2425
The faint ring in the back of my mind triggers my retricular activating system, and I am instantly fully conscious with any peaceful dreams swept under the rug. I dislike the implants required by the Watcher's Council that allow instant contact between and among members; however, they've only woken me from sleep once or twice, so I am less inclined to waste my energy protesting the use of such devices.
Wanting to prevent waking Spike who sleeps soundly with his body spooned around me, I deliberately and carefully remove myself from his embrace. He smiles faintly as I pause to lightly kiss his forehead and brush my hand through his soft curls. Over the centuries, he has been my rock and my deepest love. He taught me to utilize my vampire senses to my greatest advantage, and he taught and continues to teach me how rich unlife, which I now know is really just life, can be.
The ringing in my brain increases in volume, so I reluctantly stride over the plush carpet through the sliding door to the study, which is replete with bits and pieces of Spike and me. He has a taste for antiques, so the room is decorated with a richly colored rug, and our desk is strewn with compact discs of an era gone by. I can almost hear the music in my head and picture him dancing around the room when he thinks I'm not watching. I smile at the mental image as I clean away the mess and settle down at the single, plain screen in the middle of the desk.
Already irritated, I press the lone button. The machine comes to life instantaneously and picks up the signal from the miniscule device in my brain. I sigh when I recognize the person on the screen.
"What do you want in the middle of the day, Roger? You know I sleep during the day," I say, trying my best to sound put off by his intrusion. He usually leaves me alone if I let him know that he's interrupting something.
Roger is my liaison with the Watcher's Council. As the slayer who has lived the longest.the only one who has become a vampire and survived past the first century of unlife, I am valued as an asset to the Council. However, my relationship with the Council has varied over the centuries.
At first, they wanted to kill me and especially Spike. They deemed us too much of a risk to have running around the planet; they believed our power would be too great and would cause a war between demons and mankind. a war humans didn't stand a chance of winning if the demons were organized properly. More than one hit party was sent to capture and/or kill Spike and I. After a couple of centuries of aiding and extending the lives of several slayers, Spike and I were halfheartedly accepted as "part of the team" as Roger terms our current relationship with the Council.
"I'm sorry, Buffy, but this is a matter of some urgency," Roger explains, his face a mask of apology. He is thin wisp of a man almost paler than Spike and I. He appears to be much younger than his stated age of forty- five years even without the genetic alterations most humans undergo at his age to remove the lines, wrinkles, and blemishes of age. Yet, in contrast to his seemingly meek appearance, he is a powerful force among the Council members and will likely be promoted to Council head after the latest retires or dies. I am relieved to have him as an ally.
"Okay. So, spill it. And don't leave out any details," I command.
"Do I ever leave anything out?" Unlike the shady nature of many Council members, he doesn't hide important information. "There's been a problem with the new slayer."
"Not again." Spike and I have little to do with the new slayer who resides in what used to be called Europe while we remain in what used to be the state of California. The new slayer is only fourteen-years-old and a bit of a rebel.
"Yeah. She's apparently gotten a little out of control for the last couple of weeks. She 'fired' her Watcher. And now she's gone off on a rampage around the world. We can't seem to locate her even with the standard device in her head."
"Roger, I realize she was already not an easy girl to train and control like you'd like, but something must have triggered her recent behavior," I observe and subsequently watch Roger's expression become almost fearful.
"Well, that's just it. There's something we need your help with." I note that he is trying to peer around the study.
"What, Roger? What are you searching so hard for?"
"Is Spike around?"
"No, he's not. For some reason, I think he might be sleeping," I comment as sarcastically as possible.
Roger ignores my tone. "Good. This involves only you. You are not to tell Spike."
"Whoa, wait a minute. I tell Spike everything. And plus, we've been together for over four centuries now." Roger should be able to grasp that; after all, humans are living for a little over two hundred years now. "Let's just say, he knows me a little. How do you expect me to hide something from him?"
"Trust me; you'll want to."
"How about you tell me what's going on, and then, I'll decide what to tell or not tell Spike."
Roger frowns but continues, "Vampires killed Vanessa's family two weeks ago."
"I thought that the Council had provisions in place to prevent that from happening after the disaster with Sophie's family in 2057." Two days after Sophie was called to be a slayer, vampires slaughtered everyone in Sophie's village in an unspeakable manner. in a fashion more vile than anything Angelus ever did to torture his victims.
"Well, the sticky part is that Drusilla led the party that slaughtered the girl's family."
I draw a sharp breath and my fists clinch involuntarily at the mention of Spike's ex-paramour and sire. I have found that my connection with Spike has increased my dislike of the vampiress on a deeper and more primal level. "Oh."
Although we hadn't heard from Dru in a couple of centuries, Spike and I both knew that she would eventually resurface. Truth be told, I know Spike is afraid for her to make a reappearance in our lives because then, he'll have to decide whether to slay or spare her.
"Buffy." I nearly jump out of my seat at the sound of the familiar but fading English accent, and I glance up to witness a bleary-eyed Spike standing over me. Guilt washes over me, and Roger looks uncomfortable.
"Hey, sweetie," I barely find my voice. "What're you doing up?"
Paying no attention to Roger, Spike bends over and nips my neck, surrounding me with his essence and whispering, "You know I can't sleep without you there."
"We haven't been apart since I can't remember when, so how do you know?" I return the affection by pecking his lips and cheeks.
"Well, I'm not sleeping now, am I?" He offers Roger a glance and a smirk. "Private conversation, eh, pet?" Spike's never been known for trusting Watchers, so he avoids them at all costs and always covers his uncertainty around them with bravado.
"Yeah, sort of."
He strokes my hair in a manner that sets my skin alight and makes me want to run away from Roger and climb back into bed with my lover. "Was gonna fix me a mug of blood out of the food dispenser. Want some, love?"
I nod, unable to remove my eyes from his retreating back before returning my concentration to Roger. "Okay. Please finish your tale."
"As soon as Vanessa's Watcher told her who Drusilla was, she withdrew from others. her friends, her Watcher. A few days later, she was gone. No one's seen her since."
"And this interests me because?"
"Because Vanessa left a note behind." Roger pauses uncertainly.
"Boy, you are the expert at dramatic storytelling today, Rog. Please just get on with it."
"Vanessa's after all the vampires who are in the order of Aurelius," he finally states.
"Does that mean. . . ?"
"You and Spike. She's after you and Spike."
Slayer instinct takes over, and I'm all business in an instant. "Was the DNA enhancement completed before she took off?"
In this century, the art of DNA modification has been almost perfected; however, various worldwide laws and restrictions prevent the use of many of the techniques available. The Council, being the veritable underground organization, is able to access certain of the outlawed procedures and has long been genetically enhancing each slayer's strength, versatility, and intelligence a short time after she is called.
"Unfortuately, yes."
"Damn." This news means that the already especially gifted Vanessa will be nothing less than a formidable opponent.
"Buffy, we need your help to find and stop her. Slayers have been shown to have unexplainable connections with one another. Right now, Vanessa has no idea where you and Spike are. By keeping you on the move and on the search for her, we hope that she'll focus on you, and then, we can catch up to her."
"And do what after you have her?"
"Lock her up or. . ."
"Let me guess. . . or eliminate her."
Roger stares me in the eye. "Yes."
"I'll cut you a deal. I'll do what you say as long as you guarantee to merely hold and rehabilitate her. No killing. And, I will tell Spike what's going on."
Roger raises his eyebrows at me. "I can promise that we'll do everything to achieve rehabilitation with Vanessa. But, you must not tell Spike."
"Why not?"
"To keep him from doing something to endanger himself. He is rather rash at times. And to keep him away from Drusilla. His presence would only complicate things. You don't want him to get killed. Plus, we need his continued presence on the hellmouth in your sector to help keep the demons at bay while we concentrate our other resources on the problems in sector fifty-seven."
Roger is playing on my deep love for Spike and my ever-present sense of duty, but I have to concede Roger's conjectures as true. To have a rogue slayer on top of the rising demon dangers in sector fifty-seven means Council resources are stretched mighty thin. I thoughtfully chew on my bottom lip. "Okay."
"A transport ticket has been added to your profile. You just have to undergo the usual eye scan."
"When?"
"Tonight. You'll arrive in London five minutes after your transport time, so be on time," Roger becomes firm after he has my consent to go along with the Council's plan.
"All right." I snap off the screen, hanging up on Roger. My mind is a whirl of feelings, and I'm annoyed but have no idea why.
Then, strong hands begin rubbing my shoulders and neck. "So tense, pet. What's wrong? Bad news from the Wanker's Council?"
I force myself to smile and pick up a warm mug of blood from the desktop. "No bad news. Just the usual." I take a large swallow of the life- enriching fluid to cover my lie. Despite my best efforts, I can tell Spike knows I'm not telling the whole truth. Roger never calls in the middle of the day unless he has important news.
Spike decides to overlook the truth, managing to pick me up and slide beneath me to hold me on his lap in the chair. He takes a sip out of his own glass before setting the blood aside and pulling my nightgown over my head with slightly more urgency than usual. I slowly turn to straddle and wrap my legs around him. Groaning at the kisses he tickles across my bare stomach, I vow to cherish this moment more than he will ever know.
TBC. . . still 2425. . . Thanks so much for all your reviews! *g* ;o)
The faint ring in the back of my mind triggers my retricular activating system, and I am instantly fully conscious with any peaceful dreams swept under the rug. I dislike the implants required by the Watcher's Council that allow instant contact between and among members; however, they've only woken me from sleep once or twice, so I am less inclined to waste my energy protesting the use of such devices.
Wanting to prevent waking Spike who sleeps soundly with his body spooned around me, I deliberately and carefully remove myself from his embrace. He smiles faintly as I pause to lightly kiss his forehead and brush my hand through his soft curls. Over the centuries, he has been my rock and my deepest love. He taught me to utilize my vampire senses to my greatest advantage, and he taught and continues to teach me how rich unlife, which I now know is really just life, can be.
The ringing in my brain increases in volume, so I reluctantly stride over the plush carpet through the sliding door to the study, which is replete with bits and pieces of Spike and me. He has a taste for antiques, so the room is decorated with a richly colored rug, and our desk is strewn with compact discs of an era gone by. I can almost hear the music in my head and picture him dancing around the room when he thinks I'm not watching. I smile at the mental image as I clean away the mess and settle down at the single, plain screen in the middle of the desk.
Already irritated, I press the lone button. The machine comes to life instantaneously and picks up the signal from the miniscule device in my brain. I sigh when I recognize the person on the screen.
"What do you want in the middle of the day, Roger? You know I sleep during the day," I say, trying my best to sound put off by his intrusion. He usually leaves me alone if I let him know that he's interrupting something.
Roger is my liaison with the Watcher's Council. As the slayer who has lived the longest.the only one who has become a vampire and survived past the first century of unlife, I am valued as an asset to the Council. However, my relationship with the Council has varied over the centuries.
At first, they wanted to kill me and especially Spike. They deemed us too much of a risk to have running around the planet; they believed our power would be too great and would cause a war between demons and mankind. a war humans didn't stand a chance of winning if the demons were organized properly. More than one hit party was sent to capture and/or kill Spike and I. After a couple of centuries of aiding and extending the lives of several slayers, Spike and I were halfheartedly accepted as "part of the team" as Roger terms our current relationship with the Council.
"I'm sorry, Buffy, but this is a matter of some urgency," Roger explains, his face a mask of apology. He is thin wisp of a man almost paler than Spike and I. He appears to be much younger than his stated age of forty- five years even without the genetic alterations most humans undergo at his age to remove the lines, wrinkles, and blemishes of age. Yet, in contrast to his seemingly meek appearance, he is a powerful force among the Council members and will likely be promoted to Council head after the latest retires or dies. I am relieved to have him as an ally.
"Okay. So, spill it. And don't leave out any details," I command.
"Do I ever leave anything out?" Unlike the shady nature of many Council members, he doesn't hide important information. "There's been a problem with the new slayer."
"Not again." Spike and I have little to do with the new slayer who resides in what used to be called Europe while we remain in what used to be the state of California. The new slayer is only fourteen-years-old and a bit of a rebel.
"Yeah. She's apparently gotten a little out of control for the last couple of weeks. She 'fired' her Watcher. And now she's gone off on a rampage around the world. We can't seem to locate her even with the standard device in her head."
"Roger, I realize she was already not an easy girl to train and control like you'd like, but something must have triggered her recent behavior," I observe and subsequently watch Roger's expression become almost fearful.
"Well, that's just it. There's something we need your help with." I note that he is trying to peer around the study.
"What, Roger? What are you searching so hard for?"
"Is Spike around?"
"No, he's not. For some reason, I think he might be sleeping," I comment as sarcastically as possible.
Roger ignores my tone. "Good. This involves only you. You are not to tell Spike."
"Whoa, wait a minute. I tell Spike everything. And plus, we've been together for over four centuries now." Roger should be able to grasp that; after all, humans are living for a little over two hundred years now. "Let's just say, he knows me a little. How do you expect me to hide something from him?"
"Trust me; you'll want to."
"How about you tell me what's going on, and then, I'll decide what to tell or not tell Spike."
Roger frowns but continues, "Vampires killed Vanessa's family two weeks ago."
"I thought that the Council had provisions in place to prevent that from happening after the disaster with Sophie's family in 2057." Two days after Sophie was called to be a slayer, vampires slaughtered everyone in Sophie's village in an unspeakable manner. in a fashion more vile than anything Angelus ever did to torture his victims.
"Well, the sticky part is that Drusilla led the party that slaughtered the girl's family."
I draw a sharp breath and my fists clinch involuntarily at the mention of Spike's ex-paramour and sire. I have found that my connection with Spike has increased my dislike of the vampiress on a deeper and more primal level. "Oh."
Although we hadn't heard from Dru in a couple of centuries, Spike and I both knew that she would eventually resurface. Truth be told, I know Spike is afraid for her to make a reappearance in our lives because then, he'll have to decide whether to slay or spare her.
"Buffy." I nearly jump out of my seat at the sound of the familiar but fading English accent, and I glance up to witness a bleary-eyed Spike standing over me. Guilt washes over me, and Roger looks uncomfortable.
"Hey, sweetie," I barely find my voice. "What're you doing up?"
Paying no attention to Roger, Spike bends over and nips my neck, surrounding me with his essence and whispering, "You know I can't sleep without you there."
"We haven't been apart since I can't remember when, so how do you know?" I return the affection by pecking his lips and cheeks.
"Well, I'm not sleeping now, am I?" He offers Roger a glance and a smirk. "Private conversation, eh, pet?" Spike's never been known for trusting Watchers, so he avoids them at all costs and always covers his uncertainty around them with bravado.
"Yeah, sort of."
He strokes my hair in a manner that sets my skin alight and makes me want to run away from Roger and climb back into bed with my lover. "Was gonna fix me a mug of blood out of the food dispenser. Want some, love?"
I nod, unable to remove my eyes from his retreating back before returning my concentration to Roger. "Okay. Please finish your tale."
"As soon as Vanessa's Watcher told her who Drusilla was, she withdrew from others. her friends, her Watcher. A few days later, she was gone. No one's seen her since."
"And this interests me because?"
"Because Vanessa left a note behind." Roger pauses uncertainly.
"Boy, you are the expert at dramatic storytelling today, Rog. Please just get on with it."
"Vanessa's after all the vampires who are in the order of Aurelius," he finally states.
"Does that mean. . . ?"
"You and Spike. She's after you and Spike."
Slayer instinct takes over, and I'm all business in an instant. "Was the DNA enhancement completed before she took off?"
In this century, the art of DNA modification has been almost perfected; however, various worldwide laws and restrictions prevent the use of many of the techniques available. The Council, being the veritable underground organization, is able to access certain of the outlawed procedures and has long been genetically enhancing each slayer's strength, versatility, and intelligence a short time after she is called.
"Unfortuately, yes."
"Damn." This news means that the already especially gifted Vanessa will be nothing less than a formidable opponent.
"Buffy, we need your help to find and stop her. Slayers have been shown to have unexplainable connections with one another. Right now, Vanessa has no idea where you and Spike are. By keeping you on the move and on the search for her, we hope that she'll focus on you, and then, we can catch up to her."
"And do what after you have her?"
"Lock her up or. . ."
"Let me guess. . . or eliminate her."
Roger stares me in the eye. "Yes."
"I'll cut you a deal. I'll do what you say as long as you guarantee to merely hold and rehabilitate her. No killing. And, I will tell Spike what's going on."
Roger raises his eyebrows at me. "I can promise that we'll do everything to achieve rehabilitation with Vanessa. But, you must not tell Spike."
"Why not?"
"To keep him from doing something to endanger himself. He is rather rash at times. And to keep him away from Drusilla. His presence would only complicate things. You don't want him to get killed. Plus, we need his continued presence on the hellmouth in your sector to help keep the demons at bay while we concentrate our other resources on the problems in sector fifty-seven."
Roger is playing on my deep love for Spike and my ever-present sense of duty, but I have to concede Roger's conjectures as true. To have a rogue slayer on top of the rising demon dangers in sector fifty-seven means Council resources are stretched mighty thin. I thoughtfully chew on my bottom lip. "Okay."
"A transport ticket has been added to your profile. You just have to undergo the usual eye scan."
"When?"
"Tonight. You'll arrive in London five minutes after your transport time, so be on time," Roger becomes firm after he has my consent to go along with the Council's plan.
"All right." I snap off the screen, hanging up on Roger. My mind is a whirl of feelings, and I'm annoyed but have no idea why.
Then, strong hands begin rubbing my shoulders and neck. "So tense, pet. What's wrong? Bad news from the Wanker's Council?"
I force myself to smile and pick up a warm mug of blood from the desktop. "No bad news. Just the usual." I take a large swallow of the life- enriching fluid to cover my lie. Despite my best efforts, I can tell Spike knows I'm not telling the whole truth. Roger never calls in the middle of the day unless he has important news.
Spike decides to overlook the truth, managing to pick me up and slide beneath me to hold me on his lap in the chair. He takes a sip out of his own glass before setting the blood aside and pulling my nightgown over my head with slightly more urgency than usual. I slowly turn to straddle and wrap my legs around him. Groaning at the kisses he tickles across my bare stomach, I vow to cherish this moment more than he will ever know.
TBC. . . still 2425. . . Thanks so much for all your reviews! *g* ;o)