"Tales of D'Hoffryn…"
Disclaimer: Would Joss want his name associated with this? I think not...But anyway all BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...Though his brother Mort gets nothing...
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com...
Summary: While saddled with the job of tending the discombobulated First Evil, the Lord of all Things Vengeful tells a few tales of his (well, his people's) exploits with some old friends…
"Sunset…"
Part III…
"Hey…My ole favorite vamp bud and his dead whore…And with my best friend in their fiendish grip." Buffy grinned. "Say, Willow, that zombie look is you. Didn't you guys have time to finish her off? I can wait a few, if you want…"
Dru eyed William…William, Dru…
"Now don't tell me you two are gonna do the… 'oh, kill me now, end this torment, Slayer' crap now?" Buffy frowned. " 'Cause I gotta tell you I'm getting awful bored. And you won't like what I do when I'm bored…"
"Cicely…" Drusilla eyed her sternly. "You're needed…"
Buffy stared at her…Blinking…
"Listen to me…William is here."
"What?" Buffy looked at her, then Will…Shaking head…
"Geesh, she's crazier than usual, isn't she?" she noted. But seemed a bit dazed…
"Cicely…You must save him…" Dru, insistently. Her stare boring deep… "You've waited this moment for a century. He needs you…"
"Who?" Buffy swayed a bit…
"You…" her face darkened suddenly. "You whore…" she stared.
"Cicely?" William stared. The clipped British accent most startling of all…
"William…" she looked at him. "Good…You survived…" she turned to Dru…
"Now as for you, whore…We have business to settle." she tensed, stake quivering in her grip…
"No, Cicely…" William began.
"Quiet…I'll deal with her…" Buffy said, coldly. "Now…Drusilla…Time for you to learn what happens to vampiral whores who steal husbands."
"What?" William stared.
"Memories…Not soul…" Dru looked at him…
"Ranting as ever, eh?" Buffy sneered, still in tight British tone. "Come, lets do this in the open air. I wouldn't want your ashes to have contact with my husband. We've had quite enough of that."
"Husband…?"
"I said, be quiet, William…Will you never listen?" Buffy, glaring. "Go and wait for me…Watch if you like…"
"Dru has a soul, Buffy…Cicely…"
"Is that so? How quaint…Just like Angelus…" she said, coldly…
"And right now, you don't…" he noted.
"What?" she stared.
"Though I do, so perhaps we're no worse off…"
"What nonsense is this?" Buffy frowned.
"Tell me who you are…" William asked.
"You know very well…" she replied…Folding arms… "Is this to protect your whore? Have you grown fond of her over the years?"
"Tell me…"
"Cicely Anne Addams Walthrop…" Buffy frowned. "And what do you mean, I've no soul…?"
"Courtesy the demon lord D'Hoffryn…" William replied. "But the memories you've just regained are courtesy Miss Drusilla Waverly…"
"Indeed…" Buffy, coldly. Dru standing by Willow… "Well, thank you Ms. Waverly…I shall make your agonizing death a tad less so in gratitude. William, go over there and wait or I shall be angry with you."
"And what, love…Stake me?"
"You belong to me…Not her…" she said, icily. "And I'll see you dust before I'll let her have you again…"
"I'm not here to take him from you, Cicely…" Dru pleaded. "I'm here to help. There's a terrible Evil afoot…You must sense something's wrong with you…Your friends…These people." she waved arms.
"I've waited a hundred years to tear you limb from limb, vampires." Buffy, grimly. "A little fairy tale about lost souls won't deter me. And if William has decided your body is preferable to mine…"
"He's loved you for over a century. Believed in you and that you'd save him…You can't betray him now."
Buffy eyed her…Reflected a moment…Then leapt at her before William could intervene, stake under her grabbed and held chin…
"Killing the whore who killed him is hardly betraying him…" she noted, quietly. Forcing Dru's head back with the stake… "Beg for death, whore. Beg, I'll be mercifully quick!" she pulled Dru's head back more… "Say it!"
"Stop it, Cicely!" William grabbed at her…
"This'll hurt you too, liar! Adulterer!" Buffy waved the stake at him. "You worthless, unfaithful…!" she raged.
Dru grabbed her arm, forcing it back…Uhh…The stake dropped with a clatter…
"Let me go, you!" Buffy cried.
"We're telling you the truth…I could kill you now…" Dru told her, holding her arm…
"William! Help me!" Buffy looked to him…
"Dru isn't lying, Cicely…" Will shook his head. She kicked back, throwing Dru off balance…Racing back…
"Right then…" she eyed them. "Let it be war on you both!" she ran off, disappearing into the crowds all along the street…
"Well…" William eyed a shaken Drusilla, helping her up…
"That went rather better than I expected…"
"I'm sorry…" Dru sighed. Carefully guiding Willow along…
"No need…" Will shrugged…
"I honestly thought I might reach her. That Cicely's soul might be better protected…" sheepish look…
"Well…You did reach her…In quite spectacular fashion." he noted.
"And now it seems I've a bitterly jealous spouse determined to have me or dust me…"
"That may be the best news…" Dru reflected. "I mean…" she caught his frown… "She didn't re-engage and kill you. She could have…She's taking her time, trying to capture you. She won't hurt you…"
"I wouldn't count on that, love…" he smiled wanly. "She seemed quite willing to sacrifice me on the altar of marital fidelity…"
"I don't think so…Though we shouldn't press our luck, true…" Dru pondered. "I think it's a sign…Cicely is near. The soul I mean…Trying to help…I know I sensed something. Faintly…"
"Well, kudos for a good try, girl…" he smiled. "What about Red, here?" he indicated Willow…
"I think we need her a bit longer…" Dru noted.
….
"Yes…This is Willow Rosenberg." Willow said, a bit more energetically than in her recent conversations…
"A little more urgency…Please…" Dru hissed. Willow staring at her as she spoke into the phone in the bar they'd temporarily holed up in…
"Willow Rosenberg…"Willow repeated. "A friend of the Slayer's in Sunnydale. Please…I have to reach Mr. Giles, Buffy's Watcher. Can you help me?"
William scanning the entrance…No sign of a rampaging Slayer spouse as yet…
Dru listening to the phone's receiver intently, standing just by Willow's ear…
"Hello?...Yes…Yes…I'm Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers' friend…The Slayer's friend…Please, I have to reach Mr. Rupert Giles. There's been a terrible disaster here in Sunnydale…"
William came over…Dru looked at him…Not yet…
"Tell them their damned Council's about to be destroyed…" he suggested to Willow. Who looked at him a little blankly…
Yes, William…she soundlessly murmured. Dru having cautioned her not to speak to them aloud…
"Sir…Your damned Council's about to be destroyed! Thank you…"
"Thought that might speed things along…" Will noted to Dru…
"Yes? Hello…Who? Oh, hello…" Willow said, a bit flatly again…
William eyed her…Who? His look clear…
"Mr. Travers, who says he's Chairman of the Watchers…" Willow hissed.
Nice…But we went past our floor, I think…
"Yes, the situation here is very terrible, Mr. Travers. Can I speak to Rupert Giles?"
Hmmn? Willow looked at the phone…
"What is it? I…"
"Here, love…" William took the phone. "Hello, Mr. Chairman…William Soames Walthrop here…Nice to finally speak to you after all these years. Listen, the demon lord D'Hoffryn's gone and put a soul removal/soul curse spell or something on Sunnydale. Yes, involving Miss Summers and then some…Yes, this is the William you're thinking of…But the demon has vacated for a day or so. Look, D'Hoffryn's minion told me that Humanity as well as Miss Summers was in peril if this thing…Whatever it is…Wasn't stopped or defeated before twenty-four hours was up. Yes…Quite specific about it…We could use some help here, especially if you lot care about the fate of Humanity. Well, it seems her whole lot and every human here has gone soulless. But every vamp seems to have a soul. Yes, that includes Drusilla…No, Miss Rosenberg's gone and lost hers as well. She's under my thrall, for which I deeply apologize but there was no other way to contact you. Is there any chance of speaking to Mr. Giles? Good…Thank you…"
Direct approach…Usually best…He noted to Dru and the blank-eyed Willow…
"…Hello Mr. Giles? Yes, this is who Mr. Travers told you. No, Spike is off on vacation, this is the soul of William Soames Walthrop…Cicely's husband…"
Hmmn…He smiled at Dru…"I think I heard a pin drop on that side…"
"Oh, yes…Cicely Addams…Walthrop…Your great nineteenth century Slayer? Now back in the form of your own Miss Summers…No, not possession, Mr. Giles…As I suspect you know. She's a reincarnate…But currently, soulless, like everyone else human in this benighted town. Mr. Giles?…Mr…Giles…If D'Hoffryn's minion, a Miss Jenkins, wasn't lying we have only twenty-two…" he eyed a clock over the bar… "…twenty-one…hours to set this right. Well…I have Drusilla Waverly…And a very nice young ex-kindergarten teacher who's watching the kiddies of the town. There may be other souled vampires willing to help. That's about it…No, your Miss Rosenberg is like the others. I had to put her in thrall to get her to call you. Mr. Giles…I am sure you know more about Cicely and me than you are letting on but as to my lying about 'everything' I'm sure you lot have the power to check out my story pretty quickly. If nothing else, send someone into Sunnydale to observe…Believe me, they'll find proof very quickly. No, Buffy is soulless not transformed…Certainly…"
He pulled the phone away… "Miss Rosenberg? Would you speak to Mr. Giles? Just answer his questions truthfully, please?" he held the phone to Willow's ear and mouth…
"Yes?...Yes, Giles, Spike has me in thrall. I don't know…They say I have no soul now. I dunno…I feel different, I guess. No, before Spike put me in thrall. Yeah, everyone's actin' weird. Yeah, Buffy, too…She's speaking with a Brit accent and seems kinda nasty…Xander? I drugged him and put him in a car I stole. So I could have him, he belongs to me, you know… No, I did that before Spike put me in thrall…I guess that could mean he's tellin' the truth about souls goin' bye-bye. Ok…"
"He wants to talk to you…" Willow looked over to William.
"So…Any suggestions or concrete help you can offer would be appreciated, Mr. Giles." William noted. "Especially as Buffy seems to have recovered some ole memories of us and wants me to resume my position as her husband…" he eyed Dru and Willow…
Ha, hah…Willow gave a slight laugh…
"Yeah, that did get him…" Will nodded. Dru giving reproving look…
"How soon? All right, granted…" he shrugged.
"He doesn't trust us…" Dru offered. He nodding…
"But help is coming, right…?" he asked the phone… "Good…We'll try to keep Buffy and the good people of the town alive until your Council reaches a decision. Try to make it within the next twenty hours, will you? Good bye…"
Dru eyeing him…
"The Council will consider the matter and if our story is verified they will take appropriate action…" he looked at her… "Which could mean anything from they'll do nothing, to for the greater good Sunnydale will be nuked. We'll see…"
She sighed. "At least they know…And it's only natural they wouldn't place faith in us immediately."
"Lets hope in the States they move a bit faster than back home." he noted. "Last time I contacted them as Spike to warn them a Slayer was likely to die. Just before I killed that poor Slayer a few years ago. Two weeks wasn't enough time to get them moving…"
"It always wondered why you called…" Dru smiled faintly. "You…Spike said it was to make it a challenge…But…"
"That's sweet of you, Dru. Thanks…" he smiled back.
"Buffy won't like this…" Willow noted. Shaking head…
"Now…We're just friends, Miss Rosenberg." Dru, gravely…
Uh-oh…She looked round…
"Someone…Fairly soulless but odd…Something is still…Anyway, human…I think." she hissed.
"Buffy?"
"Can't tell for sure…But I don't think so. Even Cicely has no trace of soul now…"
He looked about…
No, she'd make a big entrance. Soulless or no…Cicely or no…She never changes on that…
A crash of boxes…Even Willow jumping a bit…
He was on the fellow in an instant, a small man, weasily in aspect in nondescript clothes… "All right, you…"
"Lemme go!" the little man in his grip…Squirming…Demanded… "This is my place! What are you guys doin' in here? Jesus…" he stared. "You…William the…"
"Nice to know one has a rep…" William nodded.
"No…Don't kill me. I'm part demon…I can help you!" the little man whimpered, eyeing William, then Drusilla…
"We won't hurt you…" Dru said, soothingly. Coming over by Will…
"No?"
"Probably not…" William corrected. "If you give straight answers. Who are you? And what are you doing here?"
"Willie…" the man(?) answered. "Like I said, I own this place…"
"We're very sorry to trepass, then…" Dru said, kindly. "It was unavoidable…"
Hmmn…
She eyed Will… "He's not lying. He's part demon. And somehow has kept…What little soul, a very weak one…He had…"
"Neither fish nor fowl, that's me…" Willie shrugged.