Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters other than Evelyn, Timetraveler, and Shyra. All others belong to Joss Whedon. This story takes place after a scenerio in which Angels soul was restored. It also features the deceased Jenny Calender (a.k.a Janna) who is now a guardian spirit.
It was nothing new, she was the slayer after all, it was her job to hunt. She held a stake in her hand, ready for trouble. She glided through the graveyard, scanning the area like a predator. A suddan movement caught her eye...
She reversed her step, moved towards the new sound, until she came to the source....Buffy paused staying completly frozen. A girl about her age stood at a grave, in her hand she held a rose which she gently placed on the headstone. She had hair that was pale blond, almost silver, that shone like star light, her eyes were dark brown, an unusual look for a person. Yet that look suited her, making her look mysterious and dangorous. Buffy could tell instantly that she was able to take care of herself.
Another sound caught her attention, the other girl heard it to. A pair of gleaming feril eyes met the strangers own.
The vampire grinned, his fangs gleamed....
" You won't take me," the girl stated defiantly. Her eyes shone with almost as much intensity as his.
" Oh really? Shyra you always play the fool in this game," he growled. With that he lunged at her, snarling.
Shyra stepped aside letting him stumble past her. Enraged he twisted back around, only to be struck by her fist. Another kick and he was thrown backwards... And was impaled on Buffys stake.
" Thank you," Shyra said, her voice sounding slightly different.
" Your wel-" Buffy gasped....Shyra was a vampire! With that the girl swiftly turned and ran away into the darkness....
It was Shyra.
" I'm telling you, it was her!" Buffy yelled at Xander for the third time.
" Couldn't it have been some girl who looked like her...I mean it was dark-" Xander sugested meekly, he did NOT like messing with an angry Buffy.
" It wasn't, as soon as she recognized me she turned and ran," Buffy cut him off. Xander looked at Giles pleadingly.
" Well Buffy, I can't find any records on a vampire called Shyra, or a human living in Sunnydale." Giles said with concern in his voice, " I don't understand how it's possible for a vampire to withstand sunlight!"
There was an uncomfortable silence that followed, everyone just sat there, thinking of the possibilities of what could be done. Strangely enough, it was Cordelia who broke the silence,
" Couldn't you just ask her?" Xander looked at her strangely,
" Ask her? Ask her? Now we can't do that can we?"
" Actually Xander, she wouldn't be that hard to find... If we wait long enough." Giles said.
" What if we can't wait?" Willow questioned," What if there are more vampires like her...."
" Then that means Buffys got a full-time job," Xander replied grimly.
Buffy shivered at the thought. Then a strange breeze cam through, followed by the faded form of Ms. Calender, everyone turned, this was the first time she had apeared in this form, other than as a voice or in a mirror.
" Perhaps you'd need vampire to catch a vampire," she sugested.
" Angel? You'd think he could find her?" Xander wondered with distaste.
" Probably could, he does know parts of this town we haven't even seen,"
Willow anwsered. " I'll ask him," said Buffy.
Once again there was silence, Angel had not been seen for almost two weeks, he had been healing from wounds inflicted in a battle the demon Angelus had fought, as well as wounds that were much deeper.
* * * *
Angel out for a walk, not his first during these last few days, the gash across his arm was healing, but it still stung. His thoughts were elswhere, going over what had occured in the past few months. Months he wished he could forget.
" Angel!"
He snapped out of the world of his thoughts and turned around. Then he smiled sadly. It was Buffy.
" Angel, there's somthing I need to-"
" Shhh. Your being followed." he said calmy.
" I know," Buffy replied. She turned and focused her eyes on a shadow behind her....
Out of the shadow came Shyra. " So?" Buffy asked Shyra.
Shyra looked at Buffy with amusment.
" I want to know who you are, and who I am," she replied with a serious tone.
" And I want to know what you are."
" I'm not sure...I thought I knew when I was a child, but then I found out about my abilities....My other half." she paused, looked distressed, then," I've heard talk of a slayer, are you she?" " Yes."
Angel stepped foward, allowing Shyra to see him. Just in case....
" I've never taken a life," Shyra said quickly," Never will...."
Buffy glared at Shyra, she had to be lying.
" What are you?" Buffy asked again.
" Most who know me call me an abomination," she said, " I am the first of my kind and the last.....The only half-vampire to ever exist." Her words were the truth, it could be seen in her eyes....
A frightening truth.
Shyra smiled at the slayers shocked face. Then she looked to her companion, hoping to catch a reaction on his face....
Fear welled up in her heart. She recognized that face. " You," Shyra said with burning hatred, " I've seen you before."
One look at Shyra, and Buffy tensed. Her hand went to a stake by instinct alone. For a moment she and Shyra were eye to eye....
Shyra backed up a few steps, her face changing.
She made a quick movement which at first seemed like a lunge, then she pivoted on one foot and ran. Buffy shot after her, but Shyra was faster than her and, being a vampire, she didn't breath. Buffy wouldn't belive what she had said for a moment. As far as she was concerned, she was just another blood-sucker.
She had chased Shyra all the way to an alley, where the suposed half-vampire collasped, panting. Buffy slowly walked up to the girl, stake in perfect range...
Shyra looked up at her, and managed a weak laugh.
" What's so funny? Your about to die," Buffy asked her.
" That you, a slayer, are allied with a truly evil vampire," Shyra answered.
" He's not evil anymore."
" What kind of fool do you take me for? I saw him when my aunt died, after she was killed by his little companion!" Shyra hissed, her face twisted in pain.
She stood up shakily, she looked up at the stars. Then she looked at Buffy,
" She was the only family I ever knew... The only person in the world who cared for me...She had raised me from when I was little. And she was murdered! "
" Your telling the truth..." Buffy said with amazment.
" Yes. I am, I don't lie about my family...Either side." she replied bitterly.
" But how? It should be impossible for a person like you to exist-"
" It was....But it was because of magic that I do. That's all I was ever told."
Shyra brushed past Buffy quickly, as she walked away she spoke, " That's all I'll tell you anyway...I don't trust you, Slayer, or your pet vampire."
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Buffy stood alone in the alley, she considered following Shyra, but then shook out the notion. She decided to wait for Angel.
" You handled that well," a voice mocked.
Buffy turned to see a young man about her age leaning against the wall behind her. He was pale and thin, a good six inchs taller than her, his hair was black and neatly cut, and his eyes were large and were green, the edges of his pupils flecked brown. He was somehow familar, but she couldn't remember were she had met him before...
" What the-"
" Don't worry, just call me a friend," he said with a grin.
" No."
" Then call me an aquaintance."
Buffy glared him angrily. " I don't have time for games," she snapped.
" With me here, you have all the time in the world, Miss Summers."
Buffy whirled around angrily. " Who are you and what do you want?" she asked with irritation.
" I can't tell you my name and I want nothing that you can give me now."
" Then I'm leaving."
The young man cut her off as she tried to leave.
" I need you to trust me....I am not just some weirdo."
" Sure look like one to me."
He sighed, " I am from the future, I know you are the slayer...And I want to help you."
She looked at him with suddan concern....He knew.
" Call me a Time Traveler. If you will."
She turned away, shocked.
When she turned around again, he was gone! " Time Traveler...." She whispered into thin air.