Buffy & The Exiled Ch. 03

NOTE : This story is set within an alternate Buffyverse. Faith has stayed with the Scooby gang and is Buffy's secret girlfriend. Dawn is now nineteen and at college. Willow and Tara are still together.

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Tara took hold of Willow's elbow and helped the redhead to her feet. "Are you okay, Sweetie?"

The blonde witch shot an uncharacteristic steely glare at Veruca. Willow had briefly told her about the way the female werewolf had tried to kill her to gain Oz for herself. She remembered the gory details of Oz savaging the singer to death to save his girlfriend. Or so Willow had thought.

He looked uncomfortable with the blonde linking hold of his arm. There was an awkward silence as Willow stared at the two lycanthropes. "Y..You two are together, now?"

He gave a slight nod, "Pretty much."

Her distress was evident. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "W...Why?"

Veruca flashed her a predatory grin, "It's an animal thing. Primal. We're the same beast, deep down."

Oz looked sideways at her and made a little gesture with his eyes. It obviously meant something to the girl, because she shrugged at him and turned back to Willow. "I wanted to talk to you about what I did. I need to tell you that I'm sorry. I treated you very badly."

"Badly? You tried to make me into your lunch!"

"Not really," she smiled. "A snack, maybe."

Oz nudged her, "Not helping, Ru."

The singer looked genuinely contrite. "I'm sorry, Willow. With Oz's help I'm working to control the beast within. I want to change." She looked thoughtful for a second, "Into a better person, not the wolf. You got that, right?"

Willow rolled her eyes. As she did so, she saw that Tara was seeking her attention.

"I'm just g...g...going to go and make sure that Dawnie is up and getting ready for college. You know h...how she likes to ignore the alarm clock."

Willow nodded. "Okay, Honey. You go on ahead and I'll follow in a minute."

As Tara hurried away, Veruca looked at Willow in disgust. "Honey? You're a dyke?"

"That's enough!" snapped Oz. "Get back in the van!"

Veruca's eyes sparkled as she backed up a step. He stared her down until she hesitantly gave him a nod and then climbed back into the vehicle. He looked at Willow with an apologetic expression on his face, "She's still a work in progress."

"Yeah? Well she's a real piece."

He couldn't help but smile at the way she folded her arms across her chest and made an angry face. In so many ways she was still his Willow. If only things had been different...

"We do need your help. I'm teaching her how to control the wolf, the way I do. Already stopped her hunting. Well, people, anyway. But it's not just the meditation and herbs. She needs her own talisman. Will you make it?"

"Maybe. Oz, how can you stand to be around her?"

He sighed. "She's not as bad as she can appear. Actually wants to do the right thing, most of the time. She just finds it hard, Will."

Willow looked at him as if he were mad, but let it pass. "How did you two get together?"

"That's a rather complicated story."

"Simplify it."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, "When I had to leave Sunnydale I just wandered. One day I saw a flyer for a gig that Shy were doing at a local tavern. Don't know why I went, but I did and there she was. We had a huge argument out in the parking lot. That was when Dr Gordon's goons showed up and captured us."

"Dr Gordon?"

"He was one of the scientist that was working for the Initiative when I was held there. Only, it turns out that he was more interested in doing his own research than the army's. He secretly imbedded a transmitter into me and then tracked me down to continue his experiments on the wolf. He was thrilled when he found that he had captured two werewolves, instead of one. The fact that we were male and female made him think he'd won the lottery."

He frowned at the bad memories, "Anyway, he made us do horrible things, all in the name of science. We escaped eventually, but it got messy. The experience formed a bond between us."

"Do you love her?"

He looked at her with a shine in his eyes, "She needs me, Will. The wolf is more difficult for her to control. You have no idea how hard it can be, to have something powerful, but dangerous, inside of you."

She glanced away from him. She knew only too well how hard it was to control the evil within. "Okay, I'll help. But for you, not her."

His face creased with a warm smile, "Fair enough."

Her reply was drowned out by the loud music that blared from a black van that drove past and turned onto Revello. The tinted windows hid the occupants, but could not hide the sounds of the Sex Pistols screaming their version of My Way. Willow frowned at it. Something felt wrong.

"Oz drive me home, quickly!"

The small man never asked for an explanation. He just hurried to start the vehicle, as she climbed into the passenger seat beside Veruca.

The blonde singer slid sideways to leave as much of a gap between them as she could. "You'd better keep your hands to yourself, rug muncher."

Willow leant over until her lips were beside Veruca's ear. "You really don't want to piss me off, because a wolf isn't the only thing you can be turned into."

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Tara walked up the path to number 1630. It had been Buffy's house ever since she and her mother had moved to Sunnydale. Now it was home to the two witches, as well. She let herself in, but as the door swung open she gave a gasp of surprise.

A vampire in a long black coat was stepping from the bottom stair while carrying Dawn under one arm. His reactions were much quicker than hers. With an animal snarl, his free hand shot up and slapped her backward. The blonde Wiccan flew off the porch and crumpled into unconsciousness when she hit the pavement.

Angelus shook Dawn. "Who's that? If she's a Scooby then she can probably do something. What?"

Dawn squealed as his grip felt like it would crack her ribs. She knew that if Angelus found out that Tara was a witch, he might hurt her. "She...She's nobody."

He shook her again. "Ow! Okay! She's Willow's girlfriend. She sometimes joins in by helping us with the research, that's all. Honest!"

A black van screeched to a stop before the house. The sun hadn't risen very far and the building cast a shadow that reached to the roadside. The side door to the van slid back and Harmony stepped out. She bounced on her heels and waved at Angelus. "Cooee! Over here!"

"Oh, great! He brought the moron!" he said in disgust. Carrying the struggling teenager with ease, he strode passed the limp form of Tara. As he tossed Dawn into the back of the van, he looked over at Harmony. "Fetch the sleepy-head."

She looked blankly at him. He sighed. "The unconscious girl lying on the path to Buffy's house. Get her."

"Oh, right." Striding over to Tara, Harmony let her beautiful face morph into the vampire. She picked up the comatose witch, slung her over her shoulder and then climbed back into the van as Angelus slammed the door shut behind her. Spike floored the gas pedal and they shot down the road.

Harmony smiled at Buffy's sister. "Hey, Dawn kidnapped at dawn," she laughed.

The teenager scowled back, "Very funny."

Angelus glanced at her, "Harmony's quite the wit."

Dawn folded her arms across her pyjama top, "Yeah? Well, you're half right."

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Buffy and Faith looked around the old mansion. It was very obvious that nobody had been here for quite some time.

"Something's wrong. Angel said that there was a nest here. It's not likely that he made a mistake."

Faith kicked an old stool over. "A wild goose chase is what this is. Perhaps lover boy thought we needed the exercise."

Buffy placed her hands on her hips and stared at her girlfriend, "Why do you keep doing that?"

"What?"

"Calling him 'lover boy'."

"Well, he is."

"Was."

"Whatever."

Buffy put her hand on Faith's arm, "There's no need to be jealous, you know. Angel and I are ancient history. Him literally."

Faith looked into Buffy's eyes and then turned her gaze away. "Right. So Angel's one less person I have to share you with, got it."

The blonde Slayer shook her head with incomprehension. "Faith, you don't have to share me with anybody."

"Yeah, right."

Anger sounded in Buffy's voice when she spoke, "Now what are you talking about?"

"Come off it, Bee. You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me."

"You're whacko, you know that?" She spun around and stalked out through the door they had smashed open to enter. Faith followed her.

"Deny it all you want, Bee, but that doesn't stop it being true!"

"We're not having this conversation, Faith. I'm your girl and that's that!"

"Maybe so, but you're his, too!"

"Go to Hell!"

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When they got back home, there was a reception committee waiting in the living room. Willow and Xander were pacing back and forth while Anya was sitting on one end of the sofa, next to Oz. Buffy's surprise at seeing him nearly made her miss the fact that Veruca sat next to him.

"I thought that you were dead!" she said, staring in disbelief.

"And another member of the 'state the obvious' club makes her bid for chairman," the blonde singer grumbled.

Oz put a hand on her knee, "Ru."

Willow looked almost distraught. "Buffy, it's Dawn and Tara! They're gone!"

"What? Where? Has Angel gone with them?"

"Not quite," said Giles. Buffy turned to him. She hadn't even noticed that the Watcher was standing near the archway to the back room. Next to him were Wesley and Cordelia.

"Quit it with the cryptic, Giles. What's going on?"

"We are pretty sure that Dawn and Tara have been taken by Angelus."

Buffy felt the room swim around her. Ice clutched at her heart with the thought of what the vampire would do to her sister. "No! Tha..that's not possible! Angel was here and he was fine!" She turned to Faith, pleading written on her face, "You were here. He was fine, wasn't he?" "He seemed so, but don't forget, he did send us out on a pointless mission."

"Yeah," said Xander, bitterly. "Just so he could have some 'special' alone time with the Dawnster."

"Shut up!"

"Face it, Buff. Angel's gone bad just like he did before."

"I said shut up!" she took a step toward him, rage boiling inside her.

"Hey!" shouted Anya. "Don't you dare take it out on Xander! It's not his fault that your boyfriend has gone homicidal. Again! He kills people and you forgive him. Now he's got your little sister and Willow's girl-toy!"

Buffy whirled on her, "Don't you even start with me, Anya. You've killed far more people than Angel ever did!"

"Yes. Quite true. But I never snapped the neck of one of your friends and then expected everyone to just ignore it."

Buffy turned to look at Giles. She could see the struggle in him not to throw Jenny's murder in her face. "Giles...?"

The Englishman took off his glasses and slowly polished them. Buffy knew him well enough to know that he was using the pause to get his emotions under control. Finally, he replaced them on his nose and cleared his throat.

"Raking up the past will not help Dawn or Tara. Angelus has returned and needs to be dealt with. From what Cordelia saw in her vision, he has used his influence with Spike to gather a group of vampires that will help the disciples of Mobadon free their dark Lord."

"But Angel couldn..."

Cordelia stepped forward angrily, "Buffy, get a clue! Angel got his moment of happiness and then spent several hours killing our friend. His friend. Very slowly. You really don't want to know what he did to the body so that we would find it in an 'amusing' way!" Her voice cracked and she put a hand up to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

Wesley spoke up, "Actually, it may help Buffy to comprehend that Angelus is truly back if she does hear what he did to Gunn." Unconsciously, Wes slipped his spectacles off and polished them. Watching him, Buffy wondered if the ritual was part of a Watcher's training. Replacing them, he continued.

"Early one morning, Cordelia got a vision. She was in Angel's room when I heard the cry of her pain. It was only a single vampire that her second sight warned of, but in a place a few hours down the coast. So rather than have Angel risk going about in daylight, Cordelia, Fred and I went to see to it. It was almost midnight when we returned to the Hyperion. The whole lobby was decorated for a party; balloons were floating on strings; streamers were stretched around the walls; a table was laid with a buffet and glasses of wine. Hung above the reception desk was a big sign that said, 'Welcome back! Enjoy the party, Angelus.' It was written in blood. The wine was blood. What at first glance looked like streamers were cords of intestines. Gunn was sat in a chair behind the desk. His body was mutilated and his head had been cut off and placed on his lap with his own penis stuffed into his mouth."

The Englishman's eyes narrowed as he looked straight into Buffy's, "Do you see, now? Angel is gone and Angelus is back. I am going to stop him. I owe Gunn that much. So, with or without your help, we will thwart his plan to release the demon and then send him back to Hell where he belongs."

Buffy looked from Giles, to Wesley and Cordelia, and then back again. "But the disciples are locked up. How could Angel..." She closed her eyes for a second and sighed, "How could Angelus get them out of there?"

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Edward Morton, alias the Shepherd of Mobadon, followed the young lawyer out of the police station.

"I don't understand. Who did you say you worked for?"

Lilah slipped inside the limousine as the chauffer held the door open for her. She waited for the Shepherd the take the seat opposite her and for the door to be shut behind him.

"I am doing this as a favour for a party that is interested in helping you to free your master. Your twelve disciples will all be released within the hour. Now, I will give you a piece of advice. Your benefactor is a very dangerous man to cross. Do as he 'asks' and you may live long enough to earn the reward that you deserve. But, even think about fooling with this man and he will make your suffering last for much longer than a thousand cuts. Do I make myself clear?"

The Shepherd looked at the beautiful woman as the limo began to drive down the street. "You are afraid of him."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Mr Morton, I am an intelligent, successful woman. I am not stupid. Anyone who is not afraid of this man most definitely is."

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Buffy sagged into a dining chair. "Okay. Any ideas how we can find them? Will, how about using Tinkerbelle?"

The witch gave a sad frown, "Tried it. Nothing. That means that she's either out cold or..." Her voice cracked and she couldn't go on.

"Tracking Spike would be our best course of action, at the moment," Giles announced. "We know that a cadre of vampires are helping the disciples, so maybe you could try making some enquiries with Willy. Find out if he knows of any large nest, and so forth."

"Willy's dead, remember? Spike's men paid the Alibi Room a visit to throw us off the scent of the Corrupter."

"Why don't we just capture a vampire and convince it to talk?" suggested Xander.

Buffy shook her head, "Good plan, but, hello? Daylight. Not gonna be many vamps looking for a snack for at least ten hours. Dawn and Tara may not have that long."

A hesitant voice spoke up, "We might be able to find them."

Everybody turned to look at Veruca. She suddenly seemed uncomfortable in the silence, "Oz and I could track them for you."

"You could?" Willow seemed eager to grasp onto any straw. She looked hopefully at her ex-boyfriend. He considered it and then gently nodded.

"It may work. We'd need something with their scent on."

Willow rushed up the stairs to the room she shared with Tara. Once there, she cast her eyes about trying to think what would have the strongest scent of her lover on it. She spun around and hurried into the bathroom. Flicking open the laundry basket, she dragged out the bra that Tara had worn the previous day. She remembered the blonde slipping it off as they changed into clothes that were more suitable for heading into the woods to do the blessing ceremony. Hurrying back, she darted into Dawn's room to see what she could find of hers. She was spoilt for choice. Clothes were scattered across the floor and draped over a chair that stood in one corner of the room.

Oz stood up as she returned to the living room. He looked almost shy as Willow pressed the bra into his hands and gave Veruca a T-shirt of Dawn's. He looked down at the bra and then swapped it with his mate. Both women gave him a perplexed look.

"It's better if I try to find Dawn. You remember how I get around Tara."

Willow looked crestfallen. "Please, Oz! Do it for me. I trust you. If anyone can find Tara, it'll be you."

"Actually, that's not true. Ru stands a better chance than I do. She's been the wolf a lot longer than I have."

Veruca stood up. "I'm more in tune with it. I don't fight it the way that Oz does."

Buffy looked slightly puzzled, "Why are you both not just going to look for the two scents at once?"

"It's easier to hunt if you focus on one prey," said Veruca, helpfully. She slowly looked at the slightly horrified expression on all the Scoobies faces. "Er, did I say hunt? I meant track. It's easier to track pr... a person if you concentrate on just one scent."

"Okay, then," said Buffy, making for the door. "Faith and I will go with Oz. Willow, you go with Veruca."

"Why do I have to go with her?"

"Because, Veruca's tracking Tara. You do want to be there when she finds her, don't you?"

Oz looked at Buffy, "It'd be better if Faith didn't come with us."

"Why?"

"She'd confuse the trail."

"How?"

He looked embarrassed as he glanced at the brunette Slayer. "She's covered in your sister's scent. It's rather overpowering."

"No, I'm not!"

Buffy glared as Faith gave her a worried look, "I'm not!"

Suddenly, the brunette smiled with relief, "Oh, hang on. I know what it is. Dawn fell asleep watching the television, so I carried her upstairs. That must be it." She risked a glance at Oz. The stocky little man didn't contradict her.

Satisfied, Buffy turned to the group, "Okay. Faith can go with Willow and Veruca. The rest of you hit the books. I want to know exactly how they intend to release the demon."

The searchers left in one big group. They walked in silence as the two lycanthropes reached the pavement and began to head down the centre of the road. Two streets later, they halted.

"What's up?" Buffy could see the unspoken communication between the mated pair.

Oz shrugged, "There's a small cross breeze here. Leaves us with two trails."

The groups split up.

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Wesley pinched his nose and scrunched up his eyes, "Yes, I agree, but the ramifications of the disciples previously attempting the ritual of Agernoth point to them not having discovered the true incantations to free Mobadon."

The two Watchers sat at the table in Buffy's dining room with lots of books scattered before them. Xander, Anya and Cordelia were half reading and half listening to the debate. Giles sat back and took off his spectacles, letting them hang from his hand as it rested on the chair arm.

"Ordinarily that would be the case, but you have to take into account the factor of Angelus's history. Savage he may be, but stupid he is not. He knows more than you would think about matters mystical and magical. When we were trying to destroy the Glove of Myhnegon Angel knew how to create the living flame to do it. That's not something a casual delver would know. Even I had to research it, first."

Xander flipped his book shut and leant over to Anya, "I'm hungry, Hon. Gonna make a snack. Want me to fix something for you, too?"