https://i.imgur.com/inO1rBF.jpg

Chapter 1

Lorne paused at the front door of Black Cat Investigations of Cleveland, Ohio.  He’d heard things about the investigators of BCI that made him, a demon, a little worried.

“You might as well come in, mate,” a slightly British voice called through the door.  “Your heartbeat is drivin’ me bonkers.”

Lorne stepped into the office.  He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t a bleached blond Goth vampire.  “Uh, I’m looking for Buffy and Spike.”

“Well, you found one of us,” the vampire said.  “Fifty-fifty chance of getting your guess right.”

Lorne was confused, but he decided to just roll with the punches.  “Well, you don’t look like a Buffy.  I’m guessing you’re Spike.  I have a problem in Los Angeles.”

“You do know you’re in Cleveland, mate?”

“Um, uh, yes.” Lorne shook his head.  “Doyle said that if I hadn’t heard from them in a week, that I should contact you.”

Spike tilted his head.  “Isn’t Doyle one of the blokes that work with Peaches since he got back from wherever Lindsey so kindly sent him?”

“If by Peaches, you mean Angel, then, yes.  Angel Investigations took a job to exorcise a haunted house,” Lorne answered his own question while he took a seat.  He pulled a thick envelope of papers from the inside pocket of his jacket, and he handed them to Spike.

Spike opened the paperwork.  He glanced at it before he said, “Tell me all the little details.”

“A week and a half ago, AI was contacted by Isaiah Masters, the current owner of Ravenhurst Hall.  Ravenhurst is an infamous haunted house in Los Angeles.”

Spike flipped through the paperwork until he found a stack of photographs.  He looked through them before he placed one where Lorne could see it.

“Yes, that’s Ravenhurst,” Lorne replied with a nod.  “The architect that designed it also designed Skald Hill Manor in Sunnydale.  I’m not sure if Miss Summers would know that house or not.”

“We’ll ask her later.”  Spike sorted all the way through the rest of the photos.  His eyes narrowed when he got to one particular picture.  “Finish your story, mate.”

“Six months ago, Masters was contacted by a group of ghost hunters that included an ex-Watcher, an ex-potential slayer, several witches, and several scientists.  A month ago, they entered Ravenhurst with their equipment and supplies.  When they didn’t emerge after a week…”  Lorne trailed off when Spike held up a hand.

“I think I know where this is going.    Then, Masters hired Angelus and his bunch to find the first group.  Did he have access to these photographs?”

Lorne nodded.

“Stupid pillock.  Angelus soddin’ knows better.”

“What do you mean?” Lorne asked in a confused voice.

Spike placed the picture that had piqued his interest on the desk between Lorne and himself.  He tapped it with one finger.  “I wasn’t there personally.  It was before I was turned, but Darla was always quite happy to tell us all about it.”

“Tell you about what?” Lorne asked suspiciously.

“She told us all about Angelus’ run in with a Himalayan sect of serpent worshippers that have a habit of sacrificing other supernaturals to their goddess.”  Spike leaned back in his chair.  “They seduced him with several very young virgins which they somehow figured out was the best kind of bait with Angelus.  They started with a bloodletting, and he barely managed to escape.  Glad I wasn’t around.  Have you ever seen a vampire drained of its blood?” He shuddered.

“I knew I should have had Masters sing for me!” Lorne grumbled.  “I wonder if the rescue was even legitimate.”

“Oh, I’m sure it was,” Spike replied.  “They probably needed some sacrifices leadin’ up to the recapture of Angelus.  We’re lookin’ at an apocalypse of epic proportions.  They are probably tryin’ to give their goddess a new body, and Angelus is going to be the main course.”

“I bet Wolfram and Hart is behind this,” Lorne muttered.  “They’d do anything to get rid of Angel.”

Spike shook his head.  “Doubtful.  I did my research after the first time Darla regaled us with the tale.  Anything to get Gramps’ goat, you know.  The goddess’ name is Illustra.  She ruled next to her brother, Illyria.  They predate Wolfram and Hart.”

Buffy stepped into the room.  She put her wet umbrella in a corner before putting a Styrofoam container in front of Spike.   “Here’s your wings and bloomin’ onion.  So, what’s the what?”

“Just an impending apocalypse,” Spike replied while he opened the container.  He inhaled and licked his lips.

“Lucky for you, we specialize in apocalypses and haunted houses.”  Buffy extended her hand towards Lorne.  “Buffy Summers.”

Lorne shook her hand.  “Lorne.”

“Nice to meet you, Lorne.”  Buffy turned to Spike.  “Tell me all about this apocalypse.”  So, they did.

With pictures, and everything.

Buffy stared at the picture of Ravenhurst Manor.  “How on earth does he keep getting himself into these situations?” 

“He’s Angelus, pet.  That should tell you everything,” Spike replied.

“Honestly, though, this will be the fourth time we’ve rescued him since he managed to return to this dimension,” Buffy muttered.  “We’re going to have to start charging him.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Spike said.  “I’ll have McDonald get right on that.” 

“You’ve rescued Angel three times already?” Lorne asked in a faint voice.

“Yeah, you betcha,” Buffy replied.  “The first time was from the trolls, the second time was from wendigos, and the third time was from possessed foliage.  He just keeps getting himself in trouble.”

Lorne wasn’t sure what to say after that.

“Well, we’ll fly out to Los Angeles and rescue Angel, but this is getting ridiculous,” Buffy replied.  “You should stay here with my mom, Lorne.  Just in case we can’t avoid the apocalypse and we blow up … the west coast.”

“Um, I suppose,” Lorne said in a hesitant tone of voice.  “If you think that’s best.”

Buffy nodded.  “I do.  Now, we’ll have a meeting with our colleagues, and get right on this.”  She tapped the folder.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Buffy presented the information on Angel’s latest catastrophe to her friends.  “I know Spike and I have to go, but the rest of you need to think long and hard about whether or not you join us.”

Oz took Ceely Rose’s hand.  “We’d come, but …”

“Ceely Rose is way too close to giving birth to go anywhere, and we won’t take you away from her,” Buffy agreed.

“I’ll go,” Lindsey McDonald said.  “Anything to rub Angel’s nose in.  I can’t figure out why the Powers that Be sent him back.  All he does is get into fixes where he needs to be rescued.”

“I suppose they’re teaching me something,” Buffy chuckled.  “Not sure what exactly.  Maybe patience.  Thanks, Lindsey.  You’re a welcome addition.”  She turned to Amy Madison.  The witch had been their friend ever since Spike and Buffy had rescued her from Hansel and Gretel.  “What about you?”

“I broke up with Pierre again,” Amy replied.  “Sure, I’ll go along.”

Buffy nodded.  “Sounds like a plan.  We’ll leave at dusk with Spike driving the first leg, followed by Lindsey, myself, and then Amy.”

“We’ll get packed,” Amy said.

Buffy turned to the last remaining people in the room; Anya Jenkins, Cordelia Chase, and Tara Maclay.  “I have a very special assignment for you ladies.  If you don’t hear from us in a week from when we enter Ravenhurst Manor, I want you to fly out to Los Angeles … “

“And stage a rescue?” Cordelia asked in an astonished tone of voice.

“No, I want you to burn the fucker to the ground.”

Chapter 2

“We’re here,” Amy announced.  She turned the car ignition off while she peered out the window at Ravenhurst Manor.  “I have to tell you that this is one creepy house.  Man, the vibes I’m getting off of it …”  She shook her head.

Buffy got out of the car, stretching after the long car ride.   She studied Ravenhurst Manor.  “Well, I don’t see anything or feel anything out of the ordinary.  Maybe that’s how it lures people in.”

Spike crawled out of the car with his eyes scrunched closed.  “Witch Girl, your driving is minimally less scary than the Slayer’s.  When we get home, you’re both taking lessons.  No ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Oh, hush you.”  Buffy smacked Spike’s arm.  “Now open your eyes and tell me what you think of Ravenhurst.  It looks perfectly normal to me, but Amy says the vibes are completely off.  I need your perspective.”

Spike opened his eyes to check out the manor.  He wrinkled his nose in disgust.  “You know that horror comedy we watched a few months ago with Alex P. Keaton in it …  the one where he could see ghosts?”

“You mean The Frighteners with Michael J. Fox?” Amy asked.  She remembered the movie.  “We need to do a rewatch when we get home.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”  Spike pointed at Amy with a snap of his fingers.  “When the ghost saw the house for the first time, how it was all nasty?”  He waited for the two girls to acknowledge his description.  “Yeah, that’s how this place looks.  Hideous.”

Lindsey slid out of the Desoto.  “I have to agree with Buffy.  It looks innocuous enough to me.”

“Took you guys long enough.”

Buffy and her friends whirled around to see Faith step out of the shadows.  She was followed by a tall, fairly good-looking man that none of them knew, along with Willow and Xander.

“We’d about given up hope and were planning on going in by ourselves,” Faith continued. 

“What are you doing here?” Amy demanded.  “Lorne didn’t mention them, did he?”

Spike shook his head.

Faith pointed at the unknown man with her thumb.  “The head scientist is Riley’s mentor, Maggie Walsh.  When she didn’t check in, he got worried.  So, here we are.”

“The scientists are military?” Buffy asked.  “Lorne didn’t mention that.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Riley said.  “He may not have known.  It wasn’t common knowledge.”

Buffy nodded.  “So, you know Angel went in after them?”

“Yeah, we know.  We checked in with Angel’s office before we came here.  We’re not stupid, despite what you think,” Xander sneered.

“Do you know that it’s part of a trap for Angelus?” Spike sneered in return.  He went on to tell Xander all the gory details about the snake worshipper sect and how Angel was drained of his blood, fully expecting Buffy to stop him at any second.  When Buffy didn’t say anything, he glanced at her, but she was studying Ravenhurst Manor.   He was concerned with her preoccupation and he turned his attention towards the house.

The front doors burst open and a dark-skinned woman burst from the house.  She clutched a bloody dress around herself while she bled from various bite marks on her arms and shoulders.  The woman ran blindly towards them, her entire attention on running as fast as possible.

“Grab her,” Buffy said to Spike. 

The vampire stepped into the woman’s path.  She rushed headlong into him.  Spike held the woman as she struggled and screamed.

“Hey, it’s Alonna, Charles Gunn’s sister,” Faith said.  She stepped a bit closer, and she spoke in a calm, soft voice.  “Alonna, it’s Faith.  I’m here to help.  Tell me what happened in there.”  She gestured towards the house.

Alonna continued to struggle against Spike’s superior vampire strength until Faith took ahold of her chin.  The dark-haired Slayer looked into the young woman’s eyes.  “Alonna, you’re okay.  You’re safe.  We have you.”

Finally, Alonna focused on Faith.  “Charles is … is changed.  He’s not human anymore,” she said with a shudder.  “I haven’t seen Angel or Doyle in a while.  I never saw the group we went in to find.  At least I don’t think I did.   I got so turned around.”

Faith took in the injuries on Alonna’s body.  The bitemarks were unsettling.   “We’ll find them all, I promise.”

“No, Faith.  Please don’t go in there,” Alonna pleaded with Faith.  “It’s just not a good place to be.”

“You don’t have to go back in,” Buffy replied.  “But we have to.  Lorne sent us.”

Alonna looked at Buffy.  “Lorne?”

“Yes, Lorne sent us.  We’re here to help,” Buffy said softly.

Faith nodded in agreement.  “We need to get this done.”

Amy, who had been looking around and studying the exterior of Ravenhurst, pointed towards the shadows at the side of the house.  “Isn’t that Angel’s car?”

Everyone looked in the direction that Amy had pointed.  Sure enough, it was Angel’s convertible.

“Lindsey, why don’t you take the convertible and take Alonna back to the Hyperion?” Buffy asked the lawyer.

Lindsey gave a quick nod.  “Good thing I was the best at hot wiring back in juvie in Oklahoma.”  He strolled over the convertible and had it started in a hot second.

While Faith and Spike got Alonna settled in Angel’s car, Buffy pulled Lindsey to the side.  “If we aren’t out in a week, the girls have orders to burn the place to the ground.  Just so you aren’t surprised when they show up.”

“Of course,” Lindsey said with a grin.  “I’ll be happy to help.”

When Buffy and Lindsey approached the convertible, Wesley was in the back seat.  Willow and Xander glared at Buffy, but the Slayer ignored them like always.

“I’m going to send Wesley with Alonna, too,” Faith replied.  “Hopefully there will be safety in numbers.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Buffy replied.

After Lindsey drove off with Alonna and Wesley, Buffy turned to Faith.  “You ready to go in?”

“I suppose,” Faith sighed.  She looked at the house again.  “I wonder what Alonna meant by her brother had changed?  And what were those bite marks on her arms?  They looked almost human.”

Xander sneered.  “I bet it was Angel.  He’s all happy again and eating everyone.”

“The poodle didn’t smell like Angelus,” Spike said.  “Whatever bit her was female and nasty.”

“You just had to sniff her, didn’t you?” Xander scoffed in return.  “That is so gross.  Don’t you agree, Buff?”

Buffy stared at Xander in disgust.  “No, no I don’t.  Besides, I didn’t see any sniffing.”  She turned to Faith.  “Make sure your party stays together.  Don’t get separated in there.”  She moved to the rear of the Desoto and opened the trunk.

Spike and Amy joined Buffy at the trunk.  They supplied themselves with stakes and crossbows.  Buffy slammed the trunk closed.  The three of them power-walked towards the entrance of Ravenhurst Manor.

Chapter 3     

The group stepped into the foyer of Ravenhurst Manor and …

Nothing happened.

There were no explosions or earth shattering ka-booms.  No eerie ghosts or ghastly monsters. No gore pouring down the walls or blood-curdling screams echoing through the air.

All that happened was that the door swung closed behind them with a soft click.

“Well, that was slightly anti-climactic,” Faith drawled while she looked around the room.  Nothing seemed out of place or knocked over.  There was no chaos to mark what Alonna had told them she’d seen.

The staircase rose up into darkness in front of them.  To the left was a dining room and to the right a sitting room.  Nothing appeared out of place in those rooms either.  No overturned chairs or displaced furniture.  It all seemed rather clean.

Really.  Nothing appeared to be out of place.

“It sure seems tidy,” Buffy said when she peered into the dining room.    “Okay, let’s explore this floor first.  Spike, Amy, and I will go this way.”  She gestured towards the dining room.  “You guys can go the other way.  We’ll meet in the middle.”

“What if we want to go that way?”  Xander sneered.  It was clear that he held a great amount of animosity towards Buffy.  Beside him, Willow appeared to echo his sentiment.

Faith and Riley glared at Xander while Buffy just shrugged at the suggestion.

“Whatever.  Fine, we’ll go that way and you guys can go this way.”  Buffy grabbed Spike’s hand and lead him towards the living room.  Amy followed her friends.  Buffy looked at Faith, and she rolled her eyes at Xander’s antics.

Faith shook her head in response.  She and Riley went into the dining room, leaving Willow and Xander in the foyer.

Xander turned his head to speak to Willow.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of something up the stairs.  He turned to look at it.

“What was that?” Xander asked.

“I didn’t see anything.”  Willow turned to look up the stairs.  “What did you think you saw?”

“I’m not sure exactly.  I thought it was someone at the top of the stairs, Xander replied.

“Did you recognize them?” Willow asked.  “Was it Angel?”

Xander shook his head.  “I don’t think so.”  He took a step towards the stairs.

“We need to stick with Faith and Riley.”  Willow laid her hand on Xander’s arm.

Xander grinned at Willow.  “You’re a powerful witch, Wills.  There’s nothing in this house that will dare mess with you.”

“I don’t know about that,” Willow replied, her voice filled with doubt.

“Ah babe, you need to be more confident in yourself.”  Xander pulled Willow in for a kiss.  When he finally lifted his lips from his girlfriend’s he spoke again.  “Besides, if we solve this whole thing and find that idiot Angel first, we’ll prove that we’re better than the Slayer, either of them.”

“Oh, do you think so?” Willow asked.

“I know so.  Let’s go!” Xander grabbed Willow’s hand, and he pulled her up the stairs.

Meanwhile.

Riley turned his head.  “Weren’t Willow and Xander right behind us?”

Faith looked behind her.  “I am really tired of those two.  Don’t they ever fucking listen to instructions?”

“I know, sweetheart.  Sooner or later, you’re going to have to cut them loose.  They are just more work than they’re worth.”  Riley laid a hand on Faith’s shoulder.

Faith closed her eyes.  “I know, but they were my first friends when I got to Sunnydale.”

“I have a feeling that was so they could stick it to Buffy more than wanting to be your friend.”  Riley gave Faith’s shoulder a squeeze.    “Do you want to go back and look for them?”

Faith contemplated the idea before she shook her head.  “Let’s meet up with Buffy first.”

“Okay, works for me.”  Riley looked around the room.  “Buffy’s right.  It sure seems really tide in here.  It’s almost … I don’t even have the words to describe it.”

“I know.  It’s really odd.  Maybe the place has a caretaker?”  Faith pointed at the table that was set as if a meal would be served soon.

“I suppose it’s possible, but if this house is as dangerous as is claimed, wouldn’t that be a hazardous job?” Riley replied.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Spike and Buffy, hand in hand, strolled through the living room, trailed by Amy.

“Nothing seems out of place on this floor,” Amy observed while she looked around the room.  “Whatever the hell bit that girl is in hiding.”

“You guys feel any better about the place now that we’re inside?” Buffy asked.  She glanced between Spike and Amy.

“No!” Both Spike and Amy spoke at the same time.

Buffy nodded.  “Okay, keep on the alert then.”

The Cleveland trio moved into the kitchen where they met up with Faith and Riley.

“Anything?” Buffy asked Faith.

Faith shook her head.  “Nope, everything looks pretty normal to us.  However, we lost Willow and Xander.  They never came into the dining room with us.  We decided to forge ahead rather than go back for them.”

“Pillocks,” Spike muttered.

Riley nodded in agreement.  “They probably went off on their own,” he said.  “They’ve been doing that a lot lately.  So far they’ve been lucky that they haven’t been killed or maimed.”

“Or vamped,” Faith muttered while she nodded.  “They have delusions of grandeur.”

“Lovely,” Buffy grumbled.  She looked around the kitchen, but like the other rooms, nothing was out of place.  “Is it just me or does this floor seem kind of small for the size of the house?”

“Yeah, it does,” Amy replied.  She opened the door next to where she was standing.  “Ah, the basement.  Let’s leave that till last.”  She slammed the door shut.

“Amy doesn’t like basements,” Buffy told Faith.  “Well, I guess the only way to go is up.  Back to the stairs?  Maybe we’ll find your wayward… “

Just then, a scream reverberated through the house.  The window panes rattled in their frames.

“Was it just me or did that sound like Angel?”  Faith looked a little anxious.

“Yep, I’d recognize those dulcet tones anywhere,” Spike drawled.  “Sounds like the serpent cult is getting’ close to their big finale.  That can’t be good.”

Amy was busy looking out the kitchen window.  “There appears to be an overgrown green house out there.  Like, it’s attached to the house, but where’s the door to get in?”

“I’m a little more concerned about the screams,” Riley muttered.

Another scream reverberated through the house.

“Okay, back to the stairs.”  Buffy turned and led the others through the living room towards the foyer.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

The ride back to the Hyperion was mostly silent.  Once in awhile Alonna would let out a muffled sob, and Lindsey would glance in the rearview mirror to check on her.  Wesley looked out the window, lost in thought.

At the Hyperion hotel, Lindsey and Wesley led Alonna inside.  When Lindsey saw the occupants, he gave a sigh of relief.

“Tara, could you get Alonna cleaned up and into a change of clothes?” Lindsey asked.

“Of course,” Tara answered in a gentle voice.  She cautiously approached the injured young woman.  “Hi, Alonna.  I’m Tara.  Let me help you.”

“You’re so pretty,” Alonna whispered.

“Well, thank you, you’re pretty too.”  Tara smiled at Alonna.  “Let’s get you upstairs and into a bath.”  She took Alonna’s arm, and the two young women ascended the stairs.

“We should get some food.  I’m sure that she’s starved,” Wesley replied.

“Don’t look at us.”  Cordelia pointed at herself and Anya.  “We’re not domestic goddesses at all.”

Anya laughed.  “More like takeout goddesses.  Plus, I don’t think there’s much in the kitchen anyway.  The Forehead doesn’t keep much human food for his minions.”

“I don’t know if I can afford takeout,” Wesley said in a low tone.  “I’m having issues with the Council and my father has cut me off.”  He looked ashamed.

Cordelia opened her purse.  “Not to worry.   Lance gave me his credit card.”  She pulled out a thin card.  “We’ll get takeout tonight and tomorrow we’ll figure something better out.  So, what do we want for dinner?  Chinese?  Pizza?  Burgers?”

“I think Chinese,” Lindsey replied.  “I know a little joint that is cheap but gives out heaping plates of food.  Let’s give them a call.”

After the phone call to the restaurant, Lindsey and Cordelia retired to one of the offices for a talk, leaving Anya and Wesley alone in the lobby of the hotel.

“So, do you have an orgasm buddy?” Anya asked.  “I’m looking for a male one.”

“I … uh … n-no, no orgasm buddy,” Wesley stammered.  “What do you mean by a male one?”

Anya gave Wesley an appraising look, and she clearly liked what she saw.  “Well, then, we’re now orgasm buddies.  I’m in room 212 at the top of the stairs.”

“I thought I was your orgasm buddy,” Tara said from the top of the stairs.

“You’re my girl orgasm buddy.  We definitely need a boy orgasm buddy too,” Anya said with a nod.  “That’s my final word.  We’re all buddies now.”

Tara gave Wesley a wide-eyed look.  “Um, okay.”

Wesley returned the look.  He was unsure of what had just happened.  “Um, was there something you needed?”

“No, I got Alonna settled into a bath, and she wanted to be alone,” Tara replied.  “I thought I’d check on some food.  I’m sure she’s hungry.”

“Chinese is on its way.”

“Oh good.”

Chapter 4

Xander and Willow climbed the stairs holding hands.  Xander laughed on the inside.  Willow was so easy to manipulate.  She was the perfect girlfriend.  So much better than Cordelia ever hoped to be.

At the top of the stairs, Xander opened the first door of the corridor.  It was a bedroom with a big queen-sized bed sitting in the very middle of the room.

Xander leaned down to whisper into Willow’s ear.  “You know the others will be knocking around downstairs for a while, and I’m sure that Captain Forehead is just hamming it up anyway to get sympathy from Faith and Buffy.”  He wiggled his eyebrows at the red-haired woman.  “Let’s make use of the bed over there.  I could use a quickie.”

Clearly, Xander forgot one of the rules for surviving a horror story.

“Um … “  Willow glanced at the bed.  It did look soft and inviting.  “I guess we could be quick.”  She let Xander pull her further into the room.

They were too busy to notice the door slam behind them and lock itself.

Sometime later, Xander and Willow were interrupted by the door knob twisting and the door rattling slightly in its frame.  When it didn’t swing open, they let out a sigh of relief.

“We better get going,” Xander said, pulling away from Willow’s body.  “They have to be done exploring downstairs by now.

The pair rearranged their clothes to look presentable enough not to raise suspicion.  Riley was such a snotty fuck that he’d admonished them for making out while on guard duty the week before.  Xander scoffed to himself.   Like the soldier boy wouldn’t do the same with Faith in the same situation, ignoring the fact that Riley, in fact, hadn’t in the same situation.

Xander eased the door open.  He saw the Slayers and their boytoys down the hallway, checking the other doors.  He ignored Amy’s presence.  Willow was the better witch anyway.

Xander stepped out into the hallway with Willow behind him.  He watched for a few moments while the Slayers’ group opened doors and checked inside the rooms.  Spike looked in their direction, and Xander was surprised when the vampire didn’t see him or Willow.

“They can’t see us,” Xander chortled.  “This is fantastic.”

“So, let’s get upstairs and rescue Angel.  That way we’re the heroes and the Slayers are too late.”  Willow pulled Xander towards a set of stairs that ascended upwards.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Buffy stared up into the darkness.  Slowly, the lights started to flicker on, casting eerie shadows up the staircase.

“Well, that’s not creepy at all,” Riley muttered. 

“I’m not sure that Peaches is worth this much effort,” Spike grumbled.  “We could leave right now and just tell the green demon that we were too late.”

Buffy slapped Spike’s arm.  “That might be your morbid opera andi but it’s not mine.  Now come on.”

“I think you mean modus operandi, pet,” Spike chuckled.  Thankfully, he’d had time to understand Buffy’s language mangling.  “I suppose you’re right.”

“In normal cases, I’d say ‘let’s split up’, but somehow I don’t think that’s a good idea in this place,” Faith commented.  “We’ve already lost Xander and Willow.”

Buffy nodded.  “You’re probably right.  Everybody stick close together.”  She started up the staircase.  Spike and Amy followed behind her with Riley and Faith bringing up the rear.

At the top of the stairs, they found themselves staring down a long hallway lined with paintings and doors.  The wallpaper was blood red, giving the whole narrow passage a distinctive disturbing vibe.

Another scream reverberated through the air.  It sounded like it came from above them somewhere in the depths of the house.

“That is going to get old fast,” Riley said.  “I should have brought my rifle.”

Amy swallowed with nervousness.  “It looks like we need to look for more stairs.”  She glanced behind her towards the stairs … only …  “Where the hell did the stairs going down go?”

The group turned to look behind them, only to see that the hallway stretched out behind them.

“I don’t like this,” Spike said.  “I don’t like this at all. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Faith cleared her throat.  “Well, when the vamp says he’s got a bad feeling, you know we’re in trouble.  So, which way do you want to go, B?”

Buffy looked both ways.  “Let’s keep going in the direction we would be going if the stairs were still there.  I’d hate to go backwards and find out it was an illusion and fall down those suckers.”

“Onward then.  Should we check a few of the rooms?” Amy asked.  She grasped a door handle and jiggled the door.  “This one is locked.”

Spike spun around to check the door behind him.  The door opened with ease.  “This one isn’t.”  He peered inside.  “It looks like a sitting room.   No blood dripping off the walls though.”  He closed the door.

The group moved down the hallway to the next set of doors.  Riley opened one while Amy opened the other.  They both peered into the rooms while telling the others that they were bedrooms.

Another of Angel’s pain filled screams echoed through the house.

“We better hurry up before he’s completely sacrificed,” Buffy said.  “It’s not May and I have no desire to deal with an apocalypse right now.”

Amy snorted.  “Would it really be an apocalypse?”

Buffy gave the witch a pointed look.  “With our luck?”

“Don’t jinx us,” Spike muttered.  He glanced backwards to check on the stairwell, but it was still hidden.  “Let’s pick up the pace.  Everyone check a door.”

All five of them opened a door to look inside.

“I found stairs going up,” Amy announced.  They crowded in behind the witch and ascended upwards.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Tara tapped on the door of the room where Alonna had taken her bath.  “Are you decent?” she asked in a quiet voice.

There was no answer.

“Alonna?”  Tara tapped on the door again.  Then, she heard incoherent mumbling.  “I’m coming in, Alonna.”

Once Tara was inside the room, she realized the lights were turned down.  She waited for a few moments for her eyes to adjust.

On the bed, Alonna lay under the covers, her face covered with a fine sheen of sweat.  She mumbled during her restless sleep.

Tara decided to let Alonna sleep.  She was sure the other young woman needed it.  Tara would check on Alonna later.  With that, she slipped out of the room and returned downstairs.

Wesley looked up from where he was placing the food into bowls on the table.  “Where’s Alonna?”

“Sleeping,” Tara said.  “I think we save the dumpling soup for her.  There’s plenty of other food for the rest of us.”

“I agree.  I’ll put it in the refrigerator until she wakes up.”  Wesley set the container of soup to the side.  “Could you let everyone know the food is ready?”  He smiled at Tara.

Tara ducked her head with a blush.  “Of course.”

Chapter 5

Xander and Willow looked down the hallway of the third floor of Ravenhurst.  What they didn’t know was that the house had put them in another wing, completely on the other side of the house from where they had started.

“So where do you want to look first,” Willow asked.

“Why don’t you use a spell to find Angel?  After all, you put his soul back in him, you should be able to find it.”

Willow pulled a worried grimace.  “I don’t know,” she said in a hesitant tone.

“Come on, Wills.  Just get it done.  I’m tired of your wishy-washy bullshit,” Xander growled.  “Now, let’s show those stupid Slayers how really smart people go about doing things.”

Willow felt a little bit of hurt at Xander’s harsh words, but she loved him.  She mustered up her magic, and she uttered a few words in Latin.

A golden light blinked into existence by a door half way down the hall.

“Gotcha!”  Xander grabbed Willow’s hand, and he dragged her towards the light.

Xander pushed the door open.  The room was dark, but he wasn’t deterred.

Angel was in the room.

Xander would be the one to rescue the stupid vampire.  Then, the Slayers would see his true worth.

Xander pulled Willow inside the room, while he groped the walls for a light switch.   He lost his grip on Willow’s hand just before the door slammed shut.  The room was uttered void of light.

The fireplace roared to life, casting shadows throughout the room.  Spider webs covered all of the furniture, the ceiling, and the floor.

“Welcome to my lair.  My, my, you are a sweet treat.”

That’s when Xander noticed the fire reflecting off hundreds of little eyes in one corner of the room near the ceiling.  He backed up towards the door, now groping for the knob with one hand.

But it wasn’t there!

The knob was missing.  Hell, the whole door was gone.

“Willow, kill it!”

There was no answer.  Xander realized that Willow was no longer in the room.

He was alone with …

A spider the size of a Great Dane crawled down from the upper corner of the room.

“I’m so hungry.  It’s been so very long since I’ve had a sweet treat,” the spider cooed.

“No! No! No!  I am not a sweet treat.  I am not a nummy treat,” Xander screamed.  He turned his back on the creature to search for the door.  He missed the spider leaping towards him, but he felt its fangs enter the back of his neck.  Its venom burned through his veins.  He fell to the floor, paralyzed but aware.

As the arachnoid spun him into a cocoon, it talked to him.  “If I’m not greedy, I can keep you alive for a very long time.  I can’t be greedy.  Thank you, Ravenhurst for providing me with sustenance.”

Xander felt himself be hoisted into the air.  He whirled around and around until he was dizzy.  When he stopped spinning, he found himself staring into the mummified face of a red-haired woman who appeared to have been split in half.  She wore the broken, dangling necklace of …

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

RAVENHURST DEFIES TIME 

Willow let Xander pull her into the dark room.  He let go of her hand just before the fireplace roared into life.

Willow could see a woman in a long negligee gown and robe sitting in front of a vanity mirror where she looked at herself.  She brushed her long red hair.

“Hello?” Willow said in a soft voice.

The woman’s head swung around to look at Willow.  Her eyes were completely back with no iris or what in them at all.  Willow took a step while she thought the lady was creepy.

“Um, I’m a little lost,” Willow said.  She looked around the room, taking in the bed, closed closet door, and bedside table.  “I seem to have lost my boyfriend.”

The woman continued with the creepy, black-eyed stare, not saying a word.

“Okay, well, um, I’ll just be going then.  Willow glanced behind her for the door back to the hallway.  She edged towards it.

The woman rasped, “I know what you want.”

“W-what?”

“You want power.  The power to show them all what you’re worth,” the woman said.

“I suppose so.  I mean who doesn’t,” Willow replied.  If she had more power, she could show the Slayer … and Xander … who was boss.

Who was the best!

The woman smiled.  “First you must discard this shell.  It hinders your growth.”

Tattered wings burst through the woman’s back, while her red hair turned into a mass of writhing snakes.  The negligee fell away revealing a nude, scaly body with generous curves.  Her face twisted into a menacing grimace that showed off her sharp teeth. 

Willow let out a gasp when the woman’s sharp clawed hand whipped out to encircle her wrist.  She was pulled towards the woman until she slammed into her.  Willow was scared, but also, a little turned on.

Weird, Willow thought to herself in a distracted manner.

“I am Virdesco, and I am your destiny.”  Virdesco backed Willow up until she hit the wall.

“I’m Willow.”

Virdesco burned her face in Willow’s neck.  She inhaled deeply before she licked at the human’s skin.  “No, your new name for your new destiny is Willixia.”  She bit into Willixia’s soft, pliant flesh.

Willixia screamed in pain as her body started to fall apart.  Virdesco laid her on the bed, and she stood back to watch the change.

Willixia’s head split down the middle.  Snakes writhed while they escaped the confines.  Her face continued to pull apart revealing Willixia’s new face and sharp teeth.  The necklace around her neck snapped in half.

Her new wings were revealed.

Her new scaly skin was revealed.

Her clawed hands and feet were revealed.

Willixia’s new skin was covered in blood and guts.  Virdesco kicked the old, discarded body aside, and she fell upon Willixia to lick her clean.

After Virdesco and Willixia skulked out of the room, a dachshund-sized spider crawled out from under the bed.  It skittered over to Willow’s discarded body.

It preferred living food, but it was better than nothing.  It started to produce silk webbing.  Little did it know that magics still stored in the husk of the person would enhance its growth until decades later it would be much larger.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Angel’s scream echoed down the hallway.

“It’s sounding closer now,” Amy said.  “Isn’t it?”

Buffy nodded.  “I agree, but this house is weird.”

“How so? Riley asked.

“You see, this hallway looks exactly like the one downstairs,” Buffy said.  “Even that creepy painting down there is the same.”

“The walls are breathing,” Spike said suddenly.  “Which probably explains why the house looks the way it does to me.”

Amy nodded her agreement.  “We need to get this done, and get out of here.”

Spike and Buffy looked at each other.  Yes, the torch job idea was and excellent plan.

“We cannot split up,” Faith said.

“Angel isn’t the only one in here though,” Buffy replied.  “There’s the rest of Angel’s crew and the group doing the exorcism.”

Riley grimaced.  “That idiot Xander and Willow too.”

“If the house is playing tricks on us, how will we find anyone?” Amy inquired.

Angel screamed, but it ended abruptly.  A feminine scream started up in its place.

“Professor Walsh,” Riley whispered.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

“I’m starting to get really hungry,” Gunn said while he rubbed his stomach.  He stood at the top of the stairs waiting for Doyle to check the door at the bottom.  “First, we lost Alonna, and then Angel wandered off.”

Doyle called up the stairs.  “It looks like we found that garden off the kitchen.  Maybe we can find some fruit or something before we escape.”

Gunn joined Doyle, and together they entered the overgrown garden.  They were cautious, checking behind the door as they entered.  They’d seen some pretty bizarre things in the few hours they’d been trapped in Ravenhurst.  Neither man realized that more than a week had passed. 

In the middle of the giant greenhouse there was an apple tree overladen with fruit.  Gunn’s stomach growled loud enough to be heard by Doyle.

Gunn licked his lips.  He surged past Doyle to get to the tree.  As soon as his hand touched one of the apples, the tree limbs twisted and whipped around like tentacles.  They snatched Gunn up to pull him towards the tree trunk.

Doyle was paralyzed with shock for a few moments.  When he finally stepped forward to help his friend, he crashed into an invisible wall.

“Gunn,” Doyle screamed.  “I can’t get through.  There’s something in the way.”

Gunn turned towards Doyle, his face covered in blood and apple pieces.  “Go!  Get out!  Break a window and go,” he gasped as the branches tightened their grasp on him.

Doyle watched in revulsion as Gunn was absorbed into the tree’s trunk.  Gunn’s face stared out at him; his skin covered in bark and mouthing the word ‘go’.

Doyle looked around for a means to break a window.  He grabbed a nearby decorative stone, and he lobbed it through one of the greenhouse panes.  As he climbed through, he cut his arm on a piece of broken glass.

Doyle stumbled out through the garden, clutching his bleeding arm.  He realized that Angel’s car was gone, but a brand new shiny rental car was parked near the entrance of Ravenhurst.

“I knew those hot-wiring skills would come in handy,” Doyle muttered as he got busy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

When dinner was finished and put away, Lindsey announced, “I’m going to go smoke a cigarette.”

Lindsey stepped out the front door of the Hyperion, and he lit up.  He wrinkled his nose in disgust.  It smelled like something had crawled into the nearby sewer grate and died.  “I sure don’t miss this hellhole.”

Spike and Buffy’s rental car lurched out of the darkness, hopped the curb, and came to a rest a few feet from where Lindsey stood.  Before he could call for help, a dark-haired man fell out of the driver’s door.

>>>>> 

Doyle laid on the concrete, feeling dizzy from the blood loss.  He wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten back to Angel’s hotel.  A man’s face appeared above him, blotting out the overhead lights.

“Why are you driving Spike and Buffy’s rental?” the face asked.

Doyle mumbled, “Couldn’t find Angel’s car.  Gunn.  Oh, Gunn.  He was sucked into a tree.”

“OK, man, hold on.”  The face disappeared, and Doyle heard him shout, “Wesley, get your British ass out here.  One of Angel’s minions showed up.  He’s in pretty bad shape.”

A few moments later a new face appeared above Doyle.  Must be Wesley Doyle mused to himself.  Two people helped him to his feet, making his head swim.

“I got him, Lindsey.  Go see if Tara or Cordelia can find the first aid kit,” Wesley said.  “Have one of them check on Alonna too.”

“Alonna’s here?” Doyle mumbled while Lindsey hurried away.

Wesley nodded.  “She ran out of the mansion just after Spike and Buffy arrived.  She’s resting upstairs.  She’s covered in bite marks.  Did you see that happen?”

“No, we got separated,” Doyle said with a shake of his head.

A gorgeous brunette woman opened the hotel door for them.  “Put him on that chair over there,” she said.  “I need to cut his sleeve off to get a look at his arm.”

As Wesley helped him sit down, Doyle looked up at the woman.  “You’re so beautiful.  Like an angel.  A real angel, not Angel, Angel.  The vampire.”

The woman snorted.  “I’m no angel, vampire or otherwise, lover boy.  I’m Cordelia.”  She quickly cut his sleeve off and treated his wounded arm.  “This could use some stitches.”

Doyle looked at the cut.  He could tell it was already healing.  “Nah, it’ll heal in a couple of days,” he said with a shake of his head.

“Not human then, lover boy?” Cordelia asked.

“No,” Doyle replied.

Cordelia nodded.  “Well, it’s too bad I have a boyfriend.  Otherwise, I might consider dating you.”

Another brunette came down the stairs, followed by Alonna.  That must be Tara, Doyle thought to himself.  His eyes moved to Alonna.  The young woman moved like she was stiff in pain.  How the hell am I going to tell her about her brother?

Alonna looked at Doyle.  “Charles is gone, isn’t he?” she asked in a sad voice.

Doyle gave a grim nod.  “What happened to you, Alonna?” he asked.

Alonna dropped into a chair with shudder.  She sat sobbing while everyone stood around looking uncomfortable.  Tara rushed over to comfort her.  Alonna’s sobbing subsided.  She opened her mouth to speak when yet another woman rushed into the room, holding a bowl of popcorn.

“Don’t start without me.  I love a good story time.”  She plopped down next to Wesley and waved Tara to join her.

“She really does,” Cordelia muttered under her breath.

Wesley peered into the bowl.  “Anya, is that popcorn?  I’m not sure this is that kind of story.”

Anya shrugged before waving a hand in Alonna’s direction.  She gave Alonna her full attention while shoving popcorn into her mouth.

Alonna started to tell her story:

Alonna stopped to take a closer look at a painting.  She was pretty sure it was an original worth quite a bit of money.  No wonder Mr. Masters was so hot to get this place exorcised and cleaned up of any negative energy.  He was set to make a fortune.

Alonna turned just in time to see Angel, Doyle, and her brother to turn the corner at the end of the hallway.  They hadn’t even noticed that she’d paused behind them.

“Hold up, guys,” Alonna called out.  She hurried towards where they had disappeared. 

When Alonna turned the corner, the next hallway was empty.  It stretched out ahead of her.  “Oh, come on.  This place is way too creepy to be playing games with me.  Angel!  Doyle!  Charles!”

Her words echoed back to her.

Alonna ignored how distorted the echo sounded.

“Ah, man.”  Alonna trudged down the hall, checking doors as she went.  Most of them were locked, and she didn’t have her lockpicks with her.

Alonna stopped at a door that was painted a different color than the others.  “I wonder what this means,” she muttered while she tried the knob.

It was unlocked.

Alonna pushed the door open, and she stepped inside.  The stench of decaying blood made her gag.  She covered her nose and mouth with the edge of her jacket to keep from throwing up.  The room was dark, except where the giant, circular chandelier shone down on the pentagram painted on the floor.  In the center of the pentagram, a young, blond woman stood swaying back and forth.  She faced away from Alonna, who noticed that the woman’s hands were covered in dried blood.

At each point of the pentagram lay a dead body; their faces frozen in horror and their throats ripped open.

Alonna let out a gasp.

The woman’s head turned around at the sound, bones cracking like gunshots in the quiet room.  That’s when Alonna realized that it was actually a teenager. 

A teenager that stared at Alonna with hungry, dead eyes.  Alonna took in the girl’s appearance, and she came to one conclusion.

Zombie.

Just what I need, Alonna thought.

The zombie girl roared at Alonna, and she started shuffling towards the dark-skinned woman.  The zombie came to an abrupt halt when she hit an invisible wall.  She continued to roar at Alonna.

Alonna looked over her shoulder at the door.  She dashed for it and stepped out into the hallway.  She whirled around to stare back into the room.  Alonna came to the sudden realization that she had found most of the team that Angel had been sent to find. 

Alonna studied the bodies carefully; three females, two men, and the zombie.

“Three witches, a scientist, a Watcher, and a potential,” Alonna whispered to herself.  “That leaves two scientists, including Maggie Walsh.”

The zombie roared at Alonna again.

“Wonder how long before those others wake up,” Alonna muttered.  She looked both ways down the hall.  She wasn’t even sure if it was the same hallway at this point.  The wallpaper and carpet looked a little off.

“Crazy house,” Alonna muttered.

Alonna knew she’d approached the room from the left.  So, she decided to go right.

Alonna walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Down an unending hallway.  She didn’t even check the doors anymore.  She certainly didn’t look inside any of the different colored doors.  She just wanted to find a way out of this crazy house.

She was thirsty.

She was hungry.

She was tired.