Finally, a new chapter. I'm also hard at work on chapter 27 that is basically the second part of this chapter. Mr. Bad-ass himself is back.

CHAPTER 26

"Seth? What is wrong?" Jennifer asked, her hand casually sliding up and down her crossed thighs. He had been pacing back and forth for the past twenty minutes, muttering incoherently under his breath.

"Who's Gabriel?" She asked, finally catching a decipherable clue. She was taken aback at the seething hatred in his eyes when he glared at her.

"Gabriel," he forced out through gritted teeth, "is the bastard who sired me." He closed his eyes and deliberately took several unneeded breaths before opening his eyes slowly. "And he is a dead man."

He melted into the loveseat next to her and closed his eyes. The silence stretched for several minutes and Jennifer was able to study the shockingly handsome features of the vicious killer next to her. She couldn't hide the smile that touched her lips at the paradoxical figure before her. Though they had just met technically a handful of hours ago, Jennifer couldn't help but notice the sense of familiarity that the vampire conveyed in her. He was filled with an infectious boisterousness but underneath it all simmered a quiet rage that was extremely volatile, apt to explode any second. But now, as his body molded to the lines of the chair, he looked so calm and peaceful, no signs of the killer he was visible on his nearly flawless skin.

"What do you know about time travel?" he asked, causing her to jump. His eyes remained closed however as he enunciated every word with precision. "Not the H.G. Wells shit. I mean the real deal. The opening of cosmic portals type shit."

Jennifer's eyebrows creased as she was caught off guard by the line of questioning. The point of fact was that she did know a bit about dimensional travel through time. That was one of the reasons she was so interested in Dawn. The potential that lay within her blood was limitless. If everything went as planned, she would have that power at her fingertips.

"Well," she began, mindful of her words, "it requires someone of extraordinary power to harness the energies of whatever tool is necessary to open the portal," if a tool is necessary, she added silently. "Also, the power drain of the individual would be incredible. In all likelihood, the person's life force would be completely absorbed, in effect killing them. I've been around since…well awhile, and I've only witnessed one successful attempt that didn't kill the host. Of course," she added ruefully, "said individual was thrown into a catatonic state for the remainder of his natural life."

Seth sighed in annoyance. "No, not the actual ritual or whatever the hell it is that's needed. I mean…" he paused, searching for the right words. Finally, he opened his eyes and continued. "I'm trying to understand it in the 'screwing with the whole order of things' way."

Jennifer cocked her head towards him and studied his eyes. "What are you getting at?" She sat up, concentrating her mental energies on him. Though his thoughts were shrouded to her, she could gauge his mood. It was all there. Anger. Frustration. Despair. Hope. And fear…

"Seth, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

He smiled tiredly and pushed himself up. Seth walked in front of her and kneeled down in front of her. This close, he couldn't help but feel the magnetic pull of her. It took all his will power not to ravage her where she sat.

"You know how I've been hell-bent on getting my slayer, right?"

She nodded. "The one called Faith, am I right?"

"Yes, her name is Faith, all right but she is not the same Faith that is from this time." Gabriel had filled him in on some of the more poignant aspects of the time as a precaution. Always prepared was his sire's motto, though he was far from a Boy Scout.

"What are you saying? That she is from another time?" Jennifer looked at him incredulously. She knew it was possible but the girl in the other room was the only being, at least in theory, which could accomplish temporal travel through portals with impunity. Jennifer was hard pressed to hide her excitement over the possibilities…

"From the future, to be exact," he informed her. "Actually, about forty years in the future. The same as me."

Despite all that she was and the things she had seen Jennifer couldn't help being somewhat surprised. She had realized when he had first come over to her table that there was something different about him. His essence was not quite in sync with the dimensional vibrations of this world. She had assumed that he had been transplanted from some parallel dimension or something to that effect. Traveling through time, as she had told him, was very strenuous, not only on the caster but the traveler as well. Even with the proper fulcrum to open the door as she theorized Dawn to be, most beings could never survive the trip through the gate. It was much more unconventional than moving between dimensions as it tore at the very fabrics of reality unlike any dimensional gate ever could.

Jennifer parted her lips to speak when something clicked.

"What?" Seth asked, noting the virtually imperceptible widening of her eyes.

"That girl, the Summers child," she said in hushed tones. "She was the one who sent you here." Though it wasn't quite a question, Seth could read the slight uncertainty in her tone. His eyebrows wrinkled and his head slumped.

"Yeah. That's her all right. My Emerald," he said, the last two words barely above a whisper.

Though she remained calm on the outside, Jennifer could not harness her racing thoughts. So it was true! This girl, the slayer's sister, was not only the Key to other dimensions but she was also a portal through time. The implications of it all were stunning and Jennifer couldn't help but salivate at the opportunities this presented to her. Forgetting about Seth, she smiled evilly.

"This is unbelievable. I knew she was powerful but this is even more than I can hope for. With her as a vessel, I can transcend time itself…" she trailed off, lost in the revelry of the potential evil she could displace.

Seth glanced up at the woman next to him, perplexed at her changing demeanor. He wanted to ask her about it but the mention of Emerald's name only fuelled his desire to gain his retribution against Gabriel; the man that had taken the only person he ever loved away.

"Jennifer," he said sharply.

The dark beauty snapped her head towards him, her thoughts of destruction interrupted. She stared into the determined eyes of the man before her.

"I apologize Seth. Now what was it…"

"Time travel," he said impatiently. "Or more specifically the effects one can have on the future timeline. Not on a grand scale, but more on an individual basis."

"Do you mean…"

Again he cut her off. "Say I want some payback for what Pops did to me. Will I go all Marty McFly…?

"And disappear?" She cut in with a smile. Seth couldn't help to smile back and for the umpteenth time he noticed the smooth succulent curves of her lips. He shook off the building reservoir of lust pushing forward and nodded.

Jennifer could sense the burgeoning desire forming between them and she wanted nothing more than to give into it right now. It had been too long and she hadn't been with a man in a truly human body in ages, much less this one. It would be like her first time…No that can wait, she told herself. She wouldn't rush anything with her goal being so close to fruition.

"No," she said simply.

Several motions passed over Seth's face at her answer. Triumph and bloodlust mixed with fear and confusion that finally culminated in disbelief.

"So what you're saying is that I can have a gay old time torturing my old man and not get the cosmic shaft, so to speak?" he couldn't hide the hope that crept into his voice.

"You are correct."

"But how?" He stood and paced in front of her. "I mean, isn't that like rule number one of the time traveler's creed: Don't fuck with the past."

Jennifer smirked at the vampire's less than refined attitude. Of course, that was the reason she found him so intriguing.

"Well that's how it make work on television, but in the real world, it's completely different."

"How so?"

"Television assumes that when you travel through time, you remain a part of the original time stream. It's a logical assumption but an inaccurate one. What happens in reality is that you are totally dissociated from your originating timeline and supplanted into whichever one you currently occupy."

"Just so you know," Seth said, taking the seat next to her, "I never was a fan of Star Trek. So, if you can dumb down the explanation just a tad."

She laughed softly at his candor. Folding her leg underneath her, Jennifer turned to the vampire and began again. "When you travel through a temporal gate, you are no longer part of that time. You become a part of the time that you are in. In your case now, instead of…" she waited for him to fill in the time gap.

"Twenty-forty five. So what you're saying is that no matter what actions I take, nothing will affect my existence?" He was beginning to understand the slight nuance of it all.

"Well, not exactly."

"What you do mean 'not exactly'? I thought you said…"

"I said," she cut in harshly, starting to get a bit annoyed, "that you will not be affected in this time. However, if you do travel back to your original time, whatever you altered in the past may very well alter your future self. Maybe even to the point of non-existence."

Seth leaned back in the chair, absently flexing his still-singed forearm. He had absorbed everything Jennifer had said and it was a lot to process. The ramifications of it all were unbelievable. If all this were true, he could deliver the fatal blow to Gabriel without lifting a single finger against him. It wasn't his ideal method for vengeance but sometimes you had to adapt.

"So," he began cautiously, "what you're saying is that I can pretty much kill any and everything associated me, kill my old man before he even sprouts me and not be affected by the backlash. But, that only holds up if I stay here and not return to my own time. Am I right?"

"That about sums it up," she smiled.

In the blink of an eye, Seth was at the door. Jennifer was taken aback at how fast he could move. Damn human body, she thought. Forgot the limitations I have in it.

"Where are you going?" She asked, walking to him. When he turned around, the human part of her cringed in fear at the maniacal glint in his eyes though the better part of her reveled in the evil that was in his stare.

"Gonna recruit some more demons. Some real demons, not some piss-ant vamps." He walked over to her and cupped her cheek in his hand before ravaging her lips with his. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue violently probed her. Though his fear of her was abated, Jennifer could still taste the apprehension on him. His free hand cupped roughly at her most intimate parts and she squirmed from the combination of the pleasure and pain. As she felt the pleasure mount, Seth abruptly let go. He smiled at her desirous-laced scent and the flush of her cheeks. It was the first time that she had looked vulnerable in any way. This encouraged him and his thoughts for later in the night were filled with intimate details of a potential confrontation with a less than fully clothed Jennifer...

Seth dropped his hands from her and walked through the door. He turned one more time and smiled at her.

"I'm gonna change history," he said before disappearing into the night.

***

Disgusted, Seth threw the exsanguinated corpse to the ground on top of the other two bodies. Repressing his demon, he angrily wiped his bloodstained mouth with the back of his hand. He had stormed out of Jennifer's place in a relatively good mood. However, the lonely walk into the night was enough to sully his mood once more. Emerald's devotion to Gabriel was what prevented Seth from being with the only person he had ever loved in his entire miserable existence. And even if his plan worked and it wiped Gabriel from the face of existence, the memories would always be there. The things he had done with Emerald didn't mean nearly as much when thinking about her doing the same things with Gabriel. A part of Seth knew that it wasn't fair, that she had given him to Gabriel to save his life. She had made the greatest sacrifice for him and yet all he could see was Gabriel touching her, caressing her, fucking her.

He stalked through the empty streets, trying his best to quell the intimate visions of Emerald in the throes of passion with his sire. He had never thought at length about it all until now. The ten years since he had been turned had been spent caddying around the globe as Gabriel's right hand, creating order in chaos. The fact of the matter was that after he had first been turned, he rarely saw his goddess.

What? Did you think she took an oath of chastity just because she couldn't have you anymore? His demon goaded. Do you think you were that good? That she would never touch another man because you had spoiled her? The borrowed blood in the vampire's veins bubbled in frustration at the truth and derisive tone of his inner voice. What had he expected? That they would be reunited and live happily ever after?

Get a grip, old boy, Seth thought. One thing he had avoided his whole life on the streets was the notion of feeling sorry for himself. He was always surrounded with people having things he didn't but he never brooded about it. From an early age, he learned that you had to take what you wanted. And if it hurt someone else in the process? Fuck 'em. It had agreed with him yet now it was different. Not having anything from the start made it impossible to lose anything of value. But now, that he had a taste of happiness that his mind refused to let go of…well, it didn't sit too well with him that someone else was responsible for taking that away.

And no one took anything away from Seth without suffering the consequences. He was Death's Head and he would mete out his revenge.

His rant was halted when the tingling ran up his back. "What the fuck?" He whispered as he walked toward the disturbance. Seth peered down the alley that the vibes were coming from only to be greeted by shadowy forms scurrying about through the trash that littered the concrete.

"Rats," he muttered but still couldn't take his mind off the weird sensation crawling over him. It wasn't unpleasant in the least but was more of an invitation of sorts. Deciding to further investigate, the vampire cautiously made his way into the alley and five steps later he passed through the barrier.

"Cool," he whispered. This was definitely a cloaked establishment. Seth had heard of them but this was his first time being in one. Gabriel had told him that such places were hidden as such to give demons shelters from slayers and other unsavory demon hunters.

"This is a demon bar," the bartender shouted in disgust, "no half-breeds." Seth's surprise took a backseat to amusement at the slug-like creature's disdain. And the way the other patrons eyed him suspiciously and with various arrays of loathing, he knew the bartender wasn't the only one to share that sentiment.

"What?" Seth asked in his most innocent voice, opening his arms in acceptance. "Do you guys have some sort of problem with vampires?" He watched several dozen sets of eyes narrow at him as a few of the larger demons rose and purposefully strode towards him. "Guess that answers my question," he muttered in sheer glee. Finally a real challenge, he thought as he eyed the three burly Jct'ar demons moving toward him.

Now, how should I play this? Seth knew enough about Jct'ar demons not to take them for granted. Of course, they couldn't kill him but with their battering ram heads and pointed hooves…well, he didn't want to get too marked up before the big night at the Bronze coming up.

"Vhgo now," the leader spoke in what Seth barely recognized as English. Jct'ar's weren't the greatest linguists in the world, rarely able to grasp more than a dozen words from a language other than their native tongue. That was odd in itself when Jct'ars themselves were highly intelligent. Well, at least the leader of a Triumph was. Speaking of Triumphs, Jct'ars always traveled in groups of five and since there were only three in front of him, then that must mean…

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He had scarcely sensed the two Jct'ar's that rolled up behind him through the cloaked door. Damn cloak, fuckin' with my senses, he cursed. He sighed heavily, the plan already formed in his head. Though he wasn't worried about taking on a Triumph of Jct'ars, he was certain that he'd come out of the brawl unscathed especially when one considered Jct'ars were trained to fight as a team from an early age. Though they kept to themselves for the most part, not too keen on the carnage other demons reveled in; if provoked, however, they were an extremely unpleasant lot to deal with.

Seth's smile broadened as a new idea spurned in his head. These Jct'ars were quite possibly just the things he was looking for. With the dispatch of Primal and his gang, he and Jennifer were lacking in the minion department. And with everything that was to go down in the next day or so, they'd need some backup. One slayer, he could handle, even two (of course little Ms. Faith would probably cower like a little lamb, as always). But throw in a vampire and two witches, one of whom had a potential that rivaled Gabriel…he had to admit that it would be a tall order even for him.

"So, Gents, how's the drinking? Going down nice and smooth I hope. I mean, with all those nasty follicles in your esophagus, it's a small miracle that you can eat at all." All five demons snorted angrily while Seth only smirked. For reasons unknown to Seth, Jct'ars were a tad sensitive about their abhorrent appearance. Hell, I guess I would be too, if I looked like them.

"Okay, okay," Seth said backing up, his hands held up in peace. He stopped just short of backing into the two sentries behind him. He was in the perfect position to demonstrate his dominance if need be.

"So I guess that'd be a 'no' to any sort of pleasantries. Fine. Not one for small talk myself." All joviality disappeared from the vampire's gait and his eyes narrowed, a glint of yellow dashed with green passing through them.

"Here's the deal. You five…things do what I tell you to do," he smirked as they bristled with anger at his derogatory reference to them. "If you do that, I'll let you keep your dignity."

The five demons laughed heartily. Evidently, their lack of linguistic speech did nothing to hinder their understanding of words.

Seth merely smiled, forcing his muscles to relax. He knew it was pointless to talk as action spoke a hell of a lot louder than words. Still, he'd try one more time.

"Well, I'm glad you think it's funny," He walked up to the leader and glared into the purple eyes of the seven foot tall beast as best he could. When he next spoke, his voice took on a tone that sent chills down the spine of the demons that were close enough to hear it. It was filled with the promise of pain and torture in ways even their demonic minds were unable to comprehend.

"But will you think its funny when I rip those substandard horns out your skull and fuck you with 'em 'til you say you love me?" The laughter ceased immediately and the look of rage on the leader's face was priceless. Seth closed his eyes for a split second, tuning himself into their auras. Won't do much good to kill them, now will it? He knew they could take a beating but he also knew he had a habit of getting out of hand.

"Vhfuck you!" the leader spat, craning his neck toward the vampire. It was just what Seth had been waiting for.

With speed that even startled him, Seth sent an uppercut to the creature's windpipe, its most vulnerable area. The remaining four stared in amazement at their leader crumpled in disbelief. It took a second for them to react to their fallen leader but when they did, it was as a team.

The Jct'ar closest to Seth let loose a primal roar before letting fly a hate-filled right cross that the vampire ducked easily. Unfortunately for Seth, the other Jct'ar facing him crashed its knee into the vampire's face. Momentarily dazed, Seth stumbled into the two demons at his back. His confusion was quickly eliminated as two hoofed claws ripped into his back.

Seth howled as the pain coursed through him. It was quickly overshadowed by the anger that surged through him, raising his demon to the surface as the third Jct'ar connected with Seth's chin, sending the vampire's blood everywhere.

The force of the blow sent the vampire careening into a nearby table, sending tatters of wood and alcohol into the air. Seth grimaced as a shard of the table impaled itself into his right leg.

Well, guess falling into a piece of wood isn't the same as being staked, he thought, amusedly. With a quick twist and pull, the vampire ripped the splinter from his thigh and staggered to his feet. He felt the four demons at his back, waiting rather patiently.

"Gotta hand it to ya, boys," he said, rising from the debris. "You really pack a punch." He stood to his full height, back turned to the Jct'ar. The rest of the bar however was in view of the downed vampire and they all gasped when they saw his face. Seth only smiled and whirled around toward his attackers.

Despite their virtual fearlessness, the Jct'ar demons couldn't help but take a step back at the thing that stared back at them. The handsomely angular features of Seth had dissolved into a visage far more pronounced than the traditional vampire lumpies.

Where his nose should have been jutted two horns that bisected his line of vision. The bones in his jaw looked to have shifted through the skin and clung tightly to his face not unlike a wild boar. Three rows of teeth snapped open and closed at them, blood congealing between the grooves as he slowly advanced on them. His skin had taken on a marble glean and his tattooed arms were lined with bony protrusions culminating in four inch talons. But as horrific as it all was his eyes were what had the blood of the demons running cold.

Though they were little more than angry slits, the coldness and evil pouring from Seth's bright red/jaundiced yellow eyes was something that even a demon was loathe to face. There was an absence of everything remotely human or demon alike. It was akin to gazing into Hell itself.

Craning his neck from side to side (mostly for effect) Seth smiled hideously at the four unnerved demons. Rarely did he ever change into his true nature, content on retaining his human features when feeding, something only a few vampires had ever been able to do. Not only was it more personal, but it also cut down on the mess as well as the pain associated with his bones rearranging. Thus, he never tired of the reaction his vampiric mask.

"What?" he asked, arms spread in mock-exasperation, "haven't you guys seen a vampire before?"

"Vd'sua'ta," the closest Jct'ar whispered, its husky voice tinged with apprehension. Their once steely resolve threatened to buckle under the gaze of evil incarnate before them.

Seth figured that their paralysis meant one of two things. Either they would attack him in frenzy and he would have to kill them, or they would bow in supplication to him. He sighed. Neither option was acceptable since he did need them for the ritual and at the same time he was in a fighting mood. So, being the problem-solver that he was, Seth did the only sensible thing; he attacked.

Reigning in his claws, Seth slammed his fist into the face of the nearest Jct'ar, shattering its jaw. It flew back into the bar and slumped to the ground, unconscious. The remaining three reacted instantly. The blond vampire absorbed the brunt of a kick with his arm but a second kick connected with his rib, staggering him back. The third attacker took that moment to charge, its curved horns glistening in the faint light. Regaining his composure, Seth took the charge head-on, grabbing the Jct'ar's horns and hoisting it through the air and into the wall where it slid to the floor, out.

"Thought you fuckers'd be tougher than that," Seth taunted, massaging his cracked ribs. In truth, he was surprised that in less than sixty seconds he had effectively neutralized three Jct'ars while not sustaining any major injuries. "Either you guys aren't as tough as advertised or I'm just wicked cool." He folded his arms and the bony protrusions that were his eyebrows furrowed in debate. "No, definitely the latter."

The final two Jct'ars roared before charging simultaneously. Seth feinted to the left, effectively cutting off any chance of being surrounded. He shot out a left that the demon parried but quickly followed it with a right backhand to its face and brought his left back around, only this time it connected, sending the beast spinning to the floor.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the last Jct'ar hoisted its brutish arms around the off-balance vampire, lifting him into a crushing bear hug. Even with his strength, Seth couldn't help but to cry out as the Jct'ar's iron grip constricted around him. He knew it couldn't kill him, but it could still do a lot of damage and the vampire wasn't about to let that happen.

Using his free hands, Seth drove his fists to either side of the demon's head. He felt its knees buckle but it refused to relinquish its grip. So he drove his fists into it for a second time. Then a third. And a fourth. Finally on the fifth succession of blows, the Jct'ar's grip loosened and Seth felt the ground under his feet. Sliding his hands to his sides, the vampire broke the tenuous grip. The demon staggered backwards, barely able to stand and Seth steadied braced his hands against its massive biceps.

"Well, I did tell you guys I was all about letting you maintain your dignity," he admonished, his face slipping back into its handsome visage. But he wasn't done just yet. Rearing his knee back, Seth drove it into the sternum of the Jct'ar which gasped before falling to its face in a heap. An elbow strike to the demon's bowed head was the final blow that ushered it too into unconsciousness.

Sighing, the vampire sauntered over to the leader, who was just now waking from the voidless realm of unconsciousness. Kneeling down towards the helpless demon, Seth wrapped his hand around its throat, bringing the Jct'ar eye level. His unnatural blue eyes gazed into the dazed purple slits of the Jct'ar.

"Now," he said in a void devoid of emotion but laced with the promise of retribution. "Do you understand what I meant earlier? About the dignity?" His eyes swept around the bar at the four unconscious demons and he noted the stunned looks on the face of the bar's other patrons.

"Well, buddy, seems like all that dignity of yours is out the window. And I know you guys are all over that honor and dignity kick. And judging from your current situation, I mean, how many Triumphs have been bested by one lonely vampire?" Seth shook his head in disappointment before continuing. "I'm pretty sure you and your butt boys'll have a tough time garnering any respect in the demon world anymore. In actuality, I'd be doing you a favor if I just rip out those curly intestines of yours. Sure save you guys a lot of grief what with you being a mockery of the demon world and all." Abruptly, Seth's fingers slid from the Jct'ar's neck and it's arms shot out, balancing it on all fours.

Seth stood, glaring down at the beaten demon in disgust. "But why would I make it that easy for you? Once word gets out…well, let's just say your Clan mates won't take to well to you and the four stooges disgracing their reputation." He crossed his arms over his chest, mindful of his rapidly healing wounds as a slight smirk touched the edge of his lips. "And from what I know about Jct'ars and how they treat their disgraced, I'd wager you'll be begging for death like a thirsty man craves water. But you'll never get it. They won't let you. They'll just pine away at you, with all those fancy pins and needles they like to use." Seth smiled wickedly as the Jct'ar's eyes bulged with fear, its throat constricted as it tried in vain to speak.

Seth turned on his heels and headed for the exit. He stopped an instant before disappearing through the other side and threw the demon a look over his shoulder.

"Of course, there is a way you could redeem yourselves in the eyes of everyone here and your clan. I mean, if you're bold enough to do it…" He trailed off, turning his head. The Jct'ar scrambled to its feet and rushed over to the vampire.

"Wvhuat?" it choked out.

Seth slowly turned to face the demon, again looking it up and down before cracking another smile. "It's simple really. All I need you to do is kill somebody. I'd do it myself but…let's just say I'll be busy."

"Wfho?" The demon practically begged. It knew Seth was right and that when the other Jct'ars learned about this disgrace, death was the last thing these five would face. Thus, they would relent to any task presented by the vampire.

"The slayer…"

***Review, review, review. Please, let me know what you think. Tell me how you like it. Suggestions are welcome.

***Also, I also wrote a short fic. It's called 'Do What You Have to Do' based on a song by Sarah Mclachlan. I'd love reviews on that as well.

***Chapter 27 is called Union. Jennifer explains to Seth about the ritual with Dawn. But first, they need to get rid of some sexual tension…