I STILL haven't done much since the last post. And I haven't written anything, but hey, I've got chapters to fall back on, so...yay! Well, yay to me...you guys don't care. Haha.

We did go kayaking at Lake Wilderness (on Oct 6th). That was fun. I thought I'd be more sore. I felt it a little in my legs (I guess I'm not used to sitting like that and I'm not very limber anymore) and a little bit in my back (from paddling, I suppose)...but otherwise I was good. =) And we took another ferry...this time to Bainbridge Island (on Oct 13th). That ferry is short (30 mins), but we spent a few hours walking around the town...and had some beer. After ferrying back to Seattle we walked around there too. We found another brewery and had more beer...and pizza. It was fun. After that we walked over to "The Market" (Pike Place Market)...but by the time we got there, I was so tired from walking that I wanted to go home. Haha. Aging SUCKS!

Now, speaking of sucking...chapter anyone? =)

Chapter Fifty-one
"Frenzy and Fury"

Looking down at the girl who'd just bared her throat for him, Alistair swallowed hard. Part of his vow with the girl was that he would not take her life. If he did, he would forfeit his own—and not just because her friends would take his. He wasn't sure how the Unbreakable Vow worked, but he didn't want a permanent death!

And so he looked over the girl's shoulder at her two friends—to focus his attentions and remind himself that they were not alone. The two boys were watching closely and he could see that they were infuriated that she was doing this for him. They were clearly prepared to put an end to him should he hurt her. He could respect that. They loved her. They both did, he could see. And it reminded him that he too had once loved another. But that was oh so long ago.

Slowly, with his dark and hungry eyes still on the two boys, Alistair brought his hands up to the girl's upper arms and took them gently—then grasped firmly, but not roughly. He did not fail to notice that she took a slow, but deep breath as if she were preparing for what was to come.

She had asked if it would hurt, but she'd been referring to the vow they'd made to one another, not his bite. He could make a bite hurt or not, depending on the state his victim was in. He suspected that he wouldn't be able to dull the pain for her—and that she knew it—but she stood there bravely waiting.

Alistair watched the boys. Both were tense and struggling not to leap forward and attack him. The boy with darker hair and eyes looked murderous. He stood rigid, his wand held tightly in his right hand, the other fisted at his side. The other boy was clearly terrified—mortified! He also held weapons—a stake—one in each hand now.

He was not afraid of these two boys. He was faster than they were—faster than they could ever imagine he could be.

Still holding the girl by her arms, Alistair glanced down at her face. She was pretty, but he'd seen many pretty girls over the centuries. She was different though and possibly not just because she was a slayer—and a witch. There was something else that he could not put his finger on.

Tilting his head some, he studied her. Her lips were pink and slightly parted, her nose turned up. She had closed her eyes and her features were relaxed. She looked completely calm...ready for whatever might happen. And strangely unafraid. He let his eyes travel to her neck and, for the first time, noticed the marks that told him she had been bitten before. How was this girl, who stood before him, prepared for possible death? Even a slayer should not be so at ease.

Lifting a hand, Alistair gently pushed her golden hair away and touched the scar on her neck. He was not surprised when she shivered, though she kept her eyes closed. He could tell both boys had noticed it as well, because the air around them became more tense. Alistair even thought he heard it crackle with magic. And he could almost taste the adrenaline—the fight or flight—pouring off of them!

But it wasn't coming from the slayer. She just stood there. Calm. Waiting.

Looking up at two boys again, Alistair lowered his face to the girl's neck and bared his fangs. He hadn't shown them yet, but now that they'd gotten to this point, he had no choice. It was time and he felt desperate. He was starving! He could hear the girl's blood rushing in the veins beneath her skin. His heightened senses heard it whooshing—and if he looked down, he knew he would see it pulsing there, under her thin human surface.

Without looking away from the boys, Alistair took a breath. It was unnecessary and yet calming for him. And then he brought his lips to the girl's neck and paused for a moment, watching the boys.

He could see the fury building in the eyes of both boys, though the eyes of boy with darker hair flashed murderously—and possessively, telling Alistair that the girl belonged to him. Briefly, he wondered at the trio's connection. The other boy seemed to want her as well.

Alistair wanted her too—but not in the same way. He needed her life-giving blood!

Opening his mouth, Alistair licked the bite on her neck, then bit into her soft flesh.

As his teeth slid into her neck, the girl didn't flinch, but she did take a deep breath and let out a sigh, then she reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. It was as if she was ready to push him away—if he couldn't stop himself—and he knew that she'd be capable of doing so.

For a moment, Alistair just stood there with his mouth on her neck and his teeth buried deeply—and then he closed his eyes. Even without drawing the girl's blood into his mouth, it was there. Warm and sticky. Delicious. He wanted to savor the taste—to enjoy this rare treat being offered to him—but he was much too hungry.

The moment passed quickly as the taste of her blood filled his mouth and flowed over his tongue. Even without swallowing, it began to slide down his throat. It was hard to concentrate. He felt ravenous. All he wanted to do was clamp down and drain her dry. But he knew he couldn't. He'd made a promise. Vowed not to take her life.

And there were others there to make sure he didn't.

Forcing himself to focus, he opened his eyes and stared back at the friends of Buffy Summers—then took a long, thirst-quenching draw of the girl's life force. And then another. After the third, she moaned and then pushed at him weakly—and he knew he needed to stop. It was nowhere near enough to satisfy his immense hunger, but it would have to be enough.

But he wanted more!

Taking another draw off the girl, he felt her hands slide to his chest and give him a shove. This time there was more strength behind it—her fight had kicked in—and then she was pulled from his grasp.

"That's enough, you monster!" the boy with glasses growled, pushing him hard.

Stumbling backward, Alistair grasped at the wall and, trying to avoid looking at the girl, licked her blood from his lips. It was sweet.

"Greedy bastard?!" the darker haired boy cursed. "Happy now?!"

Alistair could tell that the sound came from the ground and forced himself to look. Buffy lay in the boy's arms, one hand on her neck, the other grasping at the boy who held her.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

"You're not fine!" he growled, his dark eyes flashing murderously and turning on the vampire. "Get the hell away from her!"

Buffy swallowed a few times, then reached for something. "Lower your wand, Tom," she said, her hand on his wand arm.

"I am...sorry," the vampire said.

"No, you're not!" Edmund responded. With tears in his eyes, he brandished his weapon. He was furious—with the vampire, with Buffy, and with himself! He knew better to stand back and allow something like this to happen. His parents were going to be so disappointed. "This isn't happening again! Never again!"

Alistair nodded. He agreed. It had been too close. But that meant he couldn't starve himself either. He couldn't allow himself to get so hungry that he would risk lives. His own or that of those he fed upon.

"I will not allow this to happen again," he vowed.

In unison, both Edmund and Tom snorted with disbelief.

"Put your stake away, Edmund," Buffy said as she attempted to get up. For a moment, she found herself being restrained, but after giving Tom a look—one he knew quite well—he released her and helped her to stand up.

"I'm fine. See?" she said, brushing at her clothing once she was on her feet.

"You aren't fine!" Tom repeated, still holding onto her.

"I'm a little wobbly, but I'm...okay," she said, patting at Tom's hand. "Really. I'm just hungry and...I do think I'd like to go home now."

Hearing the word home, Edmund felt panic rising within him. What would they tell Vin and Sophie. Oh goodness, what would he tell his parents?! His parents would be more than disappointed. He almost believed they might actually report him to the Council.

Buffy seemed to sense what he was going through and turned to look at him. "Edmund. Stop. This will heal before anyone knows what happened and...I've had much worse. Ask Tom." She flung a hand in Tom's direction.

Tom nodded. "It will. I've seen her ability to heal," he said to the other boy. "It's...incredible."

Edmund swung around to glare at the vampire again. "You! Stay away from her!" he growled.

Buffy snorted a laugh. "Stop it, Edmund," she said. "That wasn't a part of the deal."

Edmund huffed angrily. "You've made a deal with a demon, Buffy!"

Buffy sighed, then reached out and tugged on Edmund's sleeve. He was still glaring daggers at Alistair, but he turned at her touch.

"Edmund, look," she said as she pulled her hand away from the bite on her neck. She was no longer breeding and the wound had already closed over. "By the time we get home, the evidence of this will all but gone."

Edmund frowned. "Except for all the blood on your shirt!" he countered.

Buffy shrugged. "So we'll stop and buy me another shirt," she said.

Edmund's anguish-filled eyes went back to the vampire. "I never want to see you again!" he snapped. "Go! Leave!" He pointed down the alley.

Buffy snorted. "Stop it!" she said, giggling a bit, then grabbing his hand and forcibly turning him toward her. "Alistair did nothing that I didn't agree upon."

Edmund's eyes flashed angrily. "I know that, Buffy!" he barked down at her. "Make no mistake, I am furious with you too!"

"Great! Then stop harassing Ali here and let's all just go home," she said with a smirk and a look at the vampire. "See you around."

Alistair watched her. She still seemed a little woozy—loss of blood did that to you—but as she'd said more than once, she appeared to be fine.

"I will go now, Buffy Summers," he said—then bowed his head in her direction. "Thank you for your kindness."

Buffy gave him a thumbs up and smiled weakly. "Sure thing, buddy. Just...you know...don't listen to anyone who tells you to starve yourself, because...starving...bad." She gave a little laugh, then turned away from him.

"I'm hungry," she said. "Maybe I need more ice cream. Or...um... oh! Maybe one of those steak and kidney pies instead. I'm not a huge fan of kidney, because...like...yuck! But...there's iron in that, you know. And red meat. Yummy."

Tom glanced down at her and frowned. It was almost like she was intoxicated. He didn't bother looking back at the vampire and hoped that Edmund would just follow them. He didn't have the time or the energy to be concerned with either of them. He just wanted to get Buffy out of Diagon Alley!

The three of them shuffled their way back into the Leaky Cauldron and quickly found a place to sit that was out of the way and in a shadowy corner.

"I'll order our food and then buy her a new shirt," said Tom.

Buffy waved her hand. "Sitting right here, you know," she complained. "And I don't need another shirt. This one's great."

"It has your blood on it, Buffy," Edmund said as he sat down beside her.

She shrugged. "I doubt anyone will notice."

Tom snorted. "To be safe, I would like to find you something else."

Buffy sighed. "Okay. Fine. You go," she said, waving him off. "I'm hungry."

Edmund nodded. "Food will be here soon."

Grinning, Buffy dropped her head to the table and closed her eyes.

"I won't be long," Tom said. "You'll look after her?"

"Of course."

"Still sitting right here," Buffy grumbled without lifting her head.

~oOO~

An hour later, the three of them walked into Vin and Sophie's house and sneaked down to Buffy's bedroom. In her room, Tom maneuvered her over to the bed and whispered that she should lie down. For a moment, Edmund just stood there—feeling awkward to be in Buffy's room while she was impaired—but then, when it looked like she might resist, he moved in and turned the covers of her bed down and pointed at it.

"Lie down!" he commanded more firmly than he knew he was capable of.

More alert now and becoming annoyed by their coddling, Buffy glared at them. "Now see here, you two, I'm fi—"

"Shhh!" both boys said.

"One of the sisters will hear you," Tom scolded.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Don't you shush me!" she snapped at them. "They already know we're here. The wards, remember?"

Tom and Edmund both blinked.

"Of course," one of them said, but Buffy was still too out of it to know which one.

"Get in bed and we'll check." This time she saw that it was Edmund speaking.

Buffy snorted a laugh. "Because that's not suspicious at all!" she said as she flopped down on the bed. "You two checking in and me being...not with you. Tom, what time it is? Do you need to get back?"

He shook his head. "I'm not going," he said. To hell with Mrs Cole and bloody Wools!

Buffy smiled sleepily. "Okay. I'm just...gonna...go to sleep."

Giving her one last look, Edmund went to the door that led to the exterior hallway and opened it. He was concerned about that vampire following them back to the house. Follow wasn't quite the right word as he already knew where Buffy lived.

Flipping on the light in the tiny hall, he pushed open the door that led outside and glanced at the ladder that went up to the street. He wondered if it was secured. Probably not, since Buffy was using it to sneak out night after night. Not that she needed to sneak out! His aunts didn't seemed too concerned with her comings and goings! Part of him wanted to inform his parents about all of this. But what good would that do?! It would only distress her mother and upset his aunts. And it was likely to infuriate Buffy. That was the last thing he wanted.

Sighing, he switched off the light and closed the door, then shut the curtains as well. There was quite some time until darkness fell and he knew the vampire wouldn't cross town yet. It was one thing for it to lurk in shadowy alleys in the wizarding world, but quite another to go out onto the streets of London. And he didn't think it likely that the vampire would show up again that night. It was too soon.

~oOO~

Upstairs Tom and Edmund went into the kitchen. Edmund went straight to the cooker and put the kettle on and Tom dropped into a chair. The sisters weren't about—not downstairs anyway—so they just sat there drinking tea for a time.

"That was...madness!" Edmund said as he sipped his tea and tried to wrap his mind around what they had just been through.

"It was," Tom agreed—then shook his head. "We can't take her anywhere without it turning into something."

Edmund dropped his head into his hands. "If my mother finds out," he said, lifting his head. "She'll explode."

"Don't tell her," said Tom.

"I'm not used to keeping things from my parents, Tom." Edmund shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

Tom glared at him. "Because I don't have parents?"

Edmund shrugged. "Yes," he admitted—then quickly added, "Sorry."

Tom sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I suppose you're right."

"Did you know? That Buffy had been bitten before?" Edmund asked, his voice low.

Tom nodded. "That's how she came to be here. She was bitten and then thrown into a pool of water, where we think she drowned...in her time. And then I found her floating face down in a fountain...in our time."

Edmund just stared. He had so many questions, but there were no answers. He was used to going to his parents and the Council for answers, but this time, he dare not ask any questions.

Tom shook his head. "This is... insane!"

"It really is," Edmund said with a sigh.

And just like that, they had to turn off their worry and concern for Buffy, because in breezed Vin and Sophie.

"Oh! See, I told you they'd both come in," Sophie said.

Right behind her, Vin entered the room and frowned. "Where is Buffy?"

"She said she needed a nap," Tom lied. He was the one better at telling untruths. "She was tired."

Vin hmm'd, but Sophie nodded.

"How was your trip to...Little something or other?" Sophie asked.

Tom frowned. "Little Hangleton," he said. "And it was...disappointing."

Sophie frowned, then slid into the chair next to Tom's. "I'm so sorry, dear," she said, placing her hand on his forearm.

Tom stiffened. He still wasn't used to affection and it felt odd to receive it.

From the stove where she was starting more tea, Vin turned and looked at them. "You are always welcome here, Tom," she told him.

Tom tried to smile up at the dark-haired woman. "Thank you."

"How was your day otherwise?" Sophie asked next.

"Oh. Er...fine," Tom said, using Buffy's word.

"After our little journey, we had ice cream at a place called Fortescues," Edmund said.

Sophie grinned. "Ooo. Fun. Did you explore any of the shops?" she asked—then kept talking without waiting for an answer. "I love that place. Vin, we really should go there again!"

From the cooker, Vin laughed. "We really should. I want to visit that bookstore. What's it called again?" she asked, her eyes on Tom.

"Flourish and Blotts," he responded.

Lavinia Fairweather grinned. "Yes. There! Such a lovely shop," she said. "Oh! Edmund, we forgot to mention that your mother sent us a letter. They won't be here until much later. Something about leads at the office and working late."

Sophie giggled. "I sent her an owl telling her she could pick you up in the morning."

Tom and Edmund both stared at the blonde. Was she joking?!

Vin cackled a laugh, then waved her hands about, causing four cups of tea to move from the worktop to the table. "Edna is going to be furious!" she said as she sat down at the table—but she didn't sound all that upset.

"Pfft!" was Sophie response. "Do I look like I care?"

Then the sisters burst into giggles.

Edmund shook his head. "Don't you think that you're being a bit hard on my mother?" he asked.

Both Vin and Sophie froze, then they shrugged in unison.

"You can see how she treats us," said Sophie.

"Like we're children in need of a spanking," Vin added.

"Well, you two do behave a bit on the immature side," Edmund countered.

Vin and Sophie looked surprised, as if they had no idea what he was talking about—then burst out laughing again.

"All right! I think I'll give the tea a miss," Vin said after at least thirty seconds of mirth. Getting up to go find a decent bottle of wine, she looked over her shoulder. "Coming, Soph?"

"Absolutely!" the blonde said. "You two are welcome to join us in the lounge, but...not with more talk of our sister." She waggled her fingers at the two boys and left the room.

"They're...interesting, aren't they?" Tom asked, when he was sure they were out of hearing range.

Edmund sighed. "They exhaust my mother."

"And your father?"

"My father is more tolerant," the Watchers' son said. "He's less rigid than Mother...and more accommodating when it comes to her sisters. He knew them before her."

Tom hmm'd. "There's a story there."

Edmund smiled. "Not one that I've been told."

"You aren't wrong...your aunts do behave childishly."

Edmund scoffed. "They were right too...Mother treats them dreadfully. It isn't any of her business how they live and yet she looks down on them."

Tom shrugged.

Edmund sighed. "I insulted them," he said sadly.

Tom chuckled. "I doubt they will hold a grudge, especially if you...you know, have a few drinks with them." He grinned.

Edmund laughed—then paused. "Do you really think so?"

Tom nodded. "Yes. And after the day we've had...I think we should as well."

Edmund snorted. "Mother wouldn't like it," he said, looking unsure. "I think we should check on Buffy."

"Buffy will sleep for several more hours," Tom predicted.

Edmund frowned. "You know her well, don't you?"

Tom shrugged. "I do. Better than you'd like me to," he admitted.

Edmund just stared at him. "Are you...in love with her? Because...I think I am," he confessed.

Tom didn't answer. He didn't know what he felt for the strange American girl who'd just dropped into his life—quite literally. But he didn't like that Edmund Giles loved her. No, he didn't like it at all. And he couldn't wait to get her away from London and off to Scotland. To Hogwarts! Where he would have her to himself!

~oOO~

Special thanks to Ailsam, SevenMagic, DianeCastle, Sharie (x3), Syriope, Monster King, and chao-hellsing for your reviews/comments...I really appreciate it!

To the rest of you...PLEASE REVIEW!