The cab ride to Evelyn's flat was long and tense. It was hard to flag a taxi when two of them were covered in dried blood, but the cabbie shut up quickly enough when Evelyn pulled out the cash. Her apartment was in a clean, brick building in Midtown East, not far from the library. Eli couldn't help but feel out of place as Evelyn guided them inside, it was the nicest building she'd ever been in. Her thoughts were cut short though once they were safely behind Evelyn's door.
"I suppose you'll want to get cleaned up before we have it all out then." She said, removing her jacket and hanging it up neatly on rack. "There's a bathroom just down the hall, you can wash up and get changed. I should have something in your size if you give me a minute to-"
"No." Eli said, stepping forward "Let's talk now."
Evelyn was taken aback for a moment, but then relaxed. "Alright let's go into the kitchen then and I'll put on some tea." Eli nodded in consent.
"So what do you want to know first?" Evelyn asked as she lead them to a sparse but clean kitchen.
"Why did you bail me out of jail? What do you want?"
"Well I imagine it would have been difficult explaining to the police that you just finished killing a nest of vampires. You are a Slayer, correct?" She glanced up and Eli's whole body froze. Evelyn set the kettle down on the stove and put her hands up for Eli to see. "Relax, I don't want to hurt you."
"No." Eli could feel the fury rising in her again, ready to burn away her fear. "You want to use me."
"My dear girl, no. I want to help you."
"How? And why?"
"You remember how I told you there are Watchers trained to aid and guide the Slayer? Well I'm one of them, in a sense."
"You're a vampire."
"In a very loose sense." Evelyn sighed, "I was taught and trained by a Watcher after I was sired. It was all a rather complicated affair. But I provide much needed insight into research that human Watchers are unable to acquire. I don't work that closely with them anymore, but we keep in touch. So long as I don't kill anyone and continue to provide information, they leave me be. And in return I'm allowed access to their wide network of information."
Eli was confused now. "But why do it at all? I thought most vampires liked killing."
"I could be asking you the same question, or rather, asking your friend here. What is a vampire doing helping a Slayer?" She nodded towards Adrian who had been only barely following their conversation from the start.
"Yeah.. Eli I'm gonna need you to catch me up on a few things later.." He said. She nodded distractedly, fumbling with the words to describe their pact.
"We're, um. Well I mean like at first I just needed a place to stay, and then I saved his life, and then Jack was gonna kill us both so we just kindof…" She trailed off.
"We're a team." He chimed in. "I mean, if that's still ok."
"Yeah," she replied, "It's ok."
"So what this 'team' of your's plan?" Evelyn asked, with only a touch of sarcasm, "Go after every vampire nest in the city and get yourselves killed?"
"Uh, we hadn't really thought we were gonna survive that last one, so um, we didn't really plan that far?" Eli shrugged.
Evelyn scrutinized the pair. For the first time she considered the possibility that she was the one who had gotten in over her head. A sharp whistle came from behind her and turned to prepare the tea. "Well, the very least I can offer you for now is some basic training and a place to stay. If you want, of course."
Eli and Adrian looked at each other. "If you trust her, I will too." He said. She grinned.
"Yeah, ok." she said. Eli still wasn't completely certain about Evelyn, but between the months at the library and everything she'd told them, she was beginning to trust her.
"Oh and one other thing." Evelyn said, as they all sat down at the counter with their tea. "You're not alone anymore."
Eli considered the distinct possibility that being thrown of balance was starting to become her new normal. "What do you mean?"
"Well my information's been a bit patchy as of late, but it seems that the Slayer in Sunnydale has changed the game. When you became a Slayer, it wasn't because she died. It was because she lived, and gained a rather incredible source of power at that. She took that power and rather than keep it for herself, she chose to share it. Each and every girl in the world who had the potential to be Slayer is becoming one. There are thousands of other Slayers worldwide who are awakening to their new powers. Not all instantaneously, but they will be called, just as you were. So you see, while every previous Slayer has had to fight her own battles, you won't be alone."
Eli looked at the two of them sitting next to her and smiled. "I guess not."