Walk the Earth

The Immortals butler slash servant took Buffy's coat. 'Thank you Georgio.' She forced herself to smile. She wasn't going to like doing this, but it was becoming obvious it was something that had to be done.

Silently the man with the golden waistcoat almost glided out to the cloakroom. As he left Maria, the maid arrived. Every time they would move like this, Buffy had known the Immortal for more than a year now and she'd never seen the two of them in the same room at the same time.

'My lady,' Maria curtseyed, despite the amount of times she'd been asked not to. 'The Lord is in the study. Shall I announce you?'

'Yes. Please.' She kept the smile on her face. He was always in the study these days, unless he was in the library. The guy was worse that Giles sometimes.

Which was kinda the problem.

Say one thing about the Immortal, he really knew how to decorate. The so called study was bigger than most houses. With marble statues, suits of golden armour standing in cabinets. Tapestries hanging from the massive vaulted ceiling and huge paintings on the walls. Some were incredibly expensive, the Immortal often boasted how he knew the artist. Long Italian names that she probably should have recognised if she'd paid any attention in class.

As Maria escorted Buffy through the maze of priceless art not for the first time Buffy wondered if they ever got lost in this place, she never had herself but she was the Slayer. There were probably other servants forever lost somewhere in here.

Then they came up to the more recent stuff. Including the Paintings he'd done himself were the ones he'd painted himself. Beautiful masterpieces that he'd throw together in an afternoon Including one of her, looking like a cross between a greek goddess and an angel.

Dawn had laughed herself silly when she saw it and Buffy just knew she'd snapped a photo for the others to laugh over too.

Still they went deeper until they found the Immortal at his old desk. Lent over the ancient looking wooden slab scratching away at a scroll. To his right was a computer Buffy knew Willow would love to get her hands on. Never before had Buffy ever came across someone so comfortable with both the ancient and modern.

The Immortal was a mystery, an enigma. It was part of what drew her to him. He was a contradiction she struggled to understand. It had taken her a long time, maybe too long, to realise she was never going to.

With a couple of strokes on the ancient looking paper he wiped the quill and with a soft smile lent back. 'Buffy, it always brightens my day to see you!' he told her his voice warm and clear, beautiful, blue eyes sparkling behind his long black hair.

Whenever Buffy tried to picture him he was always average, nothing stood out about him. As if he could walk through a crowd and never be noticed. Then he would speak and she'd see those perfect eyes and Buffy would see a flash of the Immortal. The legend that she'd heard so many stories about and wonder what he saw in her.

Here was man that could have any woman he wanted, anything he wanted, with nothing more than a smile, but this was something she had to do. 'I hadn't seen you for awhile. You've been so busy recently, I thought you'd forgotten all about me.'

He grinned, rising from his chair with a grace even Buffy envied. 'Never, my love. Not in all the eons. That I promise you. You're too important. Far too important to me.' Sliding past the table Buffy found herself caught up in the moment and his impulsive kiss.

Buffy had to focus, she'd come here for a reason and she couldn't let him distract her. 'Maria, can you give us a moment?'' She asked the Maid, 'There's something we have to talk about.'

'Of course, I am at your service.' Maria bowed and left.

The Immortal holding Buffy close smiled down at her. 'You have missed me.'

He held her in that clear gaze, Buffy could easily get lost in his eyes. As she had so often before. It took a lot of effort to pull away, but some how she did so. 'No, i mean it. We need to talk.'

Something flickered across his face, but it was gone before Buffy could recognise it. 'Yes, of course. It's only because I missed you. Sometimes I get lost in my work and it consumes me. How's Dawn? She's been in England a week now, yes?'

Buffy brightened. 'She's loving it, I got a phone call this morning. Oxford seems to agree with her.'

'I knew she'd like it.' He said, as if the punchline of a private joke.

She knew that tone. 'What did you do?'

'I might have made a few… suggestions. Here and there.'

'Something to do with how she got such a nice place so cheaply?' Buffy asked archly. He'd done the same with her flat her. it was sweet, but kinda annoying to. Like having a big brother always watching out. She'd have done the same for Dawn, but that was her job. Not his. 'Thanks, but you didn't need to.'

'No, but I wanted to. That was enough. I will do anything for you Buffy.' he said honestly.

'I know and that's what makes this hard.' She admitted. 'I do love you. At least I think I do, and I thought that was enough. But I can't be sure.' Sadly Buffy pulled away from his arms. 'I'm going to visit Dawn and I don't know if I'll be coming back.'

The Immortal froze, his face blank for a terrible moment. Then he reached out, only to stop himself at the last moment. 'Please don't.'

'It's not that I want to.' Buffy admitted sadly. 'These last months have been great, it's… It s just we're not going anywhere. I'm not getting any younger and you're not getting any older. I've done this dance before and I can't do it again.'

The Immortal shook his head. 'Please, you don't understand. You're more important than you realise.'

'Not as important as your work. I haven't seen you in days.' She pointed out, gesturing at the piles of paper around his desk.

He closed his eyes again and smiled. It was the same one he used before. 'If I could only explain, if you could see…'

'See what?' Buffy asked almost desperately. 'What is so important? All you ever seem to do is your work, but you never tell anyone what it is. If I'm supposed to see something, show me. Tell me!'

After a long moment he nodded. 'It is time then. Come, this way.' he waved her further into his sanctum, where more books and more and more notes were piled. Something told Buffy she was the first person, other than the Immortal, to see this far into his study and for a moment that scared her.

They came out of the never ending maze into a open space. Buffy realised that they were in the middle of the immense room. standing in the centre was what looked like a shelter. A domed roof held by a number pillars and in the middle a globe. The Immortal walked under it and beckoned her to follow.

'I was born, so very long ago and it took me such a time to realise why.' The Immortal announced, not looking at her, but the world between them. 'While most… long lived beings seek only the past I have always strove for a future. I future I have only caught brief glimpses of, but a future I know must happen.'

'You mean a prophecy? You're a seer?'

'Yes. No. Not in the terms you are thinking of. It was put once by a man that he had a dream. A dream that he knew must come true. As do I. I see the future I must strive to create. The future of the human race.'

Buffy had no idea where he was going with this, and said as much.

'Look up.'

'Huh?'

The Immortal nodded. 'Up. Look up Buffy.'

She did, and gasped. 'What?'

'Its the universe.' He told her. 'Every star you can see in the night sky, and those beyond, I have painted them here. This world is where we are, the stars are where humanity belongs.'

He'd painstakingly put every star there by hand. It actually looked like she could reach out an touch them. 'You want us to… Go to space? To leave Earth?'

'No, to go beyond Earth. Beyond the stars themselves!' He exalted. 'An Empire. an Imperium of man stretching to the edge of existence and beyond!'

Buffy froze. A thousand little hints, doubts she'd forgotten she'd ever had, suddenly made sense to her. It terrified her. 'And who would rule this empire of yours?' she asked.

'I will, of course.' he admitted. 'I will become the glue, the mortar holding the Imperium together. My mind, my will. Do you see now? See where this is all leading to.'

'Sure Adolf. I see.' Buffy snapped, carefully keeping the Globe between them.

He stopped and faced her. 'I thought you might see it that way. You are wrong my love, I am not some petty dictator, or fool with delusions of grandeur. My Empire would not last a mere thousand years, but tens and tens of thousands. Even millions of years.'

'What about democracy? The constitution…'

'Bureaucracy and a piece of paper.' He shrugged. 'High ideals to be certain, but let us face it, not very effective. Politicians seek power for their own glory. They bribe, pervert and distort those ideals until they are unrecognisable. Then there are the priests. Praying to deceased or insane gods while promising salvation to those that open their purses to them.'

Buffy backed away, you could feel the anger and power rolling off of him. This was a side of him she'd never seen, never even imagined was there before. The Immortal visibly calmed himself down. 'Humanity is a child Buffy. One day it will be old enough to make it's own decisions, until then it will be my duty to guide it.'

'Well, have to admit this isn't exactly the response I thought I was going get.' Buffy admitted, trying to sound bright. 'So what exactly do you need me for Darth Vader? Your dark queen?'

'No, I'm sorry but no.' He suddenly sounded like the man she knew, only tinged with sadness. 'It will take thousands of years for me to even begin, you are still mortal my love. You will long be dead before my Imperium is born.'

'Then…'

'Despite my power, my greatness, even I alone cannot rule such an Empire. I will need those I can trust. Princes, Precepts, those who would carry out my word with out question. As if it was my arm. That is where you come in.'

'Okay, no…'

'You would be the mother of my children. Your children. With your strength, your power that of a Slayer and mine combined there would be nothing they could not achieve. They would be the templates for my greatest creations…'

'Alright. Stop right there.' Buffy put her foot down. 'I can safely say that isn't going to happen. I'm going to leave and you can keep doing… Whatever.'

'You can't leave.' He told her in that same soft, warm voice. Those beautiful eyes half hidden behind his hair, but she could still see a sadness. It was deeper than before, but also now had a steel with it. With a horrible suddenness Buffy realised just how right he was

She couldn't remember the way out of the maze.

'What did you do?' She asked, suddenly terrified.

That wasn't all. Even though he hadn't moved the Immortal was somehow bigger. Taller, wider. as if he wasn't growing, so much as expanding. Filling space Buffy hadn't even known was empty before. 'I ask you; do you accept me? Will you join with me? Stand by my side, as you must do until the end of your days.'

Buffy's answer was predictable. She vaulted over the globe and threw a flying kick at him.

Only it never connected Buffy found herself frozen in place mid air. The Immortal holding her there with his raised hand, now engulfed in blue flame.

'Was everything you told me a lie?' She snapped. 'You said you didn't use magic!'

'I don't. Too many prayers and sacrifices to long corrupted and insane gods. This is my power, the power that would belong to all humanity. Eventually.'

Buffy struggled again, but try as she might his invisible fist was too strong. With a gesture he gently put her back down, the blue flame replaced with a soft white glow. 'Please.' He pleaded. 'If you don't change your mind, I'll have to change it for you. With your help I could shave generations from my plan.'

'Go to hell.' Buffy ground out.

The Immortal shook his head and the glow became even brighter. 'Then know this, while you still care. Your family will want for nothing, I will see to it. You will be revered, and loved.'

Buffy wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Instead the glow infused her thoughts, washing away doubt and fear like a summer sun melting the last snows of a bitter winter. Somewhere something deep inside desperately tried to tell her this was wrong. That she had to do something, but all too quickly that stubborn frost thawed in the unconditional love Buffy felt for The Immortal.

With that realisation the words came to her lips unbidden. 'I love you.' she whispered, tears of joy rolling down her face as she gazed into perfection. 'I love you.'

'I love you.'

End Walk The Earth

Disclaimer:-
I do not own Buffy or Warhammer 40,000. they belong to Mutant Enemy inc and Games Workshop respectively.