Characters belong to Joss etc….
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Part Three
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The next morning Adriana walked into the school library at what she supposed was a fairly early hour to find Buffy and Giles already involved in some serious training. Buffy was pretty aggressively pushing back her Watcher in a quarter staff duel reminiscent of Robin Hood and Little John on the bridge. The taller Giles, in the role of Little John would probably already have fallen in the river if there had been one. She waited for Buffy to land a drill-ending blow before announcing her presence.
"Maybe it would be more effective if you trained to music?" she suggested.
The Slayer and Watcher turned to face their audience. Giles looked embarrassed and Buffy smiled in welcome.
"Like the Tango?" She asked.
"Oh no, quarterstaff drilling is more of a Cha-cha," Ms. Carson corrected.
"Oh right," Buffy nodded in agreement.
"Are you two done enjoying yourselves at my expense?" Giles asked testily.
"It wouldn't be at your expense if you'd join in the fun," Adriana chastised him, "Any thoughts on my impending wedding?"
"Ooh, can I be a bridesmaid?" asked Willow from the library door, where she and Xander stood with a large Dunkin' Donuts box.
Ms. Carson smiled, and walked over to pluck a chocolate covered donut from the assortment as she answered, "If I get to pick out your dress."
"Forget it," Xander interjected, "I've seen how you dress Willow."
"So what's a vampire wedding like anyway?" Buffy asked grabbing her own donut and straddling one of the library chairs, "I mean, call me crazy but I'm just guessing it won't be in a church."
"As far as I know from my father it's not very structured in the wedding sense," Adriana replied, "I think besides me there's a human sacrifice involved and the important thing is for him to drink my blood and me to drink his...I guess he'll try to find some kind of Anti-sacred place to do it..."
"Something much too abundant near Hellmouth," Giles commented looking distastefully at the box of now decimated donuts.
"Oh, here Giles," Willow offered him a bag, "I got you a scone."
Giles accepted the bag gratefully, not noticing Adriana cover a smile with her hand and an 'I told you so' look from Willow to Xander.
"So where do you think would be the most likely place to have an unholy union here in beautiful Sunnydale. Assuming, of course, that the season isn't already booked?" Adriana addressed the Watcher.
He considered, "Well, there are the usual places to find Vampires...the graveyard has several uh...lovely mausoleums large enough for a, uh, small ceremony."
"I think the cemetery is a bit too close to the Master's domain," Buffy mused out loud, "He may be trapped, but I'm betting even Dorvar isn't going to step on his toes TOO much."
"Yes, um...then there's the morgue..."
"Because we need a witness to sign the license," commented Adriana, "what about abandoned warehouses?"
"Oh sure, there are plenty of those," Willow provided.
"Any recently closed?" Adriana asked, "my guy's actually a bit of a neat freak if the stories are true. He doesn't get into the cobwebs and rotting boards gig."
"Let me check," Willow said flicking on the library computer.
"Neat freak?" asked Xander.
"Oh sure, he's known for it," Ms. Carson confirmed, "Any blood spilt is completely scrubbed out of existence by the next day. He doesn't leave traces - it's all very thorough."
"It's all very gross," Buffy corrected.
"Well whatever it is, it's soon," said Ms. Carson.
"Got it," interrupted Willow, "Pharmaceutical Goods Manufacturer just closed last month - very hygienic to begin with so it probably won't be too dirty.
Adriana got behind the screen, "Show me," she instructed.
Willow obliged pulling up information on the closure and a detailed blueprint of the building.
"That's it, that's our reception hall," Adriana nodded, "where is this place exactly?"
"A couple blocks from the Bronze," Willow replied.
"On the edge of the Good and Bad side of town," Xander added.
"What wonderful poetic irony," observed Ms. Carson
"So, if you think that's the place, what do we do about it?" Buffy asked.
Adriana smiled, "What all brides do...decorate."
* * *
An uniformed guard stood outside the abandoned factory halting the group of five in their tracks on the sidewalk.
"What do we do now?" Willow asked.
"Piece of cake," Adriana assured her, "I'll distract him and you all get inside and set up..."
"Umm...how are you going to distract him?" Giles asked.
Adriana had already unbuttoned her blouse an extra button and removed her hair from the ponytail she had put it in so that it cascaded provocatively down her shoulders and back.
"I'm a Gypsy princess...how do you think?"
"Adriana," Giles put out a hand to stop her, "do you think this is wise?"
"Wisdom isn't really my department; but what could it hurt? It's broad daylight out and he just a lonely security guard about to get the thrill of his life."
Giles didn't like the sound of that at all.
"But consider this for a moment: Why would an abandoned company be guarded?" he pointed out.
That gave Adriana a moment's pause, but she shrugged it off and modified her plan of attack.
"All right then, you wait here and I'll find out what's up."
The four Sunnydale residents watched as the Gypsy princess sauntered by the guard, easily getting his attention. Then she stopped almost a full block away, looked around in mock confusion, and walked back towards them, this time stopping right in front of the guard to open her purse and begin rummaging through it. Her playing at being lost obviously worked as the guard approached her and they began talking. Giles watched the man closely as he put a hand on her shoulder and gestured down the street. Should he leave his hand there that long? Was he staring down her shirtfront. Giles pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose nervously, drawing Buffy's attention.
"Don't worry, Giles. Ms. Carson can handle herself," she assured.
As if on cue, Adriana was patting the guard on the cheek and walking back towards them.
"THAT is one strange and lonely man," she announced when she rejoined the group.
"I find that statement less than reassuring," Giles commented.
"Don't worry - he's not going to come stalk me anytime soon; but really, it was almost so easy getting him to talk that you could have done it!"
"So what's the scoop?" Buffy asked trying to keep them on track.
"Some corporate magnate has bought the place and is remodeling it," Adriana replied.
"So this is not the place?" asked Xander, trying to clarify.
"I just can't help feeling that it IS," Adriana said shaking her head, "Maybe it's pointless to think we could prepare for him..."
"Wait a minute, if they're remodeling - where are all the construction workers?" asked Buffy.
"Well, he said that to cut down on disturbances the crew was working at...night. Saint Sarah! I am such an idiot!" Adriana exclaimed.
"Excuse me, did you just say, 'Great Hera?'" Xander asked.
"I am many things, but I am NOT Wonder Woman," Ms. Carson denied, "I said, Saint Sarah. As in Sarah la Kali..."
At three pairs of dumbfounded teenage eyes, she turned to Giles appealingly.
"Sara the dark one, the patron saint of Gypsies," he explained.
"Of course, how silly of me," Xander shrugged and muttered to himself.
"So you think this is Dorvar?" Giles asked.
"Yes - It's pointless to try and set up in there - if he's already got control of the building, any traps we set will backfire...Maybe I SHOULD just leave town..."
"No!" Giles exclaimed causing everyone to look at him in surprise.
"Umm, that is to say, we can't give up now..." he added lamely.
"Giles is right," Buffy agreed, "So what if we can't ambush him - at least he can't ambush us either."
Adriana laughed humorlessly, "I don't know why I thought this would work."
She began to tremble violently and tears welled up in her eyes, "All my life I tried to prepare for this, I thought I was ready, that I could take him on but I can't do it, he's too strong..."
Surprisingly naturally, Giles took the trembling woman in his arms and held her as she cried.
"Shh, it's all right," he comforted, "you won't be alone. We're helping you, it will all be fine."
She clung to him, sobbing for a minute before shaking it off enough to look embarrassingly at the teens.
"Sorry," she sniffed, "not much of a role-model am I?"
"Under the circumstances I think you're holding up quite well," Assured Giles, absently stroking her hair.
She smiled up at him gratefully and sniffed again, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand and pulling reluctantly away from his embrace.
"He's closer today," she offered as an explanation, "I think he's psyching me out...I think I should go home."
"Of course," Giles agreed, "I'll take you."
Buffy waited for Ms. Carson to protest and avoid further contact with the Watcher; but in a blink of an eye the two adults were walking away, oblivious to Buffy and her friends. She frowned, it was almost as if the conversation with the guard had turned her into a different woman. She looked back at the man curiously, deciding that there was more to everything than met the eye.
* * *
Adriana felt completely drained when she and Giles finally reached the house she was staying in. She managed to unlock the door and greet Watson, who whimpered at her, but actually let Giles in the house without much protest.
"He can tell I'm off-balance," she observed, the first full sentence she had spoken since they had left the pharmaceutical building.
"Animals are like that," Giles commented.
"I'm really sorry about all that back there. I guess I'm one to talk about lightening up and not letting all the vampire hunting stuff getting to you," she cracked lamely.
"We all have...challenging times," Giles dismissed her apology.
"Well, I just need some quiet time to regroup and I'll be all right."
Giles was somewhat presumptuously moving away from the foyer of the house towards the kitchen area.
"I find a cup of tea can be extremely soothing in times like these," he said.
"Giles..." there was warning and protest in her voice, but it didn't sink in. He put a kettle on the stove and set out two mugs finding a varied assortment of tea bags handily displayed in a basket on the counter.
"Giles," she tried again, "please don't."
He looked up absently, "Hmmm...don't what?"
"Don't make me be rude," she said.
He sobered, and his nervousness returned.
"Perhaps I should...er...go," he headed back towards the door and Adriana found herself putting out a hand to stop him.
"One of my great Aunts got married before Dorvar got to her," she said, seemingly out of the blue.
"I know," he said simply and at her look of surprise added, "I've been reading up since you showed up in my office."
"Then you know what happened to him?"
"Um...yes...flayed alive before her, nasty business."
"Personal relationships are not a good idea for me," she stated firmly.
Giles chose not to remind her that not 24 hours ago she had pressured him into a dinner engagement and a passionate Tango.
"I was only suggesting we regroup over a cup of tea," he said instead. The kettle on the stove obligingly began to whistle.
She laughed and sighed in capitulation, "All right. One cup of tea before you're on your way."
Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Adriana watched the Watcher from behind the rim of her mug. Ever since her breakdown he had been uncharacteristically calm and controlled. She wondered if her lack of confidence had broken the Gypsy mystique that had attracted him. The attraction, however seemed intact, or maybe that was all on her side.
"So is the nervous and shy librarian thing all an act?" she asked, wanting to clear up her confusion.
"What?" he asked, apparently startled from a reverie of his own.
"Yesterday you could barely speak to me socially without stammering and today you're very much in command."
He blushed, half-embarrassed and half-proud.
"Modern American women confuse me," he admitted.
She laughed, "That doesn't explain today."
"No, it doesn't, does it?" he considered for a moment, "Perhaps because you needed a certain amount of strength and command this afternoon."
"Are you saying you are what I need you to be," she asked, trying to sound incredulous and keep her heart from exploding from a strange sort of joy.
"I suppose I am," he looked at her seriously.
She stared at him for an eternity of silence fighting an internal battle of hope and caution. Finally she slowly set down her mug and rose from her seat. Giles mirrored her so that the faced each other.
"I need you to leave," she said shakily.
Though she wasn't even sure that it was what she wanted, he complied instantly. Almost immediately the nervous librarian returned and he stumbled past the coffee table, nearly knocking over the mugs of tea as he headed for the door.
There he turned towards her, she was half afraid he would ask to stay, that she would let him, but all he said was, "Get some rest," and he was gone.
Adriana rushed to the door and bolted it. Then, she turned her back to the door and sunk to the cold tile floor of the foyer with her face buried in her hands. She had no tears to spend, but sobbed dryly until she realized Watson was sitting by her licking her hands. She laughed and hugged him to her.
"Good boy, Watson," she murmured, "Good boy."
* * *
Later, Adriana was curled up on the sofa listening to the cathartic strains of Mozart's Requiem. Watson stirred from his position at her feet and growled ominously at the door. She got up and glanced out the peephole nervously, but sighed with relief at the sight of Angel. She unbolted the door and opened it, startled when Watson pushed passed her and ran out into the night, not even giving Angel a second sniff.
"Watson!" She called and moved to run after him, but Angel stopped her.
"You can't go out now. He's near, can't you feel it?"
She struggled uselessly against his grip, "but Watson..."
"...is probably treeing a raccoon and will be scratching at your door by sunrise," Angel assured, though his eyes were not completely convincing.
"It's YOUR life I agreed to save," Angel reminded her.
She stilled and backed away from the door.
"Right, my poor pathetic life. Come in, cousin," she beckoned ruefully.
"Rough day?" he asked sympathetically.
"Let's just say you're lucky you got to sleep through it," she flopped back onto the sofa.
"Tell me," Angel encouraged.
She sat up slightly to look at him curiously, then flopped back and let everything gush out of her.
"We found the site Dorvar will conduct the ceremony; but when we got there it was guarded. I had a nervous breakdown in front of the Slayer and her little friends...and Giles, Oh God, Giles...what he must be thinking..."
"The Watcher?" Angel asked, "why?"
She looked at him levelly and wordlessly.
"Oh," Angel finished, then offered sympathetically, "It's not easy loving someone you shouldn't"
"I don't love him," Adriana protested, "I haven't even known him a week; but I COULD, if I let myself...it scares me."
Angel sat in the chair across from her, "I know...cousin."
His use of the term she had coined for their relationship pleased her. She broke out of her sea of self-pity enough to smile at him in appreciation. Angel returned the smile somewhat awkwardly and turned to stare off into the night before repeating.
"I know."
"Angel," Adriana broke their companionable silence some time later.
"Yes?"
"Can vampires control regular humans that they haven't transformed?" she asked.
"I'm not sure I follow you."
She struggled up from her reclined position and sat on the edge of the sofa leaning towards him intensely.
"I mean - sometimes a vampire needs stuff done during the day and in that case, a bunch of minions wouldn't do the trick..."
"Ah," Angel nodded, "You mean 'esnes.'"
"Esnes?" she asked, wrinkling her nose slightly.
"A kind of slave. Vampires use the term to refer to future victims under hypnotic spells that have some use in the daytime world before they're ultimately sacrificed. I used to...that is, most Masters have a few."
Adriana caught the slip, "You weren't a Master," she reminded.
Angel looked away, ashamed, "Why do you ask?"
"That guard I talked to. I thought he was just weird, but now I think that Dorvar must have been controlling him some way. That's why I didn't realize how odd it was for no construction to be going on and why I wigged out afterwards - he was Dorvar's esne..."
"If you spoke to him, then Dorvar knows you're here and aware of the designated meeting place..." Angel observed, "Where is this building?"
"A few blocks from the Bronze," she described its location to him.
"I know the place," he stood, "Stay inside tomorrow - even during the day. If Dorvar has one esne he may have more and he's not above kidnapping."
"Where are you going?" she asked, rising also.
"To check out the remodeling you mentioned," he said.
"Angel, if there are other vampires there, they'll know you..."
"Not necessarily," Angel shook his head, "many know of me, but don't know me on sight."
"But won't your soul give you away?" she reminded him.
"Not if they're busy. I promise I'll be discreet," he assured, "Hey, I'm supposed to protecting you, remember?"
"Your amusement at my concern for your well being is so familial that if I weren't annoyed I'd be pleased," she griped.
He tousled her hair in a brotherly fashion, "Remember to stay inside tomorrow. Go get some sleep, you look awful."
She snorted in a most unladylike manner and opened the door for him, "And you look perfect. Get out of my house!"
Closing the door behind him, Adriana realized that her brooding new friend had somehow put a smile on her face.
* * *
The next morning, Adriana was not at all surprised to find Buffy knocking at her door. She opened the door and smiled. The Slayer had obviously just come from training. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was garbed in standard workout gear.
"Giles is worried about you," she stated unceremoniously stepping through the door.
Adriana gazed out the door searchingly for a moment.
"He's not with me," Buffy assured.
"Oh, no," Adriana shook her head, "I'm looking for Watson."
"Watson?" Buffy asked, incredulous, "Who's Watson?"
"My dog, he ran off last night when An...when I opened the door to..get...some air."
Buffy had the distinct feeling that her History teacher wasn't being completely on the level with her.
"Next time open a window," she suggested.
"Right," Adriana agreed, inwardly chastising herself for almost letting Angel's visit slip. She instinctively knew that Angel would not want the Slayer to know about their bargain.
"So come in, tell me about your workout," she gestured towards the living room.
"Same old, same old," Buffy said, "Giles was a bit distracted, though...are you jerking my Watcher around?"
"I'm really trying not to, Buffy," Adriana sighed her reply, "It's not easy choosing between what's right and what you want."
"Tell me about it," the Slayer agreed.
She was thinking of Angel, Adriana realized; and it was obvious from the girl's eyes that she loved him.
"Then again, sometimes in the light of day things aren't really as complicated as you initially think..."
Buffy looked at her confused, "What?"
"Nothing, just don't turn your back on cliches like 'love conquers all,'" Adriana suggested.
"We are somehow not talking about you and Giles," Buffy observed, "Did he tell you about my hopeless love life?"
"That is most definitely not something he would tell me about," Adriana assured, "Buffy, your heart is obviously aching for someone. I understand, believe me. Don't give up hope for happiness."
The Slayer's skepticism was tangible, "Right."
Adriana shrugged, "So, I'm fine. I'm staying inside today - but tell Giles I'm fine."
"Why don't you come to the library and tell him yourself," Buffy suggested, urging further, "'Love conquers all' and all that."
"I can't," Adriana shook her head, "it has nothing to do with Giles. Dorvar may have esnes waiting for me..."
"Ez-whats?" Buffy asked.
"Esnes, like the guard - which is why I went bonkers on you kids yesterday. I didn't realize it at the time, but he was a slave under a hypnotic spell of Dorvar, and there may be more..."
"Oh brother, as if fighting them at night wasn't bad enough," Buffy groaned.
"It's not like they're vampires," Adriana assured, "they're just hypnotized humans..."
"So what's to be afraid of?" Buffy asked, "I'm with you, if a bunch of hypno-zombies try to get you I can handle it..."
"Buffy, I really think it's best if I stay home today. I'll see you at school tomorrow."
Buffy started to protest again, but the look in the older woman's eyes gave her pause. Her mother got that look sometimes, when she was about to pull rank and ground Buffy or force her to do something unpleasant. Argument never worked in these instances.
She shrugged flippantly instead, "Suit yourself."
As Adriana watched Buffy go, she considered the events of the past few days. Her quickly blooming feelings for the Watcher, Rupert Giles had been an unexpected turn of events, to be sure; but she felt she could still pull victory from the mass of emotions her life had become. She thought of Angel's agonized eyes pleading with her to find a way to make him human again. She remembered Buffy's haunted look when she thought of Angel. Love, she thought ruefully, was a definite exploitable weakness. She straightened her shoulders with resolve.
"I'm going to do it," she stated in a strange cold voice.
Nobody heard.
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