Note:

I love the idea of the vengeance-obsessed gypsies, who would stop at absolutely nothing to get what they want – namely vengeance – no matter what the consequences might be or who has to pay.

This is my first kind-of-AU story. It's based on what is laid down in the series, but not identical. There are differences. Let me know what you think of it.

Also, this one will probably be more mature than my previous stories. So you have been warned. But I will also put a warning at the beginning of the according chapters.

Chapter 1 – The Assignment

Romania, 1898

A vampire ran through the darkness as if for once he was not the hunter but the hunted. But he couldn't run away from what was trying to get him. It was simply useless. He didn't even know what exactly he was running from. He only knew that he had just killed a young gypsy girl and her clan had not taken it too well. They were out to get him and make him pay, that much he knew.

An old woman recited an even older spell, so old in fact that even the gypsies could not remember where it had come from. But they had given the spell a new twist, had added a little something new of their own. After all, vengeance was something very personal for them.

The vampire felt something go through him and fell to the ground. When he looked up, a man was looking down at him. The man wasn't frightened of the vampire. He had no reason to be frightened since the vampire had a soul now. Knowing that, the man would be able to sleep much better at night from now on. The vampire on the other hand would not be sleeping well from now on. That thought gave the man even more satisfaction.

When the man was done gloating, he simply left the vampire lying where he was, convinced that he wasn't a threat anymore. And there was a lot to do. He turned to two young men who had been standing close by. "You know what to do."

"Yes." They grabbed their bags, which had been lying on the ground, and swung them over their shoulders.

The man then made his way back to the main part of the camp. When he came across a couple of young children playing in front of a wagon, he said, "Find me Buffy and tell her I want to see her."

"You wanted to see me, Constantin."

"Buffy, please, come in. Let me say again, in the name of the elders and the whole clan, how sorry we all are about the death of your sister. Dawn was such a promising and delightful young woman. She was taken from us much too early."

"Thank you. But that is not why you had me called here, is it?" Buffy asked guardedly.

"No, it is not. You know what is expected of you?"

"Expected of me?" Buffy especially stressed the first word.

"Your duties," Constantin clarified.

"I know what you think my duties are, but I don't agree. I think they are a bunch of goat shit."

"How dare you speak like this?" he asked outraged.

Buffy just rolled her eyes.

"You have a duty to your clan, to your family and to your dead sister."

"I loved my sister very much. But she is dead. I can't make her alive again by doing this. Nothing will ever bring her back."

"But the beast still runs free. He has to be watched."

"Because you let him. And then you put this stupid curse on him that makes absolutely no sense."

"Oh, it will make sense in time."

"Please, enlighten me," Buffy mocked.

"He will suffer, when the time comes. Our vengeance will be sublime."

"He is already suffering, is he not? You gave him a soul. What more do you want? Besides, shouldn't we be punishing the demon that killed my sister and not this souled version?"

"The creature in him would not have cared, but the soul can be punished. Only the soul can feel remorse and guilt for what he did. And maybe then even the creature will suffer. And even if the demon won't be touched, it doesn't matter. Eventually, the soul will be made to suffer even more."

"You don't make much sense, do you know that?" Buffy asked irritated.

"One day he will hold somebody dear again. One day he will do something that will make him loose his soul again. And then the curse will strike. And then we will strike again," he said maliciously. "We just have to wait and be patient."

"Why would you want him to loose his soul again?" Buffy asked aghast. "He will only kill more people. Innocent people!"

"He will kill the person who is able to give him happiness. And then we curse him again, this time forever. That way he will feel the pain we are feeling right now, but he will feel it for eternity. And until that day comes, you will follow him and watch him."

"Why me? You want vengeance, you go stalk him."

"You are the only one left of your family now, it is your duty." Constantin was starting to loose his patience with her.

"My duty? My duty? My sister is dead!" Buffy yelled. "Nothing I could do will get her back!"

"She was killed by that monster. She was a promising young woman. She was beautiful and gentle and she was taken from us in the cruelest way."

"She wasn't the cleverest either. Maybe if she hadn't strayed too far from the settlement after dark, she wouldn't be dead now." Buffy had told her sister so often to be more careful. But Dawn simply wouldn't listen.

"How dare you speak of her like that? You are disrespectful. I guess we allowed you two too much freedom after the death of your parents, thinking you had it hard enough. But this is outrageous."

"I loved my sister!" Buffy protested vehemently. "You say she was the most precious of the clan but she is only so precious to you now because she is dead and you can strengthen your power by pretending that you actually cared about her as a person. You are using my dead sister to strengthen your hold on the clan and keep them submissive to your whims."

"I will forgive you your words because you are grieving for your only sister and the last family you had. You are young and naïve. You know nothing of what it means to keep our clan together, to keep our values alive and lead a strong and unified community. You don't see the whole picture. Maybe watching the vampire will teach you something about family and our values. You will see how difficult it is to survive out there without the warmth of the clan, without the stronghold the community has given you all your life. We won't leave you completely without guidance and support. But you will learn to miss what you can't value today."

Buffy snorted defiantly.

"You are nothing without the clan." He made it sound like a threat.

Buffy didn't agree. Without the clan, she would be free, free of all the restrictions, of all the rules and obligations the clan demanded of its members. Maybe this was her chance to get away, to see the world. Before, she had been responsible for her sister. And Dawn would never have wanted to leave the clan and her friends. Besides, Buffy would have had a hard time supporting them both on her own. While being responsible for Dawn she wouldn't have risked such an uncertain future. But now she only had herself to think of.

"One other person will accompany you. Riley already volunteered. But you may choose somebody else. If that person agrees, you will pose as cousins traveling together. If you can't find anybody else, Riley will accompany you. We will provide you with money and whatever you need to keep an eye on the vampire. You will report to us on a regular basis. If you don't or if you should consider abandoning your duties, we won't support you any longer. But I am sure you will do the right thing, for your sister. You would not want to disappoint her, would you?"

"No." Buffy wouldn't. She did owe it to her sister. Somebody had to pay for her death. And so far that hadn't really happened.

"I am sure she would have done the same for you. And we, the elders, will regard the sacrifices you are making by leaving the protection of the clan very highly. And it would be horrible, if somebody else had to suffer her fate just because you don't want to do you duty. Wouldn't it?"

"Yes."

"Good, I see we understand each other. Finally. For now, Xander and Larry are following him. But you will leave as soon as possible and take over for them. Go and pack what you need and get some rest. We'll talk about everything else tomorrow. Sleep well. It might be your last peaceful sleep in the safety of the clan for a long while."

Buffy did as she was told and went back to her wagon. It used to be their wagon, her sister's and hers. But Dawn was gone now. Buffy was divided and confused by everything that had happened. She loved her sister dearly. They hadn't always gotten along too well. They'd been so different. Her younger sister had always been the favorite. She had been beautiful and easily influenced by the clan elders. They liked to portray her as the perfect gypsy, who had overcome their parents' death by embracing the old traditions. She was a role model for many of the younger members. Dawn had needed something to look up to, to hold on to after their parents' death. The elders had used her desperation and forlornness to their own advantage.

Buffy had watched this development with some concern, as she herself did not agree with the blind devotion that was often required by the old customs. Buffy was of the opinion that following century old traditions without questioning them was not a sign of devotion but rather plain stupid. But they had given Dawn a purpose and clear guidelines after the confusion that had been caused by the death of their parents. And Buffy hadn't had the heart to take that illusion from her as well. She wanted Dawn to grow up as carefree as possible. She had always been suspicious of the leading members, but seeing how they gave her sister the strength and support to go on and forget the tragedy, she didn't want to cause any trouble.

And now her sister was dead. Killed by a vampire. Drained of her last drop of blood. It was a horrible crime and the creature that did this to her innocent sister should have been punished severely. But instead they used their old tricks and made everything more complicated and into a political agenda. They should have simply killed him and be done with it, so that everybody could go on with their lives. She still didn't fully understand how the curse worked or who had come up with it. She understood that the soul that had once belonged to the body the vampire had overtaken was back. But she didn't understand the concept of it. Had the soul been gone or simply inactive? Did it take a backseat and cheered the demon on when he killed? If that was the case, he too deserved to die. But what if not? Maybe the soul was as innocent as her sister. If not, she was not sure she could bear to watch him go on living, while her sister was dead. She might just kill him and be done with it, no matter what the clan elders would say. She had been chosen to watch over their vengeance. It had been her sister that had been killed. Why shouldn't she be able to express that vengeance as she liked? And he was still a vampire after all, living on human blood, soul or no soul.

Buffy didn't want to go on this wild-goose chase. She didn't see the sense in it. But after the talk Constantin had given her, she was not really too keen to stay either. At least this way she would get away from everything for a while. She only had to report on his whereabouts once in a while. As long as she didn't loose him, she could do with her time whatever she wanted. She could see a completely different world, away from all the rules and restrictions of the clan. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

Buffy felt restless and she was still confused about what she had just learned. Besides, the emptiness and quiet of the wagon was unsettling and weird. Dawn used to talk all day long without hardly ever taking a breath. Buffy decided to go and see Janna.

"Buffy, how are you?" Janna asked with concern when Buffy came in.

"I don't know."

"Come here and sit down."

Buffy sat down. She looked so forlorn. Janna got a blanket and wrapped it around her.

Janna had taken a liking to Buffy and Dawn after the death of their parents. She had no children of her own and she especially liked Buffy for she had a will of her own, something Janna had possessed a long time ago herself, but had never been brave enough to make known. Buffy did and Janna had always admired that about her.

"Are they sending me away to get rid of me?"

Janna was a powerful gypsy and on the best way to become one of the clan elders herself one day soon. She was already involved in most of the important clan business. And she was also aware of the elders' plans for Buffy.

"No, not like you think they are. You have been getting on their nerves a bit, being too outspoken and progressive for their tastes. Change in our clan comes gradually, not suddenly. I think since Dawn is gone, they have quite high hopes for you. They think sending you away will make you more mature and at the same time also more powerful."

"They don't want me more powerful, unless they can control me."

"They hope that while following the murderer of your sister, you will come to see it their way."

"And if I don't?"

"I wouldn't be too outspoken about that, if I were you," Janna cautioned her.

"Are you saying I should keep my mouth shut?"

"At least for the time being. And you will be away for quite a while. Maybe it won't be necessary to be that cautious when you come back."

"How long will they send me away for?"

"I am not sure. But it could be up to several years."

"Years? Great…"

"Things will change, Buffy. Be patient. See it as your chance to get away, to breathe fresh air. I know you've considered leaving before. You only stayed because of your sister."

"I wouldn't have known where to go anyway."

"Now you know."

"Following the murderer of my sister around is not how I imagined it."

"You will be doing a lot more than that. He is a vampire, he can't move around during the day. It will give you a lot of freedom."

"What would happen if… if I simply killed him? Maybe accidentally? Or in self-defense?" Buffy asked cautiously and in a subdued voice so she wouldn't be overheard.

"Ah…" Janna said knowingly.

"What?"

"You could do that. But if you obey the elders, it will give you a lot of admiration among the clan. You know how highly they regard vengeance, loyalty and duty. It will make you a powerful gypsy in your own right."

"And it won't, if I simply kill him? Is that what you are trying to say? Would they punish me for it?"

"Probably not, but it won't earn you the same amount of respect as if you showed your endurance by doing as they ask for now. And like I said, it will give you freedom for a while. If you kill him right away, they will likely find out sooner or later and order you back here."

"So I stalk him for a couple of years and simply come back, is that it?"

"Yes."

"Could I kill him then?"

"It probably wouldn't have the same repercussions."

"But you still wouldn't recommend it?"

Janna just smiled at Buffy fondly. "That's a long way ahead, don't you think?"

"If I don't kill him, won't I have to watch him forever?"

"No, somebody else will probably be appointed to take over once you have proven to be worthy."

"I see."

"So, who are you taking with you?"

"I will ask Willow."

Janna smiled kindly. "No surprise there."

"No, not really, I guess. And I don't think she will object. She seems shy to most people but-"

"- she is a force to be reckoned," Janna finished for her.

"How do you know?"

Janna smiled knowingly. "I am not blinded like some."

"You know?" Buffy asked cautiously.

Janna nodded.

"And you never told them?" Buffy asked surprised.

"No harm done in them not knowing." Janna grinned.

Willow had become a powerful witch over the years, without any of the elders being aware of it. Most gypsies knew some basic spells and curses. Some specialized in medicines or love potions. But most commonly known spells were rather harmless. And most spells were only passed on when clan members were considered old enough to not misuse them for playing tricks on others. Most knowledge and spells were handed down according to age or life stages, like marriage, having children and so on.

Buffy knew quite a few spells herself, more than most people her age – except Willow. Janna had taught Buffy as she thought her very mature for her age. At first, Buffy hadn't been very interested in remembering all the words and tools of the trade. But when she became responsible for her younger sister, she had felt she needed to learn it to better be able to take care of her. Buffy was a good student, even if she herself didn't think so. But her real gift seemed to be the art of prophecy and foretelling. Spells and magic could be learned by almost anybody, some were good at it and some were not. But prophecies were different. One had to have them first to be able to recognize them, read them and interpret them. The really skilled ones were even able to actively summon dreams or signs. Sadly, Janna hadn't been able to hone those talents as well, as she herself was not very familiar with them at all. And asking someone else to teach her would have meant revealing to them how much Buffy knew already.

But Willow's family was an exception. They were forbidden to practice any spells or magic at all. Her family had a dark history with it and was thus completely prohibited from using magic. Hardly anyone could remember what had caused this restriction. It was said that Willow's grandmother had done something very terrible when she was young, that she had not been able to control her magic. Buffy knew better. Willow's grandmother had gotten too powerful for the taste of the elders and used her powers for purposes that were not approved by them. Eventually she'd had to back down in order to protect her family. Nowadays, the elders left her alone as she was senile and not considered a threat anymore. In reality, Willow's grandmother successfully pretended to be senile and Willow had volunteered to care for her frail and ailing grandmother. It was the perfect opportunity for her grandmother to pass on her knowledge to her granddaughter, as Willow was only too eager to learn everything there was to learn about magic. It worked well for them and they had great fun knowing that they had been deceiving the elders successfully for years now. Only Buffy knew the real reason why Willow was spending so much time with her grandmother.

"I think Willow won't mind leaving the clan for a while. But Constantin told me that somebody had already volunteered to accompany me. You'll never guess who."

"Who?"

"Riley."

"And that surprises you? Really?" Janna asked amused.

Buffy just looked at her questioningly.

"Well, it seems it was for you. Riley likes you."

"He probably just volunteered because he thought it would help him become more powerful and rise faster in the clan hierarchy."

"I don't think that is his only motive."

"What do you mean?"

"Buffy, he has had an eye on you for years."

"We are the same age. We grew up together," Buffy said matter-of-factly.

"It's more than that. So you are not interested?"

"In Riley? No!"

"Sorry I asked," Janna said teasingly.

"Maybe you are interested in him?" Buffy asked jokingly.

"Certainly not. Too young for me."

Buffy grinned. "Says who? Or is there somebody I don't know about?"

"No, nobody," Janna sighed. "The selection of eligible men here is not exactly overwhelming. They are all so narrow-minded."

"I know what you mean," Buffy groaned.

They both laughed.

Then Buffy said, "There is something I didn't quite understand about that curse."

"Yes?"

"The vampire was given back his soul so he would suffer, right?"

Janna nodded.

"But they actually want him to loose his soul again. Why? That's stupid."

Janna sighed. "He will feel remorse for the people he killed. But-"

"The people the demon killed," Buffy clarified.

"Right."

"But is the soul innocent or a partner in the crime?"

"I don't think they care about that."

"I gathered as much. But I would like to know."

"I can't tell you for sure, Buffy. I don't know. Only the vampire could answer that for you. We know a lot about them. But not what is going on in their minds. And as far as I know, this curse has never been tried before."

"If the soul really is innocent, if the soul is like a different person, why would they punish him? That would only be fair if he were an accomplice."

"They need a scapegoat."

Buffy thought about this for a while. She didn't come to a satisfying conclusion. She simply would have to find out that answer herself. Then she remembered what she had really wanted to know. "Sorry, I interrupted you before. Please go on. Why would they want him to loose the soul they cursed him with?"

After seeing Buffy's reactions to what she had told her so far, Janna was sure she would like this even less. "The soul will feel remorse for the victims. But the elders think that this suffering is not enough. It would not be equal to our suffering for having lost one of our one, a loved one. Vampires kill random people to feed on. They don't know them. They have no emotional bond with them. Which means, he doesn't feel the same kind of devastation he would feel as if he had lost someone close to him."

"Maybe he did," Buffy pointed out.

Janna shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows."

"By now he might already feel guilty about having killed his whole family, his whole neighborhood or even his whole town."

"I hadn't thought of that," Janna admitted.

"And of course the elders wouldn't think of that either, right?" Buffy asked, although she was pretty sure of the answer.

"Hardly."

"And probably wouldn't care either."

"Most likely."

Buffy sighed in frustration. "Okay, so they don't care, we've established that. And they don't consider the punishment severe enough yet. So what happens next?"

"Well, they believe that one day, he will come to care about somebody again. And then he will loose his soul and kill that person."

"I got that. And it's plain cruel. They actually want him to kill an innocent. But, wait, how would he loose his soul? Oh, God, I get it," Buffy said shocked. "They want me to watch him and when he finds somebody like that, they want me to take his soul again so that he will kill that person?" Buffy asked aghast.

"No, that's not it."

"Then I don't understand," Buffy said confused.

"Your job is only to report to the clan after he has already lost his soul, so that we can recurse him."

"But how will he loose his soul?"

"Happiness."

"Happiness?"

"Perfect happiness. He needs to forget his sins. He needs to feel he has been forgiven. He needs to truly care about somebody. He needs to fall in love."

Buffy didn't consider that scenario very likely, but for completeness' sake she went on, "So for example, he might loose his soul while they are kissing, he vamps out and rips the poor girl's throat out?"

"Kissing probably wouldn't be enough," Janna offered a bit reluctantly.

"Then what…?" Suddenly the pieces fell into place. "You mean…?"

Janna nodded.

Buffy blushed, then she said outraged, "That's twisted and sick! Who would come up with something like that? What happened to simple punishment, like… I don't know… beheading or burning at the stake or stabbing with a sword or in his case simply staking him?"

"You know how the elders are, Buffy," Janna said resignedly.

"What if he feels so guilty that he doesn't make any friends? And who would fall in love with a vampire?"

"Gypsies can be very patient."

"So I have been told. How patient?"

"Centuries? Who knows."

"Well, I can hardly follow him when I am old and wobbly on my legs, leaning on a cane and he is still as young as ever. They'll definitely have to find someone to replace me first then."

"Believe me, they will. They will do everything and anything to make sure of their vengeance."

"Don't they have any hobbies?" Buffy murmured.

Janna laughed. "I guess not."

Suddenly Buffy got very quiet.

"What's wrong, Buffy?"

"I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean? You have a clear path before you."

"No, I don't. I always did the things I did for my sister. Now, she is gone. I don't know my purpose in life anymore. I never considered what I wanted. I only ever considered what would make our life easier, what would make her life easier."

"You'll find out soon enough."

"It's scary."

"I have no doubt that you will do just fine, Buffy. You are very inventive."

"I miss her."

"I know. You can sleep here tonight, if you want."

"Thank you, but I guess I have to learn to sleep alone anyway."

"Tomorrow will be early enough, don't you think?" Janna gave her a tender smile.

"Okay."

TBC