Subject: [SpikesSalvation] Phoenix Dreams- Chapter 26 Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 10:15:45 -0800 (PST) From: Jerusha Hancock Reply-To: SpikesSalvation@yahoogroups.com To: SpikesSalvation@yahoogroups.com Chapter 26 Buffy dreaded this, more than she'd ever dreaded anything in her life. Emmie had asked her to go back to the office to let William and Angel know what had happened while she stayed to talk to the police when they came. The younger Slayer had every belief that the LAPD would most likely leave the details of the kidnapping to the law firm, as it had a rather solid reputation around the city for being able to deal with a number of different problems that needed solving. And neither she nor Buffy had any doubts about the crime itself. It had been directed at Ty specifically, and thus at William and/or Angel, which meant the motivation most likely had at least one foot in the world of the supernatural. But that meant that she was the one elected to tell William the bad news, and she knew what it was going to do to him. She knocked on the door of his office perfunctorily before entering, her grim face stopping the secretary from voicing more than a single word of protest. He looked up, his eyes lighting with pleasure when he saw her. "Buffy! Did you and Emmie pick Ty up then?" She shook her head, and something in her gaze made him flinch noticably. "I'm sorry, William," she said softly. "What happened?" he whispered. Buffy hesitated, and his voice grew stronger. "What happened, Slayer?" "Someone snatched Ty," she replied bluntly, thinking that quick was best in this case. "When Emmie and I got to the school the secretary told us someone had already come to pick him up. They had identification from the office, but she didn't know enough to check their names against the list." William's face had drained of all color, and he put one trembling hand over his eyes. "Bloody hell. What do we know?" he asked. "That's about it," Buffy said. "Emmie stayed to talk to the police, but I doubt there's much they can do. I'm going to call Angel and the others. We're going to need to have a meeting and get things set up. They're not going to get away with this." William shook his head, tossing off the terror and shock that had grabbed at him. "No," he agreed. "They're not." An hour and a half later they were all seated around the table in the large conference room Angel preferred for private meetings. It was shielded not only from the latest in technological listening devices, but also from magic of all kinds. Wes, Fred, Gunn, and Lorne were all in various stages of shock and anger, ready to go, but also focused on the problem at hand. Namely, that they had no way of finding Ty. Angel paced at one end of the room, while Buffy kept a tight grip on William at the other end. He wasn't falling apart precisely, but he was angry and impatient. Dawn was seated on the other side, throwing concerned glances from her sister to Angel and then over to William while they all waited for Emmie to return from the school. Buffy had placed a call to Willow only a few minutes before, asking for her friend's magical expertise and whatever help she could give. They didn't have to wait much longer before the young Slayer returned. "Stupid cops," she said as she entered. "They basically told me to go home and wait for word. 'He'll turn up. Don't worry.'" Emmie gave a snort of anger. "He's eight, not eighteen." "My fault," Angel rumbled, passing a hand over his face. "They know enough by now not to even pay any attention to what goes on at Wolfram & Hart. Apparently that applies to missing family members as well." "Not a whole soddin' lot of good they could do anyway, pet," William sighed. "From what Buffy said, they're bloody clueless as to who turned up to grab him in the first place." "Clueless is right," Buffy agreed. "We couldn't even get a decent description out of that girl." "Could she be in on it?" Gunn asked. "Let them through, so to speak?" Buffy shook her head. "No. I know people, and she didn't have anything to do with it. Not that she's not an idiot, but she's not malicious like that." William shook his head. "Dammit! 'm not sittin' around here waitin' for the sky to fall in!" he exclaimed. "We should be doin' somethin'." "We are doing something," Angel replied. "Wes, I want you to check out the archives for any prophecies that might pertain to this. I know we've looked for specifics concerning Ty in the past, but run down anything that might be happening within the next few days. Dawn, I want you to help him." He looked at Lorne. "Talk to your contacts, find out what they know. Anything at all. You know what I'm talking about." "You've got it Angel Cakes," Lorne said, his green skin slightly pale with stress. "Fred, I want you to get the phones ready in case someone calls. Make sure we can monitor and record the call. Gunn, get a unit ready. I want our best, most reliable people on this, only the ones we trust." When everybody had left to fill their assignments on Angel's orders, William looked over at the older vampire. "And what about you an' me, Angel? What are we supposed to do?" "We wait," Angel said, with more calm than he felt. William's eyebrows went up and he shot to his feet. "Wait?! I told you, 'm not sittin' here while someone's got my son!" "And what are you going to do, Will?" Angel demanded. "What if someone calls wanting to talk to you? Huh? We won't get anywhere with you haring off who knows where." William would have said something to regret later if Buffy hadn't laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Willow's on her way, Spike. If anyone can, she should be able to find him." "With magic?" he asked, his lips twisted in a sneer. "What good's magic gonna do us?" "As I recall," Buffy said calmly. "It was magic that let you and I save the world the last time we faced an apocalypse together. And it happened to be Willow's magic that helped us." Angel and Emmie looked from one to the other, and then slipped quietly out of the room, leaving the two alone. "Buffy, I can't lose him." "You won't," she said, with as much force and assurance that she could muster. "I promise you, I'm not gonna let that happen." He shook his head. "You might not be able to stop it, luv. I might not be able—" William broke off, trying not to choke on the emotion threatening to overwhelm him. He might have been a warrior, but he was a father first and foremost. "Then we'll do our best. That's all we can do." Buffy pulled him into her arms, trying to give him whatever strength she could spare. "And it'll be enough. It always has been before." "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed." 2 Cor 4:7-9 ---------------------------------