Title: Between Rest and Sleep - Part 2
Disclaimer: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify.:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!
Rating: R
Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.
Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back. Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.
Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15- if I have the math wrong, let me know.;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else.;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.
This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!
*~*~*
Random vampires were a good source of cash. They usually had some on them and as long as she could pick their pocket before the dusting, it was hers for the taking. She spent the week before the masque acquiring enough cash to buy herself a decent costume.
She had thought for a long time about what she was going to go as. It was a masque where mostly vampires and children of the night would be going. Although 'children of the night' was often a euphemism for vampires, Dawn though it more encompassed people like her, or at least like whom she portrayed herself to be. They were those humans that knew of vampires and were addicted to them and wanted to be around them any time they could. Most of them wanted desperately to be chosen by a vampire and be made. Dawn loathed most of them. But they suited her purposes in that they made her seem a bit more normal when she did offer herself to a vampire.
More likely than not, most everyone would be going goth in one way or another. Those without imaginations would be going as various vampires or historical figures thought to be vampires. There would be many Vlad the Impalers there, although some of them might attempt calling themselves Dracula rather than Vlad, and if they did right by the costume it might go over well. Others would go as vampires from books. There would probably be a Ricer or a wannabe going as Akasha or Enkel. Isis and Osiris were popular. Heavily gothed-out people sometimes just obtained a masque and went as themselves. Boring. Although Dawn really liked her goth look, she certainly didn't want to go as herself. A morbid part of Dawn thought it would be funny to go as the Slayer, but she knew she wouldn't leave the party alive if she attempted that. Still, it made her chuckle as she sat alone in her apartment, whittling stakes.
Her purpose for going was to catch the attention of this Demigod, the Prince. How better to do that than to be a princess? At first she thought that perhaps a goth princess would be cool, but she knew that everyone would be working goth into their costume. Looking the part of a true princess might be enough to stand out among the rest of the beautiful people that will be attending.
She set out to find the costume and found this wonderful small boutique that specialized in costume parties. Not only did they loan the costume but they created the look. All she had to do was go to them, pay the outrageous price, and they would turn her into an authentic looking 13th Century princess. It was good enough for her. After it was completed she would find ways of hiding her weapons on her. She had hand sewn leather sheaths and fasteners into most of her clothing, making it possible for her to wear her sister's dagger that she was hardly ever without, or a stake. She would just have to figure out something for the dress.
*~*~*
Having no television, the radio was really her only entertainment. She had it on anytime she was in the apartment usually listening to the harder metal or punk music. Sex Pistols always made her think of Spike, which was bitter sweet. Of all of the people she left behind, he was the one she could look back on without feeling too much sadness. She was sorry not to have his company, but she knew that he would understand her new lifestyle.
But when Rob Zombie managed to make the radio, Dawn was always struck silent. She remembered the way she shut all of the people who had loved her out of her life and sometimes pondered what must have happened after they realized she was gone. Sometimes she would make up the scenario in her head. Giles probably discovered it first. Rob Zombie must have driven him to madness as he flung open her door demanding to an empty room that she turn that 'blasted noise' off. Afterwards he probably called to the others who helped him to a house wide search. Then, leaving Anya at the house in case she came back, they scoured the town while Spike checked the underground. Giles probably consulted his books on the possibility of the energy drying up and going away once the key was not used. Then they probably noticed some of her things gone. Willow probably noticed Buffy's necklace gone. She wondered how long they searched before they had given up. She wondered if they had ever given up.
She shook herself out of her reverie and rose from the bed to switch the radio off. Looking back only meant that her focus was not on the here and now, and that could be dangerous, whether she was locked in her apartment or out on the prowl.
As soon as the music was off, Dawn thought she heard a small noise in her hallways, not far from her door. It sounded like a shuffling of some sort and she reached for her dagger and a stake, holding one in each hand. A moment later there was a knock on the door.
Dawn waited, standing stone still in her bedroom. She had never received visitors in her apartment and had gone to great lengths to keep this place out of the notice of her work. That someone was knocking on the door meant she had failed in that. But she had no intention of opening the door to a stranger. If they wanted in they could break the door down and she'd take care of them herself.
She stood tense as another knock came. But finally footsteps could faintly be heard going down the steps away from her apartment door. Dawn waited a few more moments before letting herself relax. Someone knew she was here. She was suddenly even happier that she'd be leaving London next week.
A course energy raced through her body and she felt the need to hunt. Anxiety was building in her and the quickest way to relieve it was good sex or a good kill. So she dressed for either. She slipped on a pair of black fishnets and wore over that a pair of jeans that were so full of holes it almost wasn't worth wearing. She shoved her feet through her boots and put on a sheer black long sleeved shirt that rather looked like nylons for the body. It had definitely seen better days as the arms were freckled with holes. Over that she tugged on a black t-shirt with a picture of a franken- girl on the front. She attached her dagger the fastener on the inside back of her t-shirt, put a stake in her leather coat pocket, and took her cross off. She let her hair cascade around her, putting on her usual make-up: black lipstick and eyeliner. She grabbed her jacket and a new pack of smokes, heading out of the apartment cautiously.
She was aware that someone could be staking out her place, so she went out to the parking lot and left that way. She figured if this person had been watching her, he or she would know that she doesn't own a car and might not bother to keep it under watch. And if it were only one person she had a 2/3s chance of not coming out of the exit that was being watched. As it was, Dawn didn't think she was being followed so she took off down her usual streets, looking for a good place for some action.
Had she been in the world of the living the last month she probably would have heard of the small fair that looked to be taking place. She heard as group of teens speak about it as they passed by her and she followed them down to a closed off section of streets where music could be heard. Excitement ran like electricity currents through the air, infecting anyone near with exhilaration. The fair wasn't large but it was big enough to sport belly dancers, games, small rides, plenty of boutiques, and quite a few stalls serving hot food and cold beer.
People were packed within the booths and various entertainments. It was a vampire's hunting heaven. Dawn was careful to look like someone enjoying the sites as she instead looked around to alleyways and dark spots, looking for lurking vampires. Out of a tent that had a sign that said "Fortune Teller - $2" came a man with skin so pale the light around him was reflected off of his face. She watched him slink around behind the tent and a moment later a young girl came out looking very conspicuous as she tried to appear as if she were just going for a stroll around the tent. Dawn rolled her eyes. The girl was such easy prey she considered letting the vampire have her and remove her from the gene pool. But with a resigned sigh she made her way to the fortune teller's tent.
Instead of heading around the same way the vampire and his meal went, she darted in between a few other tents that made a semi-circle as they were lined up close together. From there, Dawn could see a small grove of trees that were enshrouded by the darkness of the night. She heard a few twig snapping noises as she quietly snuck around a few trees.
The sound of struggling came as soon as Dawn passed by a few rows of trees. The sucker had taken her deeper in than Dawn would have thought he would. Drawing her stake and shedding her coat silently, Dawn sprang in on the two.
The young girl who had followed the vampire in here was standing beside him, their backs to Dawn. But a glimpse of her profile told Dawn that they were both vampires, luring in a prey. It took a moment, though, before she realized she wasn't the intended prey. As the vampires turned towards her, Dawn caught sight of a girl of about seventeen years old.
"Get out of here," Dawn said as she got ready to fight the vampires. "I'll take care of them."
The girl didn't seem to respond, but Dawn wasn't exactly waiting either. Instantly she shot into action, kicking out to hit the female vampire in the head as she punched the other in the face, catching him by surprise. The punch seemed to knock him back a little so Dawn focused on the other vampire, who charged her. Side stepping the vampire, Dawn brought her fist down hard on her back, sending the vampire sprawling. Quickly, Dawn jammed her stake through the back of the girl's heart, dusting her.
She heard the footsteps a moment before a large hand grabbed the back of her neck and sent her flying towards a tree. Dawn slammed against the thick base of the tree and flopped to the ground with a groan. She turned around in time to see the vampire charging to finish her off and she rolled quickly, tripping him. She looked around, realizing she had lost her stake and had only brought one. This is going to hurt, she thought to herself as she drew the dagger.
The angry vampire growled as he charged her. She purposefully looked unsure of what she was about to do and was in truth a little worried about facing a vampire this big without a stake. But she was surrounded by trees and so she knew she would have to do something. Letting the vampire get close to her, Dawn kicked her leg up high, catching him under the chin with a kick that sent some of his teeth spewing out of his mouth and she used the momentum of her foot to back flip away from him, looking around for her stake or something that would work. She saw nothing and looked up to face the vampire again. He stood there, dazed for a moment and just as Dawn was about to make use of his indecision, he dissolved in a cloud of ash leaving the girl Dawn was rescuing behind him.
Dawn looked at the girl with widened eyes. She did not look as scared as she did when Dawn first burst into this grove. As a matter of fact, with the stake in her ebony hand, she looked like a slayer. She tossed Dawn her stake, twirling the one she used to kill the vampire before putting it into her pocket.
"Who are you?" she asked Dawn. She took a few steps forward, approaching with caution. Her dark eyes showed confusion and some recognition. Dawn got the idea that she knew who her visitor was from this afternoon.
"I'm no one you want to know." Dawn turned to leave the girl, but she stepped into Dawn's way, making her narrow her eyes.
"I don't think so, not until you answer some questions for me," she said, self assuredly. Dawn almost smiled. Almost.
"Look, little girl, I don't have time for this. Get out of my way before I remove you." Dawn knew she didn't have slayer strength to match this girl if she was a slayer, but she was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.
Quick as lightening the girl tossed something to Dawn, and she caught it deftly. Her eyes flickered from the girl to the cross in her hand and then back to the girl. This time she did give a dark smile.
"You think I'm a vampire?"
"Hard to tell. Looks like you haven't seen the sun in a few years."
Dawn said nothing but threw her cross back at her and then opened her hand, palm out, to show the girl that there had been no burning.
"I'm April," the girl said by way of introduction. "I'm a -"
"-vampire slayer, I know," Dawn finished for her.
April's eyes opened wide with shock. "How did you know that?"
"Not important. I'll be on my way now." Dawn turned again to leave, and this time the girl didn't try to stop her.
"Wait, I want to talk to you," she said, catching up to Dawn. Dawn sighed. This she did not need.
"Look, I don't care that you're the vampire slayer. I hope your luck doesn't run out and may you kill many vampires. Now go off and do your duty."
"Wow.someone's got issues."
Dawn walked into the fortune teller's tent. No one was there except for a middle aged woman dressed like some kind of a gypsy.
"Your friends won't be returning," Dawn said, crossing her arms in front of her. April followed her in and looked confused. The fortune teller, however did not look confused. Angry, perhaps; scared, oh yeah, but she knew exactly what Dawn was talking about. "I suggest you close down early for the night and take your business elsewhere."
"What are you doing?" April whispered. Dawn tensed up. She was not used to someone following her or questioning her, especially when she was trying to be intimidating.
The gypsy looked from April to Dawn. Dawn kept her narrow-eyed gaze on the woman and leaned down, putting her hands on the small table with the fake crystal ball on it. The woman nodded and stood up, promptly packing her belongings. Dawn nodded and stood, tossing the table aside and breaking the crystal. The woman's angry and astonished look was met with a cool stare.
"Only warning," Dawn warned.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" the slayer said. Dawn grabbed her arm and jerked her outside. April yanked her arm away and glared at Dawn. But the seemed confused when Dawn stopped dead in her tracks and smiled.
Heading towards them in a suit of tweed was a wiry looking man with glasses and a book in his hand. He screamed watcher. It was so familiar to her that she almost thought she saw Wesley. She shook the nostalgia from herself though and met the man with an icy stare.
"April, good heavens, where did you get off too girl?" He looked at Dawn and his eyebrows raised. "I see you've found her."
"Kind of," April said sheepishly.
"Well, I'll leave you to your.stuff. Have a nice life," Dawn said, lighting a cigarette and heading away from the two.
"See here," said the watcher, "we've been trying to get a hold of you."
Dawn kept walking as if she either didn't care or didn't hear. When his hand touched her elbow to turn her around, Dawn had had enough. Quickly, she reached back and grabbed his arm, flipping him around quickly so that he would have to turn a circle or lose his balance and fall. When he rotated, she pushed him back with her foot on his chest, making him fall on his ass. April charged her and she quickly round-housed her, not holding back her strength because she knew the girl could take it. Still, she tripped over her watcher and fell. The crowd around Dawn and the other two widened and eyes were on them all. She knew she wouldn't get anymore hunting in tonight.
"Don't follow me and don't try to find me again. I may not be as you first thought, but I am dangerous enough."
April looked frustrated. "We only want to talk to you!"
"Well I don't want to talk to you," Dawn said, loosing her patience. "I want to be left alone!" Dawn turned around and stormed off through the crowd. Her expression was dark and people made a path for her as she tried to find the edge of this madness and escape the fair altogether. Unfortunately she hadn't counted on the tenacity of the present slayer. Dawn could feel her before the girl approached her. She could feel herself being tailed. She surmised that she would draw less attention to herself if she just dealt with the slayer and her watcher and sent them on their way.
Inwardly she knew she was a little afraid of talking to this girl. She didn't want to know what happened to Faith to activate this girl. She didn't want to get close to anyone and she certainly didn't want Giles to track her through this watcher. Taking a deep breath she stopped and turned around.
"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"
April looked a little surprised as she came out from behind the dumpster she was using for cover. The alley they were in was dark enough, but Dawn knew there were vampires not far and could not risk her reputation by being seen with the slayer.
"Honestly, we just want to talk to you. After that you can tell us to bugger off and we will. But we need your help."
"I've already told you to bugger off. It doesn't seem to work." Dawn crossed her arms in front of her. "You want to talk, fine, but not here. Grab your watcher because I don't want to have to have the meeting more than once and meet me at the café around the corner from where you sought me out earlier today."
April nodded and smiled. "Thanks."
Dawn just watched her impassively until April stopped smiling like an idiot and turned to get her watcher. Once she was gone, Dawn climbed up the fire escape of the building next to her and disappeared. She did not need to be tracked and so she used the extra time she knew she'd have to make sure that she wasn't, to the best of her ability.
When Dawn got to the café, the couple was already there. Unceremoniously, she dragged out the empty chair and sat before the watcher could even make an attempt at standing out of courtesy. He looked surprised and then looked at April. Dawn could see that he thought her abrupt and rude but she didn't care.
Dawn stared at them while they stared at her. They seemed to be hoping she would start the conversation and Dawn felt like reminding them that this was their board meeting. Instead she just stared, and found herself staring mostly at the slayer and thinking about how young she looked. Her brown curls were pulled back by a black hair tie, keeping it off of her smooth ebon skin. Her cheekbones were high and her eyes were dark. She rather reminded Dawn of Olivia, but she of course said nothing about that.
"Ah. Well, this is awkward," the watcher started out by stating the obvious. Dawn just raised an eyebrow at him. "My name is Garret," he said, holding a hand out to her. "And you already know April." Dawn just looked at his hand and sighed, shaking her head.
"Man, can we get on with this?"
"What should we call you?" he asked, frowning at her outburst.
"Raquel."
April smiled. "That's lovely."
Dawn gave her an uncomfortable smile, not really knowing how to deal with the compliment. "So.you said you needed my help?"
"Yeah. I suppose you probably wondered how we found you." Dawn said nothing so April continued. "Actually we were heading over to take care of a nest of vampires when we saw you leaving the nest. You left nothing but dust. We thought," she looked at Garret, "that maybe you were a slayer."
Dawn smiled a little. "No. I'm no slayer."
"Well, I was wondering if you could explain yourself then," Garret asked, looking genuinely interested.
"Beauty of my life is I don't have to explain myself to anyone," Dawn said and lit a cigarette. She ordered a café au lait from the waitress and looked up at the night sky. The air felt cool too her and she was glad they chose a table outside the stuffy building.
Garret looked frustrated. "What I mean is, are you a vampire hunter, then?"
"You could say that."
"I did say that. Would you say that?" he asked.
Dawn narrowed the eyes. "Yeah."
"Well, I'm kind of doing a big gig this week and I thought the more the merrier," April said. "I might need your help."
"Define gig."
"Well," the slayer leaned forward conspiratorially, "later this week, as I hear tell, there's a masque. A masque for vampires." She smiled and leaned back. Inwardly, Dawn groaned.
"Really," Dawn said, trying not to seem like she cared. April just nodded and when Dawn looked at Garret he was just watching her. Dawn rolled her eyes and sighed. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"Help us get in," Garret said at once.
"Do you realize how many vampires will be there?" Dawn hissed to them. Garret said nothing and April just shrugged. Dawn's eyes widened. "You're one person." Still no real reaction. She looked at Garret, knowing he was the person in charge of this duo. "You can't let her go, she'll get slaughtered."
"Precisely why I need you."
"If you think I'm going to some vampire ball to play commando girl, you are dead wrong. And if April goes in there to do the same, she'll be just dead."
April looked faintly uncomfortable about the talk of her death so Dawn switched tactics. She looked straight at April. "There will probably be hundreds. No less than fifty clans and many more small groups that don't even merit the name 'clan'. Then there will be the humans. Humans will flock to this kind of a thing in the hopes of being chosen to be a vampire." Dawn leaned forward, "And the rest will likely be the buffet." April paled considerably. "This is no small private party you're wanting to crash in on. How many vampires have you killed at once?"
"Five," April said, sounding a bit proud of the number, but still highly effected by what Dawn was saying.
"Five whole ones?" Dawn said sarcastically. "What possible good do you think it'll do to go to this masque?"
"Rachel," Garret said, highly irritated at this point, "April is the slayer. I don't know if you know anything about what that means, but a slayer's job is to hunt and destroy vampires. It is her birthright and her duty."
She knew she shouldn't react to that because doing so would likely tip Garret off about her knowledge of slayers, but she couldn't help herself. She stood up, putting her hands on the edges of the small round table they were sitting at and leaned close to him, obviously threatening.
"I know plenty about slayers and their birthright," she sneered. "I know that they always think they are superior to everyone else because they have super strength and super speed and super healing. But they end up super dead pretty quickly and the new slayer is chosen to make the same mistake. Slayers are no better than a bunch of cowboys. They think they're invincible and that they should martyr themselves 'for the good of all humanity'. Well, I'm not going to help another slayer die!"
She stood up straight, wishing wholly that she could take back the last of what she said. Garret's surprised look told her that she had said way too much. She reached into her pocket and took out some money for her untouched café au lait. She glanced at a very shocked April before she turned and left, going for a walk before she headed home. First she let a slayer trace her to her home. Second, she made a scene in the place she was hunting. And now she had linked herself to a slayer. She didn't want to top her list of stupid things that'll get a person killed by going straight from the café to her apartment.
As Dawn walked the darkened alleyways and streets of London, she felt her anger radiating off of her. Who the hell did they think they were? That slayer was just going to charge in like some hero and get herself killed. Didn't she ever watch movies? The hero ALWAYS got killed. It's what the hero did. That was the whole purpose of a stupid hero, to go and try and get killed until the time they actually do!
Dawn wanted desperately to erase the young, hopeful face of the new slayer from her mind. She desperately wanted to push away any thoughts of Faith and what might of happened to her. She desperately wanted to kill something right now.
The sound of glass breaking in the alley she just passed by made Dawn stop. She looked around her on the street and saw no one. It looked deserted. Quietly, she slipped into the alley and drew her stake. She could faintly hear the sound of scuffling ahead of her but she kept herself from sprinting ahead. She cared more about not dying than saving the life of the victim. If she could kill the fiend, that was good enough for her.
As if on cue, the moon peeked out through the clouds, illuminating the scene before her. A young man was slowly slumping to the ground as a vampire drank from him. Unfortunately for Dawn, when the moon popped out, it caught a hold of the design on her shirt like a black light to neon. The vampire didn't seem concerned though. He let the man drop to the ground and looked at Dawn with a slight smile. She could see remnants of blood on his lips, but other than that, his face was clean.
"Either you're dessert, or you're the new slayer I heard about."
Wonderful. Like she needed this. The thought of the slayer being killed by this thing made her stomach turn.
"I'm neither. Just death to your kind."
"Ah. I see. A vampire hunter. How.quaint. I thought your kind died out."
"Not until your kind do." Dawn got into a fighting stance, intent on killing this thing.
"Well, I suppose you're too late." He kicked the now-dead victim.
"Nope. You're the one I came for. Not him."
The vampire looked a little surprised. "Really? You didn't come to save this 'innocent soul'?"
"No such animal."
"Ah, that is so true."
Quicker than she's seen any vampire move, the thing in front of her was suddenly behind her and he quickly grabbed the hand she had her stake in, and her neck, immobilizing her with both surprise and the way she was held. Still, she struggled against him, refusing to give up.
"Well, this is not looking good for you. How long have you been a hunter?"
"Long enough."
"Obviously not." He chuckled softly in her ear. Her neck was slightly turned and he leaned his head down so that his lips barely brushed her as he spoke. "How many vampires have you killed?"
"I honestly couldn't tell you."
"No fear," he said as if impressed. She just clinched her jaw, which he could feel with his hand where it was. "Very impressive, child. You seem quite upset though. Angry. I like that. It gives me hope for your kind."
"What do you care about 'my kind'," she bit out, indeed angry.
"Well, plenty, actually. Besides the obvious thing that all vampires care about, I used to be one of you. It's nice to know that there are humans of strong character, since I was once one. It is especially nice to find one that is so brave without being the slayer. Slayers are brave because they have to be. Hunters, though, usually get their bravery from something else. Vengeance is a popular source. Do you kill for vengeance?" He kissed her neck, making her fight more. "Do you kill for vengeance?" he asked, his voice harder.
"No."
"No. Hm. Well, anger is another good source. Do you kill for anger?"
"No."
"Well, that is interesting. What do you kill for, Hunter?"
"Fun," she said and laughed. He laughed along with her seemingly delighted at her answer.
"Well, you're just a predator like me, aren't you?"
"Pretty much."
There was a moment of silence when he just held her. Finally, realizing she wasn't getting free of him, she stopped fighting to save her energy and to think of a way out of this. She was starting to think he might not kill her. If he were going to kill her, he probably would have already. Her mind started working.
"That surprises me, Hunter. Usually those who kill us would balk at being compared to us, and I've certainly never heard of one who admitted to being similar. Usually hunters deceive themselves into believing they are better than those they hunt by virtue of being different than those they hunt. But I can smell that you have already killed tonight and that if you were to get free you would try to kill me as well. Yet you acknowledge that you are nothing but a hunter just as we are hunters. Have you ever met a vampire you didn't kill?" he asked, sounding very curious.
She thought for a moment about whether to answer honestly. Finally she said, "Yes."
"I believe you," he said softly. He placed another kiss on her neck and shoved her forward so that she landed sprawled onto the floor. When she turned around, he was gone.
Dawn sighed and shook her head. The best thing she could do right now is go home before she got herself killed. She obviously was not in top form tonight.
Disclaimer: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify.:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!
Rating: R
Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.
Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back. Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.
Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15- if I have the math wrong, let me know.;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else.;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.
This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!
*~*~*
Random vampires were a good source of cash. They usually had some on them and as long as she could pick their pocket before the dusting, it was hers for the taking. She spent the week before the masque acquiring enough cash to buy herself a decent costume.
She had thought for a long time about what she was going to go as. It was a masque where mostly vampires and children of the night would be going. Although 'children of the night' was often a euphemism for vampires, Dawn though it more encompassed people like her, or at least like whom she portrayed herself to be. They were those humans that knew of vampires and were addicted to them and wanted to be around them any time they could. Most of them wanted desperately to be chosen by a vampire and be made. Dawn loathed most of them. But they suited her purposes in that they made her seem a bit more normal when she did offer herself to a vampire.
More likely than not, most everyone would be going goth in one way or another. Those without imaginations would be going as various vampires or historical figures thought to be vampires. There would be many Vlad the Impalers there, although some of them might attempt calling themselves Dracula rather than Vlad, and if they did right by the costume it might go over well. Others would go as vampires from books. There would probably be a Ricer or a wannabe going as Akasha or Enkel. Isis and Osiris were popular. Heavily gothed-out people sometimes just obtained a masque and went as themselves. Boring. Although Dawn really liked her goth look, she certainly didn't want to go as herself. A morbid part of Dawn thought it would be funny to go as the Slayer, but she knew she wouldn't leave the party alive if she attempted that. Still, it made her chuckle as she sat alone in her apartment, whittling stakes.
Her purpose for going was to catch the attention of this Demigod, the Prince. How better to do that than to be a princess? At first she thought that perhaps a goth princess would be cool, but she knew that everyone would be working goth into their costume. Looking the part of a true princess might be enough to stand out among the rest of the beautiful people that will be attending.
She set out to find the costume and found this wonderful small boutique that specialized in costume parties. Not only did they loan the costume but they created the look. All she had to do was go to them, pay the outrageous price, and they would turn her into an authentic looking 13th Century princess. It was good enough for her. After it was completed she would find ways of hiding her weapons on her. She had hand sewn leather sheaths and fasteners into most of her clothing, making it possible for her to wear her sister's dagger that she was hardly ever without, or a stake. She would just have to figure out something for the dress.
*~*~*
Having no television, the radio was really her only entertainment. She had it on anytime she was in the apartment usually listening to the harder metal or punk music. Sex Pistols always made her think of Spike, which was bitter sweet. Of all of the people she left behind, he was the one she could look back on without feeling too much sadness. She was sorry not to have his company, but she knew that he would understand her new lifestyle.
But when Rob Zombie managed to make the radio, Dawn was always struck silent. She remembered the way she shut all of the people who had loved her out of her life and sometimes pondered what must have happened after they realized she was gone. Sometimes she would make up the scenario in her head. Giles probably discovered it first. Rob Zombie must have driven him to madness as he flung open her door demanding to an empty room that she turn that 'blasted noise' off. Afterwards he probably called to the others who helped him to a house wide search. Then, leaving Anya at the house in case she came back, they scoured the town while Spike checked the underground. Giles probably consulted his books on the possibility of the energy drying up and going away once the key was not used. Then they probably noticed some of her things gone. Willow probably noticed Buffy's necklace gone. She wondered how long they searched before they had given up. She wondered if they had ever given up.
She shook herself out of her reverie and rose from the bed to switch the radio off. Looking back only meant that her focus was not on the here and now, and that could be dangerous, whether she was locked in her apartment or out on the prowl.
As soon as the music was off, Dawn thought she heard a small noise in her hallways, not far from her door. It sounded like a shuffling of some sort and she reached for her dagger and a stake, holding one in each hand. A moment later there was a knock on the door.
Dawn waited, standing stone still in her bedroom. She had never received visitors in her apartment and had gone to great lengths to keep this place out of the notice of her work. That someone was knocking on the door meant she had failed in that. But she had no intention of opening the door to a stranger. If they wanted in they could break the door down and she'd take care of them herself.
She stood tense as another knock came. But finally footsteps could faintly be heard going down the steps away from her apartment door. Dawn waited a few more moments before letting herself relax. Someone knew she was here. She was suddenly even happier that she'd be leaving London next week.
A course energy raced through her body and she felt the need to hunt. Anxiety was building in her and the quickest way to relieve it was good sex or a good kill. So she dressed for either. She slipped on a pair of black fishnets and wore over that a pair of jeans that were so full of holes it almost wasn't worth wearing. She shoved her feet through her boots and put on a sheer black long sleeved shirt that rather looked like nylons for the body. It had definitely seen better days as the arms were freckled with holes. Over that she tugged on a black t-shirt with a picture of a franken- girl on the front. She attached her dagger the fastener on the inside back of her t-shirt, put a stake in her leather coat pocket, and took her cross off. She let her hair cascade around her, putting on her usual make-up: black lipstick and eyeliner. She grabbed her jacket and a new pack of smokes, heading out of the apartment cautiously.
She was aware that someone could be staking out her place, so she went out to the parking lot and left that way. She figured if this person had been watching her, he or she would know that she doesn't own a car and might not bother to keep it under watch. And if it were only one person she had a 2/3s chance of not coming out of the exit that was being watched. As it was, Dawn didn't think she was being followed so she took off down her usual streets, looking for a good place for some action.
Had she been in the world of the living the last month she probably would have heard of the small fair that looked to be taking place. She heard as group of teens speak about it as they passed by her and she followed them down to a closed off section of streets where music could be heard. Excitement ran like electricity currents through the air, infecting anyone near with exhilaration. The fair wasn't large but it was big enough to sport belly dancers, games, small rides, plenty of boutiques, and quite a few stalls serving hot food and cold beer.
People were packed within the booths and various entertainments. It was a vampire's hunting heaven. Dawn was careful to look like someone enjoying the sites as she instead looked around to alleyways and dark spots, looking for lurking vampires. Out of a tent that had a sign that said "Fortune Teller - $2" came a man with skin so pale the light around him was reflected off of his face. She watched him slink around behind the tent and a moment later a young girl came out looking very conspicuous as she tried to appear as if she were just going for a stroll around the tent. Dawn rolled her eyes. The girl was such easy prey she considered letting the vampire have her and remove her from the gene pool. But with a resigned sigh she made her way to the fortune teller's tent.
Instead of heading around the same way the vampire and his meal went, she darted in between a few other tents that made a semi-circle as they were lined up close together. From there, Dawn could see a small grove of trees that were enshrouded by the darkness of the night. She heard a few twig snapping noises as she quietly snuck around a few trees.
The sound of struggling came as soon as Dawn passed by a few rows of trees. The sucker had taken her deeper in than Dawn would have thought he would. Drawing her stake and shedding her coat silently, Dawn sprang in on the two.
The young girl who had followed the vampire in here was standing beside him, their backs to Dawn. But a glimpse of her profile told Dawn that they were both vampires, luring in a prey. It took a moment, though, before she realized she wasn't the intended prey. As the vampires turned towards her, Dawn caught sight of a girl of about seventeen years old.
"Get out of here," Dawn said as she got ready to fight the vampires. "I'll take care of them."
The girl didn't seem to respond, but Dawn wasn't exactly waiting either. Instantly she shot into action, kicking out to hit the female vampire in the head as she punched the other in the face, catching him by surprise. The punch seemed to knock him back a little so Dawn focused on the other vampire, who charged her. Side stepping the vampire, Dawn brought her fist down hard on her back, sending the vampire sprawling. Quickly, Dawn jammed her stake through the back of the girl's heart, dusting her.
She heard the footsteps a moment before a large hand grabbed the back of her neck and sent her flying towards a tree. Dawn slammed against the thick base of the tree and flopped to the ground with a groan. She turned around in time to see the vampire charging to finish her off and she rolled quickly, tripping him. She looked around, realizing she had lost her stake and had only brought one. This is going to hurt, she thought to herself as she drew the dagger.
The angry vampire growled as he charged her. She purposefully looked unsure of what she was about to do and was in truth a little worried about facing a vampire this big without a stake. But she was surrounded by trees and so she knew she would have to do something. Letting the vampire get close to her, Dawn kicked her leg up high, catching him under the chin with a kick that sent some of his teeth spewing out of his mouth and she used the momentum of her foot to back flip away from him, looking around for her stake or something that would work. She saw nothing and looked up to face the vampire again. He stood there, dazed for a moment and just as Dawn was about to make use of his indecision, he dissolved in a cloud of ash leaving the girl Dawn was rescuing behind him.
Dawn looked at the girl with widened eyes. She did not look as scared as she did when Dawn first burst into this grove. As a matter of fact, with the stake in her ebony hand, she looked like a slayer. She tossed Dawn her stake, twirling the one she used to kill the vampire before putting it into her pocket.
"Who are you?" she asked Dawn. She took a few steps forward, approaching with caution. Her dark eyes showed confusion and some recognition. Dawn got the idea that she knew who her visitor was from this afternoon.
"I'm no one you want to know." Dawn turned to leave the girl, but she stepped into Dawn's way, making her narrow her eyes.
"I don't think so, not until you answer some questions for me," she said, self assuredly. Dawn almost smiled. Almost.
"Look, little girl, I don't have time for this. Get out of my way before I remove you." Dawn knew she didn't have slayer strength to match this girl if she was a slayer, but she was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.
Quick as lightening the girl tossed something to Dawn, and she caught it deftly. Her eyes flickered from the girl to the cross in her hand and then back to the girl. This time she did give a dark smile.
"You think I'm a vampire?"
"Hard to tell. Looks like you haven't seen the sun in a few years."
Dawn said nothing but threw her cross back at her and then opened her hand, palm out, to show the girl that there had been no burning.
"I'm April," the girl said by way of introduction. "I'm a -"
"-vampire slayer, I know," Dawn finished for her.
April's eyes opened wide with shock. "How did you know that?"
"Not important. I'll be on my way now." Dawn turned again to leave, and this time the girl didn't try to stop her.
"Wait, I want to talk to you," she said, catching up to Dawn. Dawn sighed. This she did not need.
"Look, I don't care that you're the vampire slayer. I hope your luck doesn't run out and may you kill many vampires. Now go off and do your duty."
"Wow.someone's got issues."
Dawn walked into the fortune teller's tent. No one was there except for a middle aged woman dressed like some kind of a gypsy.
"Your friends won't be returning," Dawn said, crossing her arms in front of her. April followed her in and looked confused. The fortune teller, however did not look confused. Angry, perhaps; scared, oh yeah, but she knew exactly what Dawn was talking about. "I suggest you close down early for the night and take your business elsewhere."
"What are you doing?" April whispered. Dawn tensed up. She was not used to someone following her or questioning her, especially when she was trying to be intimidating.
The gypsy looked from April to Dawn. Dawn kept her narrow-eyed gaze on the woman and leaned down, putting her hands on the small table with the fake crystal ball on it. The woman nodded and stood up, promptly packing her belongings. Dawn nodded and stood, tossing the table aside and breaking the crystal. The woman's angry and astonished look was met with a cool stare.
"Only warning," Dawn warned.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" the slayer said. Dawn grabbed her arm and jerked her outside. April yanked her arm away and glared at Dawn. But the seemed confused when Dawn stopped dead in her tracks and smiled.
Heading towards them in a suit of tweed was a wiry looking man with glasses and a book in his hand. He screamed watcher. It was so familiar to her that she almost thought she saw Wesley. She shook the nostalgia from herself though and met the man with an icy stare.
"April, good heavens, where did you get off too girl?" He looked at Dawn and his eyebrows raised. "I see you've found her."
"Kind of," April said sheepishly.
"Well, I'll leave you to your.stuff. Have a nice life," Dawn said, lighting a cigarette and heading away from the two.
"See here," said the watcher, "we've been trying to get a hold of you."
Dawn kept walking as if she either didn't care or didn't hear. When his hand touched her elbow to turn her around, Dawn had had enough. Quickly, she reached back and grabbed his arm, flipping him around quickly so that he would have to turn a circle or lose his balance and fall. When he rotated, she pushed him back with her foot on his chest, making him fall on his ass. April charged her and she quickly round-housed her, not holding back her strength because she knew the girl could take it. Still, she tripped over her watcher and fell. The crowd around Dawn and the other two widened and eyes were on them all. She knew she wouldn't get anymore hunting in tonight.
"Don't follow me and don't try to find me again. I may not be as you first thought, but I am dangerous enough."
April looked frustrated. "We only want to talk to you!"
"Well I don't want to talk to you," Dawn said, loosing her patience. "I want to be left alone!" Dawn turned around and stormed off through the crowd. Her expression was dark and people made a path for her as she tried to find the edge of this madness and escape the fair altogether. Unfortunately she hadn't counted on the tenacity of the present slayer. Dawn could feel her before the girl approached her. She could feel herself being tailed. She surmised that she would draw less attention to herself if she just dealt with the slayer and her watcher and sent them on their way.
Inwardly she knew she was a little afraid of talking to this girl. She didn't want to know what happened to Faith to activate this girl. She didn't want to get close to anyone and she certainly didn't want Giles to track her through this watcher. Taking a deep breath she stopped and turned around.
"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"
April looked a little surprised as she came out from behind the dumpster she was using for cover. The alley they were in was dark enough, but Dawn knew there were vampires not far and could not risk her reputation by being seen with the slayer.
"Honestly, we just want to talk to you. After that you can tell us to bugger off and we will. But we need your help."
"I've already told you to bugger off. It doesn't seem to work." Dawn crossed her arms in front of her. "You want to talk, fine, but not here. Grab your watcher because I don't want to have to have the meeting more than once and meet me at the café around the corner from where you sought me out earlier today."
April nodded and smiled. "Thanks."
Dawn just watched her impassively until April stopped smiling like an idiot and turned to get her watcher. Once she was gone, Dawn climbed up the fire escape of the building next to her and disappeared. She did not need to be tracked and so she used the extra time she knew she'd have to make sure that she wasn't, to the best of her ability.
When Dawn got to the café, the couple was already there. Unceremoniously, she dragged out the empty chair and sat before the watcher could even make an attempt at standing out of courtesy. He looked surprised and then looked at April. Dawn could see that he thought her abrupt and rude but she didn't care.
Dawn stared at them while they stared at her. They seemed to be hoping she would start the conversation and Dawn felt like reminding them that this was their board meeting. Instead she just stared, and found herself staring mostly at the slayer and thinking about how young she looked. Her brown curls were pulled back by a black hair tie, keeping it off of her smooth ebon skin. Her cheekbones were high and her eyes were dark. She rather reminded Dawn of Olivia, but she of course said nothing about that.
"Ah. Well, this is awkward," the watcher started out by stating the obvious. Dawn just raised an eyebrow at him. "My name is Garret," he said, holding a hand out to her. "And you already know April." Dawn just looked at his hand and sighed, shaking her head.
"Man, can we get on with this?"
"What should we call you?" he asked, frowning at her outburst.
"Raquel."
April smiled. "That's lovely."
Dawn gave her an uncomfortable smile, not really knowing how to deal with the compliment. "So.you said you needed my help?"
"Yeah. I suppose you probably wondered how we found you." Dawn said nothing so April continued. "Actually we were heading over to take care of a nest of vampires when we saw you leaving the nest. You left nothing but dust. We thought," she looked at Garret, "that maybe you were a slayer."
Dawn smiled a little. "No. I'm no slayer."
"Well, I was wondering if you could explain yourself then," Garret asked, looking genuinely interested.
"Beauty of my life is I don't have to explain myself to anyone," Dawn said and lit a cigarette. She ordered a café au lait from the waitress and looked up at the night sky. The air felt cool too her and she was glad they chose a table outside the stuffy building.
Garret looked frustrated. "What I mean is, are you a vampire hunter, then?"
"You could say that."
"I did say that. Would you say that?" he asked.
Dawn narrowed the eyes. "Yeah."
"Well, I'm kind of doing a big gig this week and I thought the more the merrier," April said. "I might need your help."
"Define gig."
"Well," the slayer leaned forward conspiratorially, "later this week, as I hear tell, there's a masque. A masque for vampires." She smiled and leaned back. Inwardly, Dawn groaned.
"Really," Dawn said, trying not to seem like she cared. April just nodded and when Dawn looked at Garret he was just watching her. Dawn rolled her eyes and sighed. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"Help us get in," Garret said at once.
"Do you realize how many vampires will be there?" Dawn hissed to them. Garret said nothing and April just shrugged. Dawn's eyes widened. "You're one person." Still no real reaction. She looked at Garret, knowing he was the person in charge of this duo. "You can't let her go, she'll get slaughtered."
"Precisely why I need you."
"If you think I'm going to some vampire ball to play commando girl, you are dead wrong. And if April goes in there to do the same, she'll be just dead."
April looked faintly uncomfortable about the talk of her death so Dawn switched tactics. She looked straight at April. "There will probably be hundreds. No less than fifty clans and many more small groups that don't even merit the name 'clan'. Then there will be the humans. Humans will flock to this kind of a thing in the hopes of being chosen to be a vampire." Dawn leaned forward, "And the rest will likely be the buffet." April paled considerably. "This is no small private party you're wanting to crash in on. How many vampires have you killed at once?"
"Five," April said, sounding a bit proud of the number, but still highly effected by what Dawn was saying.
"Five whole ones?" Dawn said sarcastically. "What possible good do you think it'll do to go to this masque?"
"Rachel," Garret said, highly irritated at this point, "April is the slayer. I don't know if you know anything about what that means, but a slayer's job is to hunt and destroy vampires. It is her birthright and her duty."
She knew she shouldn't react to that because doing so would likely tip Garret off about her knowledge of slayers, but she couldn't help herself. She stood up, putting her hands on the edges of the small round table they were sitting at and leaned close to him, obviously threatening.
"I know plenty about slayers and their birthright," she sneered. "I know that they always think they are superior to everyone else because they have super strength and super speed and super healing. But they end up super dead pretty quickly and the new slayer is chosen to make the same mistake. Slayers are no better than a bunch of cowboys. They think they're invincible and that they should martyr themselves 'for the good of all humanity'. Well, I'm not going to help another slayer die!"
She stood up straight, wishing wholly that she could take back the last of what she said. Garret's surprised look told her that she had said way too much. She reached into her pocket and took out some money for her untouched café au lait. She glanced at a very shocked April before she turned and left, going for a walk before she headed home. First she let a slayer trace her to her home. Second, she made a scene in the place she was hunting. And now she had linked herself to a slayer. She didn't want to top her list of stupid things that'll get a person killed by going straight from the café to her apartment.
As Dawn walked the darkened alleyways and streets of London, she felt her anger radiating off of her. Who the hell did they think they were? That slayer was just going to charge in like some hero and get herself killed. Didn't she ever watch movies? The hero ALWAYS got killed. It's what the hero did. That was the whole purpose of a stupid hero, to go and try and get killed until the time they actually do!
Dawn wanted desperately to erase the young, hopeful face of the new slayer from her mind. She desperately wanted to push away any thoughts of Faith and what might of happened to her. She desperately wanted to kill something right now.
The sound of glass breaking in the alley she just passed by made Dawn stop. She looked around her on the street and saw no one. It looked deserted. Quietly, she slipped into the alley and drew her stake. She could faintly hear the sound of scuffling ahead of her but she kept herself from sprinting ahead. She cared more about not dying than saving the life of the victim. If she could kill the fiend, that was good enough for her.
As if on cue, the moon peeked out through the clouds, illuminating the scene before her. A young man was slowly slumping to the ground as a vampire drank from him. Unfortunately for Dawn, when the moon popped out, it caught a hold of the design on her shirt like a black light to neon. The vampire didn't seem concerned though. He let the man drop to the ground and looked at Dawn with a slight smile. She could see remnants of blood on his lips, but other than that, his face was clean.
"Either you're dessert, or you're the new slayer I heard about."
Wonderful. Like she needed this. The thought of the slayer being killed by this thing made her stomach turn.
"I'm neither. Just death to your kind."
"Ah. I see. A vampire hunter. How.quaint. I thought your kind died out."
"Not until your kind do." Dawn got into a fighting stance, intent on killing this thing.
"Well, I suppose you're too late." He kicked the now-dead victim.
"Nope. You're the one I came for. Not him."
The vampire looked a little surprised. "Really? You didn't come to save this 'innocent soul'?"
"No such animal."
"Ah, that is so true."
Quicker than she's seen any vampire move, the thing in front of her was suddenly behind her and he quickly grabbed the hand she had her stake in, and her neck, immobilizing her with both surprise and the way she was held. Still, she struggled against him, refusing to give up.
"Well, this is not looking good for you. How long have you been a hunter?"
"Long enough."
"Obviously not." He chuckled softly in her ear. Her neck was slightly turned and he leaned his head down so that his lips barely brushed her as he spoke. "How many vampires have you killed?"
"I honestly couldn't tell you."
"No fear," he said as if impressed. She just clinched her jaw, which he could feel with his hand where it was. "Very impressive, child. You seem quite upset though. Angry. I like that. It gives me hope for your kind."
"What do you care about 'my kind'," she bit out, indeed angry.
"Well, plenty, actually. Besides the obvious thing that all vampires care about, I used to be one of you. It's nice to know that there are humans of strong character, since I was once one. It is especially nice to find one that is so brave without being the slayer. Slayers are brave because they have to be. Hunters, though, usually get their bravery from something else. Vengeance is a popular source. Do you kill for vengeance?" He kissed her neck, making her fight more. "Do you kill for vengeance?" he asked, his voice harder.
"No."
"No. Hm. Well, anger is another good source. Do you kill for anger?"
"No."
"Well, that is interesting. What do you kill for, Hunter?"
"Fun," she said and laughed. He laughed along with her seemingly delighted at her answer.
"Well, you're just a predator like me, aren't you?"
"Pretty much."
There was a moment of silence when he just held her. Finally, realizing she wasn't getting free of him, she stopped fighting to save her energy and to think of a way out of this. She was starting to think he might not kill her. If he were going to kill her, he probably would have already. Her mind started working.
"That surprises me, Hunter. Usually those who kill us would balk at being compared to us, and I've certainly never heard of one who admitted to being similar. Usually hunters deceive themselves into believing they are better than those they hunt by virtue of being different than those they hunt. But I can smell that you have already killed tonight and that if you were to get free you would try to kill me as well. Yet you acknowledge that you are nothing but a hunter just as we are hunters. Have you ever met a vampire you didn't kill?" he asked, sounding very curious.
She thought for a moment about whether to answer honestly. Finally she said, "Yes."
"I believe you," he said softly. He placed another kiss on her neck and shoved her forward so that she landed sprawled onto the floor. When she turned around, he was gone.
Dawn sighed and shook her head. The best thing she could do right now is go home before she got herself killed. She obviously was not in top form tonight.