July 16th, 1996
In a small town in England, on a late night, a small girl wearing a small, red dress was standing alone in a playground.
Her name was Jacqueline, she was five years old. Her skin was pale, white as a ghost. She had short black hair with a bowtie on.
Jacqueline was an orphan, living at the nearby Carruthers Orphanage. She was currently wondering when the caretaker of the orphanage, Milo would show up to pick her up and take her back home.
Over the past few months, Milo had grown increasingly cross towards her. He often singled her out for punishments, such as being locked inside the 'time out' room for a night or even being on the receiving end of his belt.
With the isolation often enforced by the orphanage staff on her and her own shy nature, Jacqueline had no friends among the fellow children at the orphanage, her only interactions with them being either taunting jeers or terrified looks.
Jacqueline was puzzled at what she had done to deserve such animosity or fear. After all, she always tried her best to be a good girl, a well-behaved child. It was her sister that always caused the trouble.
Yes, Bess. Her twin sister-and a truly bad seed. Such as the she bit Milo on the hand when he went to punish her for kicking her ball into a window, breaking it. Or the time she gave Timothy a bloody nose at snack time when he wouldn't give her his seat.
Jacqueline couldn't stand her sister, who, it seemed, took glee in being malicious and getting her-the 'goody good' as she mockingly called Jacqueline-into trouble.
The orphan girl felt a chill go up her spin when she heard leaves start to crumple-a sign someone was approaching her, "Hello?"
Nervously, she looked over her shoulder, calling out, "Is anyone there?"
"Lost are you, dearie?"
Jacqueline turned around to see a thin figure step out the darkness. It was a tall, dark-haired woman dressed in white. Something in her eyes-that unblinking stare-gave Jacqueline a fright.
"Um…", Jacqueline stuttered as the woman stepped closer and closer towards her, "n-no, I'm waiting for some-"
"No need to fret, my pet,", the woman told her as she approached, her hands at her sides, "with me here, it'll all be right as rain."
Jacqueline gulped at the predatory glare in the woman's eyes-which clashed with the gentle tone of her voice.
The woman lifted up one of her arms and began to beckon Jacqueline, "Just come with me and…"
As if in a trance, Jacqueline stepped forward, getting within spitting distance between her and the woman.
The dark-haired beauty knelt down and touched Jacqueline on the foreheard. Her eyes quickly looked like a deer that had been struck in its headlights, she began muttering, "Strange…very strange…"
"What?", Jacqueline asked, petrified.
"You, dearie," the woman stared down at the little girl, "I can hear your heart beat…" before droning on while staring into space, "beat…beat…beat…", then returned her attention to Jacqueline, "but then I'm sensing something in you…like…"
The woman paused before asking, "How old are you?", to which Jacqueline held up an entire hand.
This elicited another pause, as if the woman was counting the number in her head before she exclaimed, "Five…five!"
A look of realization shown in the woman's eyes before she gained a massive smile, "Oh, you dearest little duckling!", she nearly tackled Jacqueline in a hug, "I've found you! I can't believe I found you!"
Almost smothered in the embrace, Jacqueline choked out, "Wh-who are you?"
The woman let go before getting on her knees to look the child in the eyes, telling her with glee, "I'm your mummy."
Jacqueline couldn't believe what she was hearing, "My what?"
The smiling woman nodded, "That's right, dearie. Now, what would your name be?"
"Jacqueline."
The woman laughed, clearly delighted, "Jackie, Jackie."
She launched up to her feet, "Ooh, so much to plan, so much to do, but first," before taking Jacqueline up into her arms, "we need to get you home to Daddy."
…
"Nancy, are all the children in bed yet?", Milo Carruthers, at his desk at the orphanage, asked his assistant.
Milo was a balding man of medium build in his late fifties.
Nancy was a portly woman in his mid-forties with brown hair.
"Yes sir-well, all except Jacqueline," Nancy added with a trace of guilt, "of course."
Milo gave out a grumble before dismissing her, "That will be all."
Milo did not see what she was so worked up about. He had just managed to get rid of the orphanage's worst problem child and even scored a financial boost for the place's coffers in the process.
Well, a portion of the money would go to the orphanage directly. The rest would be placed for safe keeping in a bank account managed by him for…emergencies and the like.
He dialed a number before holding the phone up to his ear, "Mr. Bryardale, what we discussed earlier…that wretched child is gone."
Milo said the last bit with satisfaction before continuing on, "Now, about the transfers to my account…"
…
Spike, shirtless with only his pants on, his jacket sitting on a nearby chair, was sitting down on the couch at his and Drusilla's hideout. It was a dingy rathole with all the windows boarded up.
He was watching the television when he heard the door slam open with cries of, "Spike! Spike!"
Spike turned to greet Drusilla, "What's all the commotion for, luv-", but paused, going even paler than usual, at the child she was carrying in her arms.
Oh no, he thought, hoping his lover did not sire another child in an attempt to start a 'family' again, grimacing at memories of the disaster that was the last attempt.
"Dru," the blonde vampire looked at her sternly, "that had better just be a snack you got in your arms there."
Drusilla, ignoring his tone, smiled, "Spike! Amazing news!", she held up the black-haired child (who was looking at him curiously), "You're a daddy!"
Spike paused before crying out in frustration, "Oh, for the love of…"