In Your Blood
Chapter Two

'So, report. What happened?' The boss asked, impatiently tapping their nails against the very expensive table and leaving little crescent shaped marks that would take the cleaners hours to polish out.

'Still unknown.' the underling facet them admitted after a moment. 'The possession was a success, and they killed the target…'

'Good, good. Then everything is going according to plan?' The boss practically purred.

Another pause. This one longer. 'No. Somehow the girl survived.'

'Survived?'

'We think so. It's not clear. There was a report of her being killed, then that body went missing and finally we had one of our agents on the ground get a visual on her walking back into her apartment. A bit shaken, but alive. They said.'

The tapping began again. 'Kill them. Kill the one we hired to possess the guard as well. Make sure nothing links back to us. And send in the Magus, I need them as soon as possible.' With that the boss turned away, dismissing the underling, Things never seemed to work out how they were supposed to when it came to manipulating the Slayer.

It was pretty much the first time everyone had been in the same room since, well since Sunnydale. It wasn't that surprising either, they hadn't needed to hit the emergency button like this. 'So you died, came back and Red here had nothing to do with it.' Faith summed up the situation after they all had gathered.

As soon as Dawn had been killed the call had gone out for them. Xander, Willow, Giles and even Faith turned up within a day. With Kennedy and Robin tagging along too. That made nine people in total crowded into the small hotel room they were living out of these days. 'Yeah, that's about it.' she shrugged.

'So we're thinking this is some wacky Summers thing right?' Kennedy suggested. 'Or what was that I heard about you and a Key?'

'I'm actually thinking I'm Immortal.' Dawn admitted.

Buffy rolled her eyes. 'Because of what that Adam guy said. Who I'm going to kill as soon as I see him, by the way.'

'Immortal? You mean like Buffy's boyfriend?' Xander asked.

'Ex.' Dawn, Andrew and Faith corrected him, at the same time.

Buffy sighed. 'Well he's dead now, so technically Ex.' She admitted.

'Dead doesn't sound very immortal to me.' Robin pointed out.

Giles coughed to get everyone's attention. 'Perhaps we can get back to that later. Right now I think we'd all like to know what happened. Starting with how Dawn, I guess, died.'

He was looking at her, they all were, but all Dawn could do was shrug.

'She doesn't remember. Hell, she doesn't remember most of that day.' Buffy explained.

'Was anyone else there?' Xander asked and very slowly Andrew held his hand up.

'Then start from the beginning.' Giles ordered the junior Watcher.

'W… Well Okay. Urm. As you know Mr Giles the Demonic criminal underworld is a complex and devious culture. One that was thrown into turmoil nearly a year ago now when the Capo Di Famigia's head fell off.' Andrew began.

'We know that bit.' Dawn pointed out when he started to explain it to her as well. 'He's with his family, growing his body back.'

'Growing their body back?' Kennedy blinked 'What?'

'Well they're a demon. Head falls off, body grow back, but it takes a while. A few years and there's a power vacuum now.' Dawn shrugged. 'That's whats causing a big problem.'

Xander laughed. 'Demons, they keep you guessing.'

Giles cleaned his glasses. 'On topic, Andrew has been keeping me apprised of the situation. I did ask Buffy to do the same.'

'I did mean to.' She mumbled. 'It's just, you know, house hunting and everything.'

'As I understand it from what Dawn and Andrew have told me the Capo's recovery and resurrection prevented a clan war from erupting right there and then. However, tensions continue to rise between the Clan heads. The presence of the Slayer in the city hasn't helped either.' The Head Watcher finished.

'Not my fault.' Buffy muttered again.

Dawn picked up the story for those like Xander and Willow that didn't know what had been happening. 'It's all sort of Cold War right now. Manoeuvring of one clan, or another. They're all trying to get the upper hand, but no one's in a position strong enough to pull the trigger. Not yet. But it doesn't look good and whatever happens you can bet people are going to die. The Immortal was a player in this whole thing. Nothing happened in Rome with out his say so. He arranged a sort of treaty thing where we promised not to get involved and it calmed things down a bit.'

'The plan was to keep them playing off each other. Like Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon.' Andrew explained. 'The idea was to keep it like that until the Capo came back and retook his rightful place.'

'But then The Immortal died.' Buffy told them. 'We've kept with the agreement treaty thing, 'cause I don't want to be the one who sets this whole mess off.'

'But with the Immortal dead they don't really trust us.' Dawn pointed out. 'We think he convinced them he had Buffy under his control or something.' Her sister glared at her but Dawn ignored it. Since his death Dawn had come to see The Immortal for what he was. Slick, sleazy and manipulative. Buffy, on the other hand, wasn't willing to admit it

'So we received word from the heads of the main Demon clans that we were to meet with them.' Andrew started again, completely missing the tension. That or he finally knew enough to change the subject. 'Buffy wanted to come in person, but they didn't like the idea. Fearing that our valiant Slayer General would use the opportunity to strike at all of them at once. Negotiations were hard, but eventually they agreed to meet with just me and Dawn.

'With the understanding that I would kill them all if something happened.' Buffy growled.

'So they broke their word. That mean we're going to have rampage later Bee?' Faith asked with a dangerous gleam in her eye. 'My schedule is free.'

'Not just yet, but keep it in mind.' Buffy agreed. 'Because that's not exactly what happened.'

'Well what did happen?' Xander asked and Dawn looked to Andrew. 'Without the drama. Please.'

'This is the bit I don't remember.' Dawn admitted.

Andrew winced. 'We met with the Family heads. The ones that run the Clans. We were convincing them that we were good for keeping out of the way, as long as they didn't start killing humans. No one had a problem with that when one of their bodyguards went crazy. He went straight for Dawn. The boss was screaming at him to stop, but the guard killed him first.'

'So obviously the demon was, what, under a spell? Somebody controlling him?' Kennedy asked.

'We think he was bribed.' Andrew said.

Buffy folded her arms. 'I'm not buying it, well not entirely, but they're all terrified now of what I'm going to do and trying to find out who the guard was really working for. When we find out who it was I'm going to rip their lungs out.'

'Assuming they have lungs.' Willow pointed out

'We've told them that I wasn't killed. That I was just hurt and that I'm recovering.' Dawn told them. 'Which is kinda true.'

Giles stood up, he walked back and forth. 'I am uncomfortable with treaties and alliances between ourselves and demons. That said I agree that it is for the best. For now. We have more important things to deal with, namely Dawn's miraculous recovery. What were her injuries?'

Andrew swallowed, looking very green all of a sudden. Dawn could see he didn't want to say. 'My neck. The demon broke my neck.' she told them.

'You remember that?' her sister asked hopefully.

Dawn shook her head. 'Nope, not a thing. It's what you said though.' She explained. 'I sort of remember agreeing to go to the meeting. You weren't happy about it Buffy, but I promised to be careful. And that's it.'

'I don't know about you, but I'd remember how I died.' Kennedy said.

Buffy shrugged. 'I only kinda remember dying. I mean I remember it. Everything before and leading up to it. It's just the whole dead part that's tricky. Not like Dawn with the whole amnesia thing.'

'Post traumatic shock.' Willow spoke up and then at the strange looks she smiled. 'Two years psych major people. Unlike Buffy I paid attention in class.'

'I did pay attention!' Buffy protested.

'When you were awake.' Willow shot back and Dawn laughed.

'What, I'm the crazy one with the magic healing neck.' She pointed out when everyone stared at her.

Willow rolled her eyes. 'You're not crazy Dawn.'

'I don't know sweetie. Forgetting like a whole day. Sounds kinda crazy to me.' Kennedy admitted.

It was Giles that spoke in her defence. 'I'm not an expert, but baring any other options Willow has the training. No matter how limited. I think we should hear her theory.'

Dawn shrugged, 'Sounds good.'

'Right, well, no expert here either, but okay.' Willow nodded to herself and sat up. 'Well basically traumatic shock can manifest in a number of ways. Neck being broken sounds very traumatic. To protect herself from what happened Dawn's mind just closed down on it.'

'So what, the memories are there, she just doesn't want to remember them?' Buffy suggested.

'She might, one day. It's just too fresh at the moment.'

'Yay!' Dawn said with false cheer. 'I get to remember how I died. Whoo! Now we just have to figure out why I'm not still dead.'

'Are we sure you were?' Xander asked standing up and heading for the fridge. 'Dead. You weren't just nocked out or something.'

'Oh, I was dead.' Dawn told them, remembering that nothing she was trapped in before waking up in the Morgue. She couldn't hide the shudder she felt.

'We've got the coroners report.' Buffy admitted. 'Her neck was really broken.'

Andrew nodded. 'I heard it.'

'So did I' Dawn rubbed the back of her neck.

That got a few looks. 'You said you didn't remember…'

'Not it breaking, it going back.' Dawn felt a little sick and thankfully Xander handed her a bottle of water.

As she gulped some down Andrew asked the obvious question. 'So how is she back?'

Buffy frowned. 'I thought we cleared that up. Like Kennedy said it's a weird Summers thing. The whole spell Key human bit.'

'Which makes me Immortal then.' Dawn suggested wiping her mouth.

'I guess.' Buffy started unsure, before realising what she was saying. 'Not like that! Dawn! There is no way you're one of those guys! You just, you know, didn't die. One time. Or Un-died. Whatever.'

'Isn't that what being immortal means.' Dawn suggested. Not liking the idea anymore than she did.

Buffy shook her head. 'There's immortal and then there's Immortal Dawn. We don't know anything about them.'

'We know some things, more now your boyfriend isn't distracting us from research.' Dawn snarked.

Giles held up a hand, stopping their imminent fight. 'A coroners report? The authorities were involved?'

Buffy and Dawn shared a wince. 'Andrew panicked, so I got the full treatment.'

'I was called into the police station when they told me. First that my sister was dead, then that they lost the body. Then this morning I got a telegram. Apparently there was a mix up and Dawn got herself cremated. I'm suppose to pick up the ashes sometime this week.'

Dawn waved. 'So yeah, we're cool. I just have to keep my head down, and you know on my shoulders for a little while and everything's cool.' She rolled her eyes. 'I'm going to have nightmares about burning alive. I just know it.'

'So they what, have a body go missing and rather than just lose the paperwork they cremate something and cover ti all up?' Xander asked. 'Just goes to show Sunnydale PD never had a good idea.'

'But that doesn't answer the question, how is Dawn still alive. Or back.' Robin pointed out. 'You keep mentioning something about an Immortal. Who, or what, exactly was he?'

'We… Don't know.' Buffy admitted

'Well he was your boyfriend so law of averages.' Willow shrugged.

'Demon.' Xander, Faith and Kennedy chorused.

Dawn rolled her eyes. 'They're not demons. I don't think so at least. They just don't die. Well unless you cut off their heads.'

'So they don't grow back?' Xander asked

That wasn't what Dawn was expecting, and hadn't actually thought of that. 'Urm, Giles?'

The Watcher pulled of his glasses and polished them. 'Yes well, to answer your question no. Once beheaded these particular creatures are incapable of recovering. Although I did come across some reports of limbs being reattached.' Putting his glasses back on Giles launched into lecture mode.

'Shortly after the Immortal's death Dawn sent me her early research.' He explained. 'At first it appeared she had stumbled upon a new species of demon. At least new to me. It turns out she, in point of fact, re-discovered the first.'

'I'm confused.' Dawn admitted and could see she wasn't the only one.

'Since becoming the de-facto head of the Council I've had access to information. Information considered too… Sensitive to share. Even amongst the Watchers. It appears that the Council did not begin as we believed and its original goals were quite different. Thousands of years ago a mortal man witnessed the ritual combat between two of these Immortals. He proceeded to become friends with the victor and learnt much about them and their ways.

'The man's name was Ammaletu the Akkadan. He chose to keep the secret from the world, but in doing so founded the original Watchers. With the goal of recording all that could be known about these creatures.'

'When was this?' Robin asked.

'I believe it was around four thousand years ago.' Giles told them, uncomfortably.

'So what happened?'

If anything he looked even less comfortable. 'From the reports I've found the Watchers began recording everything they could. Producing a secret history of the world most people don't even know exists. While it all started with the Immortals it didn't stop there. Soon they were investigating and collecting arcane knowledge from across the globe.'

'Cool.'

'Yes Andrew, cool. Anyway, moving on.' Giles continued. 'As they learnt more about Demons and the forces of darkness there was a divide in the Watcher ranks. To become a Watcher you were required to take an oath to never interfere. To watch and record only. The more progressive of the two groups believed that was a mistake. That for the good of humanity they had to fight the Darkness encroaching on them. The more conservative members believed that it wasn't their fight and that their oath was more important.

'Eventually the two groups split. The conservatives choosing to focus only on the Immortals and what they called The Game. Taking up the the name of the Society of Watchers while the Progressives began finding ways to fight. Eventually meeting the Slayer and dedicating their lives to her destiny. They took up the title Watchers Council. In the end all contact was severed between the two groups more than a thousand years ago.'

'The secret history of the Watchers.' Willow nodded taking it all in.

Buffy didn't look happy. 'So Travers and that lot, they were the progressives? How backwards are these other guys. I mean, have they even heard of fire?' That got a few chuckles.

Dawn though had a concern. 'Yeah, great. Let's hear it for the Watchers. What about the others? The Immortals? I'm more interested in them. Surprisingly.'

Giles winced. 'I'm sure you can understand, I've not had very long to research this and the possibility of a whole branch of Watchers hidden from the world was just too enticing.'

'Yeah, I get that, but this whole Game and ritual Challenge thing is important to.' Dawn pointed out. 'I don't want some stranger with a sword to come out of nowhere trying to kill me because they think my head some kind of trophy.'

'Dawn, Slayer big sis here. I'll handle it.' Buffy offered.

Dawn rolled her eyes again. 'So every time I go out I need you to come with me? That's not going to work.'

'More importantly, if Dawn is Immortal, one of these people or otherwise, she's going to be around for a while. I hate to say this Buffy, you might not be.' Robin told her carefully.

'So what, I teach Dawn how to use a sword?' Buffy shrugged. 'Shouldn't be too hard. She already knows which end to hold.'

Dawn shook her head. Buffy was a great fighter, but most of that was instinct. She really sucked when it came to being a teacher.

'I don't get it.' Xander admitted. 'There are these people, out there somewhere, that live forever and all they do is cut each others heads off? Anyone else confused by that?'

'Wasn't there something about a ritual challenge and a Game?' Willow asked.

This was where things got a little tricky and seeming Giles had gone down the wrong path that left Dawn trying to explain what little she already knew. 'They call it a Game. The chopping each others heads off. There's supposed to be all these rules and things involved, but basically the idea is they kill each other for a Prize.' She suddenly remembered the words of Adam. She'd come across them before in her research as well but now, talking about it, it made sense. 'In the end, there can be only one.'

Dawn gave herself the chills and could tell from the looks she was getting just about everyone had the same feeling. 'Only one. Only one what? Immortal?' Buffy frowned

She nodded.

'So what's this Prize?' Willow asked after a moment of silence.

Dawn spread her hands. 'Don't know. I've tried finding out, but what I've found is all really vague about it. I don't even think they know. I was hoping Giles would have found something by now.'

'Honestly, there's very little I could find that you haven't.' He told her. 'Since splitting from our Council their organisation has been incredibly secretive. I haven't been able to find very much, even with my resources. Of course that's not saying very much. We still haven't fully recovered from the First's attacks.'

'We could always ask one of them.' Faith suggested. 'Track one of these guys down, beat the crap out of them until they spill.'

'An Immortal, or one of these not-Watchers' Kennedy asked

'Whichever.'

'Because they look identical to humans, and I think some might be human. So killing them's a big no and finding them? Nearly seven billion people on the planet. Good luck.' Dawn pointed out.

'You got a better idea?'

Dawn winced and she knew everyone noticed. 'I… I've got a phone number.' She admitted. 'For Adam.'

'Adam?' Buffy jumped to her feet. 'The Adam that kidnapped you Adam? The one that blew up our apartment killing my boyfriend Adam? The one guy I've been trying to find god only knows where? That Adam?' She demanded.

'He never left Rome.' Dawn admitted in a small voice. 'He's been here the whole time.'

Buffy's face went purple.

End Chapter Two