Cira wiggled on her bed. It had been a week since the doctors had told her that she had leukemia, and by now she should be dead. For some reason, she was still alive. And she was getting better. Just today, after Buffy had left, she looked at her door, Buffy had forgotten to shut it, and it closed easily. She had telekinesis, the power to move things with her mind. Angel came in, looking the same he always did.
“Hi. You know, you could get any girl you want just by using your looks. Ya almost got me, remember?”
“Don’t remind me. I had a hard time reminding myself about Buffy around you.”
“It’s my black hair, right?”
“Sure, if you favor brunettes.”
“Or is it my green eyes? Wait a minute, Buffy has green eyes. That’ll just remind you of her. One question, did ya bring anything for me?”
“Hungry?”
“Starving.” It had been over a week since she last fed.
Angel took out a blood packet and started to tease her. Cira made futile attempts to get it before she used her thoughts to get it. Cira threw a pillow at him, almost taking his head off, and giggled. “Next time you do that, I’ll sic Buffy on you.”
Angel rubbed his head where the hit. “You’re getting stronger.”
Cira’s fangs grew and she said, “I know. Now, leave me alone before I have a little vampiric snack.”
“OK! OK!” Cira bit the plastic and started to drink the blood inside. She was done in a few minutes, and she looked up at Angel expectantly. “I don’t have anything else you you,” he said.
“I don’t care. You know,” she said, suddenly serious, “I noticed how you and Buffy act around each other.” She picked up the pillow mentally and put it behind her head. “It’s weird. You two act… like… I don’t know. There’s this lamia thing where everyone has something called a soulmate. I have no idea what the signs are, but I think that you and Buffy are soulmates.” She looked up at him and said, “That probably sounded stupid.”
“I don’t know. It almost sounds… right.”
Cira shook her head and her hair, which before, when she met Angel and Buffy, had been thick, swirled around her head. Her hair now was thinner, but it shimmered like silk again. She found Angel looking at her neck longingly.
“We did that once and it almost cost us a friendship,” she chided.
“You’re right. But you were the only one who I could bite.”
“If you weren’t Buffy’s soulmate, I suppose the human way would work also.”
He chuckled. “What if you got pregnant? How would we keep from breaking her heart?”
“You’re right. You just can’t say ‘Remember Cira? The lamia girl? Well, she going to have my baby. Bye babe.’”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“I love it when you say that.”
Angel grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. Cira giggled as the pillow collided with her upraised arms. “I see someone doesn’t like admitting that someone else is right.”
“Shut up.”
Cira slammed her arms down and pinned the pillow under her arms. “Watch out. I could get up and…” She snapped her teeth together suggestively. Every time Angel looked at her, a thrill ran through her body. She couldn’t shake it off. He came and started to take the pillow away from her. The simple act of taking something turned into a tug-of-war. Cira grasped the pillow higher and her hand touched his. A current ran through their hands. Angel dropped the pillow and pulled his hands away.
“What the… what was that?”
“I think it was the blood bond.” Cira was so surprised that she also dropped the pillow. “It’s like when you make a vampire and that you can feel them whenever. With a blood bond, the vampires feel a current. Kinda like their souls are… Never mind.”
“Like their souls are what?”
She looked at him and said, “Like their souls are… touching.”
“You aren’t suggesting…”
“I don’t know what I’m saying. The only ones that have a blood bond are soulmates. I’ll ask about soulmates. I once heard something about threesomes. But… I don’t think…” Cira leaned back into her pillows and hung her head. “We aren’t soulmates. The first time we saw each other, I didn’t feel like we should be together.” The exact feeling ran through her body, but an undercurrent of something was there also. She realized the undercurrent emotion was there the whole time, but now it was stronger.
Cira laughed and mentally picked up the pillow and hit Angel with it. “We are so stupid. I can’t believe I thought you were my soulmate!”
Angel walked over to her and hit her again. Cira hit him with another pillow and started a pillow fight. It was done when Willow walked in. “Ooops,” Cira said.
Feathers were everywhere. Angel threw down his pillow and Cira threw her pillow at him. It was a accident, but Angel tossed the pillow back at her and hit her on the face. Cira grabbed the pillow and slid it behind her head. Her black hair was around her head in tangles. Angel walked out of her room and was obviously trying to hold back laughter. Cira picked up a pillow with her power and hit him on the back of his head. He turned around, but the pillow was in a corner. Angel looked at her, Cira looked steadily back at him, keeping down her laughter, and Willow was giving her a Look. He rolled his eyes and walked out.
Once Angel was out of the room, Cira erupted in laughter. “I couldn’t help myself!” she said around the giggles.
Buffy was walking to the Bronze. In her fist was a letter and a picture. She was close to the Bronze when she saw Angel. He had obviously come from the lamia’s hiding place. His hair was messed up and a feather was stuck in his jacket, near his neck.
“What did you two do this time? Looks like a pillow fight.”
“I’m not going back there. She’s too crazy.”
Buffy ignored that. He said that every time after he visited Cira. “Pillow fight and she hit you a few times with a pillow.”
“Cira’s getting stronger.”
Buffy stopped and looked curiously at him. “She is?”
“Yeah.”
“That was obvious. You have a feather in your jacket.”
“Where?”
“I’ll get it.” As soon as her hand brushed his neck, something exploded in her head, as always when she touches his bare skin. She ignored it, which she was getting better at, and said, “It’s out.”
“Thanks. What’s that?’ he said, gesturing at the papers in her fist.
“It’s from Gabri.” Gabri was a girl who used to live in Sunnydale, but she turned into a vampire and ran away. Her name was actually Gabrielle, and she was psychic.
“What does it say?”
Buffy raised the letter and read, “‘ Dear everyone,
It’s me. I’m getting better at controlling my demonic side. I miss you guys! I didn’t want to tell you this, but yesterday I drew a picture. It was a psychic one. I sent it with this. I hope you can understand it.
Your unfortunate friend,
Gabri.’ And this is the picture that came with it.”
She showed Angel it. It had Buffy, a vampire, and a stake that was floating in midair. It was a side view, so you could see that Buffy didn’t have a stake, and that no one was holding the floating stake.
“Cira?” he suggested.
“I don’t think so. If she’s getting better, she shouldn’t walk until next week. Gabri told me that when she draws, the picture comes true in a week.”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m going to the Bronze to see Xander. Maybe he’ll know.”
Angel’s eyes flashed at Xander’s name. He knew how much Xander hated him. He let her go, hoping that the picture didn’t come true that night.
Cira was dreaming. She dreamt that she was walking toward the Bronze. A vampire came behind her and hit her. She could only see out of her eyes, so she couldn’t see the vampire exactly. A stake that was in her hand went flying. The vampire advanced on her and her gaze settled on the stake. It levitated and plunged through it’s heart. Everything went black at that point.
Buffy stumbled through the doors of the Bronze. Her unsteady legs supported her until she saw Xander. She almost collapsed, but she steadied herself, using the wall for support. Gabrielle’s picture had come true.
“Whoa. Are you OK?” Xander said, supporting her.
“I… A vampire… A vampire attacked me. My stake went flying. Then it… it… it flew through the air, the opposite way it went when I let go of it. And… the weird thing was… I felt like I was asleep. Like it was a dream.”
“What?!”
“Oh,” she said shakily, “This came in the mail today.” She handed Xander the letter and the picture. He read the letter, then scanned his eyes over the picture.
“And it happened?”
“Yes.”
Cira opened her eyes. Her brow furrowed when she saw where she was. She was still thinking like she was in the dream. She suddenly realized where she was. Her lamia sharpened senses told her that no one was in the room, but someone was coming to her room. She knew it was Angel by the lack of heartbeat. She used her gift to turn on the light. She was ready to joke around with him, like they always do when he visits, but something told her not to joke. “Hi Angel,” she said when he came through the door.
“Hi. By chance, could you stand up?”
Cira looked puzzled at the question, but she swung her legs around. She gasped at the sight of her legs. They were thin and red. Cira planted them on the ground and stood up. Her legs wobbled and collapsed. She put one hand on her bed and pushed herself up. Angel was next to her and helped her up. The current ran through them and Cira gasped again. She pushed him away and stood up with the help of the bed. Cira sat down on her bed and didn’t look at Angel. When he had touched her, the undercurrent of emotion had gotten stronger. It had almost overridden the other emotions. It was a feeling of togetherness, of… soulmates. That was when she knew.
“Angel, I know now.”
“Know what?”
“Threesomes.”
“What are you thinking?”
Cira ran her hand across his face. This time, she felt something explode in her head with the current. “That,” she said softly. Her fingertips rested on his cheek. She slid her hand around so that it was behind his head. Cira guided his head to her lips. She kissed him delicately and felt something connect. In her mind, she saw a silver cord connecting Cira and Angel, and another cord connecting someone else. She felt Angel pick her up and hold her.
I love you Angel, she thought.
“I love you too, Cira,” he said when Cira needed to take a breath. The lamia breathe, but not as much as humans.
Cira’s head pulled away. Oh my God. Wait, soulmates have a telepathic bond.
“Really?”
“You heard me?”
Yeah. Cira pulled back and fell down on her bed.
“This is really weird.”
Angel looked at her. “I love your grasp of the obvious.”
“Shut up.”
Unknown to them, a figure had been listening. It sneaked out and shut the door quietly.
“I don’t know. Maybe I should tell Buffy…”
“Don’t try telepathy. It only works if the pair acknowledges the bond.”
“How do you know?”
“I…I… Instinct, I guess,” she said sheepishly
At the Bronze, Buffy was getting over the shock from the floating stake and the asleep feeling. Someone walked up to her and started to talk to her.
“You must be Buffy Summers.”
“Yeah. Who are you?”
“A friend.”
“What are do you doing here?”
“I just came from Cira’s apartment, and I saw the most interesting sight.”
“What?”
“Cira and Angel kissing and talking telepathically.”
“How did you know…”
“When they talked aloud, they said things that obviously were about things someone said telepathically. I think they think they’re soulmates.”
Buffy just stood there, hurt. She didn’t know if should believe the person, a girl, or disbelieve her. The girl was a vampire, slight, with red hair and jewel green eyes, but she didn’t seem evil.
“Why don’t you go see for yourself? They were getting pretty hot.”
Buffy put on a look of concentration. Something reached out and touched her. It wasn’t physical. But with that, came a sense of love for someone. It didn’t seem to be directed towards her. Her face creased into a mask of fury. The thing was Angel’s mind! Another thing touched her mind and she got even more furious. All she could get was a general feeling, but she could tell it was Cira’s mind and that she loved Angel. If she knew that mindreading was part of being soulmates, she wouldn’t be so mad. Buffy knew about soulmates, but it wasn’t from a book or a person. It was instinct. The girl, who knew if the Slayer was upset, she would become sloppy, backed off, satisfied. She tossed her head and went off.
The girl was in the sewer, kneeling. “I did what you asked, Master.”
A voice, child like, yet demonic, said, “Good. You may now shift.”
The girl smiled and showed fangs. Her body relaxed and shifted into another shape. She was a very old vampire, probably the oldest, and knew tricks the younger vampires didn’t. She didn’t want to be a vampire Queen. It was too hard, and she knew that her position as oldest and meanest would get out and the Slayer would kill her. She was now tall, thin, blond hair, blue eyes, and oval face. She would have been beautiful if she wasn’t a vampire.
“The Slayer is now upset and sloppy. Why should we wait?” a younger vampire asked.
“So that she can get to the critical point. I left a hypnotic suggestion in her mind. No matter what people tell her about Angelus and Cira, she won’t believe them.”
“Good thinking.” She tossed her head proudly. She didn’t know about the soulmate bond. She didn’t know that one look into either Angel’s soul or Cira’s would eliminate the suggestion. A smug smile creased her face as she remembered how she planted the idea that Angel and Cira love each other and not her, using the passion she got when she visited the lamia’s hiding place.
“Are you sure this will bring Angelus back to us?”
“If it doesn’t, at least we can get the Slayer,” another vampire argued.
The girl rolled her eyes. “Another Slayer would take her place. I’ve been all over the world. The ‘In each generation, there is only one Slayer’ thing is a crock. There are Slayers all over the world.”
“Maya…” the child voice growled.
Maya hung her head. “I’m sorry, Master.”
“How can we get the Slayer? She has other humans to help her, and Angelus is helping her.”
Maya thought for a moment. “I have a idea.” When everyone was looking at her, she thought very hard and shifted into another shape.
“Darla?”
“No. Caraline,” she said as she rolled up the sleeve of a baggy sweatshirt. “Why didn’t Cara were something else?” she complained.
“That was what she wore when she tried to get revenge on Angelus.”
Maya’s nose wrinkled and finally got to her shoulder. On the white surface of her shoulder was a birthmark. It was in the shape of a star. “Cara really needed to wear something else.”
“She needed the jeans for a holding place for a stake, and the sweatshirt to cover it.”
“Anyone got a different top?”
Something came flying out of the darkness. A magenta shirt, that left her shoulders bare. She smiled grimly, took off the sweatshirt, and pulled on the shirt. Her jeans were right, so she left them alone. The birthmark stood out against her skin, and she said, “This way, nobody accidentally calls me Darla.” She was concentrating on something. If you want to shift, it takes a lot of concentration. “Let’s go.”
Angel was walking to the Bronze, knowing that Buffy would be there. With the realization of his soulmates, every one of his mental senesces were heightened. His mind reached out and…there. In the corner. It was strange how he could hear her thoughts.
Buffy looked up when a mental caress touched her mind. Her face darkened when she saw Angel. She instinctively threw a sharp thought at him. Buffy felt a surge of happiness when he winced in pain, but it was overridden with the thought of, How did I do that?
Buffy. That scared her. She was hearing things. It sounded like Cira’s voice. Buffy, listen to Angel. He has something important to tell you. She felt stupid. This wasn’t happening. She was going insane. She heard a sigh and then heard, Dummy. You don’t…
I don’t what?, she thought.
It’s me, Cira. I found something out! Buffy sent a sharp thought and then heard, Buffy. I found out about threesomes.
What the… That was the farthest she got before Angel reached her.
“Buffy.”
“What?”
Angel winced at the malice in her voice. “Why the tone of voice?”
“I know about you and Cira.”
What do you know about us? I don’t even know if this is getting through. If you’re getting this, Angel must have told you. At the same time, Angel said, “There’s more.”
Angel. The voice sounded exasperated. Since I could talk to Buffy, I thought you already told her.
I’m getting there. Buffy jumped. That voice sounded like Angel, though his lips didn’t move.
I’m really going crazy. Angel looked sternly at her.
“You’re not crazy.”
Her eyes widened. “You heard that?”
“Cira asked the exact same thing.”
Learn how to shield your thoughts! It’s embarrassing for the other two if we can hear your thoughts.
I can hear your thoughts.
I’m projecting. Cira sounded smug.
You picked up on that quickly.
Shut up, Angel.
You shut up. You’re not making this any easier.
Hey! I may be a kid, but I have an advantage.
I know, your power. You have a limited range, though.
I can merge with one of your minds to increase my range.
“Cira…” During the silent conversation, no one spoke aloud. It was a shock when Buffy did. “Angel and Cira, I don’t care about this little telepathic bond. So what if we can hear each other’s thoughts. I still know what happened between you two. So now you can forget about me.”
“Buffy… I…”
Look into his soul. I saw it, and I know about this bond more than you do.
Buffy was confused and tried to look into his soul. She didn’t figure out how to though.
Touch him. That will bring you into contact with his mind.
How do you know?
Cira didn’t project a thought. Instead, she sent a feeling. Something exploded in her head, and it was a feeling she was only too familiar.
It’s a special bond. Touch him.
Buffy put her hand on his shoulder.
No. On his bare skin. Angel, once you feel her mind, guide her to your soul.
Buffy touched his hand. Again, something exploded in her head, but it was swept away when her mind was touched by Angel’s. Instead of him guiding her to his soul, he tore down all barriers and showed her his soul. At the same time, he was probing her mind. When Angel encountered the suggestion planted in her mind by Maya, he gently started to disintegrate it. Buffy took a good look at his soul and saw the silver cord. It connected her and Angel, and another one connected Angel and Cira.
Angel is Grand Central Station.
Shut up, Cira. He said as he was slowly disintegrating the suggestion. He was almost done when it crumbled suddenly. Angel. That was Cira. She sounded frightened. I don’t feel well.
What?
HELP! I was doing something when I suddenly felt weak. I don’t think I’m getting better. I’m getting worse.
What do you mean?
Leukemia. It just doesn’t go away. It falls into remission. It just fell out of remission a few minutes ago!
I’ll go, Angel. That was Buffy. The hypnotic suggestion was gone completely. She trusted them again.
Buffy rushed out of there. A few seconds later, Angel’s eye caught a bit of movement. He turned around and saw Maya in Caraline’s body. The first thought was that it was Darla, back from the dead. He took a closer look at her and saw the birthmark.
Maya smiled. She gestured to the other vampires to take Angel. He came without a fight. When he was close enough, she leaned down in his face. “Thought you’d never see me again, huh? The Powers are rising. All the vampires that have been slayed by your hand are coming back to life.”
“You’re…”
“I’m Caraline.”
“What should we do with him, Cara?”
She stopped smiling. “Don’t stake him. Not now.”
“When?”
“When we get the Slayer.”
Angel’s mind froze. Then he sent out a wordless warning as she lead him out the door.
Angel? Buffy asked worriedly.
Caraline’s back.
That’s not possible. You staked her.
Actually, Cira said, it is. If the Powers rise, than the vampires slayed by another vampire can come back to life. But the Powers are suppose to rise at the start of the next millennium. She can’t be back. Wait, I just remembered that the Powers can rise anytime, but first the vampire has to be dust. You’re not dust, so she can’t be back.
She is.
I once heard about vampire tricks. The Old Ones can do things regular vampires can’t, which includes shapeshifting.
So it isn’t Caraline.
Probably a Old One who wants to get back at you.
Buffy, watch out. They want you.
WHAT!
Angel winced at the volume of her thought. Ow. That’s what she said.
Who IS this vampire?!
Tone your thoughts down.
Angel, I have a idea. Look at the faux Caraline. Tell me what’s in her eyes.
He looked. Fire.
It’s either Maya or Diana. One of them is a vampire Queen, the other isn’t. If it’s Maya, watch out. She knows mind control and shapeshifting. Diana doesn’t know mind control, and she’s kinda stupid. Rumor has it that Maya didn’t want to be a vampire Queen, so the only one strong enough was Diana.
What does she want?
There’s this rumor that there are Slayers all over the world. They can’t come onto another Slayers ground unless the Slayer dies.
Marisa was here, and she’s a Slayer.