The Vampire as Metaphor...Book III of the (Semi) Complete Works of William Soames Walthrop...

PG-13

Summary: A lost work of one William Soames Walthrop (...aka Spike) as it was delivered at one of Cicely (see my Cicelyverse notes at the included link) Addams' house parties, shortly before Will's demise. See the reference to it in "Drusilla".

Archived (soon) at the Buffy Rebecca verse, In Book III of the (Semi) Complete Works of William Walthrop…

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Contributions to the recovery of the lost works of England's third worst poet are always welcomed...

Part VI...

Lobby of the Germania Hotel, NYC...Evening...

Peter had brought the Book down to the waiting Miss Springs and her 'cousin' Smackles. Willie eyeing it rather reverently...Carefully taking it from the young dentist/poet...

"Well?..." Elizabeth watched with Peter looking on as well behind her. She reaching back and pulling him to her side. No need to hide back there, Petey…A winning little smile...

"It's the Book..."

"Been in the family for generations..." she hastily noted to Mr. Potter. "So lucky uncle Merritt got it to you, a real sad day if it'd been lost..." Indeed...Peter politely noted. Elizabeth taking, grabbing rather, the opportunity to take and squeeze his hand gently...

Ummn...He stared down at the hand being squeezed. "Really, thanks..." she beamed with all the innocence she could muster...

Yes...Well...he turned to Willie, who was carefully looking through the pages. "If I may ask, Mr. Smackles? Why is your family so interested in occult legends?"

Occult?...Willie looked at Elizabeth. He does know his languages...Careful...His look saying.

"Just an old booka wives' tales, Peter. You know, like those Grim Fairy Tales and all..."

"This seems a little more explicit than the Grimm brothers. And offers rather detailed accounts of different creatures and how to..." he paused. She and Willie eyeing him coolly as he went on. And suddenly caught himself as they looked at him...

"Been readin' it a bit, have we?." Willie frowned slightly...

"Just a bit...Sorry, didn't mean to intrude..."

"Not at all..." Elizabeth cut in...Another beaming smile. "It's just a book of stories. Willie's just anxious it not get damaged. Bein' our most precious family heirloom and all..."

Yeah...Smackles frowned again...

"I was very careful with it. Just looked at a couple of pages...But I do apologize..."

"It's ok...Right, coz?" she looked at Willie who stiffly nodded...Sure...

"In fact, maybe you could translate some of it for us? Or just me, maybe? Later? On the train? I'd like to know what's in there. And it's a long trip..."

"I'd be happy to..."

"Well, we oughta head into dinner..." she cut off the possibility of further questions on the Book. Taking Peter's arm with another smile... "Willie, Peter here is a dentist and a writer." Yeah?...Willie looked at him dryly.

And a walking dead man too, eh?...he did not say.

…..

An alleyway near the Germania...Same time...

Olive frowned as the more-or-less and relative to herself, young Dracula came up to her. Immaculately groomed with beaming, gracious smile...Late for their appointed meeting to begin surveillance on the Slayer and her companion...And, naturally...Olive sourly noted. With a beautiful, wan-looking...Yep, thralled human…Lord, I hate seeing women in thrall, they look like such whipped puppies...the annoyed vampiress sighed…Men, on the other hand...Under my gentle influence...Young woman on his arm...

"You're late, Vladimir...And I see you've brought a dinner guest?"

"My apologies...I got a bit lost in these streets..." he began with his trademark charming smile. Lost, I'll bet...Olive glared, saying nothing. Then relaxed, contentedly contemplating the dart gun still concealed in her hat and Nast's instructions to dispose of the fool when the right time came...

"As for my dear Marie here...She is my new assistant, whom I 'hired' at the shop where she was wasting her beauty and elegant manner away waiting on fools. And she will be very useful to us in our watch tonight..." he hastily noted...

The Slayer will find no non-human in her hotel trying to spy on her. Only dear Marie here, come to stay the night before leaving for California, whose rather lost appearance is explained by the recent sudden death of her father...

"Sir...I'm not...From..." Marie murmured gently, intending to help. "You are now, dear..." Vladimir eyed her. "Yes, Vladimir..." she nodded. "We can simply watch over the doorways and keep a safe distance on the train tomorrow..." he smiled at Olive. Who frowned and looked the girl over...A pretty thing, definitely...And no obvious-looking scarf or raised collar to advertise a bite scar. Hmmn, no sign of a bite at all...

"Not bad...If she can get a room and keep an eye out..." she nodded reluctantly.

"Marie, dearest..." he turned to her. "You remember nothing of me or tonight's activities or your past life as a shopgirl. You are as I've told you a gentlewoman, daughter of a successful and very wealthy businessman from the great West bowed down by grief over the sudden death of your beloved, deceased father who'd returned to this great city of New York to look after business interests. But you are nobly carrying on and are returning to your home in..." he paused and looked at Olive, who shrugged. We're not sure where in California the Slayer's going...

"Well, in California...But it will happen to be the same town the young woman I told you of...Miss Springs…Is going to. If and when you meet her and engage her in conversation...Just find out where she's going first...Or speak to the young man with her. But be cautious, don't press them for information...And do not under any circumstances allow her to sense my hold on you, understand dear?"

"Yes, Vladimir..."

Well, at least it isn't 'Master'...Pity, though, in a way...Heinrich would be so pissed at the usurpation of his title, he'd probably allow immediate termination, Olive sighed.

"And don't try to contact us out here. One of us will send another human agent to you in the hotel before dawn. Try to make contact with the girl and her party...Say treat them to dinner as a lonely woman of means seeking a little companionship? And learn her destination tonight...But if that fails, follow her and her companion to the train station tomorrow and be on her train when she leaves. Get to know them on the train, shower them with favors as a lonely ...But discreet and innocent, he waged a finger...Wealthy, shy, inexperienced young woman seeking friendly traveling companions."

Yes...Ummn...she paused.

"I think I'll need some money. You have everything from the store till..." she noted quietly.

"Alas, I used it to cover my recent gambling debts...Olive, if you would?" he turned to her. She blinking at him...Then glaring...

"Surely Nast provides his agents with sufficient funding for his assignments...?" he smiled. "And I have spent a great deal in coming to join forces with him."

A sufficient amount for Marie to travel as a well-to-do lady? And generously treat the Slayer and her friend whenever the situation allows...?

Grumbling, she handed Marie several hundred dollars in the fairly new greenback currency. And about fifty in gold...

"That ought to allow you to show them a good time..." she frowned.

And I'll get it all back. Outta your hide...Or rather, his...She smiled at Dracula as Marie headed off. "Not a bad scheme at all, Vladimir. Heinrich will be tickled at our having a spy in the Slayer's midst..."

And my own in the Slayer's...she coldly noted within... If I can just get my fangs on that young fellow…

[William? Cicely, blinking…Startled, yet…Intrigued.

He couldn't mean…? Jonathan thought…]

"Say...Where did you bite her? I couldn't see any signs of it..."

"A gentleman never tells, my dear Olive..."

….