She had just been punished. Her healing would deal with the cut lip and bleeding nose. Just as it had healed the numerous other wounds she had received as part of her punishment. Her daddy had been so mad that she had stopped him from hurting the brown haired boy. She just didn't want anything to happen to her Kitten.
[Go to him] said Miss Edith
Drusilla looked down at the pretty brown haired doll with a tear in her eye.
"Daddy would kill me," she said hopelessly.
[Then kill him]
"I can't he's too strong" Drusilla said miserably. The truth was that since spike had healed her she was feeling better than she had done in a long time. The life blood of her daddy had gone a long way to making her better. She was, however, sure that there was another reason as well.
[Kitten will help you. Daddy is afraid of him. He is afraid of what he could become] Miss Edith said, gently cajoling her into action.
Her daddy had given her the doll as a present shortly after turning her and now Drusilla wouldn't know what to do without it. Miss Edith always gave the best advice. She would go and talk to her Kitten just as soon as she could. She was sure that he would save her.
Xander Harris walked towards the library with a heavy sigh. He and Cordelia had spent some time in the janitors closet in mind morning break until Xander had stopped it. She had been horrible to him that morning, the usual jibes. Suddenly it didn't seem enough anymore. It was amazing to make out with the brunette beauty and Cordelia was really great. But only when they were alone. Xander had told her that and she had gone mad. Now they were off again. He wasn't so sure he really cared. Luckily for him several weeks had passed since valentines and Willow and Buffy were finally talking to him again. Even Giles wasn't being quite so angry anymore. Oz, well who knew what Oz was thinking. After he had decked Xander he had appeared to totally forget the matter.
<Everybody still hates me though> he thought to himself as he got the occasional hostile stare from girls in the hallways. Thankfully he wasn't that far from the library now. He caught sight of Cordy with her Cordettes sharing a joke about some fashionable thing or another. Their eyes met for a short second that stretched into infinity, but it was no good. She turned away back to her sheep. If that was what she was happy with great. More power to her. He just wished, well he wished. Since they were off totally now Cordelia had gone back to her sheep and Harmony had seemed to forgive her little rant. Now Xander was once again on his own. It had been good for a while to feel what it was like to be with someone. He had spent most of his life on his own. His parents didn't care about him and only Jessie and Willow's friendship had saved him. Without them he was sure he would have lost it.
He pushed back the double doors leading into the library and walked into the middle of a minor rant between the slayer and her watcher.
"You have to deal with him. He is becoming more and more dangerous," Giles said unusually flushed.
Buffy had her hand's on her hip and was leaning forward slightly her face furious, "Don't you think I've tried?" she said. "I just can't do it. I love him"
Xander felt his stomach curl into a ball at her proclamation. He would never have her. She was and always would be Angel's. He had tried, as they all had, to get Buffy to do her duty. Perhaps it was time for someone to do it for her.
It was with that thought that Xander Harris came to a decision. He would take down angel one way or another. He may be the normal one, but he was with his resources. No-one could fight alone side of the slayer without being effected in someway. Only that year he had been turned into a soldier for the night. He didn't remember much, only the instincts stayed with him. He had found that he was still an excellent marksman though. He could also still field strip an M16. Putting it back together was the bit he was having trouble remembering. He had taken it upon himself to learn the things he had forgotten. It was amazing what you can find on the Internet. The Anarchists cookbook was useful. For the most part the information in it was useless and archaic but not all of it. He had studied it closely his fading memories guiding him to the useful information. He had managed to procure a few firearms. He had also been training in martial arts since before the Halloween incident. To make a long story less so, he was fighting fit.
Buffy and Giles finally noticed his presence. "What is it?" Giles said shortly.
Xander was a little taken aback by his tone but as usual covered it with a goofy grin. "Oh hey I got a free"
Buffy turned to him, almost glad to see him. <Escape> she thought and shot the young man a smile, "Hey me too, lets skip" she said grabbing his arm and leading him out of the door before Giles could say a word.
From her special place beside her mistress the doll known as Miss Edith watched the room as her owner slept. Everyone, including Dru, thought Drusilla was mad talking to her doll. But the fact of the matter was that Miss Edith was indeed alive. The shop that Angelus had stolen her from was a magical one. Just before the owner died she managed to project herself into the inanimate doll. Miss Edith was in fact Mistress Edith Sumner. Once Edith had been a powerful witch but in her old age she had settled down and brought the doll shop. The demon had killed her before she had a chance to defend herself. If she had, Angelus would certainly been no more. So now she looked after the wounded and confused being that was Drusilla the Master Vampire.
At first she was going to use her to destroy Angelus. Then she had realised that Drusilla wasn't like normal vampires. In other circumstances she would certainly been a powerful witch and a force for good.
The first thing Edith Sumner had done was to restore the poor things soul. Unexpectedly the demon within Drusilla was too strong for her soul to overcome. It was rare but not unheard of for that to happen. That left Miss Edith with a major problem. She wanted to get Dru over to the side of the Angels and not Angelus's.
So she had settled for minimising the problems the demon would cause the wretched soul of Drusilla. Then another problem was the visions. Dru received visions of the future and the Demon warped them into a parody. So Edith had bounded herself with the girl and received the visions also, then it was a race to see who would pass the vision onto Dru in a way she could understand. Since first laying eyes on the young dark haired man called Xander. Drusilla had been receiving many visions. Some of these were twisted by the demon and became dreams of death and sex and blood. Others Miss Edith intercepted. These visions were of Xander saving Dru and removing the threat of Angelus forever. Miss Edith knew of two ways in which he could do this and as yet hadn't decided which would be better.
Soon the dark haired man would come, and then she would have to decide once and for all.
A dark figure dressed in so much black he appeared to be made out of midnight passed unseen. He moved without sound his footsteps appearing to be that of a ghost. The cold stars watched his progress towards a dark figure and a blonde girl.
"Come now, is this any way to treat your boyfriend" Angelus sneered.
Buffy replied by kicking the vampire in the head. Angelus stumbled backwards and looked at the slayer with contempt.
"Is that the best you can do?" he asked, "Well If it is I'm wasting my time"
Buffy looked round confused as Angelus had disappeared without a sound. She then leaned against a tomb and sobbed. She slipped down to the ground her tears coming uncontrollably.
The dark figure watched this and the anger came of it in waves. It was an almost palatable feeling, pure unadulterated hatred. Not for the diminutive blonde crying against the crypt. No it was for a certain dark haired vampire. The figure wanted nothing more than to kill the vampire. Xander knew, however, that it may not be the best thing to do. Jenny Calendar the gypsy may have a cure. He had happened upon this small snippet that very night. His plan was to covertly track the vampire and kill it. Quick, clean and no casualties to their group. He had procured a powerful crossbow for that very task. But now he had a quandary. He had a new plan, one that was very much more dangerous to himself. He set off after the master vampire with one word on his mind.
Containment.
Drusilla hummed a tune she had heard on some ones radio as she passed by an open window. She was hunting. So far the night had been surprisingly slow. She had managed to get a short bite. A circus dwarf who had stumbled into the wrong place. But since then. Not a whistle. She sighed to herself briefly interrupting her humming.
[Your Kitten is on the prowl] Miss Edith said interrupting Dru's hunt.
"Kitten" Drusilla exclaimed with joy. "Where?"
[The Mansion]
Drusilla's happy smile disappeared; her daddy was at the mansion. Her kitten was in danger. She had to get to him.
Miss Edith, if she could, would have smiled widely.
Drusilla set off at a run back towards the mansion.
At the mansion, Angelus stalked up to spike who was wheeling around in his stolen wheel chair. Spike was a disappointment to the master vampire. He had let love get in the way and had allowed himself to be hurt to save his Dru. Angelus would never understand what bound the two of them together. He had the control of a sire over both of them. Between themselves, they had nothing. Fine she was a great screw, she threw herself into it fully and afterwards even he was tired. But Love? It was a truly alien concept to the demon Angelus. Angel knew what love was; perhaps that was why Angelus hated it with all his demonic being.
"Roller Boy" Angelus greeted the platinum blonde vampire.
"Angelus" Spike said, his accented voice sounding out of place in the gothic environment. Spike was waiting for Dru to return with a snack. He hadn't eaten in a while. He made an effort not to allow Dru to nurse him. Her knew that if angelus saw just how human she really was, in both deed and thought. Well Dru would be dust. Something deep within him didn't like that idea one tiny bit. He wouldn't give the overgrown poof the satisfaction of seeing him anymore disabled than he already was either. Sometimes that was the main reason.
It was a strange family, Angelus, Spike and Drusilla. Three divergent beings with little or nothing in common. Sure they all liked a good massacre, but then they were demons after all. Personality wise, they were radically different. There was also the fact that Angelus had been missing, trapped within Angel. Without him around he and Dru had spread their share of mayhem, but they kept mostly to themselves. They had fed when they needed and occasionally Spike had stretched his wings for a while. He had killed two slayer's in his time. That made him a hero in the eyes of other vampires. It was done in self defence, both times. He hadn't started the fight he had finished it. There was nothing demonic about that; it was the law of the jungle. It was what most fathers told their man child. 'Don't Start It. Just make sure you finish it.' Spike himself could here his own father echoing those immortal words. The Master was no doubt told the same thing himself. God probably said it to Jesus just before sending him down to earth. So why was it then, that now all vampires looked up to spike as if he was 'The Demon'.
All things being equal, spike would have preferred to be left alone with Dru and spent some time travelling. Dru had been drawn here by the enigmatic 'Miss Edith'. But in the depths of his being spike knew he was going to loose her. AT first he thought she had been drawn here because of angel's change of heart. Now though, he wasn't so sure.
Angelus was truly an evil demon. He wanted the world to end and bring about the return of demon kind. Spike didn't want to do that. He liked the world with its humans wandering around like a free take away dinner. It had the Bay City Rollers, Billy Idol and numerous other cool things.
Angelus noticed his childes silence but took it as his usual sullen way. He let out a snort of laughter and wandered into the courtyard at the back of the mansion. He stepped out into the crisp night air and breathed in deeply. It was lucky he did, if he had not he would never of caught the slight scent of soap.
Angelus whirled round, his black coat whipping out behind him. He came face to face with a spirit. At least that was thought at first. Then his sensitive nose caught the familiar musk that was very familiar to him. None of the other humans he had been around had it. It was essence of Xander.
"Well if it isn't the White Knight. What's with the costume?" Angelus said taking in Xander's attire.
Xander didn't waste his breath with chit chat. He let out a devastating punch that started from his loins and travelled past Angelus's head. The punch when it connected took the master vampire by surprise. One, he had expected some idle banter. Two, the power of the punch had knocked him clean off of his feet.
Spike hearing the commotion wheeled out into the court yard. Once he arrived he found a dark figure circling his sire. He rolled forward to the rescue only to be side kicked out of his chair. Now helpless laying on the floor he was forced to watch as Angelus returned to his feet in a fluid motion.
"Nice" Angelus said, working his jaw. He rolled his shoulders and he and Xander started a dance. It was a dance to the death as far as angelus was concerned. He would take the cubs head and nail it to the slayers door. That would give her something to think about. He snapped out a punch at the young mans head. Xander moved his head an inch to the left and the punch missed him cleanly. He whipped out a counter punch that angelus caught in his spare hand. Xander tried to remove his fist from the vampire's steel like grip. But it was to no avail. Angelus held him without any effort.
Spike finding that his legs were feeling a little better managed to almost stand before slumping down on to his chair. It was miraculously still standing. The human had kicked him clean out of it. He watched as Angelus started to toy with the brave human. It gave Spike a strange sadness to know that the boys efforts had been for nothing.
Punch, "You think you can come here", Punch. "And attack me", Punch, "in my home", Punch. Xander's face was starting to become a bleeding mess and he was wondering why he had even tried. He snapped out a kick that moved the vampire away but he didn't let go of Xander's hand.
Punch, "Nice Try", Punch.
Xander knew he was fighting a loosing battle, dumb luck. He was sure that if angel hadn't had caught his fist, this would be all over now. Punch, "I'm going to enjoy killing you" Angelus said and delivered a final cataclysmic blow that floor Xander. Angelus kneeled down and grabbed the young man in a vice like grip. He moved in for the kill and his face was a mere inch from Xander's when a scream came form nowhere.
"KITTEN" Drusilla screamed out and swung with all of her strength. She had grabbed the large branch from the floor and smacked Angelus over the head as hard as she could. Angelus dropped like a stone, out for the count with a dribble of blood from his scalp. A human would have died from the blow. A vampire would be up and about in a few short minutes.
Dazed and a little confused, but still trying determined. Xander reached into his pocket and stabbed down with a syringe depressing the plunger and sending the cold liquid into the vampire's stolen blood stream.
Xander looked up into Drusilla eyes, "Thanks Dru"
"Anything for my kitten" she replied smiling. Xander found himself truly smiling back into those deep pools of hers. That was the second time she had saved him from Angelus. He had found out that love spells didn't effect vampires so he had been confused to her reasons. But here and now he thought he may know why.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Spike demanded loudly.
Xander and Drusilla's eyes snapped over to the disabled vampire. "Urm Hi Spike" Xander said nervously, "Sorry about kicking you" he said with a shrug.
He stood unsteadily to his feet and looked down and the body of angelus. The tranquilliser he had administered should keep even a vampire out for the count for a full day. Now all he had to do was to get him to the library. He looked at spike with an almost cheeky grin, "Can I borrow your car?"
Spike looked at him blankly for a moment. The moment stretched on and suddenly spike barked out with laughter.
The gang, sans Xander, were researching the latest demon big bad to come to town. Buffy was shooting distrustful looks towards Miss Calendar. She had pushed Giles into forgiving the dark haired women. She wanted him to happy, now that she couldn't. Soon she would have to go out and attack angel, the final fight. To the death, she half hoped it would be hers; she really didn't want to kill her love. The gypsy Techno-Pagan was researching herself. She had, that night finally translated the ancient curse, now all she had to do was a few last minute adjustments.
The doors to the library swung open as if a rocket had been launched through them. The tall and dark presence of Drusilla sauntered through the door with a wide and happy smile on her blood red lips.
Buffy was the first to react, grabbing a stake and running towards the vampire. A shout brought her up short.
"She's with me"
She looked at the source of the voice and didn't recognise the badly beaten and bleeding figure. All dressed in black army clothes he looked like a Special Forces soldier.
"Xander?" Willow said identifying the dark man for her.
What she saw next was the thing that totally removed her guard. Across Xander's shoulders tightly bound and gagged was an unconscious Angel.
"I know it's not you birthday, but..." Xander said with a crooked smile.
"Angel..." Buffy said.
"No Angelus, but she," Xander nodded at Miss Calendar, "Can help turn him back to Angel"
Buffy span on the spot to face the gypsy. "Is it true?"
Janna of the Kalderash clan nodded slowly, "Yes, I'm researching it now." She looked at Xander. "How did you know?"
"Overheard you and the G-Man" Xander said, "Can someone help me. He's not getting any lighter you know"
Before Buffy could move, the almost forgotten vampires, Drusilla moved to help her kitten. "Here kitten, Let mummy take the bad man"
"Thanks Dru" Xander said with an affectionate smile towards the vampire. His feelings for the master vampire were confusing him, but she talked to his soul.
"Dru" Willow mouthed at her boyfriend who shrugged expressively.
"What is she doing here?" Buffy said with a withering glare towards the dark goddess.
"I, urm, had some trouble. She helped me. Again" Xander replied.
"I should just stake her..." Buffy started but the look that Xander shot her nailed her to the spot. She opened and closed her mouth a few times until she gave up trying to form a coherent sentence. Drusilla dumped angel in the book cage and locked the door behind her.
"There, all locked away" she said brightly. "I'll go now?" she said in a much quieter voice.
"No" Xander said suddenly, then seemingly shocked by the fervour of his own response calmed his voice, "No, stay with me" he almost pleaded.
Miss Edith from her vantage point from Drusilla pocket was inwardly smiling. She turned her attention towards the dark haired women sat by the main table.
[Dru, that woman]
"The dark haired one" Dru said.
[Yes, that paper she has let me see it]
Dru wasted no time in striding past the slayer towards the gypsy and looked down at the sheet of computer paper.
[Tell them what I say] Miss Edith told her.
Dru just nodded, and started to relay her thoughts, "If you change that stanza to ALMKATHA OTHULOUS AMOURIE STRUASS. If will remove the happiness clause"
Drusilla shook her head slightly, what sort of a curse could be broken so easily. Jenny looked at the dark vampire in shock then glanced at her printout.
"My god, she might be right. It is a lost language but she might be right. It all fits" she started mumbling almost incoherently to herself.
Xander sauntered up to Dru's side and looked down at the seemingly meaningless words. He smiled at his undead saviour. Her closeness was starting to seriously screw with his mental processes. She was hellishly attractive.
Dru also underwent a change as Xander's hand brushed hers. She felt a shock of electricity and suddenly it was if someone had turned on a light.
Miss Edith was smirking to herself. The final component of her most recent spell had been activated. Now for as long as this boy was near her demon would be subdued. She had noticed the power of the boys soul when they had first met. She knew that with a little magic it could help Dru's own soul battle back the demon.
"Ohhhh" Drusilla said fearfully her eyes wide in panic, "I feel all funny" she continued then slumped down in a feint. Xander caught her before she hit the floor and lifted her up into his arms.
Miss Edith was nearly shaken from her perch but luckily Xander's own arm stopped her fall. Now like a fairy tale prince all he needed to do was to willingly kiss Drusilla and the bond would be complete.
Several hours later Giles slammed his book shut. They had all talked through the spell and they were basically ready to cast it. Now all they needed was Willow to cast the spell and to return Angel's soul. According to Xander spike was gone. Dru had told him to leave otherwise the slayer would kill him. It wasn't a threat but a premonition. Spike had been reluctant but Xander had convinced him. Although Xander wouldn't say how he had convinced a master vampire to leave. Drusilla had been laid out gently by Xander in Giles's office and both she and Xander were there now. Once the initial interrogation had been finished he had gone there. He had said he wanted to watch over her.
Willow started the spell, the atmosphere seeming to get darker as she continued. It was a lucky thing that he had an Orb of Thesulah. He had been using it as a paperweight. Now it was being put to its proper use.
Willow's back straightened and her eyes turned to an inky black. She started to recite the spell in ancient Romany a language long dead but she was speaking it as if she had learnt it at the cradle. The orb started to glow and the power of the spell awoke the still chained Angelus from his slumber. He shifted around until he was finally on his knees his dark eye glaring at them all. Then the Orb dimmed and angel's eyes flashed gold brightly. He then slumped to the floor in a heap.
Willow also slumped down spent. The powerful spell draining all of her energies. Oz caught her and cradled her in his arms gently soothing her. Jenny looked at her fearfully but it was quickly apparent that she was OK as Willow reached up and gently kissed Oz on the lips.
Buffy ran over to the book cage as Angel came to. "Angel?" she asked, fearful of his response.
"B.B.B.Buffy?" he said confused. Then the memories hit him twisting his soul inside out and back again, "Oh God" he sobbed.
Buffy threw open the book cage and gathered the larger man into her arms, "Shh. It's OK."
"No, those people"
Buffy cut him off, "No!" she said sharply, "That was the Demon. You are Angel. And you always will be now as well."
Angel looked at her confused, "Huh?"
Drusilla aided by Xander walked back into the room, "No more happy bad" she said.
"Dru?" Angel said in shock, then he noticed Xander, "Ah"
"Are you sure kitten?" Dru asked for the hundredth time.
"Yes, Dru don't worry. My parents never notice anything. Period. You can stay here tonight"
"In your bed" Dru said, as if it was the most wondrous thing in the world. Where as it was in fact a small cot bed.
"In my bed. I have a sleeping bag. I'll sleep on the floor," Xander said with a smile.
Dru pouted disappointed that he wouldn't be joining her, "Thank you kitten"
"No Problem Maharani."
"Maharani? What does that mean?" Dru enquired.
Xander smirked softly, "A Maharani is an Indian Princess. You remind me of one. With your dark hair and those dark brown eyes of yours..." Xander trailed off and ran his hand through her dark tresses and stared into her deep eyes. What he saw reflected in them was something he never thought he would see. At least not directed at him. Love, total and deep love. It made his heart skip several beats. The next thing he knew he was kissing her.
Dru felt another electric shock pass through her, this time though it was of a very human source. The heat within Xander's kiss was stirring her blood in a way she had never thought possible. How could it be that this barely 17 year old was such a good kisser? She decided it really didn't matter. What mattered was the man she was kissing. They still had many obstacles to pass but right here and right now was what mattered.
Both deep and passionate it was the best kiss Xander had ever given and received. It melted his soul and he felt his heart combining with Drusilla's. His heart pounded like a steam engine and he felt almost dizzy. The tingle he always felt when kissing was magnified a thousand fold until he felt as if on fire. He put his arms around her slender form and gently pulled her closer.
They stayed like that for several minutes.
Miss Edith watched from her place on Xander's bedside table. She watched and she knew that her task was now complete. They were bonded for ever. Angelus had lost in the end after all.
Miss Edith toasted her self, [To the Future]
If Drusilla heard her at all she was far too busy to reply as she lent backwards pulling her kitten with her.