Title: Family Matters part 4: Group Hug
Author: Am-Chau Yarkona
E-mail: spam@hagden169.fsnet.co.uk
Summary: In LA, a mysterious woman summons Fred and Gunn, saying she can help them find Angel. Meanwhile, in England.
Rating: PG-13.
Pairing: Giles/Spike, Fred/Gunn, Buffy/Clem, Willow/Drusilla, maybe others.
Spoilers: For the ends of Buffy season 6 and Angel season 3. Also contains some things gathered from spoilers on seasons 7 and 4 respectively.
Warnings: Pre-slash, unusual Mary-Sue.
Author Notes: This is Mary-Sue. I freely admit it. But it's not quite the normal kind.
Story Notes: None.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Joss etc gets it, I get nothing, not even chocolate money.
On the pavement outside the hotel, Giles pays his taxi driver and tried to summon up the courage to go inside, wondering as he did so why.
On the sidewalk outside the hotel, Willow was about to try her best to yell "Hurray" without waking Buffy, when she spots Giles and changes it to, "Xander, your car is a miserably slow wreck!"
"Err, what?" Buffy calls, woken suddenly, and a touch alarmed.
"We've arrived," Xander tells her. "And Giles is here, too."
"That didn't take you long," Buffy says. "In fact, that's almost impossibly quick."
"Well, I may have, um, cheated a little," Giles says, looking shamefaced. "Shall we go in, see if our respective significant others are here?"
"Yes, let's do this," Willow replies.
They push open the doors and go in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Inside, they are met by a bizarre scene. Willow rushes for Drusilla, standing at the bottom of the stairs, nearly pushing her over; and Giles heads- with equal enthusiasm and only a little more dignity- for William.
"Rupert!" the tawny-headed vampire cries. They hug tightly. "I'm sorry, love, I really am."
"You had no choice. It's okay. Hey- don't cry."
William sniffs, and does his best, but Rupert's eyes are filling with tears too. "I'm here now, that's the important thing."
"B,b,b,b,but Rowan."
"Helen took him. It's all okay."
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you."
"Don't worry- I think I may have some idea."
Buffy and Xander have been left to survey the room from their vantage point at the head of the stairs.
"There are a lot of people here," the dark haired boy observes.
"Not all of them are people," Buffy replies, "and I don't recognise most of them. Angel, asleep on the sofa; Spike, Dru, Gunn I guess. The rest."
"A blue-skinned guy, an old woman in bed- and what's a bed doing in a hotel reception anyway? No Cordelia, a boy about Dawn's age, a girl kissing a black guy.."
"The black guy is Gunn, I think."
"Right. Then a blond woman and a bald guy- whose face keeps flickering?"
"Yeah- he's a vampire who's lost control over his masks. I've seen it once or twice before."
"Watch carefully- it isn't quite a normal vamp mask, is it?"
"He looks- he's the Master!"
"That is seriously spooky."
"Why isn't he attacking or something? There are lots of humans here."
"I think I need some more information. Giles!"
Rupert looks round, over the dark blond head that William is pushing into his shoulder.
"Yes?" he answers, and adds, "Hush, William."
"Can you tell me who these people are?"
"Mostly, no. Try asking them."
William looks up. "I can help you there, Slayer. I've been introduced to most of them." His lover's expression at the use of 'Slayer' instead of her names makes William frown, and say, "Sorry, Buffy. Um, the blue-skinned guy is Ranguger, he works for Alice Malone, she's the woman in the bed; the vampires over there are Heinriech- the Master- and Darla; the humans necking are Gunn and Fred, and the boy next to Ranguger is Connor, or maybe Steven, or possibly Alex. No one seems to be very sure."
Buffy nods. "So who's in charge?"
"The woman in the bed, in theory at least."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy marches down the steps and across the room. "Hello," she says to the sleeping woman, "My name's Buffy Summers, I'm the Slayer, and this looks a lot like a vampire nest. How many of you want to take me on?"
"None, my dear," the woman replies, green eyes snapping open. "I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Summers- I knew your first Watcher vaguely."
"You knew Merrick?"
"Is that the name he gave you? Yes, I knew Merrick. He was a good man."
"You're in charge around here?"
"I'm head of the Order, indeed. The humans I cannot speak for."
"Do you mind if I go round and ask for introductions?"
"Be my guest. Please, ask you friends to enlighten me about their names, also."
Buffy turns away, facing the room. "I'd like name, rank and number, or whatever. No icky relationship details, though- we had those last time I had to do this." She is about to point at the first being, when a glow of light appears in the centre of the hall. In it, Cordelia materialises.
"Cordelia?"
"That's me. I hope I didn't miss anything."
"We were just about to do introductions," Buffy replies, letting the voice at the back of her mind that says, "This can't be happening," be smothered by the reality of the situation.
"Good. Please, go ahead. I don't know most of these people."
Cordelia steps back, to the wall, and Buffy points at random.
"I'm Steven," a teenaged boy tells her. "My parents were demons, but my real father is dead. What's a Slayer?"
"Thanks, Steven. I'll talk to you in a minute, if you don't mind. Next?"
"Ranguger, Mistress Malone's personal assistant."
"Excuse me- may I name my Childer all at once? They are all souled or chipped now, so you needn't worry about staking them." Buffy takes her hand out of her pocket, and nods. "My eldest is Heinriech, whom you knew as the Master; his Childe is Darla; her Childe is Angel; his Childe is Drusilla and her Childe is William."
"And his Childe is me- Harmony Kendall!"
All eyes turn towards the back of the hall, save for Alice, who cannot see from her recumberent posture. "I came in through the sewers, hope you don't mind. I couldn't not come, you know, but dawn's coming."
"Come here, William," Alice says, low and remarkably threatening for such a frail looking body. "You said nothing of having a Childe."
"Oh, it's not in the physical way," Harmony explains. "I just wanted to be in an Order- builds up a positive self-image- and Spike was very good to me, so I thought I'd say he was my Sire emotionally."
Alice struggles to sit up in bed. "You do not enter the Order by such fancies. This is my word, and I, Alice Malone, will stick by it."
Buffy, hearing yet another gasp behind her, turns to look at Giles. "Something wrong, Giles?"
"You're Alice Malone? The noted psychic and curse-writer?"
"I am. And you are? We didn't finish the introductions."
"Giles, Rupert Giles. I was Buffy's Watcher for many years."
"Ah, I see. William has spoken of you, many times in the past few hours since we met."
Rupert smiles at that. "You say these two vampires are now souled?"
"That's right. A curse, my own work. Unfortunately, it may not be as strong as some curses- only one curse on both of them- but it has no happiness clause."
"You know about the gypsy curse?" Willow chips in. "I'd love to know."
"Many things, which I will talk to you about later. The short version is that I wrote the curse, and the gypsy woman added a clause or two. We can talk about it in more detail later on, if you desire- or I and Rupert can. I have no wish to see the lady Rosenburg working magic again."
"You know my name?"
"How could I not? My vision were full of you for weeks, until your friend, um- Alexander, is it?- saved the world."
"Xander, normally," the young man in question tells her. He's come down the stairs, and now he move to stand where she can see him properly.
"Xander, yes. What is it, Angelus, Childe?"
Angel is stirring on the floor, groaning softly. Buffy kneels down beside him. "Angel? Are you okay? Silly question- what can I do to help?"
He opens his eyes a crack, just enough to see his former girlfriend. "Wesley. Blood," Angel mutters, and his eyes shut again.
"Oh, no," Cordelia says. "He's not still out for Wesley's blood, is he? It might have been wrong to take Connor, but this is ridiculous."
"I think maybe he meant separately," William snerks. "He does look a bit starved, don't you think? And while you're going to the fridge, you could get some for me, too."
Giles looks at William, hard. "Alright, alright, I'm going. One warm blood coming right up." William departs for the kitchen.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hey! I'm supposed to be a gate-crasher, here!" Harmony says. Xander decides to save the world once more, if in a slightly more minor way. He crosses to Harmony, and pulls her into a hug.
"We noticed you, harm, we just need to deal with some big things, first."
"Oh. Okay. If you must."
"We must," he assures her, and releases his grip on her enough to look at Buffy. "What do you want us to do?" he asks.
"I want us all to get something to eat, followed by some sleep," she says.
Author: Am-Chau Yarkona
E-mail: spam@hagden169.fsnet.co.uk
Summary: In LA, a mysterious woman summons Fred and Gunn, saying she can help them find Angel. Meanwhile, in England.
Rating: PG-13.
Pairing: Giles/Spike, Fred/Gunn, Buffy/Clem, Willow/Drusilla, maybe others.
Spoilers: For the ends of Buffy season 6 and Angel season 3. Also contains some things gathered from spoilers on seasons 7 and 4 respectively.
Warnings: Pre-slash, unusual Mary-Sue.
Author Notes: This is Mary-Sue. I freely admit it. But it's not quite the normal kind.
Story Notes: None.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Joss etc gets it, I get nothing, not even chocolate money.
On the pavement outside the hotel, Giles pays his taxi driver and tried to summon up the courage to go inside, wondering as he did so why.
On the sidewalk outside the hotel, Willow was about to try her best to yell "Hurray" without waking Buffy, when she spots Giles and changes it to, "Xander, your car is a miserably slow wreck!"
"Err, what?" Buffy calls, woken suddenly, and a touch alarmed.
"We've arrived," Xander tells her. "And Giles is here, too."
"That didn't take you long," Buffy says. "In fact, that's almost impossibly quick."
"Well, I may have, um, cheated a little," Giles says, looking shamefaced. "Shall we go in, see if our respective significant others are here?"
"Yes, let's do this," Willow replies.
They push open the doors and go in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Inside, they are met by a bizarre scene. Willow rushes for Drusilla, standing at the bottom of the stairs, nearly pushing her over; and Giles heads- with equal enthusiasm and only a little more dignity- for William.
"Rupert!" the tawny-headed vampire cries. They hug tightly. "I'm sorry, love, I really am."
"You had no choice. It's okay. Hey- don't cry."
William sniffs, and does his best, but Rupert's eyes are filling with tears too. "I'm here now, that's the important thing."
"B,b,b,b,but Rowan."
"Helen took him. It's all okay."
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you."
"Don't worry- I think I may have some idea."
Buffy and Xander have been left to survey the room from their vantage point at the head of the stairs.
"There are a lot of people here," the dark haired boy observes.
"Not all of them are people," Buffy replies, "and I don't recognise most of them. Angel, asleep on the sofa; Spike, Dru, Gunn I guess. The rest."
"A blue-skinned guy, an old woman in bed- and what's a bed doing in a hotel reception anyway? No Cordelia, a boy about Dawn's age, a girl kissing a black guy.."
"The black guy is Gunn, I think."
"Right. Then a blond woman and a bald guy- whose face keeps flickering?"
"Yeah- he's a vampire who's lost control over his masks. I've seen it once or twice before."
"Watch carefully- it isn't quite a normal vamp mask, is it?"
"He looks- he's the Master!"
"That is seriously spooky."
"Why isn't he attacking or something? There are lots of humans here."
"I think I need some more information. Giles!"
Rupert looks round, over the dark blond head that William is pushing into his shoulder.
"Yes?" he answers, and adds, "Hush, William."
"Can you tell me who these people are?"
"Mostly, no. Try asking them."
William looks up. "I can help you there, Slayer. I've been introduced to most of them." His lover's expression at the use of 'Slayer' instead of her names makes William frown, and say, "Sorry, Buffy. Um, the blue-skinned guy is Ranguger, he works for Alice Malone, she's the woman in the bed; the vampires over there are Heinriech- the Master- and Darla; the humans necking are Gunn and Fred, and the boy next to Ranguger is Connor, or maybe Steven, or possibly Alex. No one seems to be very sure."
Buffy nods. "So who's in charge?"
"The woman in the bed, in theory at least."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy marches down the steps and across the room. "Hello," she says to the sleeping woman, "My name's Buffy Summers, I'm the Slayer, and this looks a lot like a vampire nest. How many of you want to take me on?"
"None, my dear," the woman replies, green eyes snapping open. "I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Summers- I knew your first Watcher vaguely."
"You knew Merrick?"
"Is that the name he gave you? Yes, I knew Merrick. He was a good man."
"You're in charge around here?"
"I'm head of the Order, indeed. The humans I cannot speak for."
"Do you mind if I go round and ask for introductions?"
"Be my guest. Please, ask you friends to enlighten me about their names, also."
Buffy turns away, facing the room. "I'd like name, rank and number, or whatever. No icky relationship details, though- we had those last time I had to do this." She is about to point at the first being, when a glow of light appears in the centre of the hall. In it, Cordelia materialises.
"Cordelia?"
"That's me. I hope I didn't miss anything."
"We were just about to do introductions," Buffy replies, letting the voice at the back of her mind that says, "This can't be happening," be smothered by the reality of the situation.
"Good. Please, go ahead. I don't know most of these people."
Cordelia steps back, to the wall, and Buffy points at random.
"I'm Steven," a teenaged boy tells her. "My parents were demons, but my real father is dead. What's a Slayer?"
"Thanks, Steven. I'll talk to you in a minute, if you don't mind. Next?"
"Ranguger, Mistress Malone's personal assistant."
"Excuse me- may I name my Childer all at once? They are all souled or chipped now, so you needn't worry about staking them." Buffy takes her hand out of her pocket, and nods. "My eldest is Heinriech, whom you knew as the Master; his Childe is Darla; her Childe is Angel; his Childe is Drusilla and her Childe is William."
"And his Childe is me- Harmony Kendall!"
All eyes turn towards the back of the hall, save for Alice, who cannot see from her recumberent posture. "I came in through the sewers, hope you don't mind. I couldn't not come, you know, but dawn's coming."
"Come here, William," Alice says, low and remarkably threatening for such a frail looking body. "You said nothing of having a Childe."
"Oh, it's not in the physical way," Harmony explains. "I just wanted to be in an Order- builds up a positive self-image- and Spike was very good to me, so I thought I'd say he was my Sire emotionally."
Alice struggles to sit up in bed. "You do not enter the Order by such fancies. This is my word, and I, Alice Malone, will stick by it."
Buffy, hearing yet another gasp behind her, turns to look at Giles. "Something wrong, Giles?"
"You're Alice Malone? The noted psychic and curse-writer?"
"I am. And you are? We didn't finish the introductions."
"Giles, Rupert Giles. I was Buffy's Watcher for many years."
"Ah, I see. William has spoken of you, many times in the past few hours since we met."
Rupert smiles at that. "You say these two vampires are now souled?"
"That's right. A curse, my own work. Unfortunately, it may not be as strong as some curses- only one curse on both of them- but it has no happiness clause."
"You know about the gypsy curse?" Willow chips in. "I'd love to know."
"Many things, which I will talk to you about later. The short version is that I wrote the curse, and the gypsy woman added a clause or two. We can talk about it in more detail later on, if you desire- or I and Rupert can. I have no wish to see the lady Rosenburg working magic again."
"You know my name?"
"How could I not? My vision were full of you for weeks, until your friend, um- Alexander, is it?- saved the world."
"Xander, normally," the young man in question tells her. He's come down the stairs, and now he move to stand where she can see him properly.
"Xander, yes. What is it, Angelus, Childe?"
Angel is stirring on the floor, groaning softly. Buffy kneels down beside him. "Angel? Are you okay? Silly question- what can I do to help?"
He opens his eyes a crack, just enough to see his former girlfriend. "Wesley. Blood," Angel mutters, and his eyes shut again.
"Oh, no," Cordelia says. "He's not still out for Wesley's blood, is he? It might have been wrong to take Connor, but this is ridiculous."
"I think maybe he meant separately," William snerks. "He does look a bit starved, don't you think? And while you're going to the fridge, you could get some for me, too."
Giles looks at William, hard. "Alright, alright, I'm going. One warm blood coming right up." William departs for the kitchen.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hey! I'm supposed to be a gate-crasher, here!" Harmony says. Xander decides to save the world once more, if in a slightly more minor way. He crosses to Harmony, and pulls her into a hug.
"We noticed you, harm, we just need to deal with some big things, first."
"Oh. Okay. If you must."
"We must," he assures her, and releases his grip on her enough to look at Buffy. "What do you want us to do?" he asks.
"I want us all to get something to eat, followed by some sleep," she says.