Title: The Biological Imperative
Author: Slayer, The
Rating: R
Timeline: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Gift & Andromeda, In Heaven Now Are Three
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Andromeda. Those honors belong to Joss Whedon, Gene Roddenbury, UPN, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and all the other various persons and affiliates involved in the productions thereof. I'm just gonna borrow them for this story.
Author's Notes: I've caught Andromeda now and again…saw Into the Labyrinth and thought James Marsters was fantastic…very last ep I saw was In Heaven Now Are Three…I like the new improved Trance and am starting the Andromeda timeline from there…hope to see the ep on why she changed soon…and Buffy looks like she did during the beginning of season 6
Summary: a BtVS crossover with Andromeda…what happens when a proud and conniving Neitzschean male meets a mystically enhanced human female…you know the Neitzscheans and there wacky strive for genetic perfection through selective breeding…I betcha that a whole lot of them would be after the Slayer with her superior strength, agility, and beauty…*grin*…especially the leader of a prestigious Pride…must remember, they believe in having many, many wives to propagate their….uh huh….hope you enjoy
Chapter 2On board the Medical Deck, Trance works on a consul, checking on the status of her patient. Pleased with her findings, she moves to the sleeping girl's side. The human moves restlessly, features twisted in a grimace of pain. Ever so gently, Trance brushes away a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
"It's all right," she whispered, "everything is going to be fine now." Somehow the words seem to seep into her unconscious, relaxing her tense muscles.
"Hey," Dylan says quietly, "how's she doing?"
Trance turns back to her consul, waving Dylan over. "Fine," she says, "a few cuts and bruises…what appears to be minor impact trauma to her body…probably from falling into the Andromeda from…wherever she came from. But otherwise she's fine, in fact her body's been healing at an accelerated rate…but otherwise…by tomorrow, she'll be as good as new."
"Trance," Dylan interrupts her gravely, "Do you know what she is, how she got here, why she's here."
Turning toward Dylan, "she's human," Trance says, "completely, I've run tests, I've conducted scans and all the other procedures Rommie told me to…and what's more is that I don't know…I don't know why she's here, th-th-this has never happened before…she's…unexpected……..
"Trance," Dylan asks with the slightest warning in his voice.
"Dylan, I honestly don't know. Usually, I can…see billions of-of possibilities for every person and situation around me, but for her…" Trance trails off as she looks at the girl, "I can't." She looks around, desperately trying to find the words, "I can't find her, it's like something's blocking me or…"
"Or?"
She blows out a breath, "Or she has too many possibles, so many that I can't distinguish one from the influx of the many…if that's true…then she's very special, but I think that's a given. Dylan, I can tell you with all certainty that she's good, and that she does belong here now…in this time and place, with us."
"Okay," Dylan says, "But if she trys to destroy my ship, I'm going to be very disappointed with you." With a defeated sigh, "I think that's all I really wanted to know…but about the possibles thing…"
A groan from the cot interrupts Dylan's train of thought. Trance quickly goes to the girl's side. Buffy opens her eyes and looks up.
"Uhhhh," damn, it hurts…okay you can do this, you've done it more times than you can count. Just open the eyes and be prepared to fight. Lightly her eyes flutter open. Ow…hello to the painful and blurry…don't panic… take a minute to adjust, then kick ass and take names. Wait, seeing a brownish blur is that Giles?
"Oh my head! Giles, did you get the mane of that monster, because when I find him…" Buffy starts off warningly. She blinks blearily, but instead of seeing Giles in his dowdy English clothes she sees a golden creature hovering over her prostrate form…appears human, female?…with really bad hair extensions teased into dreads…hope they're hair extensions, because otherwise…ewww…………
Buffy tries to rise, but is only strong enough to manage to brace herself on her elbows. Tapping down her fear, she casually peruses her surroundings and desperately tries to remember what the HELL happened to her this time.
Feigning calm, "Who, who are you," takes a good look at Trance, "What are you? And where am I…"biting her lip, "wh-where's Dawn," Dawn, Dawn…she was…and I, I had to…to jump. She raises a hand to rub at her forehead.
Trance goes to her side, "Relax. Everything is going to be fine. We're here to help you. I'm Trance, Trance Gemini and that's Captain Dylan Hunt. You're on board his ship, the Andromeda Ascendant…"
"A ship," Buffy says incredulously, "why am on a boat, and where's my sister and my friends…did Glory…what have you…"jumping, light…everything is so calm…'This is my work…this is what I have to do'…Dawn?… Suddenly, it's all too much for her…she starts to fade back into sleep. Trance helps her to lie back down, all the while Buffy rattles on confusedly, "I jumped, I know I did, to save…Dawn…Glory…is this, am I in heaven, cause if this," starts to trail off, "were hell, then you wouldn't be taking care of me, unless you patched me up so I'd be good for the tor-ture……………."
Trance and Dylan trade questioning glances over the girl's sleeping body.