From                       : Chihuahua

Date                        : 23rd March 2003

Disclaimer                : I don't own any of the TRA:JQ characters and neither do I own any of the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No money is made out of this fic. Don't sue me as I'm not sure I can afford Ally McBeal.

Category                : A, JJ-HR, DBN-HR, F, E, JQ/Buffy Crossover

Rating                    : Parental guidance is advised.

Author's note                : This takes place after Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is my account on what happens and is based fully on my own creativity.

Archiver's Permission: Granted to those who want it. Just inform me on where it can be found.

CHAPTER 4: ALLIANCE

                "Find your centre, Jonny." Hadji's clear voice reverberated in his mind. "Focus on the central energy."

                Jonny breathed deeply, recalling Hadji's teachings on meditation. The fragrant air of the flowers blooming in the Golden Gate Park calmed him. The park was still silent except for the occasional call of the multiple bird species that dwelt in the majestic area.

                He now sat in the middle of the Japanese tea garden, which had been closed temporarily for minor repairs. His turtleneck and jacket lay beside him as he tried yet another attempt to reach Jessie. His breathing slowed as felt himself fading from the present world. His senses relaxed, seemingly dulled as the sounds about him were slowly blocked out, slowing down at first before fading out. As his breathing continued to slow down to a constant pace, Jonny's mind floated away, seeking.

                Clouds of mist surrounded him, swirling and billowing with his every step. He looked around, but there was nothing around him. Just mist. It was as though he was walking through a huge void of nothingness. Jonny continued walking, searching for her. He knew she was close, but where?

                The mists seemed to shift, taking on a myriad of forms before blowing away. And then, he was bathed in light. Dazzling golden light, so bright that it would have blinded anyone who looked into it. But he looked through it at ease, seeing the wonders it concealed behind its majesty.

                He was suddenly aware that he was waist-high in cool water. Beautiful lilies and lily pads floated all around him, bobbing gently with his movements. An occasional lotus bloomed over the tranquil green water, its petal spilling over. A few pink petals floated by him as he waded towards a nearby bank.

                Jonny pulled his lithe body out of the water, and was instantly aware of his undressed state. Almost as if someone had read his mind, a set of fine robes had been set on the soft grass. An ornate sword lay by them, as did a pair of finely crafted sandals of the finest suede.

                Jonny pulled on the intricately embroidered silk kimono shirt and matching drawstring pants. The silk seemed to glow, a silver sheen over the soft blue. He strapped on the sword and slipped into the sandals. His surroundings seemed vaguely familiar to him, a place out of a distant memory that had been cloaked with an air of surrealism.

                Suddenly, there was a soft flutter about him. Jonny drew his sword and slashed, as the first plum blossom landed on him. A rain of them seemed to flutter down from the exquisite tree. Feeling foolish, he sheathed the sword and studied his surroundings.

                It was a Chinese-style garden, complete with resplendent blossoming trees and a wide lake. A multitude of coloured blooms flourished all over the place. A small company of peacocks roosted on a low tree, their magnificent plumes cascading down the branches. Their brilliant blue plumage was a lovely shade of aquamarine in the silvery light.

                And then, he saw her. She was clothed in a loose-fitting robe of pale orange, with golden dragons intricately embroidered and beaded on. Her long hair was piled high on her head in a dramatic style, held in place with jewelled sticks of ivory. Her skin was deathly pale, a painful reminder that she was a vampire.

                For a second, they stared at each other, seeing each other eye to eye for the first time since she was changed. Vampire and Slayer.

                "You found me," her voice was quiet, almost serene.

                "You let me," he deadpanned.

                "You remember this place?" she asked, her hands making a vague arc.

                He suddenly realised that he did. "Yeah. Our first kiss… our first real one. No ghosts involved."

                She smiled, almost a grin. "We were there," she said, pointing to a small shelter in the middle of the pond that was connected to land by a narrow bridge. The Chinese style roof extended like the curved horns of a dragon.

                "How did you…?"

                "How did I do this?" she asked expectantly. "Recreate all this?"

                Jonny nodded.

                "I didn't." Seeing his puzzled expression, she added, "We did. This place was special. It still is."

                There was an ample moment of silence as they gazed at each other; the longing for each other was intense.

                "Why did you come, Jonny?" Her emerald eyes were unwavering.

                Jonny shrugged. "I needed to talk… or something. I dunno… I just needed to. Wanted to."

                She edged closer. She stopped when Jonny drew back slightly, hands moving to the hilt of the sword. "I won't attack… not yet."

                Jonny nodded. He stepped forward this time. And lunged at her.

                Jessie moved into a defensive stance just as his arms embraced her, his lips locking onto hers. His kisses were rapturous, needy. Jessie didn't hesitate to return his passion, her hands caressing the back of his head, toying gently with his soft hair.

                He felt so warm against her. She could smell his fresh scent, feel his hair, and taste his kisses. For a fleeting moment, she knew that it was wrong, but it was gone in an instant. This was what she had wanted for so long. Who cared if it was real… she had him, and he still loved her even though… Jessie paused, pulling back a bit. She was a vampire, the one thing he was sworn to destroy.

                "What is it?" his voice was slightly hoarse, as he whispered in her ear. She had always loved it when he did that.

                "Nothing. Nothing at all." She gazed into his eyes, drowning in their depth. "I want you…" her raspy whisper barely audible.

                He smiled, and resumed kissing her. He became more passionate as she traced her fingers across his partially exposed chest. Her hands shifted to his sash, tugging slightly impatiently at it, loosening it quickly.

                Jonny pulled back slightly. "Out here?"

                "There's no one else around."

                He grinned. "Even if there was, let them watch and learn."

                She smiled and slid the kimono shirt off.

                "You're still you," a gentle whisper broke the silence.

                She shifted slightly to face him, barely aware that he was still stroking her gently.

                "You're still you," he repeated, his blue eyes boring deep into her. "How is that possible?"

                "How would you know?"

                "I can still sense you. And I felt you. You've still got a soul."

                She nodded sadly. "My soul is bound to this body," she said wistfully, "much to the demon's dislike."

                "But how?"

                "Promise me you won't get mad," she pleaded.

                "I promise." Just to reassure her, he kissed her tenderly on her neck.

                She drew in a breath, more out of habit than necessity. "I bound myself to you."

                "WHAT?" She could feel his body shift violently as he bolted upright to look directly at her.

                "You promised," she reminded.

                "I promised I wouldn't get mad, but that was before I knew you had lost it!"

                "Stop yelling!"

                "Why'd you do it?" he demanded.

                "Because I loved you, you bloody bastard!" she spat back. "I still do."

                His expression softened immediately. "Still… you never should have."

                "I know… but I wasn't thinking straight… but if I had to do it over, I'll do it again." Her eyes were defiant, as if daring him to patronise her. Instead, he leaned forward to kiss her. He grinned when he felt her stirring him again.

                "You're insatiable tonight, aren't you?"

                Jonny's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment he had no idea where he was.

                The Japanese Tea Garden, he realised. He unfolded his legs and stood up slowly, shaking his head slightly to clear the fog. How long had it been? He wondered. The sky was darkening outside, past twilight. The temperature had definitely dipped again.

                Jonny slipped his sweater back on and threw on his jacket. He had to get back to the motel. Firstly because Buffy would probably be wondering where he had been all day. Secondly, he needed a shower, a cold one.

                Her last words to him before he had left their "place" still echoed in his mind.

                "Go home, Jonny. You can't beat him. You can't beat the demon in me. Just leave."

                For the first time in a while, Jonny realised he needed his father's help. He slipped out of the park and headed for the nearest pay phone and made his call home.

***

                The shrill ring of the telephone was greeted with a stunned silence.

                "Jonny!" the unmistakable sound of hope was evident in Benton's voice as he lunged for the nearest telephone.

                "Hello, Jonny?"

                "Hey, Pops." The voice was rather subdued.

                "Where the Hell are you? What on Earth do you think you're doing?" Why…?"

                "I need your help," Jonny interrupted.

                "Like Hell you do! You need to get back here, that's what you need!"

                "Look, either you help me, or you pass the phone to someone else who will. I'm running out of change here, and it is important!"

                Benton sighed resignedly. "What is it?"

                "I need you to look up a unbinding spell."

                "A what?"

                "Unbinding spell. A particular one. I need a spell that dispossess the body of a soul. Can you look it up for me?"

                Benton looked expectantly at Race. "Do you have any idea where to find an unbinding spell?" Receiving a nod in reply, he replied, "Okay, son. But what is it for?"

                "Jessie…"

                "Why…?"

                "Look, I'm running low on change now… I'll call back in a few hours for the spell. Thanks Pop."

                The line went dead.

                Benton idly replaced the receiver. His body seemed to sag and all of a sudden, he appeared a lot more drawn than he normally did.

                Hadji cleared his throat. "I think we should look up that unbinding spell now."

                Benton nodded. "You're right, of course." He lead the way to the library, Race and Hadji in tow.

                "What do you expect to find in the library anyway, Benton? I could call I-1 now and get the spell the kid wants."

                "I have it here… somewhere."

                "We're wasting time. We could just call and…"

                "And what Race? Let them know that your daughter, a Watcher-in-training is a vampire running amok and that the spell you want is to quell her? Is that what you want?"

                The silence was thick.

"Dr. Quest is right. We do not want to stir up any more trouble than we can manage." Hadji's voice was a soothing elixir to Benton's frazzled nerves. "We'll do it all one step at a time, look for the spell here, and if and if we cannot obtain it, we'll call the I-1."

Race still looked shaken. "Jessie's a vampire?"

Benton nodded. "I'm sorry."

"But why would Jonny need a unbinding spell then?"

"He specified a spell to dispossess a body of its soul."

"He wouldn't need it! A vampire has no soul… the soul's replaced by a demon!"

"I don't know."

"Why not just trust Jonny's instincts? We all know that he wouldn't hurt Jessie if he could help it, so let's just give him what he wants." Hadji had placed himself bodily in between the two older men, sensing that a wrong move on any of their behalf's could be the breaking point.

"Even if she were a vampire?"

"Race, don't you get it? He loved her. Judging from his request, he probably still does, vampire or otherwise. Now instead of standing here bickering, can the two of you middle-aged assholes just help me?" Hadji screamed, storming off through the doorway.

Benton and Race were left dumbfounded. "Did he just call us old?" Race asked.

"More of middle-aged, but that would be correct."

"He's right you know."

"But we haven't lived past our expiry dates yet."

"No siree."

They stepped into the library. Hadji was waiting for them, arms crossed over his chest, a vaguely defiant look on his face. "I would have started the search, but I do not know where to start." His dark eyes flashed.

"This way." Benton lead them down several aisles of tall bookcases, each filled from top to bottom. Some of the books were old and yellowing, others were recent bestsellers. He stopped at a shelf hidden from open view. The shelf was hidden in a dark alcove, making it virtually invisible from any other place in the library. "Grab one each."

Hadji took a delicate looking sheaf of yellowing papyrus sheets whilst Race gently took a book of pagan witchcraft. Benton pulled a dark journal from its place, and took another book of the shelf and joined the others at the large mahogany table in the middle of the room.

"Witchcraft For Dummies?" Race asked incredulously, pointing at a thin volume in Benton's hands.

"Just in case we need help translating some of the actions. Or for other things."

"When did the kid say he was calling back?"

"He didn't specify… he just said in a few hours."

"How many of these old books do you have back there?"

"Over a hundred journals and several antique volumes regarding demonology and the sort."

"Since when did you start believing in demonology anyway?" Hadji asked, looking up from his scrolls for a moment.

Benton sighed. "You know how often we have encountered werewolves and even a succubus. I decided that there was more to the world than simply just science, and began to believe some of the things I had been told, including that Jonny was fated to be a Slayer."

"He'll be okay, Benton. That's some boy you've got… and last I checked, his expiry date isn't even close."

"Speaking of expiry dates, about my earlier comment on your age…"

"Whatever, Hadj… but you be watching your back. There's still a lot of snap left in these old vines." Race grinned, flexing his muscular arms.

***

                "Where the Hell do you think you're going, Pretty Boy?"

                "Buffy. Heading back to take a shower."

                "Like Hell you are. Patrolling tonight, it's a good time for Slayers to like, you know, bond." She cocked her head to her left, her eyes boring deep into him.

                "I just feel kinda… dirty right now you know," he said lamely.

                She stepped forward, her poise menacing, backing him up into a wall. Then, she leaned forward and sniffed. "You smell okay, kinda musky. But it's nothing that should keep you from Slaying. Now walk!" she barked.
                Jonny obeyed. "So where we headed?"

                "The wharf. Then around. You up for it?"

                "Like I have a choice."

                "You're right, you don't."

                "Why do we have to do this bonding thing anyway?" Jonny asked, his hand repositioning his stake at his belt.

                "Because, like it or not, we're unofficial partners for now, until we at least figure out why another Slayer was called," she answered curtly.

                "Couldn't we like bond over pizza and ice-cream? Isn't that what you all do for girl-talk?"

                "First of, girl-talk over pizza and ice-cream is what you see on TV. The real world, girl-talk happens anywhere." She let out a small laugh. "And for that matter, wouldn't it be better if we just bonded over sex?"

                Jonny swallowed hard. "Still kinda in  my last relationship."

                "Oh really?" she said, her eyes glinting mischievously.

                "Yeah."

                She feigned shock. "Teenage guys like you exist? Geez, tell your girl that she'll be a real stupid chick to let you go."

                "I can't. She's dead."

                "Oh, I'm sorry," she mumbled, and  she meant it.

                He nodded. "It's okay."

                "So the vamps you're hunting, they her killers?"

                "Yeah."

                "So you abandoned your life for a vigilante mission?"

                "Don't give me that!" he spat.

                Buffy looked surprised and stepped back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

                "Yeah well you did. It's my personal shit, so stay out of it. Comprande?"

                "Si, senor," she said. "Sorry."

                He didn't seem to hear her as he ran forward into the fog. There was a grunt, and then a loud burst. "We're surrounded!"

                Buffy had already launched herself into full attack mode, thrashing the vampires left, right and centre. That still left her back vulnerable. "Jonny, a little help back here!"

                "Stay still, bitch!" a seedy looking vamp said, leering at her. His feral yellow eyes were a brilliant amber and he appeared almost rabid.

                "Or you'll what? Bite me?" Buffy taunted, slamming her palm into his chin, forcing his jaw shut with a resounding clack of bone. She followed up with two punches straight into his face before slamming her stake home. She whirred around when she heard a loud thump, and saw that Jonny had floored two vampires and in a heartbeat has dusted the first just a fraction of a second before kicking the second fallen one viciously in the ribs.

                Buffy almost felt sorry for her, she was probably slightly older than fourteen but that did not seem to restrict the other Slayer's punches. One moment she was snarling viciously, the next she was a pile of dust.

                Suddenly, a shadow threw itself on Buffy, knocking her down. Reacting on instinct, Buffy rolled aside and in a quick motion flipped herself back onto her feet, perfectly poised to take down her assailant. Her foe had likely done the same, as her dark silhouette showed off her fighter stance.

                "Left your fangs at home?" Buffy sneered, lunging in with a quick high kick and following up with a knee strike and then an elbow strike. Her assailant parried the first blow, and ducked the next two.

                Her assailant smirked cockily, before lashing out with her left leg. Her long leg made a graceful arch, just barely missing its target as Buffy stepped it and slammed a hard right into her ribs. Her triumph was short lived as the tall willowy figure hit back with a well-trained backhand. A hard uppercut threw Buffy back several feet.

                "That all you've got, little girl?" the lanky figure taunted, her exquisite face breaking into a condescending smile.

                Buffy smiled back. She jumped in for attack, taking the offensive easily. A quick jab to the right was followed by a blinding fast roundhouse that knocked the vampire back several feet. She threw herself into a cartwheel, her boots catching the girl in the site of her head.

                However, she wasn't ready for the tall vampire's own series of offensives, taking a hard uppercut to her jaw, and three lightning fast punches to the ribs and a hard drop kick. Buffy wheezed slightly, but was prepared to fight back. She jumped up, stake in hand and lunged forward.

                A black figure hurtled forward, slamming her out of the way before the stake came close to the vampire.

                "Run, Jessie! Get out of here! GO!"

                "There was a moment hesitation, and then she was gone, melting into the shadows.

                Buffy picked herself up, glaring. She strode over to Jonny and punched him hard in the face.

                "What the Hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. "Why did you let her get away?"

                "That was Jessie." Jonny rubbed gingerly at his cheekbone, where the punch had landed.

                "I gathered that much. So you name your vamps…"

                "She's my girlfriend," he said, his voice a quiet whisper.

                "I thought your girlfriend was dead… oh. So you meant un-dead."

                Jonny nodded. "I'm hunting her sire, and I guess in the process her."

                "That explains who she is, but still, why the heck did you let her go?"

                "Because it wasn't time yet."

                "Huh?" Buffy was torn between her exasperation and confusion. "What are you, a ritualistic Slayer? 'Coz it sure didn't look like it back there when you were thrashing the others."

                "She still has her soul."

                "How?"

                "Long story… point is, I want to release her first, before dusting her shell," he choked out, his voice cracking.

                "You're letting your feelings get in the way!"

                "Look, you said that we're partners. So trust me on this will ya? Just trust me!" A loud sob escaped his lips. "I owe it to her…" he trailed off.

                Buffy gazed into his teary blue eyes, and for the first time saw the hurt there. Even more, she saw his vulnerability and pain.

                "Trust me, please."

                She sighed softly. "I trust you. But if she endangers anyone…"

                "She's yours then," Jonny finished. "Thank you."

                "Partners?" she said, holding out a stake.

                "Partners," he affirmed, crossing his stake with hers.

To be continued…

Comments anyone? Send them to me at wenxina@hotmail.com