Wesley walked off the stage and looked around for the host. He found him in less than a minute.

"You're on the right track," he said. "Get your reinforcements and you'll get the key."

Wesley nodded and started to walk away before stopping. "The key?"

"Ask the Slayer. She knows."

Wesley nodded again. "All right." He went back to where Spike, Xander, Lindsey, Angel and Buffy were sitting. Gunn was standing up, pacing. His arm was in a sling, but he had more energy than anyone except Spike. "He said we're on the right track."

"Then let's go!" Spike said, and everyone started to stand up when Wesley shook his head.

"Buffy," Wesley said. "What's the key?"

"The key?" She took a deep breath. "The key is Dawn. She's not...she's not really my sister. She's supposed to be a vessel of some sort. And I'm supposed to protect her."

"And you had me watch her so you knew she'd be safe?" Lindsey asked quietly, and she nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You liked her so much...and now I really do think of her like a sister. I didn't want that to change." She looked at the others. "We need her back, safe and sound." She stood up.

Lindsey and Angel stood up as well. "She's right," Angel said. "Let's get her back."

Angel lead the others outside, but Buffy waited for Lindsey. "I know I should have told you."

"But I understand why you didn't," he said. "It's okay."

Buffy smiled a wan smile. "Okay."

It wasn't a trap. It was an ambush. But for the first time since Dawn had entered everyone's lives, it was her side ambushing the bad guys, not the other way around. The fight was quick and brutal.

Without Lewis around, the stereotype of how stupid vampires were came to light. His minions were idiots. Gunn even managed to fake out a vampire before staking him onehanded. He used his cast as a weapon, beating vampires in the head before shoving stakes in their hearts.

"Remind me to thank the doctors at the hospital," he muttered.

"This is almost *too* easy," Wesley muttered.

"Don't say that," Xander said, watching a vampire turn to dust at the end of his stake. "You'll jinx the fight!"

"Mate, this is one hell of a fight," Spike said, wincing slightly as he pulled a stake out of the leg. "Just don't peg me in the other leg, and we'll be fine." He used the stake he'd just pulled out to stake the vampire coming up behind him.

"Behind you, Angel!" Buffy yelled, delivering a roundhouse kick to another vampire, sending it flying towards Lindsey, who was waiting with a stake.

Angel turned, slicing off the vampires head with his sword. "Thanks."

Buffy nodded, turning to the last vampire. The men crowded around almost, watching in awe as the Slayer pulverized the opponent with punches, kicks and finally a stake to the heart. "And that," she said proudly, "is how it's done."

Clapping from their left startled them all, and only a few in the group recognized the clapper.

"Lilah," Lindsey said venomously.

"I'm surprised you still remember my name," Lilah said smugly. "Brett!"

Brett came out, carrying a bound, gagged and very scared Dawn. He gently set the girl down, catching Gunn's eye as he did it.

"Wes," Gunn said. "Look." Wesley turned and also caught Brett's eye. Brett shifted Dawn a bit. She wasn't as bound as they thought; her legs were free.

Wes nodded once then turned his attention back to Lilah and Lindsey.

"And you're the one who ended up selling your soul for a six figure paycheck and a bad case of plastic surgery."

Lilah flinched slightly, but then straightened. "At least I'm not sleeping around with the whorish Slayer. Who has she been with, again? I know you know...your files on her and Faith were rather full, weren't they?"

Lindsey's face turned red. "What I do now that I've left is none of your business, or Wolfram & Hart's."

"Now, that isn't correct, Mr. McDonald, and you know that." A man walked out of the shadows, aimed a gun at Brett and fired. "Mr. Mogler, you should know better than to help the enemy."

Brett crumpled, clutching his chest.

"Holland," Lilah purred.

Holland smiled at Lilah. "You've done a nice job. These sacrifices will do well," he said pointing to the group. "Except the two vampires. Get rid of them."

"Yes, sir," she said, satisfaction leaking into her voice. She picked up one of the discarded stakes and went to Spike. "Time to meet your maker," she said.

Spike braced himself. When Lilah got close enough, he knocked the stake out of her hand, grabbed her by the shoulders and twisted her head enough to break her neck. He dropped to his knees in pain, but kept his mouth quiet.

"Pity," Holland murmured, looking at Lindsey. His plastic smile slipped onto his face again. "Good help is hard to find, isn't it, Mr. McDonald?"

Lindsey shrugged. "I've never had a problem finding good help."

The smile left. "Very well." He walked over to Dawn, who was shaking. "Do you know what you are?" Looking away, he continued. "Of course you don't."

He nodded, and some of the goons Wolfram & Hart kept around came out of the shadows, taking the weapons away from the good guys and getting them to the side. Buffy herself looked like she'd given up.

"Well," he continued, crouching down to her level, "I'm going to show you just how special you are."