FIC: Moving on...(part two)

["Selenay" <selenay@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Sequel to Conversations part 2: Moving on...2/2
Author: Selenay
E-mail: selenay@xxxxxxxxxx
Summary: You wondered what Joyce's reaction to Buffy's new love was? Read on
and find out...
Spoilers: Great big, honking ones for 'Buffy vs Dracula' - although I have
completely re-written it.
Distribution: My site, http://www.selenayhaven.com. and 'A Slayer A Hacker.
Anyone else please ask first.
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy and her friends. It all belongs to Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy et al. I'm only playing, and sadly make nothing from
this.
Feedback: Gratefully received


"So, let me get this straight," Buffy said, trying not to laugh. "You're
"Dracula". The guy, the count."

Dracula smiled, showing off his fangs. "I am."

"Are you're sure this isn't some fan boy thing? Cause...I've fought more
than a couple of pimply overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat."

"You know who I am. As I know without question that you are Buffy Summers."

"You've heard of me?"

"Naturally. You're known throughout the world."

She tried to resist, but the flattery was too much. "Naw, really?"

"Why else would I come here? For the sun? I came to meet the
renowned...killer."

A hot flame of anger kindled inside Buffy. "I prefer the term Slayer. You
know, killer sounds so..."

"Naked?"

"Like I...paint clowns or something. I'm the good guy, remember?"

"Perhaps, but your power is rooted in darkness. You must feel it."

Buffy frowned and tried to ignore the tiny voice inside that insisted he was
right. Instead, she opted for bravado. "No. You know what I feel? Bored."

She lunged at him with her stake, trying to get the element of surprise.
Instead of feeling the satisfying thud as her stake penetrated his heart,
Dracula dissolved into smoke and Buffy found herself off balance. As she
straightened, the old vampire reappeared behind her. Concentrating hard, she
lunged at him and again he dissolved into smoke.

"Okay, that's cheating," Buffy announced peevishly.

Xander and Willow approached through the graves and looked at her curiously.

"Hey, Buff. What's up?" Xander greeted.

Willow, more sensitive to her love's moods than her friend, looked
concerned. "You look like you just-"

"Get out of here now," Buffy order, scanning the area.

"But I brought you mocha," Willow protested.

Dracula reappeared behind the two friends and Buffy sighed unhappily.
"Behind you."

Willow and Xander turned and did a double take as they saw the oddly dressed
vampire.

"Hi," the redhead greeted cheerfully.

"Nice," Xander complimented sarcastically. "Look who's got a bad case of
dark prince envy."

Dracula looked the boy up and down and then dismissed him. "I have no
interest in you. Leave us."

"No, we're not going to 'leave you'," Xander said, trying a disastrous
impression of the Count. "And where'd you get that accent, Sesame Street?
Vun, two, three - three victims! Mwa ha ha!"

Dracula began to look annoyed and Buffy winced. "Xander, I'm pretty sure
that's Dracula."

"Wow, really?" Deciding that cowardice was the better part of
self-preservation Xander ducked behind the Slayer. "Hey, sorry man. I was
just...joking around?"

"This is not the same," the vampire announced, locking eyes with Buffy. "I
will see you soon."

He spread his cape out impressively, took a couple of steps towards the
group and turned into a bat. The bat flew away, squeaking, and the three
teenagers looked at each other. Unsurprisingly, the bat returned and
dive-bombed Buffy's hair before making its final exit.

"Bat! Ooh, bat!" Buffy exclaimed, flapping her hands around her head to get
rid of the flying pest.

***

The night was drawing close to the 'witching hour', an ironic name in
Sunnydale, and most of the living residents of the small town had long since
given in to sleep and gone to bed. Buffy knew that the only reason her
mother was still awake and drinking coffee in the kitchen was because she
and Willow had not yet retreated.

The Slayer and the witch were sitting in the lounge enjoying some alone time
together. Buffy lay along the sofa with her head in Willow's lap and the
redhead was slowly stroking her blonde hair, which was proving to be a
thoroughly enjoyable sensation. They were both close to sleep but reluctant
to go to bed because that would mean parting.

"Will," Buffy said sleepily.

"That's my name."

"How did Xander take it?"

"Hmm?"

"When you told him about us," the blonde girl clarified. "How did he take
it?"

"How did you know I told him?"

Buffy smiled slyly, although she kept her eyes shut and relaxed into the
soothing sensations as Willow gently stroked her forehead and down through
her golden hair. "I know you. That trip to the coffee shop - not that I'm
complaining about mochas - wasn't really essential. You told him about us,
huh?"

"Well, yeah," Willow said, enjoying the feel of silky hair between her
fingers. "He took it really well. So long as we're happy, he's happy."

The redheaded witch knew there was something else on Buffy's mind, but she
also knew that the Slayer would have to work her way up to it. They had been
friends for long enough that she often felt as though she could read Buffy's
thoughts.

"Will," Buffy began again, and this time the redhead could hear the
uncertainty in her voice.

"Yeah, Buff," she said reassuringly. "What's up?"

Buffy opened her eyes and Willow read all the confusion and fear in those
beautiful blue orbs. "Did you mean it earlier? When you said Dracula
was...sexy?"

Rolling her eyes, Willow grinned down at her unhappy love. "Of course I did,
in a magnetising, faintly icky, vampirish way. But not in a beautiful,
blonde Slayer that I'm in love with way. Those are two completely different
concepts."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

Willow bent her head and, very gently, kissed Buffy's mouth.

"I'm sure," she assured her.

Buffy sat up and faced her. "I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing-"

"You aren't forcing me," Willow protested. "I want this as much as you do.
So there's no forcing going on."

The Slayer cocked her head to the side and carefully observed Willow, and in
return the redhead put her best 'I'm in love with you' look on. Evidently
satisfied, Buffy leaned forward to kiss the witch.

The sound of a throat clearing in the doorway behind them made both girls
leap apart, startled.

"Isn't it time for you girls to be going to sleep?" Joyce asked, glaring
significantly.

"Right, mom, just going," Buffy said quickly.

"Yeah, good night Mrs Summers," Willow squeaked.

They both dashed for the stairs, giggling.

***

Buffy woke with a gasp to find the strange vampire standing at the foot of
her bed, his whitened face gleaming eerily in the moonlight.

"You are magnificent," Dracula said admiringly.

Mustering her courage, Buffy retorted, "I bet you say that before you bite
all the girls."

"No, you are different. Kindred."

"Kindred?" Buffy scoffed. "Hardly, I-"

"Pull back your hair."

Unconsciously, Buffy complied and was startled when she realised what she
had done.

"This isn't how I...usually fight," she protested, looking out of the window
to try to shake the strange compulsion. "You think you can waft in here with
your music video wind and your hypno-eyes..."

"I have searched the world over for you. I have yearned for you." He sat on
the bed next to her. "For a creature whose darkness rivals my own."

The ancient vampire put his fingers on Buffy's chin and gently turned her
face so he could see the scars on her neck from the events of Ascension Day.

He smiled slightly. "You have been tasted."

Buffy tried to protest. "He was-"

"Unworthy. He let you go. But his embrace...his bite...you remember."

"No."

Dracula caressed her face and whispered, "Do not fight. I can feel your
hunger."

As he leaned in, Buffy knew she should be struggling but a strange lassitude
overcame her and all she could do was wordlessly gasp her protest. She could
no more have stopped him biting her than she could stop the world revolving.

***

Buffy woke up with a gasp to find the room empty and sunlight streaming in
through the windows. Rubbing her eyes, she made her way to the bathroom and
splashed water on her face to try to rid herself of the gritty, tired
feeling. She looked into the mirror for a moment and then pulled down the
neck of her shirt to reveal twin sets of puncture marks. Sighing tiredly she
made her way back to her room to dress.

***

Giles' apartment was full to bursting with munching teenagers. Boxes of
donuts and cups of coffee were strewn over the coffee table and the man
himself occupied one of the armchairs. Xander and Anya had commandeered the
sofa leaving Buffy and Willow to sit on the floor, leaning against it.
Willow looked at her partner curiously, wondering at the strained expression
on her face. She had seemed so cheerful the night before, but this morning
she had barely managed more than 'Good morning'. And the outfit was not one
of her normal ones - when did Buffy go back to wearing scarves?

Giles picked up one of the donut boxes. "Oh, there's another jelly here.
Would you like it Buffy?"

Buffy stirred from her stupor. "No, thanks."

Immediately Xander leapt up and grabbed the sugary morsel. "Got it! Got it!
Mine, mine."

Willow frowned slightly but let it pass. Maybe everyone was just depressed
by the end of the summer. "Well, I think we have Dracula factoids."

"Like any of that's enough to fight the Dark Master," Xander said, sitting
down on a stool. He noticed the odd looks that everyone was now giving him.
"...bator."

Willow continued, "A lot of it we already know. Turnoffs: wood, fire,
crosses, garlic. Turnons: nice duds, minions, long slow bites that last for
days...where was I?"

"Dracula research," Anya prodded. "He likes style, so he isn't going to
haunting the usual areas."

"Ah! But he's smart enough to figure out that we probably already know that.
I'm guessing he's lying low," Xander protested.

"Actually, my research backs up Anya. Drac isn't the lying low type."

"So we can, uh, check out the nice places, don't you think Buffy?" Giles
asked.

Buffy didn't respond, continuing to stare at the table.

"Buffy?" Giles repeated.

Buffy blinked and tuned back in again. "Yeah. We'll check out the swanky
places first. What else did you get?"

Willow surreptitiously squeezed her hand, growing concerned by Buffy's
obvious distraction. "OK, Dracula's modus operandi is different from other
vampires. He will kill just to feed, but he'd rather have a connection to
the victims. And he has all these mental powers to draw them in."

The redhead watched her girlfriend carefully and was unsurprised to see the
thoughtful look crossing her face. "He, he can read and control
minds...appear in dreams..."

"Uh, huh," Buffy said absently.

"Makes sense. That stare...he just kinda...looked right through you. Didn't
you feel it Buffy?"

"No." Buffy paused uncertainly and stood, not even noticing Willow's
frightened expression. "No, I didn't."

"See!" Xander crowed. "Buffy didn't feel it. I think you're drawing a load
of crazy conclusions about the unholy prince...bator."

"The point is," Giles added, "though he goes through the motions of
seduction the end result is always the same. He turns them into a vampire."

"Well, that *is* intimate," Xander said eagerly. "Dracula's gifting these
ladies with his own blood. And blood...blood is life." Realising what he had
said he added, "According to them."

"Um...just be aware that he, he tends to form a relationship with his prey.
It's not enough for him to take her. She must want to be taken. She
must...burn for him," Giles said, watching Buffy closely.

The Slayer almost visibly squirmed, fiddling with her scarf, and Willow was
suddenly hit by a horrid idea that was confirmed by the blonde's next words.

"That's...interesting. I'm gonna go find him."

Taking a deep breath, Willow stood and put a restraining hand on the girl's
arm. "What's wrong Buffy?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," the Slayer replied, not looking into her love's
eyes.

"Now I know something's wrong," Willow said, hurt.

Before Buffy could protest, the redhead reached up and pulled away the scarf
to reveal the twin puncture marks. The room went silent as everyone took in
the sight and then Buffy sat down with her face in her hands.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Giles asked.

"Cause she didn't want to worry us, right Buffster?" Xander suggested. "It's
nothin'. Just a scratch."

"Two deep, puncture-y scratches," Willow added. "Why didn't you tell me?
When did this happen?"

Buffy lifted her face and fixed Willow with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry. I
don't know why...there was just this voice telling me to cover it."

"You're under his thrall," Giles told her.

"You're saying Dracula has some sort of freaky mind control over her?"
Xander tried to laugh. "You're watching to many creature features, G-man."

"But it does seem like he has this...control over me. I...even though a part
of me is resisting..."

"You should stay out of sight," Giles said, sighing heavily.

"I can't go home - he already got in once," Buffy protested.

"Xander, take her to your place while Willow and I secure her house," Giles
instructed. "Then we'll look for Dracula."

"I'm sorry, Will," Buffy said, touching the redhead's hand hesitantly.

Knowing there were people watching, Willow could not comfort her the way she
wanted to so she had to content herself with squeezing the Slayer's hand and
replying, "I know."

***

It took a while to work the spell to dis-invite Dracula from the Summers'
house, accompanied by Joyce's stricken apologies, and then Giles and Willow
began wandering Sunnydale looking for Dracula's lair. They walked
disconsolately through the gardens of their twelfth mansion of the day as
Willow crossed it off the list.

"Well, I guess at least we're narrowing it down," the redhead said, trying
to cheer herself up.

"I suppose," Giles said slowly, concentrating on not falling over anything
on the darkening path.

"It's a good thing Sunnydale isn't any bigger - this could take all week
otherwise."

"True."

There was silence for a moment before Willow asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

"I should have noticed."

"Huh?"

Giles sighed. "I'm her Watcher - at least I was - so I should have noticed
that something was wrong. She was acting oddly last night and this morning
and I didn't even notice."

They reached the road and continued along it.

"Don't beat yourself up," Willow told him. "If anyone should have noticed
that something was wrong it should be me. We're, uh, good friends and I
should have noticed something was wrong when she didn't even...uh, say hi at
breakfast." < I don't think he needs to know about the non-kisses this
morning. So shut up mouth, please? > The witch sighed. "We were both being
unobservant. And now...uh, Giles?"

"Hmm?"

"I've lived here all my life, but you know something?"

"What?"

"I've never noticed that we have a castle before."

Giles followed her gaze and saw a large, intimidating-looking castle. It
would not have looked out of place in Transylvania, which was probably
appropriate.

"Bloody hell," the Watcher breathed.

"I think we've found Dracula," Willow commented.

***

Inside the castle, the witch and the Watcher spent a moment gazing around
with interest before looking at each other.

"We shouldn't split up," Giles told her, looking significantly at the girl's
sling.

"But...ok," Willow said reluctantly. "Which way?"

***

It took them a while, and they narrowly avoided falling into a pit filled
with vampires, but they eventually found a barred door with Xander standing
in front of it.

"Nobody harms my master," Xander told them seriously.

Giles sighed, and Willow thought she detected a flicker of amusement in his
eyes before he said, "Your master?"

"You want him? You come through me."

Giving him a brief look, Giles hauled back and punched the teenager who
toppled to the floor immediately.

"I'll apologize later," he told Willow.

***

"You know, I think the thrall has gone out of our relationship," Buffy told
the ancient vampire. "But I want to thank you for opening up my eyes a
little."

"What's this?" Dracula asked, disbelieving.

"My true nature. You want a taste?"

The fight that ensued was different to the majority of Buffy's fights. For a
start, usually her opponent did not disappear part way through and appear in
another part of the room. Also, she felt unusually energised - the punches
and rolls came easier and she allowed herself to feel a fierce joy in
pummelling her ancient foe.

Dracula disappeared again and Buffy froze, extending every sense she had.
With a feral grin she hopped down from the table she had been on and ran up
the stairs with Mister Pointy. When Dracula reappeared he looked shocked to
see the Slayer standing there already, her stake ready for use.

"How do you like my darkness now?" she asked, staking him.

The ancient vampire growled, fell down the steps and exploded into dust.

Buffy was sauntering down the stairs smugly as Willow and Giles rushed in.

"Buffy! Are you ok?" the witch asked immediately.

"Yeah," Buffy said, grinning. "Chock full of free will and happy to see
you."

"And Dracula?" Giles asked.

"Euro trashed."

"Where is he?" Xander asked angrily, rushing into the room holding a torch.
"Where's the creep that turned me into his spider-eating man-bitch?"

"He's gone," Buffy told him.

"Dammit! You know what? I'm sick of this crap. I'm sick of being the guy who
eats insects and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment, it's over. I'm
finished being everybody's butt-monkey!"

Willow, Giles and Buffy valiantly concentrated on not laughing, although
Willow's lips twitched suspiciously.

"Check, no more butt-monkey," Buffy confirmed.

"Giles said he's sorry for hitting you," Willow said comfortingly.

"I did?" Giles exclaimed, and then re-thought. "Oh, yes, I did. Sorry about
that."

***

Buffy stared at the door in front of her uncertainly. She had already tried
to knock three times and each time she had chickened. But it was something
she had to do. She had to know...

She knocked on the door and was relieve to hear Giles' voice beckoning her
in.

"Hi Giles," she said, entering. "I wanted to...ooh, cookies. How come I rate
the cookie treatment?"

He gestured for her to sit down and held out the plate, watching as she took
one and began nibbling it nervously.

"I thought you might have something to tell me," he told her encouraging.

"Well, yeah."

"Whatever is going on between yourself and Willow is your own business," he
told her, smiling at her startled expression. "If you're both happy and it
isn't interfering with your Slaying then I'm very pleased for you."

"You-you-you...you know?" Buffy asked, feeling very stupid.

"Buffy, neither of you has ever been able to keep a secret." He smiled at
her. "She's a lovely girl and I've always known you care about her deeply.
So long as you don't hurt her-"

"I don't plan on it."

"Then that is all that really matters."

"Oh."

"Was there anything else?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "I know we've been training together a little, and
it's really helped, but I think...I need more help. I need my Watcher back.
This whole thing with Dracula, it's made me face up to how much I don't know
about myself and about my destiny as a Slayer. Ever since we did that spell
where we called on the First Slayer...I've been going out a lot. Most
nights."

"Patrolling?"

"Hunting. That's what Dracula called it." She stood and began to pace. "And
he was right. He understood my power better than I do. He saw darkness in
it."

Giles looked at her, concerned.

"I need to know more." Buffy said down and looked the older man intently.
"About where I came from, about the other Slayers. I mean, maybe...maybe if
I could learn to control this thing, I could be stronger, I could be better.
If I don't, I could hurt Willow. But...I'm scared. I know it's gonna be
hard. And I can't do it...without you. I need your help. I need you to be my
Watcher again. I promise, this time I'll work at it. Please?"

Giles smiled at her.

"Boy, I just keep talking don't I?" Buffy said, returning his smile.
"Willow's influence I guess."

***

Buffy peeked into her mother's bedroom. "I'm outta here. Willow and I are
going to movies - our first official date."

"Okay, have a good time," Joyce told her, trying to smile.

Buffy walked into her bedroom to get her bag and was surprised to find a
girl with long brown hair sitting on her bed. "What are you *doing* here?"

"Buffy?" Joyce called. "If you're going out, why don't you take your sister?
And try to behave around her?"

Buffy and the stranger turned to the door, looking annoyed.

"Mom!" they both exclaimed.

Something inside Buffy screamed but the feeling cut off abruptly and she
turned to glare at her sister.

To be continued...

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