Part 7:
"Xander, you're back. You're alive. You're here. You. . . have a gun pointed at the back of my head. Why do you have a gun pointed at the back of my head?" Buffy said wearily. The three of them, Drusilla on her back, Buffy straddling her, while Xander was behind Buffy aiming the barrel of his Baretta at the back of her neck, stood deathly still, like a piece of art a sculptor had carved out of a block of stone.
"Now listen carefully, Buff, I want you to drop the stake," Xander said in a way to calm voice for Buffy. She complied. "Now I want you to raise your hand . . . VERY slowly, yes that's it, and . . ." Suddenly, without looking away, Xander raised his other gun pointing it directly at Spike's heart, who was trying to sneak up behind him. "Before you even think of doing something stupid, Pooh Bear, these bullets are wood-tipped, and are blessed."
{How the hell did he know I was sneaking up on him? Only daddykins Angelus had senses that sensitive. And how the HELL does the wanker know about the pet name Dru gave me. Pooh Bear. Yuck!}
Xander continued with his orders towards Buffy. "Now Buff, I want you to get off Drusilla, and slowly move towards Dawn. You too, Pooh Bear." Buffy and Spike slowly moved towards Dawn, careful not to make any sudden movements.
Dawn had finally seen enough. "What the hell is going on Xan? What's with the whole John Woo act?" She said while pointing at his guns. "And what are you doing protecting Drusilla? Have you forgotten that she's a vamp?"
Drusilla was poking her head up from behind Xander's shoulders. "Help me, kitten. The bad slayer and her friends tried to hurt mommy last night and now they came here to try again. Mommy's scared." she said in an innocent 'little girl lost' voice, while making faces at Buffy in a childish manner. Xander reached back and stroked Drusilla's hair.
Buffy's mind was on overdrive. {Wait a minute. Her kitten. Xander is Drusilla's kitten? But that means . . . they're together. That's just . . . eeww. Ok, remember what Dr. Stromberg said, Buffy. Approach the problem rationally. Don't let your anger control you.} "What the hell is going on here, Xander?" {Didn't you hear me brain? RATIONAL!} "You disappear for six whole months, letting the rest of us think you were dead, and now you're back with . . . this skank?" {Cool it, Buff! You don't want to infect your anger on anybody else. Anger is not productive!} "I . . .You're friends aren't good enough for you so you go and suck face with psycho dead whore over there?" {Oh shit!}
Xander was livid. "How dare you. You have no idea what I've been through these past six months and you're judging me? You're one to talk. Two words, Buff. Angel, Spike! And which friends are you talking about, Buffy? The same friends who treat me like they're butt-monkey? The same friends who left me that night to kill . . . Her?"
The anger in Buffy's face was being rapidly being replaced by sadness and regret. "But Xander," she said in a voice so quiet it was barely audible. "She's a killer. She fed on someone last night."
Xander sighed. Truthfully, he usually let Dru do whatever she wants, as long as it was out of his sight. But he knew that in a town with the slayer, Dru would most likely get dusted for doing her thing, and he had warned her to drink the store bought stuff while in Sunnydale. Apparently, she didn't heed his warning. "Princess?"
"Yes kitten?"
"Didn't I tell to only drink the stuff I got you from Willy's a couple of days ago while we were in Sunnydale?"
"But, kitten . . ." Drusilla started to whine.
"No buts, Dru. You know it's not safe out there yet you still disobeyed me!" Xander voice took a commanding tone.
"I'm sorry, kitten, I won't do it again." Drusilla was practically sobbing now.
"Oh, Dru I'm sorry I lost my temper. It just that I'm afraid something might happen to you." Xander said, as he pulled Drusilla into a hug, whispering words of comfort in her ear.
Buffy nearly retched at the sight in front of her for reasons she could not pinpoint yet. Sure, there was the yuck factor involved, but there was something more to it . . . {Wait a minute. Dru's not allowed to hunt while they were in Sunnydale? That means other times.}
Buffy did not have anymore time to contemplate Xander's words as he spoke up. "Look Buffy, I've got bigger things to worry about than this. I'll keep Dru in check and make sure she doesn't get into anymore mischief. Don't worry, I don't plan on staying in town for too long. I'll be out of your hair in no time."
Buffy was about to continue arguing, but she was cut off by Spike. "Good on 'ya, mate. We'll be leaving now." With that, he started dragging Buffy and Dawn out the door.
"Wait! I'm not finished, I . . ." Before Buffy could finish, she was pushed out the door by Spike, who promptly followed, shutting the door behind him.
The door to the Summer's home was slammed opened violently as one extremely incensed slayer stormed into the house, followed by her sister and Spike. The walk home had been silent, mostly because Spike and Dawn were having trouble catching up with Buffy, who was huffing home at a lightning pace.
Buffy entered the living room and plonked herself down on the couch. Dawn sat herself down on the loveseat, while Spike leaned against the door frame.
Everyone was silent for a moment, unsure of anything to say.
Buffy suddenly snapped. "AAGGHHH!! Just when I thought my life was getting back to normal, Xander has to miraculously come back from the dead and become all evil, gun toting, leather Xander. For all we know he could be working for Dante! Hell. he could even BE Dante!
"No he's not! I was with him the other night when you guys met Dante. It couldn't be him!" Dawn cried out.
"And you!" Buffy snapped at her sister. "Don't think your out of the woods, missy. I specifically told you not to go out alone at night and you disobeyed me. You're gr . . . no, you have to do chor . . . just go to your room!"
Dawn got up and stomped towards the stairs. "Xander's not evil. He saved my life . . . again last night." She said before going up to her room.
"Well, that went well." Spike chuckled when Dawn was out of sight. "You managed to make enemies out of your best friend and your sister all in the same night. Even I couldn't do that back when I was evil."
Buffy buried her face in her hands. "I'm just afraid he and Dru might hurt someone."
"Oh, come off it, slayer. We don't know that he's evil. We don't even know what's been of him in the past six months. Besides, you heard Dawn. He saved her last night. Baddies don't help the good guys, it doesn't work that way. As for Dru, you saw how tight a leash he had on her just now. And Dru's always been the submissive type in a relationship, I should know. You and I both know what's really bugging you."
"And what is that, Spike?" Buffy asked with as much venom in her voice as possible.
"I know you have feelings for the boy, slayer." Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "Oh please, I can see it plainly on your face. It's so obvious. Besides, I read that letter he wrote to you that night he died."
"But that letter is in my diary. That means you must have went through my . . ."
"Not important, slayer. Look, my point is this. You care for droopy. But he's in a very dark place right now. He experienced some major trauma in his life this past year. He died and was somehow brought back from the dead. And he's in an unhealthy relationship with a vampire. Sound familiar?" Spike gave Buffy a knowing look.
{He's going through what I went through last year.}Buffy thought to herself.
"Among all of us Buffy, he was the only one who never gave up on you. If you care for him half as much as he cares for you, you won't give up on him either."
Drusilla wandered through the park singing merrily to herself. She let the moon beams caress her face like a normal human being would do with sunlight. She was now full drinking the blood that Xander had gotten her. However, she was far from satisfied.
She craved the thrill of the hunt; the adrenaline flowing through a tired, fearful human's blood after she had chased him down was much sweeter than any blood Xander could buy for her.
"Kitten can be such a bore sometimes. If only he were truly evil like mommy. Then him and mommy could have some real fun." she said to Miss Edith, whom she was carrying.
Suddenly, she heard a twig snap from behind her. She turned around and a smile formed on her face. "Aahh, good evening, half-breed."
"Nice to see my reputation precedes me, Drusilla." Dante said as he started walking towards her. "I think I have a proposition that might interest you."
I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their feedback, critiques, and support. If anyone has any suggestions (plot contributions, corrections) to actually make this story good (god knows I can't do it alone), please drop me a line using my email addy.
"Xander, you're back. You're alive. You're here. You. . . have a gun pointed at the back of my head. Why do you have a gun pointed at the back of my head?" Buffy said wearily. The three of them, Drusilla on her back, Buffy straddling her, while Xander was behind Buffy aiming the barrel of his Baretta at the back of her neck, stood deathly still, like a piece of art a sculptor had carved out of a block of stone.
"Now listen carefully, Buff, I want you to drop the stake," Xander said in a way to calm voice for Buffy. She complied. "Now I want you to raise your hand . . . VERY slowly, yes that's it, and . . ." Suddenly, without looking away, Xander raised his other gun pointing it directly at Spike's heart, who was trying to sneak up behind him. "Before you even think of doing something stupid, Pooh Bear, these bullets are wood-tipped, and are blessed."
{How the hell did he know I was sneaking up on him? Only daddykins Angelus had senses that sensitive. And how the HELL does the wanker know about the pet name Dru gave me. Pooh Bear. Yuck!}
Xander continued with his orders towards Buffy. "Now Buff, I want you to get off Drusilla, and slowly move towards Dawn. You too, Pooh Bear." Buffy and Spike slowly moved towards Dawn, careful not to make any sudden movements.
Dawn had finally seen enough. "What the hell is going on Xan? What's with the whole John Woo act?" She said while pointing at his guns. "And what are you doing protecting Drusilla? Have you forgotten that she's a vamp?"
Drusilla was poking her head up from behind Xander's shoulders. "Help me, kitten. The bad slayer and her friends tried to hurt mommy last night and now they came here to try again. Mommy's scared." she said in an innocent 'little girl lost' voice, while making faces at Buffy in a childish manner. Xander reached back and stroked Drusilla's hair.
Buffy's mind was on overdrive. {Wait a minute. Her kitten. Xander is Drusilla's kitten? But that means . . . they're together. That's just . . . eeww. Ok, remember what Dr. Stromberg said, Buffy. Approach the problem rationally. Don't let your anger control you.} "What the hell is going on here, Xander?" {Didn't you hear me brain? RATIONAL!} "You disappear for six whole months, letting the rest of us think you were dead, and now you're back with . . . this skank?" {Cool it, Buff! You don't want to infect your anger on anybody else. Anger is not productive!} "I . . .You're friends aren't good enough for you so you go and suck face with psycho dead whore over there?" {Oh shit!}
Xander was livid. "How dare you. You have no idea what I've been through these past six months and you're judging me? You're one to talk. Two words, Buff. Angel, Spike! And which friends are you talking about, Buffy? The same friends who treat me like they're butt-monkey? The same friends who left me that night to kill . . . Her?"
The anger in Buffy's face was being rapidly being replaced by sadness and regret. "But Xander," she said in a voice so quiet it was barely audible. "She's a killer. She fed on someone last night."
Xander sighed. Truthfully, he usually let Dru do whatever she wants, as long as it was out of his sight. But he knew that in a town with the slayer, Dru would most likely get dusted for doing her thing, and he had warned her to drink the store bought stuff while in Sunnydale. Apparently, she didn't heed his warning. "Princess?"
"Yes kitten?"
"Didn't I tell to only drink the stuff I got you from Willy's a couple of days ago while we were in Sunnydale?"
"But, kitten . . ." Drusilla started to whine.
"No buts, Dru. You know it's not safe out there yet you still disobeyed me!" Xander voice took a commanding tone.
"I'm sorry, kitten, I won't do it again." Drusilla was practically sobbing now.
"Oh, Dru I'm sorry I lost my temper. It just that I'm afraid something might happen to you." Xander said, as he pulled Drusilla into a hug, whispering words of comfort in her ear.
Buffy nearly retched at the sight in front of her for reasons she could not pinpoint yet. Sure, there was the yuck factor involved, but there was something more to it . . . {Wait a minute. Dru's not allowed to hunt while they were in Sunnydale? That means other times.}
Buffy did not have anymore time to contemplate Xander's words as he spoke up. "Look Buffy, I've got bigger things to worry about than this. I'll keep Dru in check and make sure she doesn't get into anymore mischief. Don't worry, I don't plan on staying in town for too long. I'll be out of your hair in no time."
Buffy was about to continue arguing, but she was cut off by Spike. "Good on 'ya, mate. We'll be leaving now." With that, he started dragging Buffy and Dawn out the door.
"Wait! I'm not finished, I . . ." Before Buffy could finish, she was pushed out the door by Spike, who promptly followed, shutting the door behind him.
The door to the Summer's home was slammed opened violently as one extremely incensed slayer stormed into the house, followed by her sister and Spike. The walk home had been silent, mostly because Spike and Dawn were having trouble catching up with Buffy, who was huffing home at a lightning pace.
Buffy entered the living room and plonked herself down on the couch. Dawn sat herself down on the loveseat, while Spike leaned against the door frame.
Everyone was silent for a moment, unsure of anything to say.
Buffy suddenly snapped. "AAGGHHH!! Just when I thought my life was getting back to normal, Xander has to miraculously come back from the dead and become all evil, gun toting, leather Xander. For all we know he could be working for Dante! Hell. he could even BE Dante!
"No he's not! I was with him the other night when you guys met Dante. It couldn't be him!" Dawn cried out.
"And you!" Buffy snapped at her sister. "Don't think your out of the woods, missy. I specifically told you not to go out alone at night and you disobeyed me. You're gr . . . no, you have to do chor . . . just go to your room!"
Dawn got up and stomped towards the stairs. "Xander's not evil. He saved my life . . . again last night." She said before going up to her room.
"Well, that went well." Spike chuckled when Dawn was out of sight. "You managed to make enemies out of your best friend and your sister all in the same night. Even I couldn't do that back when I was evil."
Buffy buried her face in her hands. "I'm just afraid he and Dru might hurt someone."
"Oh, come off it, slayer. We don't know that he's evil. We don't even know what's been of him in the past six months. Besides, you heard Dawn. He saved her last night. Baddies don't help the good guys, it doesn't work that way. As for Dru, you saw how tight a leash he had on her just now. And Dru's always been the submissive type in a relationship, I should know. You and I both know what's really bugging you."
"And what is that, Spike?" Buffy asked with as much venom in her voice as possible.
"I know you have feelings for the boy, slayer." Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "Oh please, I can see it plainly on your face. It's so obvious. Besides, I read that letter he wrote to you that night he died."
"But that letter is in my diary. That means you must have went through my . . ."
"Not important, slayer. Look, my point is this. You care for droopy. But he's in a very dark place right now. He experienced some major trauma in his life this past year. He died and was somehow brought back from the dead. And he's in an unhealthy relationship with a vampire. Sound familiar?" Spike gave Buffy a knowing look.
{He's going through what I went through last year.}Buffy thought to herself.
"Among all of us Buffy, he was the only one who never gave up on you. If you care for him half as much as he cares for you, you won't give up on him either."
Drusilla wandered through the park singing merrily to herself. She let the moon beams caress her face like a normal human being would do with sunlight. She was now full drinking the blood that Xander had gotten her. However, she was far from satisfied.
She craved the thrill of the hunt; the adrenaline flowing through a tired, fearful human's blood after she had chased him down was much sweeter than any blood Xander could buy for her.
"Kitten can be such a bore sometimes. If only he were truly evil like mommy. Then him and mommy could have some real fun." she said to Miss Edith, whom she was carrying.
Suddenly, she heard a twig snap from behind her. She turned around and a smile formed on her face. "Aahh, good evening, half-breed."
"Nice to see my reputation precedes me, Drusilla." Dante said as he started walking towards her. "I think I have a proposition that might interest you."
I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their feedback, critiques, and support. If anyone has any suggestions (plot contributions, corrections) to actually make this story good (god knows I can't do it alone), please drop me a line using my email addy.