Stefanie didn't even bother to notify Giles and Jenny when she left the apartment. She simply gathered together her weapons, crossbow included, and exited as quietly as her waning powers of stealth would allow her. She figured it was better to make a clean break rather than have to see their sad faces all over again.
It didn't take her long to find the correct warehouse where Lorenzo and his team had set up shop in. Even standing outside, she could clearly sense the presence of four vampires within, one of them (she presumed Angel) in pain. Stefanie found her way in through a back entrance, eyes alert for an attack as she advanced. Briefly, she prayed that there wasn't another creature like Venus who she wouldn't be able to sense. Then, rounding a corner, she caught sight of the cage.
Stefanie put one hand to her lips to cover the gasp that was issued from them. She had caught Angel at a very bad moment apparently, as he lay writhing on the floor, his face contorted in agony. She quickly looked to make sure no one was around, then went to him, saying his name softly to alert him.
Angel looked up at her weakly, eyes widening when he saw her. "Stefanie," he whispered in relief. "Thank God... How's Buffy? Is she alright?"
Stefanie's eyes widened, knowing instantly that they hadn't bothered to tell him. Reaching into her bag for a stake, she said, "Buffy's in the hospital in a coma... Since the night they took you." She paused a moment, handing the wooden stick to him through the bars. "I'm going to need your help... Where's the key?"
"Lorenzo has it, in his chambers, most likely," he answered. "You won't be able to get it unless you kill him first." Angel paused, throwing an anxious glance around the room, then hid the stake she had given him under his bunk. "Hide in the loft before they come up here. With any luck, they won't know you're here until it's too late."
Stefanie offered him a brave little smile, reaching for his hand and giving it a firm squeeze. "I'm going to end this," she promised, then turned and headed for the ladder that led up to the balcony.
While she waited, she removed the crossbow from her pack, loading it with at least four bolts. Then, she remained where she was, maintaining a vigil over the ground level of the factory. After a long while, Cordelia and Tessa appeared out of nowhere, approaching the cage to check on their prisoner.
A flood of memories hit Stefanie from the moment she had cordelia in her sights. Now was the perfect time to make the kill, but she found herself unable to send the bolt flying. Wiping tears from her eyes, Stefanie took aim again, this time at Tessa, who, fortunately, had no fond memories connected to her.
Tessa screeched as the arrow pierced her, turning slightly to look at Stefanie with hatred. Then, she collapsed to the floor, every ounce of skin, muscles, and tissue melting away until only a skeleton remained. The slayer felt an unexpected wave of terror at the sight. She had heard rumors that vampires exceeding four hundred and fifty left some sort of substantial remains behind when killed, but had never witnessed it until now.
Her hesitation was nearly the death of her; Stefanie almost didn't see Cordelia coming. In a panic, the slayer grabbed another bolt, not bothering to load it. By this time, Cordelia had already vaulted onto the loft, scrambling over the railing in her attempt to get at Stefanie.
So fixed was she on the arrogant vampiress in front of her, Stefanie didn't realize Lorenzo was behind her until it was too late. He grabbed the arrow from her hand, snapping it in two like a twig, then seized the crossbow and threw it towards the ground level below.
"Welcome, little slayer," Lorenzo whispered in Stefanie's ear, one arm wrapped around her throat. "We've been expecting you. Just didn't imagine it would be this soon. Shame you didn't take enough time to plan your strategy. It will cost you." He paused, glancing briefly at what remained of his mistress, then at Cordelia. "I think we should let her watch her friend die for it, don't you agree, my pet?" he said.
That was the signal Cordelia had been waiting for, indicating that she was to go retrieve Buffy from the hospital. "My pleasure," she responded, turning to go.
Stefanie tensed up when Lorenzo began stroking one side of her face, almost lovingly. "I admire you for your courage, but unfortunately, it won't be enough to save you now. Come daybreak, you'll be just another casualty in the long line of slayers."
Stefanie's eyes burned with hatred at this. "Shame you won't be around to gloat over it," she hissed.
Lorenzo merely smiled. "Ah, you're a feisty one, I see... Would have loved to have you in my little family. But then, I do in a sense." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a mere whisper. "It was one of my girls that made your brother what he was. Of course, I had no idea he'd brought you over to our side, or I would have killed him myself."
Stefanie froze at this, shaking her head in disbelief. She refused to be associated with this vile creature, but something told her that Lorenzo spoke the truth. And, just knowing that her line, her brother's line, could ultimately be traced back to him was the last straw for her.
In a rage, she grabbed at the arm around her neck, lifting it to her face and biting into it. Having caught him off guard, she had a few seconds in which to feed before he pushed her away. Stefanie was up a second later, pulling a stake from her pack. She rushed at the vampire king, intending to drive her weapon into his chest. But her countered her blow, knocking her against the railing. The stake flew from her hand at the impact, falling to the floor and skidding away to who knew where.
Seeing Lorenzo approaching, Stefanie swung herself up into a handstand on the platform railing, kicking him upside the head in the process. She then propelled herself onto the first story below, landing on her feet in a crouch. With wild eyes, she looked around for her crossbow, but saw no sign of it. Instead, she stood and ran before Lorenzo could jump from the platform after her.
After a few feet, Stefanie stopped and turned back, searching for the vampire king. But, he too had vanished in a matter of moments. Fearful now, she scanned the room once over, then slowly made her way towards the cage, knowing that her only weapon remained with Angel. Every inch of her was tensed for an attack as she walked.
It came faster than she could blink. As Stefanie passed beneath the far end of the platform, Lorenzo landed behind her, getting in at least three hits before she had time to react. She blocked the fourth blow, then, grabbing him by the hair and jacket, flipped him over onto his back.
Stefanie moved to pin him down with her foot, which turned out to be her first mistake. Lorenzo grabbed her by the legs, yanking them out from under her so she landed heavily on the concrete, knocking the wind out of her.
Stefanie lay there in a daze, groaning softly and aware that her head was spinning. Lorenzo could have easily finished her then, but he seemed to have other ideas in mind. Standing, he delivered a sharp kick to her lower chest, breaking one of her ribs, she was sure.
Moaning loudly, Stefanie curled up, holding herself. But it was only the first of many hits Lorenzo inflicted on her. And, before long, the pain became too intense for her, and Stefanie blacked out...
So far, it was proving to be a slow night at Sunnydale Medical, as not many people were being admitted tonight. For the moment, there was a sense of peace and calm in the air.
Except for the two visitors in Room 423. For Xander and Willow, the evening was looking pretty bleak and boring. It would have been better if Buffy was awake and being her usual chatty and witty self, but that, unfortunately, wasn't to be an option. All Willow could find to do was read aloud to her silent friend from a Rolling Stone magazine. Meanwhile, Xander sat at a bureau on the opposite side of the room, playing a game of solitaire.
After a long while, Willow's eyes began to water, and she leaned back with a sigh, suddenly aware of how exhausted she had become. Stretching her arms over her head, she asked her husband if he could go for a cup of coffee.
Xander threw an equally weary glance at Willow, just as she collapsed onto the bed, her head and shoulders strewn across Buffy's stomach. With a yawn, he got up, heading for the hallway in a sort of daze.
Had Xander not been so drowsy, he might have noticed when a familiar girl passed him, going the way he had just come. But, at one moment when he was rubbing at his eyes, he missed Cordelia entirely. He had just dug the correct amount of change from his pocket, ready to put it in the slot of the coffee vending machine, when he heard his wife scream from down the hall, followed by a loud crash.
Panicked, Xander dropped the coins he was holding, hurrying back to the room he had left Willow and Buffy in. Much to his horror, he found it to be in total disarray. Buffy was gone from her place on the bed, and the window leading out to the fire escape had been shattered.
Xander looked around for Willow, finding her slumped against the wall to one side of the bed. He went to her, holding her in his arms to comfort her, and listening as she stuttered Cordelia's name.
"We have to go after her!" Willow cried, tears streaming down her face. "Buffy needs our help!"
Xander threw a glance at the broken window over her shoulder. "It's too late," he whispered. "Cordy's long gone. Buffy's fate is now officially in Stefanie's hands, so it would be a good time to start praying for both of them." Then, noticing a team of nurses at the door, Xander went to answer the questions they must have, leaving Willow momentarily to her pleading...
She awoke with a substantial amount of aches and pains, her powers as depleted as they had been before Venus' attempted assault on her from healing her somewhat. Looking around, Stefanie spotted Angel staring at her in quiet concern and realized she was once again near the cage he was imprisoned in.
Stefanie tried to get up, but quickly found that her hands and feet had been bound with pieces of rope. Instead, she worked to inch herself closer to the cage, but didn't make much progress in that respect either.
Only then did she become aware that Lorenzo was watching her struggles with an amused look. Stefanie threw him a fierce one in turn. "I never figured you as being a coward," she said. "Honestly, do you really fear me so much as to see me restrained?"
Lorenzo took a few steps closer so she could see him better, stopping between her and the cage. "Afraid of a little slayer like you? I think not," he replied. "Everyone in your race is the same, Stefanie. You fight bravely, valiantly enough... But in the end, you all die young."
Stefanie threw a quick glance at Angel, then back at the vampire king. "There are exceptions to every rule, Lorenzo," she spat out, baiting him. "As you'll soon see."
Lorenzo smirked, taking another step towards her. "And just how do you plan to show me? Not even you could be that resourceful in your current predicament."
Stefanie merely gave a strange secretive smile. "Come closer and I'll tell you."
Her calm demeanor made Lorenzo slightly afraid. She was hiding something; of that, he was certain. "I'm comfortable where I am. Just say what you need to say."
Stefanie paused momentarily, worried because she knew her plan wouldn't work unless he was within striking distance. Switching tactics, she threw a glance back towards what remained of Tessa. "I'm surprised your mistress was so easy to kill. You'd think a five hundred year old would be fast enough to avoid such an ambush."
"You caught her off guard," Lorenzo said after a moment of silence. "Tessa never did have a very good attention span... And don't think it's of any consequence to me. Cordelia will make a fine new mistress for me."
Stefanie's secretive smile returned as she heard Angel send her a telepathic message. "Are you sure about that?" she goaded him. "Cordelia may be a flirt, but she doen't settle for just anyone... She wants Angel, not you!"
Enraged, Lorenzo marched towards Stefanie, squatting down and grabbing her by the throat, growling at her. "No one refuses me!" he snarled.
Stefanie couldn't stop an amused, self-satisfied smile from rising to her lips. "So, the great vampire king does have a weakness," she said softly. "And one that will cost you... I win." With that, Stefanie bent her legs towards her chest, then kicked out at him, sending Lorenzo flailing back towards the cage.
He regained his senses a second later, but by then, it was too late. In shock, Lorenzo looked down at the stake that protuded from his chest, wielded by Angel of all people. Then the vampire king collapsed to the floor, screaming as his six hundred years of life drained away.
Stefanie didn't stop to watch Lorenzo's demise. She rolled to her right so she was on her stomach, then worked with her hands and legs to get over to Angel's prison. It took a few minutes, but the end result was worth it.
She sat up once the ropes binding her had been removed, her body aching all over. Rubbing at the back of her neck, Stefanie looked at Angel. "How long has Cordelia been gone?"
Angel threw a quick worried glance around the factory. "Too long. She could be back any minute... What about you? You're not strong enough to fight her."
Stefanie closed her eyes momentarily, the tension getting to her. "There's got to be a way," she whispered. "We just need to think."
Angel paused. "If you can find your crossbow, it could be used to finish her without any hassle," he stated quietly.
Stefanie shook her head. "Angel, I can't..." she started.
"Then I will," he interrupted. "Just go!"
Stefanie nodded painfully, turning and taking a few steps towards the place she had lost her weapon. But when she saw Cordelia enter from the corner of her eye, she knew it was too late. She froze, waiting until her former friend became aware that her side had lost.
Cordelia let loose a loud howl upon seeing Lorenzo was gone, looking at Stefanie with a fire burning in her yellow eyes. "You surprise me, Steffi," she said bitterly. "That a weakling like you could bring down three of the most powerful vampires alive... But guess what. The rules have changed now." Cordelia set Buffy upright, holding the comatose slayer so she would remain in a standing position. "Now Angel's going to be without a meal. But I'm not." With that, Cordelia bared her fangs, sinking them into Buffy's throat.
"No!" Stefanie screamed, crossing the distance between them as fast as she could. She tackled Cordelia, sending the vain vampiress toppling to the floor and freeing Buffy from her clutches.
Stefanie had Cordelia pinned to the ground a moment later, staring down at her in fury. "You just killed whatever sympathy I had for you," Steffi hissed. "Big mistake, Cordy."
Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, your mistake." With that, the evil vampiress rolled sharply to the right, catching Stefanie off guard. Their positions were reversed in a second; the slayer was the one who was pinned down now.
"They say the blood of a slayer can make any vampire all-powerful... I think feeding off two will make me a force to be reckoned with," Cordelia said. With that, she lowered her head towards Stefanie's neck.
The slayer let out a cry as she felt the sharp piercing pain at her throat, tears stinging her blue eyes. And just before she passed out again, Stefanie had a split-second to realize that Cordelia had suddenly gone into convulsions...
Angel watched the scene play out with a mixture of anger and sorrow. Had be been free, he would have killed Cordelia for what she did to Buffy alone. But when he saw her do the same to Stefanie, his rage began to boil over. What cooled it somewhat was seeing Cordelia fall away from his friend and begin writhing on the floor. She let loose an inhuman scream, and Angel suspected briefly she may be dying, impossible as that prospect seemed. But he didn't have long to wonder.
After a while, Cordelia lay still, as if not trusting herself to move. Finally, she slowly got up, looking around with wide, frightened brown eyes. And her gaze finally came to rest on him, an almost doubtful air about her. "Angel?" she asked, as if seeking some sort of confirmation from him.
He stared at her suspiciously a moment, then said, "If this is some kind of trick..."
Cordelia shook her head, throwing quick, shameful glances at the two slayers. "It's gone," she said, so softly that Angel had to strain to hear her. In a louder tone, she added, "The demon that possessed me. It's gone!"
Angel wouldn't have believed her but that she did seem different somehow. It didn't take him long to piece together what had happened. "A slayer who was mortal wouldn't have had any affect on us, but Stefanie was one who had become a vampire," he said.
Cordelia nodded, following his line of thought. "Her blood had the opposite effect. It killed the demon inside me," she said in awe. Then, remembering she had placed Buffy's life in danger, Cordelia went to her, checking for a pulse.
"She's still alive but barely," Cordelia told him. "Angel, what do we do? She'll die if we don't think of something soon!"
Angel paused, considering this for a long while. He took a moment to weigh his options, then moved to take off his leather jacket. "Bring her over here," he ordered.
Cordelia did so, carrying Buffy in her arms as if afraid she might break. Gently, she set the slayer down inches from the cage, just on the edge of Angel's grasp in case he tried anything. "What are you going to do?" she asked fearfully.
Morphing into his vampire guise, Angel sliced his wrist with one claw. He held his arm out over Buffy's face a moment later, doing his best to ignore the pangs of hunger that seized him. "Help her swallow," he told Cordelia.
Cordelia nodded hesitantly, gently massaging Buffy's throat with one hand. She knew it was their only option; the one way to save Buffy now was to turn her into a vampire.
Once Angel was sure he had provided enough blood to change his girlfriend, he withdrew his arm, staring down at her with a mixture of hope and regret. "It might take a few decades, but maybe she'll eventually understand why it had to be this way," he said in a weary voice. "I hope she'll forgive me when she wakes up and realizes what I've done."
Cordelia reached for his hand. "If Buffy's love for you is genuine, she will instantly," she assured him, her words providing a little comfort. With that, Cordelia went to Stefanie, checking to make sure their other friend was going to be okay.
Cordelia kneeled by Stefanie's side with a sigh of regret, curious as to how she had survived all the hell Lorenzo had put her through without breaking down. Stroking Stefanie's face with one hand, Cordelia said, "You must be so spirited to endure so much, Steffi. I admire you for it."
Just then, Cordelia froze, now noticing the state her friend was in. After a moment, she looked over at Angel in apprehension, naturally putting him on edge. "You're not going to believe this, but... Angel, she's breathing!"
He shrugged his shoulders, signaling that he didn't know why it was such a big deal. Giving a sigh of exasperation, Cordelia said, "I'm serious. And if I'm hearing right, she has a heartbeat... Angel, I'm saying she's alive..."
After Buffy's disappearance from the hospital, Xander had called Giles to inform him of what had happened, asking the Watcher to come pick him and Willow up. The three of them, plus Jenny, were just heading for Giles' car in the lot when they became aware someone was hurrying towards them.
They all froze upon seeing Cordelia of all people approaching them, Stefanie nestled safely in her strong arms. Without a word, Cordelia handed the slayer to Giles. "She needs medical attention," she told him. "And since I only have an hour until the sun rises, you're going to have to see that she's admitted."
Finding her voice, Willow said, "Where's Buffy? What did you do with her?"
Cordelia lowered her eyes, hurt by the distrust in her shy friend's tone. "I deserve that, I guess... But Buffy's fine. You have to believe that, because you won't be able to see her for the next fourteen hours or so... That's all I can say. There's something else I need to take care of before dawn. But I promise that everything will be explained in time." With that, Cordelia turned, hurrying away before they could stop her...
The next few hours seemed to pass in a daze for those who remained in the warehouse. Angel had waited patiently until Cordelia returned with the packs of blood that Buffy had kept in her refrigerator for him at home, then as she went to retrieve the key to his prison. Angel then carried Buffy down into the basement of the factory, laying her down on the plush bed that had been set up there and resting next to her. As he waited for her to awaken, he mused over the fact that he was lucky to have her with him still.
After a long while of watching her sleep, Angel breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Buffy was stirring. Her green eyes flitted open, and she looked around in disorientation a moment before letting her gaze rest on him. "Angel!" she cried, propping herself up to embrace him tightly.
His heart soared at the amount of affection she showed for him, but would it be enough to make her forgive him when she learned the truth? With this in mind, Angel gently loosened her grip, holding her at arm's length.
Buffy seemed to sense something was amiss from the look in his eyes. "It's over, isn't it?" she asked. "Stefanie died trying to save us?"
Angel swallowed back the lump in his throat. "That's not it," he said, trying to decide on the best course of breaking the news. Finally, he said, "What's the last thing you remember?"
Buffy thought a moment. "Tessa and Venus ambushed us. And, they left me to die while they took off with you." After a pause, she added, "And I remember Stefanie coming to my rescue, but that's it... How did I get here? What is this place? And why do I feel so different?"
Angel sighed. "The attack was over forty-eight hours ago, Buffy. Stefanie said you were in a coma in intensive care... And a lot has happened in those two days."
With that, he set about filling her in on nearly all of it (leaving out what Tessa had told him about Ivory), starting with Cordelia's account of her attack on Steffi on that same night he was taken and finishing with how they had wound up here in the warehouse.
Buffy listened in silence, tears rising to her eyes on select parts of the story. It affected her particularly when she heard he too had taken a small amount of Stefanie's blood, effectively doing away with his own demon. But when Angel explained the reason behind her miraculous recovery, Buffy nearly lost it.
"You made me a vampire!" she cried. "Angel, how could you?!? You know how against this I was!"
"I told you a long time ago that I couldn't stand it if I ever lost you. It was either this or be forced to watch you die," he told her quietly. "If our positions were reversed, you'd have done the same for me." With that, Angel reached over, stroking one side of her face lovingly. "Can you forgive me?"
Buffy stared at him in silence a moment, unable to be mad at him because she knew he spoke the truth. At last, she nodded, then said, "But only because I know it isn't permanent... I don't know how Stefanie managed to turn human again, but I know that if it could happen for her, it could occur for us too."
Angel nodded. "We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it," he answered. "But as for now, I can't wait for nightfall, for the chance to see our friends and especially Ivory again."
"Me neither," Buffy admitted, leaning over to kiss him passionately. "What shall we do to pass the time?"
Angel cracked a smile, kissing her back. "I'm sure we'll think of something," he teased...
As the day progressed into night, Buffy, Angel, and Cordelia passed the time by destroying Lorenzo and Tessa's remains to ensure they wouldn't be brought back by many means. Once that was accomplished, Buffy changed into one of Cordelia's dresses that were kept in a back room of the factory, since the hospital gown she currently wore would hardly suffice for being out in public.
As soon as the sun had set, all three of them set out for Sunnydale Medical to be with their loved ones and to check up on Stefanie. It overjoyed both Buffy and Angel to be reunited with their precious little girl, and it seemed that neither of them could be torn away from her for even a moment.
It surprised Buffy immensely to learn that the pendant she had bought for Stefanie had saved her friend's life, but a greater one was soon to come. She and Angel had recently entered their friend's hospital room, leaving Cordelia to relate the whole incredible story to the others in the lobby.
"It didn't just make me human again," Stefanie told Buffy and Angel from her bed. "It also took away my slaying abilities. So now, I'm as ordinary as I was back in the 60s... It's weird being so vulnerable again after so long. I don't know how I'll ever get used to it."
Buffy managed a slight smile. "Just like I don't know how I'll ever get used to being a vampire. Maybe we could help each other through the transition period though," she said with a laugh.
Stefanie nodded. "I'd like that," she replied. "And at least we didn't have to worry that this prophecy would mean the end of one of us. It didn't happen."
Angel stepped forward at this. "Actually, it did," he added, cradling a sleepy Ivory in his arms. "One slayer did die in the sense that her powers were robbed from her, and the other did fade into darkness... Although it would have helped if we had known all of this to begin with."
"That's the truth," Buffy said, half absently. "Either way, I'm glad you're going to be alright, Steffi. I could never have gotten used to life without you."
"Same here," Stefanie replied, reaching for Buffy's hand and clasping it firmly in hers. "Although I'm probably going to be sore for the next year after what Lorenzo put me through... But it's just another example that the two of us can survive anything."
"Now and forever," Buffy agreed, throwing a glance at Angel as he joined hands with the two girls. Even though all three of them were still uncertain as to what the future held, they couldn't be bothered fretting over it. For now, it was just enough to know that they still existed, and that hopefully, they would continue to do so for years to come...