"Dinner does sound good," Dorothy said. She was still a bit wary of the strangers surrounding her, but her stomach was rumbling and the kitchen had been destroyed by the tornado. Whatever food there had been, was long gone now.
"Very good," the blonde man chuckled. "Dru..."
He turned around as if looking for someone.
"Drucilla!"
There was no reply.
"Find her," he growled.
A couple of the people with him broke away and ran off looking for the Drucilla he was calling. Dorothy was feeling more uneasy. She didn't like the looks they were giving her. She could see them more clearly now and there was something definately wrong with their faces. They looked scary. But so far, she was unharmed.
'Maybe people were just different here,' she thought to herself. 'I shouldn't judge them on appearances. Aunty Em always says...'
"Spike," called one of the men looking for Drucilla.
"What?" he yelled.
"Over here."
Dorothy watched the tall blonde man walk away from the group and over to the house. The yell he let loose scared her more than the strangers surrounding her.
"Get it off her," he bellowed.
Suddenly, everyone ran over to the house and were trying to lift it up. Dorothy slowly made her way over and looked. Sticking out from under one side, were two legs. Her house had fallen on someone.
"Oh no," she gasped.
The tall blond man turned away from the house and grabbed her.
"If she's..." he snarled.
"I'm s-s-sorry," Dorothy stammered. "I didn't mean to land on her."
Spike growled and let her go. He was more worried about Drucilla. She hadn't turned to dust so she would probably be alright. Well, as alright as Drucilla could get. Slowly, the house raised up enough for him to grab her legs and pull her free.
She wasn't moving. Drucilla just lay there as if dead. But Spike knew she was already dead and had been so for many many years. Over a century even. He was more worried about the effect this would have on her already fragile mind.
He knelt down beside her and gently stroked her cheek. "Dru?" he whispered. "Pet?"
Dorothy watched. Surely she was dead. No-one could survive having a house fall on them. She felt terrible, but there was nothing she could say or do to make things any better. She had killed someone with her house.
Dru opened her eyes.
"Spike?" she said weakly.
"My pet," Spike said softly, his voice full of love.
Gently, he helped Drucilla up. He had to hold her tightly in his arms as she couldn't find her balance.
"Spike..."
"Yes my luv?" he replied.
"There's someone here who doesn't belong," she said looking directly at Dorothy.
"Yeah I know my pet," he said. "I thought you could use something to eat."
'Eat?' Dorothy thought to herself. 'I don't know who these people are or where I am, but I just want to go home.'
"What's your name child?" Dru whispered in her seductive voice as she carefully walked closer to Dorothy.
"D-D-Dorothy Gale," she stammered. "And this is Toto."
"Dorothy," Dru whispered, turning away as she remembered back into her past. "I once knew a girl called Dorothy. But she tasted icky. All bitter and sour. I bet you taste sweet and pure."
She turned back to face Dorothy. Her face had changed, making the young girl scream. Dorothy took a step backwards, then turned, as if to run, but she was surrounded. The others had grouped around her again and were closing in.
"Aunty Em," she screamed, but she was alone, in a strange place, with strange people. Her Aunt couldn't help her now.
Drucilla grabbed her shoulder and pushed her head to the side.
"You sure you don't want any Spike?" she asked.
"She's all yours my pet," he replied, looking on like a proud parent.
"Most people have a cat or a dog as a pet," came a voice from behind Spike. "Trust you to have a pet...hmm...what would you call her? Skank?"
Spike growled and turned around to see who had the nerve to insult his Drucilla.
"Slayer," he snarled. "I'll rip your heart out and feed it to her."
"Come and get me."
He snapped his fingers and the vampires that were surrounding Dorothy moved towards Buffy. She pulled a stake out from her jacket and looked around, mapping the coming battle out in her head. She was outnumbered, but that had never stopped her before.
A small male vampire attacked first, slamming his fist into her face. She shrugged it off, ducking his next blow as she thrust her stake into his heart. She had no time to watch the look of shock come over his face as he turned to dust as the next vampire was making her move. She was bigger than Buffy, but not as quick and strong. Buffy staked her and had moved on before she'd struck one blow. The next two were much bigger and a lot stronger than she was. But they were new vampires. She kicked one in the chest and was about to punch the other one when Drucilla spoke up.
"One more move and the little girl will die."
Buffy stopped and looked over at Dru and the girl she held.
"Oh you must be joking," she said. "Gingham? And look at that hair. Do you really want to eat someone dressed like a 1940's postcard?"
She laughed as she walked closer. Unable to resist a quick kill, she stabbed the nearest vampire in the heart with her stake.
"I wasn't joking," Dru said, squeezing Dorothy's arm tighter, making her shriek loudly.
"Its late," Buffy said. "I'm tired and I just want to get home to bed. After all, I have a test tomorrow. Do we really have to do this now? Let her go before I really get mad."
"Spike promised me a snack," Dru pouted. "And she is snack sized."
She drew back her lips and was about to bite Dorothy when Buffy suddenly grabbed Spike and held her stake to his heart.
"Careful with that," he yelped.
"Tell her to let the girl go," Buffy said, pushing the stake harder against his chest.
"Drucilla," he said. "Let the little one go pet."
Dru hissed at Buffy as she pushed Dorothy at her. Buffy released Spike and caught her before she fell. But she was too late to grab Spike again. He'd vanished into the night, along with Dru and the rest of the vampires.
"Just great," Buffy sighed.
"Thank you for saving me," Dorothy said as she straightened her dress.
"All in a night's work," replied Buffy. "No go on home. You shouldn't be walking the streets at night. They're not safe."
She turned to leave but stopped when she heard the sobs of the other girl. Rolling her eyes, she made her way back to where she'd left her.
"Ok. They've gone now," she said. "No need to cry. Just go on home."
Dorothy wiped her eyes and tried to stop sobbing, but she couldn't.
"I c-c-can't g-g-go h-h-home," she sobbed. "I d-d-don't know w-w-where h-h-home is."
'Oh great' Buffy thought to herself. 'Just what I need the night before that test.'
She couldn't just leave her standing there. She took Dorothy's arm and gently lead her away from there.
"You can come home with me," she said. "And in the morning, Giles can work this out."
Dorothy smiled as she followed Buffy. Toto ran beside them.
"Giles," she said. "He is your father?"
"Father?" Buffy laughed. "Not even. He is my...friend. He just knows a lot of stuff. My name is Buffy, and you are?"
"Dorothy," she replied. "Dorothy Gale."
"Well Dorothy Gale, lets get you home and then tomorrow, we'll see if we can sort this all out."
"Very good," the blonde man chuckled. "Dru..."
He turned around as if looking for someone.
"Drucilla!"
There was no reply.
"Find her," he growled.
A couple of the people with him broke away and ran off looking for the Drucilla he was calling. Dorothy was feeling more uneasy. She didn't like the looks they were giving her. She could see them more clearly now and there was something definately wrong with their faces. They looked scary. But so far, she was unharmed.
'Maybe people were just different here,' she thought to herself. 'I shouldn't judge them on appearances. Aunty Em always says...'
"Spike," called one of the men looking for Drucilla.
"What?" he yelled.
"Over here."
Dorothy watched the tall blonde man walk away from the group and over to the house. The yell he let loose scared her more than the strangers surrounding her.
"Get it off her," he bellowed.
Suddenly, everyone ran over to the house and were trying to lift it up. Dorothy slowly made her way over and looked. Sticking out from under one side, were two legs. Her house had fallen on someone.
"Oh no," she gasped.
The tall blond man turned away from the house and grabbed her.
"If she's..." he snarled.
"I'm s-s-sorry," Dorothy stammered. "I didn't mean to land on her."
Spike growled and let her go. He was more worried about Drucilla. She hadn't turned to dust so she would probably be alright. Well, as alright as Drucilla could get. Slowly, the house raised up enough for him to grab her legs and pull her free.
She wasn't moving. Drucilla just lay there as if dead. But Spike knew she was already dead and had been so for many many years. Over a century even. He was more worried about the effect this would have on her already fragile mind.
He knelt down beside her and gently stroked her cheek. "Dru?" he whispered. "Pet?"
Dorothy watched. Surely she was dead. No-one could survive having a house fall on them. She felt terrible, but there was nothing she could say or do to make things any better. She had killed someone with her house.
Dru opened her eyes.
"Spike?" she said weakly.
"My pet," Spike said softly, his voice full of love.
Gently, he helped Drucilla up. He had to hold her tightly in his arms as she couldn't find her balance.
"Spike..."
"Yes my luv?" he replied.
"There's someone here who doesn't belong," she said looking directly at Dorothy.
"Yeah I know my pet," he said. "I thought you could use something to eat."
'Eat?' Dorothy thought to herself. 'I don't know who these people are or where I am, but I just want to go home.'
"What's your name child?" Dru whispered in her seductive voice as she carefully walked closer to Dorothy.
"D-D-Dorothy Gale," she stammered. "And this is Toto."
"Dorothy," Dru whispered, turning away as she remembered back into her past. "I once knew a girl called Dorothy. But she tasted icky. All bitter and sour. I bet you taste sweet and pure."
She turned back to face Dorothy. Her face had changed, making the young girl scream. Dorothy took a step backwards, then turned, as if to run, but she was surrounded. The others had grouped around her again and were closing in.
"Aunty Em," she screamed, but she was alone, in a strange place, with strange people. Her Aunt couldn't help her now.
Drucilla grabbed her shoulder and pushed her head to the side.
"You sure you don't want any Spike?" she asked.
"She's all yours my pet," he replied, looking on like a proud parent.
"Most people have a cat or a dog as a pet," came a voice from behind Spike. "Trust you to have a pet...hmm...what would you call her? Skank?"
Spike growled and turned around to see who had the nerve to insult his Drucilla.
"Slayer," he snarled. "I'll rip your heart out and feed it to her."
"Come and get me."
He snapped his fingers and the vampires that were surrounding Dorothy moved towards Buffy. She pulled a stake out from her jacket and looked around, mapping the coming battle out in her head. She was outnumbered, but that had never stopped her before.
A small male vampire attacked first, slamming his fist into her face. She shrugged it off, ducking his next blow as she thrust her stake into his heart. She had no time to watch the look of shock come over his face as he turned to dust as the next vampire was making her move. She was bigger than Buffy, but not as quick and strong. Buffy staked her and had moved on before she'd struck one blow. The next two were much bigger and a lot stronger than she was. But they were new vampires. She kicked one in the chest and was about to punch the other one when Drucilla spoke up.
"One more move and the little girl will die."
Buffy stopped and looked over at Dru and the girl she held.
"Oh you must be joking," she said. "Gingham? And look at that hair. Do you really want to eat someone dressed like a 1940's postcard?"
She laughed as she walked closer. Unable to resist a quick kill, she stabbed the nearest vampire in the heart with her stake.
"I wasn't joking," Dru said, squeezing Dorothy's arm tighter, making her shriek loudly.
"Its late," Buffy said. "I'm tired and I just want to get home to bed. After all, I have a test tomorrow. Do we really have to do this now? Let her go before I really get mad."
"Spike promised me a snack," Dru pouted. "And she is snack sized."
She drew back her lips and was about to bite Dorothy when Buffy suddenly grabbed Spike and held her stake to his heart.
"Careful with that," he yelped.
"Tell her to let the girl go," Buffy said, pushing the stake harder against his chest.
"Drucilla," he said. "Let the little one go pet."
Dru hissed at Buffy as she pushed Dorothy at her. Buffy released Spike and caught her before she fell. But she was too late to grab Spike again. He'd vanished into the night, along with Dru and the rest of the vampires.
"Just great," Buffy sighed.
"Thank you for saving me," Dorothy said as she straightened her dress.
"All in a night's work," replied Buffy. "No go on home. You shouldn't be walking the streets at night. They're not safe."
She turned to leave but stopped when she heard the sobs of the other girl. Rolling her eyes, she made her way back to where she'd left her.
"Ok. They've gone now," she said. "No need to cry. Just go on home."
Dorothy wiped her eyes and tried to stop sobbing, but she couldn't.
"I c-c-can't g-g-go h-h-home," she sobbed. "I d-d-don't know w-w-where h-h-home is."
'Oh great' Buffy thought to herself. 'Just what I need the night before that test.'
She couldn't just leave her standing there. She took Dorothy's arm and gently lead her away from there.
"You can come home with me," she said. "And in the morning, Giles can work this out."
Dorothy smiled as she followed Buffy. Toto ran beside them.
"Giles," she said. "He is your father?"
"Father?" Buffy laughed. "Not even. He is my...friend. He just knows a lot of stuff. My name is Buffy, and you are?"
"Dorothy," she replied. "Dorothy Gale."
"Well Dorothy Gale, lets get you home and then tomorrow, we'll see if we can sort this all out."