Rupert Giles knew he shouldn't be walking home alone at night, but he had
no other choice. His car was in the shop and he had no other way to get
home. He continued down the street with a load of book under one arm. The
Watcher paused when the sound of metal garbage cans clanging to the ground
filled the air. A girl of at least seventeen stepped out of the alley. Her
face was twisted and her eyes a bright yellow.
"Vampire!" Giles exclaimed.
"Your quite smart old man" the vampire smirked "but not smart enough"
She started towards the watcher with hunger in her eyes. Giles dropped his
books to the ground and raised his fists. The vampire girl just laughed and
dropped into a fighting stance. She rushed at Giles and pinned him down.
"So much for training" He muttered as fangs pricked his neck. Rapidly the
vampire was pulled off. Giles sat up. He tried to identify his saviour, but
the vampire's boot hit him in the face knocking his glasses off. The only
thing Giles could see was a white haired figure throwing the vampire into a
dumpster. The lid fell down with a metallic clang. Blindly, Giles searched
for his glasses. He felt them pushed into his hands and guided up onto his
nose.
"You alright?" A soft voice asked kindly.
"Why yes, thank you" Giles replied looking up at his rescuer. His brown
eyes met startling silver ones. Her white hair hung in graceful tendrils
around her beautiful face. Her soft full lips showed signs of concern.
"I know you" Giles whispered. "You're Shade!"
Something flickered behind her eyes and her smile disappeared. She handed
Giles his books and stood up.
"Don't say a word" Shade whispered fiercely "I don't understand how you
know who I am but you can't say a word about it"
Giles took his books from the vampire and stood up. He may have been taller
then her, by a few inches, but in that moment, with her eye narrowed
suspiciously, he felt 2 feet tall. Shade bowed her head in a nod and turned
to leave. She started to walk away with silent steps.
"Christopher Burden" Giles muttered. Shade froze on the spot. She whirled
back towards Giles. Her eyes flickered with fear and sorrow before it was
quickly buried.
"What did you say" she hissed quietly. Giles could hear the traces of dread
in her words.
"Christopher Burden" Giles repeated. "You knew him once?"
"How? No, you couldn't have" Shade mumbled in panic. The same emotion that
danced in her words filled her eyes. Shade was panicking.
"I am a Watcher" Giles announced. All the alarm that Shade had shown
disappeared. Anger and suspicion seemed to vibrate in the air around her.
Giles took an involuntary step back. He knew how strong and dangerous Shade
could be when she wanted to. After all he held her legend in his hand among
the other books. She thought it was destroyed or lost, but it wasn't.
"Christopher Burden was also a Watcher" Giles explained.
"I know" Shade snarled. "How did you find out I knew him?"
"I know a lot more then you think I do" Giles stated hopefully. Shade
closed her eyes and looked away from The Watcher that stood in front of her
now.
"Where is it?" She growled angrily.
"Wh-Wh-Where is what?" Giles stuttered.
"The book" was the angry reply.
"What book?" Giles asked playing stupid, "If you mean Christopher's Diary,
it was never found, only some papery ashes in his fireplace. The Dairy was
destroyed"
Shade seemed to believe him. She strode over to him till their noses were
almost touching.
"How did you find out then?" she hissed her voice low and threatening. In
the reflection of his glasses she saw someone coming up behind her.
"Buffy, NO!" Giles shouted. The Slayer paused for a second before bringing
up a fist to hit the vampire. Shade moved with amazing speed as she dodged
the Slayers attack and knocked Buffy down. As Buffy clamoured to her feet,
Shade melted into the shadows and disappeared.
"What was that all about?" Buffy questioned her Watcher "And what is going
on?"
Rupert Giles sighed deeply and looked at his Slayer.
"Long story, one you will not be hearing tonight" he replied. Buffy shook
her head at her tired Watcher and turned to leave. Looking back over her
shoulder the Slayer asked "Are you coming or not?"
"Yes I am" Giles replied with a nod. The Slayer and Watcher walked off
together. Neither of them noticed the leather clad vampire watching from
atop of a crypt.
"Christopher Burden" he muttered rolling the name over his tongue.
"I think it's about time I took a look at that Diary Rupert's been lugging
around" The vampire smirked. He jumped down from the stone tomb and on to
the damp grass. The sun would be up soon and with it a meeting of the
Scoobies. Spike knew exactly were he would be tomorrow, nicking that diary
right from right under that fool of a Watchers nose.
