Gypsy Girl
Pairing: OC/Spike
Summary: When a travelling Gypsy from the Kalderash clan settles on the Sunnydale, she'll be no exception to the challenges of life on the Hellmouth. Alexandreina will survive though, she always does, but will she get a chance to live?
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CHAPTER FOUR
"Do you love me?" The large green Demon asked. His hand holding the kneeling mans head. "I can give you everything. All I need is your love."
"You have my love" the man declared
The Demon growled, and before the man could process what was happening, the green horned Demon had snapped his neck.
Flash.
"It is Moloch. The Corruptor. He walks again!" A monk looking man declared. Standing in the centre of his companions dressed in old robes. Candles lit up the dark stone area as the group congregated.
There was a murmur of shocked anger from the group.
"More and more people have fallen for his mesmerising power" The man spoke gravely. "But there is still time to bind him. We must form the circle!"
The group gathered.
They held hands in prayer like stances around the leader of their group. Heads bowed and determination painted on their faces. The leader opened his large book and began to lead the ancient change to bind the monster.
"By the power of the circle of Kayless!" The leader declared strongly
"By the power of the circle of Kayless!" The rest of the group echoed in a chant.
"By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you, Demon!" The leader yelled into the nights sky
"I command you!" The group echoed just as strongly
"I command you Demon... come! Come! Come Demon!" The leader yelled fiercely as a glow began to emulate from the pages of the leather bound book. Soon the pages began to fill with ancient script that bound the essence of the Demon to the very pages. The leader placed a lock on the book and then placed the book into a locked box.
"Pray this accursed book shall never again be read. Lest the Demon Moloch be loosened upon the world"
Flash.
A red haired girl sat quietly in front of a computer screen. Her fluffy rainbow jumper illuminated by the electronic light in the dark library.
"Last book..." the red head muttered to herself
She grabbed a green scanner and scanned the pages of the book. Her eyes glued to the computer screen as a copy of the ancient text appeared. Her focus trained into the computer so much that she didn't notice the script disappeared from the pages of the book as she scanned it. The red head shut the book without looking and tossed it aside.
"Time to go home" she muttered and grabbed her belongings from beneath the table.
The girl didn't notice the screen of the computer change on its own. Nor did she notice the words appear on the screen.
Where am I?
The girl shut off the computer and left the library.
The computer turned back on without assistance. A living entity now barely contained by the technology now living within the system.
Flash.
After explaining her vision to Janna, both women knew that they would need to reveal their identities to the Slayer and the Watcher. It was a rather difficult thing to do after the way they had grown up. Romani travellers were not treated like regular citizens, and often chased out of town and threatened. It made trusting outsiders incredibly difficult for their people.
It was instinct to see a Slayer as a threat.
After all the Watchers Council had done to their people, it was warranted to see them that way. However, Janna was certain Rupert Giles would not be like other Watchers.
Alexandreina trusted Janna.
A little.
Mostly though, she trusted that she had been granted the vision for a reason. Alexandreina trusted the-powers-that-be to guide her in the right direction. If the spirits thought that she needed to meet and help the Slayer and Watcher, then so be it. Especially when it will give her a chance to meet the man her older cousin is crushing on so badly.
That could be interesting, at least.
And maybe there would be a fight or something too?
What with a Demon in the internet, Alexandreina supposed a fight of some sort was inevitable. It had been a while since she had last fought someone but Alexandreina was skilled in that department. Both with and without her abilities to aid her. For a while she had been rather obsessed with self defence. At least it was a useful obsession though.
Alexandreina sighed.
"Where is this group going to be, Janna?" She asked
"This way" Janna insisted, quickly leading her through the halls of the Sunnydale High school. The students were in the last class of the day apparently, so the school would be empty soon enough. "Here" Janna stated as they approached the double wide doors of the school library.
Alexandreina rose a brow.
Though she admitted she wasn't very surprised this is where the Watcher and Slayer could be found.
It was smart.
The library would have all sorts of mythical information to help the Slayer. Plus, the Watcher could get away with none of it being on his own dime. 'Cause lord knows that Watchers Council didn't pay their employees much when they could use the 'for the good of the world' guilt trip on everyone. Alexandreina rolled her eyes and silently opened the library doors. She walked in quietly with Janna trailing behind. The place was rather large for a school library. But it was apparent Janna had made herself home here judging by the computer equipment that looked very out of place in the dated library. The library seemed to be empty aside from three people deep in conversation.
"Dave doesn't know that," the teenage boy was saying to the other two.
"Be that as it may…" the older man began, adjusting his glasses almost nervously as he spoke.
"I don't get why Dave would do it, though," a blonde girl interrupted. Judging by the frizzy mess of the girls hair, she seemed to have been in a fight of some sort. "I mean, what does he get out of it?" The girl asked as she nursed her steaming cup of tea.
None of them noticed that they weren't alone.
Which suited Alexandreina.
She liked the fact that she had been given a moment to observe these people while they were unaware. For as much as Janna swore they were good people - Alexandreina wanted a chance to form her own opinion. Which was easier to do when they didn't know they were being observed. Especially considering she didn't know how they would react to her presence yet.
They might be suspicious of her...
Or dismissive.
Either way she had been given this information for a reason, and she was going to use it.
Alexandreina cleared her throat.
Three sets of eyes turned in her direction. The older man looked at Janna first, his gaze lingering with happiness that turned to worried confusion. The girl looked straight at her with narrowing eyes, assessing the threat she may pose. The boys eyes widened in surprise before they turned evaluative as he got distracted by checking her out.
"Hey" Janna smiled, looking straight at the older man as if she wasn't physically able to look away from him.
"Hi. Uh, Jenny, can I help you with something?" The man frowned a little
"No. We're here to help you, actually" Janna said before gesturing to Alexandreina. "This is my cousin Alexandreina. Alexandreina this is Giles, Buffy and-"
"Xander" the boy introduced himself, what he clearly thought was a charming smile now on his face. "Feel fee to call me Xan-man or-"
"Xander" The blonde girl, Buffy, gave him a look that screamed 'shut up'.
"Uh, it's nice to meet you, of course... but what exactly are you here to help us with?" Giles looked even more confused now. His eyes flickering between herself and Janna.
"There's a demon in the internet" Alexandreina spoke bluntly, not bothering with niceties.
The three stared in shock.
Alexandreina continued anyway. "I've got The Sight. I'm blessed with visions of the past and future. I've seen what this Demon is and what it can do... I'm here to help you kill it" she told them calmly and honestly. Knowing there was only really one person she needed to convince, Alexandreina met Buffy's eyes and allowed them to reflect her sincerity.
Buffy nodded slowly. The blonde Slayer looked unsure but seemed to recognise the honesty in Alexandreina.
"I-I, uh, how do you know about Demons?" Giles stuttered but his eyes were on Janna.
Janna shrugged, "I'm a technopagan"
"A witch?" Giles frowned
"No. Not really. I don't really use magic and even if I did, I'm not powerful" Janna explained calmly. "The realm of the mystical is not limited to ancient texts and relics, you know. Bad old science doesn't make made the magic go away. The divine exists in cyberspace same as out here"
"I suppose..." Giles reluctantly agreed, taking off his glasses and cleaning then unnecessarily.
Alexandreina looked between Giles and Janna sceptically. However she distracted herself by grabbing the big blank book from the table. She inspected the cover with a small sigh and shake of her head. This book should never have been near children in the first place. It should have been locked away and kept like that. If only snobby rich men didn't feel so entitled to everything... then maybe it would have remained as the monks had intended.
"What are you doing?" Xander asked
"In ancient times there was a ritual to bind a Demon to a book. Harmless. As long as no one reads the pages out loud." Alexandreina explained, gesturing to the empty book in her hands. "This book belongs to a Demon named Moloch. The Corruptor"
"A very deadly and seductive Demon" Giles announced, recognising the name. "He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. He preys on impressionable minds"
"Like Dave" Xander realised
"Like Dave" Giles agreed with a sigh. "And who knows how many others"
"And Moloch is inside that book?" Buffy, the Slayer, questioned.
"Not anymore" Alexandreina spoke up again. Catching everyone's attention as she broached the reason she had come to them. Alexandreina held the book open, displaying the blank pages for all to see.
"I don't understand" Giles frowned at her again. "You say you had a vision of this Demon. But surely a Demon of such power wouldn't send a high school boy after the Slayer"
That was true.
Well, it would be if the Demon had been in corporal form.
"Yeah. I haven't seen any big Demon with horns walking around" Buffy cut in with a wary glance at Alexandreina
"Someone would of had to read the text to release the Demon" Giles agreed. "I doubt any student is capable of that"
Alexandreina held back a sigh. She didn't have time for this to be honest. Clearly they weren't getting the point she was making here. "They didn't need to read it" Alexandreina stopped them from arguing further. Her tone was a little harsher than she intended but she continued nonetheless. "When the redheaded girl scanned the book into the computer, she released Moloch. Well, actually, she uploaded the Demon into the internet, as odd as it sounds"
There was silence.
Xander and Buffy turned to cast a wary look at the computer sitting beside them.
"The scanner read the book?" Giles muttered in realisation. "It read the book out as information to be absorbed..."
Janna nodded in confirmation.
"He's gone binary on us" Buffy quipped
Xander looked between them all with an odd look on his face. As if he couldn't tell if they were joking or not. "Okay... so your telling me a big Demon is in this computer?" He clarified
"And any other computer connected to it by a modem" Janna stated with an apologetic look in Giles direction.
Not that Giles seemed to notice. The man had taken off his glasses again and begun to clean them as if his sanity depended on it. "He's everywhere" Giles sighed, replacing the glasses on his face. He looked to Janna as if she would know what to do next. Clearly the technophobe as Janna had called him was lost on this one.
And this man is supposed to be a Watcher?
Alexandreina held back a sigh.
"So what are we gonna do?" Xander asked
"Well, it seems Willow has downloaded Moloch into her file. It... well, it might be a futile gesture, but, I suggest we delete it" Giles suggested, gesturing at the computer and looking as if he didn't know how to do that himself.
Alexandreina wasn't surprised.
"Solid" Buffy shrugged before standing and moving to the computer.
"Don't get too close" Xander warned nervously
Buffy nodded and sat down at the computer. Logging into Willows files, Buffy attempted to delete the files of scanned books. However before she could actually delete the file, the screen flashed and Moloch's face appeared on the screen. "Stay away from Willow. She's none of your concern" Moloch warned with a growl.
"Well that's what Malcom looks like..." Buffy muttered with a wince
Alexandreina rose a brow curiously
Who's Malcom?
"Well maybe we're overreacting" Xander tried to argue. "I mean- he's in a computer. What harm could he really do?"
"You mean besides take over the internet?" Janna stated. "He could do a lot of damage. He would have access to medical equipment, security cameras-"
"Nuclear missile codes" Buffy added
"He could destroy the economy" Giles announced looking horrified
"I think the nuclear weapons kinda trumps the economy" Alexandreina said with a small amused smirk on her face.
Buffy smiled slightly.
Giles just nodded as if embarrassed for caring more about the economy than nuclear weapons.
"Okay. I'm on board, he's a big threat. Got it. But what can we do about it?" Xander asked
"We need to find Willow" Buffy announced, "Oh God, she's probably online talking to him right now." Buffy looked horrified at the mere thought. "I'll go see if she's in the computer lab. You guys call and see if she's home"
And then Buffy was off in search.
Alexandreina simply stood back and watched as Giles and Xander tried to call Willow. She knew where the girl was right now but she let them search anyway. She had to be careful when getting involved in things like this. Her visions were not always invitations to change a sequence of events. Especially not this time. The Demon gets slayed in the end, she's just giving them a little more time by helping out.
And also getting to meet Giles...
Personally, Alexandreina didn't see why Janna was so smitten with this Rupert Giles. However she did notice the glances the two threw at each other when they thought nobody was looking. So whatever Janna was feeling was clearly returned by the older man. Alexandra was distracted from the thoughts when Buffy walked back into the library. The look on the girls face saying she had found something she didn't like.
"I found Dave. It looked like suicide" Buffy sighed sadly
"You think there was help from the Demon friends?" Xander asked
Buffy nodded. "We need to figure out how to bind Moloch again" Buffy said and looked to Giles for an idea. "Do you have that ritual?"
Giles shook his head, "I do... but those a rituals of the flesh. I don't think they would work in this case"
"I can help with that I think" Janna spoke up
"Good" Buffy nodded
Alexandreina observed the dynamic between watcher and Slayer as the plan was discussed. It wasn't much of a plan to be honest, but it worked in her vision at least. Alexandreina was curious to see the relationship between these odd people. She, unlike them, was calm in the face of the situation. She wasn't worried or rushing around frantically. It gave her a chance to forgive these people out. They would be important in the future. She had a feeling the vision had been given as a reason to meet them all.
Alexandreina just wondered why?
But she couldn't ask.
Not yet.
So she took to observing them in hopes of finding a clue. Or at the very least some kind of understanding as to why they are the way they are. They seemed to have pure good intentions which was something she hadn't seen in a while. Alexandreina watched as Buffy and Xander left to search for Willow. She knew they wouldn't find their friend until they went to the warehouse.
But she didn't say that.
That wasn't how it was supposed to play out.
Changing too much could change the ending. That was too big of a risk to take, so she remained observant.
For the most part.
Janna was flipping through the text on the ritual. "The first thing we have to do is form the circle of Kayless. Right?"
"Form a circle? But there's only three of us. That's really more of a line." Giles sighed deeply
Finding some candles, Janna set about arranging them around the computer. "You're not getting it, Rupert. We have to form the circle inside" Janna sighed as she took a seat at the computer. "I'm putting out a tweet. I just hope enough of my group responds."
"Won't Moloch just shut you down?" Giles worried as he hovered behind Janna
"He won't figure out what we're doing until it's too late" Alexandreina assured them with a small smile on her face. She had seen this and she knew what would happen. Everything was happening as it should be.
Giles nodded stiffly.
"Okay! We're up. You read; I type. Ready?" Janna rushed
"Uh, I am" Giles confirmed before clearing his throat. "By the power of the divine, by the essence of the word, I command you... By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you," Giles read aloud as Janna typed away. "Demon, come! I command you! Demon, COME!" Giles yelled.
Wind swirled around the library causing the candles to flicker erratically.
The computer sparked several times but continued to function.
Janna typed furiously
Alexandreina moved to place a comforting hand on her anxious cousins shoulder. She could feel the dark anger in the air as Moloch was trapped once again in the book from the ancient monks. She let out a small breath of relief and curiously watched the adoring smiles Giles and Janna shared.
"Hey!"
Alexandreina turned at the shout and spotted Xander, Buffy and the Redhead from her vision. They looked a little worse for wear but in one piece after the fight. "You guys did it" Alexandreina said, giving them a nod of approval.
Buffy just shrugged, "All in a days work. But, that information you gave us saved a lot of time... we probably couldn't have saved Willow in time without your help"
That wasn't exactly true.
But Alexandreina wasn't bothered with them thinking it was. So, she nodded in gratitude at the compliment without correcting the Slayer.
"Uh, I'm Willow" the redhead girl smiled and waved shyly. "I, uh, heard about your visions of the Demon. That's so cool- or scary? Is it scary? I-I'm rambling aren't I? I'm gonna shut up now"
Alexandreina chuckled.
The girl was simultaneously annoying and amusing.
"So, listen, we were all heading to the Bronze for a little while. You're welcome to come with us" Xander smiled charmingly
"The bronze?" She questioned
"It's the only actual place to hang out in town" Buffy supplied. "Dancing, music, food, drinks, friends. It's fun"
"Alright. Sure" Alexandreina agreed with a shrug.
It wasn't like she had anything else to do anyway. Plus, she had always been grateful for a little partying. It made her wonder how she hadn't heard of this place yet. She'd been in town long enough, after all. Either way Alexandreina wasn't about to turn down an invitation to go partying. So, she followed as the group began walking through the streets of Sunnydale towards the Bronze. The playful banter and joking seemed to flow easily between Buffy, Willow and Xander and Alexandreina observed it all with amusement.
She still wasn't sure what to think about these people.
The Slayerettes, she decided to dub them.
They were odd... but not entirely in a bad way at least. Which happened to be even more confusing. Eventually Alexandreina decided that if they all weren't trying so hard to be the hero's then she might have gotten along well with them.
She got the vibe they wouldn't like her very much.
Not if they really got to know her.
It made her wary.
However, Alexandreina didn't dwell on that for long. She knew that the Slayer and her friends knew nothing about her other than she has visions and is related to Janna. Alexandreina didn't plan on sharing any more than that though. Instead, she planned to have a good time and party the night away. Drawing her out of her thoughts, they approached a warehouse looking building that seemed to be busy with people. She could hear the live band from the alley way that they were approaching from.
"This place is packed on the weekends and Friday nights" Xander announced, taking advantage of the loud noise as an excuse to lean in closer.
Alexandreina hummed in acknowledgment.
Silently noting the way that Buffy rolled her eyes and Willow's face fell a little bit at Xander's obvious move.
Alexandreina scanned the room as she stepped through the doors. It wasn't what she had expected it to look like at all. The place had two levels - the main level had a bar, a mini kitchen area, a stage and a huge dance floor. The outskirts of the warehouse style room had a few tables and couches crammed against the walls. The higher level was like an overlooking balcony that faced the stage.
Perfect place for vamps, she noted.
Buffy must love it too.
Alexandreina imagined this was a Slayers dream hunting ground... a place where she could hang out, dance, and slay vampires preying on humans.
It explained a lot about the rumours she had heard about this current Slayer caring more about killing Vampires than other Demons. It had vampires worried and everyone else relaxing a fraction when at Willy's or the various other supernatural establishments.
"Who wants drinks?" Buffy called out over the music
"Coke please!" Willow smiled at Buffy
"They do have alcohol here, right?" Alexandreina rose a brow as she looked at Xander who was still hovering around her.
"Alcohol?" Xander looked briefly surprised before he tried to cover it up with a 'cool guy' attitude. "Oh, yeah, right... alcohol. Of course they do! I-I drink all the time" Xander said, puffing out his chest, ignoring the bewildered look Willow was sending his way.
"Right" Alexandreina chuckled and pulled out her fake ID from her back pocket. "I'm gonna grab a beer, want one or not?" she asked
"Uh, you know, not today" Xander waved her off as he tried to maintain his façade.
Willow elbowed him in the ribs.
Alexandreina walked over to the bar and rolled her eyes. She may be 17 years old, only a year older than them, but even she was more mature than that. Though she supposed they'd all lived very different lives. It only served as a reminder that she would never fit in with 'regular' people who could never understand her way of life. With a sigh, she waved down the bartender and leaned against the bartop as she waited.
"What can I get yah, doll?" the bartender smiled
"Just a beer thanks" Alexandreina said, handing over the cash
The bartender gave her a scrutinising look, as if trying to assess how old she was before taking the money. Whatever indicator he had been looking for, he seemed to find it, because his smile widened and he easily fetched her a beer after taking the cash.
"Thanks" Alexandreina smiled before heading back out into the crowd. Spotting Willow's vibrant red hair and rainbow sweater near the edge of the crowd, she headed that way. Managing to arrive at the standing table just as Buffy appeared with three cokes in hand.
"Beer, huh?" Buffy wrinkled her nose slightly
Alexandreina met the Slayer's disapproving stare with indifference. "It's just one drink. Don't worry about it" she assured the blonde with a smile nobody would notice was fake.
Alexandreina was good at that.
Hiding her emotional damage, that is.
Buffy just shrugged and turned to engage Willow in a conversation about getting over what Willow thought was a great online relationship. Deciding that they were going to treat it as one would when dealing with a breakup.
"Uh, I was thinking- do you want to dance?" Xander stuttered out, a hopeful look on his face.
Alexandreina shrugged.
"Keep your hands to yourself though" she warned him, pointing a long painted fingernail in his direction. Narrowing her eyes when he grinned and agreed quickly. Alexandreina followed him towards the dance floor, the dozens of other people jumping and moving to the beat in a crowded pack. The smell of sweat and alcohol brought Alexandreina a small amount of excitement as she began to dance in the crowd of jumping, swaying and grinding bodies. The band on stage was playing some punk rendition of a Halestorm song, ignorant to the fact that they were fucking up an already great song. Though the music didn't matter much when it gave an excuse for dancing.
Alexandreina certainly wasn't complaining.
She was glad to let loose.
In fact, Alexandreina was rather good at dancing... if you called bumping, grinding, and swaying, dancing.
She moved her body to the bat of the music, her hand running through her naturally curly hair. She could feel the heat from the people people around her against her skin. Her more sensitive intuition picked up the lust and excitement that saturated the air in the enclosed space packed full of people.
It was intoxicating.
Though she might have been saying something different if she had been a real empath, of course. For Alexandreina she was only slightly more sensitive to strong emotions felt by a mass of congregated people. Even then she found it easy enough to block out, but why would she want to block emotions that gave her such a thrill. It all mixed together in the end and only made her have more fun.
It was great.
Alexandreina felt herself actually smiling.
As she danced and swayed her hips she felt a pair of small hands hesitantly touch her back. She looked over her shoulder and found a slightly taller woman wearing a questioning smile and raised brow. Alexandreina shrugged in response, continuing to dance and not caring who joined.
It wasn't like she was going to leave with anyone tonight.
Not with the Slayerettes here.
As she continued to dance with the woman and a man who had joined them both, she let out a laugh when she spotted Xander drooling all over himself. Xander smiled in return but seemed happy to just enjoy watching the dancing. Alexandreina rolled her eyes but wasn't at all bothered.
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