Abducted!



Buffy relaxed in her lover’s arms; taking comfort in the feel of his arms around her, his mouth on her skin. She was grateful for his presence, she didn’t know if she would have gotten through this hellish night if he hadn’t been with her, then told herself that she was being silly. She was a Slayer; of course she’d get through it, with or without him. Though, having him there somehow made it easier to handle. That was something her mother had never understood, Buffy’s bond with Angelus. Joyce had never really approved of her Angel, but, then again, she’d never really approved of any man. At least not since Dawn and Buffy’s father had sailed off to parts unknown … with his mistress at his side … and all of his family’s money. Dawn hadn’t even been a year old then.

“Where are your thoughts, lover?”

Angelus’ voice drew her back to the present and she shrugged, letting her gaze wander. She spotted the upper class woman who had been pursued by the green orb, she had apparently fainted from the sheer terror of her ordeal and Buffy had to shake her head again, and be glad that she was a Slayer. She’d hate to be that afraid of something so trivial. Ignoring the still woman her eyes continued on their journey around the port.

Angelus was letting his hands wander, wondering when Buffy would decide to call off the search. He hoped that it would be soon, but having been with her for nearly three years, he knew it would be the opposite. As a Slayer, Buffy was very good at what she did. That she’d made it to twenty-one was a testament to her skill. She had been eighteen when Angelus had first met her, battling nine vampires (not to mention the three or four she’d already dusted) behind the Sunnydale Arms, the seaside pub he’d frequented when first arriving on the small island. The fight had been in her favor the entire time and she hadn’t stopped running her mouth until the last vamp’s dusty remains lay at her feet.

Angelus had decided then and there that this spitfire of a Slayer would be his. His original plan had been to break her and kill her, but, over time, that plan had changed. Now, three years later, he had her body, her heart, and most importantly, he had her trust. But speaking of bodies, his own had some ideas about what to do with hers and he pressed against her only to have her pull away so suddenly Angelus had to do some less than graceful stumbling to avoid a face full of sand. Quickly regaining his balance he watched Buffy jog toward on of the buildings before catching sight of the reason and realizing what she’d gasped before running off.

‘Clem.’

If Dawn was anywhere on this miserable rock, she’d be with the demon her mother had trusted so much … but the girl wasn’t with him. Angelus jogged over to the pair as Clem collapsed into Buffy’s arms. She gently lowered him to the ground, taking in his various bruises and the gash on his head and trying to decipher what he was muttering.

“My fault … took Dawn … never should have trusted …”

“Trusted who?” Buffy asked as she cradled the big demon’s shoulders in her lap.

“The governor’s brat,” he growled, and then promptly passed out.

Buffy’s blood ran cold. Ripper had her sister.

“Angel,” she called, unable to keep the panic out of her voice. She saw him disappear around the corner of a building as a small group of her crew was returning.

“Go with him,” she demanded.

The group immediately turned and followed after Angelus as Buffy hoisted Clem’s bulk and carried him to the beached boat.




Angelus raced through the town, the small pack of demons keeping pace behind him. The smell of fear was thick in the air, filling him with a savage joy that threatened to distract him from the hunt. Pausing, he sniffed the air, searching for a hint of the Ripper. He’d had a run in with the man several years ago when Giles was nearly mad with grief over the loss of his wife. Even that close to the brink the human had been a skilled swordsman and he and Angelus had bled each other. Only by setting his own ship aflame had Angelus escaped, and, if Ripper’s child was anything like the man he’d met those years ago, this voyage might not be a complete waste of time after all. The vampire hadn’t loosed his full creativity for quite some time.

There, the clang of steel and the faint feel of magic. He knew the flavor of Willow’s magic and this wasn’t it, more of an herbal scent than the red head’s berries. But there was also another smell on the air, one he knew all too well.

“Ripper.”





William and Tara were almost to
the fort when the attack came. The group of three pirates appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path and surrounding the two. The biggest of the group, who stood close to seven feet tall and whose arms were as big around as one of William’s thighs, was the first to speak.

“You small like Dawn,” he growled, pointing at William.

The giant grabbed the front of the human’s shirt with astonishing speed and lifted William off of his feet.

“Where is she!” the man bellowed.

William struggled to free himself from the man’s grasp as the other two pirates grabbed Tara, their hands immediately beginning to wander over her thinly-clad form.

“No!” William shouted. “Don’t touch her!”

The two only laughed, one telling the frightened woman to ‘scream louder’ as the giant turned William to face him.

“Where is Dawn Summers!” he demanded again. “Where!”

Then, his face changed. Ridges appeared over his green eyes which soon turned yellow … just like the woman in the tunnels. William was partially frozen by the remember terror of that day as the man opened his mouth to roar again, revealing razor sharp fangs. Tara screamed again.

“I don’t know!” William shouted at the man, then drew back his arm and buried his great-great-grandfather’s sword to the hilt in the man’s abdomen.

Stunned, the giant dropped him to clutch at his wound and the hilt protruding from his stomach. William whirled to help Tara when she suddenly shouted, “Burn!”

The two men holding her went up in flames and were quickly reduced to ash, leaving William to stare at his friend in awe. Tara began to blush at the close scrutiny, then her eyes widened and she pointed to the danger behind him.

“William, look out!”

He turned in time to receive a beefy fist to the side of his head.

“No!” she cried as her friend fell to the ground.

Tara stared up at the huge vampire as he pulled the Giles family sword out of his gut, and was about to utter the words that would reduce the giant to a pile of ash when she was grabbed from behind. One steely, not to mention green and scaled, arm gripped her waist as an equally green and clawed hand covered her mouth and a smooth voice hissed in her ear.

“None of that, now, Missy.”

Though Tara knew that it was useless, she still struggled in the demon’s arms. She was so tired of being manhandled tonight. At least this one wasn’t groping her. Finally giving up, she sucked in a breath through her nose and glared at the pirates surrounding her and William’s unconscious form.

“Nice work, Johnny,” a dark haired man proclaimed, coming up beside the giant vampire and clapping him on the back.

Johnny nodded in acknowledgement, then wavered the sword he’d pulled from his body between Tara and William.

“This one,” he pointed to Will. “Smells of Miss Dawn, but I don’t know the Ripper's scent. D’ye know which is Giles, Angelus?”

The dark haired vampire, Angelus, crouched beside William and sniffed at his neck. Tara jerked in her captor’s arms, drawing Angelus’ attention. He looked up from William, a strange smile on his face, and strolled over to her. He paused in front of her and drew in her scent as he looked her up and down. Tara shuddered at that look and tried to draw away from the vampire in front of her. A sadistic smile curved his full lips at her reaction to him.

“Bring ‘em both,” he told the others, then turned back toward the docks.