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Chapter Forty-seven

Wesley hung up the phone having finished a very productive call with a
contact he still had from his Watcher days. He couldn't be more pleased with
the progress he had made, that he almost felt like giving himself a pat in
the back. If it weren't for the impending threat from Darla he would've said
that things were looking pretty darn good.

Standing to stretch his cramped muscles. From the information he had gathered
he now knew why Douglass had no control over her healing abilities, and how
she could take control. Plus with further digging he had figured out how to
get Douglass's other powers back as well.

"Well, done chap." Wesley grinned sitting back down, only to be startled by
breaking glass and the smell of smoke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy sat by herself feeling sorry for herself. Angel had his soul and he had
yet come to her, if he wasn't in love with Douglass then who was he in love
with? That would be the only reason why he hadn't sought her out, there had
to be someone else.

But who? Cordy? No way. Though she had changed a lot from the self absorbed
bitch from high school she hadn't changed *that* much. Aria and Spike were
defintely a couple, the vents had proven that. The only other person was
Willow, there wasn't a chance in hell that *her* Angel would go for someone
like the redheaded witch, not when he could have her.

Sighing she leaned her head back against the back of the chair, there had to
be a way to get Angel alone. Make him see that what they had once shared
could be again but better this time. A plan. That was what she needed.

Getting settled in her chair,she started coming up with possible ways to win
Angel's attention. Her concentration was ruined by the sound of breaking
glass and shouts coming from another room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giles was helping Dawn with her homework, trying to make the teen pay
attention to her lessons. It seemed that he was answering more questions
about Douglass and his past love Nessa then questions about the Great
Depression.

"Dawn, you are never going to finish your paper if you keep asking me
questions." Giles tried to use his no nonsense tone but could tell it didn't
make a difference.

"I still can't believe that you have a daughter. I mean I know you're old and
all...I'm shutting up now."

"Very good." Trying to hide his amusement at Dawn's embarrassment. A
daughter, he, Rupert Giles, had a daughter. Taking his glasses off to clean
them he was stopped by the window shattering from behind. Barely ducking in
time Giles was stupefied as the room was engulfed in flames.

"Dawn, quick. Crawl on the floor to the exit." Giles instructed the girl.

"What about the others?" Tears streamed from the girl's eyes from fright and
the smoke that was quickly filling the room.

"I need to get you to safety first." Giles prayed that his daughter and the
others were all right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angel pulled Willow into her room shutting the door behind him. Before Willow
could question him he leaned down kissing her gently until she responded to
his gentle ministrations. Prodding her mouth open with the tip of his tongue
he was thrilled she didn't hesitate in allowing him to explore the hot recess
of her mouth, dipping his hands to the waistband of her pants he tugged at
Willow's top eager to get his hands under her shirt. He sighed contentedly as
his palms met Willow's smooth skin.

Willow leaned further into the kiss. Gripping the front of Angel's shirt she
fought to keep upright when her knees turned to mush, never in her life had
she experienced what she was feeling now. Xander's kisses were awkward,
almost brotherly, Oz's had been sweet but Angel's were one hundred percent
passion filled guaranteed to bring her to her knees.

One of Angel's hands went up to grip onto her hair bringing her closer to
him. The other stayed on the smooth skin of her lower back. Just as Willow
was going to encircle her arms around Angel's neck the window by her bed
exploded spraying shards of glass in every direction, before she and Angel
could react to the shock of the breaking window the room was engulfed in
flames.

"Willow, we need to get out."

"Angel it's still daytime. You have to get to the basement to the sewer
entrance ." Willow followed Angel out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aria ran her hand down Spike's bare chest loving the way he sounded everytime
she touched him. He had such a beautiful body and she could spend all day
just touching him.

"If you don't stop that Pet, we aren't going to get that two hour nap Mr.
Nancy pants allowed us." Spike opened one eye and gazed at the Goddess laying
on her side next to him, her red hair flowed about her naked body and he felt
himself hardening as he pictured what he would love to do to her.

"Hmm." Aria leaned over and nibbled on his ear. "You say that as though it
were a bad thing." Spike groaned titling his head slightly giving her better
access, brushing her hand further down her lover's body she was immensely
pleased that Spike had no modesty what so ever.

Aria was taken by surprise when Spike let out a growl and pinned her to the
bed. Leaning over his captive, Spike smiled as he ground his hardened shaft
against her seeping core. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Lowering himself down her body Spike left a trail of kisses and nibbles
inciting moans from his passionate lover. Placing his body between her
thighs, Spike took a deep breath of her erotic perfume and nearly licked his
lips in anticipation but instead licked at the juices that were already
dripping from her.

"Spike...oh my that feels so...Spike smoke." Aria tried to sit up and started
smacking Spike's head away from her as smoke billowed through the vents.
Spike growled, glaring at Aria not wanting to be separated from her body.

"What are you doing?"

"Spike there's smoke, coming through the vents." Aria jumped from the bed
nearly tripping, by the time the two where pulling their tops over their
heads they could hear screaming coming through the vents.

"Oh my God, the building's on fire." Aria whispered.

Spike looked to his love,then to the door leading upstairs then back to Aria.
"Oh bloody hell." Spike shoved Aria to the sewer entrance. "Move down the
tunnel about fifty feet. I'll be back. I need to make sure the others make it
out."

Aria nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, she didn't want to be separated
from Spike but she knew that if she went with him he'd only worry about her.
Climbing down the steps she entered the dark sewers of LA.

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

Gunn has been sleeping when the world around him exploded, it was the sound
of breaking glass that startled him from his sleep but the screams and shouts
of his friends was what pumped the adrenaline through his veins.

There was no evident fire on his floor of the building but the cloud of smoke
pouring out of the vents proved that somewhere there was a fire. Grabbing his
jacket and a few stakes he had stashed in his room, Gunn made his way to the
door when he heard Cordelia screaming through one of the vents.

"Please someone help me. Please!" Her shouts turned into sobs. Gunn felt his
heart stop.

"Cordy...baby, can you hear me?" Gunn shouted near a vent trying not to
inhale too much of the smoke that was spewing out.

"Gunn, where are you?" Her voice sounded hopeful.

"I'm just about to leave my floor. Cordy girl, where are you?"

"I'm trapped in the laundry room on the second floor."

"Hold on, I'm coming. I won't let anything happen to you, sweetheart." Gunn
took off to save Cordelia fear pumping through his veins.

When he got to the stairwell, he had to pull his shirt over his mouth and
nose to prevent him from breathing in too many lung filled breaths of smoke.
Standing outside the second floor entrance he could feel the heat coming from
behind the door, taking a deep breath he tested the handle to the door only
to yank it back when he felt his flesh burn.

"Gotta save Cordy...Gotta save Cordy." He chanted taking off his sweatshirt
and using it to open the door. Flames were everywhere, Gunn tried to gauge
the best path to the laundry room. Without another moment of hesitation he
darted through the room his eyes trained on the handle to the door that had
his Cordy trapped.

Using his sweatshirt again to open the door he flung it open only to see
Cordy's crumpled body on the floor, rushing to her side he scooped her up in
his arms and ran back to the door. The only thought in his head was to get
his girl to safety.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Douglass cuddled against Lindsey's side fighting to keep her eyes open. So
much was happening, so many new and strange events had been jam packed into
just a few days. She couldn't come up with a word that could describe how she
was feeling at that moment because she was feeling so many things that she
was positive she would explode.

Though there were too many reasons why she shouldn't be in bed being held by
Lindsey she couldn't get herself to really care. It just felt good, there was
still so much she needed to learn about him. A lot he probably had to learn
about himself.

"Douglass, I know I can't take back everything I put you through but I am
just grateful that you are giving me the chance." Lindsey pulled her closer
to his side and inhaled the scent of her hair, she always smelled so clean.
He had lived his entire life feeling dirty, first because he had grown up as
white trash, then because of his recent horrible acts he had committed.

"I did miss you. Funny huh? We were so rotten to each other but when you
pushed me away and the anger lessened I realized just how much I really
looked forward to just seeing you. Even though you were a major pain in the
ass." Douglass hid her smile into his chest. Lindsey tickled her side, the
more Douglass fought the laughter and tried to squirm away the more he would
tickle, he was about to relent when the sound of breaking glass made them
both jump.

"What the hell?" Lindsey rolled off the bed and hurried to the door in time
to see Angel and Willow dash from her room, he could see the ever growing
flames dancing from inside her room and panic seized him. Thoughts of
Douglass and his unborn child's safety gripped at him.

"Douglass, there's a fire, we need to get out now!" Lindsey turned and
grabbed her arm pulling her from the room. Douglass paused and almost fell
over from Lindsey pulling her. Fire. It was spreading fast eating away at
Willow's bedroom.

Angel grabbed Willow and kissed her hard before shoving her in Lindsey and
Douglass's direction. "I need to make sure the others got out. Get them out
of here, Lindsey." With one last glance Angel darted for the door.

"Angel no!" Willow cried and tried to go after him. Lindsey stopped her
giving the redhead an apologetic look.

"Willow, he'll be fine but I need to get you two out of here. Where's Cordy?"

Douglass's gaze was fixated on the flames and Lindsey had to give her a
slight shake. "Doug honey, where is Cordy?"

"Laundry room. She wanted to wash her lucky pair of pants." Tears started
falling from her blue eyes and Lindsey wiped them away.

"Come on, we'll stop on the second floor to see if she got out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max watched from the shadows of the vacant building next to the bank, his
plan was out of control. He had planned on smoking them out not get them all
killed. Darla was going to be pissed that he put Douglass's life in jeopardy.
He watched as the older Watcher and a young girl escaped the building
followed by the blonde slayer.

No, damn it. These people were expendable, Max held an unneeded breath. Where
were the others? Unless there was another way for them all to get out. Shit!
Why hadn't he thought of that before? There were vampires in the group of
course there was another entrance. Pulling out his cell phone he was about to
call one of his human hirelings when another group barged out the door.

It was the dark young man, carrying the brunette followed by the redheaded
witch and finally Douglass. Max let out the air he had trapped in his lungs.
He may get to see another night, Lindsey came out right behind Douglass.

Max watched as the dark young man placed his bundle on the ground as the
others gathered around. They were all talking at once to the unconscious girl
but Max zeroed his gaze on Douglass who started to sway on her feet. The
strawberry blonde witch dropped to her knees placing her hands on her injured
friend. Max nearly jumped out of his skin when blue light radiated from the
stretched out palms.

After a few moments the brunette sat up in a fit of coughs as Douglass
collapsed to the ground.

Max couldn't wait until he told his sire what he just saw, she was going to
be so pleased with him that she would forgive his other trespasses. About to
leave his view from above for the second part of the plan Max nearly shouted
in anger as he saw Lindsey straighten over Douglass's form, speaking a few
words to the others the young man dashed back inside the burning building.

Lindsey wasn't *needed* to fulfill Darla's plan but would be an added bonus
for Max when he presented the traitor to Darla.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What the hell is he thinking?" Gunn watched in horror Lindsey ran back
inside.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Giles held his hands up to quiet the young man.
Everyone strained their ears then heard the terrified screams from above.

"Who the hell is that?" Buffy asked a chill sweeping over her body.

"Oh my Goddess, we forgot all about Lilah." Willow felt her stomach tighten
and clapped a hand over her mouth as she staggered a few feet from the others
before throwing up.

"Gunn?" Cordelia was resting back against Gunn's chest still coughing up the
last of the smoke from her lungs. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. Just see to it that it never happens again." Kissing
her softly on the forehead Gunn tightened his hold her.

Giles had his daughter's head on his lap, begging her to open her eyes. "You
don't think that all the smoke she had to have breathed in harmed the baby do
you?" Willow asked nervously holding Douglass's limp hand.

"Well, as long as she didn't breath in too much...BABY? What baby?" Giles
eyes widened looking at Willow for an explanation.

"Douglass just found out she was...well in the family way." Gunn answered for
Willow. "It's Lindsey's child."

"Oh dear God." Giles looked back at the building as the sound of more
breaking glass echoed off the deserted buildings in the neighborhood.