Title: A World Without Shrimp
Summary: "Sure, alternate realities. You could have, like, a world without shrimp. Or with, you know, nothing but shrimp." Buffy falling through Glory's portal didn't kill her. Trapped in an alternate dimension with amnesia, it's a race against time for Willow and the scoobies to bring Buffy back. But with no memory of home, her friends or of her birthright, will Buffy even want to come back? And of course... there's the small matter of her overprotective maker.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy: the Vampire Slayer or True Blood or anything affiliated with either of them.
"Nothing happens to any man that he is not formed by nature to bear."
- Marcus Aurelius
England, 1495
The sun had sunk below the horizon some time ago, its waning pull calling Eric from his slumber. With great care, he gently untangled his still slumbering child from his arms, the loose earth shifting to take his place beside her as he made his way out of their earthen grave. Upon reaching the surface he noted that Godric sat on the ground nearby, fresh clothes for both Eric and his progeny in one arm, the other placed lazily on the shoulder of one of the two glamoured humans that sat beside him to his right, one of them a young man a little older in appearance than Godric and young woman whom Eric recognized as the inn keeper's daughter. Eric dressed quickly and efficiently, using his old shirt to brush as much dirt off of his skin as possible, and he ran a hand through his hair roughly.
Godric's lips twitched in amusement at the sight of his child preening, "Do you truly believe that your child with care about your appearance when two humans are before her?" he teased.
Eric rolled his eyes but ignored the comment in favor of the smaller of the two humans, with no preamble he swiftly sank his fangs into her neck and drank quickly and hurriedly, taking care not to drink too much, after a short while he pulled away, wiped a stray trail of blood from his chin and waited for his child to wake. He could feel her completely now, like she was an extension of his very being, their blood was the same and it called to him, he could feel her presence, and he knew that this was just the beginning. He would strive to become to her the kind of maker Godric was to him.
He felt her stir far before she ever reached the surface; he could feel her panic, her hunger and her longing. Unconsciously his child reached out for him in their bond, and began to search for him, she tore through the earth and stumbled towards him, every cell of her body had been remade, those first moments of awakening were disorientating and painful clouded by confusion and hunger. He reached out for her, gazing in awe upon her face, even covered in dirt he found her beautiful, especially with those petite fangs that had descended from her gums. He tugged the human he had previously fed from towards her and it took little to no coaxing from him for her to lunge at the girl and drink greedily. He paid no heed when the human fell to the ground; he simply pulled the other towards her and shoved the lifeless body out of the way.
Dutifully, Godric buried the first human, setting the clothes he had procured for his grandchild upon a low branch of a tree and awaited the next human. He, unlike many vampires, did not need to constantly assert his dominance in petty displays of posturing; he respected the sanctity of becoming a maker, and would never disrespect his child so completely as to interfere with the rising of his child. He was content to allow Eric to bond with his child, to calm her, feed her and have her recognize her maker's dominion over her. The introduction of him being Eric's maker would be all that is necessary for her to realise the hierarchy of their family.
When the haze of hunger and bloodlust had passed, reality began to set in for Elisabetta. It was as if she had awoken from a very long and extremely strange dream, the world came back to her sharply and she gasped in an unnecessary breath. "W-what have I done?!" she whispered, her eyes wide in terror as she recalled her slaughter of the wolf-men, and the man and woman whose blood she had consumed so ravenously.
Eric's hands clutched her shoulders and his deep blue eyes bored into hers, when their gazes met she was filled with a certainty she could not explain, that she should listen to him reverently, she chest burned as if she were holding her breath and she knew with absolute clarity that she would do whatever he were to ask of her.
"You have done nothing that your nature does not demand," He stated firmly "do not feel guilt or shame in your actions for that is pointless; there is no right or wrong, despite what the human church would claim, there is only survival or death." He cupped her cheek in his hand "I watched you slaughter the wolves; it was beautiful, and you were magnificent. I have gifted you with eternal life; you have become greater than you were, transcending humanity. As your maker, you must obey me, and show due respect to my maker." he gestured to Godric, who remained patient and seemingly impassive as he waited for Eric to explain their state of being to his child. "You must leave your old life behind you, you cannot go back to your home or your family, but I will be with you always, my blood is your blood."
Her eyes began lied with red, filled with blood-tears, but not of sorrow. For the first time since Giles had found her, she felt more than content. Her mind spun with amazement at the words of her maker, longing and awe filled her heart. She felt free, he had seen the darkness inside of her heart, and he had not turned away from her, no, he saw beauty in her darkness, he found magnificent the parts of her that Giles had taught her to scorn and look upon with distaste. She knew from that moment, from his complete acceptance of her, that she truly belonged somewhere in this world. She no longer cared if her memories ever returned to her, she would follow this man wherever he led, and her loyalty would remain steadfast and unwavering. "I will follow you; I will never abandon or betray you." Her voice was strong and her hazel eyes burned with determination.
Eric smiled proudly at her, and bid her to tell him her name, she informed him that it was Elisabetta, and after rolling it around on his tongue a few times he informed her of his own name.
Godric's hear filled with pride at the scene unfolding before him, his child had chosen wisely. Too often he had seen vampires made by force, or by trickery, or that were despicable as humans, and they were disrespectful, disloyal, disobedient and often lazy, indolent or insane. When he had made Eric, had had given him a choice, and had he refused him he would have honoured that choice. A child that hated you was of no use and would never allow a true bond to form between them as maker and child. His pride in Eric had never been greater; he had become a maker to a skilled warrior, she was beautiful, dangerous and above all else was as loyal as Eric was.
Eric provided her with the clothes that Godric had brought; a tunic and pair of breeches that had come from Godric's wardrobe, and he promised himself that he would not allow her to want for anything; he would dress her like a queen if it pleased her. He was pleasantly surprised that instead of disappointment or unease at being dressed in men's clothing, she acquiesced without argument and was genuinely grateful for the fresh clothing. After insisting that they both turn around, she changes quickly and Eric noted that even in Godric's clothing and barefoot, her long blonde hair hanging loosely and windswept, she was a sight to behold. He noted with amusement that she still had not figured out how to retract her fangs. After a few amusing minutes of instruction which included her pouting unhappily, she finally managed to retract them.
The night was wearing on, and both Eric and Godric knew that after the slaughter of the wolves the night before, they needed to leave this town as far behind them as they could, whilst the girl had proven herself to have some skill in defending herself the Change was a difficult time consumed by instinct, desire and impulse, there was no way that they could defend both her and themselves against a pack of werewolves of unknown numbers, all of them intoxicated by vampire blood. There would be time to hunt them again and when they did so their number would be one greater.
Godric's eyes alone conveyed the silent instruction to Eric, little over five hundred years together had enabled them to read each other nearly flawlessly, tonight they would feed and leave this town far behind them.
That night was filled with blood and death, as the three vampires gorged themselves in the blood of the townsfolk, they drank beyond the call of hunger, the sight of the carnage, the call of each other's blood spurred them on, their lust for blood and death was intoxicating. Humans ran from the safety of their homes into the arms of death; the men to defend their homes; the women to defend their husbands. Elisabetta was in entranced by the world; she could see with deadly precision in the darkness, she could run beyond what human vision could follow and her strength was beyond that of ten men, she had been born again when she had died and risen to a world filled with wonder, the darkness that had always been at war within herself settled within her and she no longer felt as if she were being pulled in two separate directions, she felt complete and she was lost to the call of the blood around her. It was a deep and primal need, a call, one that was beyond euphoric when satiated. She drank, and she drank deeply of the blood of those who had once been her neighbours.
Eric was overwhelmed, his own hunger and bloodlust was fuelled twofold by every emotion that Elisabetta was unwittingly projecting to him and she indulged her nature for the first time, and in spurred him to indulge himself beyond what he would normally partake in. He gazed upon the destruction that Godric, Elisabetta and himself had wrought upon the town with an appraising eye. Typically vampires, particularly Godric and himself, would refrain from causing so much chaos, but with the new addition to their family, such an indulgence was required to bond together quickly. It was surprising how a little shared carnage could form camaraderie so swiftly.
With a blur of speed, he appeared beside his child and sank his fangs into the opposite side of the neck of the woman she was feeding on; their eyes met as they drank greedily, and blood staining them both from head to toe. He did not remember which of them moved first, but soon enough her bloodied lips were upon his and they kissed passionately before pulling away from each other, and letting the drained body of the woman fall to their feet.
All too aware of how near to dawn it was approaching, Eric refrained from kissing her again, and instructed her to aid him and Godric in covering their tracks. Luckily for them, the wolves had left plenty of tracks in the mud for their presence to be recognised, and would provide them with a believable cover story, the vampires piled the human corpses into the church and closed the doors, before setting light to the building. Any humans who happened upon the scene would assume that the wolves had attacked, the blood was from the humans who had been wounded, and the townspeople had hurried to the church, baring themselves inside, an accident occurred and the building went up in flames, killing the survivors.
The three blood drenched vampires fled the town, unaware of the woman who had watched the butchering of her town from her window, recognising the demons for what they were, her body too old and infirm to fight with the others, but her mind was as sharp as ever, and age had graced her with patience, in a few days time Harrison Giles would return, and she would inform him of the fate of his ward, for she had recognised the face of the female demon, covered in blood and dirt though it was, she had cared for the girl as if she were her own child. Guilt consumed her, perhaps if she had been more attentive those demons would never have been able to corrupt Elisabetta.
Mrs. Lawson sighed sadly to herself, in self loathing at her feeling of uselessness, she would wait for Mr. Giles, and she was old enough to remember the rumours, that he had books of magic, that his father had fought demons in his youth. Mr. Giles had thought of Elisabetta as his daughter, he had lost everything and now she would have to tell him that the girl's soul had been stolen by servants of hell, but he would know what to do, she told herself, he would be able to destroy those demons that had ravaged their town.
AN- I just want to say that the opinions stated by the characters do not necessarily coincide with my own, and to say that I am incredibly grateful to the wonderful feedback that I have received so far, and it has inspired me to write this chapter. Thank you for reading!