Dark Moon: Pt One - Waxing Moon
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BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Angel(us)/Buffy
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
21
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Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Angel(us)/Buffy
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
21
Views:
2,943
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 14.
A/N: marzbarz... appreciate that you've been reading it. :) Sorry if it seems predictable or monotonous, but cut a girl a break; it was written 6 years ago. ;^)
Chapter 14.
“I can’t believe it,” said Buffy upon hearing the news of Ciorstaidh’s demise, “She was a Slayer, she should have been able to defend herself.”
Giles had gathered everyone into his home just after daylight to break the news to them. Like the others, he was visible shaken up, and the pain was evident on his face. Buffy sat on Giles’ desk with Xander, Faith sat in the leather easy-chair, and Willow sat on the floor with Oz, her face buried in his chest as she cried softly. Giles paced the room restlessly, trying to make sense of the whole catastrophe.
“Technically, she wasn’t a Slayer,” Giles said gruffly, “And that may have been what hurt her. She may have had the speed and strength, but I doubt she had the skill to fight off a Vampire like Drusilla.”
“How could she not? She was like two hundred and fifty years old!” Buffy asked, herself more than anyone.
“How did the paramedics react to the whole situation?” asked Oz, doing his best to comfort Willow at the same time as trying to find out what went down outside of Angel’s mansion.
“They treated as though it was any other homicide. They contacted the police, and took the body to the morgue,” replied Giles.
“Her name was Ciorstaidh,” said Xander quietly, staring blankly at the floor, “She wasn’t just another dead body.”
“Of course not.”
“Will they try to identify Ciorstaidh?” asked Oz, “Did she even have any identification on her?”
“I’m not sure,” said Giles, adjusting his glasses on his face, “That’s one of the reasons that we’re all here. We really need to retrieve Ciorstaidh’s body so that they don’t have the chance to examine it.”
“Or desecrate it further,” added Xander quietly.
Giles glanced sadly at Xander, sensing that the boy was feeling more pain than he expressed externally.
“We will give her a proper burial, and give her the rest she so richly deserves,” he told Xander quietly, “I can promise you at least that much.”
For the first time since he had heard the news, Xander looked up. What Giles saw in his blank and listless eyes nearly broke his heart, and it hurt him that he couldn’t give comfort to the boy he almost considered his son.
“Thank you,” Xander said, his eyes starting to shimmer with a hint of the tears that he was holding back.
Buffy also saw how much pain that her best friend was in, and it angered her. As far as she was concerned, Xander was one of the last people who ever deserved to feel that kind of pain. Drusilla would pay for what she did.
“I bet she killed her the same way she killed Kendra,” Buffy said, standing abruptly, “You know, I don’t care what I promised Spike; this has gone on long enough. I won’t let Dru kill another one of my friends.”
“Right on, girl!” Faith replied, rising from the easy-chair, “Let the slaying begin!”
Buffy turned to her, and said softly, “I’d like to do this one alone. I think I owe at least that much to Ciorstaidh.”
Faith grabbed Buffy’s arm, her eyes flashing.
“She saved my life. I owe her even more than you do. I’m coming with you.”
Buffy knew better than to argue with Faith; she was incredibly strong-willed and stubborn when she wanted to be. Past experience with the younger girl had taught her that. So Buffy just nodded in acknowledgement, then headed toward the door, with Faith closely behind her.
As Buffy’s hand reached for the knob, a knock resounded through the thick wood door. She glanced at Faith, who had a puzzled look on her face, then opened the door, not knowing what to expect.
Visions of various monsters and Demons danced through Buffy’s head as she swung the door open. Anyone or anything could be there; Vampires, gouls, or even the walking dead. On the other side stood...
Wesley.
“Can’t you just leave me alone?” asked Faith, sighing loudly in frustration when she caught sight of the visitor.
Wesley straightened up, cleared his throat, and said, “Please come with me, Miss Faith. Your attendance has been requested by the Watcher’s Council. We will be returning to London immediately.”
“Screw you!” exclaimed Faith, giving Wesley a hard enough shove that he fell backwards onto his backside on Giles’ walkway, “I just got my life back; I’m not going to let you take it away after all I went through!”
With that, she marched past Buffy, and outside. Buffy was a little shocked, but quickly followed after her. Ignoring the Watcher’s dark coloured van parked on the street, they began to walk away from the from Wesley and the other Watchers, and towards Buffy’s house.
Wesley straightened himself out, and rose to his feet, where he was immediately greeted with Giles’ cold gaze.
“You’re not welcome here,” Giles told him.
“I realise that,” Wesley replied, brushing away stray bits of dirt and debris from his pants, “But at least allow me to give you the material I brought with me.”
Wesley opened that briefcase he was carrying, and removed three thin books, all old and well worn. He handed them to Giles, and said, “I hope your friend appreciates them; they were not easy to find. But after we received the tape you sent, the Council agreed that these books may provide the type of incentive that would encourage Ciorstaidh to give us more information.”
Giles quickly opened the books, and upon realising what they were, he closed them, looked Wesley straight in the eye and simply said, “She’s dead.”
Wesley blinked in surprise, and said, “But I thought you said she was immortal...”
“Drusilla murdered her. Last night.”
“I suppose you won’t have much use for them then,” said Wesley, moving to retrieve the books.
Giles snatched them away, and said, “They will be buried with her. They belong to her.”
Willow had risen from her spot on the floor with Oz, and had joined Giles at the door. Sensing that he would get no farther with the elder Watcher, Wesley had chosen to retreat, and soon disappeared with the van.
“You’re not going to let them take her back, are you?” asked Willow, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve.
“No, I’m not letting them take Faith or Ciorstaidh back with them,” he replied, clutching the books tightly in his arms, “I owe it to both to protect them. They would try to ‘reprogram’ Faith, and who knows what they would hope to learn for Ciorstaidh’s body...”
Giles shuddered at the thought.
Willow saw the books in Giles’ arms, and asked, “What are those? More information about Erinyes Vrekolakas?”
“No,” answered Giles quietly.
“What are they?” Willow asked.
“They’re Hope’s diaries.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“November 14, 1768;
“Today I begin this journal, the third volume I have ever started of such. The Elders have finally decided that I’m old enough to travel about the city on my own, without the accompaniment of either Martin or John. I feel so free! Is this what the girls who attend the covenant schools feel like? What I would give to live a normal life.”
Willow had began reading the third of Hope’s journals while she, Xander, Oz and Giles drove to the morgue later that night to retrieve Ciorstaidh’s body. After reading the first few entries, she flipped to where the pages became blank, then read the few pages previous.
“June 22, 1769;
“I met a most interesting girl while walking in the park this evening. I was trying to rush home because Martin warned me that I would be punished if I was late again. I bumped right into her, and she is a remarkable person. I’ve never met a girl who wore the clothing of the nobles, yet had the demeanour of a person of my own class. Perhaps I will see her again soon. If I had not been late, I would never have met Darla. It was most certainly worth having to go without dinner!”
“June 30, 1769;
“I saw Darla again this evening; she was very pleased to see me. She asked me many questions about myself; who my parents were, where I’m from and so forth. Then she revealed that she knew my mother! It amazes me that this is so. She told me that my mother had given me up to the Elders when I was just a baby, which I already knew, and that she had been murdered by a Vampyre, which I had not known. But she also told me that she knew my father, and that he is still very much alive! She says I can meet him on Friday, if I sneak out after Martin is sleeping. I can’t wait!
“Darla also introduced me to her older brother tonight. His name is Angelus, and he has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. I do hope that he will be with Darla on Friday.”
“July 3, 1769;
“Tonight is the night I meet my father! I am so excited, I almost can’t contain myself, and I almost revealed my intentions to Martin when I didn’t eat much dinner. He is very astute, and I think he knows when I’m up to trouble. But he will be asleep shortly, and I will be on my way! Besides, I’m sure that he thinks that I’m in a nervous state because it was revealed yesterday that I have been called forth as the Slayer. That means I will be in active duty from today forth, and I lose all chance of a normal existence.
“I can’t stop thinking about Angelus. I do hope he will be there.”
Chapter 14.
“I can’t believe it,” said Buffy upon hearing the news of Ciorstaidh’s demise, “She was a Slayer, she should have been able to defend herself.”
Giles had gathered everyone into his home just after daylight to break the news to them. Like the others, he was visible shaken up, and the pain was evident on his face. Buffy sat on Giles’ desk with Xander, Faith sat in the leather easy-chair, and Willow sat on the floor with Oz, her face buried in his chest as she cried softly. Giles paced the room restlessly, trying to make sense of the whole catastrophe.
“Technically, she wasn’t a Slayer,” Giles said gruffly, “And that may have been what hurt her. She may have had the speed and strength, but I doubt she had the skill to fight off a Vampire like Drusilla.”
“How could she not? She was like two hundred and fifty years old!” Buffy asked, herself more than anyone.
“How did the paramedics react to the whole situation?” asked Oz, doing his best to comfort Willow at the same time as trying to find out what went down outside of Angel’s mansion.
“They treated as though it was any other homicide. They contacted the police, and took the body to the morgue,” replied Giles.
“Her name was Ciorstaidh,” said Xander quietly, staring blankly at the floor, “She wasn’t just another dead body.”
“Of course not.”
“Will they try to identify Ciorstaidh?” asked Oz, “Did she even have any identification on her?”
“I’m not sure,” said Giles, adjusting his glasses on his face, “That’s one of the reasons that we’re all here. We really need to retrieve Ciorstaidh’s body so that they don’t have the chance to examine it.”
“Or desecrate it further,” added Xander quietly.
Giles glanced sadly at Xander, sensing that the boy was feeling more pain than he expressed externally.
“We will give her a proper burial, and give her the rest she so richly deserves,” he told Xander quietly, “I can promise you at least that much.”
For the first time since he had heard the news, Xander looked up. What Giles saw in his blank and listless eyes nearly broke his heart, and it hurt him that he couldn’t give comfort to the boy he almost considered his son.
“Thank you,” Xander said, his eyes starting to shimmer with a hint of the tears that he was holding back.
Buffy also saw how much pain that her best friend was in, and it angered her. As far as she was concerned, Xander was one of the last people who ever deserved to feel that kind of pain. Drusilla would pay for what she did.
“I bet she killed her the same way she killed Kendra,” Buffy said, standing abruptly, “You know, I don’t care what I promised Spike; this has gone on long enough. I won’t let Dru kill another one of my friends.”
“Right on, girl!” Faith replied, rising from the easy-chair, “Let the slaying begin!”
Buffy turned to her, and said softly, “I’d like to do this one alone. I think I owe at least that much to Ciorstaidh.”
Faith grabbed Buffy’s arm, her eyes flashing.
“She saved my life. I owe her even more than you do. I’m coming with you.”
Buffy knew better than to argue with Faith; she was incredibly strong-willed and stubborn when she wanted to be. Past experience with the younger girl had taught her that. So Buffy just nodded in acknowledgement, then headed toward the door, with Faith closely behind her.
As Buffy’s hand reached for the knob, a knock resounded through the thick wood door. She glanced at Faith, who had a puzzled look on her face, then opened the door, not knowing what to expect.
Visions of various monsters and Demons danced through Buffy’s head as she swung the door open. Anyone or anything could be there; Vampires, gouls, or even the walking dead. On the other side stood...
Wesley.
“Can’t you just leave me alone?” asked Faith, sighing loudly in frustration when she caught sight of the visitor.
Wesley straightened up, cleared his throat, and said, “Please come with me, Miss Faith. Your attendance has been requested by the Watcher’s Council. We will be returning to London immediately.”
“Screw you!” exclaimed Faith, giving Wesley a hard enough shove that he fell backwards onto his backside on Giles’ walkway, “I just got my life back; I’m not going to let you take it away after all I went through!”
With that, she marched past Buffy, and outside. Buffy was a little shocked, but quickly followed after her. Ignoring the Watcher’s dark coloured van parked on the street, they began to walk away from the from Wesley and the other Watchers, and towards Buffy’s house.
Wesley straightened himself out, and rose to his feet, where he was immediately greeted with Giles’ cold gaze.
“You’re not welcome here,” Giles told him.
“I realise that,” Wesley replied, brushing away stray bits of dirt and debris from his pants, “But at least allow me to give you the material I brought with me.”
Wesley opened that briefcase he was carrying, and removed three thin books, all old and well worn. He handed them to Giles, and said, “I hope your friend appreciates them; they were not easy to find. But after we received the tape you sent, the Council agreed that these books may provide the type of incentive that would encourage Ciorstaidh to give us more information.”
Giles quickly opened the books, and upon realising what they were, he closed them, looked Wesley straight in the eye and simply said, “She’s dead.”
Wesley blinked in surprise, and said, “But I thought you said she was immortal...”
“Drusilla murdered her. Last night.”
“I suppose you won’t have much use for them then,” said Wesley, moving to retrieve the books.
Giles snatched them away, and said, “They will be buried with her. They belong to her.”
Willow had risen from her spot on the floor with Oz, and had joined Giles at the door. Sensing that he would get no farther with the elder Watcher, Wesley had chosen to retreat, and soon disappeared with the van.
“You’re not going to let them take her back, are you?” asked Willow, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve.
“No, I’m not letting them take Faith or Ciorstaidh back with them,” he replied, clutching the books tightly in his arms, “I owe it to both to protect them. They would try to ‘reprogram’ Faith, and who knows what they would hope to learn for Ciorstaidh’s body...”
Giles shuddered at the thought.
Willow saw the books in Giles’ arms, and asked, “What are those? More information about Erinyes Vrekolakas?”
“No,” answered Giles quietly.
“What are they?” Willow asked.
“They’re Hope’s diaries.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“November 14, 1768;
“Today I begin this journal, the third volume I have ever started of such. The Elders have finally decided that I’m old enough to travel about the city on my own, without the accompaniment of either Martin or John. I feel so free! Is this what the girls who attend the covenant schools feel like? What I would give to live a normal life.”
Willow had began reading the third of Hope’s journals while she, Xander, Oz and Giles drove to the morgue later that night to retrieve Ciorstaidh’s body. After reading the first few entries, she flipped to where the pages became blank, then read the few pages previous.
“June 22, 1769;
“I met a most interesting girl while walking in the park this evening. I was trying to rush home because Martin warned me that I would be punished if I was late again. I bumped right into her, and she is a remarkable person. I’ve never met a girl who wore the clothing of the nobles, yet had the demeanour of a person of my own class. Perhaps I will see her again soon. If I had not been late, I would never have met Darla. It was most certainly worth having to go without dinner!”
“June 30, 1769;
“I saw Darla again this evening; she was very pleased to see me. She asked me many questions about myself; who my parents were, where I’m from and so forth. Then she revealed that she knew my mother! It amazes me that this is so. She told me that my mother had given me up to the Elders when I was just a baby, which I already knew, and that she had been murdered by a Vampyre, which I had not known. But she also told me that she knew my father, and that he is still very much alive! She says I can meet him on Friday, if I sneak out after Martin is sleeping. I can’t wait!
“Darla also introduced me to her older brother tonight. His name is Angelus, and he has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. I do hope that he will be with Darla on Friday.”
“July 3, 1769;
“Tonight is the night I meet my father! I am so excited, I almost can’t contain myself, and I almost revealed my intentions to Martin when I didn’t eat much dinner. He is very astute, and I think he knows when I’m up to trouble. But he will be asleep shortly, and I will be on my way! Besides, I’m sure that he thinks that I’m in a nervous state because it was revealed yesterday that I have been called forth as the Slayer. That means I will be in active duty from today forth, and I lose all chance of a normal existence.
“I can’t stop thinking about Angelus. I do hope he will be there.”