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Entry tags:
FIC: BTVS - Warrior of Light; Warrior of Dark - 3/? - R
Unto each generation one is born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires
One boy in all the world
Warrior Tag
TITLE: Warrior of Light; Warrior of Dark
AUTHOR: Melanie
PAIRINGS: William/Buffy, William/Dru, Buffy/Angelus
RATING: R, for language, violence and sexual situations.
SUMMARY: Prophecies are tricky beasts.
SPOILERS: Pretty much if you’ve seen up through Buffy Season 6 you’re good, just replace Buffy with William.
Warrior of Light; Warrior of Dark – Chapter 3
Xander tossed his magazine on the couch beside him, folded his arms over his chest and glared up at the pacing Slayer.
Who was currently ignoring him as he continued on his path.
“You know what Will… if you’re going to do that could you at least pace where I can’t see you? You’re making me nauseous.”
“She should be back by now,” Will muttered coming to a stop in front of his best friend, glancing at the watch strapped to his arm.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but you know that Dru can take of herself…” Xander frowned, not really believing that he had actually said something in favor of the ensouled vampire. “Besides she said she wasn’t sure how long it would take.”
“It’s almost sun up… if she doesn’t get back here before the sun rises she’s going to be stuck at that lawyers for the whole day,” Will grumbled as he dragged his fingers through his hair.
“Who are you worried about… Dru or the lawyer?”
“Funny,” Will glared at him.
“So…” Xander halted, not sure how to put the question that he wanted to ask into actual words.
“So what?”
“You really used Buffy for sex?” he winced when he saw the semi-stricken expression cross Will’s face before his features smoothed over into an implacable mask.
“How… Does it really matter?” Will sighed dropping down onto the couch next to Xander. Propping his feet up on the end table he leaned his head back against the cushions, closing his eyes. In his minds eye he could see Buffy’s expression when he had told her that he would sleep with her but never love her. The anger, the sadness, the utter loneliness in her eyes.
Loneliness that he had put there.
Because she had chosen to help him she had been ostracized from those that she would normally call friends or at the very least compatriots.
“Well if it ends the world I’m thinking that it does. I just…” Xander studied him from the corner of his eye. “I just can’t see you using her like that; I can’t see you using anyone like that.”
Will opened his eyes, his expression unfocused as the stared into the past that would forever haunt him. She would forever haunt him. All her declarations of love and he had never once reciprocated, could never reciprocate without, he feared, losing a part of himself forever.
He had done the love affair with a vampire before and it had ended with him being as close to shattered as he ever wanted to get. If he let Buffy in, let her get as close to him as Dru had been when she left (and they always left) he would once more be shattered.
And he didn’t think he could go through that again.
Ever.
“Things were bad when I came back Xander… You know that, I didn’t fit in anywhere. And you all tried to help but…”
“But we were the reason that you weren’t in heaven anymore,” Xander mumbled quietly.
“Yeah… Buffy… I told her where I’d been, swore her to secrecy… and… I don’t even know why I trusted her with the secret… maybe…”
“You were hoping that she would tell us and you wouldn’t have to…” Xander said in sudden realization.
“And you don’t think she was using it for her own personal gain? Separating you from your friends so you would have to rely strictly on her.”
“I don’t know, but she listened to me when I talked Xander and when I didn’t want to talk she would just sit there, and say nothing… She… she was a… well a friend then.”
“A friend?!” Xander yelped in disbelief. “You don’t fuck friends Will… or the evil undead for that matter.”
“Just let it go Xander,” Will sighed again heavily. He would never get it. None of them, save Tara would ever understand just how lonely and lost he’d been when they’d brought him back. “We have more important things to worry about…”
“Yes we do,” came the quiet voice behind them. Both males heads whipped around surprise etched on their faces neither having heard Dru enter the hotel room she was standing quietly in the door. Her expression was hooded and blank as she gazed at William.
“Did you find her?” Will asked slowly coming to his feet, his eyes never wavering from hers.
“Yes,” Dru held up a piece of paper, twirling it between her fingers. “She’ll be at this club tonight.”
“A club?” Xander asked crossing the room to take the paper from Dru when it became obvious that Will wasn’t going to move. “Since when does Buffy go clubbing?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Dru stated. “That’s where she’ll be tonight.”
“How badly did you have to hurt the lawyer to get that?” Will asked nodding his head in Xander’s direction.
“Oddly enough not at all… it seems he was expecting me,” Dru said moving into the room, settling comfortably on the small couch she stared up at the two men.
“Expecting you? What’s that mean?”
“It means that Buffy knew that someone would try to find her, whether it be us or Angelus and she’s making no obvious attempts to cover her tracks.”
“You’re saying she wants us to find her?” Will asked disbelieving.
“No, all I’m saying is that she’s not hiding. But then Buffy was never one to hide.”
“So I guess we’re going to a club tonight,” Xander mused. “I don’t think I brought anything suitable for a club,” looking between the Slayer and the vampire staring at him he shrugged. “Well I didn’t.”
**********************************************************
Dru scowled as they entered the club. From blocks away they had been able to hear the beating pulse of the music. She had to wonder if the lawyer was wrong.
With the exceptional hearing of a vampire Buffy should have wanted to stay far away from this place.
Unless she was hunting, and as she watched these… children wander past her and her companions she had to wonder if perhaps Will was wrong.
Had Buffy gotten her chip removed?
There would be no another reason that Dru could think of why her grandchilde would subject herself to this noise.
Even if she did like the music.
“This is great,” Xander shouted as he tapped his foot in time with the music that was playing. Dru glared over at him, which Xander didn’t notice as he was searching the club for the blonde vampire.
“Do you see her?” Will yelled into her ear. Turning her head she saw his eyes perusing the club goers.
“She’s here,” Dru confirmed as she to began scanning the crowd. “Oh. My. God,” she uttered as she squinted. Desperately hoping that her vision was failing her or some such thing.
“What is it?” Will asked with mild alarm lining his voice.
“Buffy,” she jerked her head in the direction she’d seen her wayward grandchilde and felt rather than heard the gasp that emanated from William and Xander.
Dancing in the middle of a throng of people, dressed in black leather pants that looked as if they had been painted on and rode low on her hips. A white tank top clinging to her upper body, her long bleach blonde hair no more, it now fell in a straight line to her shoulders.
Moving her hips along with the beat, her companion, a young black man had his hands on her hips and was moving along with her. The two smiling at each other.
Fuck.
**********************************************************
Buffy had found herself a new companion and Will felt fury rush through his veins.
How dare she move on when he still wasn’t sure how he felt?!
“What the hell…” Will started forward, his vision bleeding red even as Dru’s hand shot out to halt his forward momentum. “Dru…”
“Angelus is here,” she said quietly, he blinked at her not sure he had heard her correctly until he followed her line of sight.
Standing off to the side, a dark expression on his face as he watched the dancers. Even from where he was standing Will could see that his hands were fisted tightly at his side.
The vampire male was absolutely furious. They could almost feel the anger and hatred radiating from his skin.
“She’s playing with him,” Dru said quietly, her lips close to his ear as she kept one eye on her childe’s location. “She knows he’s here, probably knows what he wants and she’s making him suffer.”
Will nodded in understanding. But he knew, even if Dru wasn’t saying the actual words that Buffy was playing with fire in the manner she was dealing with Angelus.
“Do you think it’s wise to let it go on much longer?” Xander yelled. “He looks like he’s about to commit hari kari.”
“We’ll wait and see what she has planned. If he makes a move toward her between the two of us we should be able to intercede on her behalf.”
“What makes you think that Buffy would want you to intercede on her behalf?” Xander asked looking between the two. “Well?”
**********************************************************
“I think they’re leaving,” Xander muttered as he sipped at his beer. Will nodded as he turned his head away; they were going to pass right by him and Xander.
The evening would probably go a lot smoother if she didn’t think they were stalking her.
When they passed by him Will grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and with Xander on his heels they moved toward the exit that the four had taken.
“Where’s Angelus? I thought you were going to follow him?” Will asked when he saw Dru outside the club.
“Lost him… he must have sensed me, gave me the slip,” Dru said disgustedly. “I used to hate it when he did that to me, used to do it on purpose just to piss me off.”
“Guys I’m not sure if you noticed this but they’re splitting up,” Xander said as he glanced back and forth between the opposite directions they had taken.
“I’ll follow Buffy, you two follow the men. If you lose them go back to the hotel,” Dru said as she moved down the street.
“Guess we’re hoofing it,” Will said with false enthusiasm as they moved quickly to follow the two young men.
When they caught up with them, peering around the corner of the street as they watched the two hover by a car. The young black man that Buffy had danced with in the club was talking in hushed tones into what looked like a hand held radio. The other, a tall sandy haired young man was digging through the trunk.
“Is that a crossbow?” The disbelief in Xander’s voice mirrored what Will was feeling.
“I think it’s safe to say that they know what Buffy is,” Will murmured.
Although they couldn’t hear what was being said obviously some alarm had been signaled as the two young men scrambled. Running as of their lives were at stake.
“What the…” Will bolted down the street after them, he could hear Xander wheezing some distance behind him as he pushed himself to keep up with the others.
He had a feeling that whatever was happening was bad. And probably had to do with Buffy.
And Angelus.
**********************************************************
Buffy struggled against the arms pinning her to the wall. From the corner of her eye she could see Faith fly backwards, landing with a loud ‘oomph’ on the concrete.
“All you have to do is come home… that’s all he wants,” the vamp holding Buffy to the wall laughed. “You won’t get him back in bed of course; he has better things to do than sleep with the bitch that turned to the Slayer… but at least you won’t be dead.”
“Tell Angel that I’ll go home when I’m good and ready. And believe me when I tell you that it won’t be with him,” she snarled slamming her head back against her attacker. Kicking out his knee she plucked a stake seemingly out of air and grinned as the vampire’s expression turned to horror, right before he turned to dust.
“How important is this human to you?”
Buffy whirled around, moving forward as she saw the vamp that Faith had been fighting holding a knife against her throat.
“Uh-uh,” the vamp tsked as he took a step back, Faith whimpering as the knife dug into the tender flesh of her throat. “Here’s where we make a deal…”
“No deals,” Buffy said quietly. “Here’s where you let her go and I don’t stake you.”
“I think you’re missing the gravity of the situation. I’m the one with the knife to your friends’ throat…”
“And I’m the one with a stake to your back. Think I can hit your heart from here?” Riley asked, his voice resonating with anger. A quick movement forward and the knife dropped to the ground as the vampire shattered into dust. “Ooops, guess I could.”
“What bloody excellent timin’,” Buffy grinned as she moved forward. Touching Faith’s neck gently. “What happened to you guys? I thought you were going to be right behind us?”
“Sidetracked… one of my kids spotted some activity a couple of streets down, they were going to check it out and I wanted to make sure they knew exactly what to do.”
“Are you okay?” Riley asked quietly, cupping Faith’s face in his hands he stared into her eyes.
“I’m fine,” Faith murmured tripping as she attempted to move forward. “Oops, guess I sprained that ankle,” she said, her tone deceptively light as she tried to keep him calm. She exchanged a look with Buffy and with a shake of the head Buffy backed away.
“Who’s in the mood for ice cream?” she asked brightly.
The sound of clapping drew her attention; Riley thrust Faith behind him as he pointed his crossbow at the intruder of their moment.
Buffy and Gunn both with stakes at the ready.
“Shit,” Buffy muttered as she lowered her stake.
“Now Elizabeth… is that anyway to greet your grandmother?” Dru asked as she stepped out of the shadows, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather coat. “Especially after I’ve come all this way to bring you home.”
**********************************************************
“Druscilla… long time no see,” Buffy said with open malice. She lowered her stake to her side as she stared at her grandsire with hooded eyes. That was something that Dru and Angelus had taught her long ago.
No matter how much pain you were in… never let someone else see it
They had never been the best of friends. Had never, ever gotten along. They only things they’d ever had in common were Angelus and William.
Both men choosing Buffy only when her grandsire was unavailable to them.
“Rena?” Gunn muttered from beside her as he noticed her stake tapping a rhythm against her leg.
“Hmm?” she mumbled absently as she and Dru continued to hold each other’s gazes. Neither wanting to be the first to look away. Neither wanting to be the first to show a sign of weakness.
“What do you want to do?”
“Nothin’,” Buffy finally said. “I’ll handle this… you and Riley take Faith to the hospital.”
“I’m fine,” Faith protested from behind them. “It’s just a sprain…”
“Gunn…”
“Yeah we’re on it… what are you going to do about her?” Gunn asked waving a hand at a silent Druscilla.
“Find out what she wants then send her home where she belongs.”
“You know you can’t stand out here while you do that… your boy will undoubtedly send more of his ‘friends’ soon…”
“I’ll take her back to the apartment…”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Gunn murmured glancing over at the avidly watching Dru. “You know… because of the company and whatnot?”
“It’s fine Gunn, you guys take care of Faith, I’ll take care of her and we’ll all meet up later… to deal with our company.”
“Yeah, fine,” Gunn turned on his heel to move over to Riley and Faith. “Hey Rena?” he called over his shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Watch your back… would hate to have to take care of all that alone,” he said softly as he and Riley led Faith away.
“Nice cryptic code that you all have there,” Dru said in amusement. “I take it there’s someone at the apartment that you’re trying to keep a secret?”
“None of your business Dru… you came for a reason,” she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. “So spill.”
“You know I thought I curbed you of that stubborn streak,” Dru said coldly, leaning in close. “Maybe I’ll have to try again.”
“I’m not the innocent little girl that Angelus brought home anymore Dru. I don’t see you through his eyes anymore; I see you through my own and let me tell you that from where I’m standing… I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”
“We should go inside,” Dru’s tone remained icy as she glared down at her recalcitrant grandchilde. “Before your friends come back and find a pile of dust where you now stand.”
**********************************************************
William and Xander remained cloaked in the shadows some distance down the street. They had arrived at the fight shortly after the two young men had and Xander had to use his entire body to keep William from leaping into the battle with them.
He’d silently been watching William’s behavior through the night. Since their conversation at the hotel as they waited for Dru to return Xander had come to the startling realization that however much Will might protest he did have honest to god feelings for the blonde vampiress he felt something for her.
When he’d seen her in the fight, seen her in danger he had felt the desperation radiating from his friend.
Whereas before he might have thought it was crazy that William might have feelings for the petite blonde vampiress, his behavior over the last few hours had curbed him of that notion. And made him realize that as vehemently as William denied having any such feelings for her, some part of him did care about Buffy.
And as much as Xander hated the idea he had a feeling if he didn’t want to lose Will’s friendship that he would have to accept Buffy back into their lives, would have to accept her place within Will’s life.
They moved deeper into the shadows as the trio passed, not wanting to give themselves away. It was bad enough that Buffy knew that Dru was in town, if she knew that she’d brought Will and Xander with her she might do exactly what Dru had insisted she wouldn’t… and run.
“Do you think someone should call the apartment? You know warn her that Rena’s on her way with her grandsire?” Riley asked as he held Faith close to his side.
“I think someone should go over there and get her out of dodge,” Faith said casting a sidelong glance at Gunn. “We’re supposed to protect her not lead the enemy right to her.”
“Guys Druscilla’s not the enemy… remember? She’s all soulful and crap, besides I’m more worried about getting to the hospital and back to the apartment before Angelus finds out his latest attack didn’t work.”
“A vampire with a soul,” Riley snorted. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of… I mean god why didn’t they just stake her if they were so pissed? Why curse her?”
“You know those crazy gypsies… can’t do anything the easy way. Which hospital should we go to? I think Central’s closer but they normally have a cop on duty at night to thin out the gang crowds.”
“So don’t want to be busted for fighting,” Faith muttered under her breath. “And besides I don’t need to go the hospital… It’s a sprain, not a break.”
“Rena said hospital; we’re going to the hospital… although Gunn could use the cell in my pocket and call the apartment… You know just to give a heads up.”
“What should we do?” Xander asked quietly as they watched the trio depart. “Follow them or try to follow Buffy and Dru?”
“We’ll follow them; maybe they’ll lead us to Buffy by default.”
**********************************************************
The walk to her apartment was done in silence. Each female alternating between glaring at the other and silently fuming.
Buffy at the injustice of it all. She’d walked away, left so she wouldn’t have to see her Slayer and Dru fawning over each other. Now they wanted her to go back to Sunnyhell so she could watch just that.
Of course maybe this was just a way of seeing of she would save them the trouble and stake herself rather than see them together.
Dru on the other hand was furious that her obstinate grand-childe had touched someone that she had marked in the first place. The fact that she’d been the one to walk away from a relationship with William was beside the point.
She had marked him. It should have kept him safe from the advances of other vampires. She should rip out Buffy’s throat for even daring to touch a hair on his head.
The only thing stopping her from doing just that was the fact that William had admitted to being a willing participant in their relationship. That he’d in fact been using Buffy for some time, although Dru had managed to read between the lines of the story he’d told.
Buffy had pushed him, he had pushed back and between the two of them they’d managed to flame the fires of a passion that should never have existed.
She also knew that despite his vehement denials of the fact he must have felt a tiny bit of affection for the vampire at her side.
Because the William she knew was not a user.
The William she knew didn’t believe in casual sex, he didn’t have sex, he made love and in order for him to do that he had to feel something for the other person…or vampire. Buffy had made him feel something that no one else could at the time. She’d made him feel safe, she’d offered him comfort and he had taken it the only way he could.
Of course maybe she didn’t know William as well as she thought she did. Maybe he had been only using Buffy. But the rational side of her brain remembered his behavior at the club; he’d been angry, furious at seeing her dancing with the young man she’d been with. He would have stomped over to them and reclaimed what he believed was his if Angelus hadn’t been standing there ready to do the same thing.
“Home sweet home,” Buffy muttered as she fished a key out of her pocket. Pushing open the door she stepped inside and smirked as Dru was stopped by the invisible barrier the sprung up impeding her progress into the apartment.
“You live with humans? That’s not like you,” Dru said with narrowed eyes.
“It’s a spell… keeps me protected from the bad elements and such, it works just like the barriers on humans homes.”
“Which means you need to invite me in… or are we going to have this conversation with me standing in your doorway.”
“Don’t make much difference to me,” Buffy shrugged as she walked further into the apartment.
“Buffy,” Dru snarled warningly pressing her hands against the barrier that kept her from entering the apartment. She glanced around the empty hallway in agitation. She didn’t feel the presence of any vampires other than herself and Buffy but that didn’t mean that Angelus or one of his minions wasn’t lurking just out of her sense range.
“Come in Druscilla,” she heard the heavy sigh from inside the apartment and with that the barrier preventing her from entering fell away and Dru stumbled forward.
With a scowl fixed on her face she slammed the door shut and stalked through the apartment coming to a stop when she saw Buffy sitting calmly in the living room, settled comfortably on the couch flipping through a magazine she looked so relaxed that Dru wanted to throttle her.
“So what did you want to talk about?” Buffy asked congenially never raising her eyes from the pages she was idly flipping through.
“There won’t be any talking, you’re going to pack and come back to Sunnydale with me…now.”
“What? You’re going to pull rank on me Dru? Not really your style is it… that’s more Druscilla’s innit it?”
“Don’t mess with me Buffy you’re needed in Sunnydale.”
“Needed?!” Buffy muttered throwing the magazine in her hands to the floor. “Needed for what? To watch you and the Slayer fawn all over each other? You’ve got enough cannon fodder with the Scoobies you certainly don’t need me to add to their ranks.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Dru asked, realization as to what William had used to drive Buffy away was slowly dawning on her. And inside her head she was already screaming at him.
He certainly knew where to hit to do the most damage. Buffy had a massive insecurity streak where her grandsire was concerned and William had played on it like a pro.
“Oh no need to play the innocent now luv,” Buffy smiled thinly rising to her feet. “The cats already out of the bag, no need to stuff him back in there and have him die of asphyxiation. I just have to wonder how you and the Slayer are plannin’ on being together what with your loosely tied on soul… but I’m sure with all your years of experience that the two of you’ll come up with somethin’.”
“Will told you that we were back together?”
“Oh he told me more than that… but yes that was the gist of the last conversation that we had…”
“I don’t believe this.”
“Yeah I couldn’t at first either… but the more I thought about it…” Buffy shrugged. “I guess there’s just no accountin’ for taste… is there?”
“Buffy…” she started, stopping when she realized that nothing she said was going to penetrate Buffy’s head. Whatever William had said, and before the night was out Dru would know exactly what it was, it had been bad enough that Buffy had believed every word he spoken to her.
Including that he had reconciled with a vampire that she despised.
“So I suppose you’ll be back on your way to Sunnydale then?”
“I’m not going anywhere until you change your mind… you are needed there.”
“The only person that would need me in ole Sunny D would be the nibblet…” Buffy trailed off. Staring hard at Dru for a moment she walked across the room to an old roll top desk, rummaging around in the top drawer she pulled out a heavy manila envelope.
“What’s this?” Dru asked as Buffy silently held it out to her.
“I made ‘lil bit a promise… promised her I wouldn’t leave, promised her I’d take care of her… can’t do that with the Slayer ‘round so…” Buffy shrugged forcing the envelope into Dru’s hands. “It’s money, Slayer wouldn’t take my help when I offered it but bit doesn’t deserve to be thrown out on the street, home she’s in is the only one she’s known.”
“Why don’t you come back? Give it to her yourself.”
“Yeah… um I don’t think so… imagine all the scoob’s would be waitin’ with stakes at the ready and I’ve got work to do that I can’t if I’m dust.”
“I’m not going back there without you Buffy. There’s stuff going on, things happening that require your presence.”
“Nothin’ that you can’t handle I’m sure,” Buffy said confidently. “Got my own stuff going down here.”
“Do you really think you can handle Angelus alone? He wants you back and he won’t take no for an answer.”
“I’ve got Angelus under control,” she said softly. “If you don’t mind the others will be here soon, kind of don’t want you here when they arrive… you know seein’ as how we’re on the outs and all.”
With a frustrated growl Dru turned to the door.
“You’ll take care of them?” she heard the query softly from behind her. So softly that for a second she wasn’t sure that Buffy had actually spoken. With a firm nod she left.
She needed to talk to William. As much as she was loathe to admit it, he was going to have to do some serious groveling to get Buffy to go back to Sunnydale.
Which meant that she would have to tell him about the rest of the prophecy.
The rest of Buffy’s prophecy… and Williams place within it.
**********************************************************
Buffy’s shoulders collapsed at the sound of the door closing. She had wanted to say that she would return to Sunnyhell so badly. Part of her, a part that was totally dominated by her love for the Slayer missed him so much that she wanted to weep at night.
She didn’t of course. Master Vampires didn’t cry because of what they couldn’t have.
What they shouldn’t have.
The sound of a door opening in the apartment alerted her to the others presence long before she felt her enter the room.
“She’s gone then?” the quiet voice came from behind her.
“Yeah she’s gone,” Buffy sighed, resigned to her place in the scheme of things. William belonged to Dru, and she… well she was playing the reluctant white knight protector to an unborn child… and the vampire that she’d once hated that carried it.
“Guess that spell works then, I honestly didn’t think it would.”
Turning she faced the very pregnant blonde… close to her ninth month Buffy had to wonder what they would do once she went into labor.
How did a vampire give birth?
“How you feelin’ Darla? Any contractions yet? Got to be getting’ close to that time…”
**********************************************************
One boy in all the world
Warrior Tag
TITLE: Warrior of Light; Warrior of Dark
AUTHOR: Melanie
PAIRINGS: William/Buffy, William/Dru, Buffy/Angelus
RATING: R, for language, violence and sexual situations.
SUMMARY: Prophecies are tricky beasts.
SPOILERS: Pretty much if you’ve seen up through Buffy Season 6 you’re good, just replace Buffy with William.
Warrior of Light; Warrior of Dark – Chapter 3
Xander tossed his magazine on the couch beside him, folded his arms over his chest and glared up at the pacing Slayer.
Who was currently ignoring him as he continued on his path.
“You know what Will… if you’re going to do that could you at least pace where I can’t see you? You’re making me nauseous.”
“She should be back by now,” Will muttered coming to a stop in front of his best friend, glancing at the watch strapped to his arm.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but you know that Dru can take of herself…” Xander frowned, not really believing that he had actually said something in favor of the ensouled vampire. “Besides she said she wasn’t sure how long it would take.”
“It’s almost sun up… if she doesn’t get back here before the sun rises she’s going to be stuck at that lawyers for the whole day,” Will grumbled as he dragged his fingers through his hair.
“Who are you worried about… Dru or the lawyer?”
“Funny,” Will glared at him.
“So…” Xander halted, not sure how to put the question that he wanted to ask into actual words.
“So what?”
“You really used Buffy for sex?” he winced when he saw the semi-stricken expression cross Will’s face before his features smoothed over into an implacable mask.
“How… Does it really matter?” Will sighed dropping down onto the couch next to Xander. Propping his feet up on the end table he leaned his head back against the cushions, closing his eyes. In his minds eye he could see Buffy’s expression when he had told her that he would sleep with her but never love her. The anger, the sadness, the utter loneliness in her eyes.
Loneliness that he had put there.
Because she had chosen to help him she had been ostracized from those that she would normally call friends or at the very least compatriots.
“Well if it ends the world I’m thinking that it does. I just…” Xander studied him from the corner of his eye. “I just can’t see you using her like that; I can’t see you using anyone like that.”
Will opened his eyes, his expression unfocused as the stared into the past that would forever haunt him. She would forever haunt him. All her declarations of love and he had never once reciprocated, could never reciprocate without, he feared, losing a part of himself forever.
He had done the love affair with a vampire before and it had ended with him being as close to shattered as he ever wanted to get. If he let Buffy in, let her get as close to him as Dru had been when she left (and they always left) he would once more be shattered.
And he didn’t think he could go through that again.
Ever.
“Things were bad when I came back Xander… You know that, I didn’t fit in anywhere. And you all tried to help but…”
“But we were the reason that you weren’t in heaven anymore,” Xander mumbled quietly.
“Yeah… Buffy… I told her where I’d been, swore her to secrecy… and… I don’t even know why I trusted her with the secret… maybe…”
“You were hoping that she would tell us and you wouldn’t have to…” Xander said in sudden realization.
“And you don’t think she was using it for her own personal gain? Separating you from your friends so you would have to rely strictly on her.”
“I don’t know, but she listened to me when I talked Xander and when I didn’t want to talk she would just sit there, and say nothing… She… she was a… well a friend then.”
“A friend?!” Xander yelped in disbelief. “You don’t fuck friends Will… or the evil undead for that matter.”
“Just let it go Xander,” Will sighed again heavily. He would never get it. None of them, save Tara would ever understand just how lonely and lost he’d been when they’d brought him back. “We have more important things to worry about…”
“Yes we do,” came the quiet voice behind them. Both males heads whipped around surprise etched on their faces neither having heard Dru enter the hotel room she was standing quietly in the door. Her expression was hooded and blank as she gazed at William.
“Did you find her?” Will asked slowly coming to his feet, his eyes never wavering from hers.
“Yes,” Dru held up a piece of paper, twirling it between her fingers. “She’ll be at this club tonight.”
“A club?” Xander asked crossing the room to take the paper from Dru when it became obvious that Will wasn’t going to move. “Since when does Buffy go clubbing?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Dru stated. “That’s where she’ll be tonight.”
“How badly did you have to hurt the lawyer to get that?” Will asked nodding his head in Xander’s direction.
“Oddly enough not at all… it seems he was expecting me,” Dru said moving into the room, settling comfortably on the small couch she stared up at the two men.
“Expecting you? What’s that mean?”
“It means that Buffy knew that someone would try to find her, whether it be us or Angelus and she’s making no obvious attempts to cover her tracks.”
“You’re saying she wants us to find her?” Will asked disbelieving.
“No, all I’m saying is that she’s not hiding. But then Buffy was never one to hide.”
“So I guess we’re going to a club tonight,” Xander mused. “I don’t think I brought anything suitable for a club,” looking between the Slayer and the vampire staring at him he shrugged. “Well I didn’t.”
Dru scowled as they entered the club. From blocks away they had been able to hear the beating pulse of the music. She had to wonder if the lawyer was wrong.
With the exceptional hearing of a vampire Buffy should have wanted to stay far away from this place.
Unless she was hunting, and as she watched these… children wander past her and her companions she had to wonder if perhaps Will was wrong.
Had Buffy gotten her chip removed?
There would be no another reason that Dru could think of why her grandchilde would subject herself to this noise.
Even if she did like the music.
“This is great,” Xander shouted as he tapped his foot in time with the music that was playing. Dru glared over at him, which Xander didn’t notice as he was searching the club for the blonde vampire.
“Do you see her?” Will yelled into her ear. Turning her head she saw his eyes perusing the club goers.
“She’s here,” Dru confirmed as she to began scanning the crowd. “Oh. My. God,” she uttered as she squinted. Desperately hoping that her vision was failing her or some such thing.
“What is it?” Will asked with mild alarm lining his voice.
“Buffy,” she jerked her head in the direction she’d seen her wayward grandchilde and felt rather than heard the gasp that emanated from William and Xander.
Dancing in the middle of a throng of people, dressed in black leather pants that looked as if they had been painted on and rode low on her hips. A white tank top clinging to her upper body, her long bleach blonde hair no more, it now fell in a straight line to her shoulders.
Moving her hips along with the beat, her companion, a young black man had his hands on her hips and was moving along with her. The two smiling at each other.
Fuck.
Buffy had found herself a new companion and Will felt fury rush through his veins.
How dare she move on when he still wasn’t sure how he felt?!
“What the hell…” Will started forward, his vision bleeding red even as Dru’s hand shot out to halt his forward momentum. “Dru…”
“Angelus is here,” she said quietly, he blinked at her not sure he had heard her correctly until he followed her line of sight.
Standing off to the side, a dark expression on his face as he watched the dancers. Even from where he was standing Will could see that his hands were fisted tightly at his side.
The vampire male was absolutely furious. They could almost feel the anger and hatred radiating from his skin.
“She’s playing with him,” Dru said quietly, her lips close to his ear as she kept one eye on her childe’s location. “She knows he’s here, probably knows what he wants and she’s making him suffer.”
Will nodded in understanding. But he knew, even if Dru wasn’t saying the actual words that Buffy was playing with fire in the manner she was dealing with Angelus.
“Do you think it’s wise to let it go on much longer?” Xander yelled. “He looks like he’s about to commit hari kari.”
“We’ll wait and see what she has planned. If he makes a move toward her between the two of us we should be able to intercede on her behalf.”
“What makes you think that Buffy would want you to intercede on her behalf?” Xander asked looking between the two. “Well?”
“I think they’re leaving,” Xander muttered as he sipped at his beer. Will nodded as he turned his head away; they were going to pass right by him and Xander.
The evening would probably go a lot smoother if she didn’t think they were stalking her.
When they passed by him Will grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and with Xander on his heels they moved toward the exit that the four had taken.
“Where’s Angelus? I thought you were going to follow him?” Will asked when he saw Dru outside the club.
“Lost him… he must have sensed me, gave me the slip,” Dru said disgustedly. “I used to hate it when he did that to me, used to do it on purpose just to piss me off.”
“Guys I’m not sure if you noticed this but they’re splitting up,” Xander said as he glanced back and forth between the opposite directions they had taken.
“I’ll follow Buffy, you two follow the men. If you lose them go back to the hotel,” Dru said as she moved down the street.
“Guess we’re hoofing it,” Will said with false enthusiasm as they moved quickly to follow the two young men.
When they caught up with them, peering around the corner of the street as they watched the two hover by a car. The young black man that Buffy had danced with in the club was talking in hushed tones into what looked like a hand held radio. The other, a tall sandy haired young man was digging through the trunk.
“Is that a crossbow?” The disbelief in Xander’s voice mirrored what Will was feeling.
“I think it’s safe to say that they know what Buffy is,” Will murmured.
Although they couldn’t hear what was being said obviously some alarm had been signaled as the two young men scrambled. Running as of their lives were at stake.
“What the…” Will bolted down the street after them, he could hear Xander wheezing some distance behind him as he pushed himself to keep up with the others.
He had a feeling that whatever was happening was bad. And probably had to do with Buffy.
And Angelus.
Buffy struggled against the arms pinning her to the wall. From the corner of her eye she could see Faith fly backwards, landing with a loud ‘oomph’ on the concrete.
“All you have to do is come home… that’s all he wants,” the vamp holding Buffy to the wall laughed. “You won’t get him back in bed of course; he has better things to do than sleep with the bitch that turned to the Slayer… but at least you won’t be dead.”
“Tell Angel that I’ll go home when I’m good and ready. And believe me when I tell you that it won’t be with him,” she snarled slamming her head back against her attacker. Kicking out his knee she plucked a stake seemingly out of air and grinned as the vampire’s expression turned to horror, right before he turned to dust.
“How important is this human to you?”
Buffy whirled around, moving forward as she saw the vamp that Faith had been fighting holding a knife against her throat.
“Uh-uh,” the vamp tsked as he took a step back, Faith whimpering as the knife dug into the tender flesh of her throat. “Here’s where we make a deal…”
“No deals,” Buffy said quietly. “Here’s where you let her go and I don’t stake you.”
“I think you’re missing the gravity of the situation. I’m the one with the knife to your friends’ throat…”
“And I’m the one with a stake to your back. Think I can hit your heart from here?” Riley asked, his voice resonating with anger. A quick movement forward and the knife dropped to the ground as the vampire shattered into dust. “Ooops, guess I could.”
“What bloody excellent timin’,” Buffy grinned as she moved forward. Touching Faith’s neck gently. “What happened to you guys? I thought you were going to be right behind us?”
“Sidetracked… one of my kids spotted some activity a couple of streets down, they were going to check it out and I wanted to make sure they knew exactly what to do.”
“Are you okay?” Riley asked quietly, cupping Faith’s face in his hands he stared into her eyes.
“I’m fine,” Faith murmured tripping as she attempted to move forward. “Oops, guess I sprained that ankle,” she said, her tone deceptively light as she tried to keep him calm. She exchanged a look with Buffy and with a shake of the head Buffy backed away.
“Who’s in the mood for ice cream?” she asked brightly.
The sound of clapping drew her attention; Riley thrust Faith behind him as he pointed his crossbow at the intruder of their moment.
Buffy and Gunn both with stakes at the ready.
“Shit,” Buffy muttered as she lowered her stake.
“Now Elizabeth… is that anyway to greet your grandmother?” Dru asked as she stepped out of the shadows, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather coat. “Especially after I’ve come all this way to bring you home.”
“Druscilla… long time no see,” Buffy said with open malice. She lowered her stake to her side as she stared at her grandsire with hooded eyes. That was something that Dru and Angelus had taught her long ago.
No matter how much pain you were in… never let someone else see it
They had never been the best of friends. Had never, ever gotten along. They only things they’d ever had in common were Angelus and William.
Both men choosing Buffy only when her grandsire was unavailable to them.
“Rena?” Gunn muttered from beside her as he noticed her stake tapping a rhythm against her leg.
“Hmm?” she mumbled absently as she and Dru continued to hold each other’s gazes. Neither wanting to be the first to look away. Neither wanting to be the first to show a sign of weakness.
“What do you want to do?”
“Nothin’,” Buffy finally said. “I’ll handle this… you and Riley take Faith to the hospital.”
“I’m fine,” Faith protested from behind them. “It’s just a sprain…”
“Gunn…”
“Yeah we’re on it… what are you going to do about her?” Gunn asked waving a hand at a silent Druscilla.
“Find out what she wants then send her home where she belongs.”
“You know you can’t stand out here while you do that… your boy will undoubtedly send more of his ‘friends’ soon…”
“I’ll take her back to the apartment…”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Gunn murmured glancing over at the avidly watching Dru. “You know… because of the company and whatnot?”
“It’s fine Gunn, you guys take care of Faith, I’ll take care of her and we’ll all meet up later… to deal with our company.”
“Yeah, fine,” Gunn turned on his heel to move over to Riley and Faith. “Hey Rena?” he called over his shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Watch your back… would hate to have to take care of all that alone,” he said softly as he and Riley led Faith away.
“Nice cryptic code that you all have there,” Dru said in amusement. “I take it there’s someone at the apartment that you’re trying to keep a secret?”
“None of your business Dru… you came for a reason,” she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. “So spill.”
“You know I thought I curbed you of that stubborn streak,” Dru said coldly, leaning in close. “Maybe I’ll have to try again.”
“I’m not the innocent little girl that Angelus brought home anymore Dru. I don’t see you through his eyes anymore; I see you through my own and let me tell you that from where I’m standing… I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”
“We should go inside,” Dru’s tone remained icy as she glared down at her recalcitrant grandchilde. “Before your friends come back and find a pile of dust where you now stand.”
William and Xander remained cloaked in the shadows some distance down the street. They had arrived at the fight shortly after the two young men had and Xander had to use his entire body to keep William from leaping into the battle with them.
He’d silently been watching William’s behavior through the night. Since their conversation at the hotel as they waited for Dru to return Xander had come to the startling realization that however much Will might protest he did have honest to god feelings for the blonde vampiress he felt something for her.
When he’d seen her in the fight, seen her in danger he had felt the desperation radiating from his friend.
Whereas before he might have thought it was crazy that William might have feelings for the petite blonde vampiress, his behavior over the last few hours had curbed him of that notion. And made him realize that as vehemently as William denied having any such feelings for her, some part of him did care about Buffy.
And as much as Xander hated the idea he had a feeling if he didn’t want to lose Will’s friendship that he would have to accept Buffy back into their lives, would have to accept her place within Will’s life.
They moved deeper into the shadows as the trio passed, not wanting to give themselves away. It was bad enough that Buffy knew that Dru was in town, if she knew that she’d brought Will and Xander with her she might do exactly what Dru had insisted she wouldn’t… and run.
“Do you think someone should call the apartment? You know warn her that Rena’s on her way with her grandsire?” Riley asked as he held Faith close to his side.
“I think someone should go over there and get her out of dodge,” Faith said casting a sidelong glance at Gunn. “We’re supposed to protect her not lead the enemy right to her.”
“Guys Druscilla’s not the enemy… remember? She’s all soulful and crap, besides I’m more worried about getting to the hospital and back to the apartment before Angelus finds out his latest attack didn’t work.”
“A vampire with a soul,” Riley snorted. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of… I mean god why didn’t they just stake her if they were so pissed? Why curse her?”
“You know those crazy gypsies… can’t do anything the easy way. Which hospital should we go to? I think Central’s closer but they normally have a cop on duty at night to thin out the gang crowds.”
“So don’t want to be busted for fighting,” Faith muttered under her breath. “And besides I don’t need to go the hospital… It’s a sprain, not a break.”
“Rena said hospital; we’re going to the hospital… although Gunn could use the cell in my pocket and call the apartment… You know just to give a heads up.”
“What should we do?” Xander asked quietly as they watched the trio depart. “Follow them or try to follow Buffy and Dru?”
“We’ll follow them; maybe they’ll lead us to Buffy by default.”
The walk to her apartment was done in silence. Each female alternating between glaring at the other and silently fuming.
Buffy at the injustice of it all. She’d walked away, left so she wouldn’t have to see her Slayer and Dru fawning over each other. Now they wanted her to go back to Sunnyhell so she could watch just that.
Of course maybe this was just a way of seeing of she would save them the trouble and stake herself rather than see them together.
Dru on the other hand was furious that her obstinate grand-childe had touched someone that she had marked in the first place. The fact that she’d been the one to walk away from a relationship with William was beside the point.
She had marked him. It should have kept him safe from the advances of other vampires. She should rip out Buffy’s throat for even daring to touch a hair on his head.
The only thing stopping her from doing just that was the fact that William had admitted to being a willing participant in their relationship. That he’d in fact been using Buffy for some time, although Dru had managed to read between the lines of the story he’d told.
Buffy had pushed him, he had pushed back and between the two of them they’d managed to flame the fires of a passion that should never have existed.
She also knew that despite his vehement denials of the fact he must have felt a tiny bit of affection for the vampire at her side.
Because the William she knew was not a user.
The William she knew didn’t believe in casual sex, he didn’t have sex, he made love and in order for him to do that he had to feel something for the other person…or vampire. Buffy had made him feel something that no one else could at the time. She’d made him feel safe, she’d offered him comfort and he had taken it the only way he could.
Of course maybe she didn’t know William as well as she thought she did. Maybe he had been only using Buffy. But the rational side of her brain remembered his behavior at the club; he’d been angry, furious at seeing her dancing with the young man she’d been with. He would have stomped over to them and reclaimed what he believed was his if Angelus hadn’t been standing there ready to do the same thing.
“Home sweet home,” Buffy muttered as she fished a key out of her pocket. Pushing open the door she stepped inside and smirked as Dru was stopped by the invisible barrier the sprung up impeding her progress into the apartment.
“You live with humans? That’s not like you,” Dru said with narrowed eyes.
“It’s a spell… keeps me protected from the bad elements and such, it works just like the barriers on humans homes.”
“Which means you need to invite me in… or are we going to have this conversation with me standing in your doorway.”
“Don’t make much difference to me,” Buffy shrugged as she walked further into the apartment.
“Buffy,” Dru snarled warningly pressing her hands against the barrier that kept her from entering the apartment. She glanced around the empty hallway in agitation. She didn’t feel the presence of any vampires other than herself and Buffy but that didn’t mean that Angelus or one of his minions wasn’t lurking just out of her sense range.
“Come in Druscilla,” she heard the heavy sigh from inside the apartment and with that the barrier preventing her from entering fell away and Dru stumbled forward.
With a scowl fixed on her face she slammed the door shut and stalked through the apartment coming to a stop when she saw Buffy sitting calmly in the living room, settled comfortably on the couch flipping through a magazine she looked so relaxed that Dru wanted to throttle her.
“So what did you want to talk about?” Buffy asked congenially never raising her eyes from the pages she was idly flipping through.
“There won’t be any talking, you’re going to pack and come back to Sunnydale with me…now.”
“What? You’re going to pull rank on me Dru? Not really your style is it… that’s more Druscilla’s innit it?”
“Don’t mess with me Buffy you’re needed in Sunnydale.”
“Needed?!” Buffy muttered throwing the magazine in her hands to the floor. “Needed for what? To watch you and the Slayer fawn all over each other? You’ve got enough cannon fodder with the Scoobies you certainly don’t need me to add to their ranks.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Dru asked, realization as to what William had used to drive Buffy away was slowly dawning on her. And inside her head she was already screaming at him.
He certainly knew where to hit to do the most damage. Buffy had a massive insecurity streak where her grandsire was concerned and William had played on it like a pro.
“Oh no need to play the innocent now luv,” Buffy smiled thinly rising to her feet. “The cats already out of the bag, no need to stuff him back in there and have him die of asphyxiation. I just have to wonder how you and the Slayer are plannin’ on being together what with your loosely tied on soul… but I’m sure with all your years of experience that the two of you’ll come up with somethin’.”
“Will told you that we were back together?”
“Oh he told me more than that… but yes that was the gist of the last conversation that we had…”
“I don’t believe this.”
“Yeah I couldn’t at first either… but the more I thought about it…” Buffy shrugged. “I guess there’s just no accountin’ for taste… is there?”
“Buffy…” she started, stopping when she realized that nothing she said was going to penetrate Buffy’s head. Whatever William had said, and before the night was out Dru would know exactly what it was, it had been bad enough that Buffy had believed every word he spoken to her.
Including that he had reconciled with a vampire that she despised.
“So I suppose you’ll be back on your way to Sunnydale then?”
“I’m not going anywhere until you change your mind… you are needed there.”
“The only person that would need me in ole Sunny D would be the nibblet…” Buffy trailed off. Staring hard at Dru for a moment she walked across the room to an old roll top desk, rummaging around in the top drawer she pulled out a heavy manila envelope.
“What’s this?” Dru asked as Buffy silently held it out to her.
“I made ‘lil bit a promise… promised her I wouldn’t leave, promised her I’d take care of her… can’t do that with the Slayer ‘round so…” Buffy shrugged forcing the envelope into Dru’s hands. “It’s money, Slayer wouldn’t take my help when I offered it but bit doesn’t deserve to be thrown out on the street, home she’s in is the only one she’s known.”
“Why don’t you come back? Give it to her yourself.”
“Yeah… um I don’t think so… imagine all the scoob’s would be waitin’ with stakes at the ready and I’ve got work to do that I can’t if I’m dust.”
“I’m not going back there without you Buffy. There’s stuff going on, things happening that require your presence.”
“Nothin’ that you can’t handle I’m sure,” Buffy said confidently. “Got my own stuff going down here.”
“Do you really think you can handle Angelus alone? He wants you back and he won’t take no for an answer.”
“I’ve got Angelus under control,” she said softly. “If you don’t mind the others will be here soon, kind of don’t want you here when they arrive… you know seein’ as how we’re on the outs and all.”
With a frustrated growl Dru turned to the door.
“You’ll take care of them?” she heard the query softly from behind her. So softly that for a second she wasn’t sure that Buffy had actually spoken. With a firm nod she left.
She needed to talk to William. As much as she was loathe to admit it, he was going to have to do some serious groveling to get Buffy to go back to Sunnydale.
Which meant that she would have to tell him about the rest of the prophecy.
The rest of Buffy’s prophecy… and Williams place within it.
Buffy’s shoulders collapsed at the sound of the door closing. She had wanted to say that she would return to Sunnyhell so badly. Part of her, a part that was totally dominated by her love for the Slayer missed him so much that she wanted to weep at night.
She didn’t of course. Master Vampires didn’t cry because of what they couldn’t have.
What they shouldn’t have.
The sound of a door opening in the apartment alerted her to the others presence long before she felt her enter the room.
“She’s gone then?” the quiet voice came from behind her.
“Yeah she’s gone,” Buffy sighed, resigned to her place in the scheme of things. William belonged to Dru, and she… well she was playing the reluctant white knight protector to an unborn child… and the vampire that she’d once hated that carried it.
“Guess that spell works then, I honestly didn’t think it would.”
Turning she faced the very pregnant blonde… close to her ninth month Buffy had to wonder what they would do once she went into labor.
How did a vampire give birth?
“How you feelin’ Darla? Any contractions yet? Got to be getting’ close to that time…”