It was approaching one in the morning in the small town of Sunnydale, a time when people were usually asleep at home or working the night shift at their respective jobs. But in a moment that the streets should be virtually empty, one pretty teenage girl could be seen walking through the shadows by the cemetery.
She moved with a stride that was calm and collected, but the look in her eyes told otherwise. A fire seemed to burn deep within the blue depths, suggesting that she had perhaps just come from a heated argument with a boyfriend or parent.
After a while, the girl stopped with a deep sigh, going to sit on the curb. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm, then casually reached into her purse, maybe for a pack of gum or cigarettes.
The vampire hovering behind her didn't care which, just knew he was hungry and she had the worst luck being out this late. He inched closer so as to not alert her to his presence, watching as she stretched her arms over her head.
The vampire barely knew what hit him as her hands wrapped around the lapels of his jacket and pulled him forward. He was flipped over her head and landed heavily on his back on the pavement. Before he could regain his senses, the girl had already wrapped one arm around his throat in a choke-hold.
With a triumphant smile, Stefanie leaned forward. "Are you careless or just stupid?" she quipped. "Or is it just a given that all vampires fall for the helpless girl routine?"
He turned his head slightly to look at her, realizing too late that she was the vampire\slayer he had been warned to avoid. "You're a clever one, aren't you?" he growled.
Stefanie smirked. "You have no idea," she said. "Now, if you'd just be kind enough to tell me where I could find mistress Tessa's lair, I'll let you go."
He wouldn't have answered but that he noticed she was uncorking a bottle of holy water. Wanting to avoid the discomfort it would surely bring, he answered, "The warehouse, about three or four blocks from that night club, the Bronze."
Stefanie hesitated a moment. "I'll tell you what. I'm in a favorable mood. So I'll give you a fair fight," she said, letting him up. Standing, she delivered a roundhouse kick to his lower back, producing the wooden stake she had kept hidden until that moment. But, before Stefanie could get another punch in, he had already swiped his claws across her outstretched arm.
Stefanie roared in pain, her face morphing into the same visage her adversary wore. After a few moments of fighting, she managed to plunge the stake into his chest, watching as his dusty remains scattered in the night wind.
Stefanie rubbed at her eyes with both palms, smiling slightly, then turned away from her newest conquest, making her way home. As she walked, she examined the cuts on her arm, concerned with the fact that they weren't healing as fast as they should. It was the latest in a series of symptoms that were connected to her sudden strange illness.
As she eventually entered the apartment building that was to be her new home, Stefanie knew she had a lot of preparing to do for the next few days. But, for the sake of her many friends, she was up to the challenge...
The loft had a small, cramped feel to it and was barely livable enough for three adults and one infant. Stefanie didn't care about space though; all she asked was that the sunlight was kept out. She was in the tiny kitchen, seated on the counter and cleaning the cuts on her arm when Jenny entered with some gauze and bandages.
"Mind telling me what happened?" Jenny asked. "I mean, I didn't think you'd be back so early."
Stefanie sighed. "I would've been here earlier, except I made a little detour," she replied. "But while we're on the subject, I guess you should know that Buffy's fine for now."
"I know," Jenny said softly, explaining how her husband, Rupert (or Giles as Stefanie affectionately referred to him), had called to tell her. "For someone who just learned that her best friend is in a coma and may die, you don't seem too upset."
Stefanie shook her head, remaining silent as she recalled the events of the last few days. It hadn't even been that long ago that she and Buffy had been celebrating their vampire slaying victories and discussing retirement. But that was before Giles, their faithful Watcher and mentor, had deciphered the prophecy that made their future look bleak. And in the past twelve hours, all hell had broken loose.
First, Stefanie had narrowly escaped a fatal attack by her former friend-turned-vampire, Cordelia. When that threat had passed, Steffi had gone to locate Buffy, only she had been to late. Buffy had already taken a severe beating at the hands of some other source and was now hospitalized as a result. To make matters worse, their other fighting partner and Buffy's true love, a benevolent vampire named Angel, was missing-in-action.
And, sadly, the worst of it had yet to happen. According to the last stanza of this prophecy, one of them, either Buffy or Stefanie herself, was destined to die. They still didn't know which, and it appeared it could go either way.
To lighten her mood, Stefanie couldn't help but make jokes. "I was upset. But there's nothing like a good fight to help you calm down," she cracked.
"Hence the scrapes?" Jenny guessed. When Stefanie nodded, the other woman said, "So why the need for bandages? I thought vampires could heal just like that."
Stefanie flinched slightly at the reminder of who she was. Being a vampire was no picnic, especially if one still had their soul like she did. However, after nearly forty years, she was getting used to it.
Biting her lip, Stefanie wondered if she should bring up the issue now or wait until Giles returned. But one look into Jenny's concerned eyes made her choose the former. "In a nutshell, I'm sick," Stefanie said.
Hearing a familiar British accent echoing her from behind made Stefanie turn to look at Giles, surprised that he too was back so soon. "In what way?" he added, lines of worry marring his forehead.
Stefanie instantly wished she could take it back. Buffy's condition had done enough to drain Giles physically, and the last thing he needed was to fret over her as well. But the damage had already been done. With a sigh, Stefanie said, "I don't know. I don't have any explanation for what's wrong with me."
Giles considered this a moment, then walked closer. "How long has it been going on? What are some of the signs?" he asked, standing across from her.
Stefanie wiped a stray tear from her eye. She gave it a few moments of thought, then answered, "I suppose the first incident was the morning after you read us that prophecy... Angel and I had just finished a training session, and I was feeling more worn out than usual." She went on to tell him the rest in a rush: her fainting spell at the Bronze, the "allergic" reaction she had to the packs of blood she usually fed on, the failure of her healing abilities tonight.
When she had finished, Giles gazed at her thoughtfully a moment. Finally, he leaned against the counter opposite her, removing his glasses briefly to rub at his eyes. "Well, you've certainly got me puzzled," he admitted. "If I may be blunt, I've never heard of a vampire getting ill before. As a rule, their immune systems are quite extraordinary."
"That's what I thought too," Stefanie said. "And this couldn't have come at a worse time." She hopped off the counter, absently cradling her injured arm. "That's why I was hoping you could research this for me, among other things."
"I'd be happy to," Giles started. "What else besides your disorder did you have in mind?"
Stefanie paused a moment. "When I faced down Cordelia, she gave the name of the vampire king's mistress. It's not much to go on, but it will have to do... So, does 'Tessa' ring any bells?"
"Not offhand," Giles replied. "But, as you said, it will do. I'll see if there's any record of her and vampires connected to her as soon as possible."
"And see if you can find a cure for me. I have a big battle due in the next week, and I don't want to enter it hindered in some way," Stefanie added. With that, she moved to leave when Jenny stepped forward, holding her in place.
"Where did you get this?" Jenny asked, fingering the pendant Stefanie wore around her neck. It was a smoky quartz crystal clasped inside an elaborate silver bird's claw.
The slayer looked down at it with a slight smile. She related how Buffy had given it to her in remembrance of Rhys, Stefanie's first and only love. "It's pretty, don't you think?" she asked Jenny, a sentimental light in her eyes.
Jenny nodded absently. "Very," she agreed, looking slightly disturbed. "But I can't help thinking I've seen this somewhere before."
Stefanie shrugged. "Maybe wherever Buffy bought it from? It would have a way of catching someone's eye," she suggested.
Jenny considered this, then shrugged it off. Here we are talking about life and death, and I'm worried about a necklace," she said with a laugh. "Besides which, you're probably right, Steffi."
As the two women conversed further, Giles went to set up a cot for Stefanie and made sure Ivory, Buffy and Angel's three month old daughter, was sleeping comfortably. Much to his surprise, the infant looked perfectly content in the makeshift crib his wife had constructed.
Noticing that Stefanie had come to stand behind him, Giles said, "Ivory's the only one among us not on the verge of collapse. If only we could be as lucky..."
Stefanie took a step forward, embracing him in much the way a daughter would her father. "Well, we should get some sleep also," she whispered. "After the night's events, we need it." After a pause, Stefanie added, "And hopefully, things will look better in the morning..."
On the contrary, Giles found that the morning only made things worse in a sense. He had gone to the school library that he had come to think of as his, ready to begin the research for Stefanie. But he was caught off guard by the presence of two sleeping forms at the desk in the center of the room.
Giles groaned, cursing himself for his forgetfulness. Xander and Willow had been here with him last night when Stefanie had called with news of Buffy. Rather than worry them right off, Giles had told them to wait until he returned. From the looks of things, they had listened and had been here all night.
With a sigh, Giles went to wake them and offered them cups of freshly brewed tea. And, once they were settled, he set about filling them in on the night's events. Much to Giles' surprise, the news that Buffy was in a coma didn't upset them as greatly as the fact that Cordelia had become a member of the undead. He hadn't figured that Xander and Willow were that close to the conceited girl. But he supposed that the loss of someone else they knew was too much.
Of all people, Xander had the most right to feel the worst about this. He had lost his best friend, Jesse, in the same way, plus he and Cordelia had dated for a while back in high school. How must it feel, Giles wondered, to know a former girlfriend had turned into a savage animal?
Xander answered the silent question a moment later. "Cordelia always did have bad karma," he said. "But I didn't expect it to come to this... She's been a part of the team for so long! It's not fair that she should go down like this!"
Reaching for her husband's hand, Willow felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. Only she wasn't as willing to give in to the fact that Cordelia was lost. "Are you sure there's no help for her? I mea, Angel turned good when he got his soul back. Couldn't we just do the same for Cordy?"
Giles looked down a moment, choosing to break it as gently as possible. "She'd never consent to such a ritual," he said. "The demon inside her would kill us if we even attempted to try... As I told Stefanie last night, the only thing we can offer Cordelia now is to end her life."
Willow nodded numbly, while Xander stood and began to pace back and forth. "I hate this town," he stated simply.
Giles sighed deeply. "For now, I suggest we concentrate on helping the ones who can be saved," he said, changing the subject. He quickly went to gather the volumes that might tell who Tessa was, then rejoined his young friends at the table. The search was long and tedious, and it seemed that they wouldn't find a single trace. Finally, Xander struck gold in the translated journal of one of the past Watchers.
"According to this," Xander said, "Tessa and someone named Lorenzo were sighted in China in the early 1800s, wreaking the usual havoc... If I'm reading right, Tessa is five hundred years old, while Lorenzo is in the six hundreds."
Giles asked to have the book to skim it further. "Says here they're both inventive and ruthless. And... they killed the slayer that this Watcher was guarding."
Willow perked up. "So why didn't they kill Buffy right off when they attacked her?" she asked quietly. "I'm not saying I wanted that to happen, but it would have saved them a lot of trouble."
Giles considered this a moment. "Then they must have some ulterior motive for wanting her alive," he said. "I bet if Angel were here..." Giles cut off suddenly, as if realizing what their plan was.
It seemed that Willow had caught on as well, while Xander remained painfully clueless as ever. "What?" he asked when neither his wife nor Giles spoke.
"That's why they kidnapped Angel," Giles said in a near whisper. "Lorenzo and Tessa are going to force him to kill Buffy himself."
Xander paused, shaking his head. "And they'll manage that how?" he asked. "Angel loves her too much."
Giles looked up at the younger man sadly. "Not enough to overcome his need for blood. If they starve him for a few days first... Why didn't I see this before?!?"
At that, the trio remained silent for the longest time. But each of them seemed to know what the other was thinking. Their hearts went out to Angel in his apparent situation. Even Xander, who, until recently, had long competed with the vampire for Buffy's affections, was troubled now. But there was nothing they could do in terms of rescuing.
That part was to be left to Stefanie...
From inside his prison in the heart of the old warehouse, Angel lay on his side on the bunk his captors had provided him. It surprised him slightly that they had bothered with that little triviality, considering their reasons for having him here. But he didn't bother asking why; he wouldn't give them that pleasure.
With a sigh, Angel rolled over onto his back, one arm angled under his head. Already, he could feel the pangs of hunger gnawing at him, but it was nothing too bad. In less than three days, it would become unbearable. And then, unless Stefanie came through, Buffy would be dead at his hands.
Angel felt a tear sliding down his cheek at the thought of the woman he loved, wishing he could be with her now. Closing his eyes, he drew a mental picture of Buffy, lively as he remembered her.
His reverie was over all too soon, as he heard the sound of laughter over to his left. He threw a listless glance at Cordelia, then went back to staring at the ceiling.
She wasn't ready to leave him in peace, however. Leaning forward slightly with an amused look, Cordelia asked, "Feeling hungry yet?"
Angel refused to let her see the slightest semblance of emotion from him; he was stubborn that way. Plus, he knew it would please her to get a rise out of him. "Stay away from me, Cordelia," he said flatly.
"Or what?" Cordelia taunted. "You'll kill me? Lots of luck getting near me, Angel." She paused, taking a step closer. "Thinking of Buffy again?"
When Angel didn't answer, Cordelia carried on as if he had. "I'm not surprised. That little vixen has never been far from your mind... I remember a time when I was jealous of her, because she had more of your attention than I could ever hope to get." Cordelia paused again. "But maybe when she's out of the picture, you and I could finally have a chance."
This time, Angel did look at her, the rage conveyed as well through his vampire visage as it would have in his human one. If it were anyone else, he could have held his feelings in check, but Cordelia knew too well how to push his buttons. "If I ever get out of here, you're going to wish I hadn't," he growled fiercely.
Cordelia merely smiled. "I'm not afraid of you," she said simply, turning and starting to walk away. But she had only taken a few steps when she stopped and looked over her shoulder flirtatously. "My offer stands if you ever change your mind," she told him in a seductive tone.
Angel watched her go without a word, then once more went back to studying the roof. Eventually, sensing it was morning outside, he fell into a restless sleep, his last thoughts as always on Buffy. "Be safe, my love," he whispered...
After spending a little more time helping Giles with his research, Willow and Xander decided to go visit Buffy at the hospital. They spent the drive there and the ride up to the fourth floor in silence. Neither of them were sure what to expect when they saw their friend. On top of that, the last thing Xander and Willow expected as they stepped from the elevator was to hear a shouting match going on at the nurse's station. They would have ignored it altogether, but that they heard Buffy's name come up at least once.
Xander and Willow turned at the sound. The woman who was yelling had her back to them, but they recognized her anyway. For the only person in Sunnydale with blue hair was Venus, a singer who had appeared in the Bronze two nights ago.
After a long moment, Willow stepped forward, touching Venus on the shoulder to silence her. "Is there a problem here?" she asked the nurse on duty.
Venus answered instead. "Yeah, there's a problem!" she snapped. "This lady refuses to give me an update on Miss Summers' condition... I heard about her attack on the news, and I just want to know if she's okay."
With a sigh, Willow calmly led Venus away, telling the agitated nurse she'd handle this. Once they were alone with Xander, Willow said, "My husband and I are friends of Buffy's. And we can tell you right off that she's in a coma, and nobody knows when she'll wake up."
Xander stepped forward, a trace of suspicion in his eyes. "In the meantime, who are you and why are you so curious?" he asked brusquely.
Venus rubbed at her eyes, unfazed by his rudeness. "Buffy saved my life last night," she answered. "This thing... I don't know what it was... ambushed me, and she got there just in time. She and... Angel, I think his name was."
Willow's lips parted slightly, somewhat pleased to hear that Buffy had gotten in at least one vampire before she had gone down. "Well, we were just about to go in to see her," Willow said softly. "Would you like to join us?"
Xander cleared his throat loudly, taking his wife by one arm. "Can I talk to you privately?" he said pointedly, leading Willow to a spot a few feet away without an answer. "What do you think you're doing?" he whispered. "For all we know, she could be one of the bad guys!"
Willow gave a skeptical smile. "Right, Xander," she said. "Venus is a vampire who just happens to have an immunity to sunlight. In case you haven't noticed, she's standing in front of a window."
Xander threw a quick glance at the blue-haired singer. "Oh, I don't know. I hear they're doing wonders with sunblock these days," he said in an attempt to be witty.
Willow's smile faded slightly. "Xander!" she complained. "Even if she was a bad guy as you put it, why wouldn't she have waited until tonight when things were quiet? If she's here to take Buffy to wherever Angel's being kept, now wouldn't be a good time to do so."
Xander contemplated this a moment. "There's a certain logic to that, I guess," he said hesitantly. "All right, you've convince me. Now do you want to tell Miss Weirdo-Hair or should I?"
At this, Willow did laugh, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her bout of giggles. "Xander, you kill me!" she said at last, leading him back to where they had left Venus...
One advantage of having Giles live on the basement level of his apartment building was that it covered the noise Stefanie was making during her training session. She had been surprised to discover that her Watcher had a punching bag set up in one corner, and she had chose to use it to her advantage.
At least, until she heard Ivory crying in the background. Stefanie took a step back with a sigh, running her hands through the sweaty locks of her brown hair. Walking over to the infant's crib, Stefanie did a quick probing of Ivory's thoughts to see what she wanted.
Moments later, Stefanie was in the kitchen preparing a bottle of soy formula. Once that was finished, she retrieved Ivory and carried her over to the recliner where she began to feed her.
As she gazed down at Ivory's content little face, Stefanie felt a few tears rising to her eyes. "How many times have I wished for this?" she whispered. "To have a baby of my own... Buffy doesn't know how lucky she is." Stefanie paused, setting the bottle aside and holding Ivory a little closer. "You have a wonderful mom, Ivory."
"That's for sure," Jenny said from her spot a few feet away, supporting two bags of groceries and a knapsack in her arms. "How are you, Steffi? Still holding up okay?"
Stefanie nodded absently. "Well, actually, I feel weird being here. I mean, I can't believe that overnight, the home I've known, the people I was close to, could just vanish."
"It's going to take some time to adjust. I know," Jenny replied softly. "But, hopefully, not too long... Once Cordelia is eliminated, Buffy's house will be safe again. And then, you can go back there."
Stefanie hesitated a moment, then went to put Ivory back in her crib and join Jenny in the kitchen. "So, did you get everything?" the slayer asked.
Jenny moved to open the knapsack. "Everything I could find. I never realized Buffy had so many hiding spots for her weapons." With that, Jenny dumped an assortment of crosses, stakes, garlic, and even a crossbow onto the counter.
Stefanie turned her head slightly to the right, her face scrunched up and one hand covering her nose. "Do you mind?" she asked.
Jenny's face reddened, and she quickly gathered up the cloves of garlic, putting them in the trash to dull the smell. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly.
Stefanie stood up straight. "It's no problem," she said. "Just that being a vampire as well as a slayer has its disadvantages." At that, Stefanie snuck a glance at her left hand, where the slight imprint of a cross was still burned into her palm.
Jenny started to put away the groceries. "So, any more ill effects I should know about?" she asked.
"Not a one," Stefanie replied. "Maybe that's a sign I'm getting better."
Jenny glanced up briefly, not bothering to mask her worried expression. "For your sake, I hope so," she said softly...