Title: Afterglow 47/57 (not a WIP)

Author: T. Claybourne  (t.claybourne@yahoo.com)

(Additional A/N Ten to go and I believe you will find these last ten will be quite exciting . But the ride isn't over yet and nothing is finished until the fat lady sings... or as it in Whedonverse, the Slayer says it is.)

Rating: Rated R most chapters for violence and Language, some are NC- 17 for sexual content

A/N I'd like to thank my Beta Reader Hawera And muses Michelle Branch, Robbie Williams and Evanescence

Afterglow Chapter 47 Marked Connections

She was at the zoo and she couldn't find her daddy. He was gone and no one she asked had seen him. Someone had opened the animals' cages and everyone was running and screaming. She had to find him.

"Emma Lemon?"

"Momma?"

Like some mad ballerina she moved her body around in a circle, twirling back and forth quickly as she looked. But there were so many people and they all seemed to be screaming, not only was her father gone, she couldn't find where her Momma was either.

Tears were welling up. "Momma, Daddy, where are you? I'm scared."

"Daddy's here, lemon drop, my sweet baby girl."

Emma searched the crowd, but her Daddy was nowhere to be seen, she sat down and cried.

"You're not anywhere, Daddy, and I can't find Momma either. They've let the scary animals with the big teeth loose and no one will help me."

The wind blew her hair and she felt that it was warm and gentle. "There is only you, baby, but it's alright. You're a strong little thing. Momma is so very proud."

There was a soft heat at her ear followed by her father's voice. "It's time, little lemon drop. Wake up, sweetums, and honey, KICK SOME ASS."

Mia jerked awake and sat up. Her head hurt and it was dark. She could smell them. And now she felt hate. They had hurt hers, and Mot, lord of death, well, she'd become dust if it meant he was ended. Now, she'd have to keep her eyes, ears and mind open so she could figure out how to do it. If Buffy could take out that ascending Mayor snake thing and Glory, well, she should be able to take out this forgotten god wanna be.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

"Nothing."

"Are you sure, Willow?" asked Giles

"I'm sure. Three seers, two psychics, Wesley's people and not one can pick up a thing. It's like they disappeared off the face of the earth. That god thing must have put up some sort of barrier. They found Drusilla, Spike and Angel while they were searching the whole blood-line thing, but not Mia."

"You know how he has been, and I cannot, do not want to tell Spike this."

"I can. I'll …I'll do it," offered Willow, hesitantly.

Giles didn't reply for a moment. "I'm actually tempted by your offer. How very sad I've become."

"I'll tell him." Angel's voice came from the doorway.

Both Willow and Giles jumped.

"How did you….?"

"Stealthy vampire, or have you forgotten?"

"We have top-notch and state-of-the-art technological security."

"Yes, it was a little trickier than I thought it would be."

"Angel!" Willow ran and gave him a hug, then leapt back.

"Oh, ah sorry. Got carried away. It's very emotional round here."

"Yes, I know. Rupert, my people are waiting downstairs if you're …"

"Yes of course." Giles picked up the phone.

"So did everyone come? Fred, Wesley, Gunn, that demon guy?"

"It's Lorne and yes. Mia calls them `Team…" Angel looked shyly away for the briefest of moments. "… Angel."

"As we have on occasion," said Giles

"Knock, Knock," came Fred's voice.

Wesley walked in with outstretched hand. "Rupert, it's a pleasure to see you again. Fred and I are here for research into the creatures, this Mot and anything we can find in the ancient languages. Fred will help in the designing of special weapons as well. Gunn, he's a lawyer so that means some sharp thinking."

"I'm good with a little muscle and the using those weapons too."

"Lorne will work with Willow. Maybe they can combine his powers with hers to help locate Mia."

"I'm here to get her back," said Angel. "We'll go get settled in the Wolfram and Hart Corporate apartments and …"

Willow spoke up. "Could you stay with us, Angel? I mean, neither Xander nor I have felt very safe since… and well, Mia put this suggestion, we think it was a get safe thing, in my head and I think… We actually have two extra rooms…Will you?"

Angel paused only for a second. "Alright."

"You said two rooms. How about I stay too? Like I said, I'm good with a little muscle and weapons," volunteered Gunn with a grin.

"Yes," answered Willow, "Oh, yes."

"I have two rooms available as well, or the Council could provide apartments. I would prefer it if you'd let us cover the expenses for this."

"We only need one room," smiled Fred as she glanced in Wes's direction.

"Do you have the makings of a Sea Breeze?" asked Lorne.

"I believe so, but if not that can be remedied."

"Then I'm in for your digs, Besides, I get the feeling we will be spending a lot of time in one house or the other."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Willow took Angel to the training facility. She let him in and left to get back to work. He walked through the room with its high ceilings, wooden floors, bleachers, punching bag and practice dummies. It was close to how she had described it, but it just seemed a bit larger. He turned the corner and found Spike with his feet up on the desk smoking a cigarette, his back to the door.

"The Council is giving security clearance to anyone now," he said without turning.

"Spike."

"Angel" Spike turned his head just enough to acknowledge the other vampire.

Angel went and sat at the other desk. He picked up a mug which read `Bitch and proud of it'

"Gift from you?"

"Hell no. I had to replace one I broke. Helping from L.A. not good enough?"

"No."

"Not much more to do here." Spikes eyes clouded with frustration and anger.

"Mia's alive. Well, not alive, but not dust," said Angel.

"How can you know?"

"I do. She's like you, keeps coming back."

Spike gave a little smile. "She does tend to beat the odds."

Angel smiled, "She staked me once and took me out when I was evil. That doesn't usually happen. Even Buffy didn't do that."

"True. Did she tell you about the night with Drusilla?"

Angel grinned, "The fear? I remember it. I smelled it that night I set her and Darla on fire. Dru had no idea what she was doing when she turned Mia."

Spike looked away, "No, she bloody well knew." He paused. "It just back fired on her in a way she never anticipated."

"Must have been nice to see a little pay back."

"Not as good as I thought it would be. But things are different now."

"Yes. There is Buffy."

Spike's eyebrow went up. "Jealous?"

"On a certain level."

"What level is that, mate?"

"The one where I want to beat you to a pulp."

Spike laughed, then sobered, "It wasn't planned, just happened."

"I know. That's why you're not pulp."

Spike laughed again, "Like that could ever happen."

"No slayer to jump out in front and protect you this time."

"Just who drank from the magical cup of mountain dew…. Grandpa."

Angel looked away briefly.

"You poof. It still bothers you when I call you that."

"No" said Angel quietly. "Just like you, Mia loves to irritate me by calling me that." He sighed. "Well, the real reason I came wasn't to listen to your brilliant wit. I'm relaying information no- one else wanted to tell you."

Angel watched the change in Spike. His legs came off the desk, his jaw stiffened, his lips came out a little and he squared his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a moment, moved his head slowly as if adjusting its placement, then opened his eyes and looked at Angel. "Go."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

Willow came in and the house was silent but she knew Xander was home. The doctor hadn't cleared him to go back to work. She went to see if he was sleeping. Willow checked Mia's room: they had claimed it as theirs although his was larger. Xander was there staring at the ceiling, listening to an MP3 player. He didn't move at all, just stared at the ceiling. Willow wondered how long he'd been like that. He was not doing well with the Mia situation, and not being able to work was making it worse, but he wasn't even making an effort. He hit the replay button. She walked over and touched his shoulder.

"Xander?"

He turned down the music but didn't remove the ear buds, "Hey."

"How long have you been lying here?"

He shrugged, which meant that he still had no pain from his broken collar bone.

"We have company coming; they will be staying here. Angel and Gunn from L.A."

"OK," He turned up the music and pressed the button.

Willow stared at him. OK? She had said Angel is going to stay in the same house and he had said OK?

Willow ripped the ear buds out of his ears.

"What is the matter with you, besides the obvious? Don't you even want to help get her back, you jackass? I tell you Angel is staying here and you say, OK? I get it; you're upset, depressed, and worried. You more than the rest of us, well, except maybe Spike, but he is still doing something. He's not lying in bed listening to… What is this?"

Willow put the ear bud the her ear. She heard Elton John's voice. "Elton John! This is bad, Xander, very bad. I'm calling someone."

She heard the words, `I simply love you more than I love life itself, I guess that's why they call it the blues.'

"I get it, by Goddess. I get it, because I went all evil when I lost Tara. None of us have forgotten. But honey, Mia would be so pissed off at you for acting like this. I am so keeping this. Get your butt up and get ready to irritate Angel. He'll expect it and won't feel welcome if you don't"

She walked out carrying the MP3 player.

Xander sat up on the edge of the bed. He put his head in his hands. "She would be, you idiot, more than pissed off. Willow's right. I should be helping, but I can't help find her but what I can do is get weapons ready for us to use to bring her back with. And now this talking to myself out loud, this I should stop too."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mia could feel the sunrise, even with the dark all around her. No one had come near her. She sat in a cage with thick bars. She was chained by an extremely thick chain to a wall. There was no way she could break out even with her strength. She was a little bit hungry. She hadn't slept since she'd woken up earlier that night. Mia could hear noises further into the cave and she could also hear whispers in her mind, but nothing substantial. It was damp in the cave, so they must be near a water source. There was a horrible smell permeating the cave. She had found it almost easier just not to breathe. The noises died away, and Mia could tell they were all going to sleep. So the creatures were nocturnal. It was an hour later when all was silent that Mia put up the hood on her hooded shirt, curled up and fell asleep herself.

There were the quick flashes of London. She was in her house, then her room but she couldn't find Xander anywhere. Then, with only a thought, she stood in the front room of Spike's apartment, then the bedroom. She smiled as he hit the snooze button, Buffy's body and arm wrapped around him from the back.

"So you're the small spoon, I find that very interesting."

Spike's eyes jerked open. "Mia? Where are you, love? We can't find you."

"It's dark, real dark, a cave. I'm chained and caged like a bloody animal."

Spike couldn't help but smile. "Bloody…. animal?"

Mia smiled back. "Hazards of working in England with a Brit. I couldn't find Xander. Is he OK?"

"He's fine, pet. A few broken bones but no pain, thanks to you. He's a bit off without you though."

"Tell him I tried to find him but he wasn't in our room, and that I love…." She faded.

Mia woke as a rat crawled across her foot. She grabbed it as it passed her hand. She really wasn't that hungry yet but if she was going to kill the god thing even the thimble of blood this rodent had would help keep her strength up. Mia had never killed a living thing to feed on so it was hard to figure how actually to do it. It was squirming and managed to bite her, drawing blood. Mia reasoned that one good turn deserved another. She morphed to her fang face and sank them in. The fur was disgusting: it smelled and stuck to her tongue but she sucked the rat dry and tossed it as far away as she could. It was like taking cough syrup; you had to do it, but you didn't enjoy it. However, she had felt a certain thrill draining its life. That thrill was like the cherry flavor added to the syrup to make it easier to take it.

She curled up again. Having a little food in her stomach made falling asleep that much faster.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They let Angel sleep. There wasn't much for him to do, and with the hours he kept at Wolfram and Hart everyone thought he could use the rest.

The night before Willow had shown him to the room on the second floor, explaining that it was Xander's. There was a bed with a huge headboard consisting of six square panels in chocolate brown. The wardrobe was straight lined and the book shelves were large squares mirroring the head board in size and shape. Both were in deep dark wood tones,and the bed spread was also chocolate brown with light blue piping. The walls were light blue and the curtains were heavy velvet in a deep chocolate brown. He paused before entering.

"There is no spell, or barrier. You can go in."

"It's just that this doesn't really seem like Xander."

"Oh," grinned Willow. "Well, that would be Mia. She loves those D- I-Y shows and said that as she had her own carpenter in the house she might as well use him for more than," Willow gave a small giggle, " One thing. They just put the linens in last week. I think they would have moved up here but I said something while Mia and I were on an assignment about the night-time noise. Never mind, not important."

"I'll be quiet." He smiled.

Willow gave an embarrassed laugh. "Don't say anything, Xander he doesn't… she didn't tell him…. you know, so, ah….well lets just not tell him. I can't believe I was Miss Blab, to you of all people." She smiled as she blushed and looked off.

Angel smiled. He had forgotten how endearing Willow could be.

~ ~

The thing about being a vampire is that you are always aware of what's going on around you even while you sleep. That's why he felt her presence. He opened his eyes and stared. He closed them then opened them again and sat up.

"Mia?"

"At least you wear pajamas, unlike another vampire we both know."

Angel smiled.

"This doesn't mean you're …"

"Dead, yes still dead or rather undead but dust, no. It is just a little astral projection or something similar. Why are you here, Angel? I was looking for…"

"Xander…It's" He looked at the clock. "Eleven, he must be off somewhere."

"Oh, I wasn't thinking. It's dark and I forgot about the sunrise."

"I'm here to find you."

"All the way from Los Angeles."

"All the way."

Mia grinned, "Spike?"

"Ecstatic about it."

Mia made a sound that wasn't quite a laugh.

"Listen, before something wakes me up. I wasn't passed out that long. I have to be still in England, if not London. It's damp, so it's near water. I plan to kill this thing so if you come for me, bring weapons, lots of them; and Spike, kick his ass around for me, it'll make us all feel better. "

Angel gave a short laugh. "Stop it, this is serious."

"I know. I had to eat a rat tonight, eew, icky yuck and the fur, thft."

"I said stop it." Angel was holding back a grin.

Mia cocked her head a little and lifted her eyebrow. "Come and make me."

Angel closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them she was gone.

"Mia? Damn it, Mia?"

Angel sat on the side of the bed. He didn't really know whom to call, Giles or Wes. He knew he should call someone, but really he just wanted to sit and absorb it all. He was usually able to react. It was just that, after all the worry, she'd stood there joking. He was having trouble processing it all. Maybe he'd dreamt it. He put his elbows on his knees and his head against his hands, rubbing his forehead. There was a knock at the door.

"Hey, Boss?"

"Yeah. Come in."

Gunn came in as Angel sat up. Charles held the handset of a phone.

"Telephone, Spike. I know, hell of a way to start your morning."

~ ~

"Spike?"

"He could at least have bloody covered the receiver."

"What do you want, Spike?"

"Right. Mia, she pulled her ghostly routine and came visiting."

"I thought I dreamt it."

"You… she…, you, you are saying that a see-through Mia was there and talked to you as well?"

"Yes."

The other end of the phone was silent.

Angel decided to speak. "Mia said she thinks she's still in England, possibly still London, that it's damp so near water. She said to come get her, bring lots of weapons because she plans to kill it."

"Bloody tell you anything else?" Spike asked flatly.

"She had to eat a rat, didn't like it, you sleep naked, she was looking for Xander, and I should kick your ass around for her until she gets back."

"Anything else! Maybe you shared sodding recipes, or you went over your exploits in Denmark in 1840?!"

"I think I was in Belgium in 1840, but she prefers everything after 1880 anyway."

"What?"

"Mia. She loves the stories from 1880 for some crazy strange reason," Angel gave a short chuckle. He knew why she liked that time frame. "We usually start there and work our way until I get my soul and on through. What'd she tell you?"

"They have her caged and chained."

"And?"

"It's dark, very dark where she is. That's it."

"Who did you tell?" Angel asked.

"You, you prat."

"Not even Buffy?"

"No, and that's hard to explain so don't bleeding ask me to."

"I guess we should probably call Giles."

"He is the big cheese."

"If she's in London, do you think you could find her, I mean sense her, her scent, her essence? You marked her, Spike."

"I marked Emma; will that work now that she's a vampire?"

"I'm not sure but she's also of our blood, and there are other connections shared with her. If you concentrate, it might."