***

The club is dark. Forms twist and writhe primitively. The crowd surrounds Buffy and urges her onwards. There he is in the centre of the floor. Like an angel or a god. Easy in his movements, sure in his posture, This was a man; not like the children she has known before. They start to sway to the beat. The hands are sure, guiding her and urging her across the floor. The darkness beckons. The promise of pleasures unrealized. The limousine is waiting. Champagne, the drink of lovers, chilling in the back seat, He has been waiting for her and only for her. The car heads into the fog and the darkness. They move slowly but soon his hands move more confidently… no wait, too confidently. Demanding, now there is no seduction only force and tears. The tears excite him. The things he makes her do. Her mind does not tell her how he does this. Only that she is scared and that he is wrong to do these things to her. She looks for salvation but it is only his face, the face of Lothos. The first Vampire Lord she ever killed. He bends her throat back and leans in

"Do you understand" He hisses. She cries out for rescue. "You must understand." The fangs hurt just as much as his manhood did, then there is only the darkness.

***

Sonja moves through the hallways of the school looking for her prey. She comes to a set of double doors and goes through them. It is a library. Stacks and stacks of books occupy every space. There is a tweed-jacketed man in amongst the debris. She moves toward him expecting a fight but he catches sight of her and raises to greet her warmly. His name is Claude Hagerty and he should be dead.

"Sonja how are you."

"Claude, you're alive, but I saw your body, I buried it myself"

"No I'm not, but I want to thank you for everything else"

"What d you mean?"

"I though I was going to die and my life wouldn't have amounted to squat but, thanks to you I made a difference and that makes things even better where I am."

"I am sorry I got you killed"

"I'm sorry that you are still feeling guilty about it."

"What are you doing here Claude?"

"You have to stop the dark one."

"What?"

"That's the message that they told me to tell you, you have to stop the dark thing inside of you before it tries to kill Buffy."

"Buffy just tried to kill me Claude."

"She is scared and reacting instinctively much as I did when I first met you. "

"As far as I can see she's more a danger then I am"

"That's because you don't understand yet, but you have to understand. The told me to tell you that too."

"Claude, who are they?"

***

Buffy is crying. She has made her only friend upset. She was out getting money from men as all women are supposed to do. She saw an old man who spends lots of money on women. Bu there was a vice cop in the area. She did not speak to the old man. This has made her friend upset. Her friend, who saved her, fed her, clothed her and trained her. After all, what else are women for, according to him? He is angry and he beats her with his walking stick. On a certain level, she realizes this man is a pimp and that he is taking advantage of weak and helpless girls. The Pimp wears the face of a UC Sunnydale student named Parker. As he beats her, all the while he asks her if she understands. Buffy screams in pain and frustration. The beatings must stop. The darkness swallows her.

***

The Other can hear Buffy; She has been searching this dark wasteland for The Slayer. Now that she knows where to look The Other heads for the horizon. However, things keep blocking her way. A Vampire Lord dressed in leather. A sinister, well-dressed man wearing a mayor's badge of office but it is the girl with the ornate blade in her hand that most intrigues The Other. "You look like you would be much fun " The Other whispers, the memory named Faith raised her blade. Come on sweetie give us a kiss." The Other is happy, appetizers before the main course.

***

Giles is with her and Buffy is feels safer. He has taken her from the life of exploitation that she knew and has given her new purpose. She has a new mission. To destroy the creatures that destroyed her life. Nevertheless, something nags at her. The things she hunts are monsters. She has their powers, many of their characteristics, and some of their weaknesses. Is she not a monster as well? Giles understands he will help her. She takes his elderly hands in hers he looks deep into her eyes.

"Do you understand" he asks kindly "You must understand."

She looks down at her hands and they have become claw-like. She can not control them. They crush Giles' hands in their grip. Giles screams, after awhile so does Buffy, the darkness can not come too soon this time.

***

Sonja looks at the book titles and marvels. They have titles like Willow 1.0 for Dummies, How To Be Xander And Influence People, Ripper's Journey and Slayers and The Mothers Who Love Them.

She picks up one of the leather bound volumes. She opens to a random page and sees a scene play in front of her.

Buffy is worrying about school. She has been spending so much time slaying she has had no time for her studies. Willow is there; she is helping tutor her best friend. Giles is helping. It would appear there are actual history books in the library.

She turns a page. A depressed Buffy is in a bar alone. Xander appears he jokes and capers and sympathizes. She is happy he is there. Sonja looks up at Claude.

"What is the point of this. Everyone has friends."

"You don't"

"I have Friends."

"No, when you were human you had friends. Now you have associates, temporary allies and enemies who respect you, but you don't have friends."

"And the point is…"

"Buffy is what she is because of her life. You are what you are because of the life you led.

Both of you must understand that. Your mission is the same, it's your approaches that differ."

"So what do I have to do. Kiss and make nice?"

"No, You have to understand there are things coming that you and Buffy must fight, both individually and as a team and the only way you will be able to triumph over them is if you understand. Do you understand"

"Yes."

"Then it's time for you two to really get to know each other."
***

Buffy is on a tear. Thy have kidnapped her ally, friend… she carves through the army of Wheelers that stand between her and her foe. She is a whirlwind of death. All who to stand before her are cast aside, sucked clean and blown away. There is no guilt, or remorse. If you protect what you know to be a beast, you were just as guilty as The Beast itself. She bursts though the doorway. The enemy is before her in a silver lamé pantsuit. It is Faith, she is killing Xander…no… it is Angel who lies dead, his brain savaged by this monster. Faith looks at her.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, danm you I understand"

"Then you are ready."

There is no darkness this time. There is only light, Pure and warm.

***