Part 6

Buffy knew that she was in Hell. She was in her own personal Hell where her best friend would torture her endlessly. What she didn't understand was why. She knew that she was dead, Willow had killed her. After Tara's death Willow had changed. She embraced her dark side and delved into black magic. She remembered watching as Xander was hurt, only to die painfully days later. She could still hear Anya's screams. She didn't understand why Willow blamed her for Tara's death, but it must have been her fault if she ended up in Hell. She only wished she could make amends. She didn't know how long she had been here, years perhaps? Angel spent centuries in Hell when he was only gone for a few months Earth time. Would she be released after serving her sentence? She just wanted the pain to end, to not have to be taunted by the voice of her best friend, to not feel the whip, to just be at peace like she was before Willow brought her back from death the last time.

"How are you feeling today Buffy?" Willow waited as the Slayer tried to formulate an answer. "Not real, you're not real." Buffy started to rock back and forth on the floor holding her head and squeezing her eyes shut. "Oh but I am, I'm as real as you are. More so even. I have everything you ever had and more. I have your town under my thumb, Spike as my lover, and soon I will have Angel right where I want him as well. See my life just keeps getting better and better. But alas I'm bored, my Spikey decided to go on a little trip so I thought I would come down here and play with you for a while." Buffy's face paled at the tone in her voice. She started to shake and tears fell freely from her eyes. "Now it's no fun when you cry right away, I haven't even touched you yet."

Willow reached out and pressed her hands to the sides of Buffy's head. She showed her exactly what she was planning to do when she got her hands on the spell book. Buffy watched the images play out in her mind. She knew that this was just another form of torture, it wasn't real. It couldn't be, this was Hell after all. But she still cried out yelling for her Angel, trying to save him from what was to come. It was just her nature to try to save those she loved, even when it wasn't real.

Willow pushed farther into her mind, giving her images of what she and Spike would do once she had control of Angel. She saw Wesley as Spike drained him of his life’s blood, watched as Cordelia was tortured, as Willow took her powers into herself before killing her. She cried until she was hoarse and could cry no more. "Well, that was fun. Should we continue or move on to the beatings?" Willow drew the fragile Slayer up to her feet with her magic and restrained her. She then whipped the girl until she lost consciousness.

Spike pulled up in front of the Hyperion and watched the shadows move around inside the foyer of the Hotel. He didn't sense Angel's presence so he figured he could get a closer look. He got out of the car and walked to the closest window and peered inside. The cheerleader was there with some skinny mousy girl and a green skinned Demon in a really tacky suit. Angel certainly surrounded himself with a strange lot. He watched them for a while but got bored . Deciding to go find some fun he went back to the car and drove off in search of some action.

Spike found himself a seedy demon bar and sauntered inside. He sat at the bar and surveyed the room as his sipped at his drink. Not a lot of bodies in there so early in the night, he'd have to wait and see if things picked up. By the time he was on his third drink he sensed his sire's presence. "Fuck! Of all the bars to come to he had to show up here!" Spike looked toward the door just in time to see Angel walk in followed by a young black man and a teenage boy. Angel hadn't noticed him yet so he sat and watched him as he looked around the club. He was searching for something, or someone. Spike let his gaze drift to his sire's companions, he could see why he brought the young black man with him. He looked tough, had an air of confidence about him. The kid, he couldn't understand. There was something almost familiar about him. Spike drew in a deep breath and sorted through the scents that assaulted him. He recognized his sire, he placed that of the guy with him and the kid. The kid smelled like Angel.

"Can't be a claim scent mark. He's still Angel, Angelus would have just turned him. Why does he smell like the bloody poof then?" Spike was caught up in his softly spoken questions to himself and didn't notice when Angel's eyes locked on him.

Angel was most shocked to see Spike sitting at the bar. He had no idea that his bleached blonde child was in LA. He hadn't heard anything of him in a long time. He knew he had left Sunnydale over a year ago for God knows where, but he didn't realize he was here in LA. There was no way he had time for him right now. They were tracking an evil presence here in the bar. Angel felt it a while ago, like a thick fog creeping in. Something vile had made its way to LA and he wanted to stop it before it hurt anyone. He could sense it here it the bar but in this small space it was too overwhelming to pinpoint which of the demons it was coming from. He motioned to Gunn to keep an eye on the door. He was going to have to walk through the bar and see if he could sense the power if he got close enough to the one exuding it.

Spike looked up and saw his sire making his way through the room. He seemed to pause every couple of steps and sniff the air. Nothing unusual for a Vampire when they're tracking someone or something. He wondered what Angel was hunting tonight.

By the time Angel made his way to the bar he had a sinking feeling in his gut. The fact that he couldn't feel his childe's presence in the room let alone the city was almost proof enough to his suspicions. Spike was no longer his. He had been claimed by someone extremely powerful, and that power was the evil presence that had lured him into this bar tonight. So with Connor close behind he made his way over to the end of the bar, to Spike.

"Hey mate, fancy meeting you here." Spike smirked at the elder Vampire then turned his gaze on the boy behind him. "Who's yer friend? And why does 'e smell like you?" Angel was overcome with repulsion as he neared his childe. The demon inside him was enraged that someone had dared to claim what was his, but at the same time it recognized the power of the claim and was fearful of one so strong. Still, he needed answers and Spike was the only one who could give them to him. "This is Conner, he's my son." Spike gaped like a fish for several seconds while Angel explained about Darla, the prophecy, Holtz taking Connor, and how he came back.

"That's a bit of shit then! I hope you killed the wanker!" Angel glared at Spike and squeezed his son's shoulder in a gesture of apology. "No, I thanked him for saving his life. This law firm, Wolfram & Hart, would have killed him, or worse, if he hadn't escaped into the portal with him. I owe him for my sons life." Spike looked less than impressed. "So tell me peaches, why are you here?"





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