Disclaimers : Check back to part one for full disclaims and what not
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Part Two
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Callista sat on top a tombstone in the Sunnydale cemetary with Cormerik at her side. He looked up at her quizzically. She was in deep thought. She turned to her feathered companion and began to talk to him.
"We've finally found her Cormerik. She's almost within our grasp. Last time we met she almost killed me ... but almost only counts in horseshoes, darts, and hand grenades. This time things will be different. I'm going to kill her. Slowly and painfully. She will not escape me this time."
She laughed to herself. The wind was surprisingly chilly. Callista assumed it was because of all that extra evil surrounding the Hell Mouth. She wrapped her old cloak around her and pulled the hood down over her face to make sure the dust would keep out of her eyes. The only thing you could see of her was a long, very sharp and nasty looking metal sword.
* * *
"So let me get this straight," responded Cordelia doubtfully, "You expect us to believe that this Callista has been chasing you around Ireland for a thousand years and you thought you killed her, but she's still alive and she followed you to Sunnydale? Okay - let's get a reality check here."
"Cordelia," snapped Buffy, "Be nice. It's not the most outrageous thing we've ever seen. Hell, I think it's about the most normal thing I've heard all week. I'm the Slayer - I'll be the judge of her credibility."
Brittany perked right up at this. *This could be useful* she thought.
"You're a Slayer?" she asked interested.
"No - she's not a slayer. Why would you think that. What she really meant to say was ... she's a ... player - yeah that's it. She's a pro poker player. You know how boring it can get in these small towns and all," rambled Willow. Everybody voiced in numerous conformations.
"It's all right Willow. I know all about Vampires and Vampire Slayers. Buffy just doesn't strike me as the usual Slayer type," responded Brittany.
"That's what everybody says," mumbled Buffy indignantly.
Giles, who had been listening to Brittany's tale, spoke up, "As Buffy's watcher I must say that I've never heard of you or this Callista girl in my books."
"Well maybe you don't read enough," suggested Brittany. This provoked strains of poorly contained laughter by Xander. "Please Brittany, this guy reads more than the entire east coast. If it were possible for him to read anymore he'd just turn into one - big - book."
Brittany frowned, "Well I guess it depends on the volumes of your books and such."
A thoughtful pause ensued. Buffy finally spoke up, "Well don't worry. We'll help you with Callista, won't we Cordy?" said Buffy with emphasis.
Cordelia looked around at everybody. "I don't see why I have to," she moped, "How come I have to help all your suicide missions now Buffy?"
"Because," interrupted Xander in a sarcastic tone, "that's what us Slayerettes do. We're the researchers, the cheering sections, and sometimes the decoys!"
Cordelia groaned, "Why am I included in your dorky little group?"
"Because you know that I'm the Slayer. You know about the Hell Mouth, Vampires, demons, and all our wacky adventures," explained Buffy, "you chose to help us out on some occasions and we're grateful. "
"Hurrah for me," she replied. To Cordelia, there was something not right about this Brittany girl. Something in her story just didn't add up. But, who was she to judge on story. What she could judge, was the Brittany was wearing a kick ass lipstick. Cordelia made a mental note to ask her where she got it later.
* * *
"Mom - I'm going out now," yelled Buffy to her mother. Joyce Summers appeared from the kitchen.
"How long are you going to be gone?" she asked concerned.
"I don't know," replied Buffy.
Her mother strode closer to her, "Buffy, when did you come home last night?" she asked, to-the-point.
"I don't know, why?" said Buffy nervously.
Joyce sighed, "Because I didn't hear you come in last night and I waited up until about 1:30. Is something going on? Should I be concerned?"
"No mom. Me and Xander and Willow were at the Bronze for a while and then on my way home I had to stop and see Angel because ..." she faltered as she tried to come up with an excuse that would satisfy her mom, " ... because I have a big history test coming up next week and he had my books from when he was tutoring me last week. I forgot them there."
"I see," replied her mother, "And where are you going tonight?"
Before Buffy had a chance to reply, he door bell rang. Buffy opened the door, and there stood Angel.
"Hi," she said, mildly shocked, but completely panicked. She leaned over and whispered to him, "follow my lead."
"Okay," he replied.
Joyce moved over to the door and was also surprised to see Angel. "Hello," she said politely, "Your Angel, aren't you? Please come in."
* * *
The Bronze was having another busy night. It was moderately packed, but wasn't as crowded as before. Giles had planned to meet Buffy there because there were three vampires who were supposed to rise tonight. He hadn't been out with Buffy for a few weeks, so he decided to come along to observe her for tonight. He had reluctantly left Xander, Willow, and Cordelia the library so they could continue looking up this Callista person Brittany was constantly rambling on about.
Giles looked around the club and then checked his watch. Fifteen minutes late. He decided it would be best to got to the cemetary and see if his slayer was there. He gathered up his coat and bag of stakes and was about to leave when he collided with someone. It was Buffy.
"You're late," he stated.
"Well sorry, but my mom was giving me a hard time because she didn't hear me come home last night because I came in through the window 'cause I was visiting Angel," she explained hotly.
"And how is Angel?" asked Giles, not very interested. He hated it when they were off schedule.
"I'm fine," replied a voice from behind Buffy. Angel, who had a difficult time getting through the crowds, appeared at Buffy's side.
"Oh ... Angel - I didn't see you there," stuttered the watcher.
"That's okay," said Angel politely, "This crowd is nuts."
Buffy, content that the focus had been taken off of her for the moment, engaged in the idle conversation. "This is nothing - you should have been here last night. Well look at the time ... I believe we have a date with the undead. Come on, let's go."
She grabbed Angel with her right hand and Giles with her left and attempted to steer them out of the Bronze.
* * *
*I know your out here* Brittany thought to herself as she wandered around the streets and back alleys of Sunnydale. She had been searching for Callista and that infernal bird of hers since she left the school earlier that afternoon. By now she had lost track of the time. She made her way out of a back road and onto a main street. Across the street was a tempting prospect.
*The cemetary. She's probably in there* Brittany dashed across the road and into the graveyard. When she got there, a most curious sound bombarded her. It sounded like .... yes - a fight. She ran up a tombstone covered hill to get a better vantage point. What she saw was incredible. Buffy was battling with three large looking men at once. Giles the librarian/watcher and someone whom Brittany had never seen before were just standing by watching.
"Vampires," she out loud in an amazed kind of tone. She raced down the hill to Giles.
"Brittany - what are you doing here?" he demanded.
Brittany's mind raced to come up with a story. She didn't want them to know she was going after Callista by herself. "I was walking home and I heard fighting and I came to see what was going on ..." she said.
They watched as Buffy easily over powered the vampires and staked them one at a time. She dusted off her shirt and joined the party. "Damn," she said to herself, "I broke a nail."
"Good work," said Angel in admiration, "A new record I think."
"Thanks," replied Buffy. She leaned up and kissed him. Angel blushed. He got shy when it came to public displays.
"Um ... excuse me," interjected Brittany, "But what was that all about?"
"There was a car wreck ... the vampires got to the victims, and they rose tonight," explained Angel.
"Do I know you?" asked Brittany.
"Brittany, this is Angel ... Angel, this is Brittany," said Buffy.
The two shook hands. "It's nice to meet you," said Brittany, "My, you have cold hands ... are you ill or something?"
There was a hesitant pause. "Brittany, " started Giles, "Angel is a vampire."
She withdrew her hand from Angel. Now she was confused. "Than shouldn't Buffy be staking him right about now?"
"He's a good vampire - It's a long story ... and besides, I'm not going to stake my boyfriend," chimed Buffy.
Brittany was really confused. "Your a vampire. And your a Slayer. And your dating. Wow, things really are different in America. Angel, since your a vampire, you've probably been around for awhile. You've heard of Callista, haven't you?"
Angel went into deep thought for a moment. "I've heard her name now and then but I don't really remember anything about her."
"To bad," responded Buffy, "Because we are having major difficulties tracking this chick down. Let's go back to the library. Maybe the guys have found something."
Giles, Angel, and Brittany agreed with Buffy and began to make there way back to the main road. As they left they didn't notice they had been watched. On top of a mausoleum near the fight scene sat the large bird. Cormerik had watched the entire exchange from his perch. He may have been a bird, but he was a brilliant bird. He could think for himself. And one word was echoing through his head. Slayer. This was big. This was huge. Buffy was a Slayer. Callista needs to know this. They need to act now. He dropped gracefully from the mausoleum and flew as fast as he could into the night, nearly invisible to the untrained eye.
* * *
The foursome wandered through one of Sunnydale's many back alleys. It was getting chilly, even for California.
"Buffy, do you know where we're going?" asked a disheveled Giles.
"Relax," she responded, "It's a shortcut." Her watcher rolled his eyes. Short cut.
They moved through the alley slowly. It was the kind of place you could run into stray vampires that escaped from the pound. Buffy noted that Brittany seemed extra cautious. Every little noise made her jump and every five minutes she kept saying *Did you here that?* Giles and Angel caught on to her odd behavior as well. Eventually they just stopped and watched Brittany stalk around in the alley.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" asked Buffy.
"I don't know," replied Giles curiously.
They would find out. Right about now. Directly ahead steam was shooting out of an open sewer grate, creating a dense cloud in front of them. From somewhere within the cloud, you could hear a tin can as it fell and clinked against the pavement. A different side of Brittany was emerging. She began to yell. "I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE," she screamed.
From behind them, Buffy, Angel, and Giles heard a loud high-pitched shriek. It was a bird. But it was nowhere to be seen. Brittany backed up until she was only a few feet from Buffy. "NO! SHOW YOURSELF," she continued to yell, "CALLISTA."
What happened next seem to come in slow motion to Buffy, but it happened quickly. In response to Brittany's bantering, a shadow could be seen moving in the steam cloud. It moved towards them swiftly. As it moved , a definite outline and shape took control of the shadow. A figure draped in a hooded cloak approached. It stopped five feet in front of them. It was too dark to make out a face inside of the hood. Once again, the bird could be heard. They all whirled around in time to see a large raven flying straight at them. They all moved out of it's way as it flapped past them and on to the figure. An arm extended from the cloak to meet the bird. It perched on the wrist. A cold wind blew threw the street, adding an eerie effect to the strangers entrance. Brittany was totally freaking out. She lowered her voice to a low but strong level.
"No," she started, "I killed you. You should be dead." The figure seemed unphased.
It was now that Buffy realized that perhaps they had been dealing with the wrong Irish girl. She watched as Brittany reached down to her boot. She had a secret compartment in it. From the compartment she pulled a glittering knife. Buffy, Angel and Giles assumed she was going to rush the person, but instead caught all of them off guard by whipping around and grabbing Buffy. In one quick motion, she had the Slayer in a head lock and a knife at her throat.
"What are you doing?" gasped Buffy.
This really seemed to piss off Angel. He had his 'game face' on, as Buffy would put it. Brittany was obviously the twisted one. She laughed to herself. Angel took a few steps towards her, but Brittany instantly backed up and pressed the knife a little harder against the Slayer's neck. "Uh, uh, uh," she teased, "Mustn't come any closer Angel, or I might just have to cut her pretty little head off."
"Why are you doing this?" he demanded.
"You of all people should understand," she said in a tone you might use to address a small child, "You and I are the same. Both evil at the core. Oh, but I forgot ... your a 'good vampire'. Ohh, dear Angel, you are so pathetic. I know all about your history. You used to be such a bad little boy. Too bad things have changed, or you and I would have some real fun with the puny little mortals in Sunnydale."
Angel's face went red from anger (not literally of course) "Let her go," he simply stated. A little smile appeared on the corners of Brittany's lips. "If you insist. But make no mistake. I will be back to kill you ... all of you," she paused and pointed the knife at the stranger, "Especially you." She replaced the knife to it's original resting place and then slung Buffy into some trash bags, garbage cans, and boxes. Angel and Giles immediately went to her aid. They all watched at the drama that took place before them. It was like a face off in an old western movie. Brittany moved first. She took a few paces backwards. The oddest thing followed. A brilliant flash of white engulfed her entire body. They all looked away for a moment to avoid blindness. When they looked back Brittany was not there. In her place stood a large white wolf. Saliva dripped from its fangs and it growled something fierce. It turned and then took off down the alley. The cloaked figure reacted immediately. The bird took off after Brittany down the alley. Callista (or at least Buffy assumed it was Callista) followed. She stopped in front of Buffy for a moment. She knelt down to make sure the slayer was all right. When she was satisfied, she took off again, down the road and around a corner. Giles, Angel, and Buffy were all stunned. No one spoke for a long time. Finally Giles said,
"Perhaps we should be returning to the library. Can you walk Buffy?"
Buffy pulled herself up off the ground and took a few experimental steps. She was fine.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little pissed off though."
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