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.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
-Lao Tzu

"You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour."
-Aristotle

London, England, 1495

The world around her despite the late hour was alight with colour and detail, the heavens were awash with colours many were utterly new to her and without name, the stars shone with a clarity that was incomprehensible to human vision. Each leaf on the trees had an individual shape and pattern; Elisabetta could hear the insects in the ground beneath her, and the heartbeats of all of the animals in the wild around them. The reality of what she was and the life than lay before her was lost on her, transfixed as she was upon the rush of the blood she had consumed and the surreal vision that was the world around her.

To Elisabetta it seemed as if before tonight, her sensed had been dulled and she had been living half-aware of the world not truly a part of it. But now she saw everything, heard and felt the world around her. As she ran alongside her new family her attention continuously faltered as she investigated everything, from the trees to the sky, her eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. She barely registered the presence of the two vampires beside her as she drank in the beauty of the night.

Eric and Godric simply laughed good-naturedly and the blood drenched girl as she practically skipped from curiosity to curiosity like a child seeing for the first time. Eventually, Eric resorted to scooping her into his arms as he and Godric took flight simply because dawn was approaching and the need for shelter outweighed their indulgence of the baby vampire.

Btvs/TB

The night she had risen a vampire had been filled with sensory overloads, of lust and confusion that it had seemed like some fever-dream filled with fanciful creatures and impossible things like shape-shifters and the living dead, but the second night that Elisabetta rose, her hunger satiated with the blood of dozens and her senses sharpened she truly saw the world as she had never seen it before.

Every sense was heightened, to the point where just looking at the most mundane of household objects was painful, she could smell the humans from a mile away, their pungent and unwashed bodies made her cringe while the racing of their blood and her insatiable fixation with it made her fangs ache, begging to descend.

The linen sheets of the bed she lay on scratched against her skin and she was pleasantly surprised that the blood which coated her body had been wiped clean, her filthy clothes removed and she rested in what she first thought to be a night gown, upon closer inspection however she realised that it was a man's shirt, one much larger than the shirt she had been given when she had first risen.

She glanced curiously around the room; it was filled with modest finery, every item was of good craftsmanship and there were a few trinkets and tapestries that were indicators of wealth. The bed she had been resting in was large enough for two people and the windows had thick drapes covering them and they had been nailed to the wall to ensure no light could penetrate them. Spotting a simple but clean dress lying purposefully upon a chair beside the bed, she dressed herself quickly and began exploring the room.

Deep within her heart she could feel a pull, beckoning her, calling her. The image of the man who had become her saviour flared suddenly in her mind's eye and shivers ran down her spine as his call washed over her. She could hear him, his voice as clear as it would have been if he were stood beside her.

"Come to me, my child." It whispered to her and immediately she ran towards it obeying the call.

The world around her fell into a blur of colour, everything else lost all meaning but the desperate need to find him. As she ran her mind spun with worry, whilst she did not fully understand this new state of being she knew intrinsically she knew she would find him. But why was he calling her to him? Was he in trouble? Her mind swam with possibilities as she ran. She had passed the house, past forests and fields before passing into a town in seconds she found herself stood in an alleyway between a tavern and an apothecary.

There stood the man who made her, his filthy clothing replaced with rich finery that made her own mismatched and borrowed pieces look like rags. She lowered her eyes from his gaze, feeling suddenly shy in his presence. Immediately he was before her, his hand tilting her chin up to allow their eyes to meet.

"Do not look away from me Elisabetta; you need not feel shame or inadequacy in my presence." His hands rested on her shoulders and his eyes were stern but earnest. "In over five hundred years I have never desired to make a vampire until I found you. You are my first and only progeny, as I am the first and only child of Godric. Our blood is that of honour and loyalty." He took her hand in his own and ran the other over her wrist "The same blood that made me runs through your veins, we were born into greatness." Her kissed her forehead and held her close to his chest. "Come, I will show you why I called for you."

She followed him with a newfound determination, her pride in her singularity as his progeny swelled in her chest along with her admiration of the mysterious vampire that was her maker. He lead her through the tavern, passed the typical patrons and drunken louts that populated them at night, no one paid heed to her state of undress, their minds foggy with drink. The noise and the stench of the humans was nearly unbearable and made her head feel as if it were splitting in two, if it were not for Eric's steadying hand she likely would have fled from the building.

He lead her up the staircase and into a fairly large room where a well dressed older woman sat impatiently tapping her foot, behind her stood two chairs, both laden with various cloth samples in a range of colours.

"Mr. Northman." She said tersely "I take it that this is the girl I will be fitting tonight?" her words were the acceptable degree of courtesy to a client she had been hired by, but she made no effort to hide her displeasure at having to work so late into the evening and at a tavern no less!

"Indeed, this is my sister, Elisabetta" his eyes met the woman's and as they did Elisabetta felt the rush of power emanating from her maker, his will exerting over the woman as her eyes glassed over "You will work to the best of your abilities and quickly to ensure that you provide Elisabetta with a wardrobe within the week, you will of course be compensated handsomely."

"Yes, of course." The woman replied blandly and she set about taking measurements from the younger girl before her, not speaking beyond asking her to lift her arms.

Elisabetta watched bemusedly as the woman carried out the orders given to her by her maker, gazing around the small room she casually rummaged through the material samples till her eyes landed on a beautiful deep blue velvet that felt heavenly in her hands. Almost subconsciously she held onto it tightly before turning to Eric who lounged nonchalantly on the small bed on the other side of the room, he caught her gaze as she stared pleadingly at him.

"Can I have this one?" she asked almost hesitantly, any fabric that was not coarse wool was very expensive, and Eric had declared that the seamstress would be creating her a wardrobe.

Eric rose from the bed and strode to her side as swiftly as his long legs allowed and cupped her face in his hands "I would give you a dress of solid gold if it was your desire, spare no thought for the cost, if that is the fabric you desire then I will commission a dozen dresses in a dozen colours if only it would make you smile."

And smile she did, she could feel their blood singing to her of his affection. And so the order was placed for velvet and lace, several of them in varying shades of blue and green as she found those were the colours that she preferred.

Btvs/TB

Eric smiled to himself amusedly as he watched his child examine the gifts he had laid out for her, awaiting her rising for the night. She had adjusted quickly to their life, to the necessity of feeding, the rush of power each mouthful of blood brought. He supposed the fact that the change had not repaired her memory loss provided her with an easier transition from human to vampire than most new vampires, after all she had only a sparse few months of human memory and now she had all of eternity before her as a vampire.

Godric had speculated that the human man who had taken her in had some form of connection to the wolf pack and their illusive leader, and after voicing his suspicions only to Eric he had remained with the pair only long enough to settle in a secure home before leaving to follow the human and investigate his importance. After all, it would do the youngest member of their company no good to be reminded of the life she had left behind. He returned at least once a week not only to update his progeny on his investigation but also to remind the young vampire of the hierarchy of their family.

Eric and Elisabetta's nights varied constantly in their routine, sometimes they would glamour their way into societal functions, others were spent loosing themselves in the thrill of feeding and each other's flesh, and sometimes his darling child would surprise him in her complexity as she would spend half of the night staring at the sky, mesmerised still by its unearthly splendour.

The manor which they resided in was a fairly large estate situated on the outskirts of London, the previous owners (a middle aged couple who had made their fortune in trade) had been glamoured to invite them in and were they disposed of and buried behind the property. As far as the people of the surrounding area were concerned the vampires were relatives who were living with the couple, the unfortunate pair were well known for liking their privacy so it was not unreasonable that no one saw them coming or going.

Even after almost a month together Eric was still amazed by his progeny, the bond between them was indescribable and whilst he had his connection to Godric and understood the loyalty he possessed for his own maker, to become a maker was something else entirely. He could feel her devotion to him, and her dependence upon him.

As a human the idea of being a father had been something he had never desired, and for five hundred years he had held no desire to make another vampire but when he had seen Elisabetta battling those werewolves so ferociously he had seen a warrior not the harmless girl she appeared to be, her skill with a blade impressed him as did her stubborn refusal to die, fighting with her bare hands when her sword was taken from her. At no point was there even a trace of fear in her eyes, they shone with fury and intelligence. He didn't even think twice about it when he killed the remaining wolves; he had to be near her he had to have her, the scent of her blood was tantalising filled with darkness and power. The taste was beyond compare.

Eric was brought back from his reflections by the feel of his child wrapping her arms around his chest and resting her chin on his shoulder, her golden hair cascading over his chest in gentle waves. Instinctively he rested his hand over her arm and turned his head to meet her eyes.

"Did you enjoy your gifts?" he asked

She smiled "I did, although you seem intent on spoiling me rotten."

He manoeuvred her from his back and positioned her in his lap. "I intend to give you everything you desire." His eyes locked on hers with an unyielding gaze, his sincerity and affection flooding their bond.

Her hands rested on either side of his face "You already have." she told him "You have given me life, had you not I would truly be dead. I owe you everything for the gift you have given me."

Eric could feel her affection for him race in her blood as she brushed her lips against his tentatively. Even after weeks of shared intimacy together she still hesitated when instigating anything between them. Perhaps it was her lack of memory of any sexual experiences that made her hesitate, or perhaps she feared him rejecting her, nevertheless he was more than happy to guide her in her affections.

Noticing her hesitance, he happily took charge and kissed her thoroughly and passionately, sliding his hand under the shirt she wore which had once been one of his. He ran his hands over her pale skin and pulled her into his embrace.

Btvs/TB

Loss had been all too familiar for Harrison Giles, so much so in fact that he had come to accept that love and happiness were mere fleeting reprieves from a lifetime of desolation and despair. He had accepted that he was not destined for a life of happiness but still, even with the knowledge that his life was not meant for such wonder, the entrance of Elisabetta into his life was as if the sun had finally shone for the first time in years.

Hope had risen in his soul and he wished for nothing more that to watch her flourish into a wonderful woman, to watch her marry and have a family of her own as any father would. He had promised himself that when he believed that she was ready he world inform her of the shadow world and the foul creatures that resided within it, he would have taught her to protect herself from them so no harm would befall her.

Hindsight tormented his every waking moment as he contemplated her fate, her soul was forever damned and her body had been taken over by an insidious satanic creature, one that consumed the blood of the living to survive. He had failed her so monumentally when he had left her alone, defenceless against creatures she couldn't even begin to comprehend. When he had first learned of the slaughter of Summersbrooke, as it had become known as, he had approached the topic with all the clinical practicality of a scholar but instilled with the burning fury of revenge only a parent could know. His dutiful hand recorded each and every word in elegant cursive script but a war raged within his mind. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to take revenge for what those demons had done to his daughter, for Elisabetta was his child in all but blood.

As if the damnation of her soul was not enough the demons made a mockery of her body, controlling it and committing atrocities in her form. He swore from that moment, even as he recorded each word that he would never again know peace nor rest until he had destroyed the demons that took not only his child, but his entire village.

There were rumours deep within the inner circle of certain allied families such as the Giles' and the Pryce's of creatures such as these with journals and documents that dated back centuries to a time when there was a group of informed individuals who made it their purpose to document the evils of the world in the hope of discovering ways in which to eradicate them. Of course, they rarely if ever involved themselves directly in the affairs of others beyond discussing and advising. If not for the fact that Harrison had inherited his father's position he likely would never have met them. But meet they did, and upon his revelation of the events that occurred the Council of Watchers decided for the first time in two centuries to act offensively against the demonic horde that plagued their world, they would aid Giles in his revenge and gain a worthy ally in the process.

Sunnydale, California 2001

The revelation that they had found a spell that would help them locate Buffy had considerably raised their spirits to such an extent that even the three weeks they had to wait for all of the ingredients needed in the spell did little to dampen the overall mood of the group. The spells they had chosen to perform were relatively simple in practice, but it would take the concentration of all five participants focused solely on Buffy and nothing else throughout the ritual. The second part was a little harder, since they had only few possessions of Buffy's and most of them had been donated to Goodwill by her father, their best option was blood, Dawn's to be precise. As her father wouldn't allow her to visit the town he believed his eldest daughter and ex-wife had both died in, the youngest Summers girl eventually managed to send a small vial of her blood to them accompanied by a letter begging them 'not to ask'.

Giles' living room had been cleared of all the furniture, leaving a wide open space within which a circle, (large enough to fit all five of them when they sat down) surrounding a pentagram were drawn from poured salt, an alter of candles lay below a mirrored bowl, resting on an iron tripod, within the basin lay a pool of water. In Willow's hand she held the vial of the potion they had brewed before hand, and in Giles' he held the vial of Dawn's blood, both of them sat on opposite points of the pentagram, with Tara at its peak.

In unison, Giles and Willow recited the Latin incantations, and poured the liquids into the bowl as they did so. The water became cloudy and they all clasped their hands together, silence settling over the room and their entire thoughts were focused on their friend.

The candles flared inexplicably and they all leaned towards the basin as the water cleared to show their friend enveloped in the arms of an unknown tall and blonde haired man, her own hair far longer than it had ever been and her clothing so unlike the fashion-minded former valley girl that was Buffy. Gone were the mini-skirts and heels and instead she wore a long flowing blue velvet gown, her feet clad in tiny silk slippers. She looked like a princess in a fairytale, as she laughed happily when the man hoisted her from her feet and spun her around the both of them tumbling to the ground, fingers entwined as they stared at the sky a comfortable familiarity lay between the two of them, it was clear to see even before the man pressed his forehead to hers and stroked her cheek affectionately with the back of his hand.

"My beloved child," He whispered, his accent a mix of English and Swedish, though this was lost on anyone but Giles "I cherish the day that I made you mine, you have brought hope and wonder into my heart for the first time in centuries." He kissed both of her cheeks before his lips covered her own, his hands entwining in her hair as he brought her into his embrace, he trailed his lips to her throat and- the water turned cloudy once more, the thoughts of each member of the circle too tumultuous to focus solely on Buffy and nothing else.

For a long while they each said nothing, but the general consensus was clear, something had gone very wrong, not only was Buffy in another dimension and alive as they had hoped, but she was somehow far in the past as well, this could only complicate matters further in trying to get her back. But her companion was the real issue, his precise wording may have been lost on Willow, Xander and Tara, but both Anya and Giles had fully understood his implications and both had enough intimate knowledge of vampires to understand what he had implied. But neither said a word, Anya holding her tongue for once in a rare display of tact, but as she met Giles' eyes they both expressed their worry for the girl they were so desperately trying to bring home.