Immortal: the Virtual Series
Episode 2.9: You Were Once But Are You Now? Pt 1
Written by Karen
Original airdate: May 28, 2005
Episode rating: K+

Part 1

Drusilla lay on the floor, staring out the window. It was day, and the sun filtering through the dainty lace curtains made her pale skin smoke in lacy patterns. It was two weeks since the watcher's child had joined their numbers. She was tired of the star messages, the moon whispers. She was tired of Dylan and his toys. She was tired of Miss Edith, tired of the memories. She wanted to go back to the simple days, where only the blood lust and lust were the only things that needed satisfying. They were still there, but one thing drowned out the others.

"Daddy," she wailed, staring out the window at the blue sky, dotted with wispy clouds, like the smoke floating in the room.

"Drusilla, darling?" Dylan's voice floated through the door. "Dru?" he still believed in privacy, no matter how many times he had taken her without warning. She heard his knuckles rasp against the door before he pushed it open. He coughed at the smoky air, rushing to pull the shade down once he realized just where the smoke was coming from. She knew that until he got his 'angel,' she would have to do. The devil.

He glared at her smoldering body and holey clothes, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he cried sharply.

"I want Daddy…" she mewled, turning away from him. He took away the pain.

"We already went through this, Drusilla, I can't manipulate the past!" he said, angered by his limitations. Soon, with his angel by his side, there would be no limitations. But until then, he would have to deal with this vampire and her unrealistic dreams.

She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at him seductively for the first time since he entered, "But the stars whisper of a different way," she whispered, and her voice husky.

"I'm listening," he said slowly, staring at her with a gleam in his eye. Maybe he could get her to shut up about her Daddy, and mess with Angel and Buffy's relationship at the same time.

With his help, it took all day to set up the simple ritual. But she really wasn't any help, flitting about, changing the positions of things until it was 'just right.' But after chanting some Latin mumbo jumbo, and a puff of blinding smoke and a burst of lightning, her Daddy knelt before her.

"Dru? Wh-What am I doing here?" he asked, uncertainty in his voice, confusion on his handsome, dangerous face.

"Daddy," she purred as she stared deep within and saw no trace of a soul. She kissed him roughly, sinking to her knees, and he welcomed her advance hungrily.

Dylan sneered at the two vampires, leaving them in peace. Maybe this could work to his advantage after all… besides getting her to stop badgering him.

--

"B?" Faith called, letting herself into the apartment.

"In here!" came the voice from the bedroom.

Faith came to the bedroom door and saw the blonde with her large stomach sitting in bed, surrounded by a book, and three skeins of pastel yarn. She had two dangerous purple needles in her hands, with some white yarn tangled around them and her hands. A movement caught Faith's eye, and she noticed Willow sitting on the floor across the room, reading a book, deeply absorbed.

"What's this?" she asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Well, Angel won't let me work, not even paper work. And to tell you the truth, I haven't felt like getting out of bed…" she looked down, her hair cascading down to cover her face.

"I understand," Faith said quietly, placing a hand on Buffy's knee a moment, before moving to the windowsill.

"Nana tried to teach me to knit when I was like twelve, but by then I was boy crazy, and I really didn't have the attention span," she laughed, though it sounded funny to her own ears.

"Careful, you could poke someone's eyes out with those things," Faith said, leaning against the windowsill, staring at the older slayer, wondering if what she had seen was true, wondering if Buffy could handle it, or if it would be the straw that would break the camel's back. "So, Red hasn't found anything?" she asked, her tone sobering.

"No, but she's hard at work. She's got this silence spell around her, like a bubble, so she could sit in here and watch me, like I need a babysitter."

"Uh, do you know where Angel is?" Faith changed the subject.

"I'm not sure. Dawnie, Kathy and I were driving today after school, since I could blow at any time, and Angel has some limitations about his outings. I wanted to give Dawn something to think about besides…everything…" she trailed off, focusing on counting her stitches, trying to take her own mind off everything. "Why?" she asked, looking up at the brunette slayer.

Faith didn't meet her eyes, "I don't want to worry you. You're under so much stress already, with Dawn and everything."

"Faith, what is it?" she asked, sitting up straighter, setting her knitting aside.

"I'm sure it's nothing. So, uh, have you come up with any names yet?" Faith asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed again, rubbing Buffy's stomach, a move she knew Buffy hated.

Most of the worry disappeared from Buffy's eyes as she smiled, though the brightness didn't reach her eyes, "If one's a girl, I want to name her Joyce, but Angel wants to name her after his mother. And there's no agreeing with him on boys names either. He wants all these old fashioned names that the kid's gonna get picked on for, like Rufus. Who would name their kid Rufus?"

What Faith wasn't willing to tell Buffy, wasn't willing to worry her about was, while patrolling, she had seen a very familiar vampire with an almost familiar woman. They had been hanging all over each other, almost made her want to puke.

She hadn't seen him doing anything illegal, per say, but she knew the blonde would he hurt if she knew, and she already had so much to deal with. And it could be nothing, a case or something. She swore to herself as she listened to Buffy rambling on that she would confront Angel herself.

After awhile, around eleven pm, Buffy's attention started to drift, "I'm sorry, carrying around this stomach all day makes me so tired."

"Hey, no problem, you need your rest. Do you mind if I stick around? I need to ask Angel something."

"Fine," she yawned, burrowing down into the covers. Faith stood to leave, "Could you turn off the light on your way out? Willow's got some spell…" she was asleep.

Faith closed the bedroom door and sat on the living room couch, flipping through the channels randomly. That's where Angel found her when he came home.

"Faith," he said, surprised, broken out of his thoughts.

"Where have you been?" Faith asked idly, having an agenda behind the question.

"Out," he said shortly, "Why are you here? Is there something wrong with Buffy? Connor?"

"No, they're fine," Faith wondered if he was hiding anything. If what she had seen was true.

"I'm tired, if you could let yourself out? It's late," he said.

"Uh, sure," she stood, confused. Never before had he ever been so distant with her, "Have a good evening," she smiled, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"Yeah." He took off his coat and disappeared down the hall.

As she walked to her apartment she couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Angel. Why was he so distant, so cold? And who had been the raven beauty she has seen hanging all over him? Was it a case, or was it a mistress? She didn't think he'd ever cheat on Buffy, but… Had she done the right thing, not telling Buffy? Or was she just making things worse, doing more harm?

Her cell phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts. A hint of a smile played on her lips as she recognized the number.

"Is this a personal or emergency call?" she asked the caller in a professional tone. She listened a minute, then responded, her thoughts forgotten, "Well, if it's a personal emergency, then I'll be right over."

--

"Dru, love, why are you letting that…human call the shots?" he asked as they strolled down the street, still crowded though it was almost midnight.

"Maybe he reminds me of you," she giggled, "Dark hair, powerful, scary. I just wanted someone to play with," she pouted.

"And how does he play?" he grabbed her b y the waist and slammed her into the brick wall of a nearby business. "He may look like me, though I don't see the resemblance, but does he play like me?" he sank his fangs into her neck and she mewled as ecstasy rippled through her body.

She murmured something, and he pulled away, "What was that?"

"Never," she breathed, her knees weakening as she pulled him to her, tasting her coppery blood on his lips and on his probing tongue.

"Daddy," she murmured against him.

Part 2

Once he entered their room, he looked at the witch over in the corner, still absorbed in her books, probably unaware of the time. He changed in the bathroom, and then climbed into the bed beside Buffy. He glanced at the clock, one am. It seemed he was unaware of the time, he had lost track of time again.

"Hey," she murmured, half asleep, "Did Faith find you?"

"Yeah."

"What'd she want?" she asked, snuggling against his cold body, her stomach preventing her from getting as close as she wanted, needed.

"Nothing, just go back to sleep." He waited until her breathing was once again deep, before sliding out of the bed again. She didn't wake. He had to keep up pretenses.

He turned after dressing, and stared at her, asleep in the big bed they shared. He grinned, bending to kiss her forehead. "I love you," he murmured, before going over to where Willow sat, motioning her away from her books.

As she took down her spells silently, he left the room, answering his cell phone, "She doesn't suspect a thing, but Faith might be a problem. We might have to bring her in. I'll see you in five."

--

"Oh, Daddy," she mewed, stretching in the bed he had taken her in, over and over again.

"What, hun? Not you're best, but…" he bent and licked some blood off her bare stomach. The white sheets were covered in older and newer stains. They had played all day long.

"I'm hungry," she pouted.

"Well, you shouldn't have killed them so fast," he glanced at the corpses of the family who had lived in the house until a few hours ago.

"The girl tasted like honey. Sweet and untainted," she licked her lips and then licked his. "Take me away from here. Let's go to London, or Paris! Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" she giggled uncontrollably.

"No, the slayer's here. I want to play with her for awhile." Dru pouted, "But not the way I play with you." He climbed on top of her and she giggled.

--

She woke up late, Dawn and Kathy were already off to school, probably in their first or second period. It was Monday, and she really didn't want to get up, but she had housework she needed to get done. That was just about the only thing Angel would let her do. And it would take her mind off of things.

She hopped into the shower half hoping Angel would join her. Rubbing her hands over her two unborn children, one being evil, she couldn't decide if she wanted Angel to join her or not. She had gained so much weight, and she hated it. And the stretch marks, such ugly things. She ran her hand along one of the longest ones, all of a sudden, feeling ugly, definitely unsexy.

All of a sudden, she wished, for just a moment, that she wasn't pregnant. She wished she had her body back, and she wasn't sharing it with anyone. She wanted to be skinny again, fit into a size three again, be able to wear three-inch heels again. She wanted her toned abs back. She wanted to be able to walk without her feet and back hurting. She wanted Angel to want her again.

Then a kick connected with the inside of her womb, and she placed a hand there. Just because she wished it didn't make it happen, as long as she didn't say the wish out loud.

"Don't worry, baby, I still want you, whether you're evil or not," she murmured, stroking her stomach. "I love you, both of you, and that'll never change."

As she toweled off, she was disappointed and relieved that Angel hadn't joined her. She was relieved he hadn't seen her naked, with her swollen breasts and stretch marks, but she felt unwanted as well. They hadn't really fooled around, not even barely kissed since they found out one of their children was going to be evil. And she couldn't help but think it was her fault. She was the one carrying them, it had to be her fault that one wasn't turning out the way it should. She was a bad mother, and they hadn't even been born yet.

But recently, he wouldn't even hold her as she slept. He would always come to bed, but she always woke alone. She knew he was working on finding a spell, anything to fix their children, and she knew he didn't need as much sleep as she did, but she hated waking alone. She always flashed back to their first time, when he hadn't been there when she woke, and it marked the end of her life without him.

A consolation was he always cooked her breakfast, something healthy, so their children would be healthy. She forced herself to put on maternity clothes, bypassing the sexy tops and mini skirts in her closet for something more practical for the stomach she now had.

She waddled out into the kitchen, expecting to be attacked by the smell of cooking bacon, but no smells met her eager nose.

A note rested on the kitchen table. She picked it up to read it, easier than leaning over.

Buffy, Dawn, Kathy,

There's eggs and sausage in the refrigerator. It's cooked; you just need to heat it up. Dawn, Kathy, have a good day at school.

Angel.

She frowned. He hadn't left any indication on where he was, what he was doing. The house was silent, so unless Willow was asleep, she was probably with him, which made her feel a bit better. But he hadn't even said he loved her. She knew if he had, Dawn and Kathy would have complained good naturedly, and it really wasn't a big deal, but….

She hadn't heard it in awhile.

To be continued...