ff:The Blue Dragon 3

[Carol.Clarke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Title: The Blue Dragon
Chapter Three: Blue Dragon Red Shirt
Rating NC-17/R
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Summary/ Timeline: It is Buffy's and the Scooby's senior year of high school
and Snyder gives Buffy a new assignment at school. Meanwhile on the streets
of Sunnydale there is a new demon running loose.
Pairing: Buffy / Other (female) 
Thanks: Cheryl Hill

The Blue Dragon
Blue Dragon Red Shirt

Joyce had paled on entering her home. The sight of blood on the floor wasn't
what she wanted to find when she got home from work. She was just
deliciously happy that it wasn't her daughter's blood. Still the girl whose
blood was being hurriedly wiped up did look rather pale.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Summers." Kelm said as she tried to help Buffy clean up
the mess.

"It's ok Kelm just sit still." Buffy said all business. Compared to some of
the demon clean ups she did at the office, this was so big deal. After
beheading a couple of green slim demons this was nothing.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Joyce asked for the fifth time.

"It's just an ulcer. When I get scared it happens. I am just so sorry." Kelm
whispered, she was extremely embarrassed. She had just made her first friend
and then thrown up all over her house. 

Buffy finished cleaning up and tied up the garbage bag. "Kelm that was a lot
of blood. Maybe Mom and I should take you to the hospital."

"NO!" Kelm screamed then recovering, "I mean I have medicine at home. My
Aunt, we don't have a lot of money and this happens all the time. Honest I
was just nervous, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry."

"Nervous? Kelm nervous about what?" Joyce asked. She was getting better at
interrupting teens. 

"Nothing" Both Kelm and Buffy said at the same time. Buffy wasn't really
sure why she didn't want her mother to know what they had been talking about
earlier. It wasn't like she was gay right. Right? Buffy asked herself again
not for the first time as Willow's face formed in her mind. 

"Mom why don't we give Kelm a ride home. It's late and she is not feeling
well." Buffy said picking up her mother's coat. She did not want to have
'that' conversation. 

((((((((((******)))))))))))))

Buffy was unhappy. They had dropped Kelm off in the bad end of town not far
from Xander's house. Kelm's Aunt seemed ok but there was something about the
women that set Buffy's spider senses tingling. She was trying to figure out
what it was about the women she didn't like. 

While Kelm was Asian, or at least part Asian, her Aunt was Russian or from
one of the eastern block countries. Her accent was thick and heavy. She
could even be one of the many Caird or as they were more commonly called
gypsy families in town. Buffy just didn't know. And since her Aunt spoke to
her only in Russian, Buffy could only guess at what the women had said. She
guessed the woman wasn't happy that they had brought her home. 

Buffy was drawn out of her thoughts by her mother.

"Now are you going to tell me what is going on. What scared your friend so
badly she threw up. Is it something to do with vampires."

"Not vampires mom. As far as I know she doesn't know I'm the slayer or that
there are vamps."

"So then why...?" Joyce asked turning the car off of Elm and heading for
home. 

"Just normal teen stuff."

"Buffy Anne Summers, I know there is more to it than that. She was as pale
as a ghost. Now tell me the truth, if it isn't about vampires then what
could make your friend that sick?"

Buffy just hung her head down and said, "She thinks she is gay."

"Poor girl" Joyce answered.

"And that is all you have to say." Buffy asked amazed at her mother's
reaction. 

"Honey once you find out your only daughter is a vampire slayer, then
nothing minor shocks you that much."

"And you think it's minor?" Buffy asked

"I'm surprised at you. Gay people are just like everyone else honey."

"I know that mom, it's just..."

"Willow?" Joyce said surprising the hell out of Buffy.

"Buffy I am not a complete fool. It's hard to miss the way she looks at
you." Joyce said to her daughter and to herself added, 'or the way you look
at her.'

"She has no idea mom. Not a clue." Buffy said almost panicking. 

"And she may never dear. Feelings are confusing. Most of us, even myself,
don't have a clue what we're feeling most of the time. When you're young
it's even harder Honey. Buffy, Willow will sort out things for herself."

"So Willow could still be straight right?" Buffy said again panicking. The
idea that Willow might not be straight thrilled and scared her. And having
your mom talk to you about it was not something she would have guessed would
happen in a million years. Sure the end of the world, streets red with blood
but not a gay talk with her mom. No way. 

"Willow will be Willow. Buffy for some people it isn't a choice. They just
love someone and it's really not that complicated."

((((((((((******))))))))))))))

Buffy had picked Cordillia up after work and walked her home. She didn't
like to let Cordillia walk home after dark. She really did like Cordillia;
She liked talking about clothes and other shallow things. Her talks with
Willow were cool but they never talked about clothes or shoes.

"So you think the blue high heels go better with the red dress or black
ones." Buffy asked already knowing the answer.

"Are you crazy Buffy. If you don't have matching shoes then stick to the
black. Besides red really isn't your color."

"What do you mean red isn't my color? I look good in red." 

Cordelia just stared at her with that 'are you nuts' look that Cordelia did
so well. 

"I look good in Red." Buffy mumbled crossing her arms. She really wasn't
mad. This was just their normal banter. If they didn't pretend to insult
each other something serious was wrong with the world. 

"Look delusion girl, red might cover up the blood stains from you job but it
does nothing for your pale skin. Trust me stick to dull colors."

Before Buffy could answer, she noticed Kelm walking up the street carrying a
bag of groceries. "Hi Kelm." Buffy called to the girl across the street.
Kelm waved back and started walking toward the two women.
Buffy leaned over and whispered. "Cordy, please be nice, she is my friend." 

"Whatever." which in Cordelia speak meant sure Buffy not a problem. Cordy
could be a bitch but she was actually a nice bitch and didn't pick on people
that couldn't defend themselves, often. 

"Hi Buffy" Kelm whispered looking at the ground. Kelm still had a hard time
talking to people.

"Shopping for your aunt?"

"Yeah she forgot some stuff and she doesn't like being out after dark."

"So she sends you out instead?" Buffy asked puzzled.

"I can take care of myself. " Buffy just stared and Kelm added, "I can take
care of myself better then my aunt. She doesn't speak English very well. "

"I was wondering about that last week when we took you home. What language
does your aunt speak?"

"Russian, or a variation of it. There are a lot of dialects in Russian. Like
Chinese." Kelm explained as they headed down the street. Cordelia and her
mother lived in the apartment house over from were Kelm lived. Cordelia was
still hoping Xander didn't find out where she lived especially now that they
were only a few blocks apart.

Before anyone else could speak, the three women heard a loud sound then they
saw three vampires running out of an alley. Buffy was already reaching for
her stake. Before the slayer could move, the vampires were all knocked to
the ground by a trashcan. Buffy had the secret urge to yell 'Strike'

Then before she could move, her blue eyed dragon had beheaded the first of
her prey. The second's legs were neatly sliced off and the third was thrown
against the wall and pinned. The dragons turned toward the watching girls
and said in a thick echoing non-human voice, "Run away, go home. I have no
business with you."

"Cordelia do you think you and Kelm can get home safely." Buffy slipped
Cordelia a large cross as she whispered. 

"I still get to talk you out of your red dress." Cordelia replied as a way
of saying be careful.

"Buffy." Kelm tried to say as Cordelia grabbed the girl's hand and pulled
her up the street until they were both running toward home.

Buffy, stake in hand, walked toward the woman who was now sucking her prey
dry.
"Interesting diet." Buffy replied arms crossed with an evil glare in her
eye. She meant business.

The dragon staked her prey and turned to face Buffy. Both women's attention
was brought out of their face off by the sound of crashing cans. The legless
vampire was trying to crawl away and had bumped into the trashcan that had
knocked him off his feet earlier. Both women moved at the same time. Buffy
reached him first and staked him clean. 

"Sorry, did you want desert?"

"I have no business with you slayer. I wish you no harm."

"For how long. I'm not exactly upset at your mealtime choices. It is kind of
poetic justice, but for how long. When you get tired of the same old meals
what are you going to be eating. Besides there is the matter of my
boyfriend." Buffy said before punching the women with so much force she
thudded against the alley wall. Which is where Buffy wanted to take the
fight. Off the street and out of the way of prying eyes. 

Buffy jumped at the women and kicked her hand knocking her sword free. The
women just moved further back into the alley. Not fighting back but
retreating into the alley.

"I am not going to fight you slayer." The women said realizing there was no
where to run, the alley was a dead end. 

"Well I plan on fighting you." Buffy said punching the woman again and
knocking her backwards. The woman just lay on the ground looking up at her. 

"We don't have to be enemies. I need their blood to survive and I kill them
when I am done. At the end of the night it means there are less of them for
you to hunt slayer." The women explained remaining still on the ground.

"And why should I trust you?"

"If you know what I am then you know it is true. I can not survive on
anything with a soul. I can only eat of those that are soulless."

"Look, you munched on my boyfriend a few days ago."

"Then he was undead at the time. I can not eat a being with a soul." 

"Well Angel is kind of special."

"How so?" The women asked through glowing blue eyes.

"He has a soul."

"As do all humans."

"He is a vampire, with a soul." Buffy explained.

"Angelus, I have heard the tale. Always thought it was a legend. But again
if he has a soul I can not eat of him."

"But you did" Buffy said 

"Then he did not have a soul at the time. Eating anything with a souls makes
our kind ill and I have not been ill since I was a child." The women said
standing. "I am know as Kelly to my friends, and you are Buffy Summers." The
woman said holding out her hand.

Buffy just stared at it for a minute then reached out and shook it. "We are
still going to talk about this." Buffy said as she shook the warm hand.

"I would like that. Would you like to check on your two friends and make
sure they made it home ok. We could meet later."

"Do you know were Willy's is?" Buffy asked looking into the girls blue eyes.


"I would rather meet you at the Bronze. They don't like me much at Willy's."

"Why is that?"

"They really don't like me."

"Ok the Bronze, how about nine, I have to go home first."

"At nine then." And with that the women blinked past Buffy and out of the
alley stroke effect in motion. 

(((((((((((((((((**********)))))))))))))))))

A few minutes later Buffy was safely at Cordelia's apartment. She dialed a
number and heard the familiar British voice answer, "Hello."

"Giles, our dragon wants to talk. I am meeting her at nine at the Bronze,
but I need you to check something first. It's really important. She said
that she could only eat of things without souls. She also said that eating
of anything with a soul makes her ill. Giles I need to know this as soon as
possible."

"May I inquire why the hurry." Giles asked knowing he was missing something.

"Think about it. She munched on Angel. His neck is still not healed up yet
and he is still week. Giles there are only two possibilities. One she is
lying her ass off, which means she has something up her sleeve or..."
Buffy said in full slayer mode.

"Or she is telling the truth and Angel has lost his soul again." Giles
finished. "I'll get the others over here to help." 

"Thanks, I have me cell phone call me the minute you find something."

"And in the meantime?" Giles asked

"I have a dragon to meet."

"I wear the cheese it does not wear me." Bald Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.