New Paths

After Joyce hurriedly closes the drapes so Angel can safely walk around the house, the group settles around the living room, Faith leaning against one side of the mantle with Angel leaning against the other.



“Sit, Joyce. Everyone can get their own drinks if they want something.” Giles waves Joyce to the chair and stands behind it, gently resting his hands on the tense woman’s shoulders.



Joyce jumps as the phone rings, about ready to run and answer it, she settles back in the chair as Giles pushes gently on her shoulders, surprised when she sees Faith stride towards the kitchen and the phone.



“Summers’ residence.” Faith answers the phone as she steps back into the living room.



Buffy blinks and looks at the phone, her brows furrowed in surprise. “Faith?”



“Yeah, B. I came in express to help ya’.” Faith admits softly.



“I… I don’t… Thank you.” Buffy finally decides on, completely in shock.



“Here, let me give ya’ to Tweed.” Faith hands the phone over to Giles as he holds his hand out.



“Buffy?” Giles questions worriedly.



“We don’t really know anything yet. We did find the gas canisters tapped into the lines on the roof. We’ve figured out that he used the basement entrance to the sewers to come in and out undetected by using the service stairs.” Buffy runs a hand through her hair as she watches the soldiers finish scouring the dormitory. “We’re about ready to start down through the tunnels.



“Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, Wesley, Fred and Faith are here to help.” Giles looks at the group of people. “Do you want us to come to the college and search with you, or would you rather us start searching elsewhere?”



“I…” Buffy rubs a hand over her eyes fighting the tears that want to fall. “She’s been missing for close to three hours, Giles. Hopefully she’ll be able to set off the beacon soon. Angel knows the sewers well and Faith knows them pretty good if they want to hit them and work their way through…” Buffy leans against the wall and closes her eyes, feeling at a complete loss and losing the battle against the tears wanting to fall.



“We’ll find her, Buffy.” Giles looks down into Joyce’s eyes. “Hold on a moment.” Pressing the mute button on the phone, he looks at Joyce. “I think it’s getting to her.”



Joyce reaches for the phone, pressing the button she stands and heads towards the kitchen to talk privately with Buffy.



“Cordy, why don’t you and Fred stay here to keep Joyce company? I figure this is the best place to use as home base.” Angel grabs a sword and tucks it away in his cloth duster. “Giles, do you want to come with us?”



“Bloody hell, yes!” Giles snatches a sword up without a moment’s hesitation. “That young woman is practically a daughter to us, and she means the world to Buffy.”



Angel tenses but doesn’t say anything.



Cordelia and the rest of the LA group exchange looks remembering what a bear the vampire has been ever since he came back from his visit to Sunnydale. She had been past surprised when Willow had dropped the bombshell that Buffy was hooked up with another woman. Angel hadn’t reacted to begin with, but it wasn’t long after Willow and Oz had left to come back to Sunnydale that Angel had disappeared for the night. The phone call from Giles and subsequent short conversation had explained more or less what happened. She wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen with her own eyes how royally pissed Angel was when he came back.



Planning on picking Joyce’s mind after the rest of the group leaves, Cordelia stands and makes her way towards the kitchen.



Fred looks wide-eyed from one person to the next, not knowing what to say so as the rest of the group quickly grabs weapons and head towards the door she stands. “Are you going to split up into two groups?”



“I think that would be best. I’ll lead one and Faith can lead the other.” Angel slides a knife in the back of his pants.



“I’ll go with Faith.” Giles offers quickly, preferring to be with the other slayer than the vampire.



Gunn looks from Faith to Angel and back again. “Wes?”



“I don’t mind. I’ll go with Angel, if you want to go with Rupert and Faith.” Wes offers.



“I’m game.” Gunn hefts an axe and looks at the two.



Faith eyes the large, bald black man, grinning. “I’ll take ‘em.” Turning to look at Giles, she shrugs. “Where do ya’ wanna start lookin’?”



“I’m thinking downtown and make our way towards the college. We can get down in the sewers from the shop.” Giles offers.



“We’ll start here and work our way towards town. How sure are we he’s keeping her in the sewers?” Angel stands back from the door as Faith gets ready to open it.



“He can’t go in public without it being obvious. Doesn’t mean he won’t use abandoned buildings or basements if possible.” Giles explains, jumping uncontrollably as his bracelet suddenly goes off. “Thank God.”



“What the fuck?” Faith blinks and looks down at the bracelet on the watcher’s arm as the beads all light up that are in a small circle before settling on one after the annoying sound stops.



“Homing beacon for any of us that might get taken.” Giles explains quickly what Tara had done. “Now we can go together, no sense in splitting up.”



Joyce comes running into the living room, Cordelia and Fred hot on her trail. “Buffy hung up as soon as the bracelet went off.”



“Give me your bracelet.” Faith steps up to Joyce, taking the bracelet from her. “This will eventually guide us to where she is, if I’m understandin’ right, right?”



“Yes.” Giles blinks at her.



“Its gonna be time consumin’ unless we can get an idea of where she’s at. Going through the tunnels, we’ll be backtracking and shit. But Fang can’t get up top with it being daylight.” Faith looks at Giles after she ties the bracelet on. “I’m goin’ on foot and as fast as I can, you guys follow however you gotta.” Faith turns her gaze on Joyce, the woman obviously fighting her tears. “We’ll get her back. I promise ya’.” Faith spins around and takes off running as fast as her legs will take her.



“We’ll follow her in the vehicle.” Angel orders Wes and Gunn before he looks at Giles. “If we lose her, we have your beacon to go by.”



“We’ll bring them home.” Giles comments softly as he steps up to Joyce, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her gently.



“If he hurt her…” Joyce whimpers as she hugs Rupert back.



“He’ll regret it until there’s nothing left of him.” Giles promises, a cold, deadly note in his voice. As Cordelia steps up on one side of Joyce and Fred the other, he releases her into their capable hands. “Take care of her.”



Gunn sends a quick smile at Fred as she catches his eye. Winking at her to let her know everything will be okay, he spins around to leave the house.



“We will.” Cordelia looks sadly at the watcher even as she wraps her arm around Joyce’s waist, urging her towards the couch as the men leave.



“I’ll go make some tea.” Fred quietly heads back to the kitchen at Cordelia’s agreement.



***



Finn watches the monitor, intrigued as the witch slowly gains consciousness. As she shifts, trying to sit up from where he has her hands tied behind her back and her feet tied. A small smirk crosses his lips as he sees her trying to work the gag from around her face against the wall. “Won’t be able to do that, it’s too tight.” He growls softly before moving his hand over to the walky-talky, slowly scanning the stations while continuing to watch the woman, knowing that they’ll have a hard time finding him but wanting to listen in to their progress nonetheless.



***



Tara groans as she slowly wakes, it taking a few minutes to realize she’s bound and gagged. Her head fuzzy and aching, making it take longer than it should. As she slowly gets control of her faculties, she sighs in relief as she notices her bracelet still on her arm. Seconds later, she relaxes as she feels the activation of the spell. Wiggling her way across the bare mattress she rubs her face against the wall, trying to push the gag down so she can get loose and hopefully away from whomever captured her. Not positive it’s the Initiative, hoping they would have at least enough decency to provide her with clothes or a sheet to cover herself with.



Giving up after about ten minutes, Tara finally works her way to a sitting position and leans against the wall, her eyes darting around the room trying to see anything that might give her an idea of where she is. Feeling tears coming to her eyes as she sees nothing except an empty room with her and the mattress. Tilting her head back, her eyes catch the light reflecting off something shiny. Within moments she realizes it has to be some kind of camera, shifting around as quickly as she can she blocks her body as much as possible from view. Resting her forehead on her knees, she finally lets the tears fall as she prays silently for Buffy to find her, not knowing how long she’s been unconscious but if it’s been for any length of time her lover is probably going ballistic right now. ‘Nothing’s happened so far, honey. Please find me before it does… and before you do something that you may never forgive yourself for.’ Tara wishes she could more than think the words, wishes she could actually send them to Buffy as she tries to shift to a more comfortable position and ease her aching shoulders. Rubbing her cheeks against her knees, she tries to relax. Her faith in her lover to find and save her calming her down as she concentrates on Buffy.



***



Buffy shoves through the soldiers and looks down at her bracelet darting through the tunnels, ignoring the sounds of the soldiers following her. “Thank you, Tara.” Buffy whispers softly, running a finger over the leather bracelet even as she hesitates at the next juncture then darts to the left.



“Stay with her and back her up a hundred percent!” Lane orders his men before double-timing it back to the headquarters planning on making a couple calls to his superiors to let them know exactly what is going on and Professor Walsh’s portion of it, then explain his own stupidity and pray for the best that he doesn’t end up court-martialed or worse.



***



“Turn right…” Giles looks down at his bracelet, with Faith darting between buildings and running down alleyways, jumping over fences and god only knows what else they’d lost her a while back.



Wesley turns right as Angel hunkers down in the back seat keeping covered. “How long has Buffy and this Tara been dating, if you don’t mind my asking?” Wesley questions curiously.



Giles chuckles quietly and thinks back. “Around four months, give or take. They’ve known each other probably close to eight months. The two women are almost inseparable tell you the truth, though they have their arguments and disagreements along the way.” Giles smirks in remembrance of the two women arguing over Tara leaving Sunnydale the smirk leaves his face as he remembers the witch being absolutely livid with Buffy over taking chances with her life. Honestly agreeing with Tara that Buffy should have never, ever taken that chance.



Gunn darts a glance at Angel as he hears a low growl come from the vampire, but not able to see him because of the blanket covering him. “If they’re happy, the more power to ‘em. People in our line of business don’t live long, and if ya’ can find someone that you love and loves you, I say go for it.”



“My thoughts exactly.” Giles agree, shifting in the seat to look at the large man for a moment before turning back to the front and looking at his bracelet.



Angel glares down at his hands, still extremely angry about the fact Buffy had unequivocally chosen that woman over him no matter what might happen in the future. Having been frozen in shock when Tara had sent the fireball towards him, he’d seen the hesitation in Buffy’s eyes before she’d launched herself at him and tackled him protecting him from being fired up and ultimately dusted. The hesitation made him realize more than anything else that was said or done that she was lost to him forever.



Taking an unneeded breath and exhaling it softly he fights his inner demon that insists the slayer is his property. Trying to come to terms with the way he acted, knowing he was in the wrong but part of him not really caring. Sinking deeper within himself, Angel thinks heavily about the things he’s done in his life and un-life.