Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Joss and ME
Chapter 9
5:30 pm - Summers Manor
Elizabeth was weak. She needed to feed in order to fully regain consciousness. The house was quiet. Most of the servants were either in the kitchen or the dining hall. Wesley slowly came out of Elizabeth's room and walked into her parent's old bedroom. There behind the Armoire just as Faith had told him, he found another secret door. The passage led outside. He walked back to Elizabeth's room.
"Faith, get her things." He said as he walked to the bed and started to gather Elizabeth in his arms.
"Wesley, how will we get to the stables? That passage leads out to an opening next to the kitchen entrance. One of the servants will see us." He smiled at her as he walked to the door.
"The servants my darling, are busy preparing for tonight's feast." He crinkled his nose; "What ever they are making smells God awful. I doubt there will be anyone outside. Either way we need to leave. Her maidservants will be up soon to help her dress." He was right. They could not delay their departure for another moment. Faith picked up the bag Elizabeth had packed and followed him out of the room.
They made their way to the other bedroom and through the tunnel with little problem. Their eyesight was far beyond that of mortals and needed no light to make their way through the darkness. When they reached the end, Faith slowly pushed the stone door aside and looked outside. Just as Wesley had predicted, there was no one about. She motioned for him to come out and they rushed to the stables. Faith held onto Elizabeth as Wesley mounted his horse, and then took her into his arms again. They rode for the next hour. They would have reached Giles' home sooner, but it had been so long since she had taken the path to his home through the woods that they had gotten lost. Once she got her bearings back they arrived within minutes.
"Are you sure we will be safe here?" Asked Wesley
"Yes, Buffy and I have known Giles since we were little girls. He is with us." They dismounted and walked to the front door then knocked. She heard footsteps on the other side. She felt an apprehensive pause, and a bit of fear make its way through the door. Slowly the door opened and there Giles stood. He was nervous for a moment. She smiled at him to ease his tension.
"Hello Giles." Slowly he realized it was really her and his fear subsided. He smiled and threw himself at her for a tight embrace. He felt her coldness, yet did care. She was back.
"I wanted to believe it was true, but I never in my wildest dreams .. I .. Oh Faith its really you." He took her face in his hands and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He stepped back and they stood in silence. Wesley came out of the darkness holding Elizabeth in his arms. Giles looked at them and tears began to form in his eyes. "Is she.. going to be all right?"
"Yes, but she needs blood. She is weak and has not fully woken." Said Wesley. Giles stood aside and waited for them to enter. He then realized why they were still standing outside.
"Oh dear, please forgive me. Faith, Wesley is it?" Wesley nodded in affirmation, "Please come into my home." Faith walked in, yet Wesley still stood outside. He looked at Giles and then to Elizabeth and then back at Giles again. "I'm sorry, Buffy please come into my house." Regardless of the fact that she was unconscious, the invitation was still needed. A vampire is a vampire, awake or otherwise. Giles was a man of sorcery and magicks of all sorts. Vampires were creatures he knew existed, yet had never in his life encountered. At least not that he was aware of.
"FAITH!" Willow ran out from the library and into Faith's arms. They both cried tears of joy. Willow also felt the coldness of her skin. She had expected it, yet had to adjust to the knowledge that her two closest friends were now vampires. In the end though the most important thing was that they were both alive. Well, somewhat alive. Xander slowly approached Faith and she saw his apprehension.
"Xander. It's all right." She smiled and then held her hand out to him. He touched her and moved close to her and held her in a tight embrace. They had once been lovers, but that was long ago, and had always remained friends. He had missed her terribly and seeing her was like a dream come true. Feeling that the embrace had gone on a bit longer than it should, Wesley gave a low growl, thus making Faith and Xander separate. She turned and smiled at Wesley.
"Xander, Willow this is Wesley. He is my mate." Willow and Xander both smiled, Xander a bit uneasily, and then said hello.
Giles turned to Faith.
"There are two rooms upstairs made up for you. Jenny will show you which rooms. I should be up shortly." Giles called to Jenny. He had informed her of their guest's special needs after Elizabeth and Xander had left that morning. She made her way up the stairs with Faith and Wesley following her. When they were out of sight Xander approached Giles.
"Giles, what does she mean by mate?"
"Well, I believe they are as husband and wife. From what I have studied on the subject, vampires mate, they.. claim each other. Either another vampire or in some instances a human. However I would imagine a vampire and human mating would be quite difficult due to the ritual." He had his hand on his chin and was looking down as though in heavy thought.
"Why difficult? What kind of ritual?" asked Xander.
"Well, I am not quite sure, mind you this is all from what I have read and things I have heard." He paused for a moment, "I believe it consists the two, um, individuals coming together in the act of," he took his glasses off and started to clean them, though they were not dirty. "lovemaking, and then they announce to each other their claim and bite one another until blood is drawn. They are then mated for life. No other vampire or human can claim them or break that bond unless willing to fight to the death for it." He put his glasses on and started to walk up the stairs.
"That is so romantic." Said Willow with a dreamy look on her face. Giles stopped in mid step and both he and Xander looked at her. "Well, uh, except for the blood and fighting to the death part."
Chapter 9
5:30 pm - Summers Manor
Elizabeth was weak. She needed to feed in order to fully regain consciousness. The house was quiet. Most of the servants were either in the kitchen or the dining hall. Wesley slowly came out of Elizabeth's room and walked into her parent's old bedroom. There behind the Armoire just as Faith had told him, he found another secret door. The passage led outside. He walked back to Elizabeth's room.
"Faith, get her things." He said as he walked to the bed and started to gather Elizabeth in his arms.
"Wesley, how will we get to the stables? That passage leads out to an opening next to the kitchen entrance. One of the servants will see us." He smiled at her as he walked to the door.
"The servants my darling, are busy preparing for tonight's feast." He crinkled his nose; "What ever they are making smells God awful. I doubt there will be anyone outside. Either way we need to leave. Her maidservants will be up soon to help her dress." He was right. They could not delay their departure for another moment. Faith picked up the bag Elizabeth had packed and followed him out of the room.
They made their way to the other bedroom and through the tunnel with little problem. Their eyesight was far beyond that of mortals and needed no light to make their way through the darkness. When they reached the end, Faith slowly pushed the stone door aside and looked outside. Just as Wesley had predicted, there was no one about. She motioned for him to come out and they rushed to the stables. Faith held onto Elizabeth as Wesley mounted his horse, and then took her into his arms again. They rode for the next hour. They would have reached Giles' home sooner, but it had been so long since she had taken the path to his home through the woods that they had gotten lost. Once she got her bearings back they arrived within minutes.
"Are you sure we will be safe here?" Asked Wesley
"Yes, Buffy and I have known Giles since we were little girls. He is with us." They dismounted and walked to the front door then knocked. She heard footsteps on the other side. She felt an apprehensive pause, and a bit of fear make its way through the door. Slowly the door opened and there Giles stood. He was nervous for a moment. She smiled at him to ease his tension.
"Hello Giles." Slowly he realized it was really her and his fear subsided. He smiled and threw himself at her for a tight embrace. He felt her coldness, yet did care. She was back.
"I wanted to believe it was true, but I never in my wildest dreams .. I .. Oh Faith its really you." He took her face in his hands and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He stepped back and they stood in silence. Wesley came out of the darkness holding Elizabeth in his arms. Giles looked at them and tears began to form in his eyes. "Is she.. going to be all right?"
"Yes, but she needs blood. She is weak and has not fully woken." Said Wesley. Giles stood aside and waited for them to enter. He then realized why they were still standing outside.
"Oh dear, please forgive me. Faith, Wesley is it?" Wesley nodded in affirmation, "Please come into my home." Faith walked in, yet Wesley still stood outside. He looked at Giles and then to Elizabeth and then back at Giles again. "I'm sorry, Buffy please come into my house." Regardless of the fact that she was unconscious, the invitation was still needed. A vampire is a vampire, awake or otherwise. Giles was a man of sorcery and magicks of all sorts. Vampires were creatures he knew existed, yet had never in his life encountered. At least not that he was aware of.
"FAITH!" Willow ran out from the library and into Faith's arms. They both cried tears of joy. Willow also felt the coldness of her skin. She had expected it, yet had to adjust to the knowledge that her two closest friends were now vampires. In the end though the most important thing was that they were both alive. Well, somewhat alive. Xander slowly approached Faith and she saw his apprehension.
"Xander. It's all right." She smiled and then held her hand out to him. He touched her and moved close to her and held her in a tight embrace. They had once been lovers, but that was long ago, and had always remained friends. He had missed her terribly and seeing her was like a dream come true. Feeling that the embrace had gone on a bit longer than it should, Wesley gave a low growl, thus making Faith and Xander separate. She turned and smiled at Wesley.
"Xander, Willow this is Wesley. He is my mate." Willow and Xander both smiled, Xander a bit uneasily, and then said hello.
Giles turned to Faith.
"There are two rooms upstairs made up for you. Jenny will show you which rooms. I should be up shortly." Giles called to Jenny. He had informed her of their guest's special needs after Elizabeth and Xander had left that morning. She made her way up the stairs with Faith and Wesley following her. When they were out of sight Xander approached Giles.
"Giles, what does she mean by mate?"
"Well, I believe they are as husband and wife. From what I have studied on the subject, vampires mate, they.. claim each other. Either another vampire or in some instances a human. However I would imagine a vampire and human mating would be quite difficult due to the ritual." He had his hand on his chin and was looking down as though in heavy thought.
"Why difficult? What kind of ritual?" asked Xander.
"Well, I am not quite sure, mind you this is all from what I have read and things I have heard." He paused for a moment, "I believe it consists the two, um, individuals coming together in the act of," he took his glasses off and started to clean them, though they were not dirty. "lovemaking, and then they announce to each other their claim and bite one another until blood is drawn. They are then mated for life. No other vampire or human can claim them or break that bond unless willing to fight to the death for it." He put his glasses on and started to walk up the stairs.
"That is so romantic." Said Willow with a dreamy look on her face. Giles stopped in mid step and both he and Xander looked at her. "Well, uh, except for the blood and fighting to the death part."