BAD ANGEL

A/N: I must say, after watching tonight's Buffy I am so not thrilled with Dawn right now but I will try not to let my feelings color this fic.


Part 9

Some time later Buffy sat on the bed. She was dressed in a pale blue chemise, the least revealing outfit in the chest. Her entire body ached from the abuse she endured that morning and her bruises only seemed to be getting more pronounced. She refused to look at herself in the mirror again to see how battered she was. She tried to keep moving to ward off some of the stiffness but now she ached too much to keep going. She needed to rest. Lying down, she subconsciously ran her hand through her hair and was abruptly reminded of her earlier rampage. Her nearly waist length hair was now barely touching her shoulders. She hadn’t worn it that short in years. Sighing, she knew it was going to take some getting used to but she didn’t care. She might not be able to run her hands through it anymore but neither could Angel. That was one less part of her that he could touch. One less part he could claim. It felt oddly liberating.
As she recalled her tantrum, she wondered how she missed the little scissors in the vanity when she first looked through it. And if there was anything else in there. Wincing, she slowly got up and walked back into the bathroom. She had to admit, the destruction was a little surprising. She’d never done anything like that before.
Scanning the wasteland of the formerly posh bathroom, she picked her way through the debris. She was looking for something she could use as a weapon or to pick the door lock with. Something. Anything. After looking feverishly for nearly twenty minutes all she could come up with were a few hairpins and the dull scissors. Slightly desperate, she grabbed the vanity seat and slammed it into the wall a few times, breaking off two of the legs. It wasn’t much but she was armed. She might not be able to kill but if she could manage to incapacitate either Angel or his men perhaps she could buy enough time to grab Dawn and escape.
Just as she was about to end her search, an object glittering in the corner caught her eye. Wondering what it was she approached and realized it was just light reflecting off the shard from the mirror that she was tempted to kill herself with. She grimaced at how close she came to doing it. She couldn’t imagine ending it that way and leaving Dawn to torment. For a long time she stared at it, the memory of what she almost did haunting her, the fact that she ever considered suicide unbelievable. Then, staring at the sharp edges she began to see it not for what she almost did but for what she could do. It was an opportunity. It was a weapon. Picking it up, she now scanned the room again, looking at the objects in new and useful ways. To be honest, there wasn’t much else but she did manage to find a few more pieces of the mirror to add to her arsenal.
Having now exhausted the resources in the bathroom, she took her search into the bedroom. She found that the only useful things were the chairs, the table and the television. She’d make use of them if she could. Carefully she stashed her weapons under the pillow, she couldn’t afford to let Angel or his men see them. She knew she was putting herself and Dawn in greater danger by trying to escape but she couldn’t do this anymore hoping to be rescued. She had to take the risk. It was up to her now and she needed a plan. As she sat, she played out various scenarios in her head. She would attack whoever came first, Angel or his men. If it were his men, she would attack the black guy first and then go for the one with the shoulder injury. If it were Angel, she’d wait until he was in bed with her, preferably going down on her before plunging the razor sharp shard into his neck.
She really hoped it would be Angel.

Faith and Detective Finn sat around the conference table with Giles, Gunn, Willow, Harris and Spike. They were mulling over the information she had just given them.
“So, you say this Cordelia is his girlfriend?” Giles was surprised by this new development.
“Yes, we’re both from Sunnydale and she and I went to high school together. Anyway, I saw her at the salon yesterday and she seemed fine. She was the same old Cordy. Then today she came to my store looking for me. She looked so scared. First I didn’t know what could frighten her like that but then she went on about those kidnappings in the news and how she saw her boyfriend screwing one of them. Anyway, once she calmed down she told me that he has them at his ranch and she gave me this information to give you.” She gestured to the notes Cordelia had made.
“This is certainly fortuitous. We can’t tell you how enormously helpful this is.” Giles was practically gushing with delight.
“Yes, thanks for coming in.” Gunn added. Then he asked, “Do you know what Cordelia was planning to do or where she was going after she saw you?” He hoped Cordelia planned to go into hiding or something.
“Um, no. She seemed kind of in a rush. She said some guy was following her and she couldn’t stay much longer. That was it.”
Giles and Gunn exchanged worried glances. “Faith, do you know how to contact Cordelia?”
“No, before seeing her at the salon it had been years since we talked. I think she didn’t want to leave any trace that we were in touch. You know like if I called her and her boyfriend found out or something.” Faith was also a little worried about her old friend. What Cordy said had her a little nervous about her own safety.
“Hmm, I’d feel better if we had a handle on her whereabouts.”
”I agree. Do you want to put your men on it, see if they can find her?” Giles suggested.
“Yeah, I think I’ll do that. Uh, Finn, would you please escort Ms. Evans back home and keep an eye on her until this is resolved. Maybe your partner can help. And um, please check the records to see if Cordelia owns a car, maybe the police can help track her down.” Gunn wanted to keep everyone as safe as possible.
“Sure, Parker and I can stand guard until this is over. And I’ll see what we can do about tracking Cordelia.” Riley was a little disappointed to be cut out of the action but he didn’t mind guarding Faith. She was a hottie.

A short while later, they thanked Faith again for helping and then she and Riley left.

Once they were alone, the group set out preparing for the rescue. For the security of the operation, Gunn and Giles agreed to postpone telling Hank and Joyce about Angelus until they had Buffy and Dawn. In fact, they also chose not to inform them that they were going in to rescue the girls. They didn’t want to get their hopes up before the girls were safely in FBI custody. Harris and two other agents would stay at the house with Hank and Joyce during the rescue. Once Buffy and Dawn were safe, Gunn would call Harris and he would then escort Joyce and Hank to a covert location away from the prying eyes of the media where they would be reunited with their children. The other two agents currently at the Summers’ home would now be reassigned to Cordelia.
After making the general arrangements, Gunn sent Harris to his post and requested two agents be sent back to Giles’ office to be reassigned. Then while Gunn called headquarters to obtain blueprints for Angelus’ ranch and more agents for the rescue, Spike and Giles pulled out all the surveillance equipment and weaponry that Spike would need for the operation. As they worked, Willow pulled up as much information on Cordelia Chase as she could find.


When Harris arrived at the Summers’ home, he immediately gathered the two agents that Gunn had requested for reassignment and sent them to Giles’ office. They were Agents Cameron Walker and Warren Meirs.

Angelus sat in his study listening to Luke’s report on Cordelia’s activities while he awaited Lindsey’s call. He was a little surprised when Lindsey called a while ago informing him that the feds were closing in. Now he was waiting for Lindsey to get back to him with a report from Meirs. As he waited, he scanned the list of stores that Cordelia had shopped in that day. Adam was now watching her. Looking at her activities there really wasn’t anything unusual to cause him alarm. The only thing of note was that she tried a new store, April Fools. But then she was always trying new stores so that wasn’t really anything to be concerned about.
Once Luke’s report was finished, Angelus went into his bedroom and packed a few items of clothing. As he collected his important documents, he called Lorne, instructing him to have his plane ready for take off in a few hours. There was no way he was going to prison. He’d die first. And because of that he had made most of his arrangements to leave the country before he even kidnapped Buffy and Dawn. He knew he would have to leave the country once they were free.
As Luke packed the luggage into the car, Angelus settled his affairs and made several calls to a few business associates. Now everything was in place to run his businesses from abroad. He was glad that he had maintained Ethan’s practice of keeping most of his assets out of the country and out of the reach of the federal government.


When Warren and Cameron arrived at Giles’ office, Gunn immediately passed them the information Willow had gathered on Cordelia. He then briefed them on the situation before sending them out to guard her. They were to go to her apartment and stay there either until she showed up or until they heard from him with further instruction.

As they headed out, Warren felt his cell phone vibrate.

Some time later, the eight additional agents Gunn requested arrived at Giles’ office with the blueprints for Angelus’ ranch. The group then set about devising the rescue strategy.

Buffy was anxiously sitting on the bed when Forrest and Graham delivered her dinner. For the first time she was disappointed that it wasn’t Angel. As usual, Forrest entered and carried the tray to the table while Graham silently remained blocking the doorway. As Forrest walked towards the table, she carefully slipped her hand under the pillow and grabbed the biggest piece of the shattered mirror. When his back was turned to her, she pounced, lodging the shard deep into his back. She struck him so hard that the sharp edges cut into her hand as she stabbed him. He gasped aloud before stumbling forward, supporting himself on the table while trying to dislodge the offending object from his back.
The moment she jumped onto Forrest, Graham charged towards her attempting to help his partner. But before he could grab her, she jumped away from Forrest and grabbed a chair. She swung it with all her strength, catching Graham across the torso. He stumbled backward, stunned by the force of the blow. As he stumbled, she hit him again, this time targeting his already injured shoulder. Falling to the floor, he howled in pain as he felt his shoulder dislocate. She then hit him across the head, completely dazing him.
Suddenly she felt a hand grip her shoulder. Spinning, she knocked Forrest with the chair and then viciously kicked him in the groin. As he sank to his knees in pain, she grabbed the television and threw it at his head. When he fell to the floor, she used the chair again to further incapacitate him as he still struggled to remove the shard in his back. Both down, she hastily searched them until she found a bunch of keys in Graham’s pocket. Turning swiftly, she grabbed the remaining weapons from under the pillow and bolted through the door frantically searching for Dawn.

Angel sat in his study, shocked, as he watched the entire scene unfold on the monitors. He couldn’t believe that Buffy could be so ruthless. He actually enjoyed watching her beat Forrest and Graham down. But once she sprinted through the door he knew it was time to quash her little revolt. He had to intervene.
Instructing Luke to check on Forrest and Graham, Angel grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his bedroom, a towel, and a small bottle of chloroform. He knew exactly where she was going. He intended to head her off.


Buffy frantically ran down the hallway clutching her weapons and the keys she nabbed from Graham. She was grasping the keys so tightly that they dug into the cuts in her hand but she was so focused that she didn’t feel any pain. She was trying to follow the directions that Dawn had given her during their last few visits. After taking a few wrong turns, she made her way down a hallway that looked very similar to what Dawn described. Counting the doors, Buffy made her way to Dawn’s room. Reaching the door, she softly called out to Dawn, checking that she had the right room as she fumbled with the keys trying to find the right one to free her sister. On the other side, Dawn heard Buffy’s voice and rushed to the door calling back in response as she desperately yanked on the knob. Eliminating key after key, Buffy grew increasingly frustrated as the seconds stretched out. Although she was going as fast as she could, she seemed to be moving in slow motion. The sisters could hear each other but they couldn’t get through the final obstacle separating them.
Finally down to four keys Buffy paused momentarily, nervously scanning the hallway. She thought she heard something. She had to keep a look out for Angel and his other men. It was only a matter of time before they discovered her escape. Seeing nothing she immediately went back to her task of freeing Dawn.
Just as she stuck the next key into the lock, she was grabbed from behind and violently swung around. She screamed before a towel with a familiar scent was placed over her nose and mouth. Déjà vu. Knowing what it was, she held her breath and struggled harder, even as her feet were lifted from the floor. She kicked out wildly, using her feet to push against the wall, knocking both she and her assailant to the floor.
Even as they fell, Angel held onto her tightly, using his large arms to trap hers to her body and ensuring to keep the chloroform-soaked towel over her face. She struggled for several long moments, her muffled cries echoing down the hallway until the instant she ran out of air and was forced to inhale the anesthetic, the darkness quickly consuming her. Her struggles gradually died down until finally she passed out. As she fought, Angel held her to him, murmuring soothingly in her ear until he was certain she was unconscious.

Once she was out, he gently shifted her limp body onto the floor before scooping her up and placing her onto a nearby couch. There he cradled her in his arms, checking her breathing and pulse to ensure she was fine. He didn’t want to kill her.
As he checked her, he noticed her hair. It was completely ruined. Gently running his hand through the strands he couldn’t help but smirk at her defiance. It was almost adorable. Continuing his perusal, he noticed the deep cuts in her hand. He had no idea how she got them but as he gently kissed the wounds he swore if Forrest or Graham were responsible they’d live to regret hurting her. Looking down at her as he held her in his arms, feeling her skin against his, he could no longer deny his need for her. The insatiable need that drove him to take her again and again. He simply couldn’t stop thinking of her. She filled his every thought. Even as he held her close in his arms, he couldn’t hold her close enough. Even when he was buried deep within her, he couldn’t get deep enough. The more he had her, the more he wanted her; the more he needed her. Needed the feel of her quivering sheath surrounding him, grasping him and milking him as she quaked beneath him. He yearned for her. His desire a raging inferno scorching a path through him, searing him.
Crouching over her unconscious body he knew he couldn’t let her go. He couldn’t walk away.

As he held Buffy in his arms, Dawn’s soft voice broke through his thoughts. She was calling out to Buffy from behind the door. Hearing her brought him back to the situation at hand. He needed to make a few decisions within the next few hours before the feds came storming in. And he knew exactly what he was going to do. Leaving Buffy on the couch, he went over to Dawn.



Dawn stood at the door calling out to Buffy for a long time. She knew something was wrong. She heard Buffy calling to her and it sounded like she was trying to open the door. Then she heard Buffy scream and what sounded like a struggle. That was followed by a few muffled noises and then silence. The silence was unnerving. But she continued calling out to her sister if only to hear her own voice filling the void. But with each unanswered call, she grew increasingly frantic and her voice more desperate. She couldn’t imagine what might have happened to Buffy on the other side. She was too afraid to. As the minutes stretched out, she slumped down to the floor, pressing her ear to the door in hopes that she might hear Buffy in the distance. She had to believe Buffy was still alive.
Just then she heard keys jingling and she scrambled away from the door. When it opened revealing Angel on the other side, she moved further into the corner, unsure of what to do. Was he there to hurt her? The last thing she expected was what came out of his mouth.
”Dawn, come with me.” His voice was calm and gentle. However, despite his demeanor, she stared at him as if he had sprung a second head. Did he really expect her to go with him?
Seeing the mistrust written all over her face, he repeated himself.
“Dawn, please come with me. I’m not going to hurt you again. I’m sure you’d like to see your sister.” Again, he kept his tone unthreatening.
Cautiously getting to her feet, she walked closer to him. When he simply moved out of her path, she walked out of the room and into the hallway. From there she could see Buffy lying across the couch. She ran over, calling to her again and again.
When she got no response, she gently shook Buffy’s limp body. As she touched her, she took in the dark bruises marring Buffy’s body. It was obvious where they came from. She looked at Angel questioningly, accusingly.
Answering her unasked question he said, “She’s not badly hurt, just unconscious. She’ll be fine.” He then moved on to his next order of business.
Just as he was about to go on Luke walked into the room.
“Sir, Mr. McDonald is on your private line.”
“Uh, thank you Luke. How are Forrest and Graham?” He hoped Buffy didn’t seriously injure them.
“Forrest’s back is injured and Graham’s shoulder is dislocated. They both have head injuries.” Luke glared at the unconscious Buffy as he spoke.
“Hmm, patch them up as best you can and then get them into the car. Be ready to leave in twenty minutes. I’ll be in my study if you need me.” Then before he left, he handcuffed Dawn to himself and picked Buffy up off the couch, taking them both with him.

When he reached his study, he placed Buffy in a chair and walked over to the phone with Dawn still attached to him.
“Lindsey?”
“Angel. Whatever you’re doing you need to head out as soon as possible. Meirs finally got back to me. Apparently, it took him a while to slip away from his new partner. Anyway, the feds are planning to storm the ranch in the next few hours.”
“Thanks Linds, I’m on my way out. Um, what did you say about Meirs, isn’t he posted at the Summers’ house?”
“Uh, yeah, he was.” He answered vaguely.
Picking up the hesitation in Lindsey’s voice, Angel asked, “What is it Lindsey?”
“Well, he told me that he has been reassigned to guarding someone.” He really didn’t want to tell Angelus about Cordelia.
Growing frustrated by Lindsey’s obvious reluctance Angel pointedly asked, “Guarding who?”
Hearing the threat in Angel’s tone he hesitantly replied, “Cordelia. He’s guarding Cordelia.”
Lindsey didn’t have to say anything else.
Angel slammed the phone down, muttering a string of expletives, his anger suddenly boiling to the surface. The still-cuffed Dawn froze in terror at his outburst. Was he going to direct any of his anger towards her?
Seeing her stiffen with fright, he caught her gaze and responded. ”Don’t worry, it’s not you this time.”
Then picking up the phone he called the cell phone that Adam was carrying with him.
When Adam picked up he simply said, “Adam, please bring my estranged girlfriend to the hangar in Sunnydale. She and I need to talk.”


tbc ...