Author: MagnusXXN@Hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: BTVS doesn't belong to me, it's Joss
Wheldon's baby
as is Angel. I am not making any money so there’s really no reason to
sue
me, other then you just wanting to piss me off.
Burning Eyes
The Master's Lair, 1996
"Zachary did not return from the hunt last night,” said the
Master.
The ancient vampire king was not in a good mood. One of his children
had
been taken from him the night before, one of many in the last few
months.
Ever since that damned girl came to his town.
"The Slayer?" Darla purred.
The blond vampiress knew her sire's anger. Knew he wouldn't be able
to just
stand by and do nothing with another one of his children being taking
from
him by that cheerleading stake-wielding bitch
"Zachary was strong, and he was careful. And still the Slayer
takes him...
as she has taken so many of my family," he growled, " Its
beginning to wear
thin." He looks towards Colin, the child vampire, his anointed
one.
"Colin, what would you do with her?" The leather clad
master wonders aloud.
"I'd annihilate her,” he answers, his voice deep and foreboding.
The amount
of blood that the vampire child was giving was more then most were
allowed.
Much more then was needed to turn him.
His voice was just one sign of his differences, another was his eyes;
black,
not red and gold like the younger vampires, or red like the ancients.
No,
his eyes were black. A freak among the undead.
"Oh, from the mouths of babes!” Whispered the bold demon.
"Let me do it,
Master! Let me kill her for you?" Darla asked with no little
interest. Her
child, her favorite, Angelus was watching out for the young slayer.
Darla would like nothing more then to hurt her wayward child. Show
him who
his sire was, that he way he would never forget.
"You have a personal interest in this." He waved at her in
a dismissive
gesture, "No. I will send The Three." Yes, he thought to
himself. The Three:
his warrior vampires. They would dispatch the slayer and her little
helpers.
"But Master! Since you won’t let me kill the slayer, what about
her watcher?
Or one of the children that help her?" She tried to sound
humble, but it
took a lot of effort. After all, she was four hundred years old.
But even now after all of these years she was still her sire's
'little
girl'. Darla was his favorite consort.
Her pale skin crawled at the thought of his hands on her, touching
her. His
disfigured demonic visage, and his burning red eyes. He was her sire,
yes.
So it was his right to do with her body anyway he pleased, but it
didn't
mean she was any less disgusted at the thought of it.
And having to beg like a minion for a choice kill did nothing for her
mood.
It wasn’t like the old days when she didn’t have had to ask. When it
was
just Angelus, Drusilla, Spike and herself. Oh what times those were.
When
she was the head of the family, back before the curse and her master
calling
her home.
"Very well, Darla. You may take one of the slayer's little
friends." The
ancient vampire reached up and stroked his child's soft blond hair,
laughing
as he felt her shudder in detest. She never stopped amusing him.
******
"Ah, the fumigation party,” Willow joked.
She, Xander, and Buffy were sitting together at The Bronze. Teenagers
all
around were chasing after cockroaches on the floor: catch one and you
get a
free drink. Bug control at its best.
The red head turned to see that her slayer friend wasn't paying
attention.
"It's an annual tradition. The closing of the Bronze for a few
days to nuke
the cockroaches?" Willow said again trying to earn at least a
smile from her
depressed friend. She turned to her best friend for support, only to
find
him looking around The Bronze for someone to dance with.
If you could call what he does as dancing, more around the lines of
spazing
with the music. Finally losing her patience, "It's a lot of
fun... What's it
like where 'you' are?"
Finally shaking herself out of a funk Buffy answers, "I'm...
sorry, I was
just... thinking about things... " The blond slayer looks around
trying to
spot.... someone, anyone.
Seeing right through her Willow teases her a little, "So we're
talking about
a guy?" She could do that, the red head thought to herself. Once
again glad
she had a female friend to talk with. As much as she loved Xander, he
was a
guy. And not at all good with the girl talk.
Mmmmm, not that she minded too much. Just being around him made her
all
tingly inside. She couldn't help but blush a little bit just thinking
about
her oldest friend. "Not exactly a guy. For us to have a
conversation about a
guy, there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is
that a
sentence?"
The sixteen-year-old teen rambled on.
Which just made Buffy feel even more pathetic. In her old high school
she
was the queen, never unpopular, never without a date on a Friday
night. But
now? With all the vampires, and other weird stuff she just didn't
have time.
"You lack a guy,” Willow answered. Yeah, you and me both, she
thought to
herself. If only Xander would buy a clue and figure out how much she
loved
the big lug head. But no, she thought sourly, he was to busy sniffing
around
Buffy like an animal.
She barely repressed the memories of Hyena-Xander staring at her like
she
was a meal. He would have eaten her like a damn snack. But that
wasn't the
only thing that hurt her, she was food to him but Buffy was a
possible mate.
"I do. Which is fine with me, most of the time, but..." She
trailed off.
"What about Angel?" The red headed teen asked. Yeah, she
thought to herself,
focus on Angel and leave Xander alone. Willow could get over the fact
that
her friend wanted Buffy, but if the slayer returned his feelings...
Would
they even want to talk to her anymore?
Would they still be her friends if they had a relationship? She
couldn't
risk that. Willow remembered how it was before Xander, when she was
all
alone and scared. She couldn't do that. She couldn't be alone again.
"Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey, you're
in grave
danger. I'll see you next month,” the blond said bitterly. Yeah,
Angel was a
hottie. But the guy was so damn secretive. Hell, for all she knew
Angel
wasn't even his real name.
But there was just something about him, something that Buffy couldn't
put
her finger on. But she liked it.
"He's not around much, it's true." Which was a problem. If
Willow had any
chance at all of hooking Buffy up with him then he'd have to stick
around
for longer then three minutes. Three-minute man, she chuckled to
herself
before realizing what she was thinking. "Darn, Xander's sense of
humor is
really rubbing off on me,” she whispered to herself.
The sixteen-year-old blond looked off in space wearing a dreamy look
on her
face, "When he is around... it's like the lights dim everywhere
else. You
know how it's like that with some guys?"
"Oh, yeah!" Willow turns to look at Xander as he tries to
talk up some girl,
only to be shot down when the girl's boyfriend shows up.
******
On the other side of The Bronze the dark haired teen is trying to
talk
himself out of getting a black eye from an angry boyfriend.
"Dino, I was
just leaving. Don't let me interrupt your date." He tells the
larger guy
before making a hasty retreat.
The brown-eyed young man walks quickly towards his two best friends,
and
then looks behind him to make sure that Dino isn't following him.
"Ahhh!"
Xander turns around quickly to help up the girl he'd knocked to the
ground.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He
apologizes, hoping she
doesn't have an angry boyfriend around ready to knock his lights out.
"S'all right, I didn't need to continue standing anyway."
She tells him
sarcastically. She looks up at him, and Xander almost chokes. Damn
she’s
beautiful, he thinks to himself.
"Well, are you going to buy me a drink to make it up to me or
stand around
like a scolded child?" Was the annoyed reply he received.
"Er.... um, right. A drink. Ummmm, what do you want to
drink?" Yeah, Xan.
Real smooth, he berated himself.
Instead of making him feel even more foolish, the blond haired young
girl
just smirks a little bit. "Just a coke."
"Ya, alright. I can do that." The teen tells her before
going to the bar to
order the coke that is before he turns back towards her. "I just
remembered
I don't have any money." Wow Xan, acting like a total doofus and
now a poor
one at that. And you wonder why you don't have to beat the girls off
with
sticks.
But to his astonishment the girl he'd knocked over doesn't blow him
off for
not having enough money to buy that drink of hers. "That’s
alright. You can
just make it up to me some other way. Maybe a kidney, or your first
born."
She jokes.
Which gets a nervous bout of laughter from him, "A kidney huh?
Well, I've
got two of them so sure."
"True. So what’s one vital organ between friends?" The
blond all but purrs.
Xander can't help but notice the way her lips tremble when she does
that; it
almost seems vulgar but not. Well... not too much anyway.
With a self-serving smirk the blond smacks him playfully on the arm,
"Enough
flirting, I have to get home. My father's going to freak if I'm
late."
Seemingly disappointed Xander tells her, "Alright then, ya. Well
it was
good... knocking you over and all." He can't hide the miserable
look that
pops up on his face. Ya, I'm a loser, his mind rages.
"You could walk me home if you want?" Something in her
voice makes him
wonder. Her face is the picture of innocence, which with those pouty
lips of
hers and he bet it wasn’t too hard to pull off. But her voice, she
doesn't
sound too innocent. Or worried that she’s going to be late.
"Yeah, alright." He tells her with a soft sigh. Damn, he
thinks to himself,
those eyes of hers. They’re just sooo blue. Like a clear blue sky
after a
soft rain, beautiful behind belief. "I'm Xander." He
finally introduces
himself.
"Darla." The name just rolls off her tongue, the teen can't
help the shudder
that runs down his spine. He can't help but be amazed how one word
can drip
in such a sexual way.
Which is what he’s thinking about just before he leaves the safety of
The
Bronze for the cold night air of Sunnydale.
******
The two of them walked in silence, not an awkward silence, no. Just a
quiet
one. Neither needed to fill it with anything. Darla couldn't help but
wonder
at that. Most times she would have to sweet talk her victims, bat her
big
blue eyes and flirt and they'd follow her to their doom.
But Alexander, she refused to call him Xander, such a childish name,
she had
no reason to chat him up. He was just happy to have someone near him,
standing with him, walking with him. He intrigued her.
Most boys his age would be trying to impress her, to do or say
anything that
would insure that he'd get into her pants. Alexander just seemed to
enjoy
her company. Darla liked that, the young man sorta reminded her of
Drusilla.
A much, much saner Drusilla but Drusilla nevertheless. It was the
eyes. They
seemed to take everything in; something the four hundred year old
vampiress
had seen before. Maybe the boy was a seer?
But she quickly ruled out the possibility. If he could see the future
then
he should be able to see what Darla had planned for him. And sane
people
didn't stick around with demons that wanted to cut out their innards
and
wear them as a hat.
She sighed, "Maybe he’s more like Dru then I first thought."
"You say something?" Xander asked. The blond just turned to
him with a
playful smile adoring her lips, "No. Just... thinking."
Lamb, Darla, real
lamb. Once one of the most feared vampires in history and now you’re
getting
tongue-tied around a 16 year old boy.
"Ya, I hear it can be unhealthy. That’s why I do it as little as
I can." He
joked unexpectedly which caught her off guard as she barked a short
laugh
out before realizing she'd done so.
For the first time in many centuries Darla was feeling foolish, and
she
didn't like it one bit. When she'd picked the boy out of the crowd as
one of
the slayer's little helpers she'd thought to get him alone where she
could
torture him for a few hours before dropping off his body at the
slayer's
door.
But now? The more she spent time with him the more she was looking at
him
like a perspective child. Not a minion or a hanger on, but a child.
Which
come to think of it made her very weary of the boy. She hadn't made a
child
since... Angelus.
Sure she had hundreds of minions over the centuries and more then a
few
little groupies that would follow her around. But a child?
Not since her darling boy Angel. And after two hundred and fifty
years,
Darla hadn't expected to want another child. No, she'd wanted Angelus
and
only Angelus for all that time.
But there was just something about Alexander. Besides the name, which
she
thought very ironic. Alexander, the protector of mankind. What a name
for a
vampire. She would cherish the look in the eyes of terrified victims
at the
name of her child, a name that would strike fear in their beating
hearts.
That’s why she'd changed Liam's name into Angelus, Latin for Angel.
She looked around and saw that the two of them were now walking
towards the
main housing in the town. Had been walking in silence for at least
ten
minutes, but it was comforting.
Something else she liked about Alexander. At the dance club he'd been
bouncing around like a five year old on a sugar high, but now? He was
so
calm, so inscrutable. He had no idea how much he'd enthralled her.
But maybe that was his power? If not a seer maybe he had some sort of
ability to come off... Darla didn't know, gray maybe? Not the color,
but the
feel to him. In the middle, not really seen. Like a shadow. He was
just
there.
Angelus had never been able to pull that off, nor had Darla herself.
Once
again only Drusilla could do that.
The blond vampiress couldn't help but wonder where his power came
from. The
Hellmouth, maybe? He no doubt had grown up in Sunnydale and had no
idea of
its darker side until the slayer came to town.
She couldn't help but wonder what her vampiric blood would do to this
power
of his? It would be a great asset to him that she was sure of. He
could
blend into the background, to the people around him. He'd never have
to fear
being hunted because who could find him?
Even if they were looking right at him, how could they know what they
were
looking at?
And besides that, Darla couldn't help but notice that he was very
handsome.
She hadn't touched him too much, maybe a little around the arms. But
she was
sure that given a few good workouts that Alexander could become quite
lean.
Like Spike.
But she would never allow any child of her to do 'that' to their
hair. Her
great grandchild looked like a Billy Idol wannabe. And Alexander had
such
nice dark hair, she wondered if it was as soft as it looked.
"Hey, I forgot to ask. Where do you live?" Xander turned to
her and asked.
But it wasn't the face of a beautiful blue eyed girl that he was now
looking
at, oh no. It was a game face, her game face. And before he had the
chance
to even scream she was on him.
Her sharp teeth biting into his throat. The dark haired teen could
feel her
cool hands wrapping around his body, pulling him closer. Her arms
felt like
steel cables around him. He wasn't strong enough to fight her off.
And as his vision slowly began to swim and the stars overhead began
to blur,
Xander could only stand there as his life’s blood was stolen from
him. The
teen could almost feel his warmth leaving him and going into Darla.
But just before death, just before the last rasps of breath left him,
she
pulled back. "I'll show you the world." The vampiress
whispered into his
ear, her right arm holding him up as she opened her shirt up and with
a
sharp talon she cut a bloody line above her breasts.
Then she forced his mouth against her chest. Like a child suckling
from
their mother, he fed from her.
******
"He spent the night in your room? In your bed?" Willow
asked in
astonishment.
"Not 'in' my bed, by my bed." Buffy answered. The blond
slayer was just
explaining to her friend what had happened the night before. How
three
wicked looking vampires had attacked her and Angel had come in and
saved the
day.
But he did get pretty slashed up in the process, so she told him he
could
sleep by her bed since the vampires might still be lurking around
outside.
"That is so romantic! Did you, uh... I mean, did he, uh...
"She trailed off
being unable to find the words to the question she wanted to ask.
"He was a
perfect gentleman." Buffy explained. They both let out a soft
sigh.
Willow looked around at the library for a moment something was
missing, no.
Someone was missing. "Hey, have you seen Xander today?" The
young red head
asked a little worried. It wasn't like him to ditch school.
Well he did ditch pretty much all the time, but not without telling
her
about it. It was just something he would do. The slayer shook her
head, "No.
Maybe he’s just laying out today."
Giles finally took the time to get between them and their
conversation, "As
riveting as young Mr. Harris' skipping school is, lets get back to
what
happened to you last night. You left the Bronze and were set upon by
three
unusually virile vampires?"
The watcher pulled out one of the books he'd been researching about
The
Master's past. He'd run across a few pages about three vampires of
The
Master's, his warrior vampires. "Did they look like this?"
The inscribed picture was old, but you could easily make out the
three
scarred and armored vampires.
"Yeah, that’s them.”
"Hmmm, it seems you encountered the Three. Warrior vampires,
very proud and
very strong. Very strong. They were all old enough to strike out on
their
own as masters but were too loyal to their own sire, The Master, to
ever
leave his service.”
"How is it you always know this stuff?" Willow cut in. You
always know
what's going on. I never know what's going on." Which was
something new to
the young red head. She prided herself on being the most learned
person
around, but Mr. Giles always seemed to be three steps ahead of her.
Giles then took off his glasses and began rubbing his sore eyes,
"Well, you
weren't here from midnight until six researching it. " He almost
scoffed.
Unable to get over how in the old days he would have been able to
research
for days, but now? One night of extra research and he was pooped.
"No, I was sleeping." She explained sarcastically.
"Uh, o-obviously you're hurting the Master very much. He, he
wouldn't send
the, the Three for just anyone. We must step up our training with
weapons."
The watcher told her a bit fearfully. If The Master was upping his
efforts
to kill his slayer, then Buffy could be in real danger.
"So what does that mean? Does Buffy and her mom need to leave
town for a few
days?" The red haired computer geek wondered. "And Angel!
Is he safe? Should
he start looking for a new home somewhere outside of town?"
"Angel and Buffy are, are not in any immediate jeopardy.
Eventually the
Master will send someone else, but in the meantime the Three, having
failed,
will offer their own lives in penance. " He informed them trying
to hide a
smirk.
The Three had never failed in one of their missions until last night.
The
Master would no doubt be extremely cross with them.
******
Underneath the ground, in the vampire's tunnels Darla stood above a
shallow
grave waiting for her new child to wake. The Master sat on his stone
throne
a few feet away, still stuck behind the magic energies that bind him
over
the Hellmouth.
"It is time. He’s awake." The ancient vampire informed her.
Even ten feet further away from the grave then her, he could feel the
young
vampire awake. But after two thousand years of life his vampiric
powers were
far more developed then his young child.
With a roar, the being that was once Xander Harris burst from the
ground
around him. He snarled like a wild animal at the slightest movement,
his
mind not yet caught up to what was going on around him.
Darla greets him with a smile before helping him to his feet.
"It hurts, I
know, but not for long. Death and life all in the same day, you most
be
tired." Her voice was low, soothing him and his weary nerves.
Xander gasped for the air that his lungs no longer required.
"I... I could
feel you, above me. Waiting for me. My head, everything looks so
much..." He
trailed off.
"Clearer?" The Master finished for him. For the first time
the young
fledgling took notice of the ancient vampire who was watching him
with some
interest in his blood red eyes.
He nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes. Everything is so much clearer
now. I can
see the world in such..."
The Master's pale lips curled into a smile, "Glory, yes. You can
finally see
the world in its true form. The way no human could ever see it, or
ever
understand it.
Darla took this moment to get her child's attention back as she
pulled out a
young girl that she'd captured the night before to feed her sleeping
child.
"Here, take her. You know what to do." The blond vampiress
pushed the
struggling girl into her child's arms.
The young vampire looks at the frightened human for a few moments
before
turning to his sire, which with a smile nods for him to go on. And
with sure
movements his game face emerges and he bites into the girl’s throat.
He drains her dry in moments, and then disregards her body with
detest
before he turns to his sire. Which is the first time Darla gets to
see her
young one's demonic visage.
His game face was no different then most young vampires. His demonic
ridges
were softer, smaller, for he was just a few moments old. It would
take him
centuries to have strong ridges like Darla, or a well-defined visage
like
the master.
There was only one thing out of place. His eyes. He did not have eyes
like a
normal vampire, golden with traces of blood around the iris. Nor did
he have
solid red eyes like The Master. No, his eyes were a startling green.
She couldn't help but gasp in surprise, but she wasn't disappointed,
no. His
eyes were beautiful, startling yes, but very beautiful.
"Hmmmm, how very strange." The Master said. "I'd felt
something different
about the boy when you buried him. For a moment I'd thought you'd
turned a
werewolf. I could sense an animal presence within him. That’s where
he gets
the eyes." He concluded.
The pasty ancient vampire as well as Darla turned to the young
fledgling
waiting for an explanation. "I was possessed by a Hyena spirit a
few days
ago, but it was exorcized from me." Xander explained.
"No, not completely. Some of that animal spirit was still inside
you then,
and still is now."
Darla never one to be ignored once again got between her child and
her
sire's conversation, "How do you feel now, Alexander?" She
asked.
"I feel good. It makes sense now." The dark haired
fledgling told her with a
coy smile. Needing no more excuse the four hundred year old vampiress
descended on her child's lips. Not just kissing him, but cleaning
away any
excess blood that might have left.
After a few moments she deepened the kiss, her tongue invading his
mouth
tasting every inch of his mouth. Her hands now roaming up underneath
his
shirt feeling his cool flesh for the first time. They alone broke
apart when
The Master coughed to get the duos attention.
"I'll let you get back to one another in a little while, but
right now The
Three need to be punished for their failure. Darla, if you'd
please?" The
leather-clad vampire nodded to the wooden spear near the main
entrance.
The Master did not let failure be punished lightly. The Three would
pay with
their lives.
******
The next morning at Sunnydale High.
"Angel's a vampire?" Willow asked worried. This was not how
it was supposed
to go. Buffy was supposed to fall in love with a nice dark brooding
guy, and
stay away from her Xander. Not fall for a corpse.
"I can't believe this is happening. One minute we were kissing,
and the next
minute..." The blond slayer turned to her watcher expectedly.
Maybe there
was a chance that Angel was a good vampire? "Can a vampire ever
be a good
person? Couldn't it happen?"
Giles just shook his head in denial, “A vampire isn't a person at
all."
Something he knew shouldn't have even had to be pointed out. If she
was a
proper trained slayer she wouldn't even be asking the question. “It
may have
the movements, the, the memories, even the personality of the person
that it
took over, but it's still a demon at the core, there is no
halfway." He
explained with a shrug.
"That’s bad, huh?" The red haired teen interjected.
"Well, then what was he doing? Why was he good to me? Was it all
some part
of the Master's plan? It doesn't make sense!" She exclaimed.
Angel hadn't
done anything to hurt her, nothing. She couldn't just look at him
like just
another vampire. He was different he had to be.
Willow looked around, "Not to be getting off topic, but has
anyone seen
Xander?" She questioned her friend.
"Willow! I don't have time to be keeping up with Xander's
whereabouts. I
have real problems here." The slayer argued. Seeing the hurt
look on her
friend’s face all she could do was shrug in indifference.
Xander was just skipping school again. Buffy didn't have time to
worry about
him, this thing with Angel was just more important.
******
Underneath the ground Darla was showing her new child to her
bedchambers.
The cool breeze that ran through the tunnels only made her pale skin
prickle
more, but mostly her goosebumps came from her dark haired fledgling
behind
her.
Once there she unlocked her door and pulled him inside. Darla then
walked
over to her oil lamp and lit it, the faint light making the room sort
of
glow. It was perfect.
She turned to Xander, who was by this point somewhat nervous. Hmmm, a
virgin
too, the blond vampiress thought with a wicked grin appearing on her
lips.
This would be even more fun then she'd expected.
"Get out of those clothes, and underneath the covers." She
told him with a
smirk.
He nodded before beginning to unbutton his shirt, which was dirty
from when
he'd been buried. He'd need new clothes, but that was a problem for
another
day. Xander kicked off his shoes and socks before turning towards his
sire.
"Darla..."
If he needed to breath now he would have been chocking on the sight
before
him, Darla stood a few feet away from him only dressed in her
birthday suit.
She was smiling at him seemingly pleased by his speechlessness.
The newly created vampire couldn't help but take in her form, her
creamy
colored skin, like rich white china. The curves of her breasts were
just
so... beautiful was the only thing that came to mind. She was a
vision, a
demonic goddess.
Her smile took on a more ruthful look, "I thought I told you to
strip." The
tone in her voice sent shivers down his spine. Damn he was so cute,
she
thought while looking at his nervous actions.
The dark haired vampire nodded dumbly, he finished off his clothes
until he
was standing before her wearing about as much as she was.
This time it was her who took a moment to look him over. His skin was
already quit pale, his dark hair and eyes seemed almost unearthly
black
against the white tones of his cool flesh. He was thin, lanky, much
like
you'd expect a sixteen-year-old boy to be.
But she would have him change that. Maybe workout. Running,
weightlifting,
no child of hers would sit idly by being lazy. Next her gaze traveled
a bit
more south; the vampiress gave a toothy smile at his manhood.
"Mmmmm,
however did you hide that? Those pants weren't 'that' baggy."
If it was possible Xander would no doubt be blushing, vampire or not
he was
still a young man and nothing makes a guy turn crimson faster then an
attractive girl appraising you like a pasturing bull.
Darla for her part finally getting over the shock of how well endowed
her
child really was, she took a step towards him. Her blue eyes locked
on his
dark brown, "On that bed Alexander." She ordered.
The teen slid under the warm covers and waited for further
instructions.
Seconds later his sire pulled the covers away so that no part of him
was
hiding from her gaze; then she kneeled down on his knees.
He tried to hide it, Darla was sure, but her dark child was trembling
like a
leaf. And now more then ever she was sure there was something about
him,
some ability he might not even be aware of because she could 'feel'
him
inside her.
Not physically, well not yet, but 'him'. His presence was coiled
around
inside her and she could feel what he was feeling.
Her mind traveled back one hundred and twenty years to her grandchild
Drusilla. And the blond vampiress couldn't help but notice how her
child and
her grandchild looked so much alike. They could pass for brother and
sister.
But more then that their... she didn't know the word for it, empathy
maybe?
Their control over the minds and hearts of others felt just the same.
Of
course Drusilla knew what she was doing.
Her power had manifested giving her the ability to see glimpses of
the
future. Alexander's power hid him, like a dark blanket. He was there
but at
times you'd never even notice him unless he wanted you to.
Xander moaned softly as his sire’s hands wrapped around him, stroking
him as
she looked deeply into his eyes.
She smiled at his reaction to her simple touch, loving the fact that
she had
such control over his body. But that wasn't a surprise. Darla had
owned the
affection of men for the last four hundred years.
His member was cool to the touch, as well as most vampires’ skin. She
had to
work her hands quickly around him to pickup speed, to heat his icy
manhood
up. She hadn't met another vampiress who had done this with their
lovers,
but Darla had learned it just felt better warm like that.
At least for him. She wanted to learn his reaction to this, and so
much
more. After all she was his sire, his teacher. And not just in how to
become
a master, or survive his first century, but in all things. Sex, just
being
one of the more pleasant.
"Mmmm, oh you like that don't you? My lovely dark child."
Xander had to bite
the inside of his mouth to stop from organism just from her teasing
words,
let along the affect her touch was having on him.
It felt, god, there wasn't a word for how it felt. How could someone
explain
how it felt to a virgin the first time someone touched them? Wondrous
didn't
cover it, it was like seeing a god. Or in this case, a goddess.
Almost
religious.
Darla could feel how good this was for him because she was feeling
'everything' he was. And the pleasure she was receiving through this
link
was almost blinding, if she had a heartbeat it might exploded. And he
didn't
even realize what he was doing.
She'd have to tell the Master about this. Or maybe get in touch with
Drusilla. Because besides being great for sex, it could be a powerful
weapon.
To make those around you not see you, or to makes others feel what
you were
feeling. Her child could make a mob of teenagers riot just by showing
them
his bloodlust, or turn them into an orgy. Blood, sex, and death, it
just
doesn't get much better then that.
Having had enough with the first dish, Darla moved onto the main
course. Her
sky blue eyes peered into her child’s as she watched them close in
need,
just before she slowly descended on him. Her mouth taking him in.....
******
Angel's apartment later that night.
The vampire with a soul closes his door and walks inside, but that’s
when he
feels it, a presence.
"Who's here?" He demands. No one was supposed to know where
he lived. He'd
paid that worm Willy enough to make sure that anyone who looked for
information about him wouldn't find any.
"A friend." A silky voice calls from behind him. He quickly
turns around to
face his would be attacker, and there he sees his sire walk out of
the
shadows. She’s wearing a Catholic schoolgirl uniform.
"It's been a while." Her tone is condescending, if not
outright angry. She
hadn't realized how truly sickening her once beautiful boy had
become. The
soul that resided inside him disgusted her. She couldn't keep the
repulsion
off her perfect features.
"A lifetime." He muttered softly. Angel had known she was
in town, but
hadn't come across her until now. He through their sire/child bond
could
still feel her disgust for him. And even now that still hurt.
"Or two, but whose counting." It was easy to fall into old
banter like old
friends, even if they hated one another.
He gave her a once over before speaking, "What's with the
Catholic
schoolgirl look? Last time I saw you it was cheongsams." China,
how he
missed that country. But maybe he would see it again one day.
"And last time I saw you it wasn't high school girls." Or
slayers, god that
was even worse, like the lamb lying down with the lion. But feeling
self
conscience
Darla flared her skirt a bit, "Don't cha like?" She
imitated one of those
airhead teens she seen in the Bronze.
"Remember Budapest? Turn of the century? You were such a bad boy
during that
earthquake." Those were good times, at least for her. When her
darling boy
was still himself and wrecked all kinds of havoc - all sorts of death.
"You did some damage yourself. " He told her somewhat
pettily. As if he
hadn't been right beside her and his children as they slaughtered,
raped,
and burned down everything around them.
Lost in old memories she goes on, "Is there anything better than
a natural
disaster? The panic. The people lost in the streets. It's like
picking fruit
off the vine." Just thinking about it got her juices flowing.
She sat on his four-poster bed, and wondered if he'd smelled her dark
child
on her yet? Darla could still smell his scent on her, and feel his
skin
against hers. He was a quick learner, it took Angelus days to figure
out
what she liked.
But not her Alexander, no. He just seemed to... know.
"Nice!" She told him as she bounced on his bed.
"You're living above ground,
like one of them. You and your new friend are attacking us, like one
of
them." And all she despised him for it.
Seeing a way to show him his own lies she walked over to his window.
"But
guess what, precious? You're not one of them." Standing a little
away, she
was out of the sun's dangerous rays when she opened the blinds to let
the
daylight pour in.
"Are you?" She taunted him.
The Irish born vampire shook his head in denial, "No. But I'm
not exactly
one of you either."
The blond vampiress exhaled air she didn't need, but his answer just
seemed
so damned righteous. Ever the little prick. Like he wasn't really a
vampire,
that his soul wasn't the only thing keeping him from reclaiming what
was
once his. His respect.
"Whatever you need to tell yourself these days." She saw a
refrigerator in
his kitchen and quickly makes her way over to it, "You're not
exactly living
off quiche." Pigs’ blood was the only thing in his refrigerator.
Living off
swine now, had he no self-respect at all?
"You and I both know what you hunger for." Real blood,
human blood. There
was nothing like it, no other being held such interest for a vampire
then
humans. Their taste would always be the most divine.
"Its what you need. Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's who
we are.
It's what makes eternal life worth living." Why couldn't he see
that? She
couldn't help but wonder. Why couldn't he return with her? Now with
her
Alexander the three of them could rule this town.
"Mm. You can only suppress your real nature for so long. You can
feel it
brewing inside of you. I hope I'm around when it explodes." Yes,
that will
be some sight.
"Maybe you don't wanna be." He shouted back.
"I'm not afraid of you. I bet she is, though." Darla had
heard the slayer
now knew of her child's true nature. It would only be a matter of
time
before a battle would have to be fought. "Or maybe I'm
underestimating her.
Talk to her. Tell her about the curse. Maybe she'll come around. And
if she
still doesn't trust you, you know where I'll be."
She didn't even dignify him with a backward glace as she walked away.
She'd
been so close to him, watched as his eyes flashed vampiric gold. He
smelled
her new child, her lover on her. Maybe it was just the last nail in
his
coffin?
******
The Master's main chamber.
"Don't think I'm not grateful, you letting me kill The
Three." She tells
him. That was quite an honor, to be able to set down punishment on
those
vampires around her. Finally showing that she was in fact a master of
her
own caliber.
Darla leaned back against her child's chest; his arms came around and
wrapped themselves around her protectively. She sighed gratefully.
Seeing
her former child in such a state had taken a lot out of her.
But not so much so that she couldn't find new clothes for Alexander.
Ones in
which he didn't look like a clown. In fact, his new clothes looked
nothing
of the sort now. Totally devoid of all color.
Black leather pants, with a black silk shirt underneath but it was
hidden
underneath his long leather coat. Which was buttoned all the way
down, its
total length coming down to his knees. If only he was wearing a white
color
he'd look every bit like a leather-clad priest.
"How can my children learn if I do everything for them?"
The Master told
her.
"But you've gotta let me take care of the Slayer. I have no
doubt that with
Alexander by my side we can do it." The four hundred year old
vampiress told
him hotly. She knew she could kill the little bitch.
The ancient vampire just smirked down at her, "Oh! You're giving
me orders
now!" That just wouldn't do. But it was a bit surprising; Darla
never did
anything like that unless she had a plan.
"Okay, then, we'll just do nothing while she takes us out one by
one." She
grabs Xander's hand and they turn together to leave The Master's
presence.
"Do I sense a plan, Darla? Share with the class." His mind
open to whatever
she had to say. After all, Darla was one of his best and brightest
children.
And her plans rarely ever failed.
"Angel kills her and comes back to the fold." She informs
him with a coy
smile. Her mind going over just how she could trick her child into
killing
his new love and coming back to the family.
"Angel! He was the most vicious creature I ever met. I miss
him." Angelus
was such a figurehead to all that was evil and sadist about vampires.
The
Master could look over the fact that he was a cocky little shit for
all
those reasons.
"So do I." If only he would come back to them. How she
would love having her
oldest child and youngest beside her as they burned the town to ashes
and
slaughter its people. It had been so long since she'd slaughtered a
whole
town.
Xander listened in, not really taking part in the conversation. After
all,
he hadn't known Angel very well in his life. But the way his sire and
grandsire talked about him, he sounded like a pleasant guy to have
around
when you wanted something dead.
"Why would he kill her if he feels for her?" The two
thousand year old
vampire wondered. Of course he could think of many reasons, but he
wanted to
know how Darla would make it happen.
This was the fun part, "To keep her from killing him."
A thoughtful look passed over the ancient vampire’s face before he
smiled,
"Hmm, Alexander, Colin, you see how we all work together for the
common
good? That's how a family is supposed to function!"
******
The Summers’ house, the following night.
A knock on the backdoor alerts Joyce Summers of an unexpected guest.
The
slayer's mother opens the door to see two young people standing on
her
stoop. A young blond schoolgirl, and Mrs. Summers had to do a double
take
because for a second she thought a priest was there.
But no, only Buffy's friend Xander wearing far too much leather for
her
taste.
"Hello?" The older woman asked wondering why they had come
over at nine
o'clock at night.
"Hi! I'm Darla? A friend of Buffy's? You know Xander,
right?" The vampiress
fawned innocence to the point that she might have deserved an award.
Acting
like that makes Julia Roberts seem amateur at best.
"Oh! Yes, nice to meet you." Joyce told her with a relieved
sigh. She'd been
worried something had happened to Buffy. Or heaven forbid her
daughter had
gotten into trouble at school again.
"Buffy didn't mention anything about us coming over for a study
date, did
she? " Xander asked, the first time he'd said anything in the
elder Summers’
presence that night, or come to think of it any other.
Joyce can only shake her head in denial. "No, I thought she was
studying
with Willow at the library." She informed them. Was her daughter
really
struggling that much in school? To need not one tutor, but three?
"She is. Willow's the Civil War expert, but then I was supposed
to help her
with the War of Independence. Xander and my family kinda go back to
those
days." Darla had a hard time fighting off a smirk at saying that.
Seeing that she'd kept her daughter's classmates on the front porch
the
whole time Joyce said, "Well, I, I know she's supposed to be
home soon.
Would you like to come in and wait?"
The two 'teen's share a smile before walking into Buffy's house.
"It's very
nice of you to invite us into your home."
The elder Summers' could only smile at how polite they were being.
Such nice
young people her daughter had became friends with, much better then
that
snobbish lot she'd hung out with back in LA.
"You're welcome. I've been wrestling with the IRS all night.
Would you like
something to eat?" The dirty blond woman asked having some left
over Bar-B-Q
in her kitchen.
Xander answered with a cool grin, "Yes, we would!" The pair
of them looked
expectedly at Joyce's throat, as they follow her into the kitchen.
What a nice young man, Mrs. Summers thinks to herself. Much better
then that
Angel fellow, who just seemed far too old for her daughter.
"Let's see what
we have. Do you feel like something little or something big?"
Darla shared a grin with her child before the two of them vamped out,
"Something big!"
With swift movements the two of them descend on her throat, their
sharp
teeth sinking into Joyce's throat like a hot knife through butter.
The elder
Summers could only let out a pained scream as her lifeblood was
stolen from
her.
Moments later the front door is kicked in and an angry Angel shouts
at the
pair, "Let her go!" But he has little time to hide his
surprise at seeing
not just Darla but also Xander, who he knew to be one of Buffy's
friends.
"We just had a little, there's plenty more. Aren't you hungry
for something
warm after all this time? Come on, Angel. Just say 'Yes'!" She
taunted him
before throwing the injured woman into his arms.
The smell of the blood so close, so warm is more then he can stand.
Angel
has no other choice but to vamp out. Darla watches with a soft smile,
as his
true face appears, "Welcome home!" She and Xander make a
quick exit as the
vampire with a soul fights with his inner demon.
Seconds later Buffy walks through her front door, "Mom! I'm
home."
That’s when she sees Angel, his fangs bared at her, her mother's
throat open
and bleeding.
******
Angel's apartment.
"She's out hunting you right now." The blond vampiress
goads her oldest
child. "She wants to kill you." Just like I planned.
"Leave me alone." He grunts. His mind in turmoil over what
he almost did.
He'd come so close to biting her, draining Buffy's mom of every last
drop of
blood in her veins. God, what had he done?
"What did you think? Did you think she would understand? That
she would look
at your face... your true face... and give you a kiss?" Showing
a sadistic
streak Angel was all too aware of, Darla rubbing in his face how no
one
wanted him. Not even her.
Seeing that she was finally getting to him she went on, "For a
hundred years
you've not had a moment's peace because you will not accept who you
are.
That's all you have to do. Accept it. Don't let her hunt you down.
Don't
whimper and mewl like a mangy human. Kill! Feed! Live!"
With a growl the two hundred and fifty year old master vampire jumps
up and
shoves her against the wall with her arms pinned up.
"Enough!"
"Tell me what you want!?!" She demands knowing she’s got
him now.
"I want it finished!" He snarls. Angel couldn't take it
anymore. Hiding from
the light of day, being beaten by a mere slip a girl. He'd had enough
of it
all, and just wanted it to all end.
"That's good. You're hurting me." The four hundred year old
master vampiress
tells him with a smirk, "That's good, too."
******
The Hospital.
"She talks about you all the time." She informs Giles, her
daughter's
librarian, whom her daughter had spoken very highly of since moving
to
Sunnydale. It was good for her to have friends, even teachers that
she
considered friends.
"It's important to have teachers who make an impression."
Thinking over everything he knew about Buffy, his slayer, Giles could
only
grin when he answered, "She makes quite an impression
herself." Quite an...
interesting young girl.
"I-I know she's having trouble with history. I-is it too
difficult for her
or is she not applying herself?" Joyce wondered. Her daughter
hadn't been
very good with her schooling in LA, but things just seemed to get
worse.
Maybe she had a learning disability?
"She lives very much in the 'now', um, and, uh, history, of
course, is, is
very much about the, uh... the 'then'. B-b-but there's no
reason..." But he
couldn't help but think that maybe she was right? Could Buffy need
more...special classes to help in her learning?
"She's studying with Willow, she's studying with Darla, and
Xander. I-I
mean, she is trying." That’s when she remembered; they were with
her when
she had her 'accident'. They must have been frightened.
"Xander? Well, yes I suppose. But err, Darla? I-I-I don't
believe I know,
uh..." The watcher didn't know any students by that name. Which
was odd.
"Buffy’s friend, the one who came over tonight. Her and
Xander." Mrs.
Summers informed him. Not really understanding why he seemed so
reluctant in
saying that this Xander was helping her daughter. Maybe he wasn't
there to
study, could Buffy have a boyfriend?
One that she was sneaking over, but telling Joyce that they were
'studying'?
A frightful look passed over the watcher's face. Xander hadn't been
seen in
a few days, could something have happened? "Darla and Xander
came to your
house tonight? Th-their the friends that you mentioned earlier?"
He, as well as Buffy had just thought Angel and one of his friends
had
somehow gotten invited into her house and attacked Buffy's mom. But
the way
it sounds he had nothing to do with it, but maybe Xander did?
"Poor things, I must've frightened them half to death when I
fainted.
Someone should really check and make sure their alright." What a
poor
hostess she must have been fainting in front of her daughter’s
friends.
Joyce felt just awful.
His fears realized Giles gets up and heads towards the door,
"Yes, someone
should, right away. I'll do it." He hurries away.
Which leaves Mrs. Summers lying alone, "That school is
amazing!" She tells
herself. If the teachers were as nice as Mr. Giles then this move
might just
be the best for her and Buffy.
******
The Bronze.
"C'mon! Don't go soft on me now!" Angel yells at the
slayer. He didn't want
her to get sloppy now, he wanted it done, finished.
Buffy shoots off a bolt from her crossbow, but it hits the hall next
to him.
"Little wide." He taunts. Maybe this wouldn't be as easy as
he'd first
expected. "Come on, Slayer. You can do better then that."
"Why?!?" She demanded. "Why didn't you just attack me
when you had the
chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then... I've
killed a lot
of vampires. I've never hated one before." She needed to know
why.
"Feels good, doesn't it? Feels simple. Hate works like
that." And how he
missed how simple things used to be. Before the curse, before his
soul. And
all the pain and suffering he'd had to endure because of it.
"I invited you into my home and then you attacked my
family!" She accuses.
How could he have done such a thing? To not just hurt her, but to go
after
her mother too!
"Why not? I killed mine. I killed their friends... and their
friend's
children... For a hundred years I offered ugly death to everyone I
met, and
I did it with a song in my heart." It had all been so much
simpler back
then.
"What changed?" Buffy had to know why. She needed to know.
Things just
didn't seem right, and the slayer refused to admit she might have
been wrong
about him. That he wasn't good.
"Fed on a girl about your age... beautiful... dumb as a post...
but a
favorite among her clan." She sorta reminds me of you, he
thought bitterly.
But at least she wasn't a slayer; god knows what the Gypsies would
have done
with him then.
"Her clan?" She didn't understand.
"Romany." He answered, but she still looked clueless,
"Gypsies. The elders
conjured the perfect punishment for me. They restored my soul."
And how he
hated them for it.
Still not understanding what the big deal about a soul was she asked,
"What,
they were all out of boils and blinding torment?" Blinding
torment, that
sounds good right about now. After what he did to her mother.
"When you become a vampire the demon takes your body, but it
doesn't get
your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse... It's an easy way
to
live. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've
done...
and to care. I haven't fed on a living human being since that
day."
Not willing to feel sorry for him she blurted out, "So you
started with my
mom?"
"I didn't bite her!" I just almost did, but he wasn't going
to tell her
that. Not if he was just now getting through to her. Not when there
was
still a chance that they could both walk out of here alive.
"Then why didn't you say something?" Damn it! She knew,
Buffy knew there had
to be an explanation. She wasn't wrong about him Angel was a good
vampire.
Her vampire.
"But I wanted to. I can walk like a man, but I'm not one. I
wanted to kill
you tonight." Wanted to kill her so badly. To just let his demon
win, then
maybe he would know some kind of peace.
Taking a blind leap of faith, the blond slayer drops her crossbow to
the
ground and offers him her throat. Knowing that she was right, that he
couldn't hurt her. Wouldn't hurt her. "Go ahead."
Angel can only watch her with some sort of perverse interest. This
isn't how
it was supposed to go. She was supposed to either kill him, or he'd
kill
her. Not... make peace with what he was?
"Not as easy as it looks." She told him with a smile.
An unexpected voice calls from behind them both, "Sure it
is." The two of
them turn to see Darla walk out of a nearby shadow, her game face
firmly in
place.
******
"Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?" Darla
asked.
She knew a sadness that cut deep into her unbeating heart. She'd
thought
that maybe Angel was ready to come back to the fold.
"Bad hair on top of that outfit?" Buffy taunted childishly.
"To love someone who used to love you." The blond vampiress
informed the
young slayer. Not as a lover of course. She'd long gotten over her
dark
Angel. But as a sire would a child. And he'd been her child, her very
first
one.
The sixteen-year-old girl turned from Darla to Angel, "You guys
were
involved?" A spike of jealousy ran through her.
"For several generations." Maybe she was being masochistic,
thinking about
what used to be. Before the soul and all of this shit. When it was
just him
and her and a long bloody path through the world.
"Well, you've been around since Columbus, you are bound to pile
up a few
ex's. You're older than him, right? Just between us girls, you are
looking a
little worn around the eyes." Buffy teased her cruelly.
Not understanding that Darla's game face was just more pronounced
because of
the centuries of life she had, two more then her Angel.
"I made him." She told the slayer annoyed. "There was
a time when we shared
everything, wasn't there Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to
rule
with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw
that away.
You love someone who hates us. You're a twisted little shit. And
you'll
always be a twisted little shit. And you'll always remember what it
was like
to watch her die."
What a fitting punishment, she couldn't help but think. To teach her
bastard
child finally. To make him watch the girl he loves he die in front
of his
eyes, knowing there was nothing he could do. "You don't think I
came alone,
do you?"
"I know I didn't." Buffy jibs before grabbing her crossbow
from the floor
and pointing it towards the vampire standing before her.
"Hmm, scary." But she didn't sound at all distressed, no.
She sounded almost
giddy. Which just made the young slayer weary. Something was up. In a
quick
movement Darla had pulled out two pistols from behind her back.
"Scarier!"
She then unloads a clip towards the slayer, but Angel takes most of
the
bullets in his chest. And Buffy jumps out of the way and isn't hit at
all.
Seeing the miserable look cross the young girl’s face Darla tells
her, “Oh,
don't worry. Bullets can't kill vampires. Can hurt them like hell,
but..."
She couldn't help but giggle at seeing her child bleeding from his
chest
wounds. Serves him right.
The sixteen-year-old girl quickly makes her way behind a table to
hide
herself from the bullets flying over her head as she tries to reload
her
crossbow. Oh why couldn't she have just brought more vamps? Why bring
handguns into the mix? Damn vampires, Buffy thought to herself.
"So many body parts, so few bullets. Let's begin with the
kneecaps. No fun
dancing without them." Maybe she'd just injure the slayer? Then
bring her to
the Master, or Alexander? They'd surely enjoy some slayer's blood.
Just thinking about her dark child brought a smile to her demonic
visage.
Oh, how her young one would have enjoyed this. But Darla wasn't
willing to
bring him into the mix just yet. He was too young for a battle like
this.
An arrow shot from the slayer's crossbow into her rib cage bringing
her out
of her pleasant musings. "Close, but no heart." The
vampiress said her smile
almost obscene.
"Won’t be much longer now. Can't have too many more arrows left,
now can
you?" Maybe one left. And Darla still had a full clip of bullets
left. The
slayer would die this night, oh yes.
From out of nowhere someone’s screaming from above them, "Buffy,
it wasn't
Angel who attacked your mom, it was Darla! She killed Xander as
well!"
Sounded the British watcher.
After hearing the news of her oldest friend, Willow wasn't willing to
come
to the Bronze. She was just too heartbroken, so Giles went alone to
warn him
slayer.
Darla turned and started firing towards the sound of the voice.
Trying to
kill any other threat there might be to her. As it was now, she was
beginning to feel a bit out numbered. And she didn't like it one bit.
Somehow the lighting system was affected and the lights begin to
strobe
around them. Making it hard for human or vampire to see clearly with
the way
the lights were flashing all around them.
"C'mon out, Buffy. Take it like a man!" Seeing her chance
to end this the
four hundred year old master vampiress took aim at the slayer, her
finger
pulling against the trigger. It was all over now.
That’s when she felt something piercing her back. A pain inside she'd
never
felt before. She didn't even notice the roar of anger behind her as
she
slowly turned around to see Angel holding a wooden arrow.
One that had just entered her heart. "Angel?" Astonishment
clear in her
voice. This couldn't be right. Not him, not her Angel. This wasn't
how she
was supposed to die. Not now, not ever!
Like a puppet that’s strings had been cut Darla fell to the ground,
her body
exploding into ashes.
******
The Master's lair.
Twin roars echoed through the tunnels.
The Master wielding a tall golden candleholder smashed it against the
wall,
and any of his minions foolish enough to come near him meet their end
as
well. He then throws the candleholder away in disgust before falling
to his
knees in grief.
Xander wasn't much better, clawing at the walls like a trapped wild
animal.
Refusing to believe it was true. That his sire, his lover was dead.
But he knew it was true, had felt it through the sire/child bond when
she'd
died. And at Angel's hands no less! Killed by her own child, Xander
would
see that that traitorous bastard would suffer for his crime.
The young vampire Colin walked over to the downed Master, his
childlike face
peering at the ancient vampire without showing any emotions.
"Forget her."
He informed his maker.
Two pairs of burning eyes turn on him, and for once Colin doesn't
feel aloof
as he'd like to be. The fiery gazes from The Master and Alexander
were
enough to make him feel very nervous.
"How dare you? She was my favorite. For four hundred
years..." He growled.
What would he do without Darla? She was his child, his perfect golden
girl.
She'd been with him for centuries. Longer then any other vampire in
Sunnydale. And how she was gone? And he wanted him to forger her?!?
The
whelp!
"She was weak. You don't need her. I'll bring you the
Slayer." Colin told
him. But before he could go on, two powerful hands grabbed him from
behind
and raised him high above his head.
"Forget her?!? Forget her?!? She was worth a thousand of
you!" Xander
screamed, enraged by the thoughtless child’s words.
"But to lose her to Angel! He was to have sat at my right hand,
come the
day. And now..." The Master said to himself ignoring the pleas
of mercy from
his Anointed one.
"They're all against you. But soon you shall rise. And when you
do..." The
terrified vampire yelled, hoping the Master would show him mercy and
free
him from the deranged hands of Alexander. "Don't you see? We
kill them all."
Finally the two thousand year old master vampire took notice of his
Anointed
being manhandled by his grandchild. And as much as he'd like to allow
Alexander to render the whelp into nothing but dust, he couldn't.
"Alexander! Release him. We will need him."
Xander turned to his grandsire with an agitated look on his game
face, his
green eyes blazing with hate. But something passed between them, yes.
They
needed him, for now. So he dropped the boy to the ground and walked
away.
******
The Bronze.
Buffy sat alone, Willow not willing to come out to the club. Not
after
hearing the news about Xander.
She couldn't help but feel she'd failed him. That it was her fault
that he
was dead. After all, hadn't Willow been going on about him being
missing for
two days? And still she did nothing. And it almost cost her, her
mother's
life.
She couldn't make the same mistake again. The slayer wouldn't forget
that
there were two pairs of teeth marks on her mother's throat. Darla’s,
and
Xander’s.
Darla was dead, but Xander was still out there. And Buffy wouldn't
stop
until he'd paid for what he'd tried to do. Attacking her mother, and
almost
getting her to kill Angel. No, Xander had to pay.
Fin.