Wicked Willow Goes To The City
By Reatha
Name: Reatha
Email: [email protected]
Rating: PG-13(?)
Classification: Willow/Angelus, Crossover with Kindred: The Embraced
Disclaimer: As if I own any of it...
Summary: Sequel to ‘Wicked Willow’. Takes place 3 years later. Angelus, Willow and Spike take their brood to San Francisco, and join the vampire community there.
Distribution: Love Bites, Fever of Fate, Perfect Love, anymore just ask.
Feedback: Will be greatly appreciated, but please, nothing too harsh.
Author’s Notes: 1. Takes place after the end of the Kindred series. I decided to make Angelus and Company Brujah, as they most closely resemble Joss’ vampires. Also, I hated the ‘mobster-type’ that were normally Brujah.
2. made the Hellmouth my dumping ground for all the inconsistencies between the two types of vampires, therefore away from Sunnydale, they can shapeshift, influence and cloud the minds of mortals, and walk in the daylight, after feeding. (Easy answer, I know...)
3. For those nitpickers, I they started
showing Kindred: The Embraced again in reruns, but out of the 8 episodes, I’ve
only seen about
four, so excuse any glitches.
Kindred - Summary: Basically, there
are five different clans, all ruled by a Prince of the City. Each clan has a
Primogen, who is their
representative before the Prince. Each clan also has their own characteristics.
Ventrue - white-collar workers, smooth and smart
Gangrel - bikers, rebels on bikes - lots of leather jackets and grunge
Toreador - artists and singers, very sexy
Nosferatu - intellectual and vicious, but have a good heart (think of the Master in looks)
Brujah - basically mobsters - always wear suits, and have no real conscience
Brujah and Gangrel clans have always been at war with each other.
The Masquerade is what they all live by. It’s designed to keep humans from knowing of their existence, and to break it means death. No exceptions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part One
"Julian." Julian Luna, Kindred Prince
of San Francisco looked up at the soft call from his friend, Daedalus. He’d
just returned from a
night at the Haven, and was walking across the foyer of his home, towards
the library. The grim look on the Nosferatu’s face told him
that whatever it was, it wasn’t good. <Great.> he thought <What else can
go wrong in my life?>
Lately, his world hadn’t been too
calm. First, his bodyguard and friend is killed by the Brujah, his niece , who
was to be bonded with his
new Gangrel bodyguard, is embraced by the Brujah, the Masquerade had
been revealed to a police officer, his sire had been killed by
the Brujah, and he’d recently broken off with his human lover.
"What is it, Daedalus?" he
asked, motioning for both him and his bodyguard, Cash, to join him. Before stepping
into the library, he
caught sight of his niece, Sasha, lurking in the shadows. Stopping, he questioned
her.
"Oh, nothing, Uncle Julian." striving
to sound nonchalant, it came out nervous. He knew she’d been having problems
adjusting to being
Kindred, especially after being forcibly embraced. Add tot hat the obvious
attraction between her and Cash, and it made for lots of
confusion. Seciding to have a talk with her later, he turned and headed into
the library.
"Daedalus?" he asked, shedding his coat as he made his way around his desk.
"There’s trouble brewing in the Brujah clan." he said. What he’d heard hadn’t been good, and he told Julian so.
"And what have you heard, Nosferatu?"
asked a voice from the shadows. All three whipped around to see who had spoken,
Cash pulling
out his gun and pointing it in the direction of the voice. It took
them several moments before they could detect the presence by the
window, facing out, she blended so well with the black floor length drapes.
"Lose the gun, Gangrel, before you lose your life." the figure
said, not turning around. Hearing the voice again, they realized it was
female. Her figure was covered in a long, black velvet coat that
reached the floor. It clung to her curves, the hood effectively
concealing her head. Even her hands were encased in black gloves.
The silence in the room kept going
on, until the figure let out a sigh, and turned to face them. They could see
her pale face, red lips and
a hint of the red hair hidden by the hood. Bright green eyes picked out Cash
as she spoke to him.
"If I’d wanted to kill your Prince, Gangrel, he’d be dead." she said.
"Put it away, Cash." ordered
Julian. He couldn’t tell her clan, but she was young. Very young. Also, she
gotten into his home with no
trouble, and had remained unseen until she’d spoken. He tended to believe her
boast of killing him.
"Don’t assume that I’m weak, just
because I’m young." she directed this at Julian with a small turning of her
head in his direction. "I’ve
gone up against better than you and come out in one piece. The others,
however........" she trailed off with a half smile curving her red
lips.
Cash had slowly lowered his weapon,
embarrassment flooding him. She’d gotten past all the guards and alarms, but,
then again, she’d also
escaped Daedalus’ detection,
and he was nearly impossible to fool, yet he too, had been caught off guard
by this girl.
"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Julian. This girl was a mystery, and he was curious.
"My name is Willow, and I’m here
on behalf of the Brujah Primogen." as she said this, she lifted the hood away
from her face, and let it
rest down her back. As she opened up her coat, all Cash could do was
stare and take in the outfit. She had on thigh-high black boots,
with two inch thick heels, VERY short black shorts and a dark green tank
top that didn’t quite reach her navel. Around her throat was a
silver choker, with a black opal in the front. Her red, shoulder length hair
only added to her beauty.
"And what does Cameron have to say?"
as he spoke, his hatred for the man was evident in his voice. The Primogen had
had his sire killed.
He had no compassion or liking for that Kindred.
"Nothing. Cameron’s dead. He’s been replaced. I’m here to deliver a message from the new Brujah Primogen." she said, shocking them all.
"What is this message?" inquired
the Prince, regaining his composure. He was glad that his sires’s murderer was
dead, but felt loss, that
he hadn’t been the one to send him to his final death.
"He would like to extend out
deepest sympathies and apology over the death of your sire, Archon, and to assure
you that all those
involved have been dealt with." Willow stated, matter-of-factly. She’d
been curious and anxious to meet the Prince of the city. Angelus
hadn’t wanted her to come, afraid she might get hurt, but she had brushed
that aside. She could make more of an impression than him or
Spike ever could. So far, she’d been
correct. They were pretty much stunned speechless, which delighted her to no
end.
Seeing the impact her words had on
them, she almost grinned in glee. The Prince was not liking this. He’d been
waiting for the chance to
get Cameron himself, and was disappointed that he couldn’t.
Thinking of the
former Brujah Primogen made her angry. The idiot had almost started a clan war,
which would have exposed the
Masquerade and sent the Slayer after them all. As it was, the Watchers
had no idea of the extent of the vampire population in the
world, and the goal was to keep it that way.
Waiting for her words
to sink in, she examined each of them. Julian Luna, the Prince, was tall and
dark, reminding Willow of her
Angelus. They both had the same air about them that demanded respect,
but that’s where the similarities ended. Where Angelus was
hard and cruel, Julian was kind and compassionate. There was a
softness, a kindness in his heart that the mortal Willow would have
found attractive. But the Willow she was now, wasn’t even mildly interested.
She had Angelus, her mate, her sire, who was so much more.
Angelus had something in him that Julian could never hope to have,
and that’s what would be the Prince’s downfall. He still cared for
mortals.
The Nosferatu, however, didn’t have
such failings. He was old, too. Older than she’d ever felt. His name was Daedalus,
she believed, the
Primogen of his clan. This one would be one to watch out for. He could
be a problem. Also, he reminded her too much of the Master. It
was just plain freaky!
The last was the Gangrel, Cash.
When they’d first come to the city, they’d found that there was no love lost
between the Gangrel and
Brujah. She really didn’t much care, and
neither did anyone in their entourage. He was sort of attractive, if you liked
the
blonde-biker-scraggly-just-got-out-of-bed look. And
she didn’t. But he was another Primogen, so she’d be seeing him a lot more.
"Who is the new Brujah Primogen?" the Prince finally broke the silence following her announcement.
"You’ll meet him soon enough." was
her cryptic reply. "Well, I must be off." she said in a cheery voice, moving
towards the door, but
stopping half-way. "Mr. Luna." she said, turning away from the door to face
him. "Why is there a young Brujah nervously lurking outside
the door?"
"Sasha?" he wondered allowed. "Come
in here, please." he called out. Seeing his niece step into the room, he was
slightly curious as to
her behavior. Her eyes went immediately to Willow’s, silently asking for
confirmation. Willow lowered her shields enough for the young
girl to sense that she was Brujah, as well, just as she’s suspected. Stepping
close to her, Willow raised Sasha’s face with a gloved hand,
turning it from side to side. "You smell of Gangrel." she said curiously, no
malice or evidence of the years of clan hatred apparent in her
voice. "But you’ll do." she added. "Come, it’s time to go." Placing an
arm around the young Brujah’s shoulders, Willow began to lead her
out of the house, but was stopped in the foyer by Cash’s statement.
"You can’t take her!" he said. He
was not about to let this stranger take Sasha out of this house. Cash didn’t
want her to become like
other Brujah - brutal and violent.
"I agree. You cannot remove her from my home. I will not allow it." added Julian, coming up behind Cash.
"You can’t keep her from her clan."
she stated, turning back to face them. She could tell that Sasha desperately
wanted to be with her
clan, had yearned for acceptance from them, but so far had only been shunned.
She felt alone, with her own clan, as well as the others,
rejecting her. "You can’t change who she is. Sasha is Brujah,
and will be Brujah as long as she lives, no matter how much you try to
change it."
"Getting into trouble
again, luv?" asked and accented voice from behind her, in the doorway to the
house. The two Gangrel guards
posted there were unconscious on
the ground, and a black car could be seen behind the blonde stranger in the
drive-way.
"Nothing I can’t handle, babe." was
her response. "Go wait in the car, child." this was said with a side glance
at Sasha, who had stopped
and turned with Willow.
Her attention back on the two trying
to stop her from taking the girl, she saw out of the corner of her eye that
Sasha had obeyed her.
about to start in on the Ventrue and Gangrel in front of
her, her attention was quickly drawn back to Sasha. Hearing her sharply
indrawn breath, Willow looked back to Spike, to see that he had
the same expression of wonder on his face that Sasha had. In that
instant, Willow knew. Spike had found his mate. She could feel the connection
forming in that moment.
"Go to him." was all she said, with
a smile on her face, as Sasha moved towards her mate. "Take her to the car.
I’ll be there in a minute."
she told the blonde, sensing rather than seeing his
nod of agreement, as she returned to face the Prince and Gangrel Primogen.
Julian and Cash watched in stunned
fascination as the stranger reached out a hand to Sasha as she approached. Taking
hold of his hand,
Sasha’s eyes never left his, as he pulled her out of the house and into
the car. Julian could feel the connection between the two as it was
formed, and wondered at it. This blonde man was a very old Brujah,
and he was curious as to who Willow was, that she would have a
Kindred this powerful as her protector. For that’s what he was.
"What gives you the right to take
my niece out of my home?" asked Julian. Sasha was not going to leave his home,
to be turned into a
murdering Brujah. Cash was of the same opinion as he stepped closer to her,
and raised his weapon.
"Annoyed now." she said
after a sigh, ignoring the Prince’s question. That gave them little warning
of the attack about to come, as
Willow spun around and delivered a kick that knocked the
gun out of his hand, her black coat swirling out behind her like a cape.
Without even pausing in the motion, one hand came up to hit
him across the face. Before Cash had time to recover from the punch,
Willow’s other hand came up to grab him around the throat. Lifting
him several inches off the ground, she growled a warning to him.
"Pull a gun on me again, and next
time I’ll kill you!" Turning, she walked out the door and into the car, after
throwing the Gangrel to the
ground.
"Find out all you can about her,
the blonde and the new Brujah Primogen." Julian said, watching the car drive
off. He had a feeling he’d
seen the last of the Sasha he knew. "Call a conclave meeting for tomorrow
night, and the Haven. I want to meet this new Primogen." the
first was directed at the audience of kindred who had gathered around
the foyer, the second to Cash, who had picked himself up off the
ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Two
In the car, Willow was trying hard
to ignore the looks passing back and forth over her, between Sasha and Spike.
Once she’d gotten in
the car, she’d purposely put herself in between the two of them. Willow
remembered what it was like to find your mate. The desires
sweeping through your body were impossible to ignore, but she knew that
if she wasn’t between them, they’d most likely do it in the car,
with her watching, and they wouldn’t care. Not that she would, either.
It was just that the first time with your mate was very special,
not to mention animalistic. She might not have minded watching, anyways,
but unless she could participate, she didn’t want in. And this
was one time she wasn’t going to participate.
Watching the two of them made her
miss Angelus, even though they’d only been apart for a few hours. They’d already
been at it when
she reached the car, oblivious tot he outside world. Their mouths glued
to each other, Sasha’s fingers entwined in his blonde hair, and
Spike’s hands already under her shirt, causing growls and moans
to issue from her throat. She was beginning to regret her choice of
seating, because the
hormones flowing around her were driving her crazy. She was horny, and her mate
was at home.
"Joshua." she spoke up to
the driver. "Please hurry." Willow was pleased when she felt the car speed up.
She was sure Joshua could
smell the two of them from the front seat, and understood.
After what seemed like
an eternity, the car came to a halt outside of a large house, which some called
a mansion. When they first
arrived in San Francisco, they’d found this place, and decided it was
perfect. Isolated, yet easily accessible. It housed not only her,
Angelus and Spike, but most of their minions, and a few others, all Brujah.
They’s sent the fledglings into the
city before they came, to gather information on the situation here. The first
thing they’d done when
they arrived, was to call Cameron and his followers to the house. They
come, as it was royally stupid to refuse the request of someone
ten times your age. All those who had been involved in the death
of Archon had been taken care of, after Cameron had been killed.
Because he was now Primogen, Angelus had been prepared to let Cameron
live, but that had all changed when he’d attacked Willow, one
day. It was his attempt at seducing Willow, trying to regain the power
in the clan. She had been knocked unconscious by the surprise
attack, but Spike had arrived before he could do anything. After that,
there had been a line of vampires who wanted to beat Cameron
senseless, before staking him in the sun. at the head of the line was
Angelus and Spike. The rest were all minions. They would all die to
protect her, and were fiercely loyal. That another even though
they could even think about harming their mistress sent them into a
murderous rage. But it was nothing compared to Angelus’ reaction. Cameron
had been tortured for a good week before Angelus would
grant him the release of death.
Willow, herself, was touched that
the fledglings cared so much about her. Angelus and Spike had created them all,
so she assumed they
listened to her because she was mated to Angelus. However, she’d discovered
that they respected her as an individual. She was ecstatic.
Looking at Sasha, Willow became unnerved,
though she refused to show it. For so long she had been the only female, and
now there was
Sasha. Angelus and Spike only turned guys, saying that if she wanted other
females, to turn them herself. Until tonight, she hadn’t felt
the need to turn any. Now, maybe..... She’d seen an old friend in town
the other day. She knew she was here for awhile, so she might as
well pay her friend a little visit tomorrow night.
Getting out of the car, the three
of them entered the house. Spike and Sasha became like one as soon as they stepped
from the car, and
stayed that way.
"Red?" inquired Spike. He wanted
to get Sasha up to his room. He’d found his mate, and wanted to claim her as
soon as possible. By her
responses, his mate was all for that idea.
"Go, Spike. Have fun." she said,
understanding, with a smile on her face. Flashing her a grateful look, he picked
up his mate and nearly
ran up the stairs when her mouth locked on to the pulse point in his neck (if
he had a pulse).
"What’s with Spike?" a familiar
voice asked from behind her, sending shivers up er spine. Willow spun around
and was in front of him
instantly. Grabbing his head, she pulled im down for a fierce kiss
of possession and passion. After several seconds, Angelus couldn’t
remember what his childe’s name was, let alone that something was strange with
him.
Pulling back, Willow explained.
"There was a young Brujah in the Prince’s house. I decided to bring her back
with me. Spike found his
mate." she said the last with a soft smile.
"Ahhh." was all he said.
"Yes, well, I
didn’t want to see them doing it in the car, so I stupidly put myself between
them." hearing his laugh, she went on
defensively. "Hey! I’ve spent the last who-knows-how-long sitting between
two hormone driven mates, who have yet to claim each other.
Remember how we were the first time?" she asked
softly, her hands traveling up his body, tracing the contours of his chest.
"He has more patience than I had."
Angelus said low in his throat, his hands coming up behind her, to hold her
to him as he plundered her
mouth.
Breaking away, he pulled her close as he led her upstairs to their rooms, to
finish what they’s started.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later
"So, what did you think of our glorious
Prince?" Angelus asked her. They’d just recovered from another bout of lovemaking,
and Angelus
was curious about Julian Luna. He’d wanted to send Spike to meet the Prince,
but Willow had felt that she could make much more of an
impression on Luna than Spike could. So he’d agreed, but sent Spike along as
protection.
"He’s still upset at losing Archon.
He wanted to deal with Cameron himself, but couldn’t find a way without breaking
Kindred laws. He
hides his thoughts very well, but still has much to learn.
Overall, young, fair and relentless. He also has powerful friends." at his
questioning look, she explained further. "The Nosferatu Primogen,
Daedalus. I felt something in him.... He’s very old. Older than the
Master was."
"I’ve heard of him." put in Angelus.
"He’s known for his loyalty to the Prince. And yes, he is old. One of the oldest
among us." thinking
for a moment, he then came to a decision. "I’ll pay him a visit a little
later on. Now, tell me bout your meeting. Did you impress the hell
out of them?"
"Of course I did." then proceeded to describe the meeting with the Prince. By the end, Angelus was roaring with laughter.
"I would have paid to have seen the looks on their faces when you brought down Cash!" he said, still laughing.
"I’m glad you approve. Any regrets
about sending me, and not Spike?" she asked with the supreme confidence of those
who know they’re
right.
"I love you, baby." was all he said before he drove all thought from her head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Three
Daedalus was sitting in his chair,
drinking his blood-wine when he felt the presence behind him. "You must be the
new Brujah Primogen."
he said, not turning around.
"Very good. I must applaud your abilities.
She said you were powerful, but I didn’t quite believe her when she said how
much. I should
have learned by now to trust her insight." said Angelus, moving to sit
in the only other chair, which was on an angle to the one Daedalus
occupied.
"That would be the red headed witch, Willow. Did you embrace her?" he asked casually.
"So, you figured that out, too."
not really put out by the fact that the Nosferatu knew so much. He’d expected
nothing less from one of
his clan. Angelus had no problem with the Nosferatu, as others seemed to.
"The Prince wants his niece returned to him." he informed the Brujah.
"That’s not possible. She’s already
found her mate, and he won’t allow her to leave him, if she even wanted to.
I can guarantee you that
she doesn’t."
"Mate?" inquired the Nosferatu, not quite certain of the term, but knowing he wouldn’t like the answer.
"Each clan has a different way of acquiring
a partner. The Gangrel are bonded, the Ventrue are partnered, the Toreador are
joined, and
the Brujah are mated. In our case, however, it is not a conscious choice.
The two are drawn to each other, and are mated for life. The
male is more often than not over two hundred - don’t ask
me why. A good analogy would be wolves. We mate for life, and become
self-destructive if the other dies." explained Angelus. He could
see the wheels turning in the Nosferatu’s mind as he processed this.
"The blonde?" he questioned, looking into dark eyes.
"Yes. That was Spike. The first of my children, and one of the best." Angelus confirmed.
"And what would Willow be? Your mate?"
"Yes." was the only reply.
"She is very... impressive, and very dangerous."
"Why thank you. I think so." Angelus
was amused and pleased at this. His Willow was that and more, but the others
didn’t need to know
that. "I’m sure Cash discovered that for himself. He should feel
lucky that Willow was in a good mood, otherwise he’d be dead." at
Daedalus’ look, he continued. "She doesn’t tolerate guns. Hates them."
"There’s a Conclave meeting tonight.
Midnight. At the Haven." said Daedalus after a moment of silence. This one,
he was a mystery, he
thought. One he was eager to solve.
"I know." he said
with a smile that made the older Kindred wonder how much this dark haired one
knew, and how he’d gotten the
information. Turning to leave, Angelus was stopped by the Nosferatu’s next words.
"Will you bring Sasha to the club tonight? I’m sure Julian will want to see his niece."
"She’s not being held prisoner. If she wants to come, she will." he said, then quickly made his was back home through the sewers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willow was making her way down the stairs when Sasha and Spike came in the front door.
"Sasha. There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you." said Willow, descending the stairs to stand in front of the couple.
"Why?" came the nervous inquiry from
the young woman. She hadn’t really had a chance to get to know the red head,
as Spike had kept
her in bed all night and most of the day, and Sasha was scared.
<What if she doesn’t like me?> she thought. She’d not had any real
acceptance since being embraced, every clan, including her own, keeping
her at arms length. Spike said not to worry, that Willow had
already
accepted her. Sasha wouldn’t be here if Willow didn’t already like what she
saw in the young Brujah.
Feeling Spike’s arm tighten around her waist, some of her nervousness dissipated.
"We’re going shopping." she said, reaching
into Spike’s back pocket for his wallet. "There’s a Conclave meeting tonight,
and we’d like you
to come with us. Show your uncle that we haven’t kept you locked up in
chains....... though, knowing Spike..." all this was said in a brusk,
business-like manner,
while she plucked several credit cards from the wallet, before handing it back
to its owner.
"Shopping..?" asked Sasha, trying to keep up with the red head.
"Yes." Willow said, before clarifying.
"You’re Brujah. Mated with one of our oldest. You need to look the part." taking
her arm, Willow
led Sasha out the door and into the waiting car. "And quite frankly, you need
some new outfits."
"What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?"
looking down at her white t-shirt, blue jeans and worn, brown leather jacket.
The same clothes
from the night before.
"Sasha, dear, you look like a Gangrel.
It’s time you looked like a Brujah." Willow said, as gently as possible. "And
before you start in on
the ‘but Spike wears..’ line of thinking, he has a decent wardrobe. He
just wears that one outfit to piss me off. But tonight, he’s getting
dressed up."
"But...." was all she could stammer, overwhelmed by this woman.
"Now." said Willow, turning to Spike’s mate, smiling. "Any ideas?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I have some information, my Prince." said Daedalus, as he came upon Julian in a sitting room, on the ground floor of the Prince’s home.
"What did you learn?" asked Julian, calmly.
"The new Brujah Primogen is old.
Older than you." he began, as he slowly wandered around the room absently, after
handing a folder to
the Ventrue. "The blonde Kindred we saw last night is his first childe. They
have both seen two centuries."
"Tell me about the Primogen. What’s his name?"
"Angelus. Called the ‘Angel of Death’
in Europe and England. He’s known for not only his viciousness, but his sharp
mind. Angelus finds
more pleasure in the hunt, then the feeding. Beware of him. He likes
to play games." explained Daedalus. He didn’t inform his Prince of
the fact that Angelus was also known for making several of his children
mad. It was all in the file he’d handed to him. He could read it
for himself.
"What about the others? Did you find out anything about them?"
"Yes." pausing while he sipped his
newly poured red wine. "The blonde one earned the name ‘William the Bloody’.
Now he goes by Spike,
a name he received by torturing his victims with railroad spikes."
the Nosferatu let that sink in before he continued. "Willow is a
relatively new Kindred, in comparison. Angelus embraced her 3 years ago."
"She is so young, yet manages to
enter my home - unnoticed, be in the same room as us - unnoticed, and she takes
down my bodyguard.
How is that possible?" asked Julian, truly perplexed.
"Her mental abilities were carried
over when she was embraced - she was a witch of moderate power. Her strength
came from being
mated with Angelus." explained the Nosferatu.
"Mated? What is that?" Julian was curious.
"Brujah find their partner
differently than other Kindred. The two individuals are drawn to each other.
They gain in strength and
power, to become very strong, and very deadly."
"Why haven’t I heard of this?" asked the frustrated Julian. These newcomers were going to be a problem. He knew it.
"When was the last time you
had heard of a Brujah so old?" answering the Prince’s question with his own.
"Members of that clan are
destined to have short life spans, and only very old members of that clan find
mates."
Sighing, Julian began to process
this new information. They were dangerous, and he wanted them out of the city,
but doubted that would
happen.
"Should I ask how you seem to know all this?" Julian asked after a moment.
"Angelus paid me a visit today." was all he said.
"Is there anything else I should know before the meeting?" he asked, getting up and preparing to leave for the Conclave meeting.
"Just one." was his reply.
"Sasha."
"Yes. I asked Angelus if he would
bring her tonight." at Julian’s questioning look, Daedalus continued. "He said
if she wanted to come,
then she would. But she won’t leave them, Julian. She’s mated with Spike."
"Last night...." the repercussions of what they’d seen the night before becoming clear.
"Yes. What we saw last
night was each mate finding the other. There is no way to get her back unless
she chooses to, and that is
doubtful."
"We’d best be getting to the meeting." was all the Prince would say, trying to put the Nosferatu’s words out of his mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Four
Conversations all over the club halted
as the group entered the Haven, the night club owned by Lily Langtry, Primogen
of the Toreador
clan. Those seated at her table became silent as well. Her table consisted of
Julian, Cash and Lily.
The whole club turned to take
in the two couples. The first two projected power and authority, while the second
couple projected
deadly menace and a warning to everyone who thought to try anything.
Willow was glowing in an emerald
green silk dress that ended mid-thigh, with long sleeves and a low v-neck. Tonight
she had a black
choker with a silver coin in the front, and her hair pulled back in small
clips. Her arm held onto Angelus, dressed all in black, as usual.
But in keeping with the formality of the meeting, he had on a dress shirt,
khakis pants, and his leather jacket. Spike had on a similar
outfit, in black also, with khakis pants and a tight fitting, long sleeved
shirt that molded to his chest. It created a startling contrast
with his pale skin and bleach blonde hair. His companion, however,
was the object of much speculation. They knew this young woman,
wearing a dark purple satin sheath dress which set off the auburn colour
of her upswept hair, as Julian Luna’s niece. They also knew
that he’d been keeping her from others of her clan
- not that the Brujah were awaiting her with open arms - yet here she was,
accompanying two very old Brujah. They knew, just by looking
at them, that these were the new Brujah in town. With one glance,
everyone in the club could tell that the dark one in the front
was the new Primogen of his clan. Some silently prayed for Cameron’s
resurrection, because no matter
how bad he was, he never came close to being as dangerous as this new Brujah
looked.
Sasha, meanwhile, was almost
trembling, only Spike’s arm around her waist and Willow’s words kept her from
doing it openly. Spike
eased her tension, as Willow’s words earlier in the day gave her
strength. The red head had told her several things, but mostly had
taught her how to act in front of others. "Just a few little rules that
I live by." she’d told the younger Kindred. "Always dress the part
- you are Spike’s mate, and a part of our family. Make sure others
realized you’re not to be messed with by your clothes and your
attitude. Take crap from no one, unless it’s Angelus (don’t get on his
bad side, it’ll take me forever to get off it). And most importantly,
set boundaries on the amount of disrespect you’ll tolerate, and make
sure no one crosses them. If they do, make them wish they never
had." as Sasha had tried to absorb all this, Willow went on. "One little
piece of advice, though. Treat the fledglings with respect, and
try not to get on their bad side. They can truly make your life a living
hell, and in the end they’ll need to be punished, which just causes
more problems, and it takes time......... It’s basically a pain in the
ass." Taking her words to heart, Sasha was glad that Willow was by
her side. Her words gave her an inner core of strength she
never knew she had, and her presence helped calm her nerves. In total,
Willow had quickly become her mentor and her best friend in a few short hours.
The foursome made
their way to where Julian and his entourage sat. like the rest of the club,
they all stopped to stare at the
newcomers. Julian was not liking the look of the new Primogen. He was
dangerous, and he didn’t need a sixth sense to tell him that. The
man oozed danger and authority. Anyone who crossed him would pay dearly, and
Julian couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. If
Angelus was interested in peace in the city, then it was definitely a
good trait, as he’d rule the Brujah with an iron fist. However, if he
decided to go against the Prince, then he could almost certainly destroy the
city.
Cash couldn’t take his eyes off of Sasha.
She was gorgeous, but she was taken. The warning glares coming from Spike told
him that much.
At the same time, Lily Langtry, Primogen of the Toreador clan, was floored.
She’d always had a thing for tall, dark and handsome, and
that’s what this Brujah was. Ever since Julian had turned away
from her, she’d been looking for someone to take his place. Angelus
looked like a VERY good candidate. <Looks like I’ve found a
new playmate - but I’ve got to lose that red head.> she thought, already
planning on how to get this man into her bed, and keep him there.
"You must be Julian
Luna, Ventrue Prince of San Francisco." said Angelus upon reaching the table.
As he said this, Julian had the
distinct impression that he was being patronized.
"And you would be Angelus." a statement,
not a question. At that, Angelus let out a laugh, and introductions were made
between the two
groups. This Prince might turn out to be a worthy opponent, after all.
He rarely showed what he was thinking or feeling, and had a sharp
mind.
Julian moved his gaze from the Brujah
Primogen to his niece. She was beautiful tonight, but that wasn’t all. There
was a confidence, a
sophistication about her that few humans possessed, but that many older Kindred
did. It was the same confidence that Willow possessed,
but different from the Brujah arrogance. She had truly come into
her own. Julian had hoped that this would happen away from her
brutal clan, but knew it had only been wishful thinking.
"Sasha. It’s good to see you." he said.
"Uncle Julian." was Sasha’s reply.
"Perhaps we can talk after the meeting." he asked. He wanted to discuss some things with her, but would rather do it in private.
"Alright." she said. She had
a feeling it was going to be more of an argument than a discussion, but he was
her uncle, as well as her
Prince.
Nodding his head in
acceptance, Julian got back to the matter at hand. "Shall we begin the meeting?"
again, it was an order, not a
question, as he rose. Lily latched on to Angelus’ arm as the Primogens
followed the Prince up the stairs. Willow felt anger run through
her when Lily sent her back a smug little smile, over her shoulder. That
is, until Angelus gently pried her fingers off his arm, turned
around and winked at her from the bottom of the stairs.
Willow smiled with genuine amusement at Lily’s ire. She’d heard of the
Toreador Primogen, and had a feeling that she’d just set her sights on
her mate. However, Lily had learned pretty quickly that Angelus
would not leave Willow, and the set down had occurred in public,
in HER club, in full view of the gossip-pack in the city. Huffing in
indignation, she stomped up the stairs
- as best she could in high heels - followed slowly by an amused Cash and Angelus.
"Spike, would you go get us something to drink?" asked Willow, sitting down at the newly vacated table.
"Sure, pet. What would you like?" after getting their orders, he gave Sasha a quick kiss, and headed for the bar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The group of Kindred Primogens - minus
the Nosferatu - were making their way back down into the club, when a new arrival
caught their
attention.
Angelus recognized him immediately as one of his, and paused at the tope of
the stairs to watch him.
The young Kindred, named Christopher,
quickly scanned the club, his gaze landing on his mistress. Making his way over
to her, he failed
to notice Angelus and the other Primogens and Prince on the stairs.
"Mistress, there’s a problem." he
said as quietly as possible, once reaching the table. Even though it was said
low, it still caused Kindred
ears to tune into the conversation.
"What is it, Christopher?"
she asked. Willow was becoming concerned. They all knew not to disturb them
in public, unless it was
important and couldn’t wait. Seeing him look around cautiously and nervously,
she understood. It was serious, but he didn’t want anyone
to hear. Motioning him close, she leaned towards him, and froze
at him whispered words. Pulling back, she looked him directly in the
eyes, and asked "Are you absolutely sure?", with a serious expression on her
face.
"Yes, Mistress." was his reply.
He had been terrified to deliver this message, but knew that it would be the
death of them all, if he
didn’t.
Willow, meanwhile, was coldly furious
and slightly frightened at the same time. Looking to the top of the stairs,
she met Angelus’ eyes,
conveying a message in them. Angelus was suddenly worried, as he
met Willow’s eyes, never having seen that look before. He rapidly
made his way down the stairs, and over to the four people at the table. "Willow?"
he questioned.
"I believe it’s time we went home, darling."
her gaze trying to send him a wordless message. Something was up at home. Nodding
his head,
he took hold of her arm, and led her out of the club, followed closely by Christopher,
Sasha and Spike.
"Joshua. Home. NOW!" Willow snapped before getting into the car.
"Willow, what’s going on?" asked
Angelus as soon as he was in beside her. Willow waited until they were all inside,
and the door closed,
before explaining.
"The Slayer and her band of merry
misfits are at the mansion. They made it to the front door before any of those
idiot guards noticed
them." she said, spitting out the last part. They’d only placed their
own minions inside and around the house. Those that had belonged to
Cameron were further away from the house. The Slayer had gotten past them too
easily.
"How the hell did she find us?"
he snarled, not liking this one little bit. He had a pretty good idea of how
they’d gotten into the house.
<Damn Cameron’s brood!> he thought viciously.
"My guess would be one
of Cameron’s children, though there aren’t too many left." said Willow. She’d
hoped that things would go
smoothly here, that they wouldn’t need to fight, but when had her life gone
smoothly.
"Are we still in contact with anyone inside?" Angelus asked Christopher, seeing if he could salvage anything from this mess.
"I think so. A few of them still
have their phones on them. I could try that." he suggested, waiting for his
sire’s orders. He knew that
Angelus would take care of the problems, and the other fledglings knew
it too. The Brujah already in the city - those who were under
Eddie Fiori and Cameron - didn’t quite understand this. They hadn’t
realized yet that Angelus allowed no disrespect or disobedience
among his clan, and now they would pay for it.
"Tell them to fall back and to get outside. When we get there, we’ll take care of the Scooby gang." he told Christopher.
"What’s your plan once we get there?
Politely ask them to leave?" asked Spike. He hadn’t had a good fight in awhile
and was anxious to
get home, but at the same time, he was worried about Sasha. She hadn’t
been in a real fight before, and he was truly scared that she
might get killed tonight. He couldn’t let that happen.
"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of killing the Slayer, killing her friends, and then killing the traitors."
Sasha halted the shiver
that ran up her spine at hearing this. Spike had told her about Angelus’ past,
as well as what happened in
Sunnydale, but she hadn’t seen that side of any of them until just now.
She could feel that part of her coming to the fore - the dark side
that became enraged at the thought of someone trying to destroy what was
‘hers’. And that’s what was happening. Someone was attacking
‘her’ clan, ‘her’ family, in ‘her’ home. They would pay.
As the car came to a halt just outside the gates, the occupants of the car leapt out, going in different directions.
"Red." Spike’s voice stopped Willow.
"Keep her safe." he asked. She instinctively knew who he meant, and nodded her
head, taking off
after Sasha, towards the back of the mansion, while Spike and Angelus
took the front doors. The minions separated, following each
groups. They had all waited impatiently for their Master to arrive, and
now they took off behind each pair, as they split up. Quite a
few of the minions followed Willow and Sasha, not to protect them - though they
would, with their lives - but because they realized that
while Angelus was dangerous and deadly, Willow was diabolical and
vicious, not to mention creative. They’d rather face an enraged
Angelus and Spike, than an pissed off Willow. That’s what got her admiration,
respect and loyalty from the minions, and without even
raising a hand to any of them.
While Angelus and Spike went to
confront the Slayer, Willow and Sasha made their way around the back and up
to the second floor,
where they found an lovely surprise.
"Cordelia! Xander! You really should
have called first." said Willow, mocking them as she stalked towards them, with
Sasha and some
fledglings following behind her. The two young mortals seemed shocked,
then scared, and finally resolved. "Oooohhh. So, you think you
can kill me?" she asked them softly, continuing to advance upon them slowly,
as they retreated backwards.
"I will if I have to." said Xander, hoping to find something of his friend still there.
"Ha! Now there’s a laugh a minute."
said Willow, just before she attacked him. Knocking the stake out of his hand,
she grabbed him by
his throat, and banged his head against the wall behind him. Dropping
the unconscious boy to the ground, she faced Cordelia, who had
turned to run, but was blocked by two hard bodies, as the others circled around
them.
"Nice outfit, Willow." said Cordelia,
through her fear. "Green looks good on you - though black does seem to be your
colour of choice."
remembering the last time she’d seen Willow, dressed in black clothes,
mainly leather. A smile spread across Willow’s face as an idea
came to her. Stepping closer to the terrified brunette, Willow raised
her arm and waved it over Cordelia’s face once, saying "Sleep.".
One of the fledglings caught her before she hit the ground, looking to Willow
for instructions.
"Take her and the idiot to the room
next to mine." she said. "And make sure he’s tied up good. Don’t want him gnawing
his way free." the
last was said under her non-existent breath.
"Friends of yours?" asked Sasha, impressed with the way Willow had taken care of two of the intruders.
"Old high school buddies." she said.
Turning to the fledglings around her, she directed her orders to them. "Find
the rest of them. Bring
them to us alive, but kill them if necessary. Christopher!"
Seeing the young Kindred step forward, she continued. "Find the ones
responsible for this! I want them alive." It was fairly obvious
they had a traitor among their clan, probably more than one, for the
group to get this close to the house with no alarm being raised. And everyone
knew it!
"Now, lets go find our honeys." she said to Sasha.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Five
Meanwhile, Angelus and Spike were
having their own......adventures. They’d come across Buffy, killing the fledglings
left and right. He’d
sent Spike and the others on, staying to take care of Buffy and the three
fledglings she was at that moment pummeling. While she was
distracted with one, he motioned for the other two to back away.
"Well, well. Looks like we’ve got company." he said, drawing her attention away from the third vampire.
"Angelus. It’s about time you showed yourself." she taunted back.
"How’s the arm, Buffy? Better?"
he asked, reminding her of the last time they’d met in LA, when she’d gotten
away with a severely
broken arm and dislocated shoulder - on the same side - and a slash across
her left cheek. Looking at the thin scar, he added "What?
Twelve stitches? Fifteen?"
"Twenty-two, you bastard!" she replied,
angry at the memory of their last encounter. She’d been too angry to think straight,
and that
emotion had clouded her judgement, allowing Angelus to win. She’d crawled
away from that meeting with the resolution to never let that
happen again. That had been over six months ago, and she’d learned
to keep emotions away from the fight. At lest, as best she could.
"Aww, gee Buff. I wish I could seen
that. I would have loved to rip them out, one by one." he said with a smirk
curving his lips and the
quick twitch of one of his dark eyebrows. Her face hardening,
Buffy attacked. But Angelus had had enough of teasing her in their
fights. Before, he’d never pulled out all the stops, until now. Each punch
and kick she threw was blocked, each step forward resulted in
her taking two steps back. She never managed to land a hit, but then,
neither did Angelus. Until he went on the offensive. She realized
very quickly that she was losing; that before, every time they
fought, he’d only been playing with her. As he landed a rather vicious
punch to her chest, she heard the distinct crack of ribs breaking, before
pain shot out in all direction. Buffy realized, as she gasped in
pain, that she was going to die. She was vaguely aware of a hand wrapping
around her throat tightly, her mind hazy with pain and lack of
oxygen. Just as she was sure her life was over, she heard a voice. The voice
of her savior.
"Angelus! Let her go." said Julian
Luna. He didn’t know who this young woman was, but he couldn’t allow her to
be killed, unless it was
for a good reason. Also, he was getting a strange feeling from her, which
he couldn’t place. Almost as if she were Kindred, but it was
obvious she was alive.
"Stay out of this, Julian. It’s no concern of yours." he replied, not turning around or even loosening his grip oh Buffy’s throat.
"Oh, but it is." he said calmly.
"There are humans involved, and I want to know why. It is obvious they know
of Kindred - how?" this got
Angelus’ attention. The Prince had just about accused the Brujah Primogen of
exposing the Masquerade.
"Naughty, naughty,
Uncle Julian." said Sasha, coming into the large room from a side door. She
had a teasing smile on her face,
conveying her amusement to everyone in the room. "Getting
involved in something that you don’t understand and is none of your
business." the teasing lilt was still in her voice.
"This is a Brujah matter, Julian. Don’t interfere." warned Angelus, turning to face the Prince, seeing Cash with him.
"An attack by humans against Kindred
- in MY city - IS my business." the minute they’d set foot on the property,
they’d known what
was happening. A group of humans had attacked the Brujah Primogen’s home.
They had been a few minutes behind Angelus and his group,
but had arrived in time to see his fight with the Slayer. They didn’t
know who this girl was, but didn’t want her dead before she could
answer some questions. Watching Angelus fight this girl had
been educational, to say the least. He was calm, controlled and VERY
deadly. Rarely had he seen those kinds of moves, which attested to the Brujah’s
strength and skill.
Deciding to ignore the Prince for
the moment, he turned to Sasha to ask where Willow was. The last he’d seen,
the two of them had gone
off together.
"We met up with Spike, and they
went after some brunette who felt weird." scrunching her face for a moment,
she looked over at the
blonde woman who had an arm across her chest, cradling her ribs, as she
struggled to stand. "Is that Buffy?" asked Sasha, hoping she
was wrong.
"Why?" asked Angelus.
"Cause there’s another just
like her upstairs. She’s the brunette Spike and Willow went after." panic was
rising inside of her as she
looked at Angelus,
horror on her face, as she realized that her mate and her friend were facing
off with a Slayer.
"If there’s so much as a scratch
on EITHER of them, your death will be as slow and as painful as possible." Angelus
growled, turning
back tot he now upright Slayer, though she did seem a little wobbly on
her legs. Just then, Spike walked into the room, and seeing the
Slayer, the Prince and company, let out a frustrated sigh.
"What the bloody hell is this? Grand
Central Station? And don’t people usually wait for an invitation before popping
over?" he said in
a disgusted tone. He was about to say more, but was stopped by Sasha’s
cry of "Spike!" and then by her hurtling herself into his arms,
wrapping her arms tightly about his waist.
"I missed you, too, luv." he said, amused at her display.
"I thought the Slayer might have gotten you!" she cried, her face buried in his chest.
"I’ll die of old age before I let some prima donna Slayer take me down."
"Slayer? You brought Slayers here?!" exclaimed Cash.
"I didn’t bring them. They followed
us here." said Angelus. Then, changing the subject, looked to his childe. "You
left Willow alone with
a Slayer?!"
"Don’t worry, mate. She’s doing fine. Probably has number two under her belt by now." said Spike, referring to Willow’s ‘Slayer-count’.
"Angelus, I cannot allow you to
kill these Slayers. Not in this city." Julian interrupted. "Others will come
looking for them, and then
the Masquerade will be uncovered. Humans cannot be allowed to know of our existence."
"Hello?" said Buffy. "But we already know about you guys."
"You don’t know everything, Buffy."
mocked Angelus. "The Watcher’s Council doesn’t even know the extent of our reach."
seeing the
confused expression
on her face, he laughed. Looking to Julian, he gave the Prince a look that said
‘you explain it’.
"San Francisco, like
many other cities, is controlled by Kindred - vampires." he clarified, though
he hated that word. "There are
hundreds of Kindred in this city, maybe more."
"If I can’t kill her, then what do
you suggest?" asked Angelus. There didn’t seem to be a way out of this situation
that would satisfy the
Prince.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willow had just booted Spike out
of one of the bedrooms. This Slayer, Faith, had said she had something important
to discuss with them
- to make a deal with them. Intrigued, she’d kicked Spike out, knowing
that she could hod her own against this brunette. Now it was just
Faith and Willow, staring at each other.
"So talk." said Willow. From what she’d seen so far, Faith was unlike any other Slayer.
"I need your help." said the brunette.
Underneath the surface, she was scared, but knew that if she didn’t accomplish
what she came
for, she’d be dead soon, anyways, so it really didn’t matter. At the
red head’s raised eyebrows, Faith laughed, a small smile lighting up
her face. "I know. It’s ironic. A Slayer asking for help from vampire, but it’s
my only choice."
"Why do you need OUR help?" asked Willow, still curious.
"There’s this prophecy, see.
It’s been kept all hush-hush for so many years it boggles the mind. Only a few
Council members know it
even exists. It basically says that a child will be born
to a Slayer, and this child will one day either save the world or aid in it’s
destruction." she explained.
"If it’s such a big secret, then
how do you know all this? I doubt it’s standard ‘read-me’ material for Slayers."
Willow could understand
the reason for all the secrets. If it was common knowledge, Slayers would
be hunted for their reproductive function, and nothing else.
"This is where it gets interesting.
See, about a year ago, perfect little Miss Do-No-Wrong Slayer-girl, Buffy, got
herself knocked-up."
Faith
didn’t think that Willow’s eyebrows could go any higher. "I know! Color me shocked
when I found out."
"Who was the proud papa?" asked Willow. So far, she was having a great time. It was always good to catch up on gossip.
"She wouldn’t say, but by
the looks passing between them, and all the hushed conversations I interrupted,
I’d lay my bets on Giles."
Willow started to laugh uproariously.
Tweed-clad, proper, British-Watcher Giles had knocked-up his Slayer. Priceless.
"Can I finish my story, or
would you like a few minutes to compose yourself?" asked Faith sarcastically.
Willow got herself under
control, and motioned for the brunette to continue. "So, anyways,
Giles calls the Council and tells them this. They get into this huge
panic, because B isn’t the most obedient Slayer, and they only way for
them to be sure that this child doesn’t destroy the world, is for
them to raise it."
"Buffy’s always wanted a normal
life. I don’t believe that she’d willingly give up her child to be raised by
the Council she hates." said
Willow, wondering where this story was going, and what had happened. They’s
seen Buffy six months ago, and she hadn’t been pregnant.
"She didn’t. She fought them tooth
and nail, saying who better than the longest living Slayer to raise this child.
The Council wouldn’t
budge. They decided that if they couldn’t raise it themselves, then it
wouldn’t be born at all. So they made the decision to kill Buffy,
before she had the baby."
"Bunch of self-serving pricks
with their heads up their asses." Willow muttered quietly. This was so like
those damn, stuffy Brits.
Acting like children - ‘if we can’t have it, no one can’.
"My thoughts exactly." agreed Faith. So far, this had gone pretty good. She only hooped the rest would be the same.
"So what happened to the baby? Buffy obviously didn’t have it."
"Actually, it’s kind of ironic."
said Faith, recalling the incident. "She fell down some stairs and had a miscarriage."
Thinking this over,
Willow was definitely amused. Losing the one normal thing in her
life had ended up saving her life. Almost poetic justice, in a sense.
"So why are you telling me this?" asked Willow.
"Because now I’m pregnant, and I refuse
to let those pansy-assed Watchers raise any child of mine." said Faith, anger
coloring her voice
and body language.
"And you want us to protect you so you can have this prodigal child?" said Willow, thinking it over in her head.
"Basically. If I tried to do this
on my own, the Council would find me in no time. I might be able to outrun them
until the baby’s born,
but after? I can’t protect it 24/7, and I couldn’t give it away
or abandon it, cause they’d find it sooner or later." Faith had been
pacing throughout the entire dialogue, but now she stopped to look the
red head directly in the eye. "You can protect it better that I
ever could."
"And the evil-vampire thing doesn’t bother you?"
"Not particularly." said Faith,
a small smirk curving her lips and tilting her eyebrows. "You see, I know what
by child’s destiny is - it
was a gift from it’s father - and I know that with you, she’ll make the right
decision."
"She?" Willow said softly, her face softening.
"I know a lot about this little girl."
said Faith, placing her hands over her abdomen in a protective, motherly manner.
A few moments of
silence passed, before Willow spoke again.
"Ok." she said firmly, reaching a
decision. "Stay up here ‘till we’ve taken care of the problems here, then I’ll
bring the others and you
can explain it to them." seeing her uncertain look, Willow tried
to reassure the young woman. "Don’t worry. They’ll see it my way."
"What about the others? The only
way I found you was by following them" said Faith as relief poured through her.
Her baby’s future
was secured, and she would be safe. They both would be - at least for a time.
"Do they know you’re here in San Francisco?" Willow asked the other girl.
"No, they think
I’m back in Sunnydale. I told them that someone should stay to protect the Hellmouth,
and since B is the most
‘experienced’ Slayer in history, that I was the logical one to stay behind."
This was said with an evil grin on her face, leading Willow to
understand that Faith had issues with the blonde Slayer. They weren’t on the
best of terms.
"Good, then that solves
one problem. They’ll go back and find you gone, with no leads back here. But
we’ve got a bigger problem."
Willow informed her, her mind spinning as she tried to work it out in her head.
"What’s the big problem?" asked Faith. Like the others, she had no idea of the extent of the vampire community.
"The Prince and his puppy dog have arrived. I felt them the instant they entered my home."
"Prince.........what?" wondered a confused Faith.
"There’s a lot you still don’t know
about us, Faith. I’ll explain it all later. In the mean time, rest or whatever,
just don’t show yourself
until I come and get you. Don’t want to give away the game, do
we?" she asked with a smile. Turning, Willow left the baffled Slayer
sitting on the bed. Seeing a few of the boys in the hallway, she motioned
for them to follow her as she went to get Xander. The Prince
would most likely want all of the humans released, but she decided to
keep Cordelia. <It’s about time I contributed to this family.> she
thought to herself with a smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Six
"If I can’t kill her, then what do yo suggest?"
Willow had come in just as Angelus
asked this. Smiling, she stepped forward into the room, followed by two of the
minions, who held up
an unconscious Xander between them.
"I think I’ve found a solution to
your problem, love." she said, drawing their attention to her and her followers.
Speaking to the minions
over her shoulder, Willow told them where to deposit her old best friend.
"And what would that be, my dear?"
asked her mate. He’d seen the look on her face when she came in. She looked
like a cat who’d just
eaten the ever-elusive bird.
"Julian." she said, walking towards
him, kissing his ring as protocol and tradition dictated. Nodding to the Kindred
Primogen behind him,
she explained.
"We’ll cloud their minds, suppress
these memories, and replace them with new ones." She turned to see more of the
boys dragging in the
struggling forms of Giles and Oz, and the dazed, blonde haired
witch, Amy. "Hail, hail the gang’s all here!" said Angelus under his
breath.
"Red, I hate to spoil your plans,
but even WE can’t affect a Slayer’s mind." said Spike, motioning to him and
Angelus, referring to their
advanced age. "We would have done it by now."
"How soon they
forget." she said to herself before answering the blonde Brujah. "Remember Drusilla?"
was all she had to say.
Understanding crossed his face when he remembered what Willow had done
for his Dru. If she could make Dru sane, then altering the
Slayer’s mind should be no problem.
"Speaking of Slayers, Willow..."
began Angelus, already having an idea of her answer. He watched as she bit her
bottom lip and looked
up at him in a child-like fashion, before smiling shyly and holding up
two fingers in front of her. Angelus let out a bark of laughter at
this, saying "Spike, you better watch out. She’s already tied you!". Spike refused
to comment.
"They’re going to know she’s
dead." said Cash. He wanted to see this young Kindred do what she claimed -
namely cloud the mind of a
Slayer. If she could do this, then she was truly powerful, and a good one to
stay on the good side of.
"Faith said she was staying to watch
the Hellmouth.." began Buffy. <Why did Faith have to come!> she wondered,
already mourning the
dead Slayer.
"And that’s all you’ll remember.
You’ll all assume she just took off, when you get back and find her gone. And
when the next Slayer is
called... well, poor Faith must have had a bad accident." the last was
said with a mocking, innocent look on her face, with eyes wide open.
"Where’s Cordy?" asked Oz, since
Xander was still out cold. Even after all this time, it was still hard to believe
that his Willow was
gone.
"Oh, Cordelia’s gone to live with
some relatives - the weirdness of her life having forced her to re-evaluate
her life. She saw she was
going nowhere, outside of Sunnydale, and got out." Willow explained in
an absent manner. It was plain to see that it was just another lie
- Cordelia hadn’t made it.
"Is that acceptable?" asked Willow, turning to look at the Prince.
"Yes." was forced out of him. Julian
had no legitimate abjection, he just wanted the Slayer and her group gone, as
well as these Brujah,
but would settle for the first. They had broken no Kindred laws - these
people obviously knew of the Masquerade. The Slayer couldn’t
be forced to just forget, and it was apparent that her friends helped
her frequently. Also, since these humans had attacked first, he
couldn’t fault Angelus for defending himself and his clan. It was
the sign of a good Primogen, or even Prince, that they jump into the
fray, not stand back and order others to do what they won’t. That had
been Cameron’s and Eddie’s fault. They would risk others lives,
but not their own.
So far, Cash had remained silent, watching the scene before him unfold.
"You’re not leaving until they’ve gone, are you?" Angelus asked Julian, already knowing the answer. "Don’t you trust me?"
"If you were in my position, would you?" retorted Julian with raised eyebrows.
"No. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it." said Angelus with a small smile.
"Right. Not that that’s settled..."came
Willow’s voice, filled with disgust for the two territorial males. "Sasha."
she called out to the
younger red head. "Have you ever done this before?" referring to the influencing
of mortals thoughts.
"No. Uncle Julian kept me pretty
well isolated." she said. Willow sent an accusing glare in Julian’s direction,
though he refused to be
provoked.
"Put the others to sleep." she told Angelus and Spike. Grabbing her hand, Willow brought Sasha over to where Buffy stood.
"Willow.... we won’t come back...we’ll
leave you alone..." began Buffy, trying in vain to not let this happen. She
didn’t want to forget all
this, and she hated it when people messed with her mind.
"Sorry, Buffy. It doesn’t work like
that." reaching out with her mind, she latched on to her will. "Sit down and
stay silent." Once the
blonde had obeyed her, Willow released her hold on the girl’s mind. Bringing
a hand up to her head, Willow groaned. Her head felt like it
was splitting open.
"Are you Ok, Willow?" asked a concerned
Sasha. The red head hat tightened her grip on Sasha’s hand, almost to the point
of breaking
it.
"Yeah. I just forgot how hard it
is to influence someone with such a strong will." taking a deep breath to regain
her senses, she pulled
herself together. "I think she’ll be last." That said, she pulled Sasha over
to Amy.
"Time to learn now skills, Sasha."
kneeling in front of the sleeping witch, Willow reached out a hand, and gently
shook the blonde awake.
"Amy. Wake up, Amy." As soon as the girl’s eyes opened, Willow took hold
of her mind. "Amy, listen to me closely. You all came here to
look for us, but found nothing. It was a dead end. San Francisco
was nice, but not that memorable. You have no desire to come back
again. When you leave here, you will go back to Sunnydale, where Faith is still
watching over the Hellmouth, as far as you know. Cordelia
decided that since she was here, to move in with some relatives here.
She decided her life was going nowhere in Sunnydale and left. Do
you understand?" Willow said all this in a soother, even
tone, gently forcing these memories into her mind. The others watched in
amazement as Willow altered the memories of this blonde girl with ease.
"Yes." came Amy’s dazed, quiet reply.
"Good. Now, when I tell you
to, you will go back to where you are staying. Once everyone is there, you will
become fully aware, and
remember only what I’ve told you." seeing the slight nod,
Willow continued. She thought she’d heard the witch mumbling something
earlier, and had a good idea what it was. "Did you do a spell to make you remember
all this?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Before you go, Amy, you will undo that spell. Right?" pushed Willow.
"Ok." was the witch’s dreamy reply.
"Now, sleep." was what the red head said,
waving a hand in front of the blonde’s face, satisfied when Amy slumped back
against the wall,
asleep.
"Now, Sasha, you try it." instructed Willow, leading her to Xander.
"What do I do?" asked Sasha, kneeling down in front of the now awake young man.
"Look into his eyes. Picture his
mind as a separate entity, and trap it. Let yourself fall into his mind." Willow
watched closely as Sasha
cautiously fell into Xander’s mind. "Now, imagine a door.
Go through it. You’ll be into his subconscious and can then influence his
thoughts and memories from there." Sasha did just that, repeating what
Willow had told Amy, minus the part about the spell. When she
was sone, she put him to sleep, and sat back on her heels. Blinking rapidly
to clear her mind, Sasha looked up into Willow’s smiling face.
"Very good." said Willow. Turning to Julian, she spoke to him for the first time in awhile. "You should have taught her this before now."
"There was no need." he said, defending his actions, or lack thereof.
"That’s an excuse. You must have known she’d leave you someday. She should have learned it from you." said Willow in an accusing tone.
"I had my reasons."
"I’m sure you did." she agreed scathingly.
"Hey Cash. How you doing, there?" turning her attention to the Gangrel. "No
visible bruises,
I see." Willow’s attitude changed from accusing to amused and mocking.
This Gangrel was fun to provoke, she found, hearing his growl.
"Cash!" the Gangrel was momentarily
subdued by the sharp command form the Prince. Laughing softly and grinning,
Willow added her
own comment.
"Good puppy."
"Willow." came Angelus’ low warning.
"Quite playing with the Gangrel." seeing her pout, he had to resist the urge
to grin. She had found
someone new to provoke, and wanted to play. But now was not the time.
She’d been doing the same thing to Spike ever since they left
Sunnydale. At first, it was to help him get over Drusilla, but it had
eventually turned into a game between the two of them, to see who
could control
their tempers the longest. So far it had been a tie. But it was always fun to
watch those to play.
Disappointed that her fun
had been spoiled, she turned back to Sasha and their captives. However, before
she could say anything,
Christopher arrived with a smug expression on his face.
"We got them. They’re in the basement."
he said to the room at large, but looking at Angelus. The Primogen had an evil,
deadly smile on
his face at hearing
this. Everyone knew what he meant. Those in his clan that had betrayed them
had been caught.
"Willow, finish this." motioning to the
Scooby gang. "Spike, come with me." The two Brujah had just begun to walk out
of the room, when
Willow stopped them.
"Save a few for us?" she called out to them, amused and questioning at the same time.
"Anything for you, love." replied Angelus with a smile, before turning and heading for where the traitorous Brujah were located.
"Sasha, could you take care of those
two?" asked Willow, pointing to Oz and Giles. That would leave Buffy for herself,
and she could
tell from the brief contact earlier, that it would seriously
drain her, influencing the Slayer’s thought and altering her memories.
Ignoring her audience, Willow saw Sasha’s nod, and sat down in
front of her old friend. Silently preparing with closed eyes, Willow
absently thought that these last few days had certainly left an impression
on the Kindred community in the city, regarding the Brujah
clan and it’s new leaders. Opening her eyes, she caught the Slayer’s gaze, and
jumped into her mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Seven
Across the room, Julian and
Cash watched silently as the two red heads altered the memories of their attackers.
Looking to Sasha,
Julian saw that she’d blossomed in the short time she’d spent in this
groups company. More than she had while under his roof, and very
quickly. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. Cash was of a similar
opinion. Sasha was more... confident now. She was no longer a
confused girl, but a strong woman. It wasn’t
until he’d seen her rush into Spike’s arms that he realized he’d lost her for
good.
"What do you think, my young friend?" asked Julian, turning slightly towards Cash.
"Of?" wondered Cash, his gaze still fixed to Sasha’s form, as she moved form Oz to Giles.
"Of these new Kindred in town?"
"They’re different from any other Brujah I’ve ever met." he said.
"That they are." confirmed the Prince.
That said, he turned his attention to his niece, who had just finished with
the older man. "Sasha."
he said in greeting as the young red head made her way to
where he and Cash wee observing these unusual Brujah. Eddie Fiori and
Cameron, and their brood, were the mobster-type, in their dress, attitude
and business. These new Brujah, as well as their brood, were
dark and dangerous. Not one of them wore a suit and tie, proffering street clothes,
yet everything they did was done with sophistication
and style. They demanded respect wherever they went, and mostly seemed
to get it. He felt sorry for those Brujah who had betrayed
them. They would pay with their deaths. There was nothing he could do,
had he wanted to. Julian had kept an ear to the conversation
Willow was having with the blonde Slayer. Or rather, interrogation.
She’d taken control of the girl’s mind, and was questioning her
about how the group had found them. Alan, the Kindred who
was next in line for Primogen, after Cameron, had contacted them in
Sunnydale, and informed them of the whereabouts of Angelus and the others.
What was the worst part of this betrayal, was the fact
that Alan and his followers had allowed the Slayers and their group access to
the house.
"Uncle." she said, stopping in front of him and Cash. "Cash."
"How are you, Sasha?" asked Julian. He would take her away and risk the wrath of her clan, if she were unhappy.
"Better than I ever thought possible." she said with a wide smile.
"You don’t have to stay
with them. You’re welcome back into my home anytime." desperately hoping she’d
come back. He knew she
yearned to be accepted by her clan.
"I never fit in there, Uncle
Julian. Just like I never fit in with the other Brujah." she began softly, but
firmly. "But with Angelus,
Willow and especially Spike, I find I finally belong somewhere." trying to make
him understand.
"You belong with me." he said forcefully.
Cash remained silent, knowing he’s already lost her. it had been doomed from
the start, when
she’d been embraced by the Brujah. Thousands of years of clan rivalry
stood between them. They’d tried to overcome that, and maybe
they could have, if these Brujah hadn’t shown up.
"She belongs with us, and that’s
exactly where she’ll stay." said Willow from behind Sasha. Unbeknownst to them,
she’d finished with
Buffy, and had been listening
to Julian and Sasha, as they talked. Or rather, as Julian persuaded and Sasha
resisted.
"You can’t keep her away from
me!" he said forcefully. "I won’t allow it." raising her eyebrows at this, she
attempted to rein in her
temper.
"You won’t allow it?!" she exclaimed,
her eyes flashing gold. Closing her eyes for a minute, Willow slowly regained
control of her anger.
Opening her eyes, she looked Julian straight in the eye, saying "No one tells
me what to do! Not even you!... Besides, we have no intention
of keeping Sasha away form you. She’s free to come and go as she pleases."
her head was pounding worse than ever, she was hungry, and
she was exhausted. All this added up to a very cranky vampire, and she told
them so.
"Sasha." she said to the younger
Kindred. "Take care of them," motioning to the Slayerettes with a wave of her
hand, "and them go
downstairs. Watching Angelus
deliver justice is... educational, to say the least. As Cameron discovered."
said Willow.
"Why, exactly, was Cameron killed?"
demanded Julian. He wasn’t angry over the former Primogen’s death, but killing
the Primogen of
you clan was a serious offense.
"He forgot the rules. He was punished."
Willow said, her face and entire body tensing up. "Sasha." she snapped, spinning
around to leave
the room, her anger and tension evident in her every step. "I’ll be upstairs.
There’s some unfinished business I need to see to." Then she
was gone. Julian looked to see his niece since, as the door slammed behind Willow.
"If you value your life, you won’t mention Cameron again." said Sasha.
"Why? What happened?" he was even more curious now.
"Cameron apparently caught her off
guard; attacked her. he would have either raped her or killed her if Spike hadn’t
come by when he
did." she said. "What Angelus and Spike did to him... I heard it wasn’t pretty."
Julian was stunned, as was Cash.
In the human world, it was a horrible crime, but for a Kindred to attempt anything
of the sort, was vile
and unthinkable. No one could fault the Brujah for their justice. He
also understood Willow’s attitude, now. He’d seen her confidence
and ability. She’d taken down Cash at a moment’s notice,
and he’d also heard stories about the red head. She was brutal, quick and
deadly, when she needed to be. Yet she’d been attacked by Cameron
- caught unawares in her own home. The blow to her pride and
confidence alone must have been enormous. But he still had to admire her
strength of character. The same strength she was instilling in
his niece.
"There’s nothing more for you to
se here." Sasha informed them, after sending the Slayer and Slayerettes on their
way. "You can go
now."
"Will you come see me soon?" he asked quietly. He loved his niece, and missed having her around.
"Soon." she said with a smile,
before leaving the room, going out the same way as Angelus and Spike. Julian
smiled at her retreating
back, before turning and leading Cash out of the Brujah stronghold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Eight
"Ah, Faith. You’re still here, I see. Good." said Willow as she stepped into the room the brunette Slayer occupied.
"Where would I go? I’m in a house
full of vamps. I leave this room, and I’d be forced to dust half your minions,
which I’m pretty sure
you wouldn’t take kindly to." came her reply. Willow smiled at this, saying
"Follow me." as she turned and left the room. The Slayer had
no choice but to do as the red head said.
Faith followed her past rooms, down
hallways and up some stairs, while she explained about the Kindred community,
before stopping in
front of a door. Willow entered the room, with Faith one step behind her.
sitting on the bed gently, Willow bent over the still-sleeping
form of Cordelia. Brushing the dark hair out of the girl’s face, Willow
considered her old friend. Cordelia had only improved in the past
few years. She looked older, but it gave her a maturity that hadn’t been there
before.
"What’s Cordy doing here?" asked
Faith. She was surprised to see the other girl here, and obviously still alive,
as Willow had told her
what
went on downstairs. The way the red head had explained it, led Faith to believe
that Cordelia was dead.
"Do you know that until a few days
ago, I was the only female in our group?" asked Willow, softly stroking the
side of Cordelia’s face.
"They left it up to me to turn any women - they had enough problems with the
boys."
"You’re going to vamp her?" asked a surprised Slayer.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Willow wondered, her hand stilling as her turned her gaze to meet Faith’s.
"Not really. But why Cordy? She’s a bitch at the best of times!" said Faith.
"I like challenges." was all Willow would
say, before vamping-out, winking at the Slayer, and turning to her future childe.
Faith watched
closely as Willow sank her fangs into the brunette’s throat, piercing
the large vein there. Fascinated by this, Faith approached the bed
from the other side in time to see Cordelia’s eyes open wide as she became
aware of what was happening to her. Her eyes pleading with
Faith to save her as small gasps of pain and horror escaped her throat.
Slowly sitting down on the bed, close to the struggling girl, she
placed
a hand on her forehead. Stroking her hair in a comforting manner, Faith began
to sooth the other girl.
"Don’t worry, Cordy.....Shhh...It’s
going to be alright..." were Faith’s words as Cordelia’s life was slowly drained
from her. The Slayer
looked on as the red head drank away her victim’s blood; her life. After
a few minutes, Willow raised her head from her neck, licking
her lips as she looked the Slayer in the eye. She’d heard the other girl
moving around behind her, and had been prepared for an attack,
but it never came. That alone had earned the vampire’s trust.
Returning her attention to the not-quite
dead Slayerette, Willow brought her wrist up to her mouth, ripping it open with
only a slight
wince betraying her pain. Lowering her dripping wrist to the girl’s mouth,
she gently opened Cordelia’s lips with her other hand, allowing
the blood to drip into her mouth. It was a few seconds before her mouth
opened of it’s own volition, seeking the source of the wonderful
elixir. The few drops had only whetted her appetite. When
Willow placed her bleeding wrist against the brunette’s lips, she was
unprepared for the pain of having her blood withdrawn from her with a
force. Cordelia’s body was so starved, that she was pulling the
blood out of Willow and into herself like a vacuum.
The suction was so painful, that sounds of pain emanated from her mouth.
Everyone in the room, save for Cordelia,
was startled when the door to the room burst open. Faith jumped off the bed,
and landed in her
fighter stance between Willow and the door, prepared to defend
her new friend. Willow would have jumped up as well, if Cordelia
hadn’t had a death grip on her wrist. Turning, she saw an enraged Angelus standing
in the doorway.
Angelus, meanwhile, was livid.
He’d come looking for his mate, and when he’d heard her cries of pain, had rushed
to protect her. upon
entering the room, it took him a few seconds to realize his mate wasn’t
being attacked. He took in the Slayer, who was standing between
him and his mate in a protective manner. Looking behind her, he
saw Willow, not in mortal danger as he had first thought, but in the
middle of making her
first childe. His rage turned to relief, and then amusement as he heard Willow
call out to him.
"Shit! Why didn’t you TELL me it
hurt this much!" she almost yelled at him. Willow figured that Cordelia had
had enough, but found that
trying to pry the girl’s hands and mouth away from her wrist wasn’t working.
Beginning to panic, she realized that if Cordelia kept this
up, she would drain Willow completely. Then anger came to her rescue.
<Like hell I’m going down because some prom queen wouldn’t let
go!> she thought angrily. Doubling her fist, she swung it at Cordelia’s
head, effectively dislodging the other girl’s mouth from her wrist.
Bringing her wounded wrist up to her mouth, she licked the wound, sealing
it closed, before looking to the other Slayer and her mate.
"Care to explain, little one?"
he asked, glaring at the Slayer and motioning to the two brunettes. Earlier
she’d all but admitted they
were dead, yet she hadn’t actually said "They’re dead.", now that
he thought about it. That omission made her actions now seem well
planned - which they obviously were.
Standing up, Willow wavered for a second or two, before toppling over. Faith caught her before she hit the ground.
"Angelus." said Willow, as Faith transferred her burden into Angelus’ waiting arms.
"She took a lot, Willow." his voice full of censure.
"Well, I’m sorry I don’t have a big, gorgeous
body full of blood like you, mister." she pouted, poking his chest with her
index finger. But
when he swung her up into his arms, her pout turned into a smile. "Lets go downstair,
and while I get something to eat, Faith here can tell
you all the most amusing story."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Epilogue
Willow sat across from the bed, patiently
waiting for her first childe to awaken. Cordelia had fluttered in and out of
consciousness all
day, as the Change took hold of her. Finally, just after sunset, the brunette’s
eyes opened, and she bolted upright on the bed, her sire’s
name on her lips.
"Willow!" There was a slightly panicked
quality to her voice, as she scanned the room for the one who had made her.
Cordelia’s anxiety
subsided once she caught sight of the red head,
sitting on the other side of the room, looking her over with considering eyes.
Crossing her legs, Willow relaxed
back into the chair, looking over her childe. The hunger was already evident
in her eyes. These first
few moments after awakening were the most important. If not handled properly,
the fledgling could become uncontrollable, listening to
no one, not even their sire.
"Who am I?" asked Willow simply.
"You’re Willow." replied Cordelia.
She knew what Willow wanted to hear, but the demon now inhabiting her body fought
the claim that
the red head wanted her to acknowledge. However, at the red head’s hardening
gaze and raised eyebrow, stories that her human self had
heard came flooding back to her. "My sire." she quickly corrected. Just
before she had said the words, the demon had become afraid.
The stories of what she’d to those who crossed her had horrified
the mortal girl, but scared the demon even more. In some ways, she
made Angelus and Spike seem like teddy bears. The newly-made vampire was relieved
when her sire smiled.
Before anything else could be said,
Cordelia doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach and drawing up her knees.
Willow, seeing the
brunette’s demon emerge, knew what was wrong immediately. Her childe was hungry
- starved.
"Come here." Willow’s tone
allowed for no disobedience, and Cordelia responded. Slowly crawling off the
bed, she made her way to
where Willow was reclining, one arm still clutching her middle. Once reaching
the red head, Willow motioned for her to sit on the floor,
by her feet, handing her a large glass of red liquid when she complied.
"Does that take the edge off?" she
asked Cordelia when the glass was empty. Moving to the edge of the chair, Willow
used her nails to
open up her wrist again, offering it to her childe. Sire’s blood was rarely
offered, and too good to pass up. It also reinforced Willow’s
position in the new Kindred’s mind.
As Cordelia latched
on, Willow began to gently stroke her brown hair, pulling her head away when
she had taken enough. Turning
Cordelia’s face to hers, she noticed that her demon was still
showing. Running her fingers over Cordelia’s ridges, she said "Off.".
Watching the demon melt away, Willow stood up, holding out a hand to Cordelia’s.
"It’s time to meet the rest
of the family." said Willow when the brunette took the offered hand, before
leading Cordelia out of the
room to meet her new family.
The End