"The Books of Aurelius" The history of a Vampire: Fourteen
Time postponed
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Buffy found herself in the study around 10 in the morning. She had tossed, turned and pondered what to do about Darla's threat. She had come to one conclusion. Charles meant a great deal more to her than the current Angelus did.
However she still felt uneasiness settle in her heart with the thought of hurting him. In the last year she had seen a change in the vampire. He had Angel's kindness but he was much more carefree and passionate. His aggressive tendencies had lessened with the meditative exercises they had been doing. He had a much more outspoken sense of humour and social intelligence. She knew that in time she could fall in love with this male.
On the other hand, this vampire also had the potential to become the Angelus she had feared and loathed. The one she had never truly beaten and the one that had stolen something so precious to her. Should she encounter that Angelus again she wasn't sure any threat against Charles was scary enough to stop her from staking Angelus. Being the chosen one had taught her to make some really though decisions before.
And then there was the timeline to consider. Who knew what she had changed already. What if Angelus and Darla were necessary to create something vital for her own life? What if she lived long enough to make it to the twenty first century only to discover everything had been changed beyond repair?
All these thoughts were still floating through her head as she left her bed and went downstairs to their study, to read beside the fireplace, hoping to focus on something else for a while.
There she was now walking past the books looking for something to read when the words 'Watcher' and 'Diary' caught her eye.
~* ~
Charles walked into the study to discuss his plans with Buffy. He was surprised to hear that she had been up since the early morning and had been hidden away in their study for the entire time. He found her in front of the fire, feet curled underneath her and a book on her lap. She was an absolute stunning sight. "Hello my dear, what are you reading?"
She looked up when she heard his voice and smiled at him, of course she had felt him approach but only now she acknowledged him. Sometimes they could be working together for hours before they greeted one another.
"Hello, I'm almost through with this Watcher's Diary I found between your books. It's strange reading about vampires from long ago now that I am one. "
"Really? How so?" Charles asked curiously. He had been a vampire for so long he didn't remember being anything else, like a small boy or a man.
"Well for instance, this Watcher had a really interesting argument about the human soul and vampires. He said that their souls were safeguarded by a demon and that the vampire needed to drink the blood to consume the human soul and replace the one they'd lost."
Charles laughed out loud at the theory and took a seat opposite from her.
"That of course is a load of bollocks. Vampires drink blood to animate their dead bodies. Now the soul is a different issue. The concept of a soul is a very religious one and therefore believes about it also lay in that realm. The Christian vampires believe that our soul has gone to purgatory until our bodies turn to dust and then we will be judged. I have met Buddhist vampires who believe that our soul has moved on to the next incarnation and that only the body and the demon remain. "
"But what about feelings and emotions? I always thought that vampires can't feel love or compassion but I have seen you moved to tears by a mere ballet and I have felt your affection for me through our bond."
"True, vampires don't lose their emotions. I think it was best described in another one of those Watcher's diaries. Let's see if I can find it." Charles searched his library. "Here it is. The Frenchman Beaulonge wrote in 1781: 'My theory is simply this: The nosferatu has emotions but lacks any form of conscience. The concepts of good and bad are awake in its mind but it does not feel remorse for its actions just the pleasure those actions might bring."
"Wow, that's a very intriguing insight. How do you think…" Buffy's question got sidetracked by a knock on the door.
At Charles's 'Come in', Angelus appeared. Buffy looked at the clock and established that it was nowhere near time for them to train and she had no idea how to let him down easy so to speak. Yet here he was and it was decision time.
"Hello, Charles, Buffy. I'm here to inform you that the training sessions are cancelled for now." It would be a huge understatement to say that Buffy was stupefied.
"Oh," was all she said.
Charles discreetly pulled back by returning the books to their former place on the shelves at the other side of the room.
"Darla and I are travelling to the American continent. We hope to align the rogue clans to the Order. It would strengthen Darla's claim to the Order's leadership as well as mine. I felt I needed to tell you face to face that I will be away for well over a year." He glanced over at Charles. "I wanted to see if you had any suggestions for a training program or that problem we discussed last week. I think it may become a problem in this journey."
Buffy was screaming at her brain to return to work. Last week, discussed, problem. They are leaving?? Why did she threaten me to leave him alone last night and leave the next day? father, insecurity, a whole year!?
Just when Angelus was getting worried that something was wrong, she answered. "I am sure you'll do fine. Just remember to do those tai chi forms we did last month. But I am convinced that Darla is more than lucky not to mention eager to have you beside her." She hoped that it was cryptic enough but also clear. Angelus gave her a small almost shy smile before he was again the proud alpha male.
"I thank you Buffy and will see you again although not soon." And then he left.
Well that was bizarre!
Charles approached her from his place at the other side ot the room. "This reminds me of the reason I came to talk to you. I have a journey planned too. You and I are going on my annual inspection trip through Europe.
Buffy was again caught by surprise. "Really? Wow! I never got to do the European tour thing."
Charles was sometimes truly puzzled by her but not unpleasantly so. "I would like to leave for the Coast at midnight. I have ordered Jessie to start packing for both you and herself this morning. She should be ready by now. Could you oversee her progress please and then meet me out on the courtyard a quarter to midnight? "
~*~
On her way down to the courtyard Buffy, now dressed for travelling, encountered one more obstacle: Darla.
"Hello, we meet again so soon. As unpleasant as this is for me, I wanted to make sure that we understand each other perfectly. Even though you and Angelus will not be in direct contact for well over a year, I will expect you to keep the distance between you both when you get back." Darla twirled around in a flurry of skirts and shawls to leave.
This was starting to piss Buffy off. She was not some little school girl you can threaten without at least a big burly piece of muscle around. She grabbed Darla's upper arms and spun her around to face her. "I heard you the first time and I take your threats very seriously but now it's time for you to take me seriously. The way I see this situation, you are asking me for a favour and I will do it for you and you will be glad I don't decide you owe me one. Don't make the mistake of underestimating me, Darla or it will be time for me to show you exactly why Charles chose me for the clan. Am I getting through all of that blonde hair?" Buffy asked with a smug and hard look on her face.
Darla was slowly reaching the boiling temperature of water. Of all the nerve! How dare she talk to her like that!
Then a movement at the end of the hall caught her eye. She looked up over Buffy's shoulder and gazed straight into Charia's interested face. She did not need to throw wood on that particular fire and fuel the rumours that Darla was losing her grip on the Order by starting a catfight.
"I think we have an understanding." She bit through clenched teeth and left in fast strides.
Buffy turned around to see what had sent Darla packing so soon. Charia, who had come up behind her, asked her to follow her out to the courtyard because Charles and their travelling party were waiting for them. They walked through the corridors towards their destination, when both Charia and Buffy took a big breath in order to ask a question. They looked at each other and smiled. "You first" Charia said.
"Well, I was just wondering and since you are a woman with a lot of 'wisdom', I thought maybe you could tell me. When were these travel arrangements of Darla's made?"
"I believe that Angelus suggested them last night after Darla returned from a walk. It is his plan. I think he wants to make up for that small debacle during the feast of Candidatorum. "
They emerged from the house only to find that all the travellers had already embarked the coach. Charia gave her an awkward hug and wished her well and Buffy climbed the small steps to reach the door that Charia held open for her. She had to duck her head to enter and therefore she didn't see all the occupants of the coach before she sat down next to Charles whose place she had clearly felt.
She looked up and straight into the smiling face of her friend Mitch.
~*~
And so Buffy was off to a completely different adventure than the one she had awoken to that morning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AN: A little short but also a little naughty trick by me to keep my outline in order. Sometimes my plotbunnies run off with my story and I have to correct everything again.
Time postponed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy found herself in the study around 10 in the morning. She had tossed, turned and pondered what to do about Darla's threat. She had come to one conclusion. Charles meant a great deal more to her than the current Angelus did.
However she still felt uneasiness settle in her heart with the thought of hurting him. In the last year she had seen a change in the vampire. He had Angel's kindness but he was much more carefree and passionate. His aggressive tendencies had lessened with the meditative exercises they had been doing. He had a much more outspoken sense of humour and social intelligence. She knew that in time she could fall in love with this male.
On the other hand, this vampire also had the potential to become the Angelus she had feared and loathed. The one she had never truly beaten and the one that had stolen something so precious to her. Should she encounter that Angelus again she wasn't sure any threat against Charles was scary enough to stop her from staking Angelus. Being the chosen one had taught her to make some really though decisions before.
And then there was the timeline to consider. Who knew what she had changed already. What if Angelus and Darla were necessary to create something vital for her own life? What if she lived long enough to make it to the twenty first century only to discover everything had been changed beyond repair?
All these thoughts were still floating through her head as she left her bed and went downstairs to their study, to read beside the fireplace, hoping to focus on something else for a while.
There she was now walking past the books looking for something to read when the words 'Watcher' and 'Diary' caught her eye.
Charles walked into the study to discuss his plans with Buffy. He was surprised to hear that she had been up since the early morning and had been hidden away in their study for the entire time. He found her in front of the fire, feet curled underneath her and a book on her lap. She was an absolute stunning sight. "Hello my dear, what are you reading?"
She looked up when she heard his voice and smiled at him, of course she had felt him approach but only now she acknowledged him. Sometimes they could be working together for hours before they greeted one another.
"Hello, I'm almost through with this Watcher's Diary I found between your books. It's strange reading about vampires from long ago now that I am one. "
"Really? How so?" Charles asked curiously. He had been a vampire for so long he didn't remember being anything else, like a small boy or a man.
"Well for instance, this Watcher had a really interesting argument about the human soul and vampires. He said that their souls were safeguarded by a demon and that the vampire needed to drink the blood to consume the human soul and replace the one they'd lost."
Charles laughed out loud at the theory and took a seat opposite from her.
"That of course is a load of bollocks. Vampires drink blood to animate their dead bodies. Now the soul is a different issue. The concept of a soul is a very religious one and therefore believes about it also lay in that realm. The Christian vampires believe that our soul has gone to purgatory until our bodies turn to dust and then we will be judged. I have met Buddhist vampires who believe that our soul has moved on to the next incarnation and that only the body and the demon remain. "
"But what about feelings and emotions? I always thought that vampires can't feel love or compassion but I have seen you moved to tears by a mere ballet and I have felt your affection for me through our bond."
"True, vampires don't lose their emotions. I think it was best described in another one of those Watcher's diaries. Let's see if I can find it." Charles searched his library. "Here it is. The Frenchman Beaulonge wrote in 1781: 'My theory is simply this: The nosferatu has emotions but lacks any form of conscience. The concepts of good and bad are awake in its mind but it does not feel remorse for its actions just the pleasure those actions might bring."
"Wow, that's a very intriguing insight. How do you think…" Buffy's question got sidetracked by a knock on the door.
At Charles's 'Come in', Angelus appeared. Buffy looked at the clock and established that it was nowhere near time for them to train and she had no idea how to let him down easy so to speak. Yet here he was and it was decision time.
"Hello, Charles, Buffy. I'm here to inform you that the training sessions are cancelled for now." It would be a huge understatement to say that Buffy was stupefied.
"Oh," was all she said.
Charles discreetly pulled back by returning the books to their former place on the shelves at the other side of the room.
"Darla and I are travelling to the American continent. We hope to align the rogue clans to the Order. It would strengthen Darla's claim to the Order's leadership as well as mine. I felt I needed to tell you face to face that I will be away for well over a year." He glanced over at Charles. "I wanted to see if you had any suggestions for a training program or that problem we discussed last week. I think it may become a problem in this journey."
Buffy was screaming at her brain to return to work. Last week, discussed, problem. They are leaving?? Why did she threaten me to leave him alone last night and leave the next day? father, insecurity, a whole year!?
Just when Angelus was getting worried that something was wrong, she answered. "I am sure you'll do fine. Just remember to do those tai chi forms we did last month. But I am convinced that Darla is more than lucky not to mention eager to have you beside her." She hoped that it was cryptic enough but also clear. Angelus gave her a small almost shy smile before he was again the proud alpha male.
"I thank you Buffy and will see you again although not soon." And then he left.
Well that was bizarre!
Charles approached her from his place at the other side ot the room. "This reminds me of the reason I came to talk to you. I have a journey planned too. You and I are going on my annual inspection trip through Europe.
Buffy was again caught by surprise. "Really? Wow! I never got to do the European tour thing."
Charles was sometimes truly puzzled by her but not unpleasantly so. "I would like to leave for the Coast at midnight. I have ordered Jessie to start packing for both you and herself this morning. She should be ready by now. Could you oversee her progress please and then meet me out on the courtyard a quarter to midnight? "
On her way down to the courtyard Buffy, now dressed for travelling, encountered one more obstacle: Darla.
"Hello, we meet again so soon. As unpleasant as this is for me, I wanted to make sure that we understand each other perfectly. Even though you and Angelus will not be in direct contact for well over a year, I will expect you to keep the distance between you both when you get back." Darla twirled around in a flurry of skirts and shawls to leave.
This was starting to piss Buffy off. She was not some little school girl you can threaten without at least a big burly piece of muscle around. She grabbed Darla's upper arms and spun her around to face her. "I heard you the first time and I take your threats very seriously but now it's time for you to take me seriously. The way I see this situation, you are asking me for a favour and I will do it for you and you will be glad I don't decide you owe me one. Don't make the mistake of underestimating me, Darla or it will be time for me to show you exactly why Charles chose me for the clan. Am I getting through all of that blonde hair?" Buffy asked with a smug and hard look on her face.
Darla was slowly reaching the boiling temperature of water. Of all the nerve! How dare she talk to her like that!
Then a movement at the end of the hall caught her eye. She looked up over Buffy's shoulder and gazed straight into Charia's interested face. She did not need to throw wood on that particular fire and fuel the rumours that Darla was losing her grip on the Order by starting a catfight.
"I think we have an understanding." She bit through clenched teeth and left in fast strides.
Buffy turned around to see what had sent Darla packing so soon. Charia, who had come up behind her, asked her to follow her out to the courtyard because Charles and their travelling party were waiting for them. They walked through the corridors towards their destination, when both Charia and Buffy took a big breath in order to ask a question. They looked at each other and smiled. "You first" Charia said.
"Well, I was just wondering and since you are a woman with a lot of 'wisdom', I thought maybe you could tell me. When were these travel arrangements of Darla's made?"
"I believe that Angelus suggested them last night after Darla returned from a walk. It is his plan. I think he wants to make up for that small debacle during the feast of Candidatorum. "
They emerged from the house only to find that all the travellers had already embarked the coach. Charia gave her an awkward hug and wished her well and Buffy climbed the small steps to reach the door that Charia held open for her. She had to duck her head to enter and therefore she didn't see all the occupants of the coach before she sat down next to Charles whose place she had clearly felt.
She looked up and straight into the smiling face of her friend Mitch.
And so Buffy was off to a completely different adventure than the one she had awoken to that morning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AN: A little short but also a little naughty trick by me to keep my outline in order. Sometimes my plotbunnies run off with my story and I have to correct everything again.