Still not mine. Also, er. Character death? (Yay?)

***

"You guys," Willow exclaimed from behind the computer monitor. "I think I might have found something."

Giles, Xander, Cordelia, Buffy and Angel crowded around the computer and peered over Willow's shoulder. "What's the what, Will?" Buffy asked.

"I found this website on vampire myths, oddball traditions and stuff," Willow explained, scrolling down the page. "Most of it's pretty goofy, but there's this whole part on vampires with cold, shimmery skin. Says it's a Native American myth."

"Sounds like our guys," Buffy agreed. "Any tips there?"

"Well, it says their eyes are red, and get darker when they're hungry," Willow read slowly. "And that they're pale and beautiful. And – uh-oh."

"What uh-oh," Xander said, already preparing to panic.

"You know how our vamps have to suck your blood, then you have to suck theirs to be turned?" Willow asked nervously. "Well, these guys don't need their own selves sucked. Just bite and boom. And holy symbols? Ha-ha. Also not a big deal. And stakes? Yeah. Less with the working, too."

"How do you kill these guys, then?" Cordelia questioned.

"Decapitation," Willow gulped nervously.

"Great," Buffy rolled her eyes. "No chance their shimmery skin means they only play nice, is there?"

"It doesn't really say," Willow sighed. "Giles, do you have any books on Native American myths?"

"I should, yes," Giles muttered, hurrying over to the stacks and beginning his search. Buffy let out a sigh and flopped into the nearest chair.

"Well, this is just lovely," she groaned. "Guess I'm just waiting for these sparkly jerks to show their pretty little faces again."

"What about the girl?" Angel asked.

"At this point, I'm afraid her chances of survival are minimal," Giles replied. "Between her – paramour – and Spike and Drusilla, it's safe to say she's almost certainly doomed."

***

Bella stirred, opening her eyes to find a strange, eerie woman in a vaguely Victorian dress staring down at her. "Little precious is awake," Drusilla cooed, baring her teeth in a chilling smile. "Now playtime can begin. Would you like tea and crumpets, precious?"

"Who are you?" Bella asked abruptly, her voice sounding even more hoarse and mannish than usual. "Are you with James?"

Drusilla and Spike – who was sprawled boyishly on the bed – exchanged a glance. "Oi, who's James?" Spike questioned.

"James is the evil vampire who is after me," Bella explained helplessly. "He smelled my sweet, sweet blood in the clearing where I was playing baseball with my love Edward and his beautiful, marble-skinned vegetarian vampire family."

"Vegetarian vampires?" Spike chortled, leaning forward to examine Bella more closely. "How the hell's that work?"

"It is a family joke," Bella stated boringly. "They do not wish to slaughter innocent people, so they only drink the blood of wild animals. That is why their eyes are a beautiful topaz and not red like all other vampires."

"My eyes aren't red, Spike, are they?" Drusilla asked, clearly distressed. "That would be terribly upsetting, oooo, it would."

"No, pet, your eyes aren't red," Spike assured her. Turning back to Bella, he chuckled, "So your nancy boy's got fangs, eh?"

"Not really," Bella shrugged lamely. "But his teeth could tear me apart even still, if he wanted to. He does not, though – he refuses to turn me until I have graduated high school and we are married."

"Mmm, old-fashioned sort of boy, he is," Dru purred. "You want him to turn you. You want to be a shiny, cold diamond girl and drink from bears and rabbits for all eternity, hmm?"

"But Edward says we must wait until marriage," Bella sighed.

"P'raps we could help, luv," Spike declared cheerfully.

"How?" Bella asked obliviously.

"Well, if the great poof won't turn you…" Spike began thoughtfully. "Maybe you ought to find someone else to pop your cherry – so to speak."

He and Drusilla shifted into vamp face, causing Bella to shriek. Edward stirred, but did not move. With a wicked giggle, Dru dove in, digging her fangs into Bella's pale, thin neck. Spike was happy to watch, always having enjoyed watching his dark princess at work. There was something innately sensual about the way Dru killed, always angling her head like she meant to kiss her victim, tangling her slender fingers through their hair; when they frantically grabbed at her, tried to break away, she'd just as soon hold them close and whisper nonsense in their ear as she would snap their fragile bones. Bella screamed (rather orgasmically, Spike thought with a smirk) as Drusilla drained her blood, clutching at Dru's arms. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and Spike laughed.

"Well done, princess," he commended her.

Drusilla released Bella's body unceremoniously and licked a drop of blood off of her lips. "Mmm, just like a lolli, a tasty candy, all sweetness and staining my lips," she murmured. "Give us a kiss and p'raps you'll get a taste."

Obligingly, Spike leaned in to Drusilla, kissing her hard and deep. He ran his tongue along the contour of her lips, savoring the taste of Bella's candylike blood. "Holy hell," he gasped delightedly.

"More delicious than all the yummiest sweetest cakes in all of England," Drusilla proclaimed. "Pity she was so very plain and uninteresting. I'd have thought to keep her around a while as a lovely playmate for Miss Edith if only she had been a bit more charming." She sighed dramatically and lapped at the last of Bella's blood that lingered on her lips. "Shame for the poor dead precious."

"Shame indeed," Spike agreed nonchalantly. "Good thing there's still Glitter Boy to play with, hmm, luv?"

***

"I really think you should go after them," Angel told Buffy, turning his very most serious face on her. "The girl isn't safe. Spike and Drusilla will attack her. You don't know them like I do."

"Yeah?" Xander asked, rolling his eyes. He was the least willing to accept Angel, once feared amongst the underworld set, into their gang, and mention of Angel's evil Angelus life put him on the offensive. "What do you know, then?"

"Dru is fascinated by new things," Angel shook his head. "Something as strange as – as a glittering vampire would very likely become an obsession with her. She could be torturing him right now."

"Color me shocked," Buffy muttered. "Crazy vamp is gonna do something crazy. And I should care… why?"

"The girl is going to get caught in the crossfire," Angel exclaimed. "She doesn't deserve that."

"Um, Earth to Angel," Cordelia snarked. "This girl was practically begging for it."

Willow and Xander nodded in assent.

"Just because she was hanging out with vamps?" Angel questioned, his tone indignant.

"No, Oversensitive Boy," Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Because she literally told us she wanted to be a vampire. Duh."

"Oh," Angel said sheepishly.

"It really is up to you, Buffy," Giles said, folding his arms and sighing. "Trying to find Spike and Drusilla is dangerous in and of itself, and only you can decide if this – this Bella girl is worth it."

Buffy looked around the table. Angel was expectant, hopeful; Cordelia looked bored; Xander's expression was neutral, ready to go either way depending on Buffy's choice; Willow had her anxious face on. Giles, as usual, looked stoic and British. She sighed deeply.

"Think I'll need any fancy swords, or just a crossbow and stakes?"