Disclaimer : Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and all related indicia belongs to Joss Whedon and the WB. Sister Mary Dolores and Father Sarducci, best I know, belong to myself. Thanks go to Willow Blessing (really, her name is Willow. It's not a fan-nickname thing.) for proofing the first draft and helping me pound out some ideas. I do *slightly* fudge some of the vampire details from what we've been given on the show, but nothing too gratuitous. Timeline: Pre-Evil Faith, pre-Angel's return, and pre-Cordelia/Xander break-up.
Part Two
"What's up, Will?" Oz asked, pulling her locker door back to reveal her face.
"Huh? Up?" she asked in confusion. She looked very out of place for a moment before saying, "Oh, Oz. Uhm... It's complicated. I was supposed to call you, wasn't I?"
"Maybe," he said, furrowing his brow and placing his hand on his chin. "C'mon Will, fess up. Something's buggin' ya."
"I'm afraid Buffy's going to turn into a vampire!" she wailed. "And if she does, then somebody's gonna have to kill her! She isn't going to be a good vampire like Angel, unless we could find that gypsy woman that did the thing to Angel. And I could maybe try to figure out how to do something with, you know, my witchcraft thing, but she's gonna have to be killed anyway to close the second Hellmouth. And on top of all of that, I have an Econ test, but now, I feel really sleazy for even worrying about a test when my best friend may be joining the legions of the undead!"
"Don't hold back... or anything."
The ringing of the class bell pulled Willow back to reality. "And now, I'm late for class!"
* * *
"I failed, I failed, I failed!" Cordelia wailed. "My dad is going to kill me!"
"At least you look great today," Xander tried.
His tall, brunette girlfriend shoved her books into his arms. "Make yourself useful, Xander," she snapped.
"Cordelia, leave Xander alone. He can't defend himself," Buffy told her. She held her books loosely at her waist. She wasn't too sure about the test herself, but at the moment, she had more to worry about.
"Thanks, Buffy," Xander said slowly. "I think."
"Hey B," Faith greeted, already waiting at her locker.
"Faith, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked, gently nudging her aside to get at her combination.
"Just hangin', chillin', bit o' illin'," Faith answered with a wry grin. "You?"
"It's called school," Buffy answered smartly. "And now, I'm going to a subject that I know I can pass. Lunch."
"Don't tell me you're freaked out by Sister Slayer," Faith sighed.
"I'm not freaked out," Buffy promised.
"I am!" Willow volunteered. "It's bad enough to die, but to be turned into a vampire? That's like..."
"Bad skin tone," Cordelia said quickly. "If either of you turns into a vampire, you're just going to turn this sickening shade of white. And I don't care if pale is chic now, it just does not look as good as a healthy shade of brown." She brushed her fingers across her cheek and said, "Like me."
"You're just baking yourself in a tanning bed," Faith told her.
"And your point?" Cordelia asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Angel hads color," Xander said.
"Angel hads natural color," Cordelia told them. "It didn't matter that he hadn't seen the sun in 230 years. These two gals will turn lily white."
"Would you all stop it?!" Willow cried.
"I agree with Willster," Faith decided. "Sister Slayer is whack if she thinks either me, or B, is gonna get bit."
"And stop calling her Sister Slayer!" Willow snapped. Buffy turned partially to Willow and gave her an impressed look. As soon as she did that, Willow's brave facade dropped away. In her normal voice, she said, "'Cause her name is... Sister Mary Dolores."
"Fine," Faith said, biting the word off sharply. "Sis Mary D is wrong. I can handle a vampire."
"Me too," Buffy agreed, though her voice betrayed her.
"B, you are letting these negative people drag you down," Faith said in an authoritative voice. "You're skipping; we're training."
"But I haven't eaten lunch yet," Buffy complained as Faith pulled her away.
Willow silently pushed Buffy's locker closed. "I'm going to talk to Giles," Willow groaned with a downfallen expression.
"Hey... guys," Oz said as he walked up to them. "Where are the fellow Slayerettes?"
"Everybody's freaking out over what the Slayer nun said," Xander told him.
"C'mon, Social Reject. We're going to lunch."
"You could try being nice to me for a change," Xander muttered.
"You know you love it," Cordelia sighed.
"Slayer nun?" Oz asked the empty hallway.
* * *
"Oh, hello Willow," Father Sarducci greeted.
"Hi Father," Willow said. "Uhm... Is Sister Mary Dolores around?"
"Actually, she's out training with Faith and Buffy," he answered. "Is it important?"
"Sort of," Willow told him. "I was doing a spell, and-" She suddenly paused, paling considerably.
"Willow?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "The... spell... thing..."
"Willow, if being a priest AND a Watcher has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that not all things are black and white," he said calmly. "I've helped Sister Mary Dolores with a few simple healing spells myself during her time as a Slayer. Now please, continue."
"Well, I was doing a temporal folding spell, which is, uhm..."
"Manipulation of time and space, continue."
"And... I saw the future. I was trying to just look a week into the past, because I lost my math book and they're really expensive, but I must have messed up something, because I went the other direction and into the future."
"Willow, you do realize that the future is uncertain," he said calmly. "A lot of things could happen between now and next week to drastically change..."
"I didn't see a week into the future; I saw three days into the future," Willow said hurriedly. "And I saw myself at a wake for you and Sister Mary Dolores."
"Just three days?" he asked calmly.
"Uh huh."
"What did you use?" he asked in that same calm voice that Watchers have a horribly tendency to use, regardless of the situation.
"Lavender, ginseng, and some nasty smelling green stuff that-"
"Come with me, we need to tell Mr. Giles," Father Sarducci said quickly.
* * *
The nun was dressed in black pants and a black shirt with her long, salt-n-pepper hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, covered by a black handkerchief. Despite her very conservative outfit, it was still hard to merge this woman with the nun they had met the prior night. It was even harder still when Buffy and Faith realized she was every inch the Slayer they were.
Mary Dolores suddenly paused, not even attempting to block the strike. Buffy's foot collided with her jaw with astonishing force, wrenching the older woman's head back. She moved with the blow and quickly snapped her head upright, raising one hand up to touch her jaw.
"Oh God, I'm sorry!" Buffy cried, reaching a comforting hand out to her shoulder.
"Geeze, B," Faith chuckled. "Hitting a nun; that's gotta be bad kharma."
"Willow," Mary Dolores sighed. "Lord... Come on, girls. Giles, we'll be back in a minute!" As soon as she said that, she took off running.
"Willow?" Buffy asked for a moment. She cast a look back at Giles, and then a look of comprehension overtook her. "Willow! Oh God! Come on Faith!" She was immediately off and running, throwing the doors to the Library open with such force the glass on one of them shattered.
* * *
"How do we stop the future?" Willow asked as they drove at an illegal speed through the side streets of Sunnydale.
"Obviously, we can't," Father Sarducci told her, "but we can alter it from here. Can you tell me anything about your vision? Any kind of marks on our bodies?"
"Well, Sister Mary Dolores looked like she had a lot of make-up on," Willow said. "Funeral make-up, I mean. You know, like how people look if they were in a car wreck or something?"
"Taken a beating?"
"Yeah," Willow said.
"And myself?"
"Your coffin was closed," she said softly. "But I knew it was you because there was a big picture of you in front of it."
Suddenly, a body leapt out in front of the car. Willow screamed, trying to get in a word of warning. They hit the body, and Father Sarducci suddenly realized that it was not a human they had hit. Though the body was thrown backwards, the car's back wheels lifted off the ground. Willow lurched forward, her head slamming into the windshield. The airbag exploded out around Father Sarducci, and then, just as quickly as it had happened, it was over.
"Willow?" Father Sarducci asked, reaching over to gently touch the teen.
"Ohhh," she groaned, holding one hand to her head. She leaned back, wincing. "I'm okay. What happened?"
"We were just hit by a vampire," he answered. He reached beneath the seat and pulled out a large cross. However, before he had a chance to do anything, two powerful arms broke through the driver-side window and grabbed him by the shoulders. Willow screamed as he was pulled out of the car. She grabbed the cross that he had dropped on the seat and jumped out after them.
She had to hold her head for a moment, a brief wave of dizziness overwhelming her. In that instant, one of the vampires backhanded her, knocking her backwards and onto the hood of the car. Her head slammed into the windshield, and she slipped into unconsciousness. The vampire leapt up onto the hood, straddling her body. His face deformed, and an animalistic growl came from deep within his chest. He cradled the unconscious Willow in his arms, brushing her silken red hair off of her neck. Baring his fangs, he darted to bite her neck.
However, before he had a chance to sink his teeth into her flesh, a pair of white Keds slammed into him from above. Buffy sailed over the car, knocking him off of her best friend. Buffy jumped off of the hood and onto the vampire, sprawled out on the pavement. He growled at her, but before he could jump up, she plunged her stake into his chest. An upset expression crossed his face, which was present even in the brief dusty remains that overwhelmed and replaced his undead body.
Mary Dolores grabbed a vampire by the hair of his head and slammed his face into the side of the car.
"Faith!" she cried, grabbing the vampire by his shirt.
"Go!" Faith cried, holding the stake out before her. Mary Dolores hurled the vampire into the stake, impaling him on it and turning him to ashes. As a vampire ran past her, Faith swung her stake out, killing him with it in one fluid motion.
"They're gone," Mary Dolores realized, looking around.
"What's Willow doing out here alone?" Faith asked, looking around. She dropped to the ground and glanced under the car, making sure that there weren't any vamps hiding in wait.
"This is Father Sarducci's car," Mary Dolores realized. She reached inside, turning the ignition and getting no result. "Figures. You two take Willow back to Giles."
"Where are you going?" Faith asked as Mary Dolores started off.
"They obviously took Father Sarducci," Mary Dolores said. "I'm gonna go get him back."
"I'll come with you," Faith offered. "B?"
"I'll be fine, go," Buffy said, scooping Willow into her arms.
* * *
"I don't hear anything," Faith commented, "but-"
"Do you want me to go first?" Mary Dolores asked.
"No need," Faith said quickly. "Just watch my back." She dropped down into the manhole, landing nimbly about twelve feet down. She glanced around, and then called up, "We're clear."
"This is a big nest, you say?" Mary Dolores inquired as she landed beside Faith.
"Usually," Faith commented. "Some big important guy is down here. His roadies bring 'im a mortal to drain every so often. We've found bodies down here. I don't mean to be blunt about your friend, or anything, but-"
"I appreciate it, honestly," Mary Dolores assured her. "I think I hear something this way."
"Lead the way, Sis."
* * *
"I'm okay, I swear," Willow insisted.
"I think you have a minor concussion," Cordelia said, shining a penlight in her eye.
"I didn't know you knew first-aid, Cordelia," Giles said.
"Learned it in the Scouts," Cordelia answered. "Willow, you should be fine. Just... take it easy for a while."
"I don't believe you are supposed to sleep soon after you've had a concussion," Giles mused.
"I've heard that, too," Willow agreed. "Great."
"I'll stay up with you, Willow," Oz offered.
"Call your mom and tell her you're staying with me," Buffy said, reaching into Cordelia's purse and pulling out her cell phone.
"You're welcome," Cordelia muttered sarcastically. She was interrupted mid-sentence, however, by the sound of glass shattering in the distance.
"That sounded like the lobby," Giles said quickly.
"I'm on it," Buffy said, grabbing a stake from the table and running off to find the disturbance.
* * *
"Not a big nest," Faith realized, looking about. "Six vamps, tops."
"No, that's not what this is," Mary Dolores realized. "It's like... a breeding ground."
"For what?"
"Some vampires just dedicate themselves to making more of their kind," Mary Dolores explained. "That's why they can never all be destroyed. Sunnydale isn't that big of a town. It just can't sustain a vampire population the size it does without outside influence."
"Breeder vampires?"
"Exactly."
"What about the Father?" Faith asked.
Mary Dolores walked over to a box sitting on a table. She opened the box and dumped the contents on the table. "All religious icons," Mary Dolores commented. "Some iron, wood..."
"What is it?" Faith asked, going to the other side of the table to help her rifle through the objects.
"Objects taken from the... mortal they brought here," she explained. "A vampire can't wear iron or wood... Especially iron. Wood is only damaging if it goes through their heart. Well, most damaging. But iron is... it's almost like kryptonite. Weakens them."
Mary Dolores suddenly sighed. She lifted her hand, a red rosary hanging from her fingertips. "This is what happened to Father Sarducci," she told Faith.
* * *
"Oh my God," Buffy sighed, stopping at the door of the lobby.
"Not quite," the vampire formerly known as Father Sarducci said with a complacent grin.
"No," Buffy repeated. "This isn't..."
Between one blink and the next, he had traversed the lobby and was standing next to her. Buffy backed up a step and held the stake in a ready position to strike. "Mmm.... Buffy," he said in a voice that sent shivers all over her body. "I need to call on a favor."
"I owe you nothing," she hissed. "And the only reason you aren't a pile of dust is because I don't know how to explain this to Mary Dolores."
"Bring her to me," Sarducci ordered. "The crypt on Lawndale, tomorrow night. Or I will kill your friend Willow."
"You'll have to go through me first," Buffy snarled.
"Willow has extended to me an open invitation to come visit her whenever I like," Sarducci said. "You can't be with her all the time."
Rage tore through Buffy, and thoughts of Sister Mary Dolores fled. With stake poised, she lunged at Father Sarducci. However, he took her off guard, and with one strong hand delivered to the center of her chest, she flew straight backwards and out of the lobby, landing on her back in the hall. "Bring the nun!" Sarducci ordered.
Buffy scrambled to her feet and ran into the lobby. However, it was once again empty.
* * *
"You're staying with me tonight," Buffy ordered.
"Buffy, I'll-"
"There's no room for discussion, Willow," Buffy snapped. "Understand?"
"Yes, Mom," Willow sighed.
"Father Sarducci must... Sarducci must have a personal vendetta against Willow," Giles mused. "Willow, did you say anything to him that may have triggered some sort of response? Anything at all?"
"I mentioned a spell I did," Willow said. "That's why I was there in the first place."
"You mentioned a Wiccan spell to a Catholic priest?" Cordelia asked. "Real good move."
"He said it didn't bother him," Willow insisted. "And I don't think it did. But..."
"I see you have had a visitor," Sister Mary Dolores said as she walked into the library with Faith.
"We know he was turned into a vampire," Faith said quickly.
"He told me," Buffy started, "that if I don't bring you to him, he'll kill Willow."
"He said that?" Mary Dolores asked coolly.
"Yeah," Buffy said softly with a nod. "Can you imagine why? What would he have against Willow?"
"I know why," Mary Dolores answered. "But I don't know if you can handle it."
"Sister?" Giles asked. "Would you please inform us? Willow's life may be at risk."
"All right," she relented. "I had a premonition this morning."
"About me?" Willow asked.
"Think you guys could speed this up a little?" Cordelia asked suddenly.
"Cordelia," Willow said quickly. "Mary Dolores? Was it about me?"
"You know that I became a Slayer because I was there when my mother was killed," Mary Dolores explained. "If my vision comes to pass, by this time tomorrow, Willow will replace me as the Slayer."
* * *
"I don't wanna be a Slayer, Buffy," Willow said. "I like being simple, boring Willow." She looked over at her friend and saw that she was sleeping silently, her head resting against her desk. "Buffy, you're supposed to be keeping me awake."
"Huh?" Buffy snorted as Willow nudged her awake. "What were you saying?"
"I don't WANT to be a Slayer," Willow repeated. "Killing vampires... It just sounds... like very... not-me behavior."
"She said IF her premonition comes true," Buffy said. "There's no reason to think it will."
"If I do become a Slayer, that means she'll have to be killed," Willow stated. "I don't want that to happen, either. I like her. She's nice."
"How long did Giles say you had to stay awake?" Buffy asked, trying and failing to suppress a yawn.
"Six hours," Willow answered. "Is it one a.m. yet?"
"Almost," Buffy said. "I wonder what Sister Mary Dolores is doing right now... I can't even imagine how I'd act if Giles was... Ugh, I don't even wanna think about it."
* * *
"Hey, Sis MD," Faith interrupted.
"Yes Faith," Mary Dolores said woodenly. She was kneeling at an altar in her church, silently moving through the beads of her rosary.
"I learned something I think you might want to know," Faith said. "Father Sarducci wasn't a random victim. The Slayer/Hellmouth thing? If a vamped-out Watcher is the one who turns a Slayer into a Vampire, then the Hellmouth can't be closed with just a simple slaying."
"I see," Mary Dolores commented. "Thank you for telling me."
"I also came across the group of vamps that did this to him," Faith told her. "Wanna go learn more?"
"Do you, by any chance, know of a hardware store that's open all night?" Mary Dolores asked.
"No," Faith answered. "But anyway... what is it you want? I can get it."
* * *
"You left the cash in the register?" Mary Dolores asked as she took the nail gun from Faith.
"I even got you change," Faith promised, showing the nun a ten dollar bill.
"Keep it," Mary Dolores said quickly. "These nails are iron, yes?"
"As far as I know," Faith answered.
Sister Mary Dolores turned, seeing the time, 4:48 a.m., on a nearby bank sign. "I'm ready," Mary Dolores said. "Lead the way."
* * *
The vampire fell to the ground with a painful scream, pulling one foot up to cradle protectively. "Tell me," Mary Dolores insisted, "or I shoot the other foot."
"I'm not telling you anything," the vampire growled.
"Stupid," Faith remarked. Mary Dolores aimed the nail gun at the vampire's other foot and fired. With a hiss, another iron nail shot out and struck the vampire in his uninjured foot. Another painful scream filled the air.
"You are going to die regardless," Mary Dolores threatened. "You can either give us the info you want, and I'll let my friend here stake you quickly. Or you can be quiet, and I'll shoot you so full of nails you won't be able to move and the sun will kill you. Your call."
"What do you want to know?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"Three things," Mary Dolores said. "First, where is Sarducci, your newest vampire, staying?"
"Crypt... Lawndale," the vampire grunted.
"Why do you want a new Hellmouth?"
"For... for Androphenes."
"Who is Androphenes?"
"The Master's new form!" he screamed. Grinding his teeth, he added, "He's on the other side of the Hellmouth. Now would you freakin' KILL me already!"
"Mr. Vampire, thank you for your assistance. Faith, stake him."
"Shooting them with nails," Faith commented after their extra companion was a pile of dust. She picked the two nails out of his "remains" and blew them off. "Nice touch."
"I'm not normally very aggressive," Mary Dolores commented. "But when an entire world is about to be endangered... well, I can be."
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
