Chapter Four

When he exited his room to grab a bite to eat from the fridge on Saturday night, Angel had to admit that he was surprised at how tense the atmosphere in the kitchenette and adjoining area seemed. For starters, Kenyon was seated on the couch in a casual getup, fidgeting nervously every so often. Chase was next to him, facing the TV and flipping through channels by viciously stabbing the remote buttons... and much looking like he wanted to be stabbing something (or someone) else, Angel thought.

Angel sighed, shifting his weight and thinking up a quick way to defuse the tension in the room. "Is there anything good on tonight, Chase?" he asked, grabbing the younger man's attention.

Chase paused, feeling a little bit of his anger ebb away. "Not that I've found as of yet," he answered, throwing a slight glance towards Kenyon. "I'm trying to find a good action movie, but all that's on are those sappy romances..."

"Oh, like what?" Angel cut in, drawing a curious glance from his roommate. After a moment, the vampire added, "Humor me! I happen to like those sappy romances."

Sighing, Chase grabbed the TV guide from the coffee table in front of him, handing it to Angel. "Take your pick," he said, his gruff voice almost covering the sound of a soft knock at the apartment door.

Kenyon sprung into action immediately and headed for the door to open it, probably anxious to be elsewhere. Ivory stood on the other side of the threshold, dressed in a fuschia cotton knit-top and shiny black leather mini-skirt, and looking absolutely lovely. Angel reminded himself that he should be looking at the channel listing, but couldn't tear his eyes away from his daughter; she was quite a vision, he mused.

Kenyon thought likewise, as did Chase. The former half stepped outside, taking Ivory's arm. "You look lovely," her date told her. "So, shall we?"

Ivory tilted her head back slightly, gazing up at him. "You mean you don't want to sit around here for a few minutes? Our reservations aren't until 8:30, Kenyon!"

Even if Ivory didn't catch on, Angel was able to sense Kenyon's aversion to that idea. "I'm sure we could just as easily talk in the waiting area as we could here, honey," her date said to her. "Let's be honest. You don't really want to sit here under your old man's watchful eye, do you?"

Ivory gave him an odd look, but seemed to get it when her gaze slipped to Chase rather than her father. "You win," she consented in a slightly hushed tone. "Let's go, Kenyon."

Chase watched the door close behind them, then buried his face in his hands. "God, I can't stand this!" he moaned. "I've survived my parents' deaths from a car wreck, endured a few months with an uncle who would hit me every night he was drunk, and lived among vampires at my own risk... But this jealousy thing may kill me yet!"

Angel took a step closer, letting out a breath. "I know the feeling," he answered with a slight laugh. "Went through it several times with Buffy myself. Nearly drove me crazy every time, same as it is with you."

"Yeah, well, there's a difference," Chase cut in. "You and Buffy did wind up together. With Ivory and I... What chance do I have?"

"There's always a chance," Angel answered. "It may not work out with her and Kenyon, you know? So, the advice I offer you is, keep hope alive. You never know what the future's going to bring."

Chase remained silent a long while, his thoughts going to Buffy and life in the caverns and what exactly her rescue and its aftermath would entail. "Thank you," he said at last. *I wish you and Buffy the same piece of advice. If all goes well and we do get her out safely, those words would definitely hold true...* he added silently...

They wound up in a fancy Greek restaurant about two or so miles from the apartment complex, waiting an additional fifteen minutes in the lobby before being shown to their table. It didn't take them long to order; Kenyon settled for a turkey and cheese pita, while Ivory elected to have a rice pilaf and a plate of Saganaki (flaming cheese). Afterwards, they got right down to talking.

"So, you really don't mind missing out on the Slaying gig tonight?" Kenyon asked. "Because we could head out there after if you like."

"Kenyon, stop," Ivory replied. "It's not going to matter if I miss one night. I made that clear."

"You're right. I'm sorry," he answered after a moment, looking embarrassed. "You're the Slayer, not me, so it's not my place to worry..."

Ivory giggled softly. "And now you're rambling... Kenyon, why are you so nervous tonight?" When he didn't reply, Ivory moved to retrieve something from her purse, saying, "I think I have just the thing to put your mind at ease." She produced a flimsy green flyer, handing it to Kenyon over the tabletop. "An advertisement to the Spring Fling dance at my school in exactly two weeks... If your mom consented to let you come up this weekend, I don't see a reason why she wouldn't do so again."

Kenyon remained silent a few minutes more while the waitress delivered their food. He was, however, surprised when their hostess took a lighter to the dish Ivory had ordered, setting it on fire right in front of them, then squeezing a few drops of lemon juice on it as the flames died down. After she had left to see to another customer, Kenyon added, "You never cease to surprise me, Ivory... How you can eat cheese that's freshly flame-kissed, I have no idea."

The Slayer giggled again. "Despite the way it's prepared, it's actually quite good," she said, cutting it into small bits with her knife and fork. "Want a piece?"

"No thanks, I'll pass," Kenyon declined, looking once more at the flyer in his hands, then setting it aside to wrap his hands around the pita sandwich. He took a quick bite and swallowed, then said, "And I'd love to go with you. I should be able to swing it with my mom, no problem."

"Good, then we're settled!" Ivory said brightly with a big smile. "I'll buy the tickets on Monday, first thing!"

Kenyon smiled at her enthusiasm, loving her all the more for it. As the two of them ate and chatted over what fun they were going to have, he privately found himself in anticipation of that upcoming dance, realizing that it would be their first one together as a couple. But, little did he know, at this point, that such plans may not come to be after all...

The next few days saw Kenyon return home to Sunnydale, while Ivory continued in her base routine of attending classes, doing homework, and slaying any hapless vampires with Chase. However, on Wednesday afternoon, she had her partner in crime drive her to a sporting goods store after school.

As they browsed through the aisles of hiking equipment, looking specifically at boots, Chase said, "So how did school go for you? Still keeping up with everything?"

"Of course," Ivory replied absently, fingering a rather large pair of leather hightops. "Having a little difficulty in calculus, but nothing I can't handle."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Oh, anything I can help with?" he questioned, causing her to shoot a curious look at him. "Math has always been one of my better subjects," he admitted. "Maybe I could provide some assistance..."

Ivory gave this some thought, letting her eyes roam over the shelves of footwear. "Okay," she said at last. "We'll give it a shot... Forego making the rounds tonight and instead stay in for a study date." She paused, then, realizing her choice of words, turned to look at Chase, noting the hopeful glint in his eyes.

Squaring her shoulders and crossing her arms, Ivory let out a deep sigh. "Chase," she said firmly. "I don't want you getting the wrong idea about us... We are not getting together. You do know that, right?"

Chase lowered his head slightly, a slight glint of disappointment in his features. "I know," he said softly, but it came out as sounding not very convincing. Rather than argue the point, Ivory returned to her browsing, at last producing an oversized pair of black leathery boots with a thick padded cotton interior.

"What do you think?" she asked Chase. "These could do... Just remove the inside lining on both sides and I have my hidden compartments where I can store stakes."

Chase took one of the boots, examining it. "They'd have to be extra thin stakes to fit," he noted. "But it should work... Thinking of getting these ones?"

Ivory nodded, moving to head for the checkout counter. "They'll do... Just glad my Dad set up a checking account for me, considering how much these babies cost."

Chase's eyes darted to the price tag at those words, and he let out a surprised whistle at the amount. "Yeah, I'm glad too," he answered. "Wow, your Dad must be loaded, huh?"

Ivory gave him a strange look. "Chase, don't fall into greedy mode," she chided.

"I'm not," he denied immediately. "It's just... I can't imagine being so rich that you'd never long for anything." He paused, then added quietly, "My parents didn't have that luxury."

Ivory remained silent as she paid for her purchase and all during the ride home. It was only behind closed doors with Chase at the apartment, at work on her little invention, that the Slayer finally thought to pick up where they'd left off. Pulling out the flimsy lining from the slits she'd cut in the boot's interior, Ivory looked up at him. "Tell me about your family," she said softly. "You haven't talked much about them."

Chase hesitated for so long, Ivory was afraid he would refuse to do so. She had just returned her attention to the boots, attempting to fit a sample stake in one of the compartments, when he at last spoke. "They didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions," he said, "But they were as happy as could be. If ever two people were deeply in love, my parents were it."

Chase shifted his weight, appearing lost in the memories as he continued on. "My mom worked in a clothing store, while Dad spent his days washing dishes in a local diner. They were just barely getting by paying rent on the apartment we lived in and providing for me. Then, one Christmas, they were surprised when their respective bosses provided holiday bonuses." He paused, wiping away a stray tear. Ivory, meanwhile, abandoned her project momentarily, turning her full attention on him. "To make that Christmas extra special, they purchased tickets to a hockey game a few miles outside town. We were on our way there when our car slid on a patch of ice into a lane of oncoming traffic... I lived, with only a fractured collarbone to show for it. Dad was killed instantly. My Mom, she held on for a few hours, but..."

"Oh, Chase!" Ivory whispered, a glint of sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

He shook his head sadly. "After I recovered, my uncle, who had come to claim me, took me home to live with him... And you know how well that turned out. I don't know what was worse, the nights he would turn his drunken rages on me or the times I came home to see one of his 'girlfriends' passed out half naked with him on the couch. Finally, I got fed up with it all and just walked out one day. I haven't been back since."

"And you're an only child then? Like me?"

Chase paused, then absently nodded. "My parents had tried to have another child, but it just never happened... Which is too bad, because I'd like to know what it's like, to have a younger sibling."

Ivory bit her lip, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Yeah, so would I," the Slayer admitted. "But what are the odds that my mother, as she is now, could even have another baby? Only if by some miracle she and Dad become human again..." Ivory cut off with a sigh, staring into space for a long second. "How did you meet Cinnamon?" she ventured at last, not sure how much he'd want to reveal about this aspect.

Chase turned his piercing black eyes on her, causing a slight shiver to course through her. "I didn't meet her so much as she found me. One night, walking home from a job I'd gotten here in Arizona, I was mugged. Some druggie who slammed me around some, then lifted my wallet while I was down. I tried pursuing the guy, but he was too fast. I was ready to give up when I heard him screaming in the alley he'd disappeared down... My curiosity got the better of me and I started forth to investigate. And Cinnamon intercepted me with blood on her lips and my wallet in her hand..."

"Why didn't you run from her?" Ivory asked softly when he remained silent. "You must have known she wasn't a good person from the outset."

Chase hesitated, hanging his head. "I tried. I didn't get far... Cinnamon was extraordinarily fast, you see. Wherever I turned to run, she was there, blocking my path. Finally, she pushed me to the ground, and straddled me so I couldn't move. Then, she set at teasing me, saying I was acting foolish being afraid of a real live vampire. She toyed with me for an hour, but got me to trust her in that same amount of time." Chase sighed, lifting his eyes to meet Ivory's once more. "She is quite the schemer and manipulator."

Ivory pursed her lips together, looking downward briefly. "And she took advantage of your trust," the Slayer filled in quietly. "And she took you to the caverns that night? Is that how it worked?"

Chase shook his head. "Three nights later, she was waiting on the same corner for me, and for several nights that followed. Built up my belief in her gradually before she enticed me into living with her. And shielded me from the truth until it was too late."

"How did you find out? When?" Ivory asked after a moment, raising her eyes to study his face.

"Shortly after Cinnamon invited me into her bed," Chase replied, a lump caught in his throat. "A new arrival to the caves caught me wandering one afternoon and delivered me into Leeloo's clutches. They were both unaware that I was Cinnamon's property, and it was the first I'd seen of either of them... Anyway, Cinn came along in time to catch Leeloo in the act of feeding on me. Stopped her in the nick of time. But, boy, was there hell to pay for that action! The next thing I knew, the new arrival was dead, and Leeloo was locked away with the barest amount of contact for three weeks..."

Ivory closed her eyes briefly, overwhelmed by this whole story. "My God," she whispered, barely loud enough for Chase to hear her. "It's amazing you survived there at all regarding..." Ivory bit her lower lip, tears appearing in her eyes. "And Leeloo? Why did she choose not to flee? I'd imagine that not even vampires would want to stick around after something like that. These caverns sound so very desolate."

Chase hesitated a moment. "Leeloo stays because her mother is still there," he answered haltingly. "And because Riley keeps her on a tight leash. He has her so enamored with him, she doesn't dare leave."

Ivory contemplated this, then added, "Tell me about Leeloo's mother. What do you know of her? Why do they bother keeping her around... alive... Whatever you want to call it?"

Chase kept the answer as vague as possible. "I don't know too much about her, actually. Leeloo's not exactly open about that sort of thing, and certainly not to me... I'm sorry, Ivory, but that's all I can tell you."

The Slayer took a deep breath, letting it out through her nostrils. During her period of silence, Chase took one of the boots from its spot on the table, examining the hidden compartment she had made. "You may want to sew a few buttons in here to keep your stakes in place. And replace the cotton lining with pieces of foam. That would make it more comfortable for you."

Ivory gave a brief laugh, appreciating his suggestions but knowing that a problem came with them. "I can't sew," she admitted with a trace of embarrassment. "Trust me, I was the nightmare student in shop class when it came to that... Bad enough to convince the teacher to keep sewing needles away from me!"

Chase was quick to disagree. "Oh, come on," he protested. "It couldn't have been that bad."

Ivory's green eyes twinkled as she managed a silly smile. "You have no idea," she said comically. If anything, her choice of words kicked off a playful banter between the two of them, even as the Slayer continued to work at her newest invention. Chase even offered to try his hand at sewing in the needed buttons (which she gratefully accepted), all the while glad that he and Ivory were finally finding the chance to bond...

Chapter Five

For the first few days after their initial talk, Willow didn't hear a peep out of Jenny saying she had found something. But the following week, the Watcher logged on to her computer to find an e-mail from her friend in London which read:

Dear Willow,

I'm sorry I won't be able to chat with you in person about this, but I've been more tired than usual as of late. I won't bore you with the details of how much this difficult pregnancy is taking out of me, but I will point out the fact that I've attached all files related to the vampires you've mentioned and of Falmorean, including a hypothetical statement of what would happen should the ritual to raise him work, to this letter. I hope you find it informative and that it helps Ivory out.

Love, Jenny

Willow downloaded and skimmed through the attached files quickly, getting through them in less than an hour. By the time she was finished, the Watcher found herself disturbed by all she had learned, and such knowledge had her calling Ivory and Angel to arrange another computer chat.

The computer vid-link was up not long after, and Willow breathed a sigh of relief when the Slayer and her father signed on to have a talk. After a moment, Willow said, "I'm glad you guys answered so quick. It would have killed me otherwise to wait and tell you all this... Jenny got back to me this morning with the requested info."

Ivory leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Willow's face. "And?" the Slayer asked eagerly. "What'd you find out?"

Willow took a moment to look through the documents she had printed out. "I have info on everyone, with the exception of Leeloo... No record could be found of her, according to Jenny. Makes sense if she was born in the caves like Chase said." Willow paused, taking a breath. "So, who would you like to hear about first?"

Ivory sighed as well, exchanging a glance with Angel, then at Chase, who was standing off-camera. "Well, let's start with Cinnamon. Anything interesting on her?"

"Lots," Willow answered, picking up the needed printout. "According to passages found in the Watcher Diaries, she first went by the name of Karamata, and she was a harem girl to an Egyptian Sultan. That was about five hundred and eighty years ago, by the way... She was sired by an unknown vampire who was passing through Egypt and left her to fend for herself afterwards. After two years, Karamata killed the Sultan she was employed under, stole his riches and made his other servants and daughters hers by bringing them over, and fled with her newly acquired group to Israel.

"Karamata's patterns over the next few centuries was quite simple. She became a master manipulator, even pitting several Slayers against their Watchers and vice versa. It's nothing more than a game to her, but she also revels in the concept of turning people against each other... Early in the Twentieth Century, she started going by the name 'Cinnamon' for reasons unknown. And..." Willow paused, then looked up, meeting Angel's eyes. "She was spotted in Europe around the time Ethan was turned, and there are very strong indications that Cinnamon may have been the one who sired him... Although I can't imagine why either of them would be so dead set on this ritual..."

Angel remained silent, his expression pensive, so Ivory spoke instead. "Why do you think that? What vampire wouldn't be set on destroying the world?" the Slayer asked, instantly throwing a glance at her father. "Present company excluded, of course," she added haltingly.

Willow sighed, retrieving the file about the demon in question. "Falmorean, too, originates in Egypt... in ancient Egypt. Rumor has it that he was worshipped as some sort of demi-god for about five centuries. He was most often in hibernation, only to awaken every fifty years. But he'd rarely kill and even then, it was only people who'd crossed him in some way."

"So what happened?" Ivory asked, surprised when her father answered instead.

"Falmorean fell in love with the daughter of a high-priest, and vice versa," Angel stated calmly. "When the father got wind of their relationship, he attempted to have Falmorean put to death for it. But the demon retaliated by laying waste to the city, reducing to ashes anyone who met his gaze... including, by accident, the girl he loved."

Willow nodded eagerly, picking up the story. "When it was over, Falmorean went into a deep sleep, never to awake for for many milleniums. But a survivor of the massacre found the place where the demon was entombed and placed a curse on him. Basically, it entailed that any woman who should win Falmorean's affections from then on would meet a tragic end..."

Ivory nodded, her eyes widening. "And let me guess? Some woman did."

Willow bit her lip. "The details on that are very sketchy though. All I know is that after her death, Falmorean went on another rampage, leaving Egypt and killing human and vampire alike this time around the globe. That's why a group of magic-users had him banished to the demon dimension... What I'm wondering is, why would Ethan want him raised? I mean, last time around, Falmorean couldn't have been on friendly terms with vampires, plus there's the fact he's uncontrollable..."

"Well, maybe they know and don't care," Ivory cut in. "Or perhaps they think they can control him regardless."

Willow shook her head. "There's no indication in the proposed ritual that that's even possible," she answered. "All it states is that, once raised, Falmorean is likely to kill anyone within range, starting with the beings used in the ceremony."

Ivory cast an anxious glance at her father, who returned her gaze with the same emotion. After a few moments of silence, Angel turned back to look at the monitor. "I can promise you, Willow, that we'll do everything in our power to prevent this," he said. "And we can ponder at their reasoning after Buffy is safe. In the meantime... Tell us about Riley."

Willow sighed, setting down the papers she held to pick up some new ones. "He was born Riley Newhouse in Queens, New York, around 1950. In the seventies, he was working as a bouncer for a nightclub featuring all these amateur bands. It's unclear as to which vampire singled him out, but Riley became one nonetheless. He stayed in Queens, often preying on prostitutes, then moving up to young socialites. The arrival of a Slayer in New York eventually forced him to leave in the early nineties. From there, he has a history of seducing young women, newly made vampires or mortals... Around the time he vanished to the Arizona caverns, Riley was involved with a twenty-something, African-American nurse named Lori Lee Rivers. Rumor has it he either killed her and dumped the body somewhere in which it's remained unfound... or that he took her with him."

At this point, Chase spoke up, taking a few steps towards the laptop so Willow could see him as well. "He did," Chase put in. "Take her with him, I mean. Lori Lee acted as a midwife for some of the girls who gave birth there, even after she knew a few of the babies were being given up as food for bloodsuckers. Also, I know for a fact that Riley killed her after some delivery gone bad and that Leeloo was named after her... Or so I've been told."

"How ironic," Ivory noted. "So, at what point was Leeloo made a vampire, Chase? And how was it done? I mean, if she has fangs even in her human guise...?"

Chase bit his lip, eyes cast downward. "I wish I could tell you," he said softly. "But I don't know all the specifics."

Ivory let out a deep breath slowly, looking back at the monitor. "Well, we got one more to go then... Serena..."

"Is the most interesting case," Willow replied, retrieving the last file. "The Watcher's Council even went so far as to investigate her life as a mortal, to determine how she became the way she is... Apparently, circumstances forced Serena to grow up faster than normal. At age fourteen and a half, she had a fairly clear understanding of who she was and what she wanted out of life. To put it short, she was a bisexual aspiring singer.

"When her parents came home one day to find her... well, kissing... a girlfriend of hers, they freaked and kicked Serena out of the house. That very night, she was attacked at a homeless shelter and became a member of the undead. Her sire later decided he had lucked out by catching a 'prize' like her. The two of them would, from then on, scope out gay bars, and give out invitations to anyone who was interested to share their bed for a night. Most times, the person who was propositioned would turn up dead, drained of blood. Then, one fateful night, Serena and her sire graduated to the Bronze, Sunnydale's famous dance club, at which point the sire was slayed by Angel," Willow continued.

Startled, Ivory shot a glance at her father, who merely gave her a small shrug. "I basically bullied Serena into spilling some much needed information at the time," Angel said, "then scared her into leaving town... Wherever she is right now, I imagine she's still quite peeved at me..."

"Doesn't sound like much of an issue to me," Ivory said with a shrug after a moment. "Since, judging by what we know, Serena doesn't sound like the brightest of the bunch... And at least we have an idea of who our enemies are. Although I wouldn't mind avoiding them when we go in to rescue Mom."

"Me too," Angel agreed. "Especially Cinnamon... Old as she is, she could give me a run for my money."

Ivory nodded. "Right... The older they are, the stronger and faster they get." She looked over at her Dad, giving him a reassuring pat on the arm. "Don't worry. I wouldn't ask that of you."

Angel smiled slightly in turn, and, on the monitor, Willow bid them farewell. "I have every confidence in you guys," the Watcher offered as her parting words.

Standing, Ivory stretched to work out the stiffness in her back, then announced she was going to take a shower to help unwind. "And after that, perhaps we can head out on yet another slaying adventure, Chase," she said, knowing even without looking that he was nodding in consent...

As night fell, Cordelia opened her eyes, laying silently on the plush bed in her chambers and listening intently to the mild activity going on in the adjoining corridors and rooms. There were the sounds of pleasant conversation, of verbal sparring, and the sounds of a few select vamps making love.

Cordelia sighed, turning her head to one side and wondering what conditions Buffy had been living under these past years. Was she okay and how long would it be before Cordy was allowed to see her?

Rather than spend time brooding over it, Cordelia rose from the bed, deciding it was time to take the initiative. She stepped partway out into the corridor, quickly making sure she wouldn't be caught exploring by any of the vamps that mattered, such as Cinnamon, Riley, or Ethan. Once that task was finished, she strode purposely but casually through the maze of caverns, keeping alert for any of the higher-up vampires who would reprimand her for being where she didn't belong.

Eventually, Cordelia found herself strolling through a dark corridor when an odd sensation hit her, making her freeze in her tracks. Reaching out with her senses, standing perfectly still, she caught the sound of faint sobbing somewhere ahead of her, almost rejoicing at its familiarity.

"Buffy..." Cordelia murmured, taking a few steps forward. She had gotten somewhat closer, the sobbing increasing in volume, when her luck happened to run out.

Riley stepped from a passageway moments before Cordelia would have entered it, catching the latter off guard. "Well, well," Riley said in amusement upon laying eyes on her. "What do we have here?"

Cordelia smiled nervously, but she recovered nicely. "I know you have rules and everything," she said, "But can you blame me for wanting to explore...? I'm restless... One of my faults, actually. Please don't tell Cinnamon you caught me here."

Riley grinned, dropping the backpack he'd been carrying; it popped open enough to reveal a few empty blood packets. "I'll do that and better," he said, taking a step closer. "If you're really anxious to see what's hidden at the end of this corridor and more, all you've got to do is persuade me to give it to you."

"Plea..." Cordelia started, only to have Riley silence her by roughly seizing the back of her neck, pressing his lips to hers.

"Now, I don't mean that kind of persuasion," Riley teased. "I'm thinking of something a little more physical... I mean, let's be honest, it's gonna kill me otherwise to wait until Leeloo's gone before I get a taste of you..."

Cordelia really had to fight to hide her surprise and revulsion. "What about Leeloo?" she asked instinctively. "I thought you two were pretty solid, or at least she seems to think so."

"Forget her!" Riley added abruptly. "I'll send her out for an evening, any evening that you prefer, for a few hours." He took another step forward, pulling Cordelia closer so her body melded with his. "That gives us plenty of time to get it on," he whispered sensually. "And just maybe, I'll give you the grand tour of the place afterwards. What do you say?"

Cordelia stared at him silently for the longest time, deep in thought. It was only when the sobbing she had heard earlier grew in volume that she at last nodded, her insides knotting up with regret. "Yes," she said softly, her voice not betraying even a smidge of her inner turmoil. "I think I'd like that very much."

Riley grinned. "That's my girl. Come on, let's get you back to your quarters then..." With that, he slipped one arm around her, manuevering her back the way they'd come.

It was only when she was once again alone in her room that Cordelia looked skyward and whispered, to no one in particular, "Forgive me..."

The weekend saw Ivory's best friends, Risa Marks and Hannah Harris, drive up for a visit, accompanied by Risa's mother (and Ivory's foster mother), Stefanie. On Saturday afternoon, the Slayer and her two girlfriends went out to the local mall, to do some shopping for a dress that Ivory could wear to the dance next weekend.

Admiring a pink taffeta gown hung in one corner of the boutique, Hannah said, "Kenyon is already so psyched about the whole thing. It's pratically all he can talk about! In fact, the other night, we were out hunting vampires. And it was like, the only way to get Kenyon to shut up for a minute was the actual slaying!"

Risa snorted. "Oh, come on," she replied. "He's not that bad... At least he was quiet on the way home."

Hannah fixed her gaze on Risa, a comical glint in her eyes. "Risa... That was because a vampire had decked him and his jaw was starting to swell."

Ivory looked over from where she was browsing through dresses. "Is he okay?!" she asked in concern.

Hannah nodded, shifting her weight. "Yeah, he's fine," she assured her older friend. "And back to talking our ears off as usual... Except for being a chattermouth and tossing out the occasional lewd comment, I think Kenyon's a real sweetie, don't you?"

Ivory gave a small half-smile. "Yes, he can be sweet," she admitted, turning back and removing a shimmering fuschia satin gown from the rack. Holding it up next to herself, she asked, "What do you guys think of this one?"

Risa and Hannah looked over, both appearing deep in thought for a moment. Finally, Hannah said, "No, not quite glamorous enough... Let's keep looking."

With a sigh, Ivory looked to Risa, knowing by the look in her foster sister's eyes that she agreed with Hannah. The Slayer moved to hang the dress back up, then moved down the row a bit to view some more gowns. "So, what's the story with you brother, Hannah? He still clueless as ever on the whole vampire slaying gig?"

Hannah giggled. "Oh, definitely," she replied, continuing her perusal of the racks. "Jesse's so oblivious, he wouldn't see the truth if it jumped up and bit him... I'm surprised he hasn't even questioned where Mom, Dad, and I have been disappearing to every other night."

Risa crossed her arms, facing Hannah with a stern look. "And that couldn't be because you talked me into taking him out for ice cream, to the Bronze, or to the movies every other night?!" she asked in annoyance. To Ivory, she added, "I haven't been part of the Sunnydale slaying team for weeks because of this."

Hannah smirked. "Oh, come on, Risa! Won't you admit you're having just as much fun dating?"

Risa scowled. "Jesse and I are NOT dating!" she denied emphatically.

"Could have fooled me," Hannah replied. "I mean, Jesse sure seems to have the impression that the two of you ARE!"

Rather than listen to her friends' bickering continue, Ivory cut in with, "And he still believes I'm in Arizona because my Dad came to Sunnydale to persuade me to live with him, correct?"

Hannah nodded. "That's our story, and we're sticking to it!" she said in a upbeat comical tone.

"That's good," Ivory returned, turning back to her search for the perfect dress. After a few moments of looking, she turned back to her friends with a deep sigh. "Geez, this is useless," she said in frustration. "I don't see anything that is even close to getting full approval!"

Risa stepped forward, gently touching her friend on the arm out of comfort. "It's okay, Ivory. We'll find something. Just hang in there."

"Yeah, we still have one more aisle to check. Come on," Hannah added, ducking away to scan through the said aisle.

When Ivory made no move to follow, Risa turned to look at her curiously. "What are you waiting for? What's wrong?" Risa asked.

Ivory let out a deep breath, relaxing herself. "I just can't believe this. Any day now, I'm going to be infiltrating a network of vampire-inhabitated caverns to rescue my mom and prevent a dark ritual from coming to pass... And I'm still worried about something as trivial as what I'm going to wear to a dance." The Slayer shook her head. "I shouldn't even be bothering. I should just pick a dress at random and be done with it."

"Yeah, but this dance is important," Risa said brightly. "It's your first with Kenyon as an official couple... Don't you want it to be special, Ivory?" When the other girl didn't answer, Risa switched tactics. "My Mom told you once that, no matter what happens, you shouldn't lose sight of who YOU are. And this is you, Ivory. You're the kind of person who lives for intimate events and romantic gestures! So, just for a while, can't you concentrate on making it a night to remember?"

Ivory remained silent for another moment, then began shaking her head, chuckling softly. "You're right, Risa," she admitted. A pause, then, "This is why I need friends like you and Hannah. You help keep things light!"

Risa stepped forward, wrapping one arm around Ivory. "That's what we're here for! Now come on, let's go see if Hannah's found something," she said, leading her friend towards the aisle Hannah had disappeared in.

The young energetic redhead was gushing over a black and white evening gown partially obscured from the Slayer's sight when Ivory and Risa found her. Upon noticing them, Hannah removed the dress from the rack, holding it up for full view. "Check this out!" Hannah exclaimed. "Isn't it perfect?"

Ivory took a step closer, reaching out with one hand to feel the silk fabric. "It's beautiful," she murmured after a second. "What do you think, Risa?"

Risa grinned, running a hand through her short, ash blonde hair. "I think we have a winner... Oh, I wish I could be there to see Kenyon's reaction to this. He's gonna be speechless!"

Ivory took the gown from Hannah, holding it up next to herself in front of a nearby mirror. "Oh, man, I can't believe my luck! This is perfect, you guys!" the Slayer exclaimed, her gaze a mixture of elation and modesty.

Hannah gave a big, wide smile. "Then come on," she said, gripping Ivory by one arm and pulling her towards the dressing room. "Final verdict is when you try it on."

Ivory let herself be led to the fitting rooms by her friends, even though she knew in her heart that nothing could sway her away from this particualar gown. However, hearing her friends continue to dish out praise, Ivory began to feel all the more closer to believing she was just another normal teenager...

Back at the apartment complex, Angel was doing his best to keep Stefanie entertained, although such a task at first proved difficult. However, the real breakthrough came when he showed her the boots that Ivory had constructed, and Stefanie offered to personally sew in some buttons to help keep the secret compartments closed.

Concentrating on this chore didn't keep Stefanie from conversation though. Working at threading the needle, she said, "So how's Ivory holding up here? Is she still doing well in school?"

Angel nodded. "Chase and I have been helping her in terms of studying and homework. And from what I hear, all that hard work is paying off. She got an A+ on her last history exam, and the calculus test before that... I wouldn't be surprised if she graduates with honors."

Stefanie smiled, even as she worked at stitching in one of the buttonholes. "That's good to know," she replied. "Ivory has had a tendency to excel at everything growing up. Especially electronics, her favorite subject... She sure has a knack for that type of stuff." Stefanie paused, concentrating on the task at hand a moment. "Ivory could probably even build a computer system from scratch if she put her mind to it! Who knows what sort of mechanized weapon she could construct to help with the slaying?!"

Angel settled into a nearby recliner, leaning slightly forward with a thoughtful look. "Tell me about her childhood. What was it like, being there for her everyday?"

Stefanie remained silent for a while, biting her lip, then looked up at him with slightly sad eyes. "Every day with Ivory was a joy. She was a delightful child. Inquisitive, caring, sensitive... I'm sorry you had to miss it," she answered at last. "You and Buffy together should have been the ones to raise Ivory. What right did I have?"

"You had every right," Angel told her in a soothing tone. "I gave it to you, remember?"

"Which you wouldn't have had to if Ethan hadn't kidnapped Buffy," Stefanie argued. "I can't help hating him for it, you know. He took so much from us, you especially... A wife, a daughter... How do you deal with it, Angel?"

Angel sighed. "By realizing that there's no use in dwelling on the past," he said softly. He looked up, meeting Stefanie's eyes with his own. "If all goes well, Buffy and I will still have many years together, with Ivory... And you'll have back one of your dearest friends for the rest of your life. Decades from now, I imagine we'll be glad it turned out this way. The alternative is that we may never have learned Buffy was still alive until it was too late to recapture those years, until..."

"Until Xander, Willow, Jenny, and I were all old and gray, and it probably would have seemed too unfair anyway," Stefanie cut in, wiping a stray tear away. "You're right, Angel," she added after a moment, looking up at him. "How do you do it? How did you get to be so wise?"

"Same as you," he said with a slight chuckle, dark eyes shining. "Years of practice... As a creature of the night, you get a whole lot more years experience. If anyone, you should know that as well as I do, Stefanie."

Stefanie paused, then quickly wrapped up her sewing project. Standing, she moved towards Angel, who stood to allow her to embrace him. "Just don't forget," she whispered in his ear, half joking. "A vampire's wrath will be nothing compared to mine if you don't see Buffy and Ivory and yourself survive this!"

Angel chuckled, pulling back to gaze at her and touch the side of her face in a purely sympathetic manner. "You have my word on it," he promised...

On to Chapter Six