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.”