"I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, but what are we celebrating again?" Daniel asked as he swirled his straw through his smoothie. School had gotten out only an hour ago and Beth had immediately ushered them down the street toward the line of shops, intent on getting herself a fruity reprieve to go along with the jig she planned on doing for the rest of the day. It was over with Jacob. She had texted him the following morning after their disastrous date, apologizing for her behavior, but telling him she had never wanted to get that serious and while she was flattered at his admission (the L-word was a forbidden word to speak), she thought he was better off finding a girl who would willingly return his feelings. He had replied shortly afterward, admitting that while she had hurt his feelings, he did understand where she was coming from and wished her well. She figured that if he kept that gentleman-y act, he'd find another girl in no time, of that she had no doubt.
Spike had been jumping for joy once she had told her family about the break-up—though she opted out of the reason why, falling back on the old favorite of "we were just on different pages." Buffy had been upset ("But I thought you liked him"), but also didn't want her to do something she wasn't happy with. Her mom had also added on that there were other fish in the sea and Beth wondered exactly how long it would be before her mom started edging her toward another beau (she thought about starting up a betting pool). Hardly having come to terms with her own realization, she didn't have the heart to tell her mom she already had another fish. One who lived very far away and didn't swim in her pool. She'd known Zack for years now, and didn't even have a clue if he would even want to swim in her pool. Whose pool did he swim in anyway? Nadja had sworn he wasn't dating anyone. It was a relief though, to come to the realization that the ache she'd been feeling was because she felt more than friendship toward Zack. She couldn't be certain he even thought about her in a romantic sense (could he? She still felt pretty certain it was totally different level to befriend a half-vampire than it was to kiss one), but it gave a name to her heartache and joy, and for that, she was grateful.
"Because Beth broke it off with the boy," Nadja reminded him. "Finally, might I add. This has been a long time coming, I think. I mean, I never even got to meet the guy, and how into him can you be if you never let your best friend meet him?"
Beth rolled her eyes. "You never wanted to meet Jacob anyway," she claimed. "You always looked bored when I talked about him."
"Because the way you talked about him was boring."
"I suppose that is a reason to celebrate," Daniel replied, though he looked confused. "I often thought that break-ups were a sad occasion though."
"But Beth didn't want to be with him anyway, so it's happy," Nadja explained and he nodded.
"I'm a free woman," she told him. "And that's always a reason to celebrate."
"May I say, in my own honest opinion, any relationship that you are in that makes you feel like a 'free woman' once you leave is a bad relationship?" he asked.
"You already did say," Nadja pointed out, "but amen to that, brother."
"And that's why I got out," Beth said. "He liked me more than I liked him and I felt like that was a whole lot of bad."
"And this means more time to spend with friends," Nadja rejoiced. "No more 'Sorry Nadja, I have a date tonight.' I imagine your dad is over the moon."
"That'd be an understatement," she sighed. "He'd put me in a nunnery if he thought that was safe. Except some vampires like to target those places, because, you know, defiling purity—"
"Alright, no work talk, huh?" Nadja asked, clapping her hands together. "I've got my Banana Blast right here and I do not need you bringing my fruity buzz down by talking about what vampires like to defile."
"It's really just pure things," she stated. "It's not like I have a list or anything."
"Lalala, don't want to hear it," Nadja sing-songed.
"And isn't your cousin coming home soon as well?" he asked. "Is that not another reason to celebrate?"
"Maybe if you're him," Nadja muttered and then sighed. "I guess it's okay. I think I sometimes miss him. Not often though, make note of that."
Beth smiled, shaking her head at her friend. "It is another reason to celebrate," she assured. "He's coming home next week, isn't he?" She tried to hide her own brimming excitement at the thought. While she was no smooth Casanova, it gave her a chance to suss things out. Could he like her? Could he overcome whatever remnants of fear he had about the Scourge and her undeniable ties to that bloodline? Did he think she was pretty? These were important questions!
Nadja nodded. "His last final is Tuesday and then they're kicking him out of the dorms the following morning. He'll be in the air by noon."
"It will be nice to see him again," Daniel said. "He seems very nice."
"Yeah, you two can get all buddy-buddy now," Nadja told him. "I'm just getting my friend back from one boy and I don't need another coming in."
"You act like I spent every breathing moment of my life with Jacob. I didn't."
"Enough that I missed you often," Nadja said plaintively.
"Well, I'm back now, and that's not going to change anytime soon."
-.-
Beth grunted as she slipped into the school, mindful not to break anything. It was always the labs that kept their windows unlocked and they also had an affinity toward leaving breakable equipment on the counter. Nothing worse than a B&E that actually included broken things. But Charlie had left a message in her locker, saying he had some seriously pertinent information about James that she just absolutely had to hear and it could not wait. Not even a minute. Of course, he hadn't written it like that, but that's how she said it in her head every time she remembered that she was missing out on movie night with Daniel and Nadja to do this. She planned to stop by afterward and get the tail end of Princess Bride, but let's face it, the best parts were before the pirate's identity could be revealed (except Magic Max, but let's be serious, with her luck she'd miss that too).
Once in the school, she straightened out her shirt and smoothed down her hair, preparing to look appropriately annoyed but intrigued by what Charlie had to say. James was important, she knew that, and her parents still went off often about whether or not James was Luther. Vincenzo had been a real bust, and everything was still a cute little jumbled mess of information. Because of that reason, she also pretended that she had gone to movie night, as not to worry her parents. They might know about Charlie, but that didn't mean she wanted them tagging along when she got her intel. First off, it's not cool bringing one's parents along, and also this was her thing anyway. Besides, she got the feeling Charlie would not be so comfortable around the other slayer or ex-vampire. He was kind of skittish like that.
Walking down the hallway, she didn't hear any noise coming from the basement. Now that he wasn't too worried about anyone finding him (after all, who snuck into the school late at night, besides her?), he usually played music. Who knew, maybe this was actually serious information and he wanted a serious mood. It was weird when he played hymnal music, anyway.
"Hey, I'm here," she announced as she opened the basement door, knowing full well he likely heard her entering the building, but wanting to announce her presence all the same. "This better be good, because Cary Elwes is the love of my life and I am missing him."
The stairs creaked as she walked down them, her boots clomping heavily as she did so. She landed with a thump on the concrete floor, having skipped the last two steps in favor of a loud entrance. "Hello?" she called out, wondering if he had forgotten he was meeting her tonight. He better not have done that or he was going to hear some strong words from her. "Charlie?"
His stuff was all still here—which honestly wasn't a lot but still—which meant he was coming back, but he wasn't here now and wasn't that irritating? She felt a tingly at the back of her neck, which meant he had to be close by.
"Are you playing some sort of game?" she called, wanting him to at least call back, rather than making her guess if he was here or if she was just feeling a vampire in the nearby vicinity. "Seriously, I don't have time for this. You heard me say Cary Elwes, didn't you? I understand you probably haven't kept up with pop culture in say, oh, the last century or so, but he is very attractive and honestly, I need to see that, alright? So, if you're hiding, best knock it off before I—"
A large bat came swinging out of the shadows, and before she had time to react, it knocked her to the ground and rendered her unconscious.
"God," Elwood sighed, dropping the bat so it hit the ground with a clatter. "She must love the sound of her own voice, little Chatty Cathy. And here I was afraid she and James might not hit it off."
Charlie came out from behind him, coming around to stand by Beth's head. He crouched down, gently rolling her over. Luckily, she fell so she didn't hit her head again; any other way and they'd be hearing about that from James. And Charlie didn't want to hurt her more than he absolutely had to, which is why he let Elwood knock her out. Not like the guy had complained anyway, or thought it odd. He jumped at the opportunity, wanting every chance to give it to a slayer.
"She's out cold," Charlie noted, pushing her hair out of her face.
Standing above, Elwood tilted his head a she studied her. "I will admit, she is pretty. But I think all slayers are designed to be, don't you? Makes a man stop, even for a moment. I may be a vampire, but I'm still male."
"Best move her quickly," he noted, hooking his arms under hers to lift her torso. Her head lolled against his shoulder and he felt a quick pang of guilt, but this was all for the better. He wasn't worried about her anyway. She was a slayer, a force of nature, something to be reckoned with. James didn't stand a chance. Maybe he knew Beth was different, but he didn't know why and that was an important piece of information to have.
"Hold on," Elwood said, crouching down at her side. He produced something out of his pocket and moved so quickly that Charlie didn't see what he was doing.
"What's that?" Charlie asked as he watched the vampire pocket the object.
"Something we'll all be grateful for," Elwood muttered, moving to grab her feet. "Something James gave to me. I always thought it was myth, but then he had handed it to me, and well, let's just say the slayer won't be so quick to the punch when she wakes up."
Charlie frowned as they lifted her up, uneasy that there was something he didn't know about James' scheme. James had given him a full run-down, from what to write in the note to what car to drive her to the house with. There wasn't a detail he didn't know, except this one it seemed.
The two vampires moved up the stairs, the unconscious slayer carried between them. James would be pacing the floor in anticipation surely, happy to have his plans finally coming to fruition. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Charlie had his own plans as well.
-.-
When Beth came to, her head hurt like a bitch. Boy, was she tired of getting hit over the head. She didn't know who had done it, but if this had to go down like it did in the woods two years ago, then so be it. She was a slayer now and payback was going to be a ruthless as she could be now.
"Oh, you're finally coming to. Darling, I was afraid we'd have to do this without you."
Her head was still muddy, but she was gaining lucidity at an alarming rate. The voice sounded familiar, though it was in an accent she was unfamiliar with. In fact, if she thought about it long enough, it sounded like…
"Jacob?" she asked, raising her head. She saw said man standing beside an ornate fire place, huge grin covering his face. He was holding a glass of wine in his hand, looking much like the cat that caught the canary.
"How's your head, love?" he asked, still grinning.
She didn't reply, trying to piece everything together. She looked down to see that she was tied to a chair and, more surprisingly, wearing a white lace dress. It looked like one of those old wedding dresses from like the 1920s. She'd never worn something to vintage.
"What?" she asked, beginning to wonder if maybe she was dreaming. Maybe she never went to see Charlie and actually fell asleep as soon as she finished her homework. It sure looked like a dream.
He took a sip of his wine before pushing off the mantel and sauntering over to her. "Thirsty?" he asked, thrusting the glass toward her.
She turned her head away, but not before catching a whiff of the drink. So not wine. She froze, eyes slowly climbing to meet his.
"Jacob," she said slowly, her mind racing to figure out how she had not realized this. He was a vampire. How had she not noticed that? How had her mother not noticed that? He had been in their house!
"Hm, cat's out of the bag, isn't it?" he hummed, taking a step back. "I guess we might as well let the rest out, hm dear? Please call me James."
"How are you…?" she began, still feeling like she was miles behind where she needed to be. God, he had even said he "worked in computers," like who the fuck did that anymore? This wasn't the early 2000s. Who was he playing, Bill Gates' son?
"A vampire?" he finished. "Well, you see, they drank my blood and then I had theirs and then I woke a day later and here I am." She gave him a scathing look so he added, much more seriously this time, "I bought a dampener off a warlock a while back. He's very good. See, I met him back in the early 1800s, in Russia, and he kept me off the map, so to speak. He's very good at hiding people, vampires as well. When I knew I needed to get very close to a slayer without her vampire senses going off, I knew I needed someone good, so I went to him and got this." He held out his hand to show her a thick silver ring he wore on his finger. She'd never questioned it, as it looked like something he got joining a secret society for rich men. "I already had it and thought it'd be a nice little charm to have on me."
"So that's why I never felt you," she reiterated and he nodded.
"Oh yes," he said, taking off the ring. As soon as he did, Beth's senses went haywire, being so close to such a dangerous vampire. She began to strain against the ropes, knowing that she wasn't going up against some creepy man, but a vampire. And a very powerful one at that.
"Don't even bother," he chuckled. "You think I've lived this long without preparing for situations like this? I'm sure you've heard of the Cruciamentum, haven't you? Your mother was the last slayer the task was ever performed on."
She stilled, dread beginning to fill her up. "No," she murmured.
"Oh yes. See, the Council doesn't practice that ritual anymore, but they had all these left-over injections so they just threw them out after the Council was reinstated," he explained. "A lot of it ended up on the black market and I was lucky enough to get ahold of enough of the tranquilizer to put down a horse or sixty. I do like to be prepared."
Despite the realization that she would be no match to him in this state, she still struggled, trying to release her bonds. Maybe she didn't have her slayer strength anymore, but she was still strong without it. And she still had all the skills she had been taught. Maybe she'd still be able to daze him enough so she could escape.
"I'm sure you're curious about all this," he began to explain. "After all, why the ruse with the boyfriend and all the dating? Seems a bit long-winded, doesn't it? Understandable. By now, hopefully you've figured out who I am."
"James," she grunted, not really caring what he had to say.
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yes, but I know you know more than that. Come on, aren't you just the least bit curious about who I am?"
1800s Russia. A Warlock. Going off the map. She froze. "Luther," she said, her eyes going wide.
"Don't let anyone ever tell you you're not smart," he chuckled.
"But what? How? What?" she hissed.
"Didn't you hear the bit about the warlock in Russia?" he asked. "That the 'how.' I just got tired. Maybe Vincenzo was happy with his choices and God only knows how easily Rubio takes to everything, but me? I was a machine. A killing machine and they wanted to turn me off, turn me against what I was made to do. Dammit, I'm a Son of Cain, the greatest line of vampires to ever exist and they wrote me down to nothing more than a muzzled dog! I was angry! I would have torn them all to pieces, but no, Vincenzo never would have allowed me to do that. He went on about maintaining the family line, unwilling to admit that he was afraid of a little slayer. So I left, made him think I was dead so he'd never think to find me and went on my way. I've had to make some changes, but sometimes watching someone die is just as good as doing it yourself, especially if you're the one making the orders."
"So that's what this is, revenge," she realized. "You're going to kill me to get back at the Council and the treaty you've signed."
"Oh come on, you know that's not true," he responded. "Can't do that, can I? The treaty states that if I kill someone, especially a slayer, I invalidate it and while I'm not afraid of the Council, I know what Vincenzo will do to me if that happens. I'm not too fond of revealing myself to him, so I've got other plans."
Pulling up a seat, he sat down beside her. "See, it's lonely being a vampire sometimes," he explained. "It's why many make themselves friends, sometimes paramours. I've always been keen on having a woman around. Pretty, delicate-looking things, women are. And as a vampire? Oh, the contrast is breathtaking. And I've always liked the best." He reached out to stroke her hair and she jerked away, hissing at him.
He only laughed before smacking her across the face. "I do like your spirit, Elizabeth. It's fascinating," he told her. "It'll be even more fun to break you."
"You can't turn a slayer," she spat out. "It's always bad."
"Yes, but you're not just a slayer, are you?" he asked.
She paused, wondering exactly how much he knew. Most vampires could tell she was odd, but the mix of human and vampire was always so unexpected, most didn't know how to pin it.
"You don't think I can tell?" he asked. "I've been around for nearly a millennium. I will admit, at first, it threw me off a bit. After all, a vampire-human hybrid? Unheard of. Can't exist. I thought I was going crazy, but then you let me meet your parents."
"Spike," she breathed.
He nodded. "Yes, he was the piece that put it all together. I couldn't believe it. I won't bother to ask how he got himself a heartbeat, seeing as I don't really care, but that was all I needed to get my explanation. Somehow, that little creep shacked up with a slayer and got himself a kid out of it. Never would have pegged William the Bloody for parenthood, but they'll surprise you, won't they? Once I knew that, that was it. Something as fascinating and unique as you, well, I had to have it. Like I said, I always want the best."
"You're sick," she spat and he laughed.
"I thought about punishing you for leaving me like that at dinner," he admitted. "You really broke my heart, you know." He gave her a faux kicked puppy dog look and she refrained from head-butting him. It'd only hurt her anyway. "But I'm over it. Women are so fickle and sometimes you've got to read into their reactions. They say or do one thing, then want another."
"Well, believe me when I say I want you dead," she snarled.
"It doesn't matter how you feel," he told her. "You'll grow to like me anyway. All those pretenses you have as a human will just fade away. After all, I am the best thing a vampire could ever want. I'm powerful, handsome, come from a good line. You honestly couldn't do better. Although I am a little queasy about mixing with Aurelians, I think my ancestors will overlook it considering the unusual circumstances. Besides, I just can't help myself."
He hopped up out of his seat, abandoning his drink and standing in front of her. "Now, I can't turn you myself—the treaty and all—but I've got ways around this," he told her. "See, as long as I don't drain you, it's fine. It I left another do it and then you feed from me, it doesn't void the treaty. Neat trick I learn."
"You don't know what will happen," she tried. "Being part vampire already, that could really mess things up."
He waved off her concerns. "Dear, I fear your doubt is rooted in hesitancy."
"Oh yeah, I wonder why," she muttered, pulling at her wrists again. The rope really wasn't that tight, but in her weakened state, she really wasn't cow tipping any time soon. A sizeable rock would probably be too much now.
"Now, no need to fuss," he told her, waving to someone behind her. She heard someone walk closer. "I've even brought someone familiar with you in order to drain you. I know how…disconcerting it can be to be killed by a stranger."
Beth took time away from trying to escape to look over her shoulder, wanting to see who he was talking about. It was Charlie, who had the audacity to look sheepish. He came around and stood next to James, who only smiled at him.
"I was made aware you had befriended our young Charles here," James spoke. "He's an interesting sort, isn't he? I found him on a farm. I was afraid he'd be problematic—he lacked many basic manners, having grown up without teachings—but he proved to be quite a good learner. I really am quite proud of him. He's been a good Cain Vampire; he obeys his superiors and while he isn't bound to the treaty, he's still followed the rules like a good, little Childe."
She didn't hear anything James said. Her sight was zeroed in on Charlie, who seemed incapable of actually meeting her eyes. "You fucking prick," she snarled. "You sold me out, you soulless little creature! God and to believe I actually trusted you, you—"
"Now, there's no need for the lady to swear," James interrupted with a sigh. He leaned in toward Charlie, whispering, "Her language will be the first thing I focus on."
"Not sure you can fix that," Charlie admitted with a small shrug. "Ain't sure that's somethin' that ain't genetic."
James looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose. Aurelian bloodline and all that?" He turned to look at Beth again, who was breathing heavily out of sheer anger and spite. She already planned on killing both of them quite violently once she got herself out of her bonds. Oh, they'd be getting it in one hot moment—
-But that was just it. Even if she got out of her bonds, she still had two vampires to face off against. And also no place anyone was expecting her to be for at least another hour. Gods, she felt like such an idiot. She never should have trusted Charlie. She should have known that eventually he would betray her; it was in his nature, wasn't it? And now, she was reaping the consequences of her action. She was weak, tied to a chair, and about to become some eons old vampire's undead bride. Not exactly how she imagined her life going. Joking aside, she was terrified of what would happen. Maybe Baba had been halfway to crazy town when he hatched up his idea, but that didn't mean the threat was any less intimidating. And now here was a guy who actually had a confirmed way to turn her. Sure, there was some uneven ground when you remembered that she was in fact already halfway there, but that only meant that results were varied (Which, hey, was like ten times worse).
She didn't stop glaring at Charlie though, even as the fear mounted. She pegged James for the talking kind anyway, especially since he seemed to come up with this idea all on his own, so she figured she had time to still try and loosen her bonds. Once she got to that point, then she'd figure out what to do next. All she had to do was keep him talking.
"But why me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral, even though she wanting to be spitting venom of the two of them.
He looked at with her exasperation. Good. He better know what he was getting himself into. "Didn't I already tell you? I only ever want the best and I do not like being denied. You turning me down—rejecting me—well, it was not at all what I expected out of you. Threw a bit of a wrench into my plan. But no matter, I had Charles to fix that.
"But when I first caught sight of you, I was amazed. I could already tell that you were something spectacular. Unusual, a rarity seen only once in a lifetime—and I have lived a long time. It was simply not an opportunity to pass up. And you're not too bad to look at either."
"Oh thanks," she deadpanned. "Glad to know."
"No need to worry," he told her. "Any flaws vanish with vampirism. Quite a benefit, let me tell you. You'll never know self-deprecation again."
She doubted that—she knew her dad, didn't she? But he only grinned at her, like maybe this wasn't the worst thing to ever happen to her. He should be proud of somehow finding a way to make her already crappy life crappier. Really, such an accomplishment. She tugged on her bonds again. God, she really needed to get out of here.