Family Ties II

Chapter 9

Club Life

The constant bass from the sound system and the incessant buzzing of the multitude of voices was enough to drive anyone insane. Couple that with the inebriated patrons who continued to stare at his companion and Seth was not in the most agreeable of moods. Rolling his eyes, Seth downed another shot of Whiskey, welcoming the light burn that flamed in the back of his throat. He sighed, the liquor the only thing that could cool his raging thoughts. In about an hour from now, all these people would either be dead or incapacitated, their life forces necessary for the Enjoining of Dawn and Jennifer. Of course, the ritual also required the presence of the four closest to Dawn in order to break down the Key's mental barriers although he wasn't too clear on whether or not they would die. But did it really matter if any of them died? Seth raked his hand through his unruly locks, ignoring the answer to that because if he didn't, if he really said that it didn't matter if the other slayer and her friends died, then he would also have to face the fact that someone would indeed die. Someone that did matter. And that was the last thing he needed to think about.

"Something's troubling you, Lover," the dulcet voice of Jennifer whispered in his ear. Despite his mood, he couldn't help but smile at the wisp of her fragrance that permeated his nostrils as her hair brushed against his cheek. This close to her, where her warm breath trailed across his cool flesh and her arousal was as blatant as a sunrise he could almost forget his troubles. He could almost forget that the essence of the only woman he had ever loved would be destroyed forever. He could almost forget that the beauty of that essence would be replaced by a cold, sadistic Evil unlike any other. He could almost forget that a part of him relished in taking the life of an innocent, no matter what she had meant to him before--she would be replaced by someone more suited to his appetite for blood and he would never worry about her being corrupted. The latter thought brought a smile to his face as, for one moment, he almost believed it.

"Almost ain't good enough," he muttered to himself and took a swig from the bottle before turning he gaze towards Jennifer. "I'm fine, baby," he reassured before kissing her lightly on the lips.

Jennifer smiled as her tongue dipped out to brush against his lips and elicited a feral growl from his chest. Even though they broke the kiss, part of her was content with the near hypnotic effect that she had on him though another part of her was more than disconcerted by the fact that she did not have him anymore. At least not all of him--not yet at least, she reminded herself. His obvious wavering unsettled her but she had no doubts that once the Enjoining was complete, he would be hers wholly and completely. Even if that's only because you wear the flesh of the girl? The woman in her questioned.

Doesn't matter, her true Essence countered, all that matters is what happens in the end. She leaned back, content that the argument had been won. She had been chained to this mortal coil for over a year, prepping for this ritual and had grown accustomed to the internal battle between her mortal thoughts against the Essence of her true self. In this particular case, her womanliness was more than off put by Seth's attraction to the girl, as if she was what Jennifer could never be. Jennifer noticed that his eyes didn't shine quite as brightly when he looked at her though she could still sense his desire like the morning dawn. No, she wouldn't worry about it at all because, in an hour there wouldn't be any 'Dawn' left for him to pine for.

***

Faith couldn't help but smile as she walked through the doors of the Bronze. The place was littered with people dancing and talking--generally, having a good time. It had been so long since she had had a chance to relax that even the simple experience of being around people doing just that was enough to calm her.

A sly grin crossed her face as she felt several pairs of eyes rake across her petite form. Guess you were right, Dad, she mused, thinking about Spike's less than friendly attitude when she had come down wearing one of Buffy's outfits. Of course, he was the only one that threw a hissy fit. Buffy just smiled at her, deciding to wear something similar to what Faith had chosen.

Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Faith was not lost on the way the black stretch pants clung to her hips--hips that were a bit more pronounced than her mothers. A purple tank to that exposed her pierced navel hugged her chest and anyone close enough to her would see that no bra had been required to support her pert breasts. She was thankful to the darkness of the club as it hid the scars that peered out from her arms and midriff. Even the jagged line that marred her face seemed like nothing more than a slight discoloration, though her slightly damp hair covered part of the scar admirably. She was also decked in the faintest amount of makeup, though lip-gloss was substituted for lipstick. Even the purple and white sneakers she had borrowed from Buffy that were visible beneath the flair of her pants made her look the part of a young woman out for some fun.

Of course, there was also the dangerous glint in her twice-colored eyes that spoke volumes about her objective.

Wasting no more times, the blond sauntered--something she had inherited from a certain vampire--over to the steps and climbed them. She was thankful that the scaffolding was sparsely populated, a few couples here and there necking in the shadows, oblivious to the world around them. She leaned against the railing, the metal indenting her forearms, reminding the slayer that there was business to be taken care of.

Her eyes scanned the crowd relentlessly, searching for Seth. She knew he was here. She had felt his presence like a shroud when she first walked in though her reaction even surprised her. Though a part of her was still afraid of him, she knew she wouldn't have to face him alone, that she had family in her corner and it gave her more confidence in herself than she ever had. She could feel the sharp edge of that confidence chipping away at her self-imposed borders, exposing Faith to a power she never knew she had possessed.

Her thoughts were short-lived as the sliver of fear that remained burned at the base of her spine. Her eyes darted back and forth until her gaze met the unnatural blue tint of Seth's. Her heart stopped for several seconds, her breath caught in her chest as the familiar panic washed over her. She was not a slayer now, but a little girl, lost and afraid, as the predatory smile of Seth raked across her curves--much like his hands and teeth had done for nine months.

Her confidence all but gone, Faith wanted nothing more than to curl up into a dark corner and hide. But as much as she wanted to do that, she knew she couldn't. Even if her fear hadn't rooted her to the spot, Faith knew that she had a job to do. And if she had to confront her worst fear to complete it, then so be it.

You're not alone, Bitlet, she felt rather than heard a voice whisper into her mind. The assurance in the voice was enough to return her bodily functions to normality and the fear that had been etched into her face melted away, replaced by confidence. Her eyes didn't even have to see him to know that he was here. Her protector and hero, he would never let anything happen to her. She could feel his cerulean eyes on her, washing away her doubts and reassuring her that he had her back. She almost laughed aloud at the puzzled features of Seth when he saw her lips curl into a smile. But the smile was short-lived as her gaze turned deadly and, with a purposeful slowness; she drew her thumb across the front of her neck, a gesture that was not lost on Seth. Faith was ready and she saw the slight flicker of doubt in his eyes before he smiled warily and gave her a slight nod.

The battle was nigh and they both knew that one of them would not see the end of it.

***

Spike sensed the power in the club the moment he stepped foot into it. Though he didn't know what the vampire looked like, the power that emanated from him was enough the have William the Bloody worried. Of course, that power was currently second fiddle to the evil that pulled at his demon, whispering promises of lovely death and delicious blood if he just gave into the lust.

But as seductive as the voice was, the fear of another called to him, desperate for comfort. Spike peered out of the shadows, his eyes drifting up to the scaffolding. There she was--his girl, Faith. His smile faltered when he saw the frightened glaze of her eyes. The anger for whoever was responsible for her terror simmered within him and his mind pictured the scars that lined her flesh--the scars that this Seth had put there. He immediately knew that she had spotted the vampire and was no doubt replaying the hell she had gone through at Seth's hands. Spike resisted the unnatural urge to tear through the crowd and rip the vamp's head from his shoulders, sod the prophecies. But he forced his demon down before it surfaced more fully and concentrated his thoughts on Faith. If he couldn't act on his impulses, the least he could do was give her the assurance that he had her back.

You're not alone, Bitlet, he thought and was pleasantly surprised when she smiled warmly, though her eyes never wavered from her target. It was her way of saying 'thank you' without alerting Seth and his companion of Spike's presence. When her thumb made a slashing gesture across her throat, Spike shivered in delight. She had just set down the gauntlet for Seth, that one of them wouldn't be alive once the night was over.

Spike was going to do everything in his power to ensure that Seth was the unlucky candidate.

***

Call it blind luck or her honed slayer senses, but Buffy spotted Seth moments after she had entered the Bronze. She could feel the power radiating from him and it was like nothing she had ever felt save for her confrontation with Glory. But her thoughts of his power dissipated when she got a good look at his face. The bleached blond hair, the slightly angled cheekbones, and not to mention blue eyes--he looked like Spike. Except…except there was an artificiality about his eyes, something that she couldn't quite get a handle on.

"Doesn't matter," she said to herself, "he's dust before this night is over." The blond lost herself in the crowd, her wardrobe her typical Bronze-wear; leather pants that hung low on her hips, a sleeveless blouse that was covered by a light black leather jacket. And, of course, there were her 'stylish yet affordable boots', comfortable for dancing and nights of slayage alike.

Glancing at the watch Spike had insisted she wear, Buffy noted that Willow and Tara would be making their entrance anytime now. She had left them outside while they, along with the others, were positioning the supplies for the barrier spell around the Bronze. Since it was a one way spell, allowing exit but not entrance, it called for a different approach than the spell Willow had done when they were running from the Knights of Byzantium.

Shaking her thoughts back into the present, Buffy caught sight of Faith above the dance floor, on the scaffolding, her eyes blazing with a supernatural intensity at the vampire and his companion who Buffy still couldn't see clearly, though the deep raven hair was familiar. Her eyes moved to the exit where Spike leaned casually against the wall, an unlit cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. She couldn't help but smile at the way his hair curled loosely against his scalp or the way his thumbs cuffed easily into the belt buckles of his jeans. He looked so boyish and cute, though she could discern the pronounced jut of his jaws and hard set of his eyes. He was ready for battle, that much was clear and seeing him like that made Buffy want nothing more than to be by his side, ready to dance.

A sharp tingle at the base of her spine alerted the blond slayer that the first part of the spell had been completed. Wills and Tara should be walking in any minute…her eyes drifted towards the door where the two Wiccas heads were visible through the crowd. Buffy smiled, "Right on time," she whispered but her smile disintegrated when her eyes fell on the table that housed the vampire Seth.

The face that looked at her was extremely familiar though the obsidian eyes were not. They glistened with an evil that Buffy had never seen and she cringed when the beautiful lips of the woman turned into a smirk. Buffy's mouth hung open; her hazel eyes wide and glistened with unshed tears. Finally, she caught her breath enough for two words to fall from her lips.

"Ms. Calendar?"

***

Tara and Willow hadn't been in the Bronze sixty seconds before the former sensed her lover's body stiffen next to her.

"Baby?" the soft-spoken witch said, her hand rubbing Willow's back soothingly. A tear escaped from Willow's green eyes and Tara moved in front of her, taking Willow's shoulders firmly in her hands.

"Willow," Tara said and jumped at her own forcefulness. She sighed inwardly when Willow finally turned towards her; her eyes teary yet focused.

"What's wrong baby?" the sandy blond asked.

"My former computer teacher--Ms. Calendar--she's at the table with the vampire that looks like Spike." On Tara's blank look, Willow clarifies. "Angel killed her when he was, uh, Angelus. What is going on here?"

"We can't worry about that now, sweetie. We have to finish the rest of the spell," Tara looked over her shoulder, "here comes Giles now. Once we finish it and get everyone out of here, then we can worry about that."

Willow smiled at the burgeoning strength emitted from her usually shy girlfriend before simultaneously turning towards a shocked Giles.

"Jenny?" he whispered before being led into a corner by a sympathetic Willow and resolute Tara.

***

Spike glanced at the door, noticing the bulbous head of the whelp bob through the crowd as he talked in hushed tones to several of the people at the bar. The vampire saw a flash of gold as Harris showed the bartender something and several people hurried toward the exits.

"Pretty smart, Harris," he quipped after realizing that Xander was displaying a fake badge. His eyes searched for Buffy again. He had seen her not ten minutes before and offered her a wolfish grin. He caught her in the shadows, on the other side of bar, her eyes fixed on the two at the table. His eyes caught hers and she nodded almost imperceptibly. It was almost time to make a move. He glanced at his watch. Twenty till midnight. Seth and his consort would be making their move soon.

He watched as Anya ushered more patrons to the exit. Good. The less people here, the easier time he would have kicking some ass without having to worry about catching a stray clubber and having to deal with the subsequent migraine.

Rolling his neck to the side, Spike welcomed the pop of bones. He couldn't hide the sadistic smile that carved his features as his eyes trained on the back of Seth's head. It was almost time to dance…

***

"Looks like all of our guests have arrived," Jennifer cooed into the ear of her vampire lover. He smiled at her, before knocking back another shot of Whiskey. Both had been aware of the mounting party that had filtered into the Bronze in the past twenty minutes, though they were unconcerned. Jennifer had let her slight surprise at the power that radiated from the witches for a brief moment before dismissing it. They were no match for Seth and his little demon hoard. He'd hold them off long enough for her and Rack to perform the Enjoining and then, after they were of no further use, he could do with them as he wished.

"Let's get this show on the road," he drawled before standing and stretching his limbs. He had been responsible for the deaths of thousands of humans and demons alike, some of those demons almost as powerful as he was. But none ever lasted long for they had nothing to fight for. No, they had their lives to fight for, but nothing to fight with. Even if these people that were here tonight didn't have the strength of two slayers and a master vampire at their sides, not to mention two extremely powerful Wiccas, they would still offer a challenge more than any demon he had ever fought. It was not their physical prowess or magical abilities that gave them strength but their heart. The fact that they fought, not for themselves, but those who would never know their sacrifices, would never appreciate what they were willing to give up.

Seth smiled as the power coursed through his veins. Though he knew he couldn't die, if he was fated to do so, he would be honored if it were at the hands of these people. Whatever the outcome, this was indeed going to be an unforgettable night.

** Next chapter, the battle begins!