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“Dammit,” Wesley cried

“What is it?” Harmony asked

“There is a page missing. The final page. I need that to complete the conversion”

“It might be still in the lab. You know our scientists. They can be smart, but sometimes they’re a little brain-addled”

“Very well then. Head back down there and find that final page”

“Okie dokie, boss”

As she left the office, Harmony quickly checked her bra, making sure that the final page of Fred’s work was still there, before heading off to the lab

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“So the Vorax sword is the only weapon capable of harming the Senior Partners?” Spike asked

“That’s what it says here,” Oz said, “But apparently, it’s a myth. No one has ever found it and have died trying to find it”

“But we know how this world works. All myths are real. We just forget about them”

“Like vampires and werewolves?”

“I guess if you put it that way. Keep reading and see what you can get me”

“Okay then”

Oz returned to the book, as Spike left the library and headed to Elena’s room, finding the child alone in the bed. Frowning, Spike headed in and slowly woke his daughter up. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes

“Where did Illyria go?” Spike asked

“I don’t know,” Elena replied

“Ah, she’ll be around. Come on, Nibblet”

Spike picked his daughter up, her arms circling his neck, as they left the room and ventured downstairs into the dining room

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Illyria, what can I do for you?” Dracula asked

“I thought I would come to you and ask about something,” Illyria replied

She had changed into winter gear, walking alongside Dracula in the courtyard

“I have this strange feeling with Spike’s offspring”

“Let me guess, it’s something like maternal instinct”

“I’m not sure of the name, but I believe it’s somewhere along those lines”

“You find yourself caring for the child and want to protect her. And yet, you are confused about your feelings”

“How do you know of this?” Illyria asked incredulously

“Because I had the same feelings about Elena when she was born. However, I am not her father, but I still protected her and cared for her because I knew Spike would find her. Elena doesn’t have a mother in her life now and is probably looking up at you to fill the void left by Drusilla”

“But I should not be having these feelings. It is simply memories of this shell infecting me, causing me to feel some sort of attachment to the child”

“It could be the ‘shell’ infecting you. Or it could be just you”

“I do not understand”

“It’s not really explainable. It just happens,” Dracula said, “If you spend more time with Elena, you’ll find yourself caring for her without you knowing”

“So, I should care for her and protect her like you do?”

“It would be the best. Come on, let’s go inside”

Dracula and Illyria headed inside, as the ex-goddess thought about his words

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Alright, thanks man,” Gunn said, hanging up

“What was that about?” Ava asked

“Wes did the spell to break the protection over Spike’s location. Said he did it because he was waiting for something else”

“So I can do the locator spell now?”

“Yep. Go right ahead”

Ava smiled and held her crystal over a map of Europe, while chanting the spell under her breath. Gunn waited patiently, drinking a mug of human blood, as the crystal shot down to the map. Gunn knelt down beside Ava, as she frowned

“Romania? What would Spike be doing in Romania?” she asked

“Who cares? It doesn’t matter. We know where Blondie Bear is now and we’re gonna go and kill his ass. Come on”

Ava rolled up the map, before following after Gunn

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“So, how’s things with you and Elena?” Lindsey asked

“Do you really have to ask?” Spike said, “Things are going great. We’re bonding really well. Man, I love that kid”

Night had fallen and the pair were out in the village, going on patrol. Illyria had surprisingly offered to put Elena to bed, while Oz and Dracula were researching about the Vorax sword. Spike had been itching for a fight for a while and asked Lindsey to join him on patrol

“Do you think Angel and Cordelia will have kids?”

“I’m sure of it. Why wouldn’t they?”

“Just wondering. So, what about you and Illyria?”

“For one, I’m a vampire, so I can’t have kids. Got no idea how I managed Elena, but I’m glad I did. And secondly, Illyria with kids? If she’s scary now, I’d hate to see her when she’s pregnant”

“Well, she gets along well with Elena from the looks of things and I wasn’t exactly talking about that. I meant your relationship with her”

“Oh yeah that. Going good. She’s not killing me, so that’s good. Um, why the questions?”

“Can’t a guy be curious?”

“No, because I usually kill people who ask a lot of questions”

“Oh right. I’m just curious, that’s all”

“You’re wondering if you’ll ever find the right girl and settle down?” Spike asked

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Lindsey admitted, “I mean, I thought I would have had a ‘normal’ life with Eve once we were done with the Circle, but she died and I almost did. So now I’m just wondering if it’ll ever happen”

“Give it time, mate, it’ll happen”

“I’m not immortal like you, Spike”

“Tell you what. Let’s get our minds off this subject by killing those five vamps over there?” Spike asked

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Lindsey smiled, drawing his stake

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Illyria finished reading the story, noting that Elena had fallen asleep. Setting the book aside, Illyria tucked her in and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, slowly realizing that Dracula was right. She was letting Fred’s maternal instincts take over and to her own surprise, was letting it happen. She wanted it to happen. With a small smile on her face, Illyria left the bedroom, heading off to her own

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The plane touched down at the runway, slowly coming to a stop and disgorging its passengers. Ava was the first to leave, as Gunn looked around at the airport

“It’s snowing here”

“No duh, dumb ass. Come on, I’m freezing out here”

“I have no idea what you’re complaining about,” Gunn said, despite feeling the cold as well

“Well, you’re dead, so of course you wouldn’t,” Ava said, “I’m not dead, so I can feel the cold and I don’t like it”

“That can be arranged”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Illyria woke up suddenly to hear Elena crying out. Without thinking, she left her room and went to Elena’s, finding the child caught in the midst of a nightmare. She wasn’t sure what to do, but had a feeling that waking the child up would be best. Illyria sat on the bed and slowly woke the child up. She shot up in bed, wide-eyed and slightly sweaty

“Daddy!”

“Spike is not here at the moment,” Illyria said, “Are you okay?”

Elena didn’t answer. She had a nightmare and she was scared, so she found comfort in the closest thing to her: Illyria. She wrapped her small arms around the ex-goddess’ waist and huddled close to her. Illyria was confused at what the child was doing, before realizing she needed some sort of comfort. Holding the child to her body, Illyria stretched out, stroking Elena’s back softly as she drifted off to sleep, wondering what she was doing and how she ended up like this

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