---

They're arguing again. Mom and Dad. They never stop, they've been arguing non-stop for about three years now, and they don't stop when you walk in the room either. I can't even bring friends round because of them. I can't make out all of the "conversation" but I think they're arguing about Dad's friends again. Dad's not exactly the average father; he listens to punk rock, has a motorcycle, doesn't tell Mom when you come home an hour past curfew. I've even had my best friend, Rachel, say she has a crush on him but don't mind. As long as she doesn't try to make a move!

I'm standing outside the kitchen door, there's this little chip in the wood right near the doorframe so even if it's closed I can still see through it. Mom and Dad have most of their arguments in the kitchen, sometimes over dinner, sometimes when Mom's washing the dishes (she usually has a moan about why Dad doesn't help her), sometimes when Dad comes through the back door when he gets home from work. We live in a nice big house, it was my grandfather's before he died. It got left to my Mom in his will, we moved in when I was about two. Oh, no. Dad just broke one of the good china plates. Oh crap, he's coming to the door! He opens it fast and it hits me hard in the face.

"Oww!" I scream.

"Sorry Kate." Dad says softly. I can see he wants to cry, his eyes are clouded over and they're all puffy. He may listen to punk and act really cool, but deep down, he's just a big softie!

"That's OK." I say and Dad's walks upstairs. I walk into the kitchen to talk to Mom. She's sitting at a stool on the island in the middle of the kitchen with her head in her hands.

"Mom?" I say, and she removes her hands and looks at me. I can tell she's been crying. Her bottom lip is all shaky and her eyes ar wet with tears.

"Hi honey. What's up?" She asks me.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." I say and sit down on the stool next to her. "What was it this time?"

"Nothing Kate, you're too young to understand."

"Try me." I say and Mom begins to look angry.

"Katelyn, it's none of your business what goes on between me and your father." Mom says.

"It kind of is, seeing as I have to live in this house with the constant arguing!" I shout. I don't mean to, it just comes out. Mom and Dad never used to argue. They used to make me wanna puke 'cos they used to sit on the couch in each other's arms and kiss and cuddle. They havent' done that in a long time.

"Katelyn, I'm not in the mood for your attitude today, now either sit there quietly or go away." Mom replies sternly. I look at her and get up from where I'm was sitting and walk up the stairs.

I walk along the hallway into Mom and Dad's room. Dad's sitting on the bed with his head in his hands, much like Mom was a minute ago. They're so alike it scares me sometimes, they used to finish each other's sentences and think the same things. They don't do that any more. A sob escapes past my Dad's lips. I've never actually seen him cry before. I guess this argument must have been pretty bad otherwise he would've just gone into the lounge to sit and watch Cable all day while Mom burned the dinner.

"Dad?" I say, standing in the doorway. I'm never allowed in Mom and Dad's room. It's off limits. I went in there once when I was eight and found a family size pack of condoms along with a vibrator, some handcuffs, and three pregnancy tests. I was so freaked I never went in there again!

"Come in." He says, which surprises me. He usually shouts at me to go away and he'll be along to my room in a minute. I walk in slowly, trying not to look around too much, in case I get thrown out again.

"Dad? Are you okay?" I ask.

"I wish I could say yes sweetheart." He says softly. He motions for me to go over to him and give him a hug. I do and snuggle into his chest. For a second, I felt like a little girl again. I pull back and look at him. His eyes are clouded over and his usually pale face is blood red, it was clear he had been crying. His peroxide blonde hair is all mussed and untidy, he never wears it like that.

"What was the argument about this time?" I ask. Dad tells me everything, especially things Mom doesn't.

"Your Mom thinks I don't spend enough time at home, and that I should think about spending more time with my family, instead of with my mates. Now where did she get that from eh? I go out every once in a while with Xander and Willow and she always refuses to come along, saying she's got better things to do. Do you think that's fair?" Dad asks. I don't know what to say, it's like he's just asked me to choose between my Mom and my Dad.

"No it's not." He can hear the uncertainty in my voice, I can tell by the way he looks at me. He lifts his scarred eyebrow and smiles sweetly as if to say "I know this is hard for you."

"I don't know, maybe she's right. I love your mum to pieces but sometimes I think she doesn't feel the same way about me. Maybe I should talk to her about a divorce." He says. I stand there, mouth open, eyes wide. Did he just say what I think he said. My Mom and Dad, madly in love, would do anything for each other, would take a silver bullet for each other, sacrificed everything to be together. Getting a divorce?

He wants a divorce.

A divorce.

A divorce.

A divorce.

"Kate, did you hear me?" Dad says. I nod and look at him with an unreadable expression. I run, down the stairs, through the kitchen, I can hear Mom shouting my curfew, down the road, past the store, past the cemetary, past my grandpa's, past Willow and Tara's, I don't stop until I get to Rachel's. I knock, she opens the door, I cry.

A divorce?

---

TBC

---

Now I'm sitting here on Rach's bed, feeling like a total idiot. *It's only a divorce* I keep telling myself but yet it doesn't convince me. I think I'm crying again. My cell phone keeps ringing and I refuse to answer it as I know it will be my mother on the other end, ranting and raving like all the other times I'm out past curfew. I've been doing that a lot lately, the skipping off. I don't mean to really, it's just that Mom and Dad are arguing all the time and I hate being the person in the middle of it all, Dad doesn't usually mind, just says get home before your mother starts to worry but Mom, where do I start? The last time I skipped out, Mom called me and spent an hour telling me I was past curfew and that as soon as I hang up I should run home. I didn't get home till about midnight. My curfew is nine o' clock. Nine o' clock! Rachel gets to stay out till 10 and her mother doesn't mind. It's 11 now and I'm still round Rachel's. Her Mom isn't home, she's an alcoholic and is probably at a bar or club or something. Rach doesn't know her dad. The only thing she knows about him is his name. I think she's luckier that way, at least they never argue.

My cell phone rings for the seventh time. It stops after two rings, but then the phone downstairs starts to ring. Mercedes, Rachel's older sister answers it and after three seconds shouts upstairs that Buffy iss on the phone and to come and take the call before she drags me down there. I look at Rachel and slowly walk down the stairs. I think I've stopped crying now. But as soon as I start to talk to Mom I know I'll start all over again. I pick up the receiver and place it at my ear.

"Hello?" I say shakily, I can hear Mom breathe a sigh of relief on the other end.

"I was so worried about you Katelyn, why do you do that?" Mom replied.

"What?"

"Run out with no explanation?"

"Because you and Dad don't stop fighting, and I'm always in the midlle of it and I'm getting sick of it now Mom! And now you're getting a divorce?!" I scream. Mom is breathing angrily. Like always.

"Who said anything about a divorce?" Mom says. I can hear Dad groan in the background, and swear uber loudly, like he always does.

"Dad." I reply. I know I've put my foot in it this time, Dad didn't talk to Mom about a divorce yet.

"Oh." Mom says and goes really quiet. She always does this before she cries. I apologize, say I'm coming home and hang up the phone. Rachel's Mom picks that moment to come through the door, drunk as shit with a dark skinned man locked to her mouth. I say goodbye to Rach and walk out the door. The shouting from inside begins and I make a run for it. I'm hopeless at running, I always stumble and fall, and graze my knee. I check my watch. It says 12:05. I didn't think I'd been out that long. I carry on running and don't stop till I get to my house. My Mom is out the door before I even reach the little path that leads up to it, she envelopes me in a huge hug and tells me she was so worried about me. I walk into the house behind her and find my Dad sitting on the front room couch, bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand, cigarette in the other. Mom takes one look at him, gives a disapproving look and motions for me to go upstairs to bed. I tell her I'll go up in a minute and go and sit by Dad. There is a duvet and pillow behind the couch; Dad's sleeping downstairs again.

Dad looks at me and puts down the cigarette he was holding, he hugs me just like Mom did, but tighter.

"I'm sorry Dad." I say. "I didn't know you hadn't talked to her yet." I start to cry again and Dad holds me tighter.

"I know sweetheart." He pauses for a moment and pulls back, brushing my brown hair out of my face. "There's no easy way to say this so... I'll just say it; first thing tomorrow, I'm moving back into Grandpa Giles' house." I look at him. I don't think I heard him right... Dad's moving out.

"You're moving out?" I ask, dumbfoundedly.

"Yes." Dad replies, his face matches mine.

"As in, not living here any more?" Another dumb question.

"Yes. But you have to know, that your Mom and I love you very much and whatever happens between us won't affect our love for you." He says, God! He sounds like all the people in T.V dramas. Like that documentary I saw about parents and divorces, and how the kids are all young and confused and don't know what's going on and soppy junk like that.

"I know." I say, not knowing what will happen next in my life. "What about Willow and Xander?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" He says.

"Well, you and Mom are both friends with them, how can you be friends with them and not with Mom?" I ask. Again.

"I don't know poppet. We'll think of something. Now you'd better get to bed, you have school in the morning."

"Night Dad." Dad just smiles and lies down on the couch for the second night in a row.

***

I woke up the next morning to find my Mom still in bed and Dad gone. I silently got ready for school, then went to meet Rachel. She was waiting on the corner of my street, patiently, like every morning. She didn't ask me about what happened last night. That's what I love about her, she never asks you about anything that you're uncomfortable about. I told her about Dad moving out and how I was going to my Grandpa's after school. I didn't bring my cell this time, in case we have a repeat of last night.

We walked into school, arm in arm and approached our lockers. Oh my God, the cutest guy in the whole school in standing right by my locker! My locker! This will take my mind of Mom and Dad for a while.

"Hey Mark." I say, rather confidently if I do say so myself.

"Hey Kat." He replies. He smiles at me and moves away from my locker, allowing me to get in. I silently get my books whilst he stands there biting his nails. He looks sooooooo cute when he does that! I close my locker door and look back at him.

"What have you got next?" Mark asks me.

"English." I say, a little too enthusiastically, only because I know he's in the same class as me.

"Cool me too. Walk you there?"

"Sure." We walk, and talk, and those eyes are soo sexy.

I sit down at my desk, at begin to stare at him. Only the new English teacher calling my name in the register wakes me from my daze.

"Katelyn Huffman."

"Here."

"Huffman, Huffman.... where have I heard that name before? Say, you're mother isn't Buffy Summers is it?"

"Yeah? Huffman now though, my parents are married." For the time being anyway.

"I'm Miss Chase, your new English teacher, I used to go to school with your mother."

"Oh, I think I've heard about you." I lie. Of course I've heard about her, she's the one that made my Mom's last few years of high school a living hell, and I doubt she won't do the same to me. She gives me a little evil smile that just screams revenge and carries on with the register.

At the end of the lesson I walk out with Mark. He goes over to his locker to get his things before we walk to next period. I spend almost the entire day with him, forgetting about my little family dilemma. I walk out of school with him and he walks me to my grandfather's house. I quickly say goodbye and knock on the door, Grandpa Giles answers the door.

"Oh, hello Katelyn, what a nice surprise. Come in, come in." He motions for me to enter and leads me into the living room. My Dad's in there watching T.V as usual. I think he's watching 'Bring It On' again. He always watches it, every time he and Mom want to watch a film, he always suggests 'Bring It On' and starts a new argument. I walk over to my Dad and start a conversation about motorcycles. He happily talks to me until the phone rings and Mom tells me to "Get my disobedient ass home right now." I say goodbye to my father and walk out the door.

*Man, they really hate each other* I think as I walk down the road. *What can I do to get them back together?* It's dark now and I can hear rustling in the bushes. *Probably a cat* I think to myself. I carry on walking and the same rustling occurrs again. "OK, whoever's there show yourself." *Katelyn you're getting paranoid, it's only a....* I scream, a hand grabs me around the waist and lifts me up. I'm being carried across a parking lot. He uncerimoniously throws me into the back of a grubby van and ties up my hands. I struggle but it's no use. He gets in the front and drives off. My heart it racing by now, my breathing speeds up, I can't breathe, I really can't. He tells me to shut up and stop struggling. I reach into my pocket, I've left my cell at home! I panic.

I'm gonna die.

---

TBC

---

I'm in some grubby apartment just up the street from my house. They guy that took me has a mask on, he's tied me to this chair and gagged me, he's fiddling with his T.V screen. He wants me to watch T.V? The T.V comes on and the screen is all fuzzy, he messes with the arial a bit and a picture comes up. Hey, that looks just like... MY HOUSE! He's put cameras in my house! He turns around, still wearing the mask and looks at me. He hasn't said a word at all. He moves from the T.V screen and I look at it. My Mom is pacing around the foyer and keeps stopping to look at the door. She walks over to the phone and dials a number, she sits there for a while, phone in hand before putting it down and walking over to the coffee table. She picks up my cell phone and looks like she's about to cry.

"Awww, poor little Buffy. Crying. Every single time I see her she's crying. Now, Katelyn, can you tell me why that is?" The strange man says sarcastically. I look at him angrily and he smiles. "Oh, you can't, you're wearing a gag. Shame." He yanks the gag out of my mouth and looks at me. He's still wearing that mask.

"How the fuck do you know my name?" I say, trying not to burst into tears.

"Let's just say I'm an old friend of your mother's." He says, still smiling. He's sick. He's right near my face now, I can smell the stench of his breath. Mom's still crying on the screen. I would punch this motherfucker if my hands weren't tied up behind me. My Mom's still crying. It breaks my heart to see her this way, and all because she's worrying about me.

"Oh, look. It's my favourite show." This dork says. He smiles yet again.

"How did you get the cameras into my house?" I say sternly.

"Let's just say I used to live there." He says and jingles a set of keys in front of me. What the fuck? Only people in the Summers family have lived in that house for over a hundred years, all except...

"Angel." I look at him with daggers and he takes off his mask.

"Oh, you've heard of me then? I thought Mommy dearest and Captain Peroxide would've kept that from you."

"Why are you doing this?" I plead.

"Because your sweet Daddy took something that's mine."

"And what would that be exactly?"

"Your mother." I had to laugh at that. He looks at me sternly and I try and muffle my laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I say, a little scared now.

"Good. What the hell does she see in him anyway? I mean, what kind of name is Spike? And the punk thing, how is that cool? She'd be better of with..."

"With you?" I interrupt. "You? The rapist with a mental disorder. Yeah, I can see how swell that would've turned out." He looks really angry now, he walks back over to me and smacks me hard round the face. He straightens up and goes into his jacket pocket, he pulls out a large machete knife. He looks at it, then at me. The knife looks a lot like the one my Mom keeps under her matress. He walks over to me, still holding the knife and presses it firmly to my throat.

"I had to have a little snoop around your mother's room. A knife under the matress, how cliche." He takes the knife away and backs away. "And Buffy has some sexy underwear for a mother, I had to take a few as a souvinir." He pulls out two of my mother's thongs and brings them to his face and inhales deeply. "She still has the same scent, your mother, it's the kind you never forget. Like vanilla and honey. I'll let you in on a little secret." I look at him, a confused expression on my face. "I've never been with anyone since your mother. I've always been sure, as soon as I get out of that damn hospital, that I'd get her back."

"Ugh." I say. The thought of him touching my mother sends shivers up my spine. I look back at the television screen only to see my father walk through the door, along with Grandpa Giles. My Dad walks over to my mother and hugs her. She doesn't pull away like she usually does, she wraps her arms around him too and they both cry softly.

"The great thing about these spy cameras is they have little microphones built in them, with surround sound. You can hear every single word they say."

We both turn to the screen and look at the three people in the front room.

"Where the hell could she be?" Mom says.

"She's probably just out with Rachel." Dad reassures her.

"No she's not. I called the house and Rachel's sister said Rachel was in bed and hadn't seen Kate since school. What are we going to do? She's usually home by now." Mom starts to cry again.

"We should call the police, get them to search the area." Grandpa Giles suggests. Right after this, Kathryn bursts through the door, tears streaming down her face and runs into the room.

"Angel's escaped from the mental ward! Nobody can find him." She bursts into tears again. Dad goes over to her and comforts her whilst my mother sits there, mouth agape, eyes wide. Mom faints, and the screen goes fuzzy.

Angel walks over to the screen and starts fiddling with the arial. "Fucking stupid piece of crap!" He screams.

"They're gonna know you're the one who's taken me." I say. He turns and looks at me.

"And what makes you think that you whore!" Angel shouts.

"Were you just watching? They know you're out, and suddenly the person you want to get revenge on most in the world's daughter goes missing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist."

"You stupid little bint. I'm not stupid you know. They'll never know it's me."

"What makes you so sure?" The door opens, a woman walks in. Vodka bottle in one hand, joint in the other.

"Hello Kate."

"Ms Hafer?!" *Rachel's Mom?* This day just keeps getting better. Angel walks over and passionately kisses her. *What the hell is going on?!*

---

Rachel's mom? Helping Angel? What the hell is going on?

I can smell that joint from here. I don't think she put any tobacco in it. Rach and I once stole some of Ms Hafer's marijuana from her bedroom, opened up a cigarette and used the tobacco from that and mixed it with a little bit of weed. Couldn't really taste it, but we didn't really know what we were doing, after all, we were only eleven. They're kissing again, he's like five years younger than her. They look like complete opposites; Angel is wearing a suit, top three buttons loose and no tie. Ms Hafer's wearing a black mini skirt that barely covers her ass, a very revealing leather shirt, fish net stockings and black boots. How the hell did they end up together?

They've finished kissing now. Angel's looking at me with an evil smirk on his face. He snatches the bottle of vodka from Ms Hafer's hand and takes a large gulp. He kisses her yet again and stalks over to me. He pulls out the knife he was weilding before and holds it to my throat.

"You tell anyone she's here, you'll be very sorry. The cops will be finding your body parts for weeks." His accent has a slight Irish twang to it.

"Who am I gonna tell? I'm tied to a chair you stupid fuck!" Since when have I been so aggressive? He looks at me and brings the knife up to my face. He rests it against my cheek and slowly slides it down. My face is wet with blood. I don't scream, I try to show him that this doesn't bother me. He pulls the knife away and stands up straight. "It'll take more than that to weaken me [i]Liam[/i]." I say.

"Oooooh, she's a feisty one. I like it." He says. I grimace at the words. It's almost like he's flirting with me! I look past me at the T.V screen, the picture's back and I stare at it, trying not to look at [i]him[/i]. He chuckles and looks at the T.V.

"They'll know it's you." I say, not to convince him, but to convince myself. He chuckles again and looks at Ms Hafer. "Why are you doing this Ms Hafer? Why are you helping him?"

"Because your mother took something very precious away from me, and I won't let her get away with it." I open my mouth to say something back but the T.V screen catches my eye. The police walk up to the front door and bang on it. Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara are at the house now. Willow opens the door, her eyes are all puffed up and red from crying. Angel tells me that he and Hafer are going to the store for something, and I hear the door close. That's when I start screaming.

"Help!" I scream. "Someone fucking help me!" But it's not use. We're in an old abandoned building just down the road from my house, and the walls are made of solid steel. I turn my attention back to the screen, Mom's giving the policeman a picture of me, taken about three weeks ago. We were in Hawaii for Christmas break, my hair is loosly tied back and I'm wearing a grass hula skirt, dancing on the beach at some party. I never realised just how precious my life and my family are until now. I may never see them again and I could die today. I've never told a single one of them I love them. Mom and Dad are at the door, telling Willow and Xander to go home. After about two minutes they finally leave and Mom closes the door. It's just my Mom and Dad in the foyer now. Mom turns to my Dad and crumples in his arms.

"We're never going to find her!" Mom wails.

"Yes we will." Dad says soothingly.

"This is all our fault! If we just put aside our petty differences for a few minutes, she'd still be here! Not out there, on her own, God knows where."

"Ssshh." My Dad soothes. "It'll be alright. We just need to work things out."

"What? What do we need to work out?" Mom asks.

"I honestly don't know." He pauses for a moment, in deep thought. "Why the hell do we fight anyway?"

"I don't know." Mom says and chuckles. "We need to stop." She pauses for a moment and looks up at Dad. "Stay with me tonight. No more fighting." Mom pleads. Dad doesn't answer her, he kisses her. Okay, I think I'm gonna hurl! I look away and focus on the floor. There are cigarette ends and needles everywhere. How can Angel stand this? Speaking of, he and his girlfriend just walked through the door. Angel's holding a family size pack of condoms and a tube of AstroGlide and Hafer's holding a couple of porn magazines. Already too much for my thirteen year old eyes. They both giggle and practically run into the bedroom.

***

I can hear them. The bed squeaking, the euphoric screams. It just makes me sick. Sex is everywhere I look in this place. Porn magazines on the floor. Used condoms scatter the floor, T.V and just about everywhere. I don't even want to look at the T.V, afraid of what I might see Mom and Dad doing. Well, at least they're not fighting, that makes a change.

These knots are so tight. I try and wiggle my hands to untie them but I’m just making it worse. I hope the police find me soon, there’s no heating system so it’s very cold. Not to self; never wear tank tops, you may get kidnapped. I glance at the T.V screen, the camera has switched to Mom and Dad’s bedroom now, they’re both in bed, talking. Not arguing. Is this because of me? Man! I should get kidnapped more often. I can hear a door open, I look towards the bedroom and Angel is walking out, naked! I turn my head away and grimace. I’ve already seen too much, I don’t need [i]that[/i] giving me nightmares as well. I turn my attention back to the screen, making it look like I didn’t see anything, but he’s getting too smart for me. He stalks over to me, still naked and kneels in front of me. What the fuck is he doing!

“Hello Katy.” He says with a smirk. I smirk back but I know I made the wrong move. He smacks me across the face, right where he drew the knife earlier. I cry out in pain, I’ve given up acting brave, it doesn’t help. Then he does something weird, he moves behind me and unties my hands. My feet are still tied, so I still can’t escape. I move my hands about, my right hand has a cramp in it and I shake it off. He smiles at me again. I unconsciously look down, and straight away wish I hadn’t. Staring back at me was his erect penis. I really wanna be sick now. He looks at me again.

“You really don’t look thirteen you know.” He says to me. I get told that a lot. People say I look more like a sixteen-year-old than a thirteen-year-old.

“How old do I look?” I say. I don’t know why.

“Older.” He says simply, and brings his hands up to my breast. I quickly retaliate and dig my fingernails into the backs of his hands. He let’s out a cry of pain and slaps me again.

“Now, where was I? Ah.” He takes his hands and starts to touch my breasts. I don’t stop him this time, afraid he’ll do something else, something worse than just hit me.

“Has anyone ever told you, you’re incredibly sexy.” He says. I thought he was a rapist, but I never thought he was this sick.

“No.” I say.

“Well they should’ve.” He starts to touch himself now. I feel dirty. How can a man, just two years younger than my father, have feelings like this for me. He moves to kiss my lips but I hit him, hard, round the face. I regret it immediately because he picks up his knife off the floor (when did that get there?) and slices the other side of my face. I howl in agony as he does it twice more.

“When they find you, they’ll never recognise you. Your face will be so mauled and disfigured that they’ll be weeks identifying you.” He says and chuckles. He takes his knife again and grabs my right arm, he starts to slice into that. I’m crying now, howling in pain. I bring myself to look at what he’s doing. He’s carving letters into my arm. A…N…G…E…L. He’s written his fucking name in my arm!

“Now I’ll be with you forever.” He screams and cackles. Just then, Ms Hafer walks into the room.

“What’s all this racket?” She asks in a thick, British accent.

“Nothing Dru honey, go back to bed.” Angel says… wait…what did he just say. Dru, as in Drusilla.

“Drusilla?” I ask. She stares at me wide eyed. Drusilla, the woman that made my father’s life hell. Here, living so close by, all along.

Fuck.

“Drusilla?” I say again in disbelief. My mouth is wide open now. I can’t believe this, crazy Drusilla, my Dad’s high school sweetheart, back here for revenge? And I didn’t even know it was her. How could I not? Dad’s described her enough times in case I ever see her around, but I’ve never actually [i]seen[/i] her. Mom and Dad burned all her photographs when I was a baby, along with Angel’s. But there was one that got away and I kept it, thinking he was quite handsome, until my mother caught me with it and explained why she didn’t want his face anywhere near our house again. I shut my mouth now, Drusilla and Angel are cackling like witches who have just turned someone into a toad, Drusilla looks at me.

“Yes dear. It’s Drusilla. Daddy’s first love taking revenge on him once again. This is going to be so much fun!”

“You don’t sound as crazy as Dad says you were.” I say in a hard voice. She giggles again and looks straight at me.

“That’s what three years in a mental ward does to you. Makes you go all funny.” She’s smiling again. This can’t be good. She looks over at a still naked and fully aroused Angel and beckons him to her. He goes over to her and kisses her hard on the lips. I look away and feel like I’m going to throw up. Again. My hands are still free but I daren’t try and undo the ropes tied to my feet, in case they try and do something even worse to me than they’ve already done. Angel walks back over to me, Drusilla on his arm. They both kneel in front of me and smile at each other. Drusilla brings her hand up to touch my face and I flinch. She gives a small chuckle and brings her hand back. The next thing I know there’s a searing pain in my other cheek. She’s dug one of her long, painted red nails into my skin and is slowly sliding it down my face.

“You’re just like your mother. Stubborn she is, never shows her true emotions. I bet you just want to scream now don’t you?” Angel says to me.

“Go to hell.” I say through clenched teeth. He laughs, stands up and strikes me round the face with his hand, reopening the wound he inflicted before. I still don’t scream… or cry. I just sit there, hands by my sides, legs tied to the chair. Drusilla looks at my arm with ‘Angel’ carved into it and smiles, like she has an idea. She takes my other arm and looks at it for a moment before resting it on the arm of the chair. She holds up one sharp red nail and brings it down to my arm. The pain she’s inflicting is unbearable but I still stay strong. D…R…U…S…I…L…L…A. Another name to match my other arm. She brings my arm up to her mouth and she laps up the blood from my wound. Dad always said she was a vampire wannabe but I didn’t think he meant [i]this[/i] much. Angel watches with great amazement as she does this then looks again at me. Drusilla stops licking my arms and sits down in the chair next to mine. Angel stands up, right in front of me, his erection just centimetres away from my face. He stands still for a moment, as if he wants me to see the pleasure he’s getting from hurting me. He walks over to another chair and drags it over and sits on it, so he’s facing me.

“Have your parents ever talked to you about sex before Katy?” He asks me.

“Yes.” I say simply, confused at where he’s going with this.

“Have you ever had sex?” He asks quite calmly.

“What kind of question is th….”

“Just answer the question Katelyn.”

“No, I haven’t.” I say. Angel looks at me, almost as if he’s… disappointed? Then it dawned on me… he wants to have sex, with ME! “What exactly do you want from me?” I ask.

“I don’t know yet.” He says. I feel somewhat relieved, maybe he doesn’t want sex after all. He brings his hand down towards his crotch and starts playing with himself, masturbating, thinking about me.

“You’re sick.” I mumble.

“What did you just say?” He asks me, he looks angry now.

“YOU’RE SICK!!” I shout at the top of my lungs. He gets up and picks up the knife again. He comes over to me and slashes me twice across the face.

“Bloody hell!” I scream. Drusilla gasps and Angel laughs.

“Just like her father.” They say in unison, as if it were a compliment. They both laugh. I just sit there, tears forming behind my eyes threatening to fall, but I don’t let them. Angel and Drusilla walk away, both laughing and giggling, I turn my attention back to the T.V screen. That’s when I notice the light shining through the windows. It must be about 7 o’ clock, eight maybe?

Mom’s sitting downstairs by the phone, head in her hands and my Dad’s arm around her. He looks like he wants to cry again. So do I, so I do. I cry so hard, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop. I can’t feel my arms any more, let alone move them. Angel’s name on one in messy, squareish writing and Drusilla’s name on the other, in perfect loopy letters that would almost look perfect if it was written on paper. I really hope someone finds me soon, I can’t sand so see my parents in so much pain.

Just then, the phone rings, at my house. It rings once when Mom picks it up, a hopeful look on her face.

“Hello?” She says. Someone talks on the other line. Mom starts to cry again and my waterworks keep coming too. She says thanks and puts the phone down.

“What’s wrong?” my Dad says.

“That was Mercedes and Rachel. Ms Hafer’s gone missing.” Mom says. Dad looks at her as if to say ‘What the fuck has that got to do with Katy?’ Mom sees this and answers:

“She’s taken all the things Katy left there, all the pictures of Katy and Rachel, everything.”

“That’s it! Fuck what the police say, I’m going to look for my daughter, and if I find Ms Hafer first, then, I really will do something I regret.” Dad answers.

“What’s to say that Hafer’s got Katy anyway? It could just be a coincidence.” Mom says, knowing that she’s not talking my Dad out of this. “You don’t even know what she looks like.”

Dad thinks for a moment before saying “Where’s Kate’s photo album?” Mom rushes upstairs to retrieve it, please say they click on about Drusilla!

Mom and Dad are flicking through the album now, they’re near the back, right near the photograph of me and Rachel’s family. I think Dad found the picture, he just stares at the page, wide eyed, anger showing on his face.

“DRUSILLA!” He growls. “Right under our fucking noses all the fucking time. How the hell could we not know about this?” Dad gets up and runs out the door, Mom trailing after him.

“I’m gonna fucking kill that woman!”

“I’m gonna fucking kill that woman!” Dad shouts. Mom grabs her coat which houses one of Angel’s miniature cameras and stalks after him. Dad breaks into a run and Mom pulls his coat to slow him.

“We don’t actually know that it’s Drusilla that’s got her.” Mom says, trying to pull Dad back to the house.

“Katy’s missing, Drusilla’s missing and so is Angel. Put two and two together and what do you get Buffy? Hmm? I’m not gonna sit around in that house and wait for the police to come when they’re probably sitting in their car somewhere eating dounuts or whatever it is this country’s coppers do, if we’re going to get her back we need to do it ourselves!”

“You think Angel’s involved?” Mom says, fear in her eyes at having mentioning that shit’s name.

“Well, if we put two and two together then it’s obvious.” Dad retorted.

“Angel? How could he be involved? He promised he’d never hurt me again.”

“Oh, come on Goldilocks! Of course he’s capable of doing this, he tried to rape you didn’t he?!”

“I know, I was there y’know.”

“I’m sorry baby, it’s just, Katelyn means the world to me and if I ever lost her I… we just need to find her.”

“I know. Where could they be anyway? There’s no hiding places in this town.”

“There’s an abandoned building just down the street, we could try there.” Dad says. I violently nod my head.

“He wouldn’t keep her so close, it’s not his style.” Mom says.

“Yes it is, I’m in that building come in and save me!” I shout at the screen.

“Well it’s worth a try.” My Dad says. Mom nods and walks to the building that I’m captured in. They stand there for a minute and look at it before my Dad goes up to the door. He twists at the nob and finds that it’s locked.

“It’s a burned building. They don’t usually keep them locked in Beverly Hills.” Dad wonders. He looks up at the window and sees that a light is on. Angel and Drusilla are still in the bedroom, and haven’t clicked on to the fact that there are two people standing outside, two very dangerous people, both blackbelts in martial arts. Dad takes about strides back and runs to the door. He kicks it down with one powerful kick and walks inside, Mom following. Angel and Drusilla run into the main room of the apartment, half naked and shouting. Dad’s at the door now, he’s knocking, why would he knock?

“I know you’re in there Angel, come out with my daughter and you won’t get hurt.

“Dad! Dad! I’m in here please come help mm….” Angel’s got one strong hand around my mouth and pulls something out the back pocket of his unfastened jeans. He presses it to my head, I think it’s a gun.

“Katy! Angel you bastard and you Drusilla! Listen to me. Come out with my daughter and I won’t tell the police about this.” Dad says calmly.

“I’ve got a gun Spike, try and get in this apartment and your precious daughter won’t see the light of day again.” Angel threatens. I can hear Mom and Dad talking outside but I don’t know what they are saying.

“What do you want Angel?” Mom shouts through the door.

“Well, let me think… You away from Captain Peroxide, this little whore killed and a nice big house in Hollywood owned by you and me.” Angel says and smirks.

“I’ll do anything Angel, just let me have my daughter back.” Mom pleads.

“One night.”

“One night?”

“With you.” Angel says. I can hear Dad talking to Mom, they’re arguing again.

“No.” Mom says calmly.

“Say goodbye to your daughter then.” Angel takes the safety off the gun and Mom and Dad can hear it click.

“Are you going to change your mind?” Angel says.

“Alright.” Mom says not to fondly. I can hear Dad punch a wall outside. “And I get Katy back in the morning?”

“And you get Katy back in the morning.”

“OK.” Angel smirks and starts telling me the things he’s gonna do with my mother, in the room right next to me, and maybe in just a few minutes! Angel walks over to the door and takes off the lock. He lets Mom in and my Dad just stays there. He winks at me but Angel doesn’t see. I smile to myself and look at my Mom. Mom gives me a scared smile and mouths something. I don’t know what she’s saying, I’m too gobsmacked that my mother said yes to spending a night with Angel. Drusilla smiles at them both and Mom and Angel walk into his bedroom.

“Keep an eye on her Dru, and if he tries to get in…” Angel hands her the gun and she smiles at him. The door locks behind Mom and Angel and I’m left with Drusilla. I can’t hear Dad’s breathing any more. I think he’s gone to get someone.

“Let’s play a little game shall we, let’s see how long I can touch you with my nails without screaming.” She stalks over to me and runs a nail across my wounds. She moves to a part of my skin that hasn’t been touched and runs her nail down it. I scream, loud, hoping that when I scream the game’s over. But it doesn’t look like it is, she carries on running her nails along my face, drawing blood each time.

All of a sudden, there’s a loud bang on the door, Drusilla reaches to grab the gun when the door’s kicked down. Standing there is my Dad and five police officers. Drusilla starts firing the gun and Angel runs out of the room with a tied up Mother of mine. He throws her over near to me and the police run for him. One grabs Drusilla’s arm and the gun flies out of her hand, right next to my feet. Angel starts beating up the police, he’s got two unconscious already. Gives me time to get out of these loose knots. The ones on my hands are easy to undo and they come off first, I then start on my feet. I stand up when all the knots are untied and kick the rope away from me. I pick up the gun and hide it from view. All the police are down now, Angel’s been shot in the shoulder but that doesn’t seem to hold him back. The only tow people standing now are Angel and Dad.

“Comes down to this.” Angel says.

“Leave right now and I won’t run after you.” Dad says.

“Last time you said that I had a room full of police.” Angel lunges at my Dad and begins to punch. Dad punches back but I think Angel is stronger. I take the gun out from under my shirt and aim. I know this is wrong but my hands don’t seem to care. I close my eyes and fire the gun. Angel stands there, a shocked expression on his face. There’s a little hole in his back where the bullet pierced him.

“Fuck.” Angel says before tumbling to the ground. Dad looks at me for a minute, gun still in my hand and manages a weak smile. He runs over to me and hugs me tight, like he always used to. Mom moans through her gag. Dad and I help untie her and, the bleeding body on the floor forgotten, we walk out of the apartment. Police and paramedics are rushing up the stairs to attend to Angel. Drusilla is nowhere in sight, it won’t be long before they find her too. As we walk down the stairs, Mom, Dad and me, we hear a police officer in the distance.

“Liam O’Connor, you are under arrest for kidnap and attepted rape. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say may be given in evidence, which you may later rely on in court.”

The sound is music to our ears.

Epilogue


They're arguing again. Mom and Dad. They never stop. They’re arguing about who gets to name the new baby that was conceived eight months ago. They’re sitting y the pool, arguing one minute, kissing the next. I wish they’d do that when my fourteen-year-old eyes aren’t there to look at them.

I look much better now, I’ve put on some weight, my scars have healed, except the ones on my arms where you can faintly see “Angel” and “Drusilla” carved in there, but they’re slowly fading. They found Drusilla, about a month after they arrested Angel, was found buying cocaine off a man on Melrose. Stupid really. But funny at the same time. Rachel ended up in foster care next door so she’s always round here, it was for the better, and she hates her Mom now. I've started seeing Mark, he's a really great guy when you get to know him. We'll be starting high school in the fall and their family are planning to vacation with mine this Christmas. We've all come a long way since "the incident" and I'm partly glad it happened because it brought my broken family back together.

Angel and Drusilla have been put away for the long haul, no chance of them getting out anytime soon. And as for me shooting Angel, not really something I like to talk about, but I got into no trouble over it, it was classed as self defense as he had me tied up in his house for five days straight. I even got thanked by a police officer.

As for Mom, she didn't have sex with Angel, the police got there just in time and she didn't have to go through with it. Dad had a few nicks and scrapes from his punch up with Angel but nothing too serious, Angel came off worse. Was in hospital for three months before he was put in prison, he's in the mental part of it now. I don't think it's helping but at least he can't hurt anyone in there now.

Dad touches Mom's stomach affectionately as he feels the baby kick for the seventh time in five minutes.

"He's gonna be a right bruiser, just like his Dad." I can hear Dad say. Mark and Rachel come up behind me and look at them.

We're like a fairytale out family.

And we all lived Happily Ever After.



Thank you to all the wonderful people who reviewed this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you to Joss Whedon for creating Buffy the Vampire SlayerÔ and all it's characters, and for giving us eight blissful years of viewing pleasure. Remember, I do not own BtVS (though I really wouldn't mind having Spike) Joss does, god bless him!

Rachel_13