The Devil's Workshop
By iyaorisha
Timing: AU S7 BtVS and AU S4 AtS
Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordy, Xander/Anya, Willow/other, and Wesley/other.
Summary: Buffy and Spike's fragile new relationship is tested when Angel returns to Sunnydale, bringing with him a mysterious young woman from Spike's dark past. WIP.
(This fic is part one of a yet-untitled series in progress. It can be read on its own or after my "Unmoved" series -four linked fics that chronicle my take on reensouled Spike's return to Sunnydale)
Rating/Warnings: R for violence, language, M/F sexual situations, and self-mutilation.
Spoilers: None if you've seen S6 of Buffy and S3 of Angel. References to FFL, the trade novel "Pretty Maids All in a Row", and my fanfics "Relating to a Psychopath" and the "Unmoved" series.
Disclaimer: None of the BtVS or AtS characters or the world they inhabit belong to me. They belong to Joss and I promise to put them back when I'm done playing with them.
Author's Note: Reading (and for me, writing) Buffyverse fanfiction is a great form of escapism. Unfortunately, "cutting" or self-mutilation is a very real and terribly serious disorder that affects as many as one out of every 200 adolescent girls in the U.S. If you or someone that you know practices "cutting", please seek help from your local medical/mental health expert.
Feedback: My first BtVs/AtS fanfic! Brutal honesty is best (I enjoy floggings, I really do), but warm fuzzies are accepted as well. You can post a review here or email me at fanfic_by_iyaorisha@yahoo.com
***
Chapter 2:
The girl shrieked as the first rays of Southern California sunlight hit her exposed skin. She clawed at Wesley, trying to break free of his arms. It was akin to watching someone force a toddler into a scalding hot bath.
"Stop it, Wesley!" Buffy demanded. She would have gone after him, but Angel grabbed her arm and held her fast. All the Slayer could do was join the others in watching helplessly from the doorway while Wesley moved purposefully to the middle of the lawn where there was no shade.
Though the girl fought him, the ex-Watcher whispered soothingly in her ear. Eventually, she stopped screaming and her struggles subsided to quaking. More importantly, she did not burst into flame. There was not a single whiff of smoke in the air. No smell of burning flesh or clothing.
Buffy and Giles both stared. "What is she?" Buffy asked softly.
"Not quite a vampire," was Angel's terse answer.
Wesley called from the lawn. "I think that's enough."
Angel looked at the faces around him before he replied. The expressions ranged from pure shock to horror. "Yes, bring her in."
Buffy and the others moved aside as Wesley carried the girl back in. She began calming as soon as she was out of the sunlight and had completely lapsed back into a catatonic state as he got her settled back on the sofa. By the time Wes draped the wool blanket over her still form, her grey eyes were blank again.
Giles leaned over the sofa and reached out a hand toward the girl. Wesley tensed immediately, his eyes hard with suspicion. Giles gave a short laugh. "I don't mean her harm, man. I just want to verify that she isn't burnt."
"She's not."
Nonetheles, the older Englishman methodically examined the girl's exposed skin. It was undamaged. In fact, the only evidence of her recent ordeal were two hectic spots of color on her cheeks.
"She's flushed," Giles breathed. "That means..." He broke off as he grabbed her wrist. It took only seconds to confirm his suspicions. The girl had a pulse, a strong and healthy one judging by the second hand on his watch. Verily, more steady than his own at this moment.
"What is it, Giles?" Buffy said.
"A vampire with a beating heart and the ability to withstand the light of day."
"Not a vampire." Wesley stroked her gamine-short dark hair. "She's a damphyr."
Buffy shook her head. "I don't know what that is."
"A vampire-human hybrid." Giles explained. "And, she can't possibly be one. They don't exist. Vampires are sterile."
"Not all." The other Watcher replied as Angel choked on his coffee. The Scoobies turned wondering eyes at him.
"Angel?" Buffy said softly.
There was no gentle way to say it. "I have a son."
Dawn marveled at her sister's inner strength as Buffy managed to say "Congratulations," without her voice breaking.
Angel shook his head. "I'm not sure they're in order. Things with Connor are... complicated."
Dawn hated how adults said something was "complicated" when they really meant "utterly screwed up" or "completely shitty".
"Connor." Buffy said. The Slayer repeated the name again as if testing herself. Then, she raised her eyes to his. Only the thinnest glaze of tears made her green irises shimmer. "Why are things complicated with your son?"
"Let me guess." Xander spoke up. "Baby mama drama?"
Angel shot him a withering look. But Xander had broached the topic that had flitted through the minds of all the Scoobies. And Anya would hardly drop it now. "Who is the mother?"
The vampire closed his eyes. "Darla."
"Impossible." Giles stood up. "There's nothing in the chronicles about the two of you having a child."
Wesley spoke up. "There wouldn't be. No one from the Watcher's Council has made an entry in Darla's record for nearly seven years."
"And why should they?" Giles scoffed. "Darla is no longer the Council's concern. She's dust."
"Was dust," Wes said. Then, he corrected himself. "And, now dust again."
"Good Lord, man!" Giles breathed. "Do you mean to tell me..."
"Yes."
"When?"
"Just over two years."
"And the child?"
"Not quite eighteen months ago."
"No." Giles shook his head. "How?"
A grim smile passed across Wesley's face. "Yes, well that is still a mystery."
Dawn had no idea what the two Englishmen were talking about. And, she didn't care. All her attention was focused on her sister. After learning the identity of Connor's mother, Buffy could no longer disguise her anguish. "Darla?" she whispered. "Darla came back two years ago and you had a baby with her."
Angel's own pain was evident. "Connor's not a baby, Buffy. Not anymore. I'll explain all that later. We need to focus on Lark right now."
"Lark?" Giles asked.
"That's her name." Wesley explained. "Lark Danilov." Again, there was a note of tenderness in his voice. But it was replaced by defiance as he stood up. "And she is a damphyr."
Giles opened his mouth to disagree. Then, he stopped himself. Perhaps such a thing was possible in light of the revelation about Connor. "Explain."
Angel took a sip of his rapidly cooling coffee before he spoke. "About three weeks ago, Wes went to an auction at a ranch outside Reynosa." He noted the puzzled looks. "That's in Tamaulipas."
"Oh," Willow said excitedly. "That's a state in Northeastern Mexico. Tara and I went there over Winter Break one year."
It was Angel's turn to be confused. "Tamaulipas isn't exactly Cancun."
The redhead smiled. "I know that it's mostly maquiladoras near the U.S. border, but actually, Tamaulipas has great beaches up by the Gulf of Mexico." She laughed. "We didn't exactly head down there to sunbathe. It's a very diverse state. Besides the Gulf coast tourists traps, a lot of people go for the colonial architecture. And, there's ecotourism in the rainforests and desert. Plus, in the far south, there's over a thousand pre-Columbian temple sites that were dedicated to female deities who refused human sacrifices. My anthro professor said there's no other place in Mesoamerica like it." She shivered. "He was right. There's a lot of power there."
Wes nodded. "As a result, Tamaulipas become a locus for the black market trade in pre-Columbian Aztec antiquities. There's also a secondary trade in occulterie of all types. There is a collector, Anselmo Molinero Sanz, who holds a thrice-yearly auction on his hunting ranch."
"Wesley was looking for the Aicila translation of the Scrolls of Lemchai," explained Angel.
The older ex-Watcher nodded. "I heard that was on the market. But likely a fake."
Wesley shrugged. "It was worth checking out. "
"So, it was a fake then," Giles muttered.
"I've purchased authentic rarities from Molinero before." Wesley said defensively.
Ignoring the ex-Watchers, Angel continued. "Security was much tighter than usual at the auction so he suspected that something unusual was up for bid. He called me."
"Angel and Gunn showed up just in time." Wesley said.
"In time for what?" Willow asked at the same time as Xander asked, "Who's Gunn?"
Wesley seemed to be reliving it as he spoke. "It was like a slave auction. They carried her out and stood her on the dais. 'Female Damphyr' the auctioneer cried. And the bidding started at $2 million dollars."
Giles and the Scoobies all glanced at Lark. It didn't seem possible. Despite the blooddrinking and fear of sunlight, she just looked too normal. Could something as exotic as a damphyr masquerade as a typical American girl in her early twenties?
Wes continued. "She wasn't like you see her now. She was terrified. As the auction progressed, the bidders began to make...demands."
Buffy wasn't sure that she wanted to know exactly what Wes meant, but Angel didn't give her that option.
"Her handlers forced her to drink blood to show the change. Some still weren't satisfied, so they pressed a cross against her forehead."
Instinctively, everyone glanced at Lark's face. Her forehead was smooth now, human and unlined as she slept again. It was also unmarred by any burns in the distinctive outline of a cross. That didn't mean anything of course. Three weeks was more than sufficient time for preternatural flesh to heal such minor wounds.
"Let me guess," Buffy ventured. "The cross didn't burn her."
"Not the slightest." Wesley replied. "But she shrank away from it."
"What about other traditional weapons?" Giles queried. "Holy water."
"She could bathe in it." Angel said dryly. "If you could force her into the tub once she knew what was in there."
"Hey, what about garlic?" Xander asked.
Buffy shook her head. "I keep telling you, Xan, garlic's just a repellant. It's kinda like citronella for mosquitoes. Vampires don't like it in large amounts, but it can't really harm them. And some actually like it in small amounts."
Dawn laughed. "That's why Spike can eat buffalo wings and pizza. And Willow's lasagna. "
At the mention of the blond vampire, Angel stiffened. Almost involuntarily, he stared a Buffy. She was grinning as she and her sister took turns naming various garlic-laden foods that Spike enjoyed. Taquitos. Kung Pao Chicken. Baby Back Ribs. Shrimp Scampi. Bubbe Rosenberg's brisket recipe. Potstickers. Tandoori Chicken. Gumbo made by someone named Rafe. But not Raven's stirfry, Dawn giggled. No, Buffy agreed, Spike didn't enjoy that. But, she added, he really liked Basilah Satoof's meze platter. Especially the kibbe nayyeh. That last comment made Dawn laugh so hard she started coughing.
It was clear to Angel that they had shared many meals with his youngest Childe. A bond that he didn't have with Buffy. He hated that it felt like another loss.
"If you two are done..." To his dismay, Angel's tone managed to sound both Watcherish and like a jealous ex-lover.
The Summers fell silent. "Sorry," said Buffy after a few seconds.
Angel felt like he should be the one apologizing, but the chance passed as Wesley launched into a description of what they knew about Lark's damphyr nature.
No, Allium Sativum didn't seem to bother her. She didn't seem exceptionally fond of garlic, but she hadn't complained about eating food flavored with it.
She had a reflection.
She can enter churches and other holy spaces without physical discomfort. Indeed, being in such places seemed to reduced her emotional unease. Holy water and other consecrated objects did not harm her.
She can enter private residences without invitation.
She both loathes and craves blood. It's the only thing that makes her reveal her demon. Well, the only thing thus far.
She can stand the light of the sun.
Wesley's voice sounded strange as he made the last comment. He started to say something else, but then closed his mouth and stared at Lark. Buffy followed his gaze.
"She has freckles." The Slayer said wonderingly. There was a dusting of them across the damphyr's nose and cheekbones.
"Until last week, Lark didn't mind sunlight." Angel explained.
"We sat in the park everyday," Wesley added softly. "She said the light was better there than in the Hyperion's courtyard."
"Huh?" Xander said.
Giles took off his glasses. "What made her reaction to sunlight change?"
Again, Angel and Wesley exchanged a look. To Buffy, it seemed as if the two were weighing the price of some cataclysmic piece of information. It made her even more anxious about their arrival in town. "Angel," she said warningly. "You brought this damphyr to Sunnydale. Into my home," she emphasized. "I have a right to know whatever you and Wesley are hiding."
The vampire nodded in assent. "You're right, you should know everything." He paused. "The problem is that we don't know everything either."
Buffy started to ask for an explanation, but Willow spoke first. "Please, start from the beginning again. We won't interrupt." She smiled. "No more travelogues or discussions of Spike's diet."
The other Scoobies protested, but Giles seconded the idea and all could see the wisdom in it. Angel and Wesley had been sidetracked numerous times. The result was that the Sunnydale residents were more confused than ever about exactly what a damphyr was and how Spike was involved. One by one, they all promised to hold their tongues. Even Anya, who gave her word the most grudgingly.
After Buffy checked to make sure that Dawn didn't have her fingers crossed, she turned to the visitors from L.A. "Go ahead."
***
Continued in Ch. 3
By iyaorisha
Timing: AU S7 BtVS and AU S4 AtS
Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordy, Xander/Anya, Willow/other, and Wesley/other.
Summary: Buffy and Spike's fragile new relationship is tested when Angel returns to Sunnydale, bringing with him a mysterious young woman from Spike's dark past. WIP.
(This fic is part one of a yet-untitled series in progress. It can be read on its own or after my "Unmoved" series -four linked fics that chronicle my take on reensouled Spike's return to Sunnydale)
Rating/Warnings: R for violence, language, M/F sexual situations, and self-mutilation.
Spoilers: None if you've seen S6 of Buffy and S3 of Angel. References to FFL, the trade novel "Pretty Maids All in a Row", and my fanfics "Relating to a Psychopath" and the "Unmoved" series.
Disclaimer: None of the BtVS or AtS characters or the world they inhabit belong to me. They belong to Joss and I promise to put them back when I'm done playing with them.
Author's Note: Reading (and for me, writing) Buffyverse fanfiction is a great form of escapism. Unfortunately, "cutting" or self-mutilation is a very real and terribly serious disorder that affects as many as one out of every 200 adolescent girls in the U.S. If you or someone that you know practices "cutting", please seek help from your local medical/mental health expert.
Feedback: My first BtVs/AtS fanfic! Brutal honesty is best (I enjoy floggings, I really do), but warm fuzzies are accepted as well. You can post a review here or email me at fanfic_by_iyaorisha@yahoo.com
***
Chapter 2:
The girl shrieked as the first rays of Southern California sunlight hit her exposed skin. She clawed at Wesley, trying to break free of his arms. It was akin to watching someone force a toddler into a scalding hot bath.
"Stop it, Wesley!" Buffy demanded. She would have gone after him, but Angel grabbed her arm and held her fast. All the Slayer could do was join the others in watching helplessly from the doorway while Wesley moved purposefully to the middle of the lawn where there was no shade.
Though the girl fought him, the ex-Watcher whispered soothingly in her ear. Eventually, she stopped screaming and her struggles subsided to quaking. More importantly, she did not burst into flame. There was not a single whiff of smoke in the air. No smell of burning flesh or clothing.
Buffy and Giles both stared. "What is she?" Buffy asked softly.
"Not quite a vampire," was Angel's terse answer.
Wesley called from the lawn. "I think that's enough."
Angel looked at the faces around him before he replied. The expressions ranged from pure shock to horror. "Yes, bring her in."
Buffy and the others moved aside as Wesley carried the girl back in. She began calming as soon as she was out of the sunlight and had completely lapsed back into a catatonic state as he got her settled back on the sofa. By the time Wes draped the wool blanket over her still form, her grey eyes were blank again.
Giles leaned over the sofa and reached out a hand toward the girl. Wesley tensed immediately, his eyes hard with suspicion. Giles gave a short laugh. "I don't mean her harm, man. I just want to verify that she isn't burnt."
"She's not."
Nonetheles, the older Englishman methodically examined the girl's exposed skin. It was undamaged. In fact, the only evidence of her recent ordeal were two hectic spots of color on her cheeks.
"She's flushed," Giles breathed. "That means..." He broke off as he grabbed her wrist. It took only seconds to confirm his suspicions. The girl had a pulse, a strong and healthy one judging by the second hand on his watch. Verily, more steady than his own at this moment.
"What is it, Giles?" Buffy said.
"A vampire with a beating heart and the ability to withstand the light of day."
"Not a vampire." Wesley stroked her gamine-short dark hair. "She's a damphyr."
Buffy shook her head. "I don't know what that is."
"A vampire-human hybrid." Giles explained. "And, she can't possibly be one. They don't exist. Vampires are sterile."
"Not all." The other Watcher replied as Angel choked on his coffee. The Scoobies turned wondering eyes at him.
"Angel?" Buffy said softly.
There was no gentle way to say it. "I have a son."
Dawn marveled at her sister's inner strength as Buffy managed to say "Congratulations," without her voice breaking.
Angel shook his head. "I'm not sure they're in order. Things with Connor are... complicated."
Dawn hated how adults said something was "complicated" when they really meant "utterly screwed up" or "completely shitty".
"Connor." Buffy said. The Slayer repeated the name again as if testing herself. Then, she raised her eyes to his. Only the thinnest glaze of tears made her green irises shimmer. "Why are things complicated with your son?"
"Let me guess." Xander spoke up. "Baby mama drama?"
Angel shot him a withering look. But Xander had broached the topic that had flitted through the minds of all the Scoobies. And Anya would hardly drop it now. "Who is the mother?"
The vampire closed his eyes. "Darla."
"Impossible." Giles stood up. "There's nothing in the chronicles about the two of you having a child."
Wesley spoke up. "There wouldn't be. No one from the Watcher's Council has made an entry in Darla's record for nearly seven years."
"And why should they?" Giles scoffed. "Darla is no longer the Council's concern. She's dust."
"Was dust," Wes said. Then, he corrected himself. "And, now dust again."
"Good Lord, man!" Giles breathed. "Do you mean to tell me..."
"Yes."
"When?"
"Just over two years."
"And the child?"
"Not quite eighteen months ago."
"No." Giles shook his head. "How?"
A grim smile passed across Wesley's face. "Yes, well that is still a mystery."
Dawn had no idea what the two Englishmen were talking about. And, she didn't care. All her attention was focused on her sister. After learning the identity of Connor's mother, Buffy could no longer disguise her anguish. "Darla?" she whispered. "Darla came back two years ago and you had a baby with her."
Angel's own pain was evident. "Connor's not a baby, Buffy. Not anymore. I'll explain all that later. We need to focus on Lark right now."
"Lark?" Giles asked.
"That's her name." Wesley explained. "Lark Danilov." Again, there was a note of tenderness in his voice. But it was replaced by defiance as he stood up. "And she is a damphyr."
Giles opened his mouth to disagree. Then, he stopped himself. Perhaps such a thing was possible in light of the revelation about Connor. "Explain."
Angel took a sip of his rapidly cooling coffee before he spoke. "About three weeks ago, Wes went to an auction at a ranch outside Reynosa." He noted the puzzled looks. "That's in Tamaulipas."
"Oh," Willow said excitedly. "That's a state in Northeastern Mexico. Tara and I went there over Winter Break one year."
It was Angel's turn to be confused. "Tamaulipas isn't exactly Cancun."
The redhead smiled. "I know that it's mostly maquiladoras near the U.S. border, but actually, Tamaulipas has great beaches up by the Gulf of Mexico." She laughed. "We didn't exactly head down there to sunbathe. It's a very diverse state. Besides the Gulf coast tourists traps, a lot of people go for the colonial architecture. And, there's ecotourism in the rainforests and desert. Plus, in the far south, there's over a thousand pre-Columbian temple sites that were dedicated to female deities who refused human sacrifices. My anthro professor said there's no other place in Mesoamerica like it." She shivered. "He was right. There's a lot of power there."
Wes nodded. "As a result, Tamaulipas become a locus for the black market trade in pre-Columbian Aztec antiquities. There's also a secondary trade in occulterie of all types. There is a collector, Anselmo Molinero Sanz, who holds a thrice-yearly auction on his hunting ranch."
"Wesley was looking for the Aicila translation of the Scrolls of Lemchai," explained Angel.
The older ex-Watcher nodded. "I heard that was on the market. But likely a fake."
Wesley shrugged. "It was worth checking out. "
"So, it was a fake then," Giles muttered.
"I've purchased authentic rarities from Molinero before." Wesley said defensively.
Ignoring the ex-Watchers, Angel continued. "Security was much tighter than usual at the auction so he suspected that something unusual was up for bid. He called me."
"Angel and Gunn showed up just in time." Wesley said.
"In time for what?" Willow asked at the same time as Xander asked, "Who's Gunn?"
Wesley seemed to be reliving it as he spoke. "It was like a slave auction. They carried her out and stood her on the dais. 'Female Damphyr' the auctioneer cried. And the bidding started at $2 million dollars."
Giles and the Scoobies all glanced at Lark. It didn't seem possible. Despite the blooddrinking and fear of sunlight, she just looked too normal. Could something as exotic as a damphyr masquerade as a typical American girl in her early twenties?
Wes continued. "She wasn't like you see her now. She was terrified. As the auction progressed, the bidders began to make...demands."
Buffy wasn't sure that she wanted to know exactly what Wes meant, but Angel didn't give her that option.
"Her handlers forced her to drink blood to show the change. Some still weren't satisfied, so they pressed a cross against her forehead."
Instinctively, everyone glanced at Lark's face. Her forehead was smooth now, human and unlined as she slept again. It was also unmarred by any burns in the distinctive outline of a cross. That didn't mean anything of course. Three weeks was more than sufficient time for preternatural flesh to heal such minor wounds.
"Let me guess," Buffy ventured. "The cross didn't burn her."
"Not the slightest." Wesley replied. "But she shrank away from it."
"What about other traditional weapons?" Giles queried. "Holy water."
"She could bathe in it." Angel said dryly. "If you could force her into the tub once she knew what was in there."
"Hey, what about garlic?" Xander asked.
Buffy shook her head. "I keep telling you, Xan, garlic's just a repellant. It's kinda like citronella for mosquitoes. Vampires don't like it in large amounts, but it can't really harm them. And some actually like it in small amounts."
Dawn laughed. "That's why Spike can eat buffalo wings and pizza. And Willow's lasagna. "
At the mention of the blond vampire, Angel stiffened. Almost involuntarily, he stared a Buffy. She was grinning as she and her sister took turns naming various garlic-laden foods that Spike enjoyed. Taquitos. Kung Pao Chicken. Baby Back Ribs. Shrimp Scampi. Bubbe Rosenberg's brisket recipe. Potstickers. Tandoori Chicken. Gumbo made by someone named Rafe. But not Raven's stirfry, Dawn giggled. No, Buffy agreed, Spike didn't enjoy that. But, she added, he really liked Basilah Satoof's meze platter. Especially the kibbe nayyeh. That last comment made Dawn laugh so hard she started coughing.
It was clear to Angel that they had shared many meals with his youngest Childe. A bond that he didn't have with Buffy. He hated that it felt like another loss.
"If you two are done..." To his dismay, Angel's tone managed to sound both Watcherish and like a jealous ex-lover.
The Summers fell silent. "Sorry," said Buffy after a few seconds.
Angel felt like he should be the one apologizing, but the chance passed as Wesley launched into a description of what they knew about Lark's damphyr nature.
No, Allium Sativum didn't seem to bother her. She didn't seem exceptionally fond of garlic, but she hadn't complained about eating food flavored with it.
She had a reflection.
She can enter churches and other holy spaces without physical discomfort. Indeed, being in such places seemed to reduced her emotional unease. Holy water and other consecrated objects did not harm her.
She can enter private residences without invitation.
She both loathes and craves blood. It's the only thing that makes her reveal her demon. Well, the only thing thus far.
She can stand the light of the sun.
Wesley's voice sounded strange as he made the last comment. He started to say something else, but then closed his mouth and stared at Lark. Buffy followed his gaze.
"She has freckles." The Slayer said wonderingly. There was a dusting of them across the damphyr's nose and cheekbones.
"Until last week, Lark didn't mind sunlight." Angel explained.
"We sat in the park everyday," Wesley added softly. "She said the light was better there than in the Hyperion's courtyard."
"Huh?" Xander said.
Giles took off his glasses. "What made her reaction to sunlight change?"
Again, Angel and Wesley exchanged a look. To Buffy, it seemed as if the two were weighing the price of some cataclysmic piece of information. It made her even more anxious about their arrival in town. "Angel," she said warningly. "You brought this damphyr to Sunnydale. Into my home," she emphasized. "I have a right to know whatever you and Wesley are hiding."
The vampire nodded in assent. "You're right, you should know everything." He paused. "The problem is that we don't know everything either."
Buffy started to ask for an explanation, but Willow spoke first. "Please, start from the beginning again. We won't interrupt." She smiled. "No more travelogues or discussions of Spike's diet."
The other Scoobies protested, but Giles seconded the idea and all could see the wisdom in it. Angel and Wesley had been sidetracked numerous times. The result was that the Sunnydale residents were more confused than ever about exactly what a damphyr was and how Spike was involved. One by one, they all promised to hold their tongues. Even Anya, who gave her word the most grudgingly.
After Buffy checked to make sure that Dawn didn't have her fingers crossed, she turned to the visitors from L.A. "Go ahead."
***
Continued in Ch. 3