Nadja, ever the loyal friend, let out another "ooh" as Beth practiced her high kick again. They were situated in one of the smaller parks around the area, which was dense enough that vampires sometimes frequented the area looking for late-night joggers and dog walkers or people trying to cut through the trails to get home sooner. Of course, she had gone and picked the only night that the vampires decided to be somewhere else. At least she had time to practice her moves.
"So you once helped save the world as well?" Daniel asked Andrew, looking thoroughly intrigued for a story likely littered with half-truths and creative liberties. She had heard enough versions of stories to know that Andrew's tended to be the most far-reaching, especially since he told a lot of stories of events he had not been there for.
"Yes," Andrew affirmed with a nod.
"By crying?"
"It was a very pivotal role," he defended.
"Which was crying," Daniel repeated. He turned to look at Beth, the raising of his eyebrow the only visual clue for her that he was actually somewhat impressed at the height her leg hit. While he openly admired Spike (and not always from a distance), he was much subtler about his appraisal of Beth, and she didn't know why. Sometimes she thought he was stepping around something, though she couldn't imagine what. She had gotten pretty good at reading him the last couple of months she had known him, but he was still a peculiar little man.
"You know very interesting people," he commented. "Tell me, has everyone in your family saved the world?"
"Some have even attempted to end it," Nadja added, making Daniel's eyebrows go higher. "It's okay. Her uncle stopped it. With a crayon."
"It was a story about a crayon and please, for the love of all that is worth seeing in this world, do not ask him about it," Beth sternly instructed. "That is not another story time I'm willing to sit through."
"Why is that?" Daniel asked. "It sounds remarkable."
"He told a story about a crayon and acceptance and made my aunt Willow cry, look, it's really not that amazing," she told him.
"She just says that because he's told her about ten times," Nadja side-whispered to him. "It is actually pretty remarkable."
"It was twelve times and don't think whispering will keep me from hearing you," she called out.
"Darn, she's good," Nadja grumbled. "Daniel, I think it's about time you and I come up with a secret code of some sorts. She speaks about ten languages, so we're going to have to get creative."
"I don't speak ten languages," Beth corrected, walking over to them. "I mostly read them and who here can speak Fyarl? Well, my dad, but he doesn't count. I don't know Latin though, so hopefully that never becomes a problem."
"Ooh, we can brush up on that!" Andrew said, looking excited.
"Can I skip that meeting?" Nadja asked.
"I think learning Latin would be quite fun," Daniel decided. "It would look good on college applications."
"Oh, don't remind me," Nadja groaned. "My mom won't stop going on and on about it. When you've got cousins in Berkeley and MIT, no one stops expecting a thousand great things from you. Can I put Assistant Slayer on my résumé?"
"We could get you an official card," Andrew told her.
"Like a license?"
"Well, er, yes, except you can't drive with it," he responded.
"So like my permit then."
"It's like an ID, Nadja," Beth explained with a roll of her eyes. "Like a work ID. They sometimes offer them up to 'freelancers' who assist slayers, like my dad. Helps them get into stuff, but not enough. My dad's been turned away more times than I can count. It's more so you can get into places with a slayer."
"But will I look cool showing it off?" Nadja questioned. "Survey says yes."
"Do you have an ID, Beth?" Daniel inquired.
She nodded, pulling her wallet out of her pocket. She handed him the plastic and he looked it over. "Summers, Elizabeth J.," he read before handing it back to her. "It's very official."
"Yeah, well, I'm still not supposed to go off on my own," she grumbled, tapping the plastic. "Technically, it's only purpose right now is supposed to be to check out books from the library at the academy."
"You are still a slayer-in-training," Andrew reminded her, "and I, your all-knowing tea—"
"Do you want an ID, Daniel?" Nadja asked, interrupting whatever platitudes he was about to spout.
Daniel tilted his head in thought. He was about ready to open his mouth and voice his answer when three vampires came bursting out of the woods, making them all jump back. Beth cursed herself for not having heard them coming.
"Well, if it isn't the slayer," one of them remarked, his voice sounding cultured. He was dressed remarkably well and up to date for a vampire and she wondered if he was new to the game. Although, he did know what a slayer was.
He gave her a once over, the disdain on his face expressing that he came away unsatisfied with what he saw. "I always thought you would be a bit more, though I must commend you on how well you've aged, Ms. Buffy."
"Buffy's my mother," she snapped. "I'm guessing you're new to this playground, hm, kiddies?"
He blinked, looking at her with a shocked expression before settling back into his "cool guy" façade. "Well, this is unexpected. The amazing Buffy Summers has a daughter, and she's a slayer too! Did you know about this?" he turned to one of his companions, a burly redhead with a very scruffy looking beard—no doubt one of McGregor's. It would make sense for McGregor to send vampires after her mother, since the woman had all but swore to burn their lair down. The other, well-dressed one, didn't seem like the company McGregor kept. There was a glint in his eyes, one that made Beth feel a little uneasy.
"I've been about as far from home as you have," the companion told him with a grin.
The first vampire chuckled. "I do sincerely doubt that, but no, this is curious." He turned back to look at Beth, studying her closer. "Most peculiar. Is it just your four?"
"Yes," Beth bit out, "but don't worry, I can take all three of you."
"Oh, you are delightful," he chuckled. "All spit and fire, aren't you? Little thing like you, going to kill me? Girl, I have seen more years than you can imagine. I know history you've never heard of."
"Oh, tough bloke, are you?" she taunted. "Unfortunately, I'm not here for a history lesson." She pulled a stake from her waistband, brandishing it. "It seems you'll be another thing to go down in history."
"How quaint, she jokes," he murmured to his companion.
"Come on," the third one whined, growing impatient at all the back-and-forth. "Let's kill her."
"The Master said not to touch the slayer," the redhead reminded him and he whined again.
"He said Buffy," he hissed, rocking on the balls of his feet.
"Calm, Antony," the first one, obviously the leader now, soothed. "A fight with a slayer should never be rushed."
"We've no need to listen to them now though!" the third growled, already going into gameface. "With the Master in town, this slayer doesn't stand a chance! Kill her!" He leapt at Beth, who was ready for him, with his hands outstretched as if to grab her. She sidestepped him easily, and he stumbled a bit when he landed, giving her enough time to stake him through the back. He went out in a cloud of ash, in probably the most anticlimactic way possible.
She dropped her arm and looked over at the other two vampires, eyebrow cocked. "Who's next, yeah?"
"If you think we're so slow-witted as to launch ourselves at you like that, you're in for a surprise," the leader told her with a smirk.
"Fine. You seem like a gentlemanly type anyway," Beth told him. "Ladies first, right?" She ran at them, feinted right before going left and punching the redhead in the face. He reeled back, reaching up to clutch his nose.
"You shouldn't have done that," he hissed. "Before, we would have told our Master about you and let you live, but now I'll just take you out myself and he'll be none the wiser!" He morphed into gameface, and delivered a kick to Beth's stomach, sending her back some. "I never liked you bitches anyway."
"What makes you think you can kill me?" she hissed, ducking a hit and kicking him in the knee. She heard a crunch and he winced, but didn't seem otherwise affected by the hit.
"Carmichael," the other vampire warned, taking a step back.
"Because I've lived longer than you can ever hope to," the redhead, Carmichael, growled at her. "I may not be a Master vampire, but that doesn't mean I can't defeat you."
She ignored his words, delivering a roundhouse kick to his side, sending him skidding. She smirked at him and he let out a growl, launching himself at her, and sending them both toppling to the ground. She felt his fangs graze her neck and she jerked her head back, hitting him in the forehead.
"Hell, slayer!" he griped and he loosened his grip enough for her to push him off her. She quickly got up, kicking him in the head. His lip split and blood trickled down his chin. She delivered an uppercut to his jaw, laying him flat on his back.
"Fighting a slayer is no fun if I'm going to end up on the ground all the time," he hissed, trying to stand back up.
"Then stop losing," she retorted. As he began to stand up, she picked up her leg, planning to slam her knee into his chin. He caught it though, before she could do any damage. Using his body as leverage, he flipped her onto the ground and tried to wrestle his way on top of her, trying to do a repeat of the "helpless damsel trapped under the brute" again, but this time with better results. She wasn't having any of it though and he was predictable enough that when she got herself turned around, she already had her stake at the ready. He was gone in a puff of dust and she coughed, remembering that she should stop dusting vampires when it could get in her mouth. Eugh, vampire taste.
Beth stood up, turning around, looking for the lead vampire. She didn't see him and she let out a growl of frustration.
"Where'd he go?" she barked, turning to her watcher and friends.
"Away, I suppose," Daniel responded. "We were too busy watching you to see him go."
"He went that way," Andrew pointed down the path, "quickly. He was very fast. He seemed to have sensed the battle not going in his favor, and fled."
"He didn't even try to fight," Beth muttered.
"Yeah, after all that talk about killing us, that Carmichael was really disappointing," Nadja commented. When she noticed the weird looks everyone was giving her, she added, "I mean that in the sense that he talked big game just to fumble the ball. That's always disappointing, even if I'm relieved to be alive."
"Should I go after him?" Beth asked.
Andrew shook his head. "He's going to disappear once we're out of the woods and you can't move as fast as he can. Like I said, he left quickly."
"Damn," she cursed. "Ugh, I wanted to teach that bastard about trying to catch a slayer unawares."
"What did he mean about his 'Master'?" Daniel inquired. "I thought the one that ran was the leader. He appeared to take the role easily."
"We think the Master Vampire who used to run Bellevue and its surrounding areas is back," Andrew explained. "I think that's who they were talking about. It would explain why the first one that attacked you was so eager. He likely feels guarded by his Master's return."
"But the Master was largely off the scene," Nadja argued. "My Grandfather said he and his men didn't really bother people unless they bothered him. If anything, he kept the other vampire clans under control. He kept a very low profile."
"That didn't seem under control," Daniel commented.
"Apparently whatever truce there was going on is off the table," Beth said, referring to the battle that ended literally a second ago. "I guess with a slayer around, it's a free for all."
"A slayer could be seen as a threat," Nadja suggested. "You kill vampires for your job. If that's not a direct threat, I don't know what would be."
"Are you defending the Master Vampire?" Beth asked.
"No, I'm explaining him," Nadja corrected.
"Well, if he is a problem, then that means we can't keep him around to keep the other vampire gangs in line," Andrew decided. "If this Master is a threat, we need to kill him."
"That I can do," Beth assured, twirling her stake in her hand. "Now, who wants to see if I can hit that tree over there?"
-.-
"Bet I know why you're here," Charlie called when he heard the door to the basement open. He almost sounded sing-songy, which was weird, but Beth took it in stride. Her life was weird after all, why not add a morally ambiguous vampire to it?
"Good, then I hope that means you have answers for me," she replied, stepping down onto the concrete floor. Charlie had somehow acquired a foldable table, likely from the storage closet in the teacher's room, and was playing cards with himself. There was a second chair, empty, and another set of cards, like he had been expecting someone to come. She studied the setup for a moment, wondering if he had expected her arrival and wanted to play. Though, judging from the haphazard laying of the cards, he'd peeked.
"I'm not playing cards with you," she said, though she sounded amused.
"Didn' want to," he told her. "Had a friend over. Felt the slayer an' booked."
"He's not worried that I was coming to speak with you?" she asked, sitting down in the abandoned chair.
He shrugged. "He didn' think that. Jus' felt you comin'. Better you than me, that's how we play."
"Was it that guy you sent me to in the demon bar?" she inquired, unaware that Charlie had "friends." Informants, sure, but friends? That seemed to be stretching it.
"Naw, he ain't no friend," he answered. "He cheats."
"Hm," she noted.
"So's, bet you still lookin' for Xavier," he started, leaning back in his chair.
"My mum is," she corrected. "And that's not why I'm here."
"No?" he asked, honestly looking confused.
"No," she confirmed. "Though, if you have information on Xavier, I'll take it as well."
"Well, Xavier's no longer a problem," he told her.
"Dead?" she asked and he nodded. "How? Does this have something to do with the Master Vampire back in town?"
"Boy, you sure do hear around, don' you?" he asked. "What you need me around for?"
"Look, I'm only hearing about this because some too-big-for-his-britches vampire attacked me," she told him. "He went off about his Master or something and I figured it was connected to the Master Vampire."
"Who attacked you?" he demanded, suddenly looking fierce. She was taken aback for a moment, but she quickly shook it off.
"I didn't catch all their names, but there were three of them," she told him. "The over-eager one—who I killed quickly—was named Antony. And then the big, burly redhead was named Carmichael. Is he one of McGregor's?"
He snorted, shaking his head. "Carmichael's more a thug than most. He'd sell 'imself to the highest bidder, but sure, we can say he's one of McGregor's."
"And Antony?"
He shrugged. "Don't know who he is. What'd the other one look like?"
"Blond," she remembered. "Sort of aristocratic? He sounded like he had an accent, but lost most of it. He sounded sophisticated. And he looked the part too. Claimed to be really old, but I think he was lying. You know him?"
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, lots of vamps make their way through here an' that one don' sound particularly familiar. 'Sides, you seen the vamps here. Most of 'em are thugs, not gentleman."
She made a face. "He sure didn't act like a gentleman," she grunted. "You think he came in with the Master?"
"Probably," he responded. "Most old vampires are European or Asian."
"But I keep being told the Master was generally peaceful, at least by vampire standards," she remembered.
He snorted. "Peaceful? Not even a bit, girlie. You see the bastard, you kill 'em, got it? No question."
"But if he can keep the other vampire clans in line, wouldn't it be a good idea to let him live?" she asked him. "My friend thinks his vampires may have only attacked me because I'm a slayer. If we strike a deal with him—"
"Don't," he growled. "You hear me? You do not make a deal with that bastard. He'll screw you over, lemme tell you. He don' make deals with people he thinks are less than him."
She narrowed her eyes. "Do you know him? Personally?"
"'Ve been 'round here a long time, girlie," he told her. "So I've seen a lot. An' 've seen him. The Master. He's bad news. Ain't gonna fly that there's a slayer in his town, 'specially now that he knows there're two. Best keep yerself safe, ya hear me? Don' take this one on alone."
"How powerful is he, exactly?" she asked. "The Watcher Council doesn't have any clue what we're talking about and Nadja's family only knows that if they stayed out of his way, he stayed out of theirs."
"He's pretty powerful," he admitted. "Strong an' old. Don't know how old, 'xactly. Don't think anyone really knows, save him. But he'd've given your old man a run for his money back in the day when he was still one with the undead."
"Worse than Spike," she murmured. "How about Angelus?"
He laughed. "A bit like comparin' an orange to an apple, but even Angelus would've known better than to mess with this here vampire. This Master's got a lot of men to do his dirty work, and he ain't into the torture bit. More 'bout the killin'. He's a brutal sonuvabitch an' he won't take too kindly to either one. Hates the Whirlwind, I tell ya."
"He hates The Whirlwind?" she repeated. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Vampire blood lines. Ain't none of 'em get along."
She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Well, if this isn't the news I wanted to hear. If he is as bad as you say, you're right, he can't live. I'll handle it as best I can and I'll be sure to tell my parents as well. Thank you."
"Ain't nothin' to it, girlie," he told her. "Long as you take him down."
"Here," she said, reaching into her backpack and pulling out three packs of blood. "Don't spend it all in one place."
He snorted, reaching across the table to grab them. "Get yerself to bed," he told her. "You got school tomorrow. Little slayers like you need their sleep."
She rolled her eyes, standing up. "Ugh, why does everyone sound like my father? It's annoying."
He made a face. "I don' sound like him."
"Oh, don't you start too," she warned. She turned and left, leaving Charlie to clean up his card game, as his friend wasn't likely to be making a reappearance any time soon.
-.-
Beth sat on the couch, clicking through channels at a speed much faster than most other's eyes could catch. The benefits of being part-vampire she supposed; she was the fastest channel surfer in the good ole' US of A.
"So, when's your new friend coming over?" Buffy asked. She was excited that Beth had made another friend, something no one could have seen coming. She was probably also ecstatic that it was a boy, though Beth didn't have the heart to tell her that she was pretty sure Daniel wasn't even aware that Beth was a girl. Hell, she didn't even know if he was into girls!
"Daniel's going to be over eventually and Nadja's coming within the next half hour," she replied. "Why are you so excited to meet him?"
"He sounds nice," her mother responded with a shrug. "We've been out every time he's come over and I only think I should be familiar with all your friends. Besides, your father got to meet him."
"Yeah, because you told us to go chase after the yak demon," Beth reminded her. "You chased down Xavier, who, need I remind you, is now dead and may well have been before then."
Buffy frowned, remembering that less than eventful night. She'd staked a couple of newbie vampires, but hadn't caught hide nor hair of the Master Vampire Xavier. And apparently now the new Master in town had gone and killed him. For what, she didn't know. He wasn't eliminating the competition, that was for sure, seeing as McGregor was always more of a problem and even Balt was alive—if one could consider him competition.
"Well, I think I have a right to meet him anyway," she insisted. "As long as you live in my house, I should know all your friends here."
"Well, it's just the two of them," Beth reminded her.
"Don't you mean three?" she asked and Beth winced. Damn that Freudian slip.
"Well, technically Zack's not right now," she explained. "Massachusetts is very far, as it's been told to me numerous times."
The doorbell rang, signaling Daniel's arrival for another training session with Mr. Wells. Tonight was bookwork, much to Beth's absolute horror. It seems he had been serious about that whole Latin thing—too bad she wasn't.
Buffy jumped up from the couch, excited, heading toward the door. Her father, who was sitting in the dining room sharpening his favorite axe, didn't even budge. Beth frowned, thinking it was weird. Every time Zack had come over, Spike had been right there in the corner of the boy's eye, making sure he knew shit was not meant to be attempted. She was pretty sure Zack was suffering from hallucinations from all the paranoia. Spike did have quite the presence.
"Hello Daniel," Buffy greeted as she opened the door. She was met with the sight of a well-dressed boy about Beth's age with neatly groomed hair. He looked like the last thing Buffy expected a sixteen-year-old boy to look like, but hey, times changed. And it was a boy, for Beth! No complaining to be seen here! "I'm Beth's mom, Buffy. It's nice to finally meet you."
"You as well," he said in returned, stretching out a hand to shake. She took it, somewhat confused. She saw Beth out of the corner of her eye, still on the couch, but no longer flipping through channels. Instead, her daughter was smiling in amusement. But again, boy, so Buffy wasn't going to let this faze her!
"Come in," she said, motioning for Daniel to enter the house. He did so, looking around. He smiled at Beth, sitting down on the couch beside her. There was enough proper space between them—likely due to parental presence, Buffy supposed—and they seemed comfortable enough around each other. He didn't seem to be perturbed at the adult company, looking rather comfortable on the couch.
"Good evening Beth," he told her.
"Same for you," she replied.
"What are you watching?" he asked, peering at the TV.
She looked over at the screen, frowning. "I don't know," she told him honestly. "I didn't look to see what I stopped on. Nadja'll be here soon, so it doesn't matter."
"Are you and your husband going out tonight, Mrs. Summers?" he inquired. He noticed Spike over in the dining room, working with his weapons. That seemed to catch his attention and he walked over to Spike, sitting down beside him.
"If you don't mind, I have a few questions I would like to ask you," Daniel announced.
Spike shrugged, tossing him a knife and a piece of wood. "S'long as you're useful," he told him.
He set to work making the stake, Beth having turned her attention back to the TV, trying to figure out what she was watching. A drama, maybe?
"How is it that you came to work with the slayer?" he asked. "From what I have learned, most demon hunter prefer to work on their own."
Buffy watched the exchange with absolute confusion. This was not what she had expected in the slightest. While Zack was nothing to go off of (seeing as he had a well-bred fear of anything Spike-related), Daniel had completely forgone Beth to hang out with Spike. Buffy turned to look at her daughter, who was sitting pretty on the couch, focused on her show. She sat down beside her.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" she asked, making a head motion toward the two.
Beth shrugged. "I didn't know for sure, but let's say I would have put money on it. Daniel thinks Spike is really awesome."
Buffy looked over at the two again, Daniel hanging onto Spike's every word, like a true fan. It explained why Spike had seemed so unperturbed at the idea of Daniel coming over. Despite being Beth's friend, he didn't even seem to realize she was there now that he had Spike's attention.
A few minutes later, and Beth no more aware of what was going on in the show than before (Hannah may have cheated on Alex, either that or she stole his car, she couldn't decide), Nadja knocked on the door and let herself in.
"Last one to the party, I see," she noted as she came and sat on the couch. Buffy had already left, still eyeing the weird duo that was Spike and Daniel. Never until this day did Buffy ever think her husband would be fine with any boy around Beth. It seemed he either really hated Zack, or he actually did discriminate.
"Well, my Watcher's still not here," Beth told her.
"What's Daniel doing with your dad?" she asked, noticing the two, making weapons and talking.
"The Q&A," Beth explained.
"Your dad's doing the whole 'And where do you see yourself in ten years' routine?" Nadja inquired.
"No, more like Daniel's asking all the questions," she explained. "It's weird you know. I would have though my dad would have disliked Daniel."
"Why?" Nadja inquired. "I mean, he is a little weird, but harmless. And your dad wants you to have friends."
"But he hated Zack and Zack was my friend," she pointed out.
Nadja sighed, rolling her eyes. "You can be so oblivious sometimes. Tell me, why would any father of any girl not like a boy?"
"Because it's the stereotype of the boy possibly liking the girl?" Beth replied. "I watch enough TV to know that."
"So?" Nadja prompted, looking at her meaningfully,
"It's the over-protective father trope," she went on. "That still doesn't answer my question as to why he likes Daniel, but not Zack."
"You know, you almost made me feel sorry for Zack with your absolute cluelessness. Almost. It's because he likes you," Nadja told her. "You can be so dense sometimes, you know that?"
"I know he likes me," she agreed, "I like him too. We're friends."
Nadja groaned. "Like I said: dense."
"Yeah," she agreed. "Did you know my aunt and your aunt are dating?"
Nadja blinked. "When did you figure that out?"
"Er, likely much later than it's been happening?" she guessed and Nadja tapped her nose.
Andrew arrived just then, arms laden with enough books to make Beth want to cry. Daniel was intrigued though, actually leaving Spike to look over the books.
"Very old," he commented, flipping through one book's pages. "How long has the Council had these texts?"
"Oh, centuries," Andrew replied.
"Anything in them about the Master Vampire of Seattle?" Beth asked.
"Uh, no, was I supposed to look that up?"
Spike groaned. "Woulda been nice, yeah. Means Buffy an' got to go an' question some blokes."
"Ooh, good cop bad cop?" Beth inquired. "Who's the good cop?"
"Is it ever your mum?" he sighed, looking over his battle axe.
"Hey," Buffy called, coming down the stairs. "I can be nice when I want to be."
"To vampires?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
"I was nice to you," she reminded him and he snorted.
"'Nother word 'm having to redefine to fit your definition," he told her. "Now, come one, we've got baddies to slay, love."
"I was nicer to you than I could have been," she continued, grabbing her coat. He only rolled his eyes, gently pushing her out the door. "I was! We fed you and everything!"
The door closed and Beth could still hear her mother trying to argue her point.
"Did you father ever kill anyone?" Daniel asked suddenly and everyone's head whipped around to look at him with wide eyes.
"What?" Beth choked out. He had asked the question so calmly, like he hadn't just asked for a kill count.
"Did you father ever murder anyone?" he repeated. "I'm simply curious. You don't have to answer if you don't wish."
"Then I think I'll pass," she muttered.
"Alright," he said, unfazed by his question being avoided. "Please tell me we're starting with Latin."
-.-
James reclined in his parlor, a glass in hand and a fire crackling in the hearth. The weather had dropped and while the cold meant little to him, he liked the atmosphere the fire gave off. He'd known of vampires who did it to feel alive again, but after so many centuries, he himself had long forgotten what life felt like and he had no interest in pursuing the feeling.
"Master," Alecto began, stepping into the room. "Sir Elwood is here to see you."
"Oh, yes, bring him in," James responded. "I have been awaiting his return."
Alecto stepped out of the room and was soon replaced with Elwood, looking an impeccable as ever.
"Where have you been these last few nights, friend?" James, asked, sitting up to meet the other vampire's eyes. "I have long since been awaiting your return. Took you long to find the slayer? From what I had heard, she wasn't very quiet with her work."
Elwood didn't respond immediately, taking a seat in the chair across from him.
"What is it?" he inquired. "Was the slayer harder than you originally supposed? She has lasted this long, Elwood. She wasn't going to be easy."
"Something else has come up," Elwood began.
"What? Has Vincenzo called for you?" he demanded angrily. "Are you returning to him? You can't tell him you were here you know. I've spent too many years trying to escape him to only have him find me again."
"No, it's not that," Elwood assured. "I doubt Vincenzo has even noticed my departure. He thought of me as more of a nuisance, only meant to sate your desires. He never liked me much."
"Then what is it? Did the slayer not kill Antony?"
"Oh, she did," Elwood assured. "He was rather quick to get to it, after you told him that killing a slayer would make him invincible. Young vampires without sires are always easy to fool. She took him out quickly, actually. Then she attacked Carmichael, who, as you know, never backs down from a fight."
"So he attacked the slayer?" James asked for clarification. "Has he fled then?"
"No, she killed him actually," Elwood told him.
He leaned back in his chair. "Well, that's one more thing I needn't worry myself with. So what seems to be the problem, Elwood? It's not your fault Carmichael was killed. He knows the rules and slayers can be rather vicious."
"Well, you see sir, it wasn't Buffy Summers that killed him," Elwood finally said. He paused. "It was her daughter."
"What?" he asked, eyes immediately snapping over to his friend. He stood up, pacing the floor. "There's a second one?"
"Yes," Elwood confirmed, "though I didn't quite catch her name. She's young though, much too young to be out of the academy, but it seems they've made an exception for the daughter of the illustrious slayer Summers."
"Hm, this does put quite a damper on things, I must admit," he murmured. "Two slayers? Not to mention they're family. I've never heard of slayers running in families."
"It's likely very rare," Elwood agreed. "But there is another thing. She is…how do I put this? Odd. Something if off about her, though I don't know what. I will admit I haven't run into many slayers, not since the deal was made, but she didn't come off as a normal slayer."
"What do you mean?" he demanded.
"I don't know," Elwood admitted. "I felt the very faint traces of a vampire, fainter than even a newly sired one. It was only the four of them, her, her friends, and her Watcher, all of whom had heartbeats. Whatever I sensed, it wasn't a vampire, at least not a complete one."
"And you think it was her and not one of her companions who gave off the sense?" he asked.
"I couldn't be sure, but I do believe so," Elwood told him. "No one else struck me as odd, though it may have been the Watcher. They always carry such strange devices with them."
He sat down again, picking up his drink and swirling the liquid. "And what of Buffy then?"
"I have not spotted her," Elwood admitted.
"It is of no consequence," James assured him. "We will find her eventually. I am most disappointed in Charles though, as he did not tell me about the second slayer. Do they look so alike he could not tell the difference?"
"That is another thing sir," Elwood began with a sly smile on his face. "The reason I did not find the slayer Buffy was because I spent time watching this little slayer. I spotted her going into the school, the one where Charles lives. She left a few moments afterward and he was not killed."
"You think he knows of her?" he inquired.
"I would bet my life on it," Elwood assured.
He let out a bark of laughter. "You don't have any life. You're dead."
"The meaning still stands. I do believe Charles knew of the second slayer and hid her from you. It's likely he's soft on her."
He snorted. "He always needed to feel like he was looking after someone, doesn't he? I imagine she's the same age as Vivien was, the twisted bastard. Doesn't he know a slayer is dangerous? Is he likely the vampire presence you felt?"
Elwood shook his head. "I would recognize Charles anywhere and it was not him. It was foreign to us, a vampire of a different line."
"Oh, this is further growing complicated," he sighed. "Carmichael dead, two slayers, and a betrayal from my ever-loyal Charles? Oh, I guess it was to be expected. He always had such a weakness for young, helpless-looking girls and slayers have always done so well at appearing helpless—right before the snap your neck. Very well. Continue trying to dig out Buffy Summers. If you can find her daughter, I'm sure she's not far behind."
"And how will I assess her?" Elwood questioned. "I cannot very well attack her myself!"
"Get Balt's men to assist you, under my orders," James told him. "They were always stupid enough to think attacking in groups could defeat a slayer."
"Consider it done, then," Elwood said, standing up. "Next time you see me, I will have more information on the other slayer."
"Oh, no need," James told him. "If that was the case, I would not see you again soon and I do enjoy out times together, old friend."
Elwood smiled, bowing, and left the room. Alecto stepped in a moment later, having heard the whole exchange.
"Shall I fetch Charles for you, sir?" he asked.
"Not yet," James told him. "I wish to find out more about Charles' connection to the littlest slayer before I do anything too rash. It is hard to grasp, Charles betraying me in such a manner. I know he did not do it purposefully, but he did it nonetheless. He will be dealt with accordingly, as I do see fit."
"Very well, sir," Alecto replied, exiting the parlor and leaving James to his thoughts. A strange slayer, was it? Yes, things were definitely about to get interesting.