"We can't keep her here" he heard from the other room, "she could be dangerous and I won't have her near Dawn if I can help it"

"She's tied up Buffy, she can't go near her even if she wanted to."

"That's even if she would want to, Spike doesn't think she's evil. Beside's we're all here."

"Yes, Dawn is well protected."

"I'm right here!" Dawn could be heard protesting.

As they began bickering again, Spike shook his head. He was in Buffy's house, sitting in the living room and had been listening to them bicker for hours in the kitchen about what they should do with the girl who was currently chained up to a chair in front of him, a position he was all too familiar with. When they had brought her here, her blacked skin had almost all flaked off, leaving behind a strange white, porcelain coloured skin, paler then his own. Her hair had grown before his eyes, quickly too, reaching down her back, the blood red colour of it an eerie contrast to her skin, but not unattractively so. Her head was bent down, her hair covering part of her face, free of any blemish, not a freckle or a beauty mark to be seen, with rosy red lips. Buffy had given her a light green summer dress to cover her with, the skirt of it collected at her ankles, for which he was grateful, her blackened figure had been like a suite, and as it shed, her body had slowly become more visible.

With that thought he gazed at her face, and began wondering if she was edible when her eyes lashes began to flutter against her cheek and her lips parted letting in a short breath, murmuring.

He sat staring at her as she slowly regained consciousness and snapped her head up, looking around and letting out a strangled sounding cry. Jumping in the chair trying to break free, she looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Spike noticed the look of fear cross her face when she saw him, and a smile spread across his face. How he missed seeing that reaction.

"Name?" he asked simply, looking into the girls eyes. She looked back at him with silent defiance in her eyes.

He sighed, jerking his head towards the sounds in the kitchen. "Either you talk to me, or I bring them in here. It's your choice, love"

Tilting her head to the side, she listened to the voices for a couple minutes before turning her head back towards him.

"Malvina"

"Oh bugger," he sighed, "Engliiiiish" he said slowly to her. "We speak English. Do you know it? Como es English?"

She looked at him with a blank expression on her face, the fear gone from her features. "Mal-vee-na" she pronounced with a strange accent, as slowly as he had. "My name is Malvina."

"Oh," he replied straightening his trench coat. "Alright, well good!" he growled, trying to refill her terror.

It didn't work. She began trying to break free again, struggling against the chains, trying to kick her feet.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" he stood up, towering over her. To his delight she shrunk back and stopped trying to get loose. "That's better I still have some questions for you." He sat back onto the couch, glancing to make sure the people in the kitchen were still unaware of her consciousness.

"I don't have time for this; I need to find some place to hide!"

"Hide from what, those guys in armor? We killed them, every last one"

"No, you didn't. At least not all of them, I need to get out of here before they find me." She looked at him pleadingly.

"Why are they after you anyway? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," she replied bitterly.

"Well you had to of done something, for them to be after you like that. What were they anyway? I've never seen a demon like that before, and I've seen many demons in my time. Actually, come to think of it, I've never seen a demon like you before either." He eyed her suspiciously.

"Demon?"

"Yeah, a demon, you know, a nonhuman life form, excluding gods, robots, and animal of course. In other words, you and your glowing buddies."

Malvina grimaced at the word, "I am not a demon"

"Are you a human, god, robot, or animal?"

"No"

"Well, then you're a demon. Sorry to be the one to break it to you." He chuckled, 'Are there others of your kind? A clan or a group you live with?"

She dropped her eyes to the floor, "No. I am the only one of my kind"

"You mean, the only one who turns into a blazing inferno? Because I'll let you know, I don't like that. I don't like that at all."

"No, I'm not the only one –"she stopped herself, "this isn't any of your business"

"It became my business when I saved your life, I'd say"

She looked at him again, searching his eyes. "Oh," she mumbled. "Thank you."

They sat in silence, each not looking at the other. Spike looked in the direction of the front door and wondered why he was still here, he was thinking about getting up and leaving when she spoke.

"I am Denali, that is the name of our people," she began drawing Spike's attention. "We are many, but we are separate."

"How so?"

"We have different Orenda, different power as you would call it. I'm sorry, our words don't have good translations" she paused looking at him. He remained silent, waiting for her to continue. She sighed. "We all have different Orenda elements. There is the Tadewi, the Wind People, the Talise, Water People, the Mahkah which is the Earth People and then there are what you saw, the Nachik People, the People of Fire. We all live separately, it is impossible for us to live together, it would mean chaos. Our elements clash, Fire burning Earth, Water drowning Fire and Earth, Wind is the only element that can live amongst them all, though they flame the Nachik... " She paused. "It's complicating."

She shifted in her chair, trying to get comfortable.

"And the armored people?" Spike asked, noticing that Buffy was standing in the hallway and listening, out of Malvina's eyesight.

"Those are the Oneida, the people made from Stone, though that is not their element, because they do not have elements. They work as warriors for each of the Orenda's rulers. Those you saw were the Mahkah Oneida, the warriors for the Earth People."

"How can you tell?" Spike asked.

"Their colours, they wear the colours of the people they serve. Green and Silver, the Earth People."

"Wow that is complicating." Buffy said entering the room, "now tell us why there Oneida are after you."

Malvina looked at the blonde woman standing before her, then shifted her eyes to the blonde man and glared.

"Do you have something they want? Did you steal something?" Buffy accused.

"No," Malvina cried, "I have done nothing wrong!" She began to sob quietly, not wanting her captors to hear.

Spike looked up at Buffy. "Can't we let her out of those chains at least? She isn't going anywhere."

"No, I don't trust her, Spike. Something about her seems..." she looked down at the girl in front of her "wrong."

Buffy walked to the couch and sat next to Spike. "Alright Melvine, I'll make you a deal."

"Malvina." Spike corrected.

She rolled her eyes, "Sorry, Malvina. If you tell us why they're after you, we'll let you go. Sound good?"

Malvina lifted her head, looked into the eyes of the woman in front of her and shook her head.

"Well then you're staying. Spike watch her." She said, stomping out of the room.

"What!" Spike exclaimed. "Oh bugger." He looked at the girl in front of him.

"I'm sorry you're stuck here with me," she said.

"It's okay," he said, turning on the television in the corner. "You like Passions?"

She looked at him with confusion and he laughed. He got up and moved her chair so she could see the TV too.

"You're in for a treat love."


Woot! Thanks for the review marty powell! Second chapter up! I'm actually really proud of this lol I've literally (haha) been writing all day.

ENJOY! Review if you want the next chapter! ;)