Sunnydale, California
Sunnydale High Library
Elizabeth stood across the room under the weight of the heavy glares from the Scoobies.
She had spent the past months carefully creating friendships with each member of the group, slowly gaining their trust. Now they were afraid of her, aiming stakes and crossbows at her unbeating heart.
"Who are you?" Giles asked with his finger over the crossbow's trigger ready to fire.
"I'm Buffy," Elizabeth replied without hesitation.
Faith frowned, "You were talking to that Angelus guy. You knew him, didn't you? You knew him the entire time! Haven't you?" Faith shouted angrily.
Elizabeth looked at the dark haired Slayer, "I did."
"Why didn't say anything before?" Jenny asked unable to mask the betrayal from her voice.
"This isn't about blame!" Willow interjected. "We're not blaming you, Buffy. We're just... confused... I mean, you knew this vampire and for months you didn't say a thing about it." Willow tried to reason.
Elizabeth wrung her hands together nervously, "I—I didn't want you to know who —what I really was."
"And that is?" Xander urged her response.
Elizabeth lifted her eyes to his, "A demon."
"W—what?" Willow said not expecting to hear that.
With a deep unneeded breath, Elizabeth continued filling her voice with shame, "My given name is Elizabeth Anne Summers. I was born in 1687 in London, England to Hank and Joyce Summers." She watched their eyes grow large with shock. "On the 15th of May, 1710 at twenty-three years old, I was turned into a vampire by Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia."
Giles shook his head trying desperately to wrap his mind around her true identity. "Your Sire is Vlad the Impaler?"
"Yes, he is. But... Vlad was much more than that to me than just my Sire." Elizabeth was unable to hide the disgust in her eyes.
"You took him as your lover." Giles slowly pieced together the long history between the Sire and Childe.
"I did. For a hundred and thirty-eight years I shared everything with him. But my heart belonged to another."
Xander frowned, "Your heart? You're dead. You don't have a heart." His words bit out with a sharp tongue.
Faith squinted her eye perfecting her aim over the vampires heart. "Are you saying you can love?"
Elizabeth did not respond.
"You can't feel love." Faith sneered. "Whatever you think you're feeling it wasn't love. You can't love without a soul."
A slowly haunting smile slid across Elizabeth's mouth, "Oh, we can. We can love quite well... if not wisely." Her face fell with despair continuing her tortured act.
"What of Angelus? Giles began. "Faith said you looked intimate."
Elizabeth lifted her eyes, "I haven't seen him in a century. It's true, we were mated but when I regained my soul—"
"—I beg your pardon?" Giles interrupted with surprise.
Elizabeth looked at the older Watcher ready to say her big reveal. "For more than a two hundred years, I offered nothing but death and carnage to everyone I met. It was an easy way to live. You have no conscious when you die. All of your morals and ethics, they go out the window. But sooner or later, it'll catch up. I killed a young boy, six years old. He was a favourite amongst his clan."
"Clan?" Willow asked.
For a flash of a second, the eyes of the vampire shot to Jenny's face. The computer teacher was not fooling her, Elizabeth knew she came from a long line of gypsy's. She reeked like a gypsy.
"Gypsies. Just about the turn of the century the elders conjured the perfect punishment for me. Well, his mother created the punishment. She restored my soul."
"Why not torture?" Xander asked.
Elizabeth smirked at the obvious foolishness of the group. "When you become a vampire, the demon takes over your body but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone. No conscience or remorse... Nothing to hold you back. Why do you think it's so easy for us to kill?" She didn't wait for a response when she continued, "You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done and see their pleading faces every single day... To feel their pain that I caused. I haven't fed on a human being since that day." She paused letting her words soak into their minds.
"After that, Angelus found me 'unattractive' but because we were mated and there are no divorces in our world, he's bound to me. But I couldn't... I couldn't be the demon wanted me to be. I couldn't be with a man who killed everyone in his path for enjoyment. I could no longer stand his abuse, his rape, his torture... So I ran. I came to America. For a hundred years I fed off of rats, broke into medical facilities... I dropped my accent to blend in with the Americans so Angelus could never find me again. I kept a low profile until I heard about you." Elizabeth shifted her eyes to Faith. "I knew I had a greater purpose. It was to help you."
"So you had no idea Angelus was even in town?" Faith asked.
"I'm not surprised. We are on a Hellmouth. A strong one at that. Who knows what other demons or vampires are going to come here."
Xander lowered his weapon, "So you're a vampire with a soul?"
"Technically."
"And you're a Good guy?"
Elizabeth nodded her head, "Go team."
"I think this is enough for one evening." Elizabeth could see the Watcher's mind was on an overload. She knew he was going to consult every book and Watcher Diary scrounge up in order to learn about her. But she can also see that he believed her lies. They all believed her lies. Elizabeth inwardly applauded herself. Her plan was falling into place perfectly, she was going to give Angelus a great big kiss when she got home.
Crawford Mansion
Library
Sitting by the fire with a book in his hand, Angelus knew that Elizabeth was in the mansion before she even stepped through the front door. A tingling sensation swirled in his chest that warmed his cold dead body. A small smile crossed his lips when he heard the library door click open then softly close.
He waited patiently when two strong arms wrapped around him from behind. He smirked feeling a pair of perfect, soft lips press against the skin of his neck.
"Hey," Elizabeth whispered burying her nose into his hair.
"Hey," Angelus did not remove his eyes from the pages of the book. He intended for her to put a bit of effort into getting his attention.
Elizabeth moved around the chair taking the book from his hands and slid across his lap. She ran a hand down his clean-shaven cheek. With her forefinger and thumb, Elizabeth tilted his chin upwards and dipped her head down capturing his mouth. Her tongue slid across his lips requesting entry. Angelus gladly obliged, opening his mouth wider, letting her devour him. She tasted of copper and something sweet. Angelus wondered what she could have had eaten that was sweet or perhaps it was just her natural taste.
Elizabeth drew her head back breaking the kiss. Her finger traced over his lips, "Thank you."
"I take it that they believed you."
"Every sobbing word."
Angelus chuckled, "They actually believed that you possess a soul?"
"It's all heartfelt and tortured." Elizabeth smiled.
Angelus grinned taking her finger into his mouth. "I have received word of Dru and Spike."
"And?"
"They found a bit of trouble back in England. William found himself against a mob. The boy doesn't know when to shut up." Angelus sighed heavily and continued, "All should 'work out' and they will be here within the week." Angelus tucked her hair behind her ear tenderly. "What is your next step in your devious plan?"
Elizabeth shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe I'll just kill 'em."
Angelus shook his head with disapproval, "No. Absolutely not. I risked my own neck because of you. We're going to play with them and then you may kill them."
Elizabeth sighed heavily, "Fine. Whatever..."
"Your birthday is soon... You still haven't told me what you wanted." Angelus ran his hand down the length of her body.
Elizabeth turned her head and ran her fingers through his spiky brown hair, "Surprise me."
Angelus brushed his nose against hers and smiled, "Okay. I will." Angelus closed the small space between their mouths.
Jenny Calendar's Gypsy Uncle's Room
Jenny stood across her Uncle as he sat in an armchair contemplating the new evil in the town. The older man ran a hand down his unshaven face. His deep worry lines pinched together as he took in the news.
"Are you certain Angelus is here and he is real?"
"I saw him with my own eyes." Jenny said holding her hands behind her back. "As well as Elizabeth."
Uncle's face fell in horror. "Pulchra Creature." He whispered the infamous vampire's name. "We are in danger. The two of them together is dangerous..."
"She's good now, Uncle. She has a soul."
Uncle frowned, "It cannot be true. She can't possess a soul, nothing is written about that event ever taking place. She and Angelus are the most dangerous pair."
"But she's good, Uncle. I've seen it myself."
"You were sent here for a reason Janna. To keep the Slayer safe. We could not have foreseen this." Uncle stood from the armchair and paced back and forth in deep thought. "You have to keep Elizabeth away from the Slayer. I don't trust her. Where she is, Angelus will follow. They are mates."
"This is foolish, Uncle."
Uncle turned from the fireplace and looked at his niece with large sad eyes, "We are all fools."
Two Days Later
Sunnydale High Library
"Buffy!" Willow said with excitement when Elizabeth entered the library just as the Californian sun went down. Two days had passed and not one sound from Angelus. This made Giles and the Scoobies weary. It usually meant something big was going to happen very soon.
"Hey," Elizabeth smiled her best smile to the redhead. She had to admit, Elizabeth did actually took a liking to the young teen. In another life she thought they would've been really great friends. Maybe at the end of all of this, I'll turn her. Elizabeth thought to herself.
"Oh, Buffy," Giles said appearing from up the stairs behind the bookcases. "It's good you're here. I had some questions."
Elizabeth smiled and watched him come down the steps with Jenny following him. She took a keen interest in the young gypsy woman wondering what reason she was here for.
Xander, Cordelia, and Oz entered the library discussing the surprise birthday party for Faith.
Giles turned his head from Elizabeth to the small group. "I trust that everything is in order for the party."
"Absolutely," Xander grinned. "Ready to get down, you funky party weasel?"
Giles frown earning a small laugh from Willow and Elizabeth.
Faith walked through the swinging double doors heading towards the group. "Faith!" Xander turned to her wearing a goofy grin. "I feel a pre-birthday spanking coming on."
Faith raised a high brow unamused.
"Check. Cancel the spanking." Xander said into an imaginary walkie-talkie microphone on his shirt.
Giles frowned at her glum expression. "What's the matter, Faith? You look fatigued."
Faith shrugged, "I had a dream that Angelus attacked us." Her brown eyes went to Elizabeth standing in the background with Willow. "You know anything about this?"
Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't. Was he just attacking you? Was it a gang? A football squad of demons?"
"I've just got a bad feeling that your boyfriend is going to attack us at any moment."
"He's not my boyfriend." Elizabeth said voicing her apparent disgust.
"So you know of nothing, Buffy?" Giles asked.
"I haven't been in contact with him since 1897. I don't know. I'm sorry."
Willow looked at Elizabeth in amazement, "Wow, two centuries of dating. If you only had two a year that'd still be like four hundred dates with four hundred different—" Willow blinked feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment. "Why do they call it a mace?" She took a sudden interest in the weapons displayed across the table.
Elizabeth watched the redhead with amusement for a moment and made a mental note to Sire Willow when all of this was over.
"Anyway..." Faith rolled her eyes, "I've just got a bad feeling. This wasn't a normal dream."
"You feel it was more of a portent?" Giles asked.
"I don't know." Faith began to pace. "I don't want to start to freak out over nothing."
"Still," Elizabeth began. "We should be on alert. If Angelus is going to attack you, he's probably planning something in the destruction category. I'll ask around the Underworld see if they heard anything."
Jenny looked at Elizabeth peculiarly, "You still have contacts in the Underworld?"
"I assume with your, um, impressive demonic resume, you would rank fairly high in the hierarchy of the Underworld." Giles waited for the vampiress's reply.
Elizabeth shrugged, "I pretty much punch people until they tell me what I want to know."
"Necessary violence—Nice," Xander smirked.
"I'm not exactly the most 'liked' demon in all of the lands. Since since I've jumped ship to the 'White Hats'... I'm surprisingly not as popular." Elizabeth shrugged.
Crawford Mansion
Main Area
Dalton, the vampire transcriber looked over the ornate wooden box on the large long dining table. "These are the parts, Master." The vampire turned to Angelus standing the background watching the transcriber log each box.
"They better be. This evening must be perfect." He said and stepped out from the shadows eyeing something on the long table. "There is a piece missing." His gaze turned to Dalton. Angelus grabbed the vampire by the front of his shirt. "Where is it?"
"We—we will find it, Master."
"You better." Angelus dropped the lackey to the ground.
From the entry doorway, Elizabeth moved around the party decorators noting each piece. She frowned looking at the blood red roses and shook her head. "No, no..." Elizabeth turned to the vampire florist waiting patiently behind her. "These are all wrong. I wanted white roses. These are just... depressing."
Angelus snaked his arms around Elizabeth's waist and pressed his cool lips over the mark scarred on her neck. "I've missed you."
"I don't have much time. I'm meeting the gang at the Bronze in an hour. Faith's surprise party." She rolled her eyes with disinterest.
"Her birthday is on the same day as your own? What a coincidence?" Angelus grinned sinisterly. "Would you like a peek at your gifts?" He stepped around her holding out his hand for her to take.
Elizabeth smiled and took his hand letting him lead her across the main sitting room to the spread of boxes on the floor.
"It reeks of death." Elizabeth said closing her eyes and breathing in the sulphur scent. "We have a problem."
"And that is?" Angelus asked nipping her earlobe with his teeth.
"The Gypsy is hiding something from me. She knows something. It might having something to do with the old man following her around."
Angelus kissed her neck, "What do you suppose with do about it, my love?"
"Kill the old man."
Jenny Calendar's Gypsy Uncle's Room
Uncle sat in his armchair facing the front window waiting for the sunrise. The nights since he's arrived to Sunnydale had been sleepless. His ears perked with the door behind him quietly closed.
"I knew you would come. I suppose you want answers." The Gypsy man turned to see Angelus and Elizabeth standing behind him leaning one another.
"No, not really." Angelus darkly grinned.
"You! You're the evil ones." Uncle jumped to his feet and stepped back against the wall trying desperately to distance himself from them.
Elizabeth frowned with childlike innocence, "Evil ones? Well, gosh, that kinda hurts my feelings, Mister. I mean... we're not all that bad."
"What do you want?"
"That's the million-dollar question." Elizabeth held her hands behind her back stepping towards the old man with a casual ease. "What do I want? There's this wicked shoe sale at Neiman Marcus—"
"—You don't need anymore shoes, Buf." Angelus rolled his eyes.
Elizabeth frowned turning to Angelus. She looked at him with big sad puppy eyes that always won him over.
"No," He told her pointedly. "I'm not falling for your pout. You've burned a hole in my pocket for the last century because of these 'wicked shoe sales', enough."
A seductive smile slid across Elizabeth's mouth. Angelus' clenched his teeth and shook his head forcing himself not to fall for her act.
Uncle threw up his hand holding out a crucifix. Elizabeth and Angelus turned their heads pausing their disagreement and looked at the gypsy man.
Angelus took Uncle's wrist and held the crucifix against his chest. "A little lower... Ah... right there." He lowered the cross over his crotch. His eyes closed feeling the acid stings from the cross and his skin began to burn. "That feels good." Angelus grinned beaming with sexual gratification.
Uncle jerked his hand away frightened and repulsed.
"You gypsies..." Elizabeth shook her head with revulsion, "... You think you know what's to come, what we are... You have no idea." Elizabeth clenched her hand around Uncle's throat.
"You are an abomination." Uncle spat in Elizabeth's face.
Elizabeth's beautiful face darkened with a growl. She tossed the old man across the room hitting his back against the wall with a thud.
"Tsk. Tsk. That was a mistake." Angelus said watching Elizabeth cross the room in a fury. She grabbed Uncle by his collar and backhanded her fist across his face until her hand was stained with his blood.
Angelus moved around beside Elizabeth and knelt down eye level to the old man. "Now, we're going to play a game. It's called, we ask a question and you answer it. And if you don't, then, well, we torture you." Angelus sinisterly grinned. "But don't answer us quite just yet because I really want to torture you."
Elizabeth's hand slowly snaked across Angelus' shoulder with a scalpel in her hand and a grin on her face.