Spanderverse: Dracula
Chapter 11: Victory, but Not
The setting sun cast long shadows toward the east in Sunnydale. The late afternoon had been pleasant, but full of hard work for Giles and Riley. They had taken Giles' car and traveled from abandoned mansion, to neglected manse, to rundown townhouse and were now focusing on nice, but no longer lived in Victorians. It wasn't going well. So far the only thing they'd run into were some rats and cockroaches in a few basements. There hadn't even been any run-of-the-mill nests to take out in the meantime.
As they exited the latest in a long line of failures, Riley crossed the address off on the pad of paper he carried. Frustration was palpably coming off of him, while Giles was unsuccessfully trying to hide his own nervous energy.
"Another bust, damn it," Riley said as they exited the latest estate. Well, 'estate' if you wanted to be generous. "And we're running out of time."
"Yes, I should have been able to find a better lead somewhere. But with Tara and Willow's Master Vampire locator spell only seeing Spike, I don't have any faster way than this."
"At least, Buffy is safe where she's stashed away. Assuming Xander can make her stay put instead of rushing out to play the cavalry. I think if you drive fast, we can hit these last three before full sunset."
"Then let's be off!"
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In Xander's basement, Buffy and Xander sat still across from one another. They hadn't spoken in hours, or even shifted their position. Like dolls waiting for someone to pull their strings, they simply sat and waited. A knock on the outside basement door broke their trance-like state and Xander, a little annoyed, got up to answer it. There wasn't supposed to be anyone visiting him tonight. The plan specifically called for everyone else to be kept busy!
Anya swept in carrying a taped up board game of Monopoly. "Hey guys. As long as we were stuck here all night waiting for 'our heroes' to save the day, I thought I could completely crush you with real estate dealings."
"Ahn?" Xander was trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Either he was doing a good job or Anya was just being her usual dense self. "You're not supposed to be here. You were meant to go with Giles, Riley and Spike to hunt down Dracula!"
"Well, Dracula, smracula. It's not like they're not going to recognize the guy. The bloodless face and completely out of place cape will be a dead give-away. I decided that I wasn't being a very good friend to Buffy when I skipped out on the Scooby meeting to collect more money."
"That's sweet Anya, thanks." Buffy was noticeably lackluster, Anya noticed.
"Poor Buffy," She said with sympathy, "it must have been awful to be stuck here all day with Xander."
"Hey!"
"I meant being trapped in the basement."
"It's been alright," Buffy replied in that same lifeless voice, "we've been, uh…" A puzzled look crossed her face, as if she couldn't quite think of anything.
"Well, I'm here to rescue you from your boredom." Anya was being as chirpy as she could, to place a positive spin on things. One of the things that she'd learned at the store, was that people didn't react well (like buy stuff) when you weren't acting chirpy.
"Look, Anya. It's after dark now and we have places to be." Xander said. The look on Anya's face suggested that she had caught his rather nasty tone.
"What? You can't leave, that wasn't in the plan. At least not till Dracula is staked or burned or something."
"That was one plan, but I have my own," Xander said sweetly, "and it doesn't include you!"
Xander grabbed Anya roughly, she dropping the game she'd held with an indignant yell. He dragged her the short distance to the closet, his fingers gripping her painfully around the forearm. When he'd reached the closet, he threw her inside, smacking her head against the far wall of the cramped space. As she was yelling with anger now, Xander slammed the door in her face and wedged a chair under the door handle.
Anya screeched from within the closet and pounded on the door. Xander had been angry enough to kill the interfering bimbo, but now that the situation was back under control, he felt giddy. Kicking the door with a sharp blow, he began to sing-song to his girlfriend.
"Yell all you wa-a-a-nt, no one can hear you-u-u-u." He continued to speak to the door, "I 'suggested' that dad should take mom out to dinner and drinks so they won't be back for hours. Even then, they'll both probably pass out on the living room floor as they stumble in so go ahead and screaming-mimi yourself till your voice goes hoarse."
Buffy had sat patiently throughout. Although she knew she should be doing something about this outrage, she couldn't seem to summon up enough energy to care. Anya wasn't really her close friend, anyway.
"Xander, stop this! Let me out of here!" She continued yelling in the closet, "What the hell is wrong with you!" And, after a moment of silence, suddenly understood: "Oh God! You've been enthralled Xander! Snap out of it!"
"You just shut up!" Xander screamed back, his mouth spraying spittle against the door. "Your not ruining this for me you selfish bitch!"
He turned toward Buffy, ignoring Anya's pleas to snap out of his trance. "I'm supposed to deliver you to Dracula now." As Buffy stood up, he added, "It's this whole deal where I get to be turned immortal right after you. I mean if he isn't angry with me. I was supposed to inform him of the Scooby's plans, but they're moving too fast."
"Its okay, Xan. Just take me to him. I'll, uh, put in a good word for you."
"Thanks Buff! You're such a great friend!" Xander had a huge grin on his face as he and Buffy left the Harris residence, following Xander's inner radar to his master. Behind them Anya continued to yell to be let out of the closet, and for Buffy to do something. She began to cry when she heard the door to the basement slam shut, knowing that Xander was walking into the waiting arms of death.
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Spike, after having left his crypt was making his way over to the Summer's home to keep watch over Joyce. He was hopeful that they'd be able to spend a few hours talking about his growing attraction for her daughter. He thought Joyce might be alright with it, after all, she seemed to like him. He wanted to make sure though before he began broaching the subject with Buffy herself.
Spike strolled up to the front door and was about to knock when he realized the house felt empty. Those vampire skills that had helped him be such an efficient hunter once upon a time now informed him that there was no prey in this dwelling. Not that Joyce was 'prey' but that's how his demon thought of the ability.
"Bugger. Now, if I was Joyce, where would I have gotten myself to? Ah! The gallery…"
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Xander led Buffy on a long walk across town. In order to avoid the Dracula hunters, they had taken the long way around the circumference of the town. Even with taking the long way, in less than two hours they were approaching the castle that had once been a theme bed and breakfast idea.
"Well, that figures," Buffy said.
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An hour after Xander led Buffy to her destiny with Dracula and after having wasted a walk to the gallery only to find that Joyce had taken the rare day off, Spike had stopped at the butcher for a quart. It was while sitting in the park and enjoying the warm breeze and the rich cow's blood that he'd had an epiphany, of sorts. If Joyce wasn't at home and wasn't at the gallery and if Dracula was running around, it made sense that Buffy would stash her mum away some where safe. Unless she sent her out of town, that meant she'd probably be at Giles' comfortable apartment. She surely wouldn't force Joyce to stay in Xander's rat hole of a place, and there'd never been any indication that Joyce even knew Xander's parents, let alone knowing them well enough to just 'drop by'. Nodding to himself with satisfaction, he'd discarded the blood container over his shoulder and jogged over to Giles' place.
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Twenty minutes after Spike had jogged over to Giles', Giles and Riley had returned to Giles' apartment. Their new plan was to go through the phone book looking for any other places they hadn't thought of. They weren't very optimistic. Arriving to find Spike sitting comfortably on his sofa with a cup of tea and the box of Weetabix did nothing to improve the apartment owner's mood. Especially, since Spike had given him that irritating and smug smirk. The one that told Giles that Spike new exactly how displeased he was and daring him to make a fuss while Joyce was trying to play hostess so kindly.
It was while Giles was describing their complete lack of progress and Joyce was commiserating that she had said the most amazing thing. In fact, she had told them exactly where Dracula would be!
"Did you check that castle outside of town?"
Giles had nearly dropped his own tea cup and Riley had immediately jumped to his feet. "Castle?" Giles had exclaimed, "There's a castle in Sunnydale?"
"Well, yes. It was abandoned before Buffy and I moved here, but we have some of the stuff they imported in the gallery. It was going to be some sort of fancy hotel or something. If I was Dracula, that'd be where I'd go. It's over on the northeast corner of town, just on the other side of that little park…um…McGroogle's or MacGrundle's or something like that."
"Good heavens! Riley let's go!" The two of them made a mad dash for the door. Spike was ready to follow them, but Giles objected. "No, we may already be too late. Buffy knows Joyce is here. If she let it slip to Dracula…"
Spike got the hint, Dracula was a family freak. There'd be a good chance that he'd want to force Joyce to be a vampire once Buffy was made a 'member of the family'. Joyce had apparently caught on too, as she looked stricken.
As Giles and Riley ran to Giles' car, Spike took Joyce's hand, patting it. "It's alright Joyce. You'll see. Dracula is no where near as tough as some of the others that Buffy has defeated, myself included." He couldn't keep the worry completely out of his voice.
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At the defunct bed and breakfast, Xander led the way up a winding staircase of cement steps. When they reached the top, they were greeted by a long dining table that was positively drowning in dust. On the table sat three candelabras spaced out along its length. Candles shed a warm glow throughout the room. At the foot of the table stood Dracula himself, a smile rested on his features.
"I've been so looking forward to this. Come in, Slayer."
"And me, Master? I mean is this the part where I get rewarded?" Xander said, his face looking younger than Buffy had seen since they'd left tenth grade. Full of hope it was, and she was just a little sorry for him considering she was about to kill his 'master', but she was sure once he was
dis-enthralled or whatever you called it, he'd forgive her.
"You are to wait downstairs. We are not to be disturbed."
"Of course sir. As you wish," Xander gave a small bow and left the room.
"Do you enjoy the fire…Buffy? (Ugh, that hideous name!) I lit it with my own hands for you. I wanted this night to be romantic for you."
"You've only bitten me once. In the movies, it always three times, y'know, before the actual vampiring thing."
"Well, I do have an affinity for the number three. However, considering that time may be short, I think we should skip ahead. I knew you'd come."
"Well, duh. Xander's instructions made sure of that."
"No, I knew you'd come for what I have to offer you."
"You mean the whole eternity being in thrall to your cheesy accent? No, thanks" Buffy pulled out Mr. Pointy from an inner pocket of the jacket she wore. "Turns out, it isn't much to write home about."
"Drop the stake on the table."
"Okay." Buffy immediately dropped the stake and watched it roll a few inches away from her. "Oops. Okay, so maybe that thrall thing is a little more dangerous than I thought." Looking around nervously to realize the position she'd gotten herself into, she gave a little whimper, "Crap."
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Giles and Riley stood before the castle, looking at the front door which had remained cracked open.
"Y'know something I never noticed living in Sunnydale all this time?" Riley asked facetiously.
"Well, it, uh, it is rather embarrassing. I say we tell no one."
With that, they rushed into the main hallway with weapons drawn. Giles carried a stake, while Riley brandished a mini-crossbow. In front of them they faced two hallways, one leading straight ahead, while the other led off to the left. At the juncture stood Xander Harris, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes glaring menacingly at the two intruders. Glancing at each other questioningly, Riley shrugged and asked Xander where Buffy was at.
As Riley approached, Xander assumed a clumsy approximation of a combat stance. "Nobody is to interrupt the Master!"
"The Master? Then Buffy is here too, is that right?"
"She's to become his beloved Bride, and I, his right hand. Or, something. I'm not exactly sure what I'm gonna be after he turns me. But whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be cool! You want to interrupt our happy future? Well you go through me."
"If you insist." A right hook later and Xander was lying unconscious on the floor.
Giles murmured a "damn" then waved Riley forward straight ahead, while he took the passage to his left.
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"You just stay on your side of the room!" Buffy was inching her way back from Dracula's advance, but it was like her feet were trapped in cement. In addition, she was quickly running out of room.
"Are you telling me you don't want what I have to offer," he laughed at her, "Come, now. I think we both remember your excitement the other night."
"That was…you were cheating with your Jedi mind powers. It's not happening again!"
"If that's how you truly feel, then why not grab up that rather lethal stake." Dracula unbuttoned the vest he wore over his red silk shirt. Tearing the delicate fabric away without regard to the fact he was ruining it, he exposed his lightly haired chest to her. "Plunge it into my heart. That is your supposed destiny, is it not?"
Buffy looked into those dark, dreamy eyes of his and felt another layer of her resolve peel away. "In a minute, I'm, ah, sizing up my options before I attack."
This brought a moment of mirth from the suave vampire. His laughter was hearty and warm, completely unexpected considering he was a soulless monster. "I am enjoying our verbal sparring, but your friends are in the building. We wouldn't want them interfering in your new, and if I may be so bold, far better destiny."
Dracula pulled a fingernail across his chest, near the right nipple. He smiled at Buffy as his blood, oddly thick, dribbled from the wound. "I know you want this Buffy Summers. You're aching for it, and I am aching to give it to you. Just let yourself go. Stop holding onto what you thought you were meant to be and embrace the night!"
Buffy shook her head wildly, but the look in her eyes was full of panic commingled with desire.
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"Mom, Buffy's going to be alright, isn't she? I mean, she's the Slayer, she can kick even Dracula's behind, right?" Dawn said. She was playing 'rummy' with her mother and Spike in Giles' apartment, but it was hard to pay attention. All of them were pointing out mistakes to each other as they played. None of them were really bothering to keep score either. Every several minutes a pair of eyes would go to the front door of the apartment.
"I know she'll be fine, sweetie." Dawn caught the look that her mother shot at Spike across from her. It wasn't a look full of confidence.
"Don't worry Bit, her Watcher and the buff commando's on her trail, yeah? They'll bust in probably just in time to get in the way and need savin' by her themselves." Spike put on a smile, but to Dawn, it looked entirely false.
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Giles stood before a heavy wood door. He was distracted for just a moment as he admired the beauty and gloss of the old wood. Even in such a state of abandonment as the place was, the solid oak doors continued to gleam. It had been a time of pride in workmanship and Giles regretted that they didn't still make such doors nowadays.
Cracking the doorway, Giles saw only darkness. He was going to turn away to continue the search, when he heard Buffy moan from somewhere across the room. She sounded weak, perhaps even injured. "Buffy?" Giles called in a loud whisper, not wanting to alert the castle's current inhabitants to his whereabouts. There was no way that Dracula could have turned her this quickly, but he could have already fed her from his veins. If so, perhaps there was still hope if they could transfuse her quickly enough.
"Buffy!" Whispering louder, Giles reached into his deep coat pockets to pull out a mini-flashlight. Hearing Buffy groan weakly, he stepped through the threshold, just as he pressed the button on the light. Too late, he realized that there was no floor underneath him, and he fell hard upon the packed dirt below. Rolling over, he saw the square of light from the doorway about eight feet over his head.
"Well, that was just bloody brilliant, now wasn't it? I'm not unconscious, however, that should count for something." Listening to the room around him, he heard the rustling of silky material rubbing against itself. He called out into the shadows of the cellar, "I don't suppose your Buffy?"
From the darkness, on hands and knees, three startlingly beautiful women with long dark hair and shining eyes crawled within reach of him. One began to crawl her way, in a quite suggestive fashion, from his feet up toward his crotch. Giles could feel himself immediately begin to harden.
The women were obviously vampires, for though they retained their human features for the most part, the preternatural glow of the eyes and the wicked looking fangs were a dead giveaway. One of the lovelies laid her cold hand against Giles' chest, tearing the shirt away from it and discarding the tatters.
"Oh, oh, dear. You, uh, you would be the famous three sisters, yes?" Giles stammered out. He began to giggle as the woman who had unbuttoned his shirt, ran her fingers delicately through the hair of his chest. "Oh, my. That's rather ticklish."
The first woman, now lying in the dirt between his spread legs, was busy unbuttoning his pants. "Oh, yes, please…" groaned the Watcher. Despite all of his training, it'd been so long since a woman had touched him and he was after all only human. His aching erection was straining against his pants and his boxers became damp where pre-cum leaked from its tip.
The third of the women, so far only watching the other two work, leaned over Giles' face. She covered him with kisses from cold lips that nevertheless only served to inflame his passion. One of the brides began licking his stomach, just above the waistline of the boxers. Giles wanted more than anything to be rid of the bothersome clothing. He could feel another's tongue making insistent circles around his nipples, first one and then the other. She blew cold air over them, making them stand as erect as his now fully engorged cock, and sending delicious chills throughout his body. Giles grabbed the head of the woman kissing his face, pulling her into his face. She was pliant and unresisting and Giles darted his tongue into her mouth, enjoying giving freedom to his pent up sexual passions.
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Dracula stood before Buffy. He was close enough for her to lash out with a kick, or punch. Instead, she stood there, her attention riveted by the blood flowing down his chest and into the trail of hair climbing from that tantalizing area covered by his trousers up to just below his navel. She licked her lips subconsciously, unable to stop the erotic images assaulting her mind, or her body's response.
"Taste, Slayer, taste of me."
"What? Oh, no. I…I can't do that. If I drank…"
"You'd come to no harm," Dracula informed her, "I haven't taken enough from you to be changed. That will come later, when you've begged me." His smile was arrogant and cruel. But it was also seductive and promised pleasures within the pain.
"I…" Buffy felt lost and adrift. Her will seemed to be fleeing the scene despite her mental chatter of 'I must resist' that she'd kept going in her mind.
"All the time you've fought us, and you've never wondered why we do what we do? Three vampires now have drunk of you, and you've never wanted to experience the power in the taking…not even once? Take one taste, experience the pleasures that only I can give to you."
Buffy was assaulted by a memory. The Master under the library was standing behind her. He held onto her shoulders, his skin cold through the thin material of her prom dress. She could feel Angel's leather jacket against the back of her legs, where the vampire had allowed it to drop. Buffy had been crying, knowing the prophecy was playing itself out. Worse, that the only reason he would fulfill the prophecy and plague the world was because she had stupidly went down to his lair to face him. The Master had just sunk his fangs deep into her neck, but she wasn't yet dead. Instead, he'd reared his head back from her and yelled. His voice was full of wonder as he had yelled into the cavern, "Oh God! The power!"
Buffy returned to the present and Dracula's blood so close to her. His wound had healed already, but the blood he'd spilled remained. Dracula stepped even closer to her, so close she could smell the slightly iron scent of the blood on his chest and abdomen. He placed his hand on the back of her head, urging her forward, but not forcing her.
He whispered to her, "You think your destiny is here? You think you know what you are…what's to come? You haven't even begun yet, Buffy Summers. Receive this glimpse of what you could be."
Buffy leaned forward and not being able to stop herself, she let her tongue slide up his chest. Lapping the blood from his body, she found his nipple and sucked on the hard nub. She swallowed the red liquid within her mouth and closed her eyes.
Memory-Flash: Buffy throwing off the Master's hypnosis on a rooftop. Memory-Flash: Buffy throwing the Master through the high school library's skylight. Memory-Flash: the dream image of Drusilla dusting Angel, herself powerless to stop her. Memory-Flash: holding Giles as he cries outside the burning factory. Memory-Flash: Kendra lying dead on the library floor. Memory-Flash: punching Spike across his jaw. Memory-Flash: destroying the vampire Kralik through ingenuity to save her mother. Memory-Flash: Hugging Willow, Xander and Giles in the Initiative elevator shaft. Memory-Flash: destroying Adam. Memory-Flash: the First Slayer, daughter of Seleya, who never had a name of her own. Memory-Flash: hugging Dawn tightly, the two of them laughing in the sunshine.
"Wow," Buffy said, looking again into Dracula's eyes, "that was really gross." With a sudden powerful movement, she sent the palm of her hand into the vampire's chest. Dracula, caught completely off-guard flew into the air, onto the table, and across all the dust to the foot of the flat surface. As he flew off the other end, Buffy heard him 'omph'.
"You know? Whatever 'power' I was supposed to feel, I'm pretty sure you weren't expecting the 'power of revulsion'. In fact, I think I'm exploring a whole new level of disgust, right now." Buffy strode purposefully toward the vampire, as he returned to his feet.
"You are resisting me!" There was wonder in his tone, but more satisfying to the Vampire Slayer was the anger.
"Gee, you can't put anything over on you! No wonder you're a 'master' vampire." Buffy included air quotes with her fingers.
"This…this isn't happening. You can't resist me once you've tasted my essence. Come to me and submit to my embrace!"
"Oh my God! You sound like a really bad movie. And to think that I was in your thrall, I mean, can you imagine my embarrassment?"
Dracula growled at the Slayer. In his mind his thoughts shrieked, Just like Mina! I'm losing everything just like with Mina!
Hissing at Buffy, his plans in tatters just when he thought he'd won, he lunged at her. Buffy executed a standing jump flip right over the vampire's head, following up with a hard side kick to the middle of his back. Dracula flew across the room and into the far wall.
"You don't know what you've just said 'no' to, you stupid girl. But I want you to remember before I kill you, I won't stop here. Your Watcher, your friends, and finally your mother and sister will all die slowly and very, very painfully."
"Nice threat. Oh, wait, no it's really not. One, it's just way too generic. I mean, like I've never heard the same thing before. Two, it just makes me fight that much harder, so you're really just making your ass-kicking that much more intense. And three, since your going to be dust pretty soon; I'm really not sure how you're going to carry out any threats. This makes them empty, and just has you looking pretty foolish."
"We'll see." Dracula rushed her.
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Riley was walking the way he'd come. After finding a dining room, a kitchen and men's and women's rooms, he'd come to a dead end downstairs. Passing by Xander's still form, he reached down and shook him. Xander gave an incoherent grunt, but didn't wake. Riley left him on the concrete and headed down the passageway that Giles had entered. As he wandered the hall, wondering if he should leave Giles on his own for the time being and head upstairs, he came to an open doorway with the sounds of a male groaning.
Turning into the doorway, Riley noticed that there was no floor where one would generally expect there to be. Instead, the room was in the form of a pit. He couldn't figure out what in the world the original designers of the bed & breakfast had been going to do with it, but his reverie was cut short when he recognized Giles' form lying on the dirt floor.
Surrounding him were three women dressed in nearly see-through, though dirty and torn nighties. They appeared to be made of silk and were probably quite attractive at one time. Riley instantly saw they were vampires and raised his mini-crossbow. Yelling out to Giles, he pulled the trigger at one of the women, watching her instantly turn to dust. The others howled and hissed, but retreated to the far corners of the room.
Riley checked over Giles' prostate form, and was relieved to see the Watcher sit up. His clothes were disheveled, but it looked like Riley had arrived in time. He didn't see any blood on the man. As Giles stood up, Riley awkwardly looked at the ceiling and walls, avoiding a repeat of seeing Giles' pants tented out in front of him. There was only one thing that caused a guy's pants to look that way, and it wasn't a flashlight. Riley was as relieved that he hadn't caught Giles with his pants down, as he was that he appeared uninjured.
As Giles made his way to his feet, the vampire chicks began edging toward him. Riley pulled out a cross from the back of his waistband, and yelling to Giles, he tossed it to him. As Giles backed toward the wall below Riley and his only exit above his head, he waved the cross menacingly at the hissing demons.
"I'm going to jump up. Grab my hands!"
"I'm ready, Go!"
After Giles was safely out of the reach of the women of the pit, Riley began to reload his mini-crossbow. Giles looked forlornly at the women, one of whose breasts were showing proudly. Looking down at himself, Giles noticed that he was missing a loafer.
"Oh, dear. I've gone and left a shoe behind. I'll just pop back down…"
"Whoa, no! That's quite enough excitement for one day. I'm not sure my eyes can take another meeting with 'Mr. Happy Giles"."
"I beg your pardon?" With Riley pointing southward, while his gaze remained steadfastly on the ceiling, Giles' cheeks burned with embarrassment. It appeared that the vampire ladies had had an obvious effect upon him. His boxers were soaked through with pre-cum and his pants were undone. His erection was now gone, thank goodness, but Riley must have gotten an eyeful when he rescued him. "Oh, ah…" Giles grabbed frantically for his zipper and waist button, turning from Riley while he secured his clothing.
"I trust you will wipe everything you think you may have seen from your memory?"
"Oh, you can count on that," Riley responded with a smile. Turning serious again, he tugged on Giles shirt sleeve. "Buffy's gotta be upstairs with pale, broody, and hypnotic!" And again that evening (now actually early morning, Giles was sure) they were running after his Slayer.
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Buffy and Dracula were engaged in a brutal hand to hand fight. There was much kicking and punching, scratching and tossing around of bodies. Buffy couldn't wait to tell Tara she was completely wrong, Dracula was just fine with the fisticuffs, unfortunately. Buffy was just about to punch him in the forehead, when he pushed her away, violently grabbing his chest.
"No! My sweet Lizuca! You'll pay for that death, Slayer!"
Buffy, of course, had little idea what he was going on about, but thought that either Giles or Riley must have taken out a bride. "I'm the jealous sort anyway. I would have taken them out myself eventually."
The vampire growled harshly at her. She went to double-fist punch him, but he grabbed her forearms and threw her against the wall. The impact rattled her and he was on her before she could recover. "So, it finally ends for you…ooof"
"You vampires…always chatting when you should be biting," Buffy quipped as Dracula fell back clutching his stomach. Buffy went into a run, leaping onto the table. Dracula followed close behind. As he grabbed her around the chest from behind, Buffy braced her legs and flipped him over her. While he was falling to the floor on the other end of the table, Buffy grabbed her stake and did a cartwheel flip right beside him. Keeping him off guard with a kick to the groin, she thrust the stake.
Just like in the graveyard however, he misted before impact and started to flow away from her. Buffy calmed her mind, following the trail of the mist. Just as Dracula began to reform on top of a stair landing, Buffy ran and jumped with superhuman strength to meet him. A vicious strike by her and Dracula was looking stunned with a stake protruding from his chest. Buffy withdrew the stake so it wouldn't disintegrate. It was Kendra's gift to her, Mr. Pointy, and she didn't want it lost.
As the vampire disintegrated, Buffy sighed with relief. Her muscles were aching and she'd been through a tough fight mentally as well. Now she really wanted to check on Xander to make sure he was alright, then get to Giles and pick up her mother and Dawnie.
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Riley came rushing into the great room while Buffy descended the staircase. "Buffy! Where…oh, I guess we arrived a bit late for the big rescue, huh?"
"Little bit. But I'm overwhelmed by your hunky bravery, anyway."
"And Dracula," Giles asked.
"Gone the way of all good vampires. Especially the ones that piss me off."
"Well, then, I guess I'll head back to the bride's pit and finish them off." Riley walked over to Buffy and gave her a peck. "Nice work, as usual."
"Thanks, sweetie. Have fun with the brides, but not too much."
Riley only looked at Giles with a sardonic look on his face.
"Alright, where is the creep that made me his spider-munching, slayer-napping, girlfriend tossing butt-monkey?" Xander came rushing into the room, a clear bruise was showing on his jaw line and he came in armed with a torch.
"It's okay, Xan. I got him." Buffy dusted her hands together in the universal, 'a hard day's work done' gesture.
"Damn it! I am sick to death of being the one that always suffers the humiliating fates. Next time either the bad guy kills me, or just leaves me out of it!"
"At least you were under mind control, and not just doing time with the Dracu-babes like someone in this room," Riley said, again looking quite pointedly at Giles.
Giles immediately harrumphed, "That is ridiculous. I was not doing time with those loathsome creatures. Why, I was appalled, absolutely appalled, I tell you! I was just about to start, uh, killing those…those wretched and disgusting creatures when Riley interrupted."
"Ah, yes. The famous tongue of death. A very old and honorable way to slay the creatures of the night," Riley said.
"Ew! Giles was frenching!" Xander was wide eyed, apparently his own outrage forgotten.
Buffy immediately groaned and began smacking her forehead, muttering; "Bad image. Bad image."
"Oh, now really," Giles again harrumphed.
As the gang left the room laughing, except Giles who was still proclaiming his imminent intention to slay the brides, in the room Dracula's misted form began to coalesce out of thin air. It was close, the Slayer had almost gotten him, but like many before her, close wasn't enough. As he returned to a solid form, a powerful hand drove a stake down into his chest again. Gasping in pain, he immediately misted again.
"You think I never seen your movies? You always come back after the good guys leave." Buffy twirled her stake, waiting for several minutes. In front of her eyes, the vampire's favorite alternate form again began to coalesce. "I'm standing right here, you know!"
It was forty-five minutes later when Buffy decided he was truly gone this time and joined her friends downstairs. Riley and Xander had staked the two remaining brides in the meantime and were still busy giving Giles a hard time.
"No more showing up. I think he's really gone this time," Buffy said to the assembled group. "You know, it's too bad that Willow and Tara never got the chance to do their witchy wonders."
As the gang traveled out of the abandoned castle, they considered having a petition drive to have the thing tore down so no other Euro-trash would feel the need to visit. In the castle, however, Dracula once again reformed from a far more wispy mist. He looked far worse for wear; the effort to hold his unnatural form for so long had nearly done him in, especially when he'd felt his remaining brides go to their deaths.
Lying on the cold and hard floor, he drew in great gasps of air, despite the uselessness of the oxygen he was breathing. His body was far thinner than when he had just faced the Slayer that evening and he was sweating profusely. Something that should have been impossible, but such was the effect of the taxing his body had undergone in an effort to elude the Slayer that it was happening none-the-less.
Dracula fell into an uncontrolled sleep right there on the floor. He was enraged, but so exhausted that he wasn't able to hold onto consciousness. As the dark crowded in and choked out his thoughts, he had only one impulse…revenge.
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End Ch 11