Rating: PG, you know, for fairy tale-ish stuff… oh, and insanity. Lots of insanity.
Feedback: I'd like that, thank you.
Distribution: At the moment, here. If someone wants it, I'd really appreciate it if you would ask me, please. I would also be completely shocked.
Spoilers: Not a single thing.
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Mutant Enemy (Joss Whedon), a wonderfully creative company whose characters I have borrowed for a completely profit-free flight of fancy. Kindly do not sue me, please, as I am terrified of you. Thank you.
Dedication: I'm dedicating this to all the people who first got to read this… and had to wait months and months between chapters, on occasion.
Author's Note: Okay, here's chapter two. Oh, and to answer a couple questions people asked, the Slayer shows up again, but kind of briefly and not for a while, and as for Spike… who knows?
Chapter TwoMany years passed, and the princess grew up happily in the company of her adoptive family.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I have a question to ask, if I may?"
Sure, go ahead.
"All my research states that a person stops aging at the time they are s-sired. How did the little one 'grow up,' if you see what I mean?"
Actually, your research is faulty. If a person is turned in childhood, he or she will continue to grow until the age of eighteen.
"Really? My research is wr-wr-wrong?"
Oh, drat. I can't bear to see you doubt yourself. You're absolutely right, but since I didn't want one of the main characters to remain an infant for the entire story, I bent the rules a bit. Sorry for the fib.
"Quite alright."
Thanks. As I was saying, the Three Beings decided to call her Black Rose, and she grew to be exceptionally beautiful in a dark, Gothic sort of way. Life for the four of them was tranquil and pleasant… except for one minor flaw. The child was completely out of her gourd.
"Daddy," Black Rose breathed in a Cockney accent that none of them could figure out where she'd picked up, "the teacups are chatting about the weather in Idaho again."
"Really? That's nice, Rose," the dark haired vampire responded patiently. "Honey, why don't you ever call the other two 'daddy'?"
"Because you're the only one who uses hair gel," she explained as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Can't argue with my little pumpkin about that," the green gentleman said as he swept into the cozy room that was the center of their little cottage. "You do use a lot of goo."
The Englishman in the corner shook his head sadly and continued to read the latest edition of Watcher's Weekly. In truth, he loved his adopted daughter dearly, but there were times he passionately wished he'd been able to give her the gift of intellect rather than the sleeping charm.
"Rose, why don't you trip on over to the berry patch down the road and pick us a passel of nice, plump strawberries?" asked the flamboyant demon as he winked conspiratorially at the other men. "And you remember, little missy, no talking to strangers," he added giving her an affectionate pinch on the nose.
"I'll be ever so good," she said as she picked up the basket and exited into the early evening twilight.
"It is difficult to believe that she will turn eighteen tomorrow night," the researcher said in a tender voice. "I shall greatly miss her after she returns to her parents."
"I hear you on that one," the green man said as he joined him on the couch. "Well, at the very least I bought us some time to get together a birthday bash for our little girl."
"What did you have in mind?" asked the vampire quietly, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his heart when he thought of Black Rose leaving.
"Oh, just a simple little something: a few songs, some of those little blood-filled bonbons she likes so much, presents, that sort of thing," he responded in an off-handed way that suggested he was planning a gala reception the likes of which had never been seen outside of Vegas.
"Presents! Merciful heavens, I had completely forgotten about presents! What on earth shall I do?"
"You're sure that you can't hook her up with a brain?" asked the effervescent demon.
"No, unfortunately. Ah, wait, I have just the thing!" his English voice said in something akin to glee. He chanted quietly for a moment and with a puff of smoke there appeared a lovely white satin ball gown that was dripping in filmy lace. "What do you think?"
"She'll adore it!" the demon enthused. "Heck, I would if I were a girl. Want to see my gift?"
Without waiting for a response, he dashed up to his room and quickly returned with a small box wrapped in brilliant orange and blue paper and tied with a pink satin bow.
"It's a necklace with a little golden rose charm," he said in a rush.
"You both have exquisite taste," the vampire said quietly.
"So, tall, dark and gloomy, what are you giving our little moppet?" the demon gushed.
"Um, this," he said, pulling out a package from under his chair. It was wrapped in plain brown paper.
"And that would be a…" the human asked expectantly.
"Doll," the vampire answered softly.
The human and the demon looked at each other and said, at exactly the same time, "ooookaaaaay."
