Title: A Breed Apart
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Some, mostly early series.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy the show but I am broke.
Summary: On her first day at Sunnydale High, Buffy finds an odd kinship to a fellow student and something she never knew about herself.
AN: quotes from Prophecy Girl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xander and Buffy were wandering along the street near the Bronze. They had just been dancing in the club and had left Willow chatting happily with Oz, lead guitarist of the band 'Dingoes Ate My Baby' (AN: For all Non- Australians who never got that, it is based on an old court case where Miss Chamberlain claimed that 'Dingoes ate my baby' as a defence when her baby went missing.) and member of both their self-defence and Gymnastics clubs. Willow and Oz seemed to be quite friendly, and Xander hoped that they might get together, it would be good for Willow, who is usually chronically shy around males, except Xander. It had been a few weeks since Darla had gotten away from Xander and they had found little on her in their research except that she is old. A faint sound behind them alerted the couple to their visitor.
"Ugh. If I didn't know you had a Soul, I would have staked you already." Xander complained.
"Heard you are going after Darla." Angel said.
"So what's it to you?" Buffy asked, annoyed at the souled vampire, mostly because he was a vampire.
"Well I know her better than anyone." Angel replied.
"And why is that?" Xander asked bitterly.
"Because she Sired me." Angel said flatly.
********
"It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!" Giles explained.
"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong." Angel retorted.
"I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real." Giles said.
"Well, there's gotta be some way around it." Angel said.
"Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass." Giles responded.
"Then you're reading it wrong." Angel countered.
"I wish to God I were! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die." Giles said, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
It had been several weeks since Angel had told them about Darla and his unique situation. Angel had integrated himself into the group as a link to the underbelly of Sunnydale that the others could not get to; in fact he had obtained the very reference book that they were now discussing. Angel knew that Buffy and Xander disliked him, they were Dampir and that was natural, but he could not help himself but to protect the girl.
"Well, have you verified the text?" Angel asked.
Outside the office, Buffy began to laugh hysterically.
'I can't go to the Spring Fling with Xand cause I'll be dead.' Buffy thought bitterly causing her to laugh harder.
"So that's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is." Buffy said, then to Giles. "Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"
"Buffy, I..." Giles started.
"They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" Buffy interrupted. "Were you even gonna tell me?"
"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was... some way around it. I..." Giles tried to explain
"I've got a way around it. I quit!" Buffy responded
"It's not that simple." Angel cut in.
"I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!" Buffy said angrily.
"I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the... the signs indicate..."
"The signs? READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!" Buffy screamed, throwing books.
"No, I don't suppose I am." Giles admitted.
"I know this is hard." Angel said.
"What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!" Buffy retorted
"We just gotta figure out a way..." Angel said
"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!" Buffy shot back.
"Buffy, if the Master rises..." Giles cautioned.
"I don't care! I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die." Buffy pleaded.
Angrily Buffy threw her cross necklace on the table and stormed out of the library.
'I need Xander.' She thought desperately.
********
Buffy lay on her bed staring at a picture of her, Xander, Willow and Giles. It had been taken just before Xander had been possessed by the Hyena spirit. They all looked so happy in the photo, so care free. She had not seen Xander since her visit to the library, in fact she had run home and had been staring at the photo ever since, trying to recall the feeling portrayed by the image. Buffy was so lost in her contemplation of the photo that she did not hear her bedroom door open.
"Are you ok, Honey?" Joyce asked.
"Sure, fine." Buffy said absently, and then she seemed to focus. "Why don't we go away? Just the two of us, for the weekend?"
"What about the Spring Fling? Didn't Xander ask you?" Joyce queried.
"Yes, he did, but. How did you know he was going to ask me?" Buffy said.
"Hey. I may be your mother, but I'm not THAT old." Joyce replied cheerfully.
"It's complicated." Buffy said simply.
"Is this about Darla?" Joyce asked.
"WHAT?!? How do you know about that?" Buffy said, shocked.
"Xander. He told me everything." Joyce replied, the smiled at Buffy's shocked expression. "What? Did you think we talked about crochet and chocolate brownies? Well, we did talk about the brownies, but that's beside the point."
"Huh, what, how?" Buffy stammered.
"We talked, ever since he first came over with those journals. I know about you being a Dampir and the Slayer, but none of that matters. You will always be my Buffy, my little girl." Joyce said reassuringly.
"What did you talk about?" Buffy asked, genuinely intrigued.
"Mostly about his mother and your father." Joyce said. "He did love you, in fact he gave you the name Buffy, but he left for your own protection."
"Much good it did. I'm dead anyway." Buffy said.
"Says who? Is it written somewhere?" Joyce asked.
"Yes, actually. Tomorrow night I will die, there's a prophecy and everything." Buffy said bitterly.
"Xander won't let that happen. You know he won't." Joyce said, reassuringly.
"Damn strait I won't." Xander said from the doorway, having arrived a few seconds ago. "Anyone gunning for you has to come through me first."
"I don't want to die." Buffy sobbed.
"Hey, you're not going to get rid of me that easily. If you die, I'll bring you back." Xander said, lightening Buffy's emotional load. "Joyce?"
Joyce read Xander's unspoken question and gave the couple some time alone.
"Tell me everything." Xander commanded gently.
"It was in the Library. Giles and Angel, did I ever mention how much I really hate that guy? Anyway they were talking, which I kind of overheard.." Buffy started, relating to Xander what had happened earlier.
********
Xander and Buffy walked into The Master's lair, Xander having followed Buffy and the Anointed One at a small distance and he had staked the Anointed One after he had shown Buffy the entrance to the lair. As they entered Xander spotted Darla in the shadows, she was obviously The Master's contingency plan, and it was lucky that Xander was Buffy's. after growling his intent to Buffy, Xander engaged Darla. Xander got lost in the action of fighting Darla. She was slightly stronger, slightly more agile and had more experience. He was faster, had longer reach and more basic skill. All in all, they were fairly evenly matched.
Xander became so into his fight with Darla, blocking her attacks and probing for weaknesses, that the fight became his entire world, a phenomenon know to fighter pilots as 'Loss of situational awareness' and to bomber crews as 'Having your head up your ass in the upright and locked position'. This was both a blessing and a curse. After fighting for god knows how long, and both Darla and himself landing some damaging blows, Darla was distracted by something in the lair, flicking her eyes off Xander for a split second and causing her to smile. This provided Xander with an opening that he exploited, breaking through Darla's defences and Stakeing her.
Turning from the floating dust that was Darla, Xander saw what had distracted the Vampiress. The world seemed to grind to a holt as Xander was engulfed in strong emotions, anger, fear, nervousness, loss and determination. Buffy lay face down in a small pool, the water droplets from her splash still hanging suspended in the air on their upward arc. There were two small holes in her neck, and The Master, in the act of turning away from her had blood on his lips. Xander's rage and grief brought out his full speed, not available to him during his fight with Darla.
Before the water droplets could reach their pinnacle and begin their descent, Xander had crossed the distance between himself and The Master. Plunging his stake into The Master's heart, then pulling Buffy out of the water before The Master's soft tissue could disintegrate, leaving his bones behind. As he laid Buffy's head on his lap, the world returned to normal. He could not hear a pulse, or feel one. Laying her onto the floor, Xander began CPR, which managed to restart her heart after a minute, causing her to come around some. Even with her heart going again, Buffy was in bad shape, having lost a lot of blood. Removing his black, long-sleaved button up shirt, leaving Xander in his black t-shirt, he turned the garment into a makeshift compress, which he placed over Buffy's neck wound.
"Buffy? Listen to me." Xander told the semi-conscious Slayer.
Buffy made an incoherent response.
"Buffy. You don't want to do this, but you must. Drink." Xander said.
With this last comment, Xander slit his wrist with his small dagger that he kept in his belt. Holding his wrist over Buffy's mouth, Xander feed her his blood. His blood quickly brought her around, and he stoped feeding her.
"What have I done?" Buffy asked shocked when she realised what Xander had done.
"You lived." Xander responded.
He picked Buffy up and carried her out of the old church, heading towards Sunnydale General Hospital. As he strode out, Xander crushed the bones of The Master under his booted feet.
TBC.
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Some, mostly early series.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy the show but I am broke.
Summary: On her first day at Sunnydale High, Buffy finds an odd kinship to a fellow student and something she never knew about herself.
AN: quotes from Prophecy Girl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xander and Buffy were wandering along the street near the Bronze. They had just been dancing in the club and had left Willow chatting happily with Oz, lead guitarist of the band 'Dingoes Ate My Baby' (AN: For all Non- Australians who never got that, it is based on an old court case where Miss Chamberlain claimed that 'Dingoes ate my baby' as a defence when her baby went missing.) and member of both their self-defence and Gymnastics clubs. Willow and Oz seemed to be quite friendly, and Xander hoped that they might get together, it would be good for Willow, who is usually chronically shy around males, except Xander. It had been a few weeks since Darla had gotten away from Xander and they had found little on her in their research except that she is old. A faint sound behind them alerted the couple to their visitor.
"Ugh. If I didn't know you had a Soul, I would have staked you already." Xander complained.
"Heard you are going after Darla." Angel said.
"So what's it to you?" Buffy asked, annoyed at the souled vampire, mostly because he was a vampire.
"Well I know her better than anyone." Angel replied.
"And why is that?" Xander asked bitterly.
"Because she Sired me." Angel said flatly.
********
"It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!" Giles explained.
"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong." Angel retorted.
"I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real." Giles said.
"Well, there's gotta be some way around it." Angel said.
"Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass." Giles responded.
"Then you're reading it wrong." Angel countered.
"I wish to God I were! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die." Giles said, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
It had been several weeks since Angel had told them about Darla and his unique situation. Angel had integrated himself into the group as a link to the underbelly of Sunnydale that the others could not get to; in fact he had obtained the very reference book that they were now discussing. Angel knew that Buffy and Xander disliked him, they were Dampir and that was natural, but he could not help himself but to protect the girl.
"Well, have you verified the text?" Angel asked.
Outside the office, Buffy began to laugh hysterically.
'I can't go to the Spring Fling with Xand cause I'll be dead.' Buffy thought bitterly causing her to laugh harder.
"So that's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is." Buffy said, then to Giles. "Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"
"Buffy, I..." Giles started.
"They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" Buffy interrupted. "Were you even gonna tell me?"
"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was... some way around it. I..." Giles tried to explain
"I've got a way around it. I quit!" Buffy responded
"It's not that simple." Angel cut in.
"I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!" Buffy said angrily.
"I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the... the signs indicate..."
"The signs? READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!" Buffy screamed, throwing books.
"No, I don't suppose I am." Giles admitted.
"I know this is hard." Angel said.
"What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!" Buffy retorted
"We just gotta figure out a way..." Angel said
"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!" Buffy shot back.
"Buffy, if the Master rises..." Giles cautioned.
"I don't care! I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die." Buffy pleaded.
Angrily Buffy threw her cross necklace on the table and stormed out of the library.
'I need Xander.' She thought desperately.
********
Buffy lay on her bed staring at a picture of her, Xander, Willow and Giles. It had been taken just before Xander had been possessed by the Hyena spirit. They all looked so happy in the photo, so care free. She had not seen Xander since her visit to the library, in fact she had run home and had been staring at the photo ever since, trying to recall the feeling portrayed by the image. Buffy was so lost in her contemplation of the photo that she did not hear her bedroom door open.
"Are you ok, Honey?" Joyce asked.
"Sure, fine." Buffy said absently, and then she seemed to focus. "Why don't we go away? Just the two of us, for the weekend?"
"What about the Spring Fling? Didn't Xander ask you?" Joyce queried.
"Yes, he did, but. How did you know he was going to ask me?" Buffy said.
"Hey. I may be your mother, but I'm not THAT old." Joyce replied cheerfully.
"It's complicated." Buffy said simply.
"Is this about Darla?" Joyce asked.
"WHAT?!? How do you know about that?" Buffy said, shocked.
"Xander. He told me everything." Joyce replied, the smiled at Buffy's shocked expression. "What? Did you think we talked about crochet and chocolate brownies? Well, we did talk about the brownies, but that's beside the point."
"Huh, what, how?" Buffy stammered.
"We talked, ever since he first came over with those journals. I know about you being a Dampir and the Slayer, but none of that matters. You will always be my Buffy, my little girl." Joyce said reassuringly.
"What did you talk about?" Buffy asked, genuinely intrigued.
"Mostly about his mother and your father." Joyce said. "He did love you, in fact he gave you the name Buffy, but he left for your own protection."
"Much good it did. I'm dead anyway." Buffy said.
"Says who? Is it written somewhere?" Joyce asked.
"Yes, actually. Tomorrow night I will die, there's a prophecy and everything." Buffy said bitterly.
"Xander won't let that happen. You know he won't." Joyce said, reassuringly.
"Damn strait I won't." Xander said from the doorway, having arrived a few seconds ago. "Anyone gunning for you has to come through me first."
"I don't want to die." Buffy sobbed.
"Hey, you're not going to get rid of me that easily. If you die, I'll bring you back." Xander said, lightening Buffy's emotional load. "Joyce?"
Joyce read Xander's unspoken question and gave the couple some time alone.
"Tell me everything." Xander commanded gently.
"It was in the Library. Giles and Angel, did I ever mention how much I really hate that guy? Anyway they were talking, which I kind of overheard.." Buffy started, relating to Xander what had happened earlier.
********
Xander and Buffy walked into The Master's lair, Xander having followed Buffy and the Anointed One at a small distance and he had staked the Anointed One after he had shown Buffy the entrance to the lair. As they entered Xander spotted Darla in the shadows, she was obviously The Master's contingency plan, and it was lucky that Xander was Buffy's. after growling his intent to Buffy, Xander engaged Darla. Xander got lost in the action of fighting Darla. She was slightly stronger, slightly more agile and had more experience. He was faster, had longer reach and more basic skill. All in all, they were fairly evenly matched.
Xander became so into his fight with Darla, blocking her attacks and probing for weaknesses, that the fight became his entire world, a phenomenon know to fighter pilots as 'Loss of situational awareness' and to bomber crews as 'Having your head up your ass in the upright and locked position'. This was both a blessing and a curse. After fighting for god knows how long, and both Darla and himself landing some damaging blows, Darla was distracted by something in the lair, flicking her eyes off Xander for a split second and causing her to smile. This provided Xander with an opening that he exploited, breaking through Darla's defences and Stakeing her.
Turning from the floating dust that was Darla, Xander saw what had distracted the Vampiress. The world seemed to grind to a holt as Xander was engulfed in strong emotions, anger, fear, nervousness, loss and determination. Buffy lay face down in a small pool, the water droplets from her splash still hanging suspended in the air on their upward arc. There were two small holes in her neck, and The Master, in the act of turning away from her had blood on his lips. Xander's rage and grief brought out his full speed, not available to him during his fight with Darla.
Before the water droplets could reach their pinnacle and begin their descent, Xander had crossed the distance between himself and The Master. Plunging his stake into The Master's heart, then pulling Buffy out of the water before The Master's soft tissue could disintegrate, leaving his bones behind. As he laid Buffy's head on his lap, the world returned to normal. He could not hear a pulse, or feel one. Laying her onto the floor, Xander began CPR, which managed to restart her heart after a minute, causing her to come around some. Even with her heart going again, Buffy was in bad shape, having lost a lot of blood. Removing his black, long-sleaved button up shirt, leaving Xander in his black t-shirt, he turned the garment into a makeshift compress, which he placed over Buffy's neck wound.
"Buffy? Listen to me." Xander told the semi-conscious Slayer.
Buffy made an incoherent response.
"Buffy. You don't want to do this, but you must. Drink." Xander said.
With this last comment, Xander slit his wrist with his small dagger that he kept in his belt. Holding his wrist over Buffy's mouth, Xander feed her his blood. His blood quickly brought her around, and he stoped feeding her.
"What have I done?" Buffy asked shocked when she realised what Xander had done.
"You lived." Xander responded.
He picked Buffy up and carried her out of the old church, heading towards Sunnydale General Hospital. As he strode out, Xander crushed the bones of The Master under his booted feet.
TBC.