said. "At least then, Oberon would have been able to dispatch them and the threat they represent would be over and done with." She paused for a second. "No," she said. "What came to Avalon this day was something far worse."

"Somehow, I'm not liking where this is headed," Xander said.

"It was a being of great power," Lily said. "One that has not been seen in this dimension for a great many centuries." She paused for a moment to gather her wits, the brew that Willow had prepared for her doing much to steady her nerves. "There were two of them," she said. "One was a young human that had the mark of Avalon about her, and something more. But the other..." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "She knew of us," she continued. "She knew of our kind, and she looked on us with contempt, as if it were beneath her dignity to attack us."

"You knew who your attacker was?" Giles asked.

"Yes," Lily said. "She is this world's doom."

"Great," Xander said. "As if one psychotic demon bitch wasn't bad enough."

"We've got to go there," Buffy said.

"Go where?" Giles asked. Then he realized what Buffy was suggesting. "You mean go to Avalon? Buffy..."

"Giles, we have to," she said quickly. "This...whatever it is that attacked Avalon, we've got to try to contain it there before it finds its way here. God, I don't want to think of what could happen if it reaches Earth and meets up with Glory."

"Yeah," Xander said. "The last thing we need is for Glory to team up with this big bad whatsits."

"Or worse still," Willow said. "For us to get caught in a crossfire if they decide to duke it out."

"We don't have a whole bunch of options, Giles," Buffy said. "And I'm guessing very little time for the ones we do have." She looked to Lily, who nodded in agreement.

Giles sighed, realizing that she was right. "Very well," he said. "There's a large mirror downstairs. We'll need to bring it up here."

Buffy followed Giles into the basement. She waited for a brief moment as Giles moved several boxes out of the way and then motioned her forward to help him lift the mirror. "What do we need this for?" she asked as they began carrying it upstairs.

"In order to make the journey to Avalon, we're going to need a stable portal," he said. "One that our visitor can open with ease. On occasion, the Fae have used mirrors as conduits between this world and others. This one will be sufficient for our immediate needs."

"Just like Alice through the looking glass," she said.

"Precisely."

They managed the mirror up the stairs and set it up in the center of the shop. As soon as Giles removed the blanket that covered the mirror, they gathered around it as Willow and Tara helped Lily towards the mirror.

"So how does this work?" Xander asked. "Do we just walk right through?"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, no way I'm missing out on this road trip," he said. "My last one got cut kinda short, remember?"

"And if Xander's going, I'm going," Anya chimed in. When Buffy gave her a critical look, she added. "Someone's gotta make sure he doesn't get his other wrist broken." She then went to the front door and locked it.

"Xander, I don't think this is a good idea," Buffy said, pausing for a moment as the phone rang. Anya quickly raced over to the counter and answered it. "After what happened with that troll Olaf..."

"So a seriously pissed off troll broke my wrist, so what," he said with a cockeyed smile. "Hey, it happens. Just one of the perks of being me."

"I just don't want you getting hurt, that's all," Buffy said.

Xander held up his right arm. "Too late. Besides, I've already had every conceivable mishap happen to me already. What more can happen?"

"I don't even want to think..." she started.

"Buffy," Anya said, holding out the phone. "It's your mom."

Buffy hesitated for a moment before going over and taking the phone from Anya. "Yeah, mom," she said.

"We're waiting for you at the airport," she said. "Do you know how much longer you're going to be at the magic shop?"

Buffy grimaced. "Mom..." she started.

"Don't tell me," her mother said. "Something's come up."

"Unfortunately," she managed.

"Buffy..."

"Mom, I know I said I'd go with you and Dawn to New York." She paused as Lily placed her hand against the mirror. The glass began to shimmer as the Fae invoked the spell that would open the doorway to Avalon. "But this is something I've got to take care of," she continued.

"Any chance I can convince you to just let this one slide?" Joyce asked.

"Not really," Buffy said. "I promise I'll be careful, and I'll try to get this thing taken care of as quickly as possible. Who knows, I might make it to New York before your plane even leaves the gate."

"How..." she heard her mother start, but then Buffy's attention was drawn towards the center of the shop, which was suddenly bathed in light as Lily opened the portal.

"Listen mom, I've got to run," she said. "But I promise I'll call you as soon as I can." She quickly hung up the phone and hurried to join her friends as they passed through the portal into Avalon.

"Buffy, wait," Joyce started, only to hear the line go dead. She looked at the phone helplessly, realizing that it was probably no use trying to call back. With a heavy sigh, she hung up the phone and went to join Dawn on the plane.

The Eyrie Building

Goliath awoke with a roar, thoughts of what he and Elisa had planned for the night already causing him to smile as he shook off his stone skin, but as he turned, he could already sense that something was wrong.

"Where is Elisa?" he asked as he saw Xanatos walking towards him.

"She's down in the hospital wing," Xanatos said. "She was…" He paused as he saw the anger already causing the male gargoyle's eyes to blaze brightly. "She was injured this morning during a pursuit." He took a cautious step towards Goliath. "But don't worry, Goliath. She's not in any danger."

Xanatos' words didn't seem to calm Goliath down. "Who would dare harm her?" he said angrily.

"It was a vampire, Goliath," Xanatos said. "He attacked a shopkeeper and then Elisa when she took off after him." He placed a hand on Goliath's arm when he saw that the lavender giant was about to go searching for Elisa's attacker. "But don't worry. He's already been taken care of. Someone got to her before he had a chance to finish."

"Bluestone?" Goliath asked.

"Not quite," Xanatos said. He turned and a dark-haired stranger walked out onto the battlements.

"My name's Angel," he said, extending his hand.

Goliath looked at the proffered hand but refused to take it, already sensing Angel's true nature. This was confirmed when Bronx and Nudnik began circling the vampire, growling loudly, while Sata's hand went automatically to the hilt of her katana as the rest of the clan took a defensive posture around the vampire.

"You are not welcome here, vampire," Goliath growled.

"Goliath, you might want to consider the fact that he saved Elisa's life," Xanatos said.

"And that is the only reason I have yet to remove his head from his shoulders, Xanatos," Goliath growled at the billionaire. "How is he any different than any other vampire?"

"Because he has a soul," Xanatos said.

Goliath looked at Angel in surprise. "That is not possible."

"You might want to take that up with Demona," Angel said. "She's the one who had a hand in restoring it."

"You know Demona?" he asked, looking at Angela.

"Her, and Buffy," Angel said. When Goliath looked at him sharply at the mention of the Slayer, he quickly continued. "Didn't Buffy tell you about me the last time she was here?"

Goliath's rage began to abate. "She did," he admitted. "But I did not think that you were that same…'person'…"

"There aren't too many vampires running around with a soul, Goliath," Xanatos said. "But if you want, I can put in a call to Sunnydale or give Demona a call…"

"That will not be necessary, Xanatos," Goliath said before turning his attention back to Angel. "I am…sorry for what I said, Angel," he said. "I should have realized that Xanatos would not have allowed you entrance to the castle if you were truly dangerous."

"That's all right, Goliath," Angel said as he looked around, noticing that the rest of Goliath's clan was beginning to relax considerably, even though they kept their distance from him, Sata in particular. "I tend to get that a lot, even from people who know that I have a soul. It's one of the drawbacks of having the reputation I have, but I've learned to live with it." He turned his attention back to Goliath. "Listen," he said. "I've got to leave. I've got a few things that need to be taken care of."

"Of course," Goliath said, extending his hand. Angel took it and gave it a friendly shake. "Have a safe journey," Goliath said.

"Thanks," Angel said. After Goliath released his hand, Angel turned and left the battlement. Goliath then turned his attention to Xanatos.

"I wish to see Elisa," he said.

Xanatos smiled. "I thought you might," he said.

The Eyrie Building's Medical Wing

The first thing Elisa saw when she awoke was a pair of worried eyes set in a massive lavender face.

"Hey, Big Guy," she said weakly.

"Shhh," Goliath whispered, placing a talon to her lips. "Do not try to speak," he added. "You need to rest."

Elisa turned her head slightly, and she immediately recognized the room she was in. "How..."

"You were brought here by Detective Bluestone and one other," Goliath said.

"Angel?" Elisa asked. She dimly recalled being saved by someone who told her that was his name.

"Yes," Goliath said.

"Where...where is he?" she asked.

"He is gone," Goliath said. "He left shortly after we awoke, and Bronx took an instant dislike to him."

"Why?" she asked.

"You do not know?" Goliath asked. When Elisa shook her head slightly, he continued. "Angel is a vampire, remember?"

That caught Elisa's attention. She almost sat up in the bed, but Goliath quickly put his hand on her shoulder. "It is all right, Elisa. He is the one Buffy Summers told us about."

"Buffy..." she started, but then the memories of five months ago started coming back. She remembered talking to the young Slayer some time after the attempt to cure her friend Oz, and Buffy had commented about Elisa's romance with Goliath. When Elisa admitted that it did sound a little strange, Buffy had opened up about her own tragic love affair with Angel. At first, Elisa had been surprised that someone who was in the business of killing vampires could actually fall in love with one, but Buffy had told her that Angel was a special case, and that in the end, the two parted as friends, not enemies. Although she admitted that there had been a few tense moments during the relationship...

"I remember now," she said as she let herself sag into the pillows. She reached up and put her hand to her bandaged throat. "Where did he go? I want to thank him..."

"I have already thanked him for saving you, my Elisa," he said. He took her hand and gently kissed the knuckles. "I do not know what I would have done had he not returned you to me."

Elisa smiled at him. "Let's not even think about that, huh?" she said.

"Of course, my love," he said. He paused to look at the bandage that covered the bite marks on her throat. Elisa brought her hand up and gently touched the dressing. Suddenly, a feeling of dread swept over her.

"I'm not suddenly going to develop a taste for O Positive, am I?"

"No," Goliath said quickly, even as he smiled at Elisa's comment. He rested his hand on her chest. "Your heart still beats. Angel was able to spare you that fate. He did not allow the vampire that attacked you time enough to finish feeding."

Elisa breathed a sigh of relief and let herself sag against the pillow. "Man, that's a relief," she said. "For a minute, I was worried that one night I'd begin seeing you as a midnight snack…"

"I doubt that would ever happen even if you were to become one of them," Goliath said with a smile. When he saw the questioning look on Elisa's face, he quickly continued. "Vampires do not care for the taste of gargoyle blood." He leaned forward and placed his lips against Elisa's forehead. "Rest now, my Elisa," he said. "I shall return before sunrise to check on you."

Elisa reached up and caught his hand. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

Goliath smiled at her. "I shall, my love," he said.

After Elisa released his hand, Goliath left the room. After he was gone, Elisa reached up and tentatively touched the bandage that covered the bite wounds on her neck again, hoping that Goliath was right.

Angel walked down the street, taking in the sights even as he focused on his reason for being here. Demona held the key to restoring his humanity, and he couldn't help but wonder just how long his life was going to be intertwined with that of the immortal gargoyle.

The last time he was in New York was in 1996. Rumors of gargoyle sightings had drawn him there, and he had spent weeks searching the city's dark underbelly for one in particular. The one who had had a hand in restoring his soul. Demona. He'd hoped that she could do something to alleviate his misery, perhaps by removing the soul she had helped curse him with, but he was never able to locate her, and ultimately he was approached by the demon Whistler, who told him that he had a destiny to fulfill. A destiny that involved a young high school girl in California named Buffy Summers...

Angel paused for just a second, then turned down a darkened alley. After a few minutes, he stopped. "Hello, Whistler," he said.

"Well, I never thought I'd see you here again," a familiar voice said. He turned and found himself staring into the face of someone he hadn't seen in over four years. "Last I heard, you were in Los Angeles," the demon said as he approached the vampire. "I heard what happened to Doyle. Tough break."

"He was a good friend," Angel said. "Now if you'll excuse me..." he started as he began to turn away.

"It's not going to work, Angel," Whistler said. When the vampire paused to look at him, he continued. "I know about the dagger. I know what you're planning to do with it. Take my advice. Don't even consider trying it. You'll just piss her off. And you'll only make things worse down the road."

"Demona is the key to restoring my humanity, Whistler," Angel said.

"Are you sure about that, Angel?" he asked. When Angel frowned at him, he backed up slightly. "Yeah, I know. The legends say that by using the dagger to slay an immortal, you might be able to use it to restore your humanity." He paused for a second. "But that's taking a pretty big risk, pal. What if the legends are wrong?"

"They're not," Angel said. "They can't be."

Whistler sighed. "Look, Angel," he said. "A lot of weird things are going on right now. And right now, the Powers can't afford to have their champion going off on his own little quest for his humanity just because of one little slip-up."

"I almost..." he started angrily. "I almost killed someone."

"Yeah, I heard about that too," Whistler said. "Kate Lockley, a detective with the LAPD. Quite a looker, too." When Angel frowned at him, he smiled. "I've been keeping tabs on what's going on out on the West Coast," he said. "Especially when it comes to you, my friend."

"Listen, Whistler," Angel said dangerously. "If you're here to try to convince me to go back to Los Angeles, then..."

"Now why would I do that?" the demon responded, which caused Angel to pause for a moment. "I haven't said anything about you going back to L.A. just yet. As a matter of fact, the Powers needed you here, and you couldn't have shown up at a better time."

"You knew I was going to be here," Angel said.

"In a way," Whistler said. "A buddy of mine's been keeping close tabs on a particular cop, and he caught your little rescue act this morning. Nice save, by the way, although you could've cut it a little closer."

"She'll live," Angel said.

"Yeah," Whistler said. "I heard." He paused for a second. "Something's coming, Angel," he said. "Something mean and powerful, and not particularly squeamish about squashing anyone who happens to get in the way." He looked at Angel. "And that includes anyone associated with the Powers-That-Be."

Angel let out a frustrated growl. "Fine," he said. "I'll wait." Then he pulled out the dagger and pointed it at the demon. "But that doesn't change anything, Whistler," he said. "When this is over..."

"Fine, fine," he said, backing away slightly. "Just watch where you point that thing, will ya? I'd hate to end up on the receiving end of that thing."

Angel smiled slightly as he watched the demon turn and leave before sticking the dagger back into its sheath. He then looked up at the night sky and caught sight of a winged figure passing overhead.

Avalon

Princess Katherine knelt by Tom's side, trying desperately to ease his pain. All around her in the Main Hall, the Children of Oberon lay motionless, many still unconscious, some moaning in obvious pain and a few already beyond any help she could give. She did what she could for Tom before starting to move on to the next victim of the battle.

Behind her on the dais, Oberon's Mirror suddenly sprang to life. She turned as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in response to the magical charge, and she quickly scooped up Tom's sword to defend herself and Tom and the Children from whatever new threat came through.

Lily stepped through the mirror. She hesitated for a moment as she took in the carnage around her, but then her eyes focused on Katherine, a sword in her hand.

"Princess!" she called out.

Katherine's eyes went wide in surprise, but then she let the sword drop from her hand as she rushed to greet her. "My lady!" she replied.

Lily turned as the mirror shimmered a second time, and six more figures stepped through, two men and four young women. One of the young women quickly took in what had happened and turned towards her companions. "Do what you can to help them," she said quickly. Then she turned to the older of the two men. "Giles."

Giles followed Buffy as she stepped off the dais and headed straight for Katherine. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes," she said nervously. "But Tom..."

Buffy looked past Katherine and focused on the warrior lying on the floor. She stepped around Katherine and quickly went to his side. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"No," Tom groaned, holding his right arm. Buffy grimaced as she noticed that it was bent at an odd angle.

"We're going to need a splint," Buffy said quickly. Then she turned her attention towards Katherine. "Where did she go?" she asked. When Katherine looked at her in confusion, she continued. "The woman who attacked you," she said. "Where did she go?"

Katherine pointed towards the shattered wooden doors that led to the rest of the castle. "She went through there," she said.

Buffy turned her attention to the other side of the hall. "Willow!"

Willow left Tara and Anya as they were tending to a large Fae with a horned helmet and a long snowy beard and raced to Buffy's side. "What do you need?" she asked.

"I need you," Buffy said. "C'mon." Taking the young Wicca by the hand, Buffy pulled her towards the shattered doors. Just as they were about to go through, they were brought up short by a pair of gargoyles, one male and the other female, the male leaning heavily on the female's shoulder. As soon as they were inside, the male started to sag heavily towards the floor. Buffy quickly caught him and helped the female lower him to the floor.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We were attacked," the turquoise colored female said. "In the corridor leading to the Lady Maeve's cell."

There was a sudden gasp behind her that Buffy realized had come from Princess Katherine. Whoever this Maeve is, she must be bad news, she thought. "Show me!" she said urgently.

The female gargoyle gave her companion a worried glance before backing up as Katherine quickly began tending to his injuries. She turned and raced out of the Main Hall, Buffy and Willow following close behind. Xander saw them leave the Main Hall and rushed to join them.

"Xander!" Anya cried out in protest, seeing her lover leaving.

"Stay here, Anya," he called out. "Help Giles and Tara with the wounded. I'll be right back."

"But there's nothing you can..." she started, but then the Fae she was helping groaned. For a moment, she considered taking off after Xander, but by that time he was already out of sight. She turned here attention back to the Fae. "Uh, hi. Long time, no see."

Odin groaned.

The gargoyle maintained an impressive pace, and several times Buffy had to pause to allow Willow to catch up.

"Go on," Willow said breathlessly as she saw Buffy waiting for her. "I'll catch up."

"I'm not leaving you behind, Wil," she said.

"Don't worry about me," Willow said. "I'll be okay. I just need...to catch my breath."

Buffy hesitated for a brief second before taking off. Willow braced her hand against the wall and tried to control her breathing.

"Willow, are you okay?" Xander asked as he ran up, seeing his friend leaning against the wall.

"Yeah," she said. "I just need a minute." She paused for a second. "Man, what I wouldn't give to have her endurance." She looked at Xander. "We better..."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a loud bang coming from the direction Buffy had gone in. It was quickly followed by another. And another. Xander looked at Willow. "That does not sound good," he said. Together, they took off after their friend.

Buffy caught up with Turquesa as the sound of something pounding on a large heavy door reached them. The gargoyle hesitated for a moment, causing Buffy to come up short. "What is it?" she asked. "What is that?"

"She has reached the door to Maeve's cell," Turquesa said. "Hopefully she will not be able to breach..." She stopped when they heard the door being knocked off its hinges. "But that is not possible," she gasped in disbelief. "Only Oberon..."

"Maybe Oberon isn't as powerful as everybody thinks he is," Buffy said. When Turquesa looked at her in disbelief, she continued. "Believe me, I've seen some pretty powerful demons in my time. But everything has a weak point." She quickly took off down the corridor. Turquesa hesitated for a moment, giving Willow and Xander the chance to catch up, before following Buffy down the corridor.

Buffy reached the cell, pausing for a minute to look at the dislodged stone that had held the door in place before racing inside. What she saw brought her up short.

"Well, well," Glory said as she turned to see Buffy rush into the cell. "Welcome to the party, Slaybrat."

Buffy hesitated for a telling moment, just long enough to register the presence of Faith in the cell with Glory and a woman with long green hair that she realized had to be Maeve before Glory reached forward and grabbed Faith by the wrist.

"Sorry we can't stay," Glory said. "But we've got places to go, people to kill. Keys to find." She then slapped something into Faith's hand. "And very little time to do it in. See ya."

Maeve quickly stepped forward and clasped Faith's hand. "Deflegrate muri intervallia!" she called out, and suddenly a ball of flame surrounded them. Buffy threw herself out of the cell to avoid the fireball, landing hard on the floor of the corridor outside the cell. When she turned to look back into the cell, Glory, Faith and Maeve were gone.

"Buffy!" she heard a voice call out. She looked up to see Willow, Xander and Turquesa running towards her. They slowed when they saw the Slayer lying on the floor. Xander quickly rushed forward to help her to her feet.

"What happened?" he asked. "Did you stop...whoever it was?"

"No," she said regretfully. "They got away."

"They?" Willow asked. "They who?"

Buffy hesitated for a moment as she looked at Willow and Xander. "Glory," she said. "It was Glory." She paused for a second. "And Faith was with her."

Willow's eyes went wide in surprise.

Things had just gotten a whole lot worse.

To be continued...