Author: Chimera
Title: Family and Blood (4/?)
Summary: We learn more of Matt, Jeff, Jay, Adam and Shannon.
Notes: One more page of typing to go…whoo! A long weekend can do something to you. Thank God for whoever invented Labor Day (Australian, Queensland, sorry). And I have nothing better to do, so you all benefit!
The question has been raised of how does Spike change them without destroying the power balance in the world…I made an eensy mistake in first chappie. Only one of the crew is actually Spike's childe…and I think that ruined part of the next chapter…oh, no, it didn't. Anyhoo, next chapter should be the last flashback chapter, then we can go on to the 'getting Shannon back with or without the Slayer's help' chapters.
And sorries are in order for those of you who like Buffy…me personally, I don't, but I needed a couple of people to take the miniature bad guy places, and Willow and Xander are not in line for the 'make me a bad guy' part of my brain.
And that probably only made sense to three people. Oh well. No one ever said writing was easy.
Jeff lit the solitary white candle, making sure it only flickered as he breathed. He sent a smile to where Adam and Shannon were standing outside the circle of light the candle provided. He took in a deep breath.
"Athena, mistress of the hunt, help me in our quest. I wish to seek my comrade, my partner, my brother."
Adam shuddered as he watched his friend recite the simple chant, a sudden cold wind whipping around Jeff in a circular pattern. He held onto Shannon hard, nearly afraid that the strong wind would somehow take Shannon with it.
Jeff stopped his mantra. He took another deep breath before slowly, agonising slowly, passing his hand through the flame. It flickered once, twice, three times…then it went out.
Adam exhaled a breath he didn't realise he was holding. He then inhaled sharply as Jeff's hand independently burst into flame. The tall blonde hissed before stepping forward to stop whatever it was that was happening. His first step nearly took him into the mini-tornado that had formed,
He was stopped by a surprisingly strong hand. Adam whirled around to see Shannon holding onto him, his long hair whipping around with the wind.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled. The wind snatched away his words before they reached Shannon, but the small blonde got the idea.
Shannon stepped closer, his mouth now close to Adam's ear even taking in the height difference. "He's not hurting."
The taller blonde glanced back. For the first time, he noticed Jeff's face…calm, composed, no sign of discomfort. "Look at his hand," he heard Shannon say. He glanced down, and Jeff's hand…wasn't truly burning. The flame licked at his fingers and palm, but it was as if the fire was burning on something radiating from Jeff's hand and not the skin itself.
The redhead stared at his hand, bring it to eye level, only vaguely aware of his two friends outside the circle of wind. Good thing too. If he got distracted now his hand would really start to burn.
"Show me Matthew," he whispered to the flame.
His eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped backwards like a stone. The flame extinguished and the room was suddenly draped in darkness.
"Matt?" Jeff called. "Brother?"
There was no answer.
The green eyed man squinted into the clouds around him, batting away the more mischievous fog as they tried to encase him in transparency.
He glanced around, not much liking this the place he found himself in, or what this place meant. His mother had told him about this place, providing him with nightmares for a week, and telling him about this spell and the results. 'The phantom paths', she had called it. Jeff squinted as up ahead he spied something solid, crumpled on the ground. He hurried his paces, pleading with the Powers That Be that it wasn't what he thought it was.
He couldn't breathe.
There was no air.
The spell would not work. His brothers, both blood and honorary, would be in danger.
Matt sank into himself, the walls and his fear crowding him. Some tiny, near insignificant part of his mind rebelled against what he was about to do, but his fear drove it into nothingness.
He opened his mind to his wolf, just like the wolf had to him. His eyes flashed green for a singe moment before he growled and shook himself out of his position.
There was his packmate to be found.
Jeff barely avoided the mass as he near skidded into it. He flipped it over, heart in his throat.
He stared, shaken.
Blue eyes stared at him, accusing and too familiar for comfort.
With a slight 'pop' noise another mass appeared, only scant metres from the other. Jeff trembled as the body's sightless brown eyes stared past him into nothingness.
A soundless tear dripped down his cheek as he stood and ran.
Shannon was still pacing. Adam was still talking to Jeff's motionless body. And Jeff was still silently crying.
The smaller blonde growled and pushed Adam away. "Jeffery Nero Hardy, wake the hell up!" he yelled in the redhead's face.
His eyes blinked open.
Shannon sent a smug smile to Adam and continued pacing.
"Are you okay?" Adam questioned softly. He wiped the pads of his thumbs lightly under Jeff's eyes, collecting his tears.
Jeff blinked furiously, trying to keep more tears at bay. "I found them both," he whispered.
Adam exchanged a thankful glance with Shannon. "That's great!" he exclaimed, then frowned. "Isn't it?"
The redhead took in a deep breath, feeling an unnatural calm come over him. "The spell I did should have taken me to wherever they were. I hit the 'phantom paths'. That's where disturbed souls go."
Shannon sat down on the arm o the couch Jeff had been laid on after his proverbial knockout. "And that means what?" Shannon asked softly.
"They've been changed," Jeff said without emotion. "And we have three vampires to kill instead of one."
Matt-Wolf sniffed the air, then made a strange half-purr half-growl deep in his throat. He had found his packmate…but there was something wrong with him. He padded over to his running mate…_Jay,_ some tiny part of his mind told him…and lightly jumped onto the bed Jay was lying on. He nosed him over, then whined, hearing nothing from the body. Matt sniffed sadly at his motionless friend, and licked his face gently. He let out a sigh before lying down, propping his head on Jay's stomach. He would stand guard over his friend until that odd thump-thump started again.
"Stakes, crossbow, holy water, cross," Jeff rambled under his breath.
"Garlic?" Adam questioned vacantly.
"Doesn't work. Axes, swords," the redhead continued, packing things into his oversized bag.
"Beheading. Good," Adam muttered.
"I don't want to interrupt your violence preparation party, but do you know exactly where they are?" Shannon asked softly.
Jeff stopped suddenly, looking weirdly like a cranky three-year-old. "I don't know…maybe a…body location spell."
"That lead us to Matt and Jay or where they died?" Adam asked.
"Where they are. When you're turned…a demon just takes over your body. It remembers your life, how you felt, everything. But it's not you." Jeff stared at the ground. "It's a legend that specific bloodlines have immunity. And therefore they themselves keep, and anyone they change will stay as themselves but just live forever. But it's a fairytale, my mother said." Jeff bit his lip. "Just a fairytale," he repeated.
"Nothing more."
