Chapter Five: The First Night – Buffy
Buffy froze in the dark shadows of the alley. She watched, remaining unmoving, until the middle-aged butcher shrugged his shoulders dismissively at the noise he thought he'd heard and pulled his upper body back into the doorway, letting his shop's rear door close behind him.
Buffy released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and now that she thought about, why was she even breathing? Habit, I guess. She shrugged her shoulders dismissively and turned her gaze to the bucket at her feet and the dark red liquid it contained. Now that she'd obtained it, Mission Impossible style, the Slayer was faced with the actuality of drinking blood. She swallowed hard, torn between the aching in her stomach demanding she pick the bucket up and gulp its contents down and the concern she felt over the revulsion she didn't feel at the prospect of acquiescing to her stomach's demands.
Bending down, the dark-haired beauty picked up the bucket and raised it to her lips. There she paused, lowering it to chest level again, staring at the smooth, red velvet surface of the blood.
Okay, I can do this. It's just like red kool-aid. Only more iron-y. She groaned at the inadvertent pun, then paused to look around for something that could function as a glass. Quit stalling, she admonished herself, sternly. You can do this.
Raising the bucket to her lips, Buffy screwed up Drusilla's face into a fair impression of the "blegh" face the Slayer made after drinking hard alcohol in preparation for the expected flavor of the blood. However, as soon as she tasted the first sip, all her reservations fled and she quickly drank nearly half the bucket. Lowering the pail, she licked at her lips without conscious thought, cleaning the last drops of the ruby liquid from them.
Buffy stood staring into the remaining pool of blood. She was surprised to find that the revulsion she expected to feel wasn't there. Actually, the blood had been quite tasty. That revelation was startling enough to jar the Slayer out of her musings. She was no longer hungry, but decided she was better off eating as much now as she could; she didn't know when she'd next be able to get away from Angelus and Darla and obtain blood that didn't come from a person. Buffy briefly debated not returning to the shared room at the inn, but knew with no money, nowhere else to stay, and no knowledge of the obviously different time and place that she found herself in, she had little choice. Better the devils you know…
Her decision made, Buffy forced herself to finish the blood, even though she no longer hungered for it. She set the bucket down next to the butcher's door, and left the alley, trying to determine the best place to start looking for answers.
The first thought that occurred to Buffy was to find a magic shop and see what kind of resources were there. She had decided to ask someone on the street, before pausing. Maybe magic and magic shops weren't yet acceptable.
That'd be just my luck. Transported into the body of a dangerous, deranged vampire in the past, only to be burned at the stake as a witch!
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Mrs. Devlin had been unfailing polite and kind. And, Cordy had known the moment she set foot in the woman's shop that it must serve occult customers. The various herbs, candles, sands, and other common spell components had given the time traveling seer hope of finding help.
After several minutes of Cordelia skimming the contents of Mrs. Devlin's books and asking the kindly woman vague and round about questions, the seer suddenly looked up, slamming her book shut.
"Subtlety isn't really my forte," she announced. "I'm looking for a spell that can detect and identify the presence of other spells."
Mrs. Devlin looked up from the other side of the counter, her hand having automatically reached for the crucifix hidden there at the abrupt change in the vampire's tone. She forced herself to relax, but kept her hand on the icon before she smiled reassuringly at the creature.
"Oh, I have just the thing. Unfortunately, my husband has the book with him today, and he's visiting across town. Could you come back tomorrow?"
Cordy almost jumped up and down at the news. "Yes, certainly! Is about this time alright? I'm afraid I'm all tied up tomorrow during the day, but I should be free in the evening."
"That will do fine. Shall we say nine o'clock?"
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Having walked for a good half hour without finding any stores or shops that looked remotely helpful, Buffy was becoming frustrated. She had learned that she was in London and the year was 1880. In the back of her mind, she had acknowledged that as a last resort, she could approach the Watchers Council, providing she could find it. However, that was only if all else failed. She didn't trust them in her own time, when she was the Slayer, supposedly batting for the same team. Not that she thought they were strictly evil per say; on her more charitable days she allowed that they were just misguided, unwilling to acknowledge the reality of the field she worked in on a daily basis. They believed very much in their traditions, even when those methods were no longer applicable in day-to-day slaying. Consequently, she really didn't trust the current Council not to stake first, ask questions never if Drusilla approached them. And while Buffy thought it possible that the death of Drusilla's body might send her back to her own, she doubted it. Especially if Drusilla's psyche had taken up residence in Buffy's body.
She certainly hoped that wasn't the case, although it seemed the most likely. The very idea of Drusilla waking up in the body of a Slayer in the same house as Dawn and Willow terrified Buffy, but there was nothing she could do about it right now, so she resolved to cross that bridge when she came to it. Maybe if this spell or whatever it was that had happened to her, involved time travel – okay, not a big stretch there, Buff! – she could get the reversal spell to send her back early enough that Dru would never have the chance to wake up in her body.
First, Buffy decided, since she hadn't seen a library – did they even exist during this time? – she was going to wait until later on in the evening and try to find a demon bar, or barring that, a human bar with a large demon population. Ideally, someplace like Willy's where she could at least count on the barman to provide her with information.
And boy, could I use a drink!
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Cordelia sighed as she stood in line at the butcher's shop, daydreaming about what she was going to do when she got home. Shopping, lots of shopping. No therapy like pulling out the old credit cards.
And, she sure as heck wasn't going to under-appreciate her Angel again. No, siree. Even her short time with his evil twin this morning – evening, whatever – had opened her eyes to just how much her Angel had worked to change. What she hadn't told Angel was that while she'd experienced how much he enjoyed being evil during her time as a higher being, she'd also experienced the massive amounts of guilt he'd been subjected to with the return of his soul and the unending ache of remorse he lived with on a daily basis. While the former had made her non-corporeal stomach turn, the latter had just about knocked her on her invisible, yet still shapely butt.
She loved him.
Truly, madly, deeply, and every other clichéd way she could think of.
Then why had she done what she did with Connor?
Impending apocalypse, she repeated stubbornly to herself.
And you felt like you deserved it, brown eyes, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Lorne's argued in her head.
Pfft! I don't know what you're talking about.
Don't "pfft" me, princess, the voice chided. You were so excited when you finally realized you loved him, And then you had to go play deity. You come back sans memory and not very trusting, either. And when you finally remember, you remember it all. Every last evil deed the big lug committed.
Yeah. So?
You'd come so far only to reach a place where you didn't feel you could be with him, the imaginary lounge singer explained gently. You felt you deserved someone. And you do. Everyone does. Even formerly evil vampires. Whether certain young men deserve it from beautiful women who are hopelessly in love with their fathers is another story . . .
Cordelia shook her head sorrowfully, heedless of the people around her and to the fact that the conversation was taking place in her mind. I'm such an idiot! What am I going to do?
Imaginary Lorne remained silent, and Cordy was jolted back to the present as she was nudged from behind. She found that the line in front of her had disappeared and it was her turn.
"I'm going to be making blood pudding tomorrow for company," she explained to the man behind the counter, saying a silent thank you to Wesley for introducing her to the disgusting English food one day after she'd wondered aloud why butchers would even sell blood. "I'd like a large quantity of blood."
Cordy had long ago given up trying to explain to the various butcher shops she frequented in LA, but that was LA; you could come into the shop covered in blood, and no one would even blink. She didn't think she'd be so lucky here and wanted to head off any questions before they were asked.
You should never explain yourself to others, Cordelia, her mother's voice echoed in her head. Only people who have something to hide or prove explain themselves. You are a Chase. You are above explanations. Cordy rolled her eyes. Somehow she didn't think her mother had been thinking of buying blood in order to survive in the vampire body of your best friend's ex when she said that.
"Henry," the man behind the counter said to his young assistant, "go see how much blood we got left in the back.."
While the boy was gone, the butcher explained apologetically, "We had someone break in the back earlier and steal a batch o' it. Don't rightly know how much we got."
"How dreadful," Cordy responded, in what she hoped was a sympathetic enough manner. Who in their right mind would steal blood? With my luck, it was probably Drusilla and she'll bring it back to paint the walls of the room or something, the seer thought derisively.
Henry returned with a large jug, presumably full of blood, and set it on the counter.
"That enough for ya, m'am?" the butcher asked.
"Quite," Cordelia replied, finding it easier and easier to modify her speech so that she didn't stand out too much as the day went on, even with her American accent. She paid for her purchase, and quickly left, looking for someplace discreet she could drink her dinner.
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I wish I had a picture of this! Buffy thought, picking up the splintered piece of wood standing in for Mr. Pointy from where it had landed after falling from the dust of the escaping vamp she'd thrown it at. Buffy patrolling though a cemetery wasn't in any way a new event. However, Drusilla patrolling was an image Buffy found immensely humorous.
The familiar act of slaying had made Buffy feel more like herself than she had since she'd woken up in this wonderland, surrounded by evil vampires. A new determination came over her and she decided on a change of plan.
Making her way back to the inn, Buffy made a mental list of what she'd need to take to survive on her own for a couple of days. She paused outside the door to the room, extending her senses, hoping she wouldn't pick up either of the other two vampires. Damn! she cursed silently.
Her senses clearly reported one vampire on the other side of the door and one human. Well, that's new, she thought. She'd never been able to sense humans before. But, chances were if she could sense the vampire, they'd be able to sense her. Darla she had hopes of dealing with again. If it was Angelus, however… While Buffy was confident of her own ability to take him, she didn't think Dru's body was quite as strong. Also, she'd seen Back to the Future enough times to know that she needed to be very careful not to change the future. Killing Angelus would certainly do that. While it would save more than a few lives, it would also mean that Angel, her Angel, would never exist, likely dooming even more lives.
It doesn't balance out, she reminded herself. It's not like one life saved erases one life taken.
I know. But sometimes, you have to put the greater good first. Even if it sucks, she added, remembering two fateful days – one when she'd chosen to kill her first love to save the world and another when she'd decided to die herself rather than murder her sister.
If she opened the door and came face to face with Angelus, though, and he started anything like what had happened earlier, Buffy very much doubted she could get out of it without killing the vampire or capitulating to his demands. And even if Darla were there, Buffy doubted the elder vampire would be amused a second time around. Everything she knew about the vicious blonde said her moods were too mercurial to predict. As such, Buffy was prepared to run the other way should it be Angelus on the other side of the door.
Sneaking closer, the Slayer intended to press her ear to the door, to see if she could hear who was on the other side. However, her caution was unnecessary. A loud, raucous, distinctly male laugh echoed through the barrier, followed by a high-pitched, female squeal of delight.
Buffy rolled her eyes. Since she only sensed one vampire, it couldn't be Darla that Angelus was getting friendly with. Good grief! Turned down by Darla and Dru, and he can't even wait two hours to find someone else!
Backing away down the hall, Buffy resolved to forgo ransacking the vampires' room. Instead, she headed out into the night, determined to survive on her own, find a way home, and not screw up the timeline.
Dru disappearing for a few days can't be that unusual an occurrence, she decided. Hopefully this won't upset the future too much. Then, an unsettling thought occurred to the Slayer. I can live with not killing Angelus since it means no Angel, but what about the people Dru would have killed, had she been here? Will it change the future if they live?
Doesn't matter, she decided quickly, choosing not to ponder the question, as she once more left the inn. I'll drink the blood and stay out of the sunlight. I'll keep the psycho alive. But I draw the line at killing. I won't kill anyone!
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"But, but you're one of us!" the large vampire protested incredulously as Buffy threw a hard punch at his stomach.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" she asked as the vamp backed away from her, trying to find any respite from the pummeling fists of the small, brunette vampire. Faking another left, she followed up with a quick right hook, which the vampire dodged right into. Buffy dropped to the ground, sweeping her right leg out from under the long, dark green skirt and around, knocking her larger opponent off his feet. As she stood above him, tossing her makeshift stake from hand to hand, she leaned over conspiratorially, and said, "I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm really the Slayer."
"The Sl-sl-slayer?" The vamp's eyes grew wide as he scrambled backwards.
"Of course, you won't be around to tell anyone," she continued before darting forward and plunging the wood into the vampire's heart just as he regained his footing.
Buffy failed to see, however, that the vamp was already swinging at her head and his fist connected with her left temple just before it dissolved into dust. The blow stunned her and knocked her to the ground, where she sat for a minute, regaining her equilibrium, since the threat had been eliminated.
"Are you alright, miss?"
Buffy looked up in the direction of the voice to find a concerned looking, handsome man about her own age bending over her. He had chestnut brown hair and a small, fairly recent cut over one of his deep green eyes. "I saw that large man attack you. I blinked and he was gone. Did he steal your purse? Did you see which way he went?"
"I…" Buffy trailed off, unsure of what to tell the stranger.
"Oh, how awful of me," the man said, shaking his head. "Asking you all these questions and I haven't even found out if you're alright. Did you hit your head?"
The genuine concern in the man's eyes made Buffy feel slightly guilty for the plan that was forming in her mind. It's not my usual style, she thought, but with no money and no place to go, I guess I'll have to "rely on the kindness of strangers." The last bit echoed through Buffy's head in a thick, southern voice, ala Scarlet O'Hara.
"I, I don't know," she said softly, hoping she'd inserted enough confusion in her voice, and dropping her pitiful attempt at an English accent. "My head hurts." She placed a hand to her left temple where the vampire had punched her, trying to remember how everyone had reacted last year when they'd all lost their memories thanks to Willow's Tabula Rasa spell.
The man helped her to her feet and she pretended to sway, as if she were dizzy, allowing the stranger to steady her.
"I'm Richard, Richard Fox," the man said as Buffy regained her balance.
"I'm . . . Drusilla," she replied, "Drusilla . . ." Buffy trailed off, and pretended to panic, clutching at the man's arm. "I can't remember my last name!" Either that or I never knew it . . .
"Oh dear," the man said. "Do you remember where you came from or where you were going? Perhaps where you are staying?"
Buffy shook her head and blinked rapidly, trying to conjure up tears to fill Drusilla's large, dark eyes. Finally! she thought as she felt the tears come.
Seeing the beautiful, dark-haired stranger on the verge of crying, the man smiled kindly. "My family lives not too far from here. Why don't you come with me? We'll get you some tea and sort things out."
Ducking her head and smiling shyly, Buffy accepted. Richard offered her his arm and she allowed him to lead her to his home.
To be continued in: "Chapter Six: Friends, New and Old" – where we get to see what's up in Sunny-D and LA!
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A/N: I was going to hold out one more day, with the idea of giving people more chance to read, now that ff.net's finished acting wonky (for now). But, I have the patience of a five-year-old on Christmas morning, so . . . Here you go!
Thanks to North Star, Rachel, and Vette, who were my light in the darkness this chapter, my tangible proof that this is interesting to someone besides me. My hat's off to you for soldiering through the technical problems (I'm assuming it wasn't just my computer) and reviewing! Yay for loyal reviewers, and yay for new names! Thank you, guys!