A Sliver of Dawn
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, and I make no money from it as well. Mores the pity on both accounts. Buffy & Company belong to Joss Whedon & Mutant Enemy, all Twilight characters belong to Ms. Meyers. Lucky so & so's.
A/N: Hello to all! Once again, I was working on my other stories and this bunny just popped into my head. I tried to ignore it, but… yeah, here it is. Read and review, let me know if this worth continuing.
A/N2: Timeline- after season 7 for Buffy and around Eclipse to Breaking Dawn of Twilight
Chapter 1
Dawn leaned towards the mirror in front of her, reapplying her lip gloss.
Music thumped loudly from the main cavern as she slipped the tube into her pocket and snatched her cell phone. She fired off a quick text to her sister, letting her know that she was fine and that she'd crash over at Celeste's that night.
She may be turning 19 in four months, but that didn't stop Buffy from always checking up on her. She'd had to lie to go out, knowing her sister would never let her go if the older Summers' had known where their destination was that night.
Buffy thought she was going to dinner and a movie with friends.
Receiving a text that told her to have fun and to be safe, Dawn put the phone away and made her way back to her friends.
She weaved her way through the throngs of people. Some were dancing, some were simply chatting and some were smoking, plus, she could tell from sweet and musky scent of the smoke, that some weren't smoking cigarettes.
Ah, the freedom of an underground rave.
Normally, these types of parties were off limits to the brunette, but Celeste's new boyfriend was friends with the DJ, so here she was, dancing the night away.
They'd had to drive a little over an hour outside of Rome, to the coast. They were about twenty minutes from a sleepy town, in an abandoned factory that butted up to a large network of caves.
Luckily, there were semi-working bathrooms just inside the factory, so Dawn hadn't needed to visit the little tree's outdoor room and end up lost in the wilds of Italy.
Finally she spotted Celeste and rejoined her friend.
The music was extremely loud. The base thrummed in her bones and made her want to dance. She grabbed Celeste's hand and dragged her to the edge of the mass of writhing and gyrating bodies.
A few songs later, and Dawn needed a drink. "Let's go get something, my mouths drier than dirt."
Celeste laughed and they made their way to Sergio, Celeste's new boyfriend, who was hanging out at the DJ's table.
"Hey there you two, having fun?" Sergio asked in his adorably accented English.
"Great, but we need a drink!" Dawn answered for them.
Celeste gave him a smirk, then snatched the tall plastic cup from his hand and took a few gulps, before handing it to Dawn.
She sniffed the cup and it smelled like OJ, but not.
"Don't worry, it's just a Screwdriver. Only vodka," her friend reassured her.
With a shrug and a grin, Dawn took a big swallow as Sergio said wryly, "Yeah, only vodka."
The alcohol made the OJ taste weird as the drink burned down her throat. Grimacing, she took another large gulp, this was supposed to be a celebration right?
It wasn't every day that Dawn graduated from high school.
Granted, Buffy had flown in and taken her to dinner, but since the other Scoobies couldn't make it, it had felt a little lacking. So, Celeste came up with the brilliant idea to go to the rave.
A week after she had walked across the stage and had accepted her diploma, she finally felt like the occasion was being properly celebrated.
Taking one last swallow of the orangey liquid, Dawn handed the cup back to Sergio.
After Celeste pecked him on the lips in thanks, she pulled Dawn back out to the dance floor.
As the girls started to move their bodies to the beat, the DJ leaned over and whispered/yelled to Sergio, "Isn't that the drink you dropped those two pills I gave you in?
Sergio laughed, "Yep."
"Damn dude, you're evil."
"I don't know what you're talking about, man," Sergio said in mock innocence.
"Think they can handle it?"
Sergio shrugged, "Dunno, but I'm sure looking forward to 'helping' my girl cope, if you know what I mean."
"Man, I can't believe you slipped your girl and her friend E."
Sergio merely shrugged and drank the rest of his spiked OJ. There was no trace of the dissolved pills, so he threw the cup away, smirked at his friend and went to dance with his girlfriend.
After a while, Dawn began to feel odd, but figured it was the alcohol hitting her system.
The night air was warm and with all the dancing, she was starting to feel flushed, but there was a weird icy feeling that shivered over her arms and the top of her head.
Ignoring this, she continued to dance.
A few songs later and the drug completely hit her system and the room gave a liquidy swirl before her eyes.
Dawn blinked in surprise.
It felt like warm waves were crashing over her and as they hit, Dawn shivered.
She knew something was wrong, but she felt so good. So, she shrugged and kept dancing.
She could feel the pulse and throb of the crowd around her, the primal beat of the music compelling her to let go and be a part of the energy around her.
The girl was thrusting her hips to the beat as she raised her arms over her head, and Heidi swore she saw a trail of green sparks.
Startled, Heidi watched a little closer.
The girl was at least 5'8'' and had long beautiful brunette hair that came to the small of her back. She was willowy and graceful as she moved her lithe body to the music.
She was wearing tight dark blue jeans tucked into knee high black suede boots that had a slender two inch heel. Her shirt was black, tight and sleeveless, with very low cut neckline exposing a bit of creamy flesh.
Even if she hadn't seen the odd green sparks flutter from the girl's hands, Heidi would have noticed this gorgeous, young, and mouthwatering woman.
Venom filled her mouth, but the blonde vampire swallowed it back, and pulled out her cell.
She was supposed to be on a fishing trip with a couple of her brethren, but knew that her masters would want know about the girl and her odd talent.
She held the slim plastic up to her ear after speed dialing the castle; she knew Aro would want to hear about this first.
The human secretary, Giovanna, answered on the third ring, then put her through to Aro.
While waiting for her liege to come to the phone, Heidi witnessed two more sparkling shows of light.
When the smooth, dark voice of Aro filled her ear, she wasted no time telling him what she had seen. A few seconds later, she smirked and snapped the phone shut content with the praise she had received for finding the unusual human.
She watched the girl for a couple of more minutes, waiting for the right moment to grab her, and when she told her friend she was going to the bathroom, Heidi decided it was her lucky night.
The blonde vampire shadowed her prey and when she passed one of her fellow fishers, she quickly told him that she had orders to take the girl and return to Volterra.
She hid in the shadows outside the bathroom, and when the girl stumbled past her, she gave her a light punch to the head, dropping her easily.
Heidi checked to make sure that she hadn't damaged the human too much. She felt a pulse, so satisfied with herself, she gathered the girl into her arms and blurred away in a dead run.
A Month Later
Castle Summers, Scotland
Buffy stormed her way through the echoing corridors to the library.
No one approached her, they knew better.
She wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone else's problems and if the mini slayers saw her coming, they quickly found somewhere else to be.
The oldest living slayer had been in a terrible fury for the past month. And everyone knew why.
Dawn.
The slayer's sister was still missing, and Buffy was frantic with worry. The more time that passed without them finding Dawn, the more terrified the blonde became.
They hadn't found any prophecies that needed the Key, and there weren't any rumors from the demon grapevine that someone had kidnapped the Slayer's sister.
With no demonic evidence, that left the human monsters, but they hadn't received any ransom demands or found any reports of a body that fit Dawn's description.
The only clue that Buffy had been given was from Dawn's friend Celeste.
The girl had admitted to taking her sister to a rave in the Italian countryside, but had lost her when she had gone to the bathroom and had never come back.
Celeste had told her that she had looked everywhere, but hadn't found her.
Buffy had had to report her sister missing to the police, but the cops hadn't found anything either.
The blonde slayer slammed her way into the library, making those inside jump.
"Anything?" Buffy asked hopefully, but deflated as she saw both Willow and Giles shake their heads.
Willow had done numerous tracking and locator spells, but they never told them where Dawn was.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Buffy collapsed in a chair next to Giles and he put a comforting hand over her clenched fists.
"We'll find her, Buffy. We won't stop until we do."
"Thanks, Giles, I know. I just wish I knew where she was, what she was doing. That she's alive," Buffy said with a sob and buried her face in her hands.
'Where are you Dawnie?'
Volterra, Italy
Blood, warm, alive, and pounding, tempted Dawn terribly.
She knew the Master wanted her to wait before striking, but the scents coming off the trembling group of humans in the throne room were almost too much for Dawn to resist.
Hunger, burning and insistent, raged in her throat, demanding that she quench her thirst.
The last of the humans came into the room and Felix closed the massive wooden doors with a snap, locking it tight, in case one of the walking blood bags decided to make a run for it.
Escape wasn't an issue, but cleanliness was.
The last time one of the cattle bolted, Dawn had given chase and made a mess in the hallway.
Aro had not been pleased to have blood splashed on the artwork that had lined the hallway. Some of the paintings had been hundreds of years old, given to him by a friend long ago.
Dawn hadn't cared who had painted it, or that it had been given by Carlisle Cullen, but she had cared when she'd had to clean up the mess and had gotten lectured.
Apparently, there was a reason why the drain was in the throne room and not the hallway.
No paintings to be ruined when everything was hosed down after a group feeding.
Learning her lesson the first time, Dawn waited for Aro to give the order to begin feeding.
Her raven haired master gave the nod and Dawn grinned wickedly as she pounced on a young man who was looking around at them all in fear.
As the brunette newborn wrapped her arms around the boy's, to keep him still, she bit into his sweet smelling neck as the chorus of screaming began.
The boy in her arms gave a low moan of pain.
Dawn bit just a little harder, eliciting a louder scream. Satisfied that her prey's fear doubled, the brunette began to drain him dry.
Too soon, the body was empty of blood and life, and she dropped him negligently to the floor.
Surveying the room, she saw that not many humans were left and Dawn pouted.
She'd have to wrestle one of the others or have to share.
Hearing a low whimper, she saw a girl a couple of years younger than her cowering behind Marcus's throne.
Stepping daintily among the dead littering the floor, Dawn went to kneel obediently by Lord Marcus, waiting for him to acknowledge her.
"Yes, dear one?" the dark and brooding vampire asked pleasantly.
"My lord, there is a girl hiding by your throne, may I partake of her?"
Marcus glanced at the human then replied with a small smile, "I will share her with you."
"Oh, thank you!" Dawn said smiling, and went with the ancient vampire to share their meal.
Marcus bit into the girl's neck, then held her arm out for Dawn.
Not hesitating for a second, she took the offered wrist and bit down harshly, relishing the blood, but also the pain and fear that rolled off the girl.
Early on, Dawn realized that she could feed on some of the emotions that her prey felt, which had impressed her masters.
Unfortunately, she couldn't project the emotions, she could only absorb them.
Burning jealousy washed over Dawn, making her look up from her feeding. Her crimson eyes locked with the malevolent gaze of Jane, who glared at her from across the room.
None of the others were ever offered to share prey with their masters, only Dawn.
Aro, Marcus, and surprisingly, even Caius, all had taken a liking to their newest addition.
She mystified Aro, since he could not enter her mind.
Personally, Dawn thought her Keyness is what kept the raven haired vampire from her thoughts, but that wasn't something she was willing to share.
With anyone.
After her change, Dawn had been presented to the three rulers of vampire kind, and the court had been stunned to see the first smile they had seen since his wife had perished, stretch across Marcus's face.
Apparently, Dawn looked like a younger version of his now long dead wife. The ancient had confessed this to her two weeks into her new life as a vampire.
For making Marcus smile for the first time in years, she had won over Caius. He had also told her later on, that for bringing life to his brother, she only needed ask, and it would be hers.
Dawn thought it might have to do with the spell the monks had used to get Buffy to take her in, in the first place.
A love me, help me, protect me urge that would ultimately protect the Key.
But whatever the real reason was, she enjoyed the attention from her masters immensely.
Aro had given her a large suit of rooms in the Volturi Castle and had let her furnish it however she pleased.
But, as usual, not everyone liked all the attention the newborn was receiving.
Specifically Jane.
The dirty blonde vampire absolutely loathed her.
Alec, Jane's brother, had pulled her aside the one day and told her to watch her back. When asked why, he told her that his sister used to be Aro's favorite, but Dawn had replaced her.
Dawn had shrugged and told him that his sister had to deal with it or talk to her.
She wasn't afraid of the mousy haired vampire in the least.
And Jane knew it.
The third week of her existence as a vampire Jane had attacked her, during which, the large coven discovered that Dawn was also immune to Jane's powers.
Intrigued, Aro had put Dawn through a number of tests, which were mainly the others trying their powers on the brunette and seeing if they had any effect on her.
Alec's hadn't touched her, neither could Demetri track her mind.
Chelsea's ability to change relationship ties had passed right over her.
No one could touch her.
And it drove Jane insane with jealousy.
That fact that Dawn knew she drove the other girl crazy only served to enrage Jane even more.
Dawn smirked at Jane, then went back to her meal.
The girl under her mouth groaned in agony as she sunk her teeth into her wrist again, making Dawn close her eyes in pleasure at the double feeding.
When the girl was dead, Marcus casually tossed her body with the other corpses.
"Thank you, Lord Marcus," Dawn murmured appreciatively.
"Always, dear one," he replied with a smile. "Why don't you go get cleaned up before Aro's lessons, you know how he is."
And she did too. Aro was a stickler for cleanliness.
"It's my turn for disposal duty, so I'll change after," she replied.
"Don't worry, dear one, I'll put someone else on it. You go take care of yourself."
Grateful, Dawn nodded, kissed his hand and bobbed a curtsey to the other lords, then made her way to her room to change for lessons.
Every day, Aro would work with her, trying to draw her powers out and train them.
She had confessed to learning magic as a human, so the raven haired vampire was convinced she had lurking powers other than her ability to feed on emotions.
Heidi fell into step with her, and Dawn flashed her a bright smile.
"So, I see you enjoyed that young fellow, huh?" the blonde asked.
"I did," Dawn answered.
"Good. I picked him with you in mind," the other girl confessed.
"Oh? Why?"
"Thought you'd like his blood, it had an extra sweet smell, and I know you were saying how you missed candy…"
"Oh, Heidi! Thank you!" she replied gratefully.
"Yes, how nice," a voice behind them sneered.
"What do you want Jane?" Dawn asked without turning to look at the petulant girl.
"You dead would be nice," she replied snottily.
Dawn looked at Heidi and rolled her eyes. Heidi had to cover her mouth to stifle her snicker, which of course Jane heard.
The tall blonde's eyes widened and then she shrieked in pain.
Dawn finally turned to look at Jane, her expression one of impatience. "Honestly, you would think you aren't even a quarter of your age, the way you behave Jane."
"Oh, really?" the dirty blonde growled at her, then upped the pain Heidi was feeling, causing her to scream and fall to the floor.
Dawn merely raised her eyebrow and laid her hand on Heidi's head. Pain, glorious pain began to seep into her as she ate the other girl's agony.
Feeling Heidi start to relax as the pain left her, Dawn smirked at the dirty blonde.
Huffing in annoyance, Jane spun on her heel and stalked off.
"Thanks," Heidi murmured as she got to her feet, avoiding her gaze, then hurried off in the opposite direction Jane had gone.
Shaking her head in amusement, Dawn went her room and got ready for her lessons.
