Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction ❯ Her New Family ❯ The Resistance ( Chapter 19 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own. Really. I don't.

Warning: Mentions of torture.

I've suddenly realized that I really haven't mentioned the Scoobies since Willow and her gang have come back to Sunnydale, so I've decided to incorporate some of them (the Scoobies) into this chapter…especially since I'm hoping to soon finish this story.

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“Hostiles 18873 and 18874 prove intelligence above the normal demon.” Nate said into his voice recorder as he looked down into the experimentation room with boredom as the vampires captured earlier that day—Angelus the Scourge of Europe and William the Bloody—were undergoing examinations.

Strapped to the metal chairs with demon-proof cuffs and braces, they kept their jaws clenched tightly—the only show that they could feel what was happening to them. Nate felt disgusted at them, and hated the fact that they could inspire something like respect from him. No other demon had undergone the exams silently.

Steel toothpicks had been inserted under William the Bloody's nails, and blood ran down his fingertips, his body convulsed in pain every time one of the scientists wiggled the toothpicks harshly, yet he wouldn't even grunt. Wires were attached to his toes, sending jolts of electricity through him at random intervals with random levels of potency.

Angelus's body was a work of bloody art. He'd been carved up, they'd waited for his body to heal itself as he bled, and then they'd carved him open again. They'd continued this process without break, until he was nearly lifeless on the examination table from lack of blood—blood which had been carefully collected in a medium sized container.

Nate frowned as he looked down at the vampires. They weren't talking. They weren't making any sound. Had his men lost their touch? Usually they'd have any demon begging for mercy or death—whichever brought relief from the pain sooner. But these two? No, they were refusing to give up. Did they believe that they were protecting Willow that way?

He snorted at the thought.

Willow wasn't the one they had to worry about.

Picking up his cellular, he pressed a button and brought it to his ear. “Search the frat house and bring Willow to me now.”

So immersed in his thoughts as he continued to watch the examinations, he failed to notice Riley Finn disappearing into the shadows behind him.

Willow groaned and opened her eyes, looking up into worried brown ones. Her head killed her, and her vision was blurry, so it took a while for her to recognize the woman leaning over her, dabbing the wet towel against her forehead.

“Tara?”

She smiled brightly. “You remembered.”

“Y-yeah.” Pushing the hand with the towel away, Willow struggled to sit up and wiped the dampness from her forehead. “What happened?” She looked around her. “Where am I?”

“Home, Wills, home.”

Looking up in horror, Willow's eyes widened when a flash of dark hair raced towards her and she was engulfed in a strong hug. “Xander?”

“I'm so glad you're alive, and okay, and here.” Squeezing her tightly, Xander pulled back, tears surprisingly in his eyes. “When Buffy said she'd seen you and that you were back in Sunnydale I—I—why didn't you come to see me immediately? I was so frightened—I thought—all these years—you never once tried to get into contact!”

“Let her breathe Xander!” A loud voice behind them ordered. “She looks as breathless as me when you give me orgasms!”

Tara blushed scarlet, lowering her head.

Xander winced and turned to the blonde standing behind him, wearing a short skirt and tight shirt. “Willow, I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Anyanka Jenkins. She co-owns the Magic Box with G-Man.”

Anyanka raised an eyebrow at Xander. “You can tell her I was a demoness you know—”

“Anya!” Xander hissed.

“---considering she's one herself.” The blonde continued on as if she hadn't heard him.

Xander's eyes widened as he turned to Willow.

The knowing look in Tara's eyes gave the impression that she'd figured that out as well.

“I thought they told me you'd given up being a demon.” Willow narrowed her eyes at Anya. “But I still sense it in your aura.”

“See! She can sense me! She's demoness too!” Anya smiled toothily, ignoring her boyfriend's stuttering, turning to the redhead. “You look like shit.”

“I like you.” Willow laughed as she pushed herself onto her feet, swaying slightly. “Where's Riley? He's the last thing I remember before everything went black.”

Tara frowned, speaking up shakily. “He c-called me after you fainted, asked me to come over and to look see if you were okay. Me being a witch and all.”

“So you two exchanged phone numbers on the way to the hospital.” Willow stated the obvious, as she scrunched her eyes, trying to remember what she'd seen when she'd blacked out.

Tara nodded emphatically. “In case either saw you.”

“How—stalker-like.” The redhead laughed at the blonde's blush. She turned to her stuttering ex best friend and his not-ex-demoness fiancée. “So, how do you two fit into this equation?”

“Easy.” Anya spoke up, interrupting Xander's open-mouth-close-mouth-open-mouth-once-again routine. “Riley and I are partners.”

“What?!?!?” Xander exclaimed in horror.

“Not like that Xan, I save all my orgasms only for you.” Anya quickly reassured before turning to an amused yet intrigued Willow once more. “I tell him the dirty on Buffy, and he keeps me out of the Initiative's radar.”

Willow blinked…impressed.

Xander was looking up at his fiancée as if he'd never seen her before and didn't quite know whether to be proud or horrified.

“He called me and gave me the skimmy on what was going on—and that there was something fishy going on in the Initiative.” Anya continued to explain, going to sit on the bed. “He asked me to come over and keep an eye on you and this blonde witch.”

“T-Tara.” Said witch corrected.

“Yeah, the blonde witch.” The demoness waved that off as unimportant before continuing. “And Xander is along because I knew he'd want to see you. If I had to listen to that stupid yellow crayon story one more time…”

Xander flushed.

Willow's smile was true. She really liked this girl.

The door to the dorm flew open and Riley entered, slamming the door shut behind him. “We need to get you out of here, now.”

Anyanka looked up with a frown. “What is it?”

Willow turned to Riley, eyes narrowing, his aura had darkened considerably. “What's going on?”

“They raided your home.” Riley growled, kicking at the wall with frustration. “I don't know how they knew you were living there, but McGuire ordered the hit on your house. They have Angelus and William the Bloody captured.”

“No!” Willow cried out, the wind blown out from her lungs. “No! I have to go get them!”

“First we have to get you out of here. McGuire is after you Willow, he's ordered your capture. A whole team is on their way up as we speak.”

“Okay then, time to leave.” Grabbing Tara's arm and giving her a shove towards the door, Anya did the same with her still stuttering fiancée when it opened, a feral Oz standing in the doorway.

“Oz!” Willow cried, running into his arms. “You're alright!”

The werewolf held her to him tightly, suspicious glare at the people in the room. “We have to get out of here now. The same people that attacked us at Angel's are coming here.”

“Cordelia?” Willow asked as the group hurried out of the room, Tara blinking nervously, Anya looking around suspiciously, Riley maneuvering them out through the back entrance, and Xander trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“She's safe.” Was all Oz said. They continued the rest of the journey in silence until Oz led them to the sewers.

Cordelia, having sensed her mother near, met them halfway and threw herself at Willow. “Mummy! You're okay!” Smelling something, she looked at Xander, Tara, Riley and Anya. “And you brought food!”

“Cor, they aren't food.” Willow admonished slowly. “They're going to help me get your daddies back.”

To his credit, Xander had been silent up until that moment. But seeing Cordelia dead—err—undead was the last straw. “Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?!?!?” He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “What do you have going on with Deadboy and Spike? Why is Oz here? Why does the Initiative want you? Why did Anya say you were a demon if I know you're not dead so you can't be a vampire—the only kind of demon you could be! Where were you these last four years? And why is Cordy dead?”

Anya looked at her fiancée as if impressed he could say all of that in just one breath.

Willow sighed and turned to Xander. “Xan, you were my best friend for a long time, so I guess I owe you an explanation.” She ignored the hurt look that crossed his face when she said `were'. “Before I disappeared—before you gave Angelus back his soul—he claimed me.”

Xan's eyes widened. “What?”

“He claimed me as his mate, Xander.” She hissed, remembering that Xander was part of the reason Angelus had gotten his soul back in the first place. “Without his soul, he claimed little ignored Willow Rosenberg as his eternal bride, and I was happy, we were happy!” She growled, eyes flashing black in anger. “Dru, Spike, Angelus and I were a family—the only family I've ever had! And you and Buffy—you took him away from me!”

The brunette boy gulped, entranced as Willow's hair tinted black and her dark aura was becoming visible, cackling around her. “Y-you were happy?”

She blinked, her eyes going from black to gold in surprise at his question. “Yes, Xander.”

“But he was soulless.” He said surprised, intrigued.

“I liked him just the way he was, soulless and all.” Willow informed him as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Soulless?” Xander squeaked.

Riley rolled his eyes in his head, working with Oz to make sure that they hadn't been followed.

Tara appeared to be very uncomfortable with the conversation.

Cordelia looked bored and was busy eyeing the humans' exposed necks with a longing expression.

“Actually, soulless guys are known to be the best lovers a girl can have.” Anya offered up that tidbit of information with a shiver of pleasure, obviously thinking of her past soulless lovers.

Xander glared at her. “Ahem.”

She blinked and looked at him curiously, obviously not getting that he was offended because he did have a soul.

Shaking his head at his blonde, Xander turned his attention back to Willow. “Okay, I can see how you tie in with Drusilla and the Billy Idol Wannabe--.”

“Actually, Billy Idol stole his look.” Willow offered.

“----but how does Oz fit into this? I mean, he's a normal guy…” Seeing the amused look in the black haired man, Xander paused. “…Right?”

“Werewolf.” Snickering as Xander paled, Oz shook his head. “I'm mum's personal bodyguard.”

“Mum?” Xander squeaked once more.

Anya's smile kept getting bigger and bigger, feeling quite comfortable amongst her kind, unlike she usually did with the humans Xander liked to hang out with. “Ooh! You guys are so much more interesting than Buffy and her friends!”

“Hey!” Xander, one of those so called `friends' cried, clearly offended. He then pointed one finger at Cordelia and the next at Tara. “What about them? Who sired Cordy? And who is this witch?”

“Tara.” The blonde witch corrected once more, but no one was listening to her.

“I'm mummy's daughter.” Cordelia looked up from their necks and finally contributed to the conversation.

“I sired Cordelia.” Willow clarified, eyes daring Xander to say anything. “Since Buffy killed my first daughter, I think it was only fair that I have one of her friends take Dru's place. And it would seem Dru thought the same.”

“What do you mean?” Riley asked, interested beyond words.

“After her dusting, Dru's spirit transferred her visions to Cordelia, and Cordelia's brain couldn't take it.” Willow explained. “They were made for a demon's brain. So. I made her a demon.”

“Naturally.” Anya agreed.

Xander looked horrified.

“And Tara? She's mine.” Willow waved her hand dismissively. “I don't know why Dru wanted me to save her, but it has to be for a reason. And so I claimed her as one of mine. Not as a childe—but as my possession.”

Cordelia, suddenly realizing who the mousy blonde was, gave her a dirty look.

“But---.” Xander began.

“Enough!” Willow hissed, her aura exploding with a furious wave of black, momentarily suffocating those around her before dissolving in the air. “My mates are being held and probably tortured by the Initiative. This is not the time to play `Twenty Questions'!” She turned to Riley. “You will help me.”

He nodded.

Xander raised an eyebrow. “And how does Riley know so much about this group?”

“He was a part of the Initiative.” Willow announced, chin raised. “Now he's with us.” Her eyes bore into Riley's, as if daring him to contradict her.

The blonde male smirked. “How's the healthcare?”

“Not that good.” Willow answered truthfully, with a responding smirk. “You see, most of my followers are undead.”

Xander was lost. But that wasn't something new. He frowned. “We have to call Buffy and let her know what's going on.”

“You call the Slayer and tell her what I've just told you and I will kill you, yellow crayon or not!” Willow promised murderously.

Xander gulped. “B-but Willsters, Buffy--.”

“Took my mate from me and dusted my daughter!” She hissed, taking a menacing step towards him. “And I will deal with her later, when my mates aren't in danger!”

Anya blinked, still breathless from Willow's previous show of power. There was something nagging at her, something her demon recognized, but she couldn't figure out what it was other than the fact that Willow was a superior demon. “So you came back to kill the Slayer for dusting Dru.”

Xander looked sick. “Will—you wouldn't do that. The girl I know--.”

“ Is dead, Xander.” Willow sighed, shaking her head at how slow he was being. “I'm far from the girl you once knew.” She willed a green fireball to appear in her palm as an example, and she shook her head harsher at his yelp of surprise. “I don't expect you to come to my side, or not to help Buffy. But I want you to know that I will kill Buffy for what she did to us, and I will kill anyone who stands in my way.”

Eyeing the green flames licking the redhead's fingers serenely, it finally clicked. Suddenly Anya dropped to her knees and lowered her head in respect. “It's you.”

The humans in the room blinked at her.

“I finally made the connection, I can't believe I didn't sense it the first moment I saw you!” Anya cried out, keeping her head lowered. “You're the Mistress!”

“I take it you won't be standing in the way then.” Willow stated lazily at the demoness paying her homage.

Xander gave a yelp as Anya tugged on his pants harshly, bringing him to his knees as well. “Ouch! Ahn! What are you--?”

“Don't you know WHO she is?” Anya whispered frantically, running her hands through her hair. “She's the Queen!”

Riley's eyes widened as it suddenly made sense to him.

Xander, unfortunately, didn't get it. “No, Ahn, honey. The Queen is a seriously old woman who likes hats and lives in England.”

Willow, having no time for this, turned her back on them and with one hand protectively around her daughter, she looked at Oz, who was unabashedly amused by Xander's obliviousness. “Give me your cellular.”

He passed it to her rapidly. “What are you planning on doing?”

“What I should have done since I found out about the Initiative.” She dialed the number she knew by heart and placed it to her ear. “I'm calling in reinforcements.”

Angel refused to make any sound. He only knew Spike was there because he could smell him, and the dark vampire was proud at his grandchilde, who had yet to make a sound of pain as the humans continued to torture them slowly. They asked questions, about Willow, but neither Spike nor Angel would give up anything on their mate—even if it meant that the tortures grew worse.

Another scent that bothered him was the Slayer's. She was in the building, somewhere close, but that wasn't the thing that bothered him. It was the scent of Slayer blood. Not that he didn't want Buffy dead—but he wanted Willow to have her revenge on the Slayer, to do away with her personally. His mate would be pissed when she discovered that the Slayer was already dead.

And why would they want the Slayer dead? The Initiative and the Slayer did the same job—got rid of demons. How would her death of benefit to them?

His eyes widened.

Slayers blood was one of the most powerful thing none…

…a close second was witch's blood…

…and vampire blood followed soon after…

Closing his eyes, he remembered the large amount of his blood that they'd collected and taken away.

“Tell us Willow Rosenberg's weakness and we will leave you alone.” One of the masked men promised in a greasy voice. “The first who says something--we'll even let him go free.”

Neither Angel nor Spike spoke…and they paid for it dearly.

Xander hadn't understood Willow or her mission, and while he promised not to tell anyone about them, he told her that he couldn't turn against Buffy. They'd been friends for so long, he couldn't do that. He'd decided to go to the Magic Box to spend the time with G-man and Mrs. G, to make sure they stayed obliviously safe from what was going to go down that night.

He hadn't agreed with Anya when his girlfriend announced that she was going to go with `The Queen' (he STILL couldn't believe Willow was the Dark Flame and QUEEN of the French undead), but he hadn't been able to convince Anya not to join, so he'd told her to be careful and went his way.

Riley told them the layout of the Initiative's base, and although Spike and Oz were usually the ones to come up with battle strategies, Riley proved more than competent, and the werewolf gave him a reluctantly impressed look when he suggested an answer to one of Oz's questions about the best way to enter undetected.

Tara, while rather insecure about her powers (a fact Cordelia decided to taunt her about once she discovered this) was decently powerful. Her only problem was that her insecurity lessened her control on her powers. Willow, a fellow witch, took it upon herself to give the girl a pep talk, and even told Cordelia to `lay off' when the vampiress continued to taunt the blonde witch.

Cordelia, angry at Tara for her mother chastising her in her defense, promised herself to rid herself of the witch when her daddy and Angel were safe. She wouldn't allow her mummy to even contemplate making this mousy, weak human her childe!

She'd been an only child in life, and Cordelia was determined to remain an only childe in unlife.

Anya proved quite helpful, and Willow couldn't help but enjoy her frankness—something Anya frankly pointed out, the `Scoobies' never had.

“Xander's always saying `we don't talk about that in public Anya'.” She pouted.

Willow wanted to leave Cordelia in the sewers for safekeeping, for she'd already lost one daughter and didn't want to lose another, but the brunette had shaken her head stubbornly and said that if the `weak little witch' could go into battle then so could she and `do MUCH better' than Tara could.

That earned her a glare from the blonde witch, who was rapidly growing annoyed at her constant verbal attacks.

“I'll keep an eye on her.” Oz offered Willow, looking concerned at the thought of Cordelia fighting as well.

“I don't need a body guard!” Cordelia exclaimed with a stomp of her foot.

“Yes, well, brat, you're stuck with me.” He returned.

She pouted, before her body jolted and she closed her eyes tightly. Her eyes flew open in terror, her skin paler than usual. “Mummy!”

Embracing her as the other woman flew into her arms, Willow held her close, kissing the top of her head. “What did you see baby?”

“Daddy—and Angel—…” She sniffled. “Dru showed me—they're being tortured mummy!” Cordelia cried tears of blood. “And there's this dark haired man, he's really handsome, but he frightens me!”

Riley and Willow exchanged a look. Nate McGuire they seemed to say silently to each other.

Oz noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

“He killed the Slayer!” Cordelia cried out. “I'm sorry mummy! I know you wanted to kill her yourself!”

Willow froze.

Oz's eyes widened.

Riley took in a deep breath, suspicious moisture filling his eyes as he quickly looked away.

“What?!?” Anya exclaimed, mouth hanging open.

Tara, who'd never met Buffy despite the fact that they went to the same college, wasn't affected by the news.

“Why did he kill her?” Willow whispered.

“Her blood. It could only be good to him if the Slayer was killed by someone she trusted.” Cordelia sniffled.

Riley turned at that, eyes blazing. “That's why they wanted me to get close to her! They were planning on killing her all along!”

Willow wasn't listening to him. “First they capture and torture my mates and now they kill MY target.” Magic crackled around her dangerously. “I'm so beyond pissed.” She raised her eyes, which had once more bled black. “It ends tonight.”

“Are you sure this will work?” Walsh asked skeptically as she viewed Nate strapped to the metal chair, four IV needles inserted into his body, one in each arm, one in his jugular vein, and the other painfully wedged into his leg.

He didn't answer. Closing his eyes, Nate grimaced against the pain as blood was being drawn from his body from the needle in his leg, and the three different bloods they'd collected being inserted into his body through the other three needles.

The blonde woman sighed and shook her head, leaving the room. It was going to be a painful experience and she didn't plan on staying there to witness it.

Yoohoo! Almost to the end! Please review!!!!