Joss owns all (except Adriana and Dorvar). I am a humble peasant bringing my dreams to life and hoping you enjoy them...
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Part Four
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"Oh my God!"
Adriana had opened her door Monday morning to a bloody heap of black and white fur.
"Watson!" she exclaimed, collapsing tearfully on the porch to take the lifeless mass in her arms.
"I'm sorry, boy," she murmered rocking back and forth, "this wasn't even necessary."
Looking up into the street she screamed out, "Do you hear me? It wasn't necessary!!!"
Later that morning, the rattled gypsy princess entered the library. Despite her impeccable appearnce in a red and black silk pantsuit ensemble, Giles immediately recognized a troubled look in her eyes.
"Good God, what's wrong?" he asked.
"What, I don't look like a bride on her wedding day?" she queried with a hard edge in her voice.
Though her tone troubled him, Giles found himself strangely relaxed at her words.
"Tonight, then?"
"I got the unquestionable invitation on my doorstep this morning," she confirmed, briefly describing it for him.
"Good God," Giles repeated.
The bell rang harshly reminding them of the mundane life around them.
"I have to go to class," Adriana clipped, "Tell Buffy to stop by the house around 9-ish."
"I thought we would all..."
"No, Watcher!" Adriana's tone froze him, "just the Slayer and me."
She left before hearing his response, knowing that he would protest and probably follow anyway. It was just as well. In the end he couldn't say she didn't warn him.
* * *
"She has a point, Giles," Buffy said, "you've told me before that you lack the skill for vampire dusting. Remember: 'A Slayer slays a Watcher...watches?'"
"I still think it would be best if I accompanied," the Watcher insisted.
"I think we should all go," Willow piped then covered her mouth, "did I say that?"
"What do you mean?" Xander asked, "Of course we're all going. You said he had slave people with him and he probably has a couple of minions too - you're going to at least need some help distracting them as you pick them off..."
"Yes, we'll keep the minions busy while you destroy Dorvar," Giles stated.
Buffy considered. Sure her friends had proven themselves brave and loyal, and even sometimes useful in a vampire fight. Still, she couldn't stand to lose any more friends and especially not another Watcher. Plus, Ms. Carson didn't seem to want them there. Of course, she was just trying to protect Giles and avoid her feelings for him...Wouldn't it be outstanding if Buffy could engineer it so that Giles rescued Adriana?
"All right," she was saying, "but meet us there or there'll be a huge argument at her house - and come armed to the teeth, and leave if I say so, I mean it."
"Of course, of course," Giles agreed, "the Pharmaceutical lab at approximately nine-thirty."
* * *
Adriana opened the door before Buffy could even knock. She was still wearing the pantsuit, but her makeup was much bolder. Buffy silently admitted surprise and the thick black eyeliner and bright red lipstick on a woman who had so recently advised Willow to stick with the natural look. She had abandoned the norse-braid crown and had opted to slick her hair back in a severe French twist.
Adriana took in Buffy's own outfit with a surprising amount of disdain. Buffy had donned Angel's leather jacket for luck over simple jeans and a t-shirt.
"Is that what you're wearing to my wedding?" she asked the girl in a scornful tone worthy of Cordelia Chase.
'She's just stressed about this whole deal,' Buffy reminded herself, but still retorted defensively.
"You're not exactly the poster child for Modern Bride, either."
"Right, let's get this over with."
The pharmaceutical building seemed oddly abandoned and unguarded in the moonlight. The two women paused at the front door looking at each other. Buffy made a move as if preparing to kick it open but Adriana held up a hand to stop her. She then turned the knob and pushed it open easily.
"Voila!" she said, her first words since they had left the house.
Buffy frowned at the open door, "Suddenly I have a bad feeling about this."
"Dorvar wants me here, Buffy," Adriana explained, "he won't try to keep me out."
The reception area was as abandoned as the front of the building. Buffy started to scope it out, checking behind the desk for hidden demons, but Adriana was already moving on.
"The plans Willow pulled up indicated a large open production area back this way," she stated, "They'll all be waiting there for my big entrance."
"I don't suppose we could wait here and make him come to us?" Buffy asked, already planning how she could hold off several vamps at once in the room.
Adriana shook her head, "It isn't done that way," she stated walking down the hallway and forcing Buffy to rush after her.
The lab was set up almost like a church. At the opposite end of the door they used to enter was a platform. In the center of it stood a masculine figure with shoulder length gray-white hair and wearing a velvet-like black robe with silver threads. Buffy presumed this was the Master Vampire Dorvar. He was a Vampire at any rate and made no effort to hide it. Using her Slayer senses, Buffy surveyed the room and was surprised that only a handful of other vampires were present. She could take four or five easy, she thought.
"Welcome, Adriana, my bride of the centuries. You have been a long time coming," Dorvar spoke.
"I think you'll find I'm worth the wait," Adriana replied huskily.
Buffy's heightened senses picked up some movement down the hall. She tensed a moment, then relaxed when she realized her friends had arrived. The other vampires did not move, and she hoped her band had entered unnoticed by everyone else.
"Most definitely worth the wait," Dorvar was agreeing, "but I see you are not wearing white."
"I was under the impression such things didn't matter to you," Adriana countered.
"Very brave and defiant," he chuckled, "but you can hide nothing from me, my pet, I see that you have guarded your virtue carefully for me."
Adriana found no words, embarrassed by the revalation and just shrugged noncommittally.
"Who is your companion?" he finally asked. Buffy had begun to feel a bit like furniture.
"I'm the maid of honor, bub," she replied moving to attack.
"Actually," Adriana drawled, stepping in front of Buffy, "she's sort of my wedding gift to you."
He seemed genuinely surprised, "A gift?"
"Yes. Dorvar, my master, may I present to you the Chosen one of her generation..."
"The Slayer!" he exclaimed stepping forward and gesturing quickly to his minions.
Buffy looked at Adriana for a stunned moment, dumbstruck, and it was all the minions needed to catch her unawares. Ordinarily, two vampires grabbing her by the arms would have been no big deal. But her shock at the gypsy princess's betrayal combined with the surprising strength of her captors rendered Buffy helpless.
"What are you doing?" she cried.
"Surviving," spat Adriana.
Buffy pulled uselessly against the vampires that held her.
"You bitch!" she exclaimed, "you cold unfeeling bitch."
"You mean to say," Dorvar was awed, "you brought her here with the pretense of trying to defeat me?"
"How else would the Slayer come to you so easily?" Adriana scoffed, "she's really gullible, you know - the youth of today trust only the surface. It's a good time to be a vampire."
"My love," he said, "this is a rare gift, and I have nothing for you..."
"Eternal youth and beauty will be quite enough, thank you," Adriana assured him smiling wickedly.
"Those were yours already," Dorvar shook his head.
"In that case," Adriana said coaxingly, "Since I brought you the Slayer, let her be my first feed after the transformation."
Dorvar considered this for a moment, "Perfect, my love. It will be done."
"No!" Buffy struggled again. Where did these super-strong vampires come from?
In the hallway, behind a barely cracked open door, Xander had pulled away from the scene to lean against the wall with disbelief.
"That's it," he declared firmly, "the next substitute that come near Sunnydale dies on sight."
Willow, remembering the smiling woman from the ladies room at the Bronze, tried helplessly to find an explanation.
"It's not her," she said, "It couldn't be. He's got her in a trance or something. Vampires can do that, right? Giles?"
The eyes that met Willow's hopeful ones were agonized.
"No, she is not hypnotized. Her eyes are clear, she's in full control."
"Well, we aren't just going to let her feed on Buffy, are we?" Xander asked suddenly.
"No, no...of course not," Giles assured, then, with resolve he burst through the door.
The gypsy princess was already standing before the dais, pausing to reach behind her neck and unfasten the crucifix.
"Adriana!" Giles cried.
She turned to look at him; her perfectly arched eyebrows raised expectantly.
"Don't do this," he pleaded.
"Sorry, Giles," her hard edged voice echoed hollowly in the room, "what girl would give up everlasting life and unfathomable power?"
With that, she let the silver chain drop to the ground and stepped up on the platform and into Dorvar's embrace. She tilted her head to give him easy access to her neck.
"No more waiting, Dorvar," she whispered.
"Beloved," he groaned bending down to bite her as her hand snaked around his neck...
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