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Rescue and Sacrifice	By : QueenC Category: AtS/BtVS Crossovers > Het - Male/Female > Connor/Dawn Views: 2677 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own AtS or BtVS. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Title: Rescue and Sacrifice (8/?)

Author: QueenC

Rating: R

Pairings: Dawn/Connor; Angel/Cordelia; Buffy/Spike

Disclaimer: Joss owns all. All hail Joss.

Spoilers: Anything and everything is fair game.

Summary: Willing to do anything to get his son back, Angel enlists the help of an unlikely candidate.

Author's Notes: Ok, this story has been rattling around in my brain since halfway through 'Common Ground'. This story is slightly AU. Basically, Dawn discovered that she could use her Key powers early on, and has been working with Tara to perfect her skills and Groo never showed up at AI. Also, Buffy isn't quite as hostile to Spike. In fact, they have a tentative friendship. I think those are about the only major changes. And, as in all my stories, Angel is Spike's sire because I simply refuse to believe anything else. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in 's are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^'s are flashbacks.

******

LA

"I still think this is a bad idea," Lindsey muttered, staring petulantly at Wesley.

The former Watcher sighed, turning his attention from the briefcase he was currently sorting through, his eyes landing on the practically pouting young man seated on his couch. "Well, then I would thinkwas was wise of me *not* to ask your opinion on this matter," he replied.

The one-time lawyer bit back a scathing remark, instead rising to his feet and peering at the documents that had just been taken from the satchel. Glancing over them, he raised his head, an amused smile on his face. "Last will and testament?" he mused. "Really, Wesley, I didn't think you had anyone left to leave your belongings to." Ignoring the indignant expression on the other man's face, he quickly skimmed over the contents. "You hereby bequeath everything to Cordelia Chase, Charles Gunn, and Winifred Burkle? What happened to your dear friend Angel?"

Wesley sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose in sheer frustration. Suddenly, the English man began to understand Giles' need to constantly clean his glasses. Aloud, he calmly answered, "Well, seeing as how Angel has been dead for well over two centuries, I believe it would be a bit difficult to leave him anything in a legally binding contract. Of course, as a member of the legal profession, I was certain that you would have already known that."

Lindsey opened his mouth, then closed it with a snap. Finally, he muttered, "Yeah, well, even if he *were* alive, I doubt he'd accept anything of *yours*."

The self-proclaimed rogue demon hunter laughed softly. "Is that the best barb you can manage, Lindsey? Really, I'm insulted. To think that someone with your less than stellar intellect managed to cause us so much trouble for so long is really quite depressing." That being said, he began rummaging through another stack of papers, placing a few of them in the now-empty briefcase. Once he was convinced that he had everything he needed to accurately appear as if he were going for an interview, he closed the satchel and glanced at the clock. "Well, we really must be going. Are you certain that you fully understand the plan? Shall I write it down for you?" he asked.

The young man glared at the smug tone, his eyes shooting daggers at him. "No," he said sharply. "That won't be necessary. I think I pretty much get it. We show up, make our move, and die slowly and painfully."

This time when Wesley spoke, all of the humor and casual bantering was gone from his voice. "One could only hope," he responded. Then, he exited his apartment, Lindsey following behind him.

Their ride to Wolfram and Hart was pleasantly silent. Both men were too busy mentally working out any kinks in their strategy to bother insulting one another. However, the closer they got to their destination, the more Lindsey began fidgeting nervously in his seat. Finally, Wesley was unable to take it anymore.

"Would you *please* stop with that jerking about? It's quite distracting," he said.

Lindsey rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm *so* sorry, Wesley. Please, don't let my pre-death jitters interfere with your so-called driving," he snapped. Seeing the slightly shocked look on the other man's face, he sighed. "I'm sorry. That was rude. You aren't *that* bad of a driver," he amended.

"I should say not. I'll have you know that I happen to have a spotless record," the English man replied. Then, he pulled his SUV into a parking space nearly a block away from their destination. Cutting off the engine, he glanced sideways at his former foe. "Well, I do believe we have a book to acquire."

Lindsey nodded, opening his door. However, before the gap was wide enough for him to exit through, there was the sound of metal striking concrete and the door came swinging back towards him. "Oh yeah," he said dryly, "You're a *great* driver. I'm jealous, really."

Flushing slightly, Wesley motioned him to come out on his side. "Yes, well, these parking spaces are hardly large enough to accommodate a vehicle of this size," he defended, briskly heading down the street.

The former lawyer nodded in mock understanding, following closely, holding the briefcase tightly. A few moments later, they reached the looming building of Wolfram and Hart. The one time employee paused in front of the sign, staring up at the place where his career had both started and ended. Swallowing heavily for forced aside any anxiety he was feeling, easily slipping into a calm fa�ade. Then, he waited for his cue.

Wesley walked up to the entrance, preying silently that Lindsey was following his instructions and out of sight. Quickly, he attempted to get control over his raging emotions. Suddenly, the doors opened and Lilah stepped out, a pleasant smile on her face, and the English man knew that there was no going back.

"Wesley! So nice of you to come! I was beginning to think that you had changed your mind!" she greeted him, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

"I assure you, Lilah, I was not about to pass up this opportunity," he answered calmly.

"Of course not. How silly of me, I should have known," she paused, studying his face. Shrugging, her smile grew wider. "Well, let's get to it, shall we?" She then turned, heading back inside the building. However, when she realized that her guest wasn't following, she stopped, frowning. "Is something wrong?" she asked, glancing back at him.

The former Watcher nodded, impressed with his ability to maintain a calm exterior when all he really wanted to do was run very far away as quickly as his legs would carry him. "It's not really a problem, per se, Ms. Morgan. At least, not *my* problem," he began, locking eyes with her. Suddenly, he wished he had brought a camera. Cordelia would have loved to have a picture of this. Focusing, he continued. "You see, I gave a great deal of thought to our previous meeting, and I came to a realization."

"And what would that be?" Lilah asked warily.

A small smile filled his face. "I know very little about the law," he replied.

The woman exhaled, clearly relieved. "Is that all? Oh, that's not a problem at all! We aren't looking to hire you for your legal expertise!" she laughed.

"That wasn't the point I was trying to make," he said flatly. Once he was certain that she was once again paying attention, he added, "No, *my* concern is this. This law firm is known for its talented attorneys. You only hire the best of the best. And, seeing as how the very same legal terms that are foreign to me are like a second language to you, I thought it would be wise if I were to bring my own legal dictionary, as it were. Someone who is just as equipped at reading the contracts you wish for me to sign as you are."

Lilah didn't know whether he was joking or not. How, so, something told her that he was being serious. "You brought your attorney?" she asked incredulously.

Wesley shrugged. "I guess you could say that. I gave him some money for assisting me. If one wanted, they could see that as a retainer," he replied nonchalantly.

She looked around, not spotting anyone. "All right. Well, where is he?" she wondered.

The former Watcher smiled, his eyes locked on her as he called, "You can come out now."

Smiling broadly, Lindsey stepped into the light, laughing softly at the ashen expression of his former colleague. "Hello, Lilah. Miss me?" he asked.

******

Sunnydale

Tara stared at the man standing before her, her face blank. "Whistler?" she repeated.

The human-looking demon nodded. "Yeah, Whistler. As in employee of the Powers That Be? The guide who helped Angel get his act together? The one who told Buffy how to close Acathla?" seeing the lack of comprehension, he sighed. "Jeez, don't you guys ever *communicate*? I mean, would it have been *that* difficult for the Slayer to mention that *I* was the one who helped her save the world?" he exclaimed.

The blonde studied him, an amused expression on her face. "Thankless job?" she questioned softly.

"Now *there's* an understatement! I spend all my time running around helping people, and what do I get in return? Threatened with bodily harm and forgotten about when thanks are in order!" he replied. Slowly, he began to calm down, realizing that he was getting sidetracked. "Anyway. About why you're here..." he trailed off suddenly, glancing towards the ceiling. "Well, would you look at that? Looks like *someone* is finally *asking* for me!"

He faced the young woman, shrugging. "Sorry, I really need to take this call," he apologized.

Tara's eyes widened. "What? Wait! You can't just leave me here without an explanation!" she argued.

Whistler was about to disagree when he realized she was right. "Ok, fine. I guess I'll have to find someone else to explain." A smile broke across his face as he thought of the perfect candidate. "Wait right here. I'll be back," he stated, disappearing.

The blonde stared at the place where he had just been, sighing. "Like I could really leave," she muttered. A second later, she heard his voice.

"Miss me?"

She jumped, looking across the room at the badly dressed demon. "Honestly?" she asked.

He smiled, shaking his head. "Never mind. I like you. There's no reason to ruin that with honesty," he answered. Then, his grin widened. "Ok, I found someone who can explain everything to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just be going." That being said, he was gone, leaving behind a young man who appeared just as nervous as Tara did.

"Well, he's certainly a barrel of fun," the man said softly.

Tara nodded, amazed to find herself instantly relaxing. There was something about him that just screamed trust. Hesitantly, she questioned, "Irish?"

He frowned for a second, before he realized what she meant. "Ah. I'd almost forgotten about that. Not a lot of talking on the other side," he responded, nodding. "Yeah. I was born in Ireland." Crossing the room, he held out his hand. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Doyle. And, it looks like I'll be your companion until this is all over."

******

Sunnydale

For the first few minutes, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Buffy was aware of Cordelia trying to pull her to her feet. She could hear Willow's cries and see Gunn holding a sobbing Fred in his arms. However, the Slayer seemed incapable of doing anything except staring in abject horror at the spot where her sister had just been. Then, just as suddenly as the scenery had slowed down, everything came rushing back and she was on her feet and running to the center of the room.

"No!" she sobbed, falling to her knees beside the scorch marks.od, od, please, no!" They were gone. Dawn, Spike, Angel. Even Dru. They were all gone.

Slowly, Willow approached her best friend. She wrapped her arms around the trembling blonde, burying her face in her neck. "It's ok, Buffy. We'll get her back. It'll be ok. You'll see," the redhead soothed.

Cordelia watched the interaction with tears in her eyes. Numbly, she walked over to what remained of the crew of Angel Investigations, forcing herself to remain strong, if only for them. "Is anyone injured?" she asked quietly.

Lorne shook his head, forcing a small smile. "I don't think so, sweetie. At least, not in anyway that can be fixed with antiseptic and bandages," he replied.

The Seer nodded in understanding, gently placing a hand on Gunn's shoulder. The young man looked up at her, his face so full of helplessness that it nearly broke her heart. She knew that she should be feeling the same kind of loss that he was feeling. However, she couldn't seem to force her brain to comprehend what had happened.

After a moment, Buffy composed herself, slowly standing back up. "Cordelia," she said, eyeing the brunette.

The former May Queen turned around, looking at her. "Yes?"

The Slayer took a deep breath, forcing the tears away. "We need to find out what happened. Where they are."

Cordelia nodded in agreement. "Well, I would normally suggest going to see the Oracles. But, seeing as how they were both killed, that's not really an option," she sighed, running a shaky hand through her hair. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide, an idea beginning to form. "Of course, who says that we need the Oracles when we have someone who can talk to the Powers themselves?" she exclaimed.

Willow gasped. "Someone whose talked to the Powers? Really? That's just...wow!" she murmured.

Slowly, the Seer glanced at Lorne. "Yeah, it is. Pretty wow," she said, eyeing the green demon.

The Host shook his head, taking a step away. "No! No way, Princess. I'm just as upset about what happened here as the rest of you. But, I'm not about to face them again, not after last time."

Buffy frowned. "What happened last time?" she questioned.

"I can't talk about it," Lorne answered quickly, cringing as the memories of the ill-fated visit came rushing back to him.

The blonde narrowed her eyes, her temper flaring. "Damn it, you *are* going to tell me! Now, maybe you refuse to go see them, but that doesn't mean *I* won't. However, in order for me to do that, I have to know what to expect!" she snapped.

The demon sighed, shaking his head. "You don't understand, honey. I *can't* talk about it," he emphasized. "As in, they did a spell, making it impossible for me to ever speak about what happened."

The Slayer gasped, speechless. Suddenly, despair filled her. "Then what am I supposed to do?" she asked in a small voice. "My sister is lost somewhere out there, scared and injured and there's nothing I can do to help her."

Cordelia sighed, her tears finally falling. "At least she isn't alone," she whispered painfully.

******

Quortoth

The first thing Angel was aware of how much his head hurt. It literally felt as if it was going to cause his head to explode. The second thing that he realized was that he was hot. Extremely hot. As in 'I haven't felt this type of heat since Hell' hot. Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes, dreading what he might see.

Darkness was all that greeted him. No moon, no stars, nothing; just black, with a few streaks of red. Forcing away the confusion and panic he was feeling, he reached out with his senses, trying to determine who, or what, was around him. He could hear a heartbeat and smell fear. Then, the bonds of his childer hit him full force. Quickly, he sat up, his eyes easily adjusting to the darkness. Sure enough, Spike and Dru were lying unconscious on the ground, with Dawn sitting just a few feet away, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.

"Dawn?" he asked hoarsely.

With wide eyes, the teenager lifted her head, her gaze locking on the vampire. "Angel?" she whimpered, tears running down her face. Slowly, she rose to her feet, hesitantly walking to him. Once she realized that it was really him, she let out a small sob, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Angel swallowed, awkwardly returning the embrace. He could feel her body shaking with sobs and smell her tears as they wetted the front of his shirt. "Shh," he whispered not sure what to do. "It's ok."

Finally, Dawn pulled back, her blue eyes wide. "You guys have been out for hours," she said softly. "I was so afraid that you were hurt. And, with the whole no breathing thing, I didn't know what to do."

The vampire forced a small smile. "I'm fine, see? And, I'm sure Spike and Dru are all right, as well."

"Speak for yourself, you bloody Poof," a British voice mumbled.

Dawn pulled away from Angel, squealing in happiness when she saw Spike sitting up. Quickly, she rushed at him, knocking him backwards as she launched herself into his arms. "Spike, you're ok!" she exclaimed, hugging him fiercely.

Spike grunted as he fell on his back, hugging the girl back. He smiled with a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment. "S'ok, Niblet. You should know it takes more than that to do me in," he replied. , he, he sat up, looking over the top of her head to his Sire. "Well, Peaches, I've got to hand it to you. You managed to take a perfectly good plan and screw it up."

Drusilla opened her eyes, fixing the blonde with a dark glare. "It isn't Daddy's fault, my Spike. We were meant to be here. Everything is as it should be," she said softly, sitting up.

Angel smiled gratefully at his elder childe, then shook his head, not believing he was about to thank the vampiress. "Ok. I think the first thing we need to do is find out where we are. Then we can figure out how to get back," he suggested.

Dawn suddenly raised her head, turning to look at the others. "Connor!" she cried. Seeing the painful look that crossed the souled vampire's face, she explained, "I saw him! In fact, he's probably not far from here."

The former Scourge of Europe sighed unnecessarily, running a hand through his hair to hide the pain he felt at the thought of his son. "Dawn," he said gently, "You were stuck in a dream. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real."

The teenager shook her head, jumping to her feet. "You're wrong!" she argued. "It *was* real! I *met* Connor! Except, he goes by Stephen now. But, it was him, Angel! And Holtz, too! And, they were here!" Seeing his confused look, she rolled her eyes. "Don't you *get* it? We're *in* Quortoth!"

******
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Rescue and Sacrifice