Hi! Welcome to my 10th Fanfiction story. This time round it is a crossover involving Doctor Who and Buffy: the Vampire Slayer. It will be a 10xBuffy and eventually, 11xBuffy. This chapter takes place during the later parts of the Buffy: the Vampire Slayer season one finale episode 'Prophecy Girl'.
I don't own Doctor Who or Buffy: the Vampire Slayer. All I own is this story.
Doctor Who © Sydney Newman, C.E. Webber and Donald Wilson. Buffy: the Vampire Slayer Joss Whedon.
Please review constructively and responsibly. If this story isn't your particular brand of vodka, don't read. Allow others to read and form their own opinions. Cheers xx
SACRIFICE
"If heaven is on the way; we'll wrap the world around it."
~Bush: 'Letting the Cables Sleep' (The Science of Things [1999])
PROLOGUE
(imagine the Tenth Doctor's voice reading this out)
"The night was calm and silent.
Not a soul was in sight, and something expected for any typical Californian town with its pastel facades that included their homes and superficial Southern Californian pleasantness revolving around the population. But in a town as evil as Sunnydale; appearances can be deceiving. The dead never rest in peace in this town, they raged. Every type of evil was attracted to the very core of the town; which was commonly called 'the Hellmouth' or as originally dubbed by the Spaniards who founded the town as 'Boca Del Inferno', the Mouth of Hell. Sunnydale – like any other Hellmouth – sucked evil in, exhaled it and expelled it.
But for as long as there had been 'Hellmouths', there is (and always will be) a defender. Buffy Summers: the Slayer; a solidary warrior bestowed with the task of maintaining order within the supernatural world, including taking down evils like vampires, demons and any matter of dark creatures in a 'kill or be killed' fight to the death…. hers. Slayers were known to be exclusively young females with the life expectancy of a bee after it stings. Their short lived lives were fierce and intense, and easily snuffed out if a vampire, demon or the likeminded had luck on their side."
May, 1997.
Sunnydale, California.
Buffy Summers stepped down the street, heading for Sunnydale High School, decked out in a beautiful white dress her mother had brought her to wear to the dance at school. It was a simple dress: empire-lined and sleeveless with layers of gossamer fine white material that ended at her ankles, and on her feet were strappy white high heels that fastened securely around her ankle. Buffy had worn Angel's black duster over the top and fashioned her long blonde hair into a stylish updo. She hardly looked combat ready, but Buffy was determined that if she was to die this night, she would go with some of her dignity intact.
She didn't want to die, but she realised that running away would only stall the inevitable and she wanted to give evil and herself a fight to remember. The high school came into view, Buffy paused taking it all in. Would it hurt to die? Would it be quick? But most importantly, would she be able to defy destiny and live? The Slayer sighed and reluctantly took the path less travelled, and made her way to the Library where her Watcher was; still feverishly searching for a solution that didn't result in his Slayer's demise. Buffy was about to walk in when she suddenly heard voices, she paused and looked through the circular window of the swinging double door of the Library. Giles and Ms. Calendar were in the middle of a heated argument, presumably about the prophecy.
"Isaiah 11:6, which I dutifully looked up." The technopagan was explaining. Buffy frowned. A bible reference? Giles's stressed out face frowned deeper still.
"'The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the lion and the fatling together, and the little child to lead them.'" He recited. Buffy's gave a small smile, understanding that the bible verse was meant to represent her and the Master; but what was this 'little child to lead them'?
Ms. Calendar scoffed.
"That's kinda warm and fuzzy for a message of doom." Giles agreed.
"Well, that depends where he's leading them to. Aurelius wrote of the Anointed One, 'The Slayer will not know him, and he will lead her into hell.'" Buffy silently made her way into the Library, trying not to bring attention to herself as she continued listening to the oblivious teachers.
"So Lucas thinks the Anointed is a kid." Ms. Calendar stated. Giles wanted to believe that that was false, but all signs pointed towards it.
"If the vampire that Buffy killed was in fact not the Anointed, then it may well be." Buffy could see the distress clearly on her watcher's face and part of her wanted to go over and comfort him in his obvious grief, but part of her also wasn't quite ready to forgive him for keeping this from her. Ms. Calendar apparently agreed.
"Well, then we need to warn her." She said, gathering up her things and preparing herself to do just that. But Giles shook his head, vehemently.
"I don't intend involving her at all." Giles stated, and Buffy frowned. Oh no you're not. That will ruin our plans completely… She thought as Ms. Calendar gave Giles a shocked and confused look.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Buffy's not gonna face the Master. I am." He declared and Buffy chose that moment to speak up.
"No, you're not." She stated quietly and firmly. Both Giles and Ms. Calendar turned and faced her as Buffy approached. Buffy steeled herself, as she gathered the last dregs of information she needed before literally walking through the mouth of hell. "So, I'm looking for a kid, huh? And he'll lead me to the Master?" Giles began to panic and started to stride over to her.
"Buffy, I'm not gonna send you out there to die." He stated with a fierce determination. "Now, you were right. I-I've waded around in these old books for so long, I've forgotten what the real world is like." He started gathering up weapons. "I-it's time I found out." Buffy gave him a small, sad smile.
"You're still not going up against the Master." She stated. Giles ignored her.
"I've made up my mind." He strides past Buffy, and she put on her resolve face. She followed him.
"So have I." Giles spun on Buffy, tears threatening to burst from his eyes as his fear started taking him over. He knew that Buffy was the Slayer, but she was also first and foremost an innocent sixteen-year-old girl; whose life had just barely begun, and did not need to be cut off so prematurely. She still had much to learn about life, and much to experience.
"I made up my mine first!" He glared at her. "I'm older and wiser than you, and just … just do what you're told for once! Alright?" He demanded. Buffy shook her head stubbornly.
"That's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer." She finally accepted it. It was time; she just hoped that everything would turn out right in the end. If not, she was officially screwed.
"I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy, and I am going. There's nothing you can say that will change my mind." Giles insisted. Buffy pretended to back down.
"I know." She turned and started to go, but then without warning throws a hard punch to Giles' face, which knocked him out and startled Ms. Calendar who scrambles to his side. Something glinted out the corner of Buffy's eye and she saw the silver cross that she had ripped from her neck in a fit of rage and fear when she had first learned that she was prophesied to die. Well, that was then. This was now. The blonde walked calmly over to the table where the necklace was placed and puts it back on. Ms. Calendar gently lifts Giles' head from the floor and gets it under her knees. She looked up at Buffy, who glances back solemnly. "When he wakes up tell him…" She hesitates. "I don't know. Think of something cool, tell him I said it." Buffy requests with a tight smile.
"You fight the Master, and you'll die." Ms. Calendar reminds Buffy. Buffy pauses, her back to her teacher.
"Maybe." Buffy picks up a crossbow and a quiver of arrows. "But I've got an ace up my sleeve I've still yet to play." Ms. Calendar frowns in confusion. "And just maybe, I'll take the Master with me." She turns and gives a reassuring smile before leaving the Library. Ms. Calendar studies Buffy, questioning what the Slayer meant by 'an ace up my sleeve I've yet to play'. Had she come up with a way to defeat the Master without dying? She turns her attention back to Giles, mulling over the possibility in her head.
While her death was pretty much a 'fixed point' as she had been told, Buffy was still having doubts about whether or not this plan of 'his' would actually work. She was terrified, but thankfully maintaining a brave face. As Buffy stepped outside of the school, she glanced around looking for a hint or a whisper of any other presence. Frowning, she walked a short distance still looking around when she came across a young boy.
Buffy froze, eying him with trepidation.
"Help me…" He pleaded, sounding scared. Buffy immediately saw right through that. The act was good, but not enough to fool the Slayer. She knew who he was and she lowered the crossbow in her hand and gave him a small smile.
"It's okay. I know who you are." Having been found out, the boy; now recognised as the Anointed One, drops the 'scared little boy' act and holds out his hand. Buffy immediately takes it, and he begins to lead her away to the Master.
Almost a moment after Buffy took the vampire child's hand, the Slayer instantly caught the comforting and very welcomed presence of someone she trusted with all her heart. A man who knew all too well the fate that had been unceremoniously and unwantedly bestowed upon her; because he had the same duty himself. A man she loved truly and irrevocably.
Buffy glanced over to the presence and glimpsed a tall, lanky but handsome young man with gravity defying dark brown hair, dressed in a brown suit with blue pinstripes, white converse hi-tops and a heavy looking light brown trench coat that had both his hands buried deep inside the pockets. However, as young as this man looked, he was anything but. This man was, in actual fact, a centuries old alien from a distant planet called Gallifrey.
He was a Time Lord; a man with the ability to change faces (not that Buffy knew that yet) with eyes so ancient and wise that have seen so much of time and space itself.
He knew what is, what was, what's to come, and also what should never come to fruition. And Buffy's death at the hands of the Master counted as one of those events that should NEVER come to fruition … if the Doctor had anything to say about it.
Buffy gave the Doctor a nod to acknowledge that he was there, and he answered with very tiny smile and a wink to reassure the very scared Slayer that everything would be alright.
The Doctor watched as the Anointed One lead his Slayer towards the place the Master was trapped within. He was so intent on watching where the duo were heading that he almost failed to acknowledge the presence of his other companion.
"What happens now, Doctor?" He turned his head and glanced briefly at Martha Jones, a pretty and very clever trainee doctor from London, England; who eyed Buffy with worried dark brown eyes. Martha was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a fuchsia coloured spaghetti-strap top, burgundy leather jacket and black high heeled boots. Her black hair was tied back into a simple ponytail. The Doctor privately hoped that Martha was up for whatever they both were to come across. When he deemed it safe, the Doctor immediately grabbed Martha's hand and followed where he had seen Buffy and the vampire child disappear.
"Let's go. Quickly!" He urged, and the two of them sprinted away.
A short time later, Buffy found herself in the tunnels. She eyed her 'kidnapper' warily as he guides her inside, and Buffy raised the crossbow up; ready to launch at a moment's notice. The Anointed One leads Buffy down some stairs and into a round side tunnel. Both of them were pursued by the Doctor and Martha closely. Eventually, both Buffy and the Anointed One reach the entrance of the Master's lair. He stops, and Buffy looks down at him questioningly. He points down below, encouraging her to enter, before turning and making his way back the way he came.
Buffy allows him to go; he wasn't her target, and if she somehow survived this, he would be the next target on her never-ending list of things to kill. She turns and makes over way down to the floor below. Buffy takes stock of her surroundings: there are hundreds of candles burning everywhere. The Doctor and Martha arrive at the entrance, but make no move to walk in. They crouch instead next to the lip of the cave and observe.
"Welcome." Buffy froze, as does Martha whose eyes widen in fear. The Doctor stiffens and places a calming hand on Martha's shoulder, of which she is grateful for. The Master's voice bounces all around the room. Buffy straightens up, and gets a firmer grip on the crossbow in her hands.
"Thanks for having me." She replies crisply. The Master steps into the light, and Buffy turns to face him. Martha let's out a gasp when she sees the Master's gruesome features. Buffy sizes him up. "Y'know, you really oughta talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage." Buffy observed, and the Doctor smirked. That'a girl… He thought fondly. Trying to make light of a situation that could mean imminent death for herself.
The Master looked unimpressed.
"Oh, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight. Why don't we just cut to the…" Without warning, Buffy aims and let's fly a bolt in the direction of the Master. However, he uses his lightning fast reflexes to catch it in mid-flight right in front of him at chest level. The Doctor curses, as Buffy quickly reloads the bow. The Master examines the bolt with interest.
"Nice shot." He breaks the arrow in half like kindling and tosses it aside. "You're not going to kill me with that thing." He promises.
Buffy makes a face.
"Don't be so sure." The Master starts pacing the barrier of his entrapment like a tiger, eager for its next kill.
"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you?" The Master states, Buffy maintains her distance while keeping him within her sights. "You are not the hunter. You are the lamb." The Doctor bristled. Not if I have anything to say about it… He quickly turns to Martha, having sensed the nearby presence of another vampire approaching. But he doesn't sense any ill-intent and dubs it safe to implement the next stage in his plan.
"Go, Martha! Get help." He urges her. Martha's eyes widened in alarm.
"I'm not abandoning you and Buffy. No way!" She protested, but the Doctor gripped her by the shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Martha, but you're going to have to. I need to distract the Master to give Buffy enough time to do what she has to do." The Doctor explained, impatiently. Martha still protested.
"But I want to help!" She whisper-shouted, struggling against the Doctor's iron grip, but he held fast.
"Exactly. That's what you are doing. Helping. And you're helping by getting help." The Doctor pulled a large wooden crucifix from one of his pockets and handed it to Martha, who stared at it and him with fear. She didn't want to leave him or Buffy, but knew she had no choice. She briefly hugged the Doctor who reciprocated then lightly pushed her off in the direction they came and focused upon Buffy and the Master.
Martha was slightly hurt and envious of the look of concern and deep love reflected in the Doctor's eyes, as he looked at the Slayer. Time and time again, she had wanted the same attention directed towards her from the Doctor; but it a pipe dream. The Doctor could only see Martha as a close friend, nothing more. It had taken a while for Martha to come to that conclusion, as she got to her feet and walked towards the entrance to the tunnel. With one last look at the Doctor, Martha steeled herself and walked back the way she came; looking for the help she, Buffy and the Doctor required.
Buffy walked slowly around, searching for the Master. He was really starting to freak her out; but the worst thing she could do was let him know that. She was counting on the Doctor to follow through with their plan, and she was wondering what was taking him so long. She gasps when she comes upon a dead and rotting body, but easily dismisses it as she continues her search. Buffy was getting annoyed by this stupid game of 'hide-and-seek', it reminded her uncomfortably of her second trip back in time with the Doctor...
"You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide." She taunted him, trying to get him to slip up and reveal himself. The Master chuckled darkly.
"I'm waiting for you. I want this moment to last." He replied succinctly. Buffy frowned with disgust.
"Well, I don't." She stated. After searching for a few minutes longer, the Master suddenly comes to stand right behind her.
"I understand." He whispers and Buffy turns around to face him as the Master knocks the crossbow out of her hands and grabs her by the neck. Buffy panics.
Doctor…
She swings up with her arm, and knocks his hand away and starts to run. She almost makes it to where the Doctor is hiding, when the Master holds out his hand towards her and she freezes in her tracks, caught in his hypnotic powers. The Doctor saw his chance, he stands up and walks into view just as the Master starts to walk over to Buffy.
"Hey now, that's no way to treat a young woman!" The Doctor stated loudly, drawing the Master's attention, and Buffy instantly brightens. Doctor! Took your time, much? The Doctor gazed at Buffy as though realising her irritation with him and winks. The Vampire King frowned at the interruption.
"Who are you? Are you so eager to die?" He demanded. The Doctor's jovial manner immediately shifted to dark, dangerous one that made every hair on Buffy's arm stand up on end.
"Don't you disrespect me, Heinrich. You know very well who I am." The Master's eyes widened, then he snarled; while Buffy blinked in shock.
"I'd say it was good to see you again, Doctor, but it would be a lie." He inspects the Time Lord from head to toe and sneers. "I see you've changed faces again." The Doctor winces when he notices Buffy's widened eyes, but he chose to pretend he hadn't seen.
"Several times since we last spoke." He agreed. "Only last time, you were not a vampire." He stated with pity in his eyes. The Master hated that.
"Spare me the pity reflected in your arrogant eyes, Doctor." He sneered. "Your pity is wasted here." He gestured around the sunken cavern they were currently standing in. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have something I need to address with the Slayer." He approached her, making slow twisting motions with his hand. The Doctor immediately produced his screwdriver and brandished it at the Master who raised an invisible eyebrow at the scientific instrument.
"I'm afraid, I can't allow that." The Doctor declared calmly, but his voice promised punishment and death if the Master should defy him. "This stops now." The Master paid no mind to the Doctor's threats.
"You have no power here, Time Lord." He comes up behind Buffy, and gently takes off her leather jacket; letting it fall to the ground. Buffy panted hard with fear and she looks at the Doctor with pleading eyes.
"Doctor…" Buffy whimpered.
"Everything will be okay, sweetheart. I promise you." The Doctor reassured her confidently. The Master snorted.
"Don't make promises that you can't keep." The Doctor came forward.
"Stop this!" The Vampire King eyed him.
"Try and stop me." He challenged the Doctor, who advanced without hesitation… and thudded against an invisible barrier. It seemed that the Powers that Be had spoken. Buffy's heart started to beat frantically as the Master laughed. The Doctor snarled and thudded helplessly against the barrier, trying to break through.
"Buffy! NO!" He yelled out desperately. Buffy was now completely at the Master's mercy.
"Save your breath." The Master told the Doctor dismissively before turning to the terrified Slayer. "And as for you, my dear…" He took his place behind Buffy and leaned in to whisper at her ear. "You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures." He eyed the Doctor as he continued his musings. "They don't tell you everything." Buffy could feel his putrid breath on her cheek and she shuddered. "You're the one that sets me free!" He whispered. Her eyes widened. "If you hadn't come, I couldn't go." He gloated as he leaned in closer. "Think about that!" Both Buffy and the Doctor are frozen with fear, and the Doctor screams with frustration and scans the barrier with his screwdriver, searching for its weak point. But his attempts were useless as the Master merely waits a moment longer and then bends down and bites at the base of Buffy's neck.
"NO! PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!" The Doctor pleaded. Buffy lets out a tiny cry of pain as the Master drinks a few sips and lets her go. Buffy turns her head and looks at the Doctor as she sinks to her knees.
"Buffy! Buffy, stay with me!" The Doctor urges her. The Master shivers in ecstasy.
"Oh, God! The power!" Buffy hovers on the brink of consciousness… "And by the way…" The Master couldn't resist making a parting comment. "I like your dress." He mocks her as Buffy falls forward, face down into a pool of water. The Doctor stares in horror, unable to go to her aid as the Master steps over to the edge of his confines and pushes against the field. He forces his hand through, and the confines break down in a burst of light and energy.
The Doctor makes an attempt to get to Buffy, but the Master backhands him sending the Doctor flying away from Buffy and careening towards a nearby wall where he connects with a pained grunt and collapses into a heap. Momentarily stunned, the Doctor watches as the Master starts up and out of his lair. Once recovered, the Doctor scrambles over to Buffy's side and pulls her free from the water.
"Buffy, sweetheart, open your eyes! Look at me! Look at me, please!" Buffy doesn't respond and the Doctor curses and lays her down on the floor and places his head on her chest, looking for a heartbeat. He detects none. Tears fall from his eyes as he leans his forehead against Buffy's, remembering when he had met this bright, beautiful, interesting and vivacious young woman…
A/N: To be continued in a later chapter. Can't reveal all in one chapter, can we? Be patient, how Buffy and the Doctor met will be in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this prologue, and please review with your thoughts. Till then ;)