The Dark Years
Part Nine: Growing Up and Helping Out
Disclaimer: See first part.
Posted: September 9, 2004
Author's notes: I've decided that my pleas for reviews just aren't going to happen right now, so this is for my faithful reviewer.
Oh, and I'm sorry if these are so short, but with the way I have them figured out, I don't want to give it all away, all at once!
Reader Responses:
BuffyAngelFan32: Do you really think me that cruel? If you really want a hint, go back to, oh...the fourth or fifth chapter, I think I gave someone a real big hint there...Chapter Four, the first review response.
And they're still taking away my dividers; now it's personal.
(START OF UPDATE)
"So," the First looked up at them suddenly, noise suddenly carrying, "The Brat Pack has awoken." She shifted into a dark haired woman, then same vampire she had taken the form of before, "So," she glided over to them, "Did you honestly think I wouldn't see your little game coming? I am evil, evil came from me, and I have been around longer than that pitiful world you live in," she condescended in the body's cockney accent.
NOW! Faith said suddenly, and Melinda brought up her hand, with a bit of smoldering paper scraps, ready to blow them into flame.
The First waved her hand and the paper and ash blew away, "Your magic tricks won't work here."
"What do you want?" Grace said, her voice surprisingly steel, "Why don't you kill us already?"
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you, you silly girl."
"Then let us go! We can't harm you!" Faith spoke up.
"But that's not very fun."
"You're plan was smart," Grace said slowly, "Using a slayer to kill the potentials."
"Of course it was. And the best part is, the more she kills, the deeper she sinks, and," she snapped her fingers, and their mother stood and turned, showing them her anointed forehead, "The stronger I become."
The Harvest. I read about it in Gram's book. This Master vampire used a minion to gain enough power to escape his prison. He anointed the minion, the vessel.
The only way to deplete the First's strength is to....kill the vessel.
Mom all three stated.
(SCENE CHANGE)
Diana switched Josh from one hip to the other. She hadn't truly felt apart of the circle, yeah, she cared about the girls, but she knew she couldn't be of help. So she took the assortment of kids into the living room. She was currently keeping tabs on Josh, Andrea and Spike's baby, her own nine and twelve year olds, Ashley's four and two year olds, and Cordy's ten and twelve year olds, though she and Xander weren't a couple, they just lived together.
"Diana, where's Grace?" Stacy, Cordy's twelve year old asked, and that's when she realized that no one had told the kids why they were here.
"We're not sure, honey," she said reassuringly.
"Diana, where's Faith? I have a new Barbie, and she said we could play together next time I was here," Rachael, Ashley's four year old, asked.
"Guys, come here a minute," the six kids gathered around, "Faith, Mel, and Grace are missing. Your mommies and daddies are looking for them," Myles, Ashley's two year old wrapped his arms around her leg, and she knelt down to put one arm around him, "I need you guys to do something for me, ok? I need you four," she looked at Stacy, Deana, her twelve year old, Brian, Cordy's ten year old, and Alexia, her ten year old, "to help me with these guys, and I need you two," she tickled Rachael, before putting her arm back around Myles, "to be good. Mommy needs to help find Faith, Mel and Grace, and she's going to bring them home safely. Ok?" The kids nodded.
"Hey, uh, Rach, did you say you have a new Barbie?" Deana asked, and Diana knew she was stretching because Deana had given up Barbies three years ago.
The four year old nodded.
"Do you have enough so I could play too?" Alexia asked, knowing what her sister was thinking.
"Do you have one more?" Stacy asked, pasting a smile on her face.
The shy four year old broke into a huge grin and raced off to get her bag.
"Aunt D, do you think it would be ok if me and Myles play catch in the house?" Brian pulled a plush baseball from a nearby bag of toys.
"I think it would be ok, just this once, ok?" she looked at Myles, who nodded. The two ran off to play in the front hall. "I guess it's just you and me, sweetie." Josh looked at her over his binky, with solemn eyes.
(SCENE CHANGE)
Mel Grace alerted her, slipping her hand behind her back. Melinda did the same. Their bodies, huddled close together, hid the blue orbs as the bottle exchanged hands. throw it...now!
Melinda threw the potion at the First, who was going on about something or other. She had wanted to play professionally, and had been the pitcher on her softball team, until her newest power started getting away from her when she lost. The potion hit the figure squarely in the solar plexus.
The First shook off the freeze quickly, it's face turning onto a thundercloud, "Get them!"
Five ubervamps appeared out of nowhere, charging the three girls. The First retreated a bit, picking up an ornate dagger on the table nearby, playing with the blade as she watched.
"Our powers work!" Grace told her sister as she ran towards one of the vampires, her hands extended. Did she have any offensive powers, no. But something was running through her mind, something Aunt Phoebe had once told her, at one of the family reunions, where everyone's emotions had been too much for her. A spell played through her mind, she didn't know if it would work, but she had to try.
She planted her hands firmly on the demon's chest, and quickly recited the spell.
"What's mine is yours,
What's yours is mine
Let our powers cross the line
I offer up this gift to share
Switch our powers through the air."
She felt her grasp on the emotions around her weaken, and then she couldn't feel them at all, and she let loose. The fear and confusion of everyone's pity when she was younger; learning that all families weren't like hers; the pain and betrayal of the secrets kept from them; the pain at losing her parents; she let it all out. The vampire's head started to shake, and then it imploded. She felt her empathy jump back through her hands, now holding only ash, and with it the tools to lock her pain away again. Focusing on the hurt would only get her in trouble.
As two ubervamps rushed her, Melinda focused as hard as she could, sending one against the wall, as she dug into her pocket for paper scraps. She held them out in front of her, closing her eyes, seeing the bits alive with licking flame. She blew on the spark she felt in her hand gently, feeling it crackle into life. The flames didn't really burn, only tickled.
Her eyes flew open as she felt the wind created by a fast moving demon, and she almost lost the flames she held. She caught her slipping concentration as she lifted her hand and blew the flames into an inferno, engulfing the vampire.
She breathed hard, stamina almost gone as she smiled at the ashes. Grampa said that eventually she wouldn't need the paper scraps, but for now her budding pyrokinesis needing kindling.
The second Ubervamp, who had been advancing on her, backed off, circling her.
"Baby!" She didn't know if it would work, but... "Bat." Her trusty metal bat orbed into her hands. She crouched into a batting stance, "Come and get me, ugly!" she yelled at the Ubervamp. He growled and advanced on her. She summoned all of her remaining power and gauged the distance as he rushed her. Then she stepped and swung, forcing her telekinesis into the bat.
Her bat connected with the base of the skull, and the head went flying off as the body crumpled.
"Oh yeah! Home run, baby!" she crowed.
Faith tried, in vain, to pinpoint what she was trying to blow up. Not the hand, or arm, or singe the ubervamp's chest. His head! Finally she froze him, and hoped the freeze would last. Over and over again she tried to blow off his head, and she had almost succeeded when he unfroze. She jumped back, freezing him once more.
"Faith!" Melinda called, and Faith knew what she had in mind. She jumped and did a crappy flying sidekick, as Melinda gave her the boost to send her foot through the vampire's neck.
All three looked at each other, to see if someone needed help.
"Grab them!" two upper-class demons and Joyce shimmered in behind them, grabbing them. Each held a knife.
TBC...