The slayers and their friends hung out that night at the Bronze like usual. Except for Giles and Jenny, who Buffy had assigned to watch Ivory, and Cordelia, who was intent on distancing herself, the whole group was together.
Buffy and Angel made a beeline for their usual table the moment they entered the night club, surprised to see that Willow had gotten there ahead of them. Looking around, Buffy spotted Xander ordering some drinks from the bar.
The two couples sat there a few moments making small talk when Stefanie came in from the backstage room to join them. Sitting down, she said, "Well, we now have two less vampires roaming around. I staked some on my way here... How about you, Buffy?"
Buffy paused, looking around dejectedly a moment, then back at Stefanie. "I can't say the same, but something's better than nothing, I guess." She let her gaze wander to the stage, where the employees were setting up for whichever band was playing tonight. "At least there won't be as many left for whichever one of us survives."
Stefanie cocked her head to one side, a pained expression on her face. "Buffy, don't act like that. Or, at least don't think about it so much. Just go with the flow."
Buffy nodded, forcing a smile. She turned to Angel, prepared to ask him to dance, when she noticed his gaze was riveted to the stage. Curious, Buffy looked over as well, aware that a chorus of whistles was rising up among the crowd. And the cause was the scantily-dressed, slender woman who had just stepped up to the microphone.
She was someone who could easily stand out in a crowd, Buffy thought as she observed the woman's shock of blue hair and plum-colored eyes. And she was clad in a strapless white dress that appeared in danger of falling off by any sudden movement. Buffy stared at her a moment, absently reaching out with her mind to see if this woman was a vampire, but all reports came back saying that she wasn't.
Sighing, Buffy looked back at her friends, hardly surprised to see that Xander's mouth was hanging open. He had always been a sucker for a beautiful member of the opposite sex. But Buffy was hardly prepared to see Angel reacting in a similar fashion.
Buffy reached over and shook her boyfriend, causing him to come to his senses and look at her. After a moment, Angel shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I don't know what came over me."
At that point, the azure-haired woman pulled the microphone closer, a sensual air in her movements. "I'm Venus, and I'll be your entertainment tonight," she said in a serene, tantalizing voice. "So grab that special someone you're in love with and get on the dance floor for the first song of the evening."
While Buffy and Angel, and Willow and Xander took their cues from Venus' suggestion, Stefanie retreated to the balcony overlooking the main area of the Bronze. She gazed out over the crowd, searching for even one bloodsucker, but eventually determined it would be a slow night.
Perhaps it was the romantic mood of Venus' music or the sight of so many people wrapped in their loved one's arms that caused Stefanie to burst into tears, reminded of what she was missing. With a sigh, she turned and leaned against the railing, stretching her arms over her head. Simultaneously, she looked down at her new pendant, thinking again of Rhys and wishing he was here, if only to share a few dances with.
After a long while, Stefanie decided to go to Buffy to tell her she was going home. But she hadn't even taken two steps to the staircase when a dizzy spell hit her.
Stefanie faltered in mid step, one hand flailing out for something to steady herself. But there was nothing for her to hold onto, and consequently, nothing to keep her from collapsing to the floor in a dead faint...
Down below, Buffy and Angel swayed across the dance floor in time to Venus' song, her head resting on his shoulder, his eyes closed while he breathed in the scent of her perfume. Both of them were enchanted by the singer's voice, and the world around them seemed to have melted away.
Which was why Buffy didn't realize that Cordelia was calling her name until her former friend stood right behind her. "Buffy!" Cordelia shouted inches away from her ear.
Startled, Buffy half turned, starting to reach under her sleeve where a wooden stake was hidden. She took a moment to collect herself, then faced Cordelia angrily. "Don't do that," she chided. "You know it's considered bad to scare a slayer!"
Cordelia groaned. "Well, excuse me, but I doubt anyone else at the Bronze would have bothered to notify you... Stefi needs you. She just passed out on the balcony."
Buffy froze, casting a quick glance upwards. During her hesitation, Angel took off for the staircase, ascending as fast as he dared so as to not cause panic (as a vampire, he could generally move at cheetah speed). Buffy snapped to her senses quickly and hurried after him, dropping to her knees by Stefanie's side and cradling her friend's head in her lap.
Angel grabbed a glass of water and a napkin from a nearby table. He wet the cloth quickly and began dabbing at Stefanie's forehead with it until she began to stir. She opened her eyes with a moan, looking around at the worried faces. "What happened?" she asked.
Buffy helped her sit up. "You fainted," she said simply. "Are you okay to walk, Steffi? We're going to take you home."
Stefanie paused, mulling this over, then nodded. Angel and Buffy helped her stand, walking her to the exit lest she collapse again. Within moments, the trio were out in their car, facing one another.
"I don't understand what happened," was the first thing Stefanie said. "I've never collapsed like that before."
Buffy cracked a smile, tilting her head to one side. "You fainted the night we met," she reminded with a brief laugh.
Stefanie shook her head. "That was different. "It's just not something vampires do unless they're recovering from serious injuries, like I was on the night in question. But this... There's no logical reason for what happened in there."
Buffy exchanged a concerned look with Angel. "Well, what were you doing just before?" she asked. "Anything out of the ordinary?"
Stefanie shook her head again. "Unless..." She remained silent a moment, then looked at Buffy. "I didn't sense that the Bronze's new singer was a vampire, but someone who looks the way Venus did... Is it possible we're going to be dealing with something other than vampires? I mean, the prophecy mentioned that this vampire king had a mistress, but how do we know she's one herself? Maybe she's a witch."
Buffy shook her head. "If Venus were some other creature, you could forget about her being the mistress. Vamps don't mix well with other monsters. Whatever she is, if anything, we can deal with her after..." Buffy broke off suddenly here, remembering what later would be like.
Stefanie recalled also, feeling blue once more at the thought. On the way to Giles' apartment to pick up Ivory, none of the three spoke to each other, but their thoughts were all focused on the uncertain future that lay ahead...
Aware that their time left together was severely limited, Buffy and Stefanie spent the rest of the night and even well into the next morning having a gabfest, while Angel slept. But mostly, it was Stefanie who was divulging a lot of details about her long life.
"I grew up in Georgia," Stefanie said. "On a farm, believe it or not. You'd never guess by looking at me now that I'm a country girl at heart." She sighed, a nostalgic look in her eyes. "Everything was so simple then. Vampires and demons were just mythical creatures to me until my Watcher, Linda, came... It's quite ironic that someone like me was chosen, huh?"
Buffy shook her head. "Not at all. I was a snobby airhead cheerleader before I became the Chosen One," she said with a laugh. "Didn't have many great aspirations about what I wanted to do with my life back then. I definitely didn't expect it to end up this weird... How about you? How did you suffice in terms of strength?"
"I'd been taking dance classes," Stefanie said. "Maybe that qualified me as athletic enough. Linda taught me the rest..." Stefanie paused, wiping tears from her eyes. "I miss her," she said suddenly. "Back then, she was the only one who understood, who listened to all my troubles concerning slaying. I wasn't allowed to tell even my closest friends about my lifestyle. It would put them in danger, Linda said."
Buffy nodded. "She was right... I can't tell you the number of times Willow or Xander were put at risk because they know what I am. Slaying's just a dangerous game, and it's always going to be that way." Buffy sighed, rubbing at her eyes. "Well, we should get some rest, Steffi."
Stefanie got to her feet and started for the cellar, then stopped and looked back at Buffy. "You've been a good friend," she said. "I've never had one quite like you, Buffy. And I probably never will again after this is over."
Buffy remained silent for the longest time, then stood, walking over and hugging Stefanie tightly. The two of them stayed like that for what seemed forever, drawing strength from each other. It was only now that they fully acknowledged that one of them wouldn't make it, and it hurt both like hell...
When Giles awoke from a deep sleep, the first thing he was aware of was that his wife was again sitting at her computer, an anxious look on her face. He watched her in silence a moment, then retrieved his glasses from the nightstand and got up, going to her. Leaning over Jenny's shoulder to look at the monitor, he asked, "Did you find anything?"
Jenny paused, then looked at him. "Nothing concrete," she replied with a sigh. "At least, nothing we don't already know... I've sent an e-mail to a fortuneteller friend of mine though. She's going to do a reading for me, and write back as soon as she can. Tonight, most likely."
Giles looked back at her. "How long have you been at this?" he asked gently.
Jenny ran her hands through her dark hair, sighing again. "Since two in the morning," she answered. "I couldn't sleep." She looked over at him with tired eyes. "I've been too worried."
Giles sighed. "Seems to be a lot of that going around," he said, leaning closer to embrace her. "At least now I can take over the research bit... You, in the meantime, are recommended to get some shuteye."
Jenny couldn't help but smile, pulling him closer for a quick kiss. Then, she stood, allowing him a good view of her long tapered legs as she walked to the bed. "I hope for once that those dusty old books of yours will prove more insightful than my web pages," she told her husband as she slipped beneath the covers.
Giles threw her an amused glance. It was rare for her to say such things, for she preferred her computers to his library any day. That was one of the main things they disagreed on, which of the two sources was more illuminating. But strangely, it had been those very quarrels that had led him and Jenny to become attracted to each other in the first place.
Giles got dressed quickly, then walked to her side, bending over and planting a kiss on her cheek. Jenny opened her eyes briefly, purring and offering him a warm smile before he went off to work...
That night, before her everyday jaunt to the Bronze, Buffy had Angel stop at Sunnydale High to visit Giles, who had spent the whole day there. She took the time to ask if he had found anything (which he hadn't) and she was on her way once more.
Buffy and Angel left her car in the lot at her insistence, for she said she wanted to walk. They were silent most of the way, until Angel noticed she was detouring away from the night club. "Where are we going?" he asked her.
Buffy turned to smile at him. "You'll see," she said.
At first, Angel didn't recognize the alley that his girlfriend led him into, not until he noticed the pipe about nine or ten feet above them. He laughed, looking down into her sparkling green eyes. "Couldn't resist coming back here, huh?" he teased.
Her smile widened. "Thought it would be fun to revisit the place we first met. Brings back memories, doesn't it?"
Angel unconsciously began to rub at the back of his neck. "If I recall, the first time I officially laid eyes on you, I was flat on the ground with your foot on my chest," he reminisced. "And that you were mad because I had followed you for a few blocks."
"I wasn't mad. You scared me," Buffy said with a laugh. "But you made up for it when you saved my neck that night. I never did thank you for that crucifix necklace you gave me."
Angel smiled, leaning forward to embrace her. "Glad that cross was put to good use," he replied. "Because I fell in love with you that very night."
"When did you realize it though?" Buffy asked after a moment. "I mean, I admitted I was in love with you the morning after our first kiss, even if you did turn into a vampire afterwards."
Angel thought a moment. "For me, I guess it would be the night I came to the Bronze to find you on a date with that one guy. To warn you about that thing with the Annointed One. Do you remember that?"
Buffy's eyes lit up. "Yeah, the poetry-lover... Oh, what was his name?!?" She contemplated it a moment, then gave up. "Oh, well, I guess it doesn't matter. All I remember is that you were pretty jealous when you saw me and him together."
"Because by then, I wanted to be the one on a date with you," he replied. "We've come so far since then."
"And now here we are on our five-year anniversary," Buffy cracked. "And still going strong." She stepped closer, her face only an inch from his. "I hope we always will," she whispered against his lips.
His eyes grew misty at those words, but he leaned closer to kiss her once more, drowning in the feel and the scent of her. For a few moments, they could forget everything, who they both were, the danger they were in. But it didn't keep.
Buffy's head snapped up when a piercing scream rang out, and she looked back the way she and Angel had come in fright. A second later, she was grabbing a small stake from inside her purse. "Never leave home without it," she cracked as she and her boyfriend hurried from the alley, ready to face whatever was thrown their way...
The last person Buffy expected to see being attacked by a vampire was the same one who had sang at the Bronze the night before. >From what she and Angel could see, Venus was losing the fight, shrieking as the bloodsucker's fangs got closer to her throat.
With an extra burst of speed, Buffy rushed forward and pulled the vampire away. Simultaneously, she stretched one arm over his shoulder to drive the stake into his chest. She stared at the pile of dust that was left for a moment, then turned her attention to the singer. "Are you okay?" Buffy asked her.
Venus got to her feet with Angel's help. "What... What was that?" she asked in a shaky voice.
Buffy shrugged. "Someone you need not worry about again," she replied nonchalantly. "Where are you staying? My boyfriend and I could walk you there if you want."
Venus threw a quick glance at Angel, digging a pack of cigarettes from her purse. She removed one and lit it, then said, "While the night's still young? Forget it!" She paused, taking a few puffs; Buffy couldn't help noticing that her hand was shaking in the process. "Besides, the Bronze asked me to do another number tonight, and I always keep my promises."
Neither Buffy nor Angel could argue with that, but they did volunteer to accompany Venus the rest of the way. The couple didn't plan on a conversation, but Venus engaged them in one anyway.
"So, do you both live here in town?" the blue-haired singer asked. "Because if you do, I wanted to have someone show me around... Maybe after my performance is over. What do you say?"
Buffy shrugged again, a smile playing at her lips. "I don't see why not," she said, looking at her boyfriend. "Angel?"
"I don't think tonight would be good," he said after a moment. To Venus, he added, "We promised our babysitter we'd be home early. Perhaps we could set up a later date."
Venus felt a split second of surprise at his words, looking back and forth between him and Buffy. "If you don't mind me saying, you two look a little young to have a baby," she said, changing the subject.
Buffy gave a short laugh, exchanging looks with Angel. *If only she knew how old you really are*, Buffy told him mentally, watching as he suppressed a laugh. Out loud, she added, "We're not that young. Early twenties, to be exact."
Venus threw a glance back at her. "Well, still that's pretty young in my opinion," she responded. They had reached the Bronze by now, so Venus excused herself from Buffy and Angel and rushed for the backstage entrance.
At this, Buffy turned to her boyfriend. "Well, she seems fairly normal," the slayer said. "What do you think?"
"She's a little eccentic for my tastes," Angel replied after a moment. "She's a good singer and all, but... From what I saw, she's also an addict." Seeing Buffy's confused look, he added, "Venus had track marks on her arm."
"Well, as long as that's all she is, it's fine with me," Buffy said. "The last thing we need is another monster terrorizing Sunnydale... Speaking of which, what do you think the odds are that we'll see some action tonight?"
Angel remained silent a moment, reaching out with his senses. The air felt charged with electricity, he soon found, and it didn't do anything to put him at ease. But he didn't want to worry her with that, just in case nothing happened.
Angel quickly dispelled any thoughts Buffy had of a possible fight, then said, "Why don't we go in? We'll only stay an hour, and then spend a nice quiet evening at home."
Buffy offered him a warm smile. "I've got a better idea," she said, leading him away from the night club...
At home, Stefanie was feeling the same kinetic energy as well, only, save for Ivory, she had nothing to distract her from it. Not even watching a new comedy movie on television was helping her mood.
Stefanie was almost grateful when the phone rang. She turned down the volume quickly, then reached over for the receiver. "Hello?" she said.
"It's Jenny," Giles' wife answered. "Is Buffy there?"
"She and Angel will be back in an hour," Stefanie said calmly. "Why?"
Jenny took a deep breath on the other end. "It might be too late by then," she said urgently. "I had a friend of mine do a tarot reading on Buffy's future... Steffi, it's not good. I need to see her now!"
Stefanie only took a split second to answer. "Well, she's at the Bronze. If you hurry, you could be there in five minutes... Oh, and Jen?" She waited until the other woman answere before she added, "Be careful."
Too restless now to get back to her movie, Stefanie shut of the TV, then began to pace back and forth, wringing her hands together. She surely would have driven herself crazy if she kept it up long enough, but was saved when she heard a loud thunk against the front door.
Stefanie turned and stared at the door a second in fright, then moved towards it slowly. She pulled it open swiftly, almost causing the person who was leaning against it to fall inside. "My God," Stefanie cried. "Cordelia!"
The conceited brunette threw a quick disoriented glance up at her friend. It was the most she could manage, Stefanie guessed. From what the slayer could see, Cordelia was bloodied from head to toe. "Help me!" Cordelia rasped, before half-collapsing onto the porch.
Stefanie took a step forward, supporting her friend in her arms. "Get inside," she said, mostly to prompt Cordelia to move. It wasn't long before Stefanie had her on the couch, examining her grievous wounds. But nothing looked too serious as to require medical attention. "What happened?"
With a groan, Cordelia said weakly, "A vampire jumped me as I was walking from my hotel to the Bronze. Lucky for me, I was carrying a sharp pencil in my purse, or I'd be dead now." She paused, eyes rolling up into her head. "Do you mind if I pass out now?"
Despite herself, Stefanie couldn't help but laugh at Cordy's comment. "If it makes you feel better, be my guest," she answered, going to the kitchen for a first aid kit. And, as she preceded to clean and dress Cordelia's wounds, Stefanie hoped that Buffy and Angel were faring better than this.
But, little did she know that things were about to get a whole lot worse, and that the events so far were just the tip of the iceberg...