( colligo ¬ get collected ) → network.

I've waited so long to get revenge for what happened that night, and now I don't even know what I was fighting for.

How could he do that to me?

Oh, you have got to be kidding me! This is akin to filling someone's shoes with pudding and not at all a grown-up way to handle your issues. What in the world is wrong with you?

I've spent the last day and a half flying around the city, trying to find any clues about Angel's Zoe's whereabouts and I've found nothing at all. She can't have just disappeared. We have to find her.

Well now, this is certainly the most charming kidnapping I've ever been subjected to.

They even gave me a gift. How thoughtful.

Kiddo, are you around? It does seem as though nothing interesting happens in my life any more without you involved.

[a woman whimpering in pain can be heard, the slamming of what must be heavy wooden doors is heard just before the woman is heard weakly crying out "Help!"]

There's no help for you.

[the woman whimpers once more and soon it get eerily quiet, until a huge thud is heard]

Now, who's there to eat around this place?

I may have gone overboard with my new origami pets. I'm afraid I don't have much room for the elephant any longer, so if you see a five foot, periwinkle coloured elephant walking around outside, don't be alarmed.

If anyone would like one I do have extra, the penguins are getting a little bit antsy in the freezer and the hedgehogs have taken up all the space in my shoes.

After going over the maps Molly provided me with yesterday of the areas outside of the city and possible locations that Zoe's kidnappers could have her housed, I've devised a plan of attack. There's four different areas to consider, and eight, nine of us to cover them.

Ashley, since you can teleport, you take the mountains. They're the most distant location, and it'll take you and whoever you take as back up a fraction of the time to get there than it will the rest of us.

Spike, you and your gang take the forest. It's definitely the densest and most widespread area to cover so you'll need plenty of hands to deal with the entire area.

Max, you take the desert. It's flat, unconcealed, and easily visible from the air, so you'll be able to patrol it on your own without too much risk.

I'll take the beach front. Constantine, you can come with me. Or go with Ashley. Whichever you prefer.

Molly, if anyone changes, keep us updated. Everyone keep your PDAs close. If you find anything, call it in with coordinates, and we'll converge on the area.

If anyone has any suggestions for modifications to this plan or thoughts that might make it better, speak up. I just want her back.

You slowly balding, vertically challenged, beaten with an ugly stick, arrogant, IMPOTENT NEO-NAZI TROLL! You. Ruined. My. Clothes. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?!? THEY WERE DESIGNER LABELS!

That's it. This means war.

[ooc: takes place not long after this, mostly due to this]

[Sound of static as the phone drops and scrapes on concrete. A child's voice yelling out in indignation.]

Hey!! HEY! PUT ME DOWN!!

[Struggling ends as shoes hitting the sidewalk, a few footsteps heard quickly leading away from the phone.]

GET BACK HERE! My Daddy is gonna beat your stupid face in! HE'S GOING TO MARS SO HE'S REAL IMPORTANT! [Sound of small fists hitting the library doors] LET. [bang.] ME. [BANG.] IN!!! [BANG!!!] CHICKEN!!

[After a moment, there's the sound of small dragging footsteps away from the door and back towards the vicinity of the forgotten phone and sitting down with a small grunt on the library steps. Child's voice low but resolute, but there's no mistaking a few small sniffs and the sounds of wiping a nose with the back of a hand.] Wake up... wake up...... c'mon, you just gotta wake up...

( The sound of sheets rustling as Gabriel and Jade shift in bed. It’s quiet for a moment, then Gabriel speaks, sounding tired but relaxed. )

Well, that was awesome. ( a pause and then he continues, now sounding hesitant and slightly anxious. ) So...uh...Jade. You know that awkward habit I have that you keep lecturing me about?

( There’s the sound of rustling sheets as Jade settles down against him. Her voice is soft, her tone wary but still laced with amusement. )

Which one? Because, so help me Gabe, if you gave Adam another harebrained idea that’s going to involve me having to lecture him, again, I swear to you...

( Gabriel laughs, because it’s true that he does have a lot of bad habits that Jade lectures him about. He probably should have been more specific, but he’s worried that will get him slapped. He’s quiet for a moment, then he sort of blurts it out. )

You know how we just...and I told Claire and Ruby...and...pleasedon’thitme! ( Yes, children, there is someone who actually scares Gabriel ) I would have waited, but it’s probably better to tell you sooner rather than later since we’ll be dealing with this sooner rather than later. ( a pause to breathe, after that rushed babbling. ) Congratulations! We just made a nephilim.

(For a moment there's silence as Jade tries to wrap her brain around what he just said.) We... (She pauses and tries again.) What do you mean we just... (Another pause.) But I... (Yet another pause.)

You're joking, right?

( Gabriel gives a sigh of relief at not being immediately smacked. )

Would I joke about this? ( a pause ) Don’t answer that. Just don’t answer it. We both know I would, you don’t need to say it. But I’m not. I’m really not joking. ( a pause ) But this is a good thing? Right? I mean...I like babies. You like babies. Babies are generally positive things. Even half-human, half-angel babies. ( a long pause, then cheerfully ) Can we call it Optimus Prime?

(Jade makes a sound that's some odd mix of a laugh and groan.) Yes, it's a good thing. Just unexpected. I didn't even know that I could have kids and now I find out I'm having one immediately after conception - which, for the record, being given a job by the Almighty once does not mean you are to become a walking, talking EPT, so stop doing that . (A pause as she tries to figure out what she was saying before getting sidetracked by fussing at him.)

But yes, it's a good thing. And no, we are not naming it Optimus Prime, and no amount of pouting is changing my mind on that so don't even try it. (There's the sound of shuffling around as Jade snuggles up beside him; she gets quiet and thoughtful for a moment, then her voice sounds slightly alarmed.)

Wait. You said sooner rather than later. What did you mean by that?

( Gabriel sounds more relaxed, now that he knows his girlfriend isn’t going to murder him. ) I guess I can stop announcing pregnancies at awkward moments. Though you have to admit it was funny with Sam and Ruby. And Claire and Dean just deserved it after their kinky shenanigans. I mean...a priest and a nun? Come on! But I’ll stop being the city’s pregnancy alert.

( You can practically hear Gabe grinning ) Fine. Not Optimus Prime. But we do have to give it a last name. And not something boring, like ‘Smith’ or ‘Jones’ or ‘Winchester’. ( a pause ) Skywalker! Come on! It’ll be awesome. The force is strong with this one! ( He’s mostly babbling to distract Jade from...nope, she noticed )

So...uh...Jade. Ever read Breaking Dawn? Kind of like that. But with less blood drinking and spine breaking and death. And I won’t have to gnaw it out of you. That would just be weird.

(She snorts.) Fine. I can handle Skywalker, I guess. It's- (Jade sucks in a sharp breath then all but shouts.) One month? You're telling me that I'm going to be pregnant for one single month?!? Are you insane? (A pause.) Don't answer that. Just... don't. (She sighs.)

A month. This is ridiculous. I'm going to wake up tomorrow unable to even see my feet. Dammit, Gabe! (Another pause.) Well, that settles it. The next kid we have, you're carrying it and I'm going to name it.

Skywalker’s a great name. It’s - ( You can almost hear Gabe cringing ) Maybe a little more than a month. ( A sigh ) It’s not like I planned this, Jade. You know I didn’t. And yes, yes I am kind of insane. This isn’t news. In fact, I thought that was part of my charm. ( He sighs ) I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about the possibility of a mutant baby.

( He brightens at her suggestion ) We can absolutely do that. We can. Just please don’t hit me or throw things at me or stab me with any angel killing blades. Okay? I will absolutely have the next kid...I could probably even do that. Awesome plan. Go team!