Andrew slammed the phone back onto the cradle. "Dammit!" He pounded his fist against the wall, which he instantly regretted. "Ow..." He held his hand to his chest. "I wish I hadn't done that."

Oni looked over from the computer screen. "What's wrong, Mister Wells?"

"Good news is, Willow's in Los Angeles visiting the Slayer School." Andrew sighed and slumped down onto the couch. "Unfortunately, she and Oz went on some spiritual retreat in the desert. No lights, no phone, no motorcars."

Oni swivelled around in her chair. "You are in jest, are you not? She is completely unreachable?"

Andrew covered his face with his hands, groaning. "What else could go wrong?"

"Andrew!" Spike burst into the room. "He's escaped."

Oni's eyes widened in shock. "I believe this may be your fault, Mister Wells."

"What?" Andrew slowly stood up. He shook his head. "That's impossible. It's day. There's no way out that wouldn't crisp him."

"Salome." Oni looked around. "Did she not go downstairs to bring you nourishment?"

"How do you think he got out?" Spike sighed. "Took a good chunk out of demon girl's neck."

"Of course." Oni looked pained. "Such a thing would cause her innate powers to activate. Unfortunately, with such an unplanned teleportation, there is a sixty percent chance she will take anyone touching her with her."

"Maybe we'll get lucky." Andrew looked around nervously. "Maybe Salome will Nightcrawler Angel right out into sunlight."

"But Connor wishes Angelus to remain alive." Oni bit her lower lip.

"It's Salome," Andrew pointed out. "I'm kinda sure that might put him in the killing mood." He ran a hand through his hair. "We have to find her. If Sal's with Angelus, he'll kill her."

"But Salome is a proficient warrior," Oni shook her head. "Surely she could..."

"Die," Andrew finished. "That's what will happen."

****

Salome grunted as Angelus shoved her to the ground. She splashed through the filthy water of the sewer.

"I honestly didn't know if that was going to work," Angelus laughed, standing over her. He looked around. "And right to the sewer. How did that happen?"

Salome covered the bleeding wound on her neck, glaring at Angelus venomously. She remained silent.

Angelus morphed back to his human face. "Not that it really matters..." He crouched down. "But the more useful you are, the longer you'll survive."

Salome thought about it. After a long moment, she finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "I didn't have a destination in mind... You did." She struggled to move away. "And biting creates a brief psychic connection."

"Makes the aftertaste worth it." Angelus spat in Salome's face. "You taste like crap."

Salome wiped the spittle off her cheek. "Well..." She flipped up, kicking Angelus hard in the chest. "Your boy's got no complaints."

Angelus stumbled backwards, laughing maniacally. He quickly regained his bearings. He shook his head, looking over the young demon. She was crouching slightly, hands balled into fists. "I'm almost starting to understand what he sees in you... You know, other than what I heard this morning."

"Anyone ever tell you you're a sick bastard?" Salome spat. She swung at Angelus savagely.

Angelus took a step back, dodging the punch deftly. He grabbed her arm, twisting it around her back. Salome struggled to escape, but he held her in an iron grip. "You'll probably be saying it a lot while I have my fun."

He thrust her beneath the water.

****

Connor swung his axe, neatly decapitating the vampire he fought. He brow was furrowed deeply. "Just how long have you been there?"

Mandy stepped carefully into the dilapidated house. "Just a minute or so." She looked around at the vampire dust strewn across the room. "I would have helped, but you were almost done."

"It was just a nest." Connor kicked a corpse on the ground. It looked like it had been there for days. "I couldn't just leave them here."

"Any sign of the demon?" Mandy asked nervously.

Connor shook his head. "I can't pick up any trail... I've been checking all the--" He hissed, looking momentarily pained.

"Are you all right?" Mandy asked, placing a hand on Connor's shoulder.

"I--" Connor shook his head, shrugging Mandy's hand away. "That was weird. It was... I can't explain it. I couldn't breathe."

"Weird." Mandy looked around the house. "So where should we look now?"

"Dark places," Connor replied. He strode towards the door. "Day only lasted four hours in Quortoth. The demons would hide in caves to keep out of the light."

Mandy frowned slightly. "I didn't realize there was any sun in Quortoth. I guess because you never talk about it." She followed behind Connor. "So at least you got to see some light."

Connor shook his head. "Father and I slept too. It was..."

His phone began to ring. Connor fished it out of his pocket, opening it. "I'm busy, Andrew."

"I've been calling for fifteen minutes!" Andrew cried, panicked.

"I was in the middle of a fight," Connor sighed. He raked a hand through his hair. "By the way, thanks for giving away my position to a bunch of vampires. I--"

"Angelus has escaped," Andrew blurted out.

Connor's body stiffened. His eyes went wide. "He has Salome." He dropped the phone and immediately took off running.

Mandy knelt down, picking up the phone. She sighed deeply. "He's on it. And hopefully I'm on him." She hung up and went after him.

****

Salome gasped for air as Angelus pulled her back up.

"Thought Illyria'd back a tougher pony." Angelus tugged on Salome's hair. "I've barely even started, kitten. Don't give up on me now."

"I'm a lot tougher than you think." Salome wrenched her arm away from Angelus. There was a sickening pop as her shoulder dislocated. Salome twisted around, using her good arm to smack Angelus hard.

Angelus brought a hand up to cradle his jaw. He smiled, shaking his head. "I will hand it to you, kitten... You wobble but you don't fall down."

Angelus darted forward, grabbing Salome. He threw her hard against the wall. Salome cried out as she hit her head, sliding down slowly. She laid unmoving, face down in the shallow water. Angelus smirked. "Or maybe you do." He shook his head. "I did want you conscious..."

He suddenly jerked as the knife embedded in his shoulder. He groaned, reaching back. He caught a glimpse of his attacker out of the corner of his eye. "You're good."

Connor stepped forward, bringing up his axe. "Always like to make you proud, Dad."

Angelus turned, pulling the knife out of his shoulder. He licked the blood from the blade. "So you come to make good on your threat?" He laughed coldly. "Gonna kill me for touching your girl?"

"Wasn't a threat," Connor growled, lip curled in a snarl. "It was a promise."

He thundered towards Angelus. In his anger, his movements were sloppy. Angelus dodged out of the way and hit Connor hard in the back of the head. Connor stumbled slightly. He paused, turning back to Angelus. His breath was ragged, his eyes burning in anger.

"Look at you," Angelus shook his head. "You really are ready to kill me."

Connor raised his axe up high, preparing to take another run at Angelus. Angelus held up a hand. "I just don't know how you're going to do that..." He looked down. "And keep her alive."

Connor looked down at Salome. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at her unconscious body. His arm sagged and he dropped his axe. He dropped to his knees, turning her over. "Dammit... Salome..." He pushed her wet hair off her face, looking her over. "What the hell..."

While he was distracted, Angelus took a step towards Connor. "Didn't your mother ever teach you..." He picked up Connor's fallen axe. "You always worry about yourself first." He raised the axe up.

Salome's eyes snapped open and she sputtered out water. She grabbed onto Connor's shirt and teleported just as the axe came down.

Angelus smiled, tossing aside the weapon. "Worked like a charm."

****

"What the hell was that?" Connor demanded. He paced around the living room, anger etched in his features. "You let Angelus get away!"

"There was an axe about to be buried in your back!" Salome spat back. She cradled her injured arm, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. "I think what you're trying to say is 'thank you for saving my skinny, ungrateful ass'."

Andrew and Oni entered the living room, looking surprised and confused. "When did you guys get here?" Andrew asked, looking around. "Where's Angelus?"

"Ask Salome." Connor gestured vaguely to his girlfriend. "She decided it was a good idea to pop out right in the middle of my fight with him."

Salome leaned forward, looking nearly as livid as Connor now. "Again, axe in the back! If you wanted to stop Angelus, you shouldn't have worried about me!"

"You were drowning in sewer water!" Connor snapped back. "You wanted me to just leave you?"

"Just how many times are you going to fall for that trick?" Salome demanded. "Really glad you care about me, Connor, but damn , you are a dumbass."

Oni held her hand up meekly. "Erm... It seems to me as if you are quarrelling over the fact you are alive thanks to the other."

Both Connor and Salome paused, staring at Oni. They then looked at each other, the colour rising in their cheeks. "Do you feel stupid?" Salome asked.

Connor nodded. "Little bit."

"God, what is that smell?" Spike wandered into the living room. He cocked his head, looking over Salome. "You go swimming in a septic tank, Princess?"

Salome gave Spike a dirty look as Connor knelt down, helping her get her arm back into place. "Helpful as always, Spike."

"Getting a little stir-crazy," Spike replied. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Chomping at the bit to get stake happy on Angelus, but I can't unless I want to burst into flames."

"Sweet Moses," Salome groaned as her arm was set. "I'm really not having the best day."

"Mom?" Connor called out.

Colleen entered the living room. "How'd you know I was here?"

A ghost of a smile flickered across Connor's lips fleetingly. "I smelled the ham in the oven. Mom, can you patch up Salome's neck?"

Colleen nodded. "Of course." She helped Salome up, leading her out.

"Thanks," Connor offered faintly. He turned to Andrew and Oni. "Please have some good news for me."

"We found a potion to get Angel's soul back into his body." Andrew held up a book. "It's actually pretty easy. We just need the stomach of the demon who did it and I can make it up. Then it's just a matter of feeding it to him."

Connor nodded, sighing deeply. "Of course, there's still the matter of finding the demon to get its stomach." He glanced at his watch. "We're starting to run short on time."

"I found something that may expedite the process," Oni chimed in. "A more sophisticated tracking spell than the one Salome attempted. Instead of tracking the demon itself, we will track Angel's soul."

"You can do you that?" Connor licked his lips. "How?"

Oni held out her hands. She held several shards of glass.

Connor furrowed his brow, confused. "I don't get it... What's this?"

"Shards of the Muo-Pang," Oni replied. "They were in the boxes you retrieved from the Hyperion during the summer."

Connor looked down. "Cordy's stuff."

Andrew nodded. "You had asked us to get rid of it, but we thought some of it might come in handy. Turns out, it's a good thing we did."

Oni looked down at the shards of glass. "These shards were in direct contact with Angel's soul. They have an echo of the soul's essence. We can use that to locate it, and the demon with it."

Connor glanced to the kitchen. He saw Lawrence observing him silently. He swallowed hard. "Do it," his voice was weak. "I'm not losing."

****

Gillian shut her notebook. "There. That's my algebra done."

Jamie eyed her suspiciously. "All of it?"

"When did you become my keeper?" Gillian asked tartly, slipping her notebook back into her bag and then leaned back in the booth. "Yes. All of it. I'm completely done my homework."

Lorne walked over to the table carrying a tray of drinks. He set them down one by one. "Cranberry juice for the minor, beer for the Jay Bird and a Seabreeze for me."

Gillian ignored Lorne, staring at Jamie. "When can we go back to your place?"

"When Connor says it's okay," Jamie replied, taking a sip of his beer.

"Who died and made him boss?" Gillian asked, stirring her drink with her straw.

"His mom, I guess," Jamie replied with a shrug. "I guess this isn't the trip you hoped for, is it?"

Gillian looked indifferent. "Still better than when we went to Disneyland when I was seven. Connor ate three chilli dogs and threw up on me while we were riding Space Mountain."

Lorne turned to Gillian, his expression full of shock. "Hold on a minute there, sweet pea. You have a memory of Connor from seven years ago?"

"Oh." Gillian looked down. "Yeah..." She shifted. "Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe it happened last year. And it wasn't Connor. It was some other guy."

"Gill..." Jamie said slowly, evenly. "What are you not telling me?"

"I forgot," Gillian said softly.

"Forgot what?" Lorne asked.

Gillian sank down in her seat, slumping her shoulders. "I forgot I wasn't supposed to mention this. Mom and Dad are going to kill me."

Lorne gave Jamie a fleeting look of worry. "How much do you remember about Connor, cream puff?"

Gillian bit her lip. "He doesn't want us to remember him... So we don't. At least as far as he knows."

****

Connor picked up a stake and tossed it to Spike. "Mind getting a bit toasted?"

Spike easily caught the stake. "Depends on how much. What's the plan?"

"Haul ass to the nearest manhole," Connor explained. "Palo Alto's sewer system isn't as developed as Los Angeles. Angelus doesn't have a lot of places to go. He's going to be stuck down there until sunset. We've still got another hour or so until dusk. We'll corner him."

"Meanwhile..." Salome put her good hand on Connor's shoulder. She was slightly cleaner, her wound was bandaged and her arm was in a sling. "I track the Devora with Oni's glass stuff and my own mad skill."

Connor turned to Salome, frowning deeply. "I still hate that part of the plan." He shook his head. "Actually, I hate the whole plan except for the me finding Angelus part."

"We've already talked about this, Ace," Salome flicked his bangs out of his face casually. "I'll be okay. I'll have the Shiksa with me."

"You were accompanied by Mandelina the last time you were nearly stripped of your soul," Oni pointed out. She shrank at Salome's glare. "I was merely making an observation."

"We've got a plan," Salome insisted.

"That's the part I'm least sure about," Connor sighed.

Salome shrugged, which she instantly regretted, wincing. "You gotta do what you gotta do."

"I'm just saying this sucks," Connor grumbled.

Salome cradled the back of Connor's skull, pulling him close. "Hopefully this part won't." She kissed him ferociously.

Oni, Andrew and Spike watched in confusion as the couple engaged in the passionate kiss.

"I'm getting a little uncomfortable watching them," Andrew whispered to Spike.

"Hey... Junior?" Spike called out. The pair ignored him, continuing their embrace.

Andrew shifted. "This is just inappropriate..." He smiled. "And a little hot."

Salome pulled back, giving Connor a meaningful look.

Connor brought his hand up to his mouth, touching his lips. "Whoa."

"Good to know I can still have that effect on you," Salome smiled at him. "Knock 'em dead, Tiger."

"I'm still totally uncomfortable with this," Connor sighed.

Salome wrinkled her nose at him. "Try not to need it then."

Connor nodded, licking his lips. "Come on, Spike. We're burning daylight."

"Telling me to hurry up?" Spike grabbed a stake. "You were the one checking the girl's dental work."

"I better catch up with the Slayer." Salome took up a sword.

"Don't forget the tracking spell." Oni tossed a small satchel to Salome. Unfortunately, with the sword in her hand and her other arm in a sling, it hit her in the chest before falling to the ground.

"Sorry," Oni apologized sheepishly. "I forgot."

Connor picked up the satchel, sliding it into the pocket of Salome's jeans. "You need that. Good luck."

"You too, Ace. Take care of what you got." She winked and promptly disappeared.

"Connor..." Andrew put a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I need a word before you go."

Connor looked to Spike. "Give me a minute."

Spike pulled his coat over his head. "Meet you in the dank, Slim." He opened the door and went running.

Connor turned his attention back to Andrew. "What is it? I'm a little busy right now."

Andrew wrung his hands. "Oni? Can I talk to Connor alone for a minute?"

Oni nodded. "Of course. I will assist Mrs Riley with her meal." She turned and left the room, closing the door.

"What is it, Andrew?" Connor's voice was laced with aggravation. "We don't have much time yet."

"We need to talk about Angelus," Andrew said gravely. "You need a plan."

"We've got a plan," Connor insisted. "Weren't you listening?"

"Of course I was." Andrew frowned deeply. "But I didn't really understand everything. Especially the part where you made out with Salome."

"It's complicated," Connor sighed. "Just hope you don't have to find out."

"It's not the plan I have a problem with," Andrew sighed. He couldn't meet Connor's gaze. "I... I need to know you're ready to do what's necessary."

Connor's eyes turned very dark. "I'm not killing my father, Andrew."

"You've tried to kill him before," Andrew pointed out.

"And look how well that turned out for me!" He shot back. He shook his head savagely. "I..." He faltered, looking down. "I know what I might have to do, but I'm not going to do it until we're out of options. I owe him. Don't ask me to do it, Andrew... Don't ask me to."

"Angel nearly killed Mandy and Salome." Andrew crossed his arms over his chest.

"Angelus," Connor corrected him with a snarl. "His name is Angelus."

"You picked a hell of a time to tell the difference," Andrew sighed, shoulder slumping.

Connor shrugged. "it's your fault I've grown as a person." He held out his hand. "Tranq gun?"

Andrew handed the gun to Connor. "I've loaded it with the strongest mystical tranquilizers on the black market. This could take down a T-Rex." He sighed. "It should at least slow Angelus down."

"Thanks." Connor tucked the gun away in his jacket.

"Just remember..." Andrew looked down. "He's not your father. Not right now."

Connor stepped back. "Spike's waiting for me." His voice was weak. "I've gotta..."

He turned and headed out the door. He looked briefly at the hand holding the axe. It was still stained with Salome's blood.

"Are you coming or what?" Spike yelled from the sewer.

"I'll be right there." Connor looked up. He took a step back when he saw the slender woman in front of him.

Magnimus smiled warmly. "I think he can wait a minute."

ACT THREE