Venus only spent a few minutes checking up on Buffy and her condition, then made her way back home. She entered the warehouse with a deep, playful laugh, calling out to Lorenzo and Tessa that she was back from her recent spying episode.
The two centuries-old vampires, Venus, and Cordelia met in the basement of the factory, seated on or around the worn oak table in one corner. Venus quickly gave her report on what she had found out, then settled back in her seat, looking fairly amused.
Tessa smiled at this. "Things couldn't have worked out better in Buffy's case," she boasted. "No opposition from her, plus Miss Stefanie Marks seems to be getting weaker every day... We can't possibly lose with those odds."
During Tessa's speech, Venus removed some empty syringes from her purse, shoving them across the table towards Lorenzo. "In the meantime," she said, "my supply is running out. Care to give me a refill?" For the past twenty-some years, Venus had been getting "high" on vampire blood, which made her a sort of undead hybrid. She wasn't bound by the same rules as others of her kind, which made her a formidable opponent.
The only problem was that without getting a fix every eight hours, Venus would cease to live. And Lorenzo enjoyed holding that over her; it made her easier to command. Leaning forward, he said, "I'll give you what you want, Venus, but you have to do something for me first... I'm not entirely convinced that Stefanie won't find some way to win. I want her out of the picture. And since the lovely Cordelia here has failed, I'm giving you that assignment now."
Venus drew in her breath. "When do you want me to go?" she asked, a trace of bitterness in her voice. "And how would I go about it?"
Lorenzo gave a quick nod towards Cordelia, who in turn said, "Steffi's staying with her Watcher for the time being. I'll show you where... Your job is to travel there during the day and wait until the other occupants have gone out."
"Then you catch Stefanie off guard and expose her to sunlight," Tessa put in excitedly. "Let her worst enemy and ours do the rest... It's that simple, Venus."
"Except for one thing," Venus added. "What if the people she's staying with don't go out?"
Lorenzo leaned forward with a grin. "Oh, but they will. You just leave that to me, my little Goddess." He stood, starting to walk from the room. Only he stopped just long enough to offer a parting remark. "But if you fail me, I won't be as lenient as I was with Cordelia," he warned...
The day seemed to pass much too slowly, Stefanie thought. Jenny tried her best to keep the slayer entertained, but it didn't help much. If anything, the highlight of Stefanie's day was taking a nice warm bubble bath.
Giles didn't arrive home until shortly after nightfall, carrying several journals with him as he walked in the door. He took a few moments to get settled in before he began with the explanations.
"From what I've been able to gather, Tessa has been around for the past five centuries," Giles started. "Before she became a vampire, she was a wayward princess in old England. Which is probably what drew this vampire king to her."
"What's she known for?" Jenny asked, handing her husband a cup of his favorite herbal tea.
Giles sighed deeply. "I couldn't find many records of her, which means they were either lost or Tessa tends to keep a low profile. My guess would be the latter... In the meantime, I suggest we focus on Lorenzo, her creator."
Stefanie leaned forward, interested. "Well, what horrible deeds did you dig up on him?" she asked in a monotone voice.
Giles cleared his throat before continuing. "Well, it appears that Lorenzo originated in Italy over six centuries ago. His sire was killed shortly after, and Lorenzo escaped to England. He spent the next few generations building a family of sorts. However, most of his offspring haven't had the best luck in surviving more than two years... There's mention of three who have though: Tessa, a performance artist simply known as The Goddess, and a gambler from the Old West whose whereabouts are unknown."
Stefanie paused a moment, contemplating this. "This Goddess person... Who's she?"
Giles sighed again, removing his glasses to rub at his eyes. "That's the most curious thing. I only found one reference of her in connection with Lorenzo, and apparently, that's all there is. There's no mention of her hunting techniques, where she is nowadays, nothing. I can't even say if she or this gambler are still around."
Stefanie nodded. "Well, any info is better than none," she assured him. "At least now I know what I'm up against." She stood, pacing the room a moment before settling in front of a mirror. "Did you find out everything you could about Lorenzo?"
Giles paused a moment, watching as his wife took a few steps towards the crib to check on Ivory. "I'm fairly sure I did," he replied getting to his feet. "Shall we call it a day then?" he started.
Just then, he heard Jenny gasp out loud from her spot. Simultaneously, Giles and Stefanie turned to look at her. After a moment of staring into Jenny's startled eyes, Stefanie asked, "What's wrong?"
Jenny pointed shakily, as if one movement might make the illusion shatter. "The mirror," she managed to get out.
Stefanie waited a second before turning to look, as Giles moved in behind her. And both of them were also startled by what they found. Stefanie felt tears stinging her eyes at the sight, for it was somthing she hadn't seen since her last day as a mortal. She blinked once to make sure she wasn't imagining it, but it remained nonetheless.
Stefanie's reflection, albeit still hazy, was returning...
When at last she found her voice, the first words Stefanie used were, "This isn't possible. I shouldn't be able to see myself." She turned towards Giles. "How can this be happening?!?" she asked, a note of panic in her tone.
Giles remained silent a moment, both from being in shock and deep in thought. "Well, perhaps we were wrong to assume that your symptoms were a sign you were getting sick... In light of this new evidence, it would appear you're becoming human again," he said in awe.
Stefanie shook her head. "But how? Why?" she asked fearfully, her eyes wide with alarm.
Jenny paused, then took a step forward. "Stefanie, calm down," she said quietly, moving to boot up her computer. "And if you give me a few minutes, I might have an answer for you. Okay?"
Stefanie took a few calming breaths, pacing the room once more. She took the time to contemplate the magnitude of this. "Human?" she whispered to herself, wondering if she was ready for such a change. It wasn't until now that she realized how used she was to being a vampire, having the amount of strength, agility, and mental powers that came with it. How can I adjust to anything else? she wondered.
At last, Jenny called her companions over to the monitor, showing them a display featuring a picture of the pendant Stefanie wore. "It's just what I thought," Jenny said. "I knew I'd seen this before, but I couldn't place it until you brought up this transformation thing... Because apparently, it's your necklace that's causing this, Steffi."
Stefanie looked doubtful. "A pendant is making me mortal?" she asked cynically.
Jenny gazed up at her in silence for a moment, then turned to look at the monitor again. "In a nutshell, yes," she answered, beginning to scroll through the accompanying article. "From what I can tell, this... talisman was created in the early seventeenth century. The daughter of an alchemist seemed to have been suffering from some sort of demonic possession, and he had this made to save her soul. As long as she wore it for the rest of her life, she'd be safe from any kind of metaphysical evil."
"So what happened?" Giles asked curiously, intrigued by this. "How did this end up in Buffy's hands here?"
Jenny paused again. "From what I can determine, this woman who had it originally was buried with it. There's mention of grave robberies some years later, but it doesn't say what was stolen... But maybe, this talisman was among those items. How it wound up in a store here in Sunnydale for Buffy to buy is anyone's guess."
Stefanie stood up straight. "So," she said, reaching for the chain. "No pendant, no becoming human."
Jenny turned just in time to see what Stefanie was doing. "No!" she yelled, standing and stopping the slayer from yanking it off.
Jenny took a deep breath, ignoring the venomous look Stefanie gave her. "Your conversion is already over halfway through from what we've seen... It can't be reversed, Steffi. If you remove the talisman now, without letting it run its course, you'll die."
Stefanie softened slightly, tears coming to her bright blue eyes. "I'll die if I do let it, Jen!" she shouted. "Becoming mortal again, especially now, is liable to be hazardous to my life!" She paused briefly. "Well, that's it! I can't go up against Lorenzo and Tessa now. I wouldn't be able to win at any rate if I did!"
Giles cut in at this point, a mixture of strong emotions showing in his eyes. "There is a way," he said, his voice trembling a little. "You can still fight them. You just have to do it sooner than expected."
Stefanie sighed. "When?" she asked. "Tonight?"
"Tomorrow night," he replied firmly. "I do think you should rush into this, but not that quickly. With any luck, we can get in some preparation time within the next twenty-four hours. After that..."
"It will be all-out war," Stefanie finished grimly...
One of the many drawbacks of being locked in a cage, Angel mused, was that you couldn't easily walk away from those annoying little voices that insisted on harassing you. As if Cordelia hadn't been bad enough, now Tessa had decided to take a turn out it.
Angel would have given anything to have a reprieve from her endless chattering, as Tessa proceeded to tell him all the details of how they planned to murder Stefanie tomorrow. But all he could do in the meantime was let his eyes wander, focusing anywhere but on her.
Finally, Angel gave up on the charade and looked at her, half amused and half angry. "When you have something besides the boring particulars on your mind, let me know. Until then, just do me a favor and keep quiet," he said sarcastically.
Tessa tilted her head to one side, looking all too eager to tackle another subject. "One more outburst like that, and maybe I will order Venus to take out your precious daughter ahead of her time as well."
That nearly got him, but Angel didn't want to risk doing anything that would jeopardize Ivory. "'Ahead of her time'?" he asked. "Mind telling me what you mean by that remark?"
Tessa gave a brief laugh. "Haven't done your reading, I see, Angelus," she said teasingly. Leaning closer, Tessa whispered, "Consider yourself the proud father to a future slayer. Ivory has a great destiny in store for her."
Angel's eyes flared with fury. "You lie!" he said simply, even though doubts were forming in his mind. Ivory can't be a slayer, he thought wildly. Please, don't let it be true. Don't let her have the same fate as countless others!
"Oh, but it is true," Tessa goaded, having read his thoughts. "And from what I read on her, she won't have a very long life. Only until the day of her eighteenth birthday."
Angel shut his eyes tightly, feeling an intense amount of pain at Tessa's words. He waited for a long while until he heard the vampiress retreat, then let out a loud howl, pacing his confines like a caged animal. Even though he knew Tessa had a reputation for lying, he knew she couldn't invent something this outlandish. At least, he felt certain that the story about Ivory being a slayer was true. He refused to believe she would die prematurely as well.
Lying down on the bunk, Angel wondered how Buffy would take this news when they were reunited. Generally, a slayer's family would be oblivious to her role, but both he and Buffy had firsthand knowledge of the risks that were involved. "Oh, Ivory," Angel murmured at last. "What I wouldn't give to prevent this..."
As the night progressed ever more towards the deadline Giles had set for her, Stefanie spent every moment either training or resting when the fatigue got to be too much for her. It was during one such resting period the following morning that Stefanie developed an appetite for the bacon and cheese omelette Jenny was preparing for breakfast, signalling that her transformation was proceeding rapidly.
Tentatively, Stefanie took a bite of the omelette, savoring the taste of it in her mouth. How long has it been since I had real food and actually enjoyed it? Stefanie mused. I could get used to this... provided I live long enough.
Despite himself, Giles eyed her in worry while she ate, then asked hesitantly, "How are you feeling?"
Stefanie looked up at him, a sad light in her blue eyes. "Nervous, I suppose," she replied, pausing a moment. Then, she leaned forward slightly, crossing her arms on top of the counter. "We haven't discussed it, but... Giles, we both know I'm not going to survive this fight."
For the majority of the night, Giles had been praying for a miracle, something to insure that both Buffy and Stefanie would come through this unscathed. But, hearing her voice the obvious dispelled any lingering hopes. Unable to speak, he simply nodded.
From her spot at the kitchen sink, Jenny scrubbed at the frying pan, feeling a lump in her throat at those words. But, before she could say anything, the phone a few feet away from her rang. Jenny quickly dried her hands with a towel, wiped at her eyes where the tears were beginning to form, and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
It was a deep masculine voice that spoke. "Hi... Is this the Giles' residence?" the voice asked. When Jenny said yes, the mystery man answered, "This is Dr. Cole. I'm calling from Sunnydale Medical concerning a Miss Buffy Summers."
Jenny wasn't sure whether to be concerned or hopeful. She quickly called Giles and Stefanie over, letting them listen in as she asked what this was regarding.
"Frankly," Dr. Cole answered. "She woke up about an hour ago, and she's been asking for a number of people. Is this Jenny?"
"Yes, it is," the technopagan replied, exchanging looks with her husband. "We'll be right there... Thank you." Upon hanging up, Jenny joined her two friends in a group hug, all of them overjoyed by the news.
Much as Stefanie wanted to join her two older friends on their excursion to the hospital, the fact that it was daylight out was a problem. She simply asked that they call her as soon as they saw Buffy, then watched as Jenny bundled up Ivory for the trip and left with Giles.
But it didn't stop Stefanie from working herself into impatience, and within a few minutes of their departure, she was pacing restlessly. By the time a knock came at the door, Stefanie headed for it eagerly, grateful for any type of distraction. She hadn't even opened it an inch when it was pushed open violently from the other side. It hit her square in the face with enough force to send her sprawling to the floor about three feet away.
Venus stepped in with a grin, shutting the door behind her and jamming the lock before Stefanie could reorient herself. In another instant, the blue-haired singer crossed the distance between them, pulled the slayer to her feet, and struck her once more to further daze her.
Stefanie looked up at her nemesis weakly, recognizing Venus from the one time she had seen her performing at the Bronze. It didn't take her long to make the connection based on what Giles had told her. "The Goddess?" she asked uncertainly.
Venus gave a short laugh. "See you've done your homework, slayer," she responded, starting towards the nearest window with Stefanie in tow. All that stood between Stefanie and a patch of sunlight was some thick burgundy drapes, but she suspected that obstacle would be removed shortly.
"If you open those curtains, you'll die too," Stefanie said desperately, her mind still slightly foggy. She may be becoming mortal, but she didn't want to take the risk that the sun wouldn't harm her now.
Venus laughed again. "Not necessarily," she said. Knowing she had plenty of time before Giles or Jenny returned, the singer set about filling Stefanie in on what she was exactly. "An now," Venus added, reaching for the curtains in preparation to tear them down, "I think this room could use a little light. It's so dark in here."
"No!" Stefanie cried, shaking off the last of her lethargy and fighting to pry Venus' hand away from her shirt collar. Unprepared for the struggle, Venus lost her balance and fell to the floor, Steffi and the thick drapes coming down on top of her.
Stefanie took advantage of the distraction to twist out of the singer's grip. She then found her way out from under the silky fabric, scrambling for the front door of the apartment to work at the lock. But, Venus had jammed it too well, and it would take more time than Stefanie had to fix it. Hearing her opponent approaching swiftly, the slayer ducked, executing a low roundhouse kick to knock Venus' legs out from under her.
Why didn't I think to carry a stake with me? Stefanie thought wildly, running for the kitchen and searching frantically through cabinets. And why didn't I ask Jenny where she hid them?!?
However, there wasn't time to find the appropriate weapon. Stefanie realized as she saw Venus coming in for the kill. So, the slayer grabbed the only one available, pulling a knife from its slot of the wooden holder on the counter.
Venus stopped short upon seeing the sharp gleaming blade, putting ideas in Stefanie's head. "Don't tell me someone like you is vulnerable to a little thing like a slit throat," she taunted the singer. "Or is that one of the disadvantages being a hybrid will cost you."
Venus' violet eyes burned with hatred. "You may be clever enough to stop me, but you won't do the same to Lorenzo. He's far more powerful than you can imagine," she sneered. "And weak as you are, you don't stand a chance."
Stefanie gave a smug smile, taking a step closer. "Well, then I'll just have to even the odds, won't I?" she responded, putting on her vampire face. Venus seemed to realize what Stefanie's intent was, and it terrified her to the very core. In a panic, she turned to run, but the slayer had already seized her from behind.
Stefanie drove the knife into Venus' stomach, sinking her fangs into the blue-haired girl's throat at the same time. As the blood flowed into her, Stefanie felt a very needed surge of strength and power descending on her. And while it lent a new potency to the slayer, the loss of blood made a weakling of Venus. When it was over, the singer slumped in Stefanie's arms, hovering on the brink of death.
Stefanie gently lay Venus down, leaning closer. "Don't take it personally," she said. "I needed that energy far more than you did." They were the last words Venus heard. She was gone seconds later, failing to turn to dust like any normal vampire would.
"Great," Stefanie muttered, going to fix the lock. "I can just see myself explaining to Giles and Jenny why there's a dead body in their kitchen..."
Much to her surprise, Stefanie didn't have to wait long to ponder the details she would give her Watcher, nor did she have to bother with an explanation. From the way he and Jenny rushed into the apartment (Xander and Willow close behind them), Stefanie gathered that they already knew what had gone down.
Giles breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Stefanie was still alive and well. "The call from the hospital was a setup," he informed her with a hint of weariness. "Buffy's condition hasn't changed in the slightest. Xander and Willow were with her all last night."
Jenny quickly went to set Ivory in her crib. "We're guessing it might have been Lorenzo who called. He must have a phone hooked up wherever he is." With that, Jenny began to glance around the room for any trace of vampire dust. "So, where's our illustrious Goddess?"
Stefanie gestured to the area behind the kitchen counter, remaining where she was while her four friends went to look. "Venus was no normal vampire," Stefanie said. "She said she had a history of shooting up on vampire blood. From what I can tell, it gave her an edge we can't even begin to imagine."
Giles took a step closer to the fallen azure-haired woman, noticing the two puncture marks on her neck, He turned to look at Stefanie in shock. He had thought it was beneath her to feed off anyone, her kind included. But he couldn't dispute the evidence of it.
Stefanie let out a breath, not sure if it was out of habit or necessity, at her Watcher's reprimanding gaze. "It was either her or me," Stefanie said simply. "And considering the cruel joke they played on us, I'm glad I chose me."
Giles sighed, shifting his weight. "Well, the first thing I suggest is disposing of the body," he said. "I doubt anyone will miss her... For now, we should just wrap her in a blanket or something to cover the smell, and take her out to bury when it gets dark."
Stefanie looked at him curiously. "You've done this before, haven't you?" she asked.
Giles looked almost embarrassed. "Buffy and I once had to dispose of a werewolf in the same way," he admitted.
Stefanie nodded with a slightly amused look, watching as Willow and Xander went for the fallen drapes; the slayer had been careful to avoid the sunlight that shone through. Within moments, Venus had been bundled in the fabric and set aside for later. With that task completed, the five of them settled in to talk.
"So, what's our plan?" Willow asked quietly. Giles had filled her and Xander in on Stefanie's state and on the fact that the slayer was going into battle in less than twelve hours. "Is there anything Xander and I could do to help?"
Stefanie paused a moment. "You could keep an eye on Buffy," she told them. "There's a chance someone might be sent for her tonight. Other than that..."
Willow leaned forward, looking sad. "This is goodbye, isn't it?" she asked, her voice trembling. "After today, we're not going to see you again, are we?"
Stefanie bit her lip, sitting up straight. There was no guarantee that even the blood she got from Venus would be enough to save her, so the most she could offer was a chance to say her farewells.
"I've lived a long lonely life," she said, as much for herself as for her friends. "Up until I met all of you last year, I thought I would never get attached to anyone. And since I've known you, I've had a chance to be accepted for who I am, a chance to fall in love, a chance to put down roots somewhere... The point is, you guys have been the best friends I've ever had, and I'll never forget you for it."
Stefanie's sentimental words brought tears to everyone's eyes, her own included. Giles was the first to stand and walk over, putting one hand on her shoulder.
Stefanie got up at this, turning to hug him tightly and cry on his shoulder. She hardly noticed when Jenny, Xander, and Willow came to join in the embrace. All four clung to the slayer in a sort of desperation, as if they could freeze time to make this moment last forever. Only, they didn't have that kind of power, and the seconds just kept on ticking by...