Disclaimer: Joss owns the Buffy verse. I own Esme, Chris, any characters not normally found on the show and the twisted idea.
I took some liberties with the Romany language. They are actual words, but some are not used in the same context as they are supposed to. Translations are in ( ) after the word.
Author's Notes: This series would not have continued without the continued support of DreamSmith, one of the most talented writers. I owe all future fics to him. Thanks DS. I appreciate it.
Part Three
Esme flew through the alleyway, looking back occasionally to make sure that no one was following her. She slowed to a walk after reaching the end of the alley, and took deep breaths to relax her heart and keep her emotions in check. Esme bent over and touched her toes to get the air flow running slow again. She pulled herself up and looked above at the beautiful night sky, that was full of stars brightly shining down. Esme took an even bigger breath and calmed down. She heard a noise to the right of her and felt her body tense up. She gazed around and caught sight of a shadow leaning against a trash can. She took a step in that direction and forced her mouth to speak up.
"Show yourself you coward!" Esme said, her voice loud and demanding. "It’s sad when you demons have no fear in the killing of an innocent, yet cannot look into the eyes of one who knows your breed. Come forth, and meet your death!" Silence greeted her statement until a soft chuckle and the sounds of hands clapping could be heard to her right. Esme shivered at the cold, calculating sounds.
"Bravo, bravo mate. Good show. It’s nice when the ‘weak’ prey can dig in a few jibes to the hunter. Makes me feel special that you used those words *only* for me." A distinctive English voice filled up the empty space surrounding Esme. Her mind clicked as she recognized the voice as belonging to Spike, a vampire that had just recently come back to Sunnydale drunk and sad over his breakup with Dru. Esme remembered that it was the same night that Xander and Willow had gotten caught in the factory. She sighed as she realized that Spike was back indefinitely, and that he had no idea who she was. Esme quickly said a prayer over herself and felt her body change into a more muscled and toned girl. She squatted down and looked up, ready to spring up at the sight of Spike. "Too bad that your words won’t help me spare your life any. In fact," the peroxide blond dawdled on, his voice drawing nearer, "I think I might turn you. You see, I have no more Dru, so I am in the market for a new princess of darkness. What do you say? Instead of dying a horrible, meaningless death, you can become my playmate and I can introduce you to other worlds, my pet. You’d be young and beautiful forever, and have my undying devotion. I feel the fight coming up in you. You would make a *wonderful* lover. You could probably shag all night long. What do you say luv?"
Spike paused as he sniffed the air around her. He took an even bigger breath and smiled a wonderfully wicked smile. "Ooohhhh. Is this the new Slayer? Well I know it’s not Buffy, I’d be staked by now. But you.....you aren’t the one that was called after Dru bagged the other Slayer now, were you? Ah yes my pet. I see. We haven’t been properly introduced." Spike broke off sharply as he jerked Esme roughly to her feet by her hair. She cried out in pain and stared into the face of William the Bloody. "I am Spike," he said, pointing to himself with his free hand. "And you are mine." Spike jerked the hand around to her neck and gripped it there. He pulled her back to him, and swept her hair away from her neck. The smell of fear off of her was making him feel more powerful as he bent down and licked her neck, liking the salty taste of her skin. He gently nipped the sensitive area and felt his transformation to vampire take place. Spike reached down and nuzzled her hair.
Esme could feel the tough skin upon her neck, and she chilled at his tongue. She silently counted to ten and then grabbed the hand around her neck and twisted it around, pinning Spike’s hand behind his back. She turned him around to face her, keeping his hand locked, and looked up at his surprised expression. Esme reached up and smacked his face lightly. She leaned back away from him and caught an even more amazed expression go across his face.
"Who are you?" asked Spike, his features morphing back to his regular face. He struggled with her hand, but to no avail. Her grip was like a stronghold.
"I’m Esme. They call me a Slayer. Couldn’t you tell? I could smell your filthy scent a mile away." Esme loosened her grip a bit. "What are you doing back here Spike? Buffy told me that you were gone. And now you’re back. Why is that? Forgot your clothes, didn’t turn a light off, what?"
Spike struggled some more before answering her. "Yeah she did." He spat out. "But I came back. With no Dru, my life is practically meaningless. No one to say dumb things that I find charming. No one to help me when I get my arse kicked by some Slayer." Spike broke free of the grip and dusted off his jacket. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and opened them up, grabbing one for himself. He pushed the pack towards her and she shook her head. He shrugged and flipped a lighter out. He lit the cigarette and returned everything to its rightful place. Spike took a long drag and let out the smoke slowly. He looked Esme up and down and nodded to himself. "That’s much better."
Esme felt an uneasy knot in the pit of her stomach. She looked around for something sharp, in case Spike got violent. Her search yielded no results, and when she looked back at Spike, she realized he had gotten closer and was looking at her strangely.
"You aren’t REALLY a Slayer, now, are you? No, no..." Spike was peering into her face, and then his eyes caught sight of the necklace dangling from its chain around her neck. Realization dawned on his face, and Esme began backing up, Spike following her, his eyes suddenly lit up with knowledge and information. "You’re a Gypsy...like that Calendar woman, aren’t you? Let me see." Spike reached out stealthily, grabbed the dangling necklace, and ripped it off Esme’s neck. Esme cried out, attempting to take back the good luck charm that her grandmother, a drabarni, had given to her before she left Romania many years ago. Spike pushed her hands away and threw her to the floor. He fingered the gold heart, tracing the silver leafs that came out from the center of it. "I remember this!" Spike faced the girl and laughed. "You are of the Kalderash tribe, aren’t you? Bloody hell! You traveled all this way from Romania...but for what?" Spike stared at her for a moment then realization dawned on him. "Ah. Right. I get it. You’re here for Angelus. An eye for an eye and what not. I told him not to touch that Calendar woman, but he insisted on giving Giles a welcome home present. He also said something about the Orb of Thessuis, or Therapy or some other bloody nonsense." Spike peered intently at Esme and took in her surprised and angry gaze. "Why, I believe I have said too much now, haven’t I? Guess now you’re going to have to go and stake that miserable excuse for a vampire. Oh well." Spike threw the necklace at Esme and turned away, walking down the opposite end of the alleyway. "Tell Angelus that Spike is hear if he wants to revert to his former ways." He stopped abruptly and turned himself around to face her as she searched for her necklace. Esme looked up. Spike grinned evilly.
"I’ll be seeing you again luv. You can count on it."
Esme stared after his retreating footsteps with necklace in hand. Her eyes glowed green. "Asa sa fie." (So it shall be.)
|
