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Author's Chapter Notes:
I wish to thank everyone who continues to read.....and bless those who have reviewed, for it's nice to hear what you think...no matter what.....
London May 14th 7 a.m.

Dana awakened after having another dream of a familiar blonde man trying to save her. His accented voice still echoed in her mind as he promised he was there to help her not hurt her. Presently, there was a battle going on in her head that made no sense. She could still hear the voices of others in her head telling her of things that made no sense to her. They were saying that she was special, and she was important for the fight. The problem was trying to figure out what fight and just what it was she was fighting for.

Rolling over in the bed, she stared at the wall of her new prison. She was surprised that her mind was not as clouded as it once was since she was not fed as many pills here as the last place. They had tried to shove them down her throat constantly back then. But she found she still had a hard time with reality at times.

The dream had come again. The one where she held the knife that she used to slay the dragon. She could still see it in her mind when the blonde man with the accent had been the one to throw it to her, telling her it was her right and her calling to save the world from evil.

The only problem was she didn't trust anyone here to tell her dream to. Once an older man with gentle blue eyes and glasses came to visit her, and he made her feel safe while he was there. Except he hadn't come for a visit since and she felt it was because he didn't think she was of importance.

No one other than the blonde man, whose arms she had cut off at one point, was the one who showed any real concern toward her welfare. When she had asked about him, no one knew whom she was talking about; making her wonder if it had really happened. They all looked at her as if she was crazy. Then again, maybe she was, right now she didn't really know herself if she was sane or not for certain.

Dana heard a noise causing her to roll over in the bed and find a woman with shoulder length light brown hair smiling at her. "Why are you here? It's too early for my medications or talk time?"

Eve smiled at the young woman before she sat down on the bed. "Hi, my name is Eve, and I have been sent by the same people who have been giving you the dreams."

"Really, someone has been sending them, and the blonde man is real?" Dana asked.

"Yes, and he is real," Eve answered, seeing the look of relief on the girl's face. "But you must not tell anyone about him until it's time."

"So I didn’t kill him?" she asked feeling relieved to know that. "How will I know when it's time?"

"No, you didn't kill him, for he was already dead," Eve tried to explain. "You see he is a vampire, but one with a soul and safe to the human society. The signs will tell you when it's safe to talk about him again. For now, I'm here to offer you a chance get control of your life again, so you can move on."

Dana looked at the girl with a look of confusion. "Move on with my life?"

"Yes, it's time for you to become the woman and slayer you were meant to be," Eve answered. "There is much for you to learn, and the Powers That Be think you need a little help in the recovery part from your ordeal."

"So, you are here to cure me?" Dana asked.

"Yes," Eve replied as she help out a vial that held the prettiest purple colored liquid Dana had ever seen. "You need to drink this and come tomorrow, Dana Marie Lewis you will be the woman you were supposed to be. The woman you would've become, before the making of an army of Slayers pushed you over the edge."

Dana took the vial and put it to her lips. She looked again at the woman who called herself Eve as she drank every drop of fluid in the vial. "There it's done."

Eve hugged the girl and reassured her. "You will not regret this, you are important to the battle, young one. You will become a great leader one day. I feel it in my bones."

Dana felt tired and fell asleep quickly leaving Eve smiling softly as she lowered the girl onto the bed. She covered the young woman and tucked her in before kissing her softly on the forehead. "You are special Dana, more special than you or anyone else realizes." With that said, Eve rubbed the crystal around her neck, and disappeared from the room.

*******

Las Vegas May 14th 2 a.m.

Ernesto after hanging up the phone with Lorne had begun planning how to help his friend. He knew by helping Mr. Cartis, he could be bringing the death and destruction to those he loved and depended on him for protection.

The thought of betraying his friend never crossed his mind, as he thought of different things he could do to help and protect Lorne and his friends. The only thought about himself was how he could do what he needed to do without being detected by the Partners of Wolfram and Hart.

His wife Triska would be the fist to kill him if he'd refused to help their Pylean friend. Since he was the one responsible for them being together in the first place. Lorne had saved his life so long ago, and had also introduced him to the woman who made his life complete.

He pulled out a piece of paper and started listing those he'd trust with his and his lovely wife's life. Then he took from that list who'd he trust with the life of his friend. The first name he had written down belonged to the same man that he trusted to protect him, his family, and his place of business. He pulled out his cell phone and punched the number he had saved on speed dial.

"Yeah!"

"Come to my office, please."

"On it."

Ernesto sat back and waited for the knock on his door telling him of the other man's arrival. He thought back to the time he'd first met the green Pylean demon. He had just lost his first wife Mira and was feeling depressed and not wanting to live any longer without her.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me if this is the Lucky Star?" A male voice asked.

Ernesto looked towards the direction the voice came from. He was surprised to see a pair of red eyes staring back at him with empathy and warmth. The demon's face was green with horns coming out of his head. "Excuse me, but do you see I have a gun to my head?"

The demon nodded his head, "Well, yes."

"And you decided to ask if this was the Lucky Star?" Ernesto asked, having not lowered the gun.

"The name is Lorne, and I'm looking for some work in the entertainment business," the green demon replied.

"Are you crazy?" Ernesto asked.

"No, I'm Pylean, sweetums," Lorne replied, as he held out his hand. "But I wouldn't be mad if you handed over that rather intimidating firearm, if you would be so kind."

Ernesto looked at the demon like he'd grown two heads. "I don't think so."

"Oh, dear, what could be so bad that you'd want to take your own life?" he asked, as he continued to hold his hand out. "Life is a bitch, but death is permanent."

"Yes death is that, and life is a bitch without the one you love more then life," Ernesto replied, still holding the gun up to his head.

"So, she must have been something then?" he asked.

"She was everything," Ernesto answered, "Without her I’m nothing."

"Oh, I don't think she would like to hear to talk like that," Lorne replied. "I find it hard to believe someone as special as she seems to be to you, would want you to go to the extreme to be with her."

"I cannot live without her, she was my anchor, my reason for being born." Ernesto cried, as he lowered the gun. "But you are right, she would not want this from me, this weakness."

"Not weakness, but grief. Grief is a powerful emotion that can often allow us to make poor decisions," Lorne offered.

Ernesto looked at the Lorne and knew he owed this demon his life, for if he had not interfered he would have followed through with his plan. "You asked if this was the Lucky Star earlier, it is."

"Great, looking for some work, I can sing pretty decent and have a great ear for talent as well," Lorne replied, smiling as the other man handed him the gun at last.

"I'm Ernesto, the owner and operator of the club," he said, as he offered the demon his hand.

"I'm Lorne," he replied as he accepted the handshake that sealed the beginning of a great friendship.

The knock on the door brought the club owner out of his memories. "Come in," he called out giving permission for the young man to enter.

Oz walked into his boss' office, facial expression stoic as always. "You needed to see me?"

"Daniel, have a seat." Ernesto smiled reassuringly as he motioned to the chair in front of his desk.

Oz knew by the use of his first name that this was serious. He tried to think of anything that had happened lately in the club that would warrant his summons to the office like this. Nothing came to mind.

"I have a very important favor to ask of you." Ernesto looked into the young man's brown eyes. "You can say no. Whether you do or don't, then I ask that you do not discuss it with anyone."

Both men knew the office had magic wards up protecting the privacy of the office and all that was said or done was kept inside the room. "I'm in," Oz replied.

"Don't you want to know what it is I ask first?" Ernesto asked.

"No," Oz answered, never breaking their eye contact.

"You have heard about the scandal in L.A. between this Angel character and the Partner's of Wolfram and Hart?" Ernesto asked, wondering if it was right to involve this young man and jeopardize his life.

"Yep," Oz replied, as he gently shook his head yes.

"I have a friend that needs my help, who was involved with Angel," Ernesto explained.

"Involved?" Oz asked, for the first time wondering if he promised his help too soon.

Ernesto nodded, wishing the young man were easier to read. "He says the situation in L.A. was not as reported and will tell me everything."

Oz lifted his left eyebrow and asked, "Can he be trusted?"

"Yes."

"Okay,” Oz answered, as he leaned back into his chair, feeling it was important that he did this.

Ernesto smiled as he told the young werewolf his plans. He would have Oz take them to his cabin where they'd be protected for a short time. It would give him time to get them the proper papers so they had a chance to travel safely and secretly. There were a few people he could trust to not ask questions.

*******

Cleveland May 14th 8 a.m.

Faith suddenly awoke, and ran for the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet, when she started to bring up what she had eaten at dinner.

Her sudden movement out of the bed woke Robin up with a start. At first, he sat up dazed trying to figure out what was going on until he heard his slayer's sound of distress in the bathroom. He couldn't help but wonder if slayers were supposed to get sick.

He quickly threw on his boxers and grabbed his t-shirt. Knowing she was nude, and would need it, since it was chilly in the house. He moved toward the door wondering how he was going to handle finding her throwing up.

Faith's mind wandered to why two mornings straight now, she woke up puking her guts out. She felt his presence before hearing his voice as her lover settled beside her.

"Baby, you okay?" Robin asked as he knelt beside her, using his left hand to stroke her back gently.

He suspected he knew the cause of her morning sickness and deep down he prayed he was right. The prospect of becoming a father brought such a feeling of pride and happiness to his heart.

Faith concentrated on her breathing and Robin's loving touch. Using them to try and counteract the nausea she was feeling. She leaned into his touch, feeling comforted by his presence.

"Just getting a washcloth, be right back." Robin leaned in and gently kissed the side of her head, before moving quickly to gather what he needed.

Faith nodded, praying that it was finally over. Her mind again went back to why this was happening. She used the time to think back to her last period and felt a wave of anxiety hit her. The last time her cycle was lighter then usual giving her reason to believe she could be in the family way. Thinking to herself the pill really was only 99.9 percent effective in her case.

Robin came back with a warm cloth and a glass of water with a splash of mouthwash mixed with it. He softly washed her face and then threw the cloth over into the sink.

"Here, baby, sip, swish, and then spit," he instructed softly all the while rubbing up and down her back.

Faith watched as her lover handed her the water. "I think we need to make a trip to the store for something to settle my stomach."

Robin chuckled. "Yeah, I think that is one thing we need to do."

"Only one?" Faith asked, as she looked at him with a questioning expression on her face. She was hoping to keep her suspicions to herself until she knew for sure.

She continued to look at him as she took the glass and take a small sip, swish it around her mouth before spitting it out into the toilet. The cool mint flavor of the mouthwash took the bad taste out of her mouth.

"I say buy one of those home pregnancy kits or make an appointment with a doctor, namely an OB/GYN doctor, to be more precise, if you ask me," he said, as he leaned in and gently kissed her nose.

Faith smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder and replied. "I guess my slaying days will be limited." Realizing she was not going to be able to hide much of anything from this man.

"Oh, I think consultant would be a more appropriate title," Robin suggested.

"Consultant sounds good," Faith agreed, fighting back a yawn.

Robin stood up and assisted her to stand and help her put on his tee shirt, before lifting her into his arms. "You rest, and CVS here I come."

"Yeah, rest." Faith snuggled close, making a promise to herself. She would do everything possible to live a long and happy life with her man and their child.

Robin turned and walked out of the bathroom, with his girl securely in his arms. He silently made a vow he'd protect his now expanding family with everything in his power. Moreover, he would use all the powers of persuasion he could muster to get this woman to marry him.

*******

Atlanta May 14th 8 a.m.

Andrew made his connecting flight that was taking him to Cleveland. Knowing that Faith was waiting anxiously for any news concerning her one time benefactor made him nervous about what he had to tell her. He dreaded having to tell her what he had found out, knowing she'd be hurt that the man who had helped her to find the road back to redemption had fallen off the path.

The decision that he'd first tell Faith in person, and then he'd call Giles and see how he wanted Buffy to hear the news seemed logical to him. The ex-rogue slayer was the one closest to those that were involved with Angel, so deserved to hear it first.

His heart was still heavy that his Spike had been involved. The only good thing he could think of was the fact he'd been able to keep Spike's secret. No one would know of his involvement or of his short-lived resurrection. It was the best gift he thought he could give Buffy as well, for it would have hurt to know both of her vampires had returned to their evil ways.

By all reports Dana, the insane slayer, would never remember the vampire's name whose arms she had cut off, let alone what he looked like. He could still remember the fear he felt when he realized Spike had been vampnapped by the crazy girl.

He knew in his heart he was betraying the trust Giles and the others had placed in him when he'd agreed to become a watcher. But something had made him believe he was doing the right thing by protecting Spike from the time he had seen him in Angel's office, all cold and vampire like.

*******

Brazil May 14th 9 a.m.

Willow sat looking out the window of the plane taking her back to a place that once healed her wounded soul. Special people who helped her gain back her life and friends. Friends who had never given up on her coming back to them, not as she was, but someone ready to move on with her life. More then they had given Buffy when she was brought back to life. Anges promised someone would be waiting for her at the airport.

It hurt so much how she and Kennedy had parted, knowing she had some serious thinking to do about their relationship. She never realized just how jealous her girlfriend was over Buffy. Some of the things that were said she knew where in the heat of anger, but still most of what Kennedy said was unjust.

The newly made slayer had no idea what Buffy Summers, The Slayer, had been through over the last eight years. Kennedy herself had been with them just little over a year, and never had she had to act alone. Never had she been solely responsible for keeping the world safe from evil. For the first time she realized just how much the woman had yet to mature and understand her position in life now.

Faith was the only one that had a taste of being alone. It was unfortunate it had to be at a time where her decision had been a poor one. But then again, they hadn't helped much by putting it on her back to try and take Buffy's place. To this day she regretted turning her back on her best friend that night. The guilt of losing faith in the one person that had never let them down still hurt like hell at times.

"Don't let the guilt consume you." Tara's voice whispered in her mind, making her smile. "Living is an open classroom, take what you learn and move on."

Willow knew her ex-lover was right. She'd come to believe that a part of Tara would always remain inside to guide her at times of trouble. Lately she could feel Tara's presence more and more, but had yet to see her in her dreams. It is what guided her to follow her instincts, knowing soon something bad was going to happen. This time she'd be more confident and prepared after talking with her fellow sisters at the coven.

*******

Somewhere mystical May 14th

Nick smiled at Moira as she had her men lay her prize at their master's feet. "I bring you the body that you asked for, my master."

"I most appreciate the care you have taken in this matter. I promise you, it will not be forgotten, my dear," Nick said as he stroked her cheek.

Moira felt herself tingle at his touch, for there was nothing she would not do for him. "I ask for nothing in return. It was an honor to serve you."

Nick's appreciation for this dark haired, dark eyed beauty grew at her devotion. "I will need your help on one other matter, my lovely Moira."

"Say what you wish for me to do, and if it's in my power, it will be done." She bowed her head before him.

"I need to find a Pylean demon that goes by the name, Lorne, and a hybrid vampire mix that goes by the name of Conner. They need to be eliminated, for they have more knowledge that I care for them to have."

"I will get right on it," Moira vowed. "Can you tell me where to begin my search?"

"Yes, in America," he answered as he leaned in to give her a small kiss on the lips. "They were last seen in Los Angeles, California."

He considered the two surviving members of Angel's rag tag band of do-gooders too much of a liability. One slip to the wrong person and things best hidden would be brought to light. The most important secret was Spike's resurrection- no one could know he'd been brought back.

He wished he had known what Lindsey had been up to. It was hard, but he had to keep the blonde southern menace alive to find out how he had brought the vampire back to life. To this day it remained a mystery who helped the man bring back the bane of his existence. Spike was the one thing that could come between him, Buffy, and Dawn if they ever were removed from his control.

"They will be found and taken care of, you have my word," Moira promised, having lived and served the Partners since becoming a vampire fifty years ago.

"I know," Nick said. "Why do you think I asked you to do it? You are the best of the best."

Moira clapped her hands to get her minions attention. "Come, we need to make arrangements to travel."

No words were spoken as her men followed her without question. He knew that she would make a wonderful asset to his life when this was all over. Once the door was closed, he turned all of his attention to the body lying on the specially decorated table before him.

"Come, Rhumada, it is time to get to work at restoring him back to life." Nick chuckled as he looked down at the one time Watcher. "You will be a marvelous addition to the team, sir, a most definite asset."

The dark skinned man walked out of the shadows, carrying with him a glowing orb. "He will do your bidding, my Lord, just as you've requested."

"Good, here is the knife that was used to take his life and absorb his essence," Nick explained as he handed the sorcerer the magical knife.

"I can feel the power that was once his, crying out to be placed back into his body," the Indian mystic said, as he accepted the instrument responsible for this man's death. "I will make sure his soul is corrupt and he will be your loyal servant when his life is returned to his body."

"Good, let me know when you are done. I have some unfinished business to attend to."

"As you wish," Rhumada said as he bowed to his lord and master.

*******

Las Vegas May 14th 5 a.m.

Oz approached the RV with caution, making sure no one had followed him. Ernesto had told him to look for a very tall, fancy dressed, green skinned demon with reddish eyes and horns, and that would be Lorne. His boss had received the phone call just little over 45 minutes that they had arrived outside the city limits.

The closer he got to the vehicle; a familiar scent overcame his senses. He had not smelled that scent since his last visit to Sunnydale. He knew things were not always as they seemed. But he was sure this certain being, by all reports, had died closing the Hellmouth a year ago.

*******





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