New Beginnings

^ Denote: Psychic dialogue.

Chapter 11
New Power

The room was dark, lit only by white candles. A large bed dominated the room. On the bed, a figure moaned. The sheets were soaked with sweat as the figure tossed and turned. The door to the room opened slowly and a shadow walked up to the bed. The shadow watched the figure for a few moments, not saying a word.


Then the shadow took a discarded pillow from the side of the bed and put it across the face of the figure in the bed, pressing hard.


With the air suddenly cut off, the figure on the bed starts struggling.


“What are you doing?” a voice asked from the open doorway.


The Shadow froze with its hand on the pillow.


“What are you doing?” Sasha asks again, turning on the lights.


Blinking a couple times from the sudden brightness of the room, Lillie said calmly. “I found this pillow on the floor and I was putting it back on the bed.” Hiding her hands, she quickly took the pillow off Buffy’s face, and turned to look enquiring at Sasha.


“Okay,” Sasha said, eyeing Lillie suspiciously. “Did she wake up?”


“No, not yet,” she said smiling slightly as she walked out of the room.


Sasha thoughts linger after Lillie. Something about what had just happened wasn’t right but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She shook her head slightly dismissing Lillie’s odd behavior from her mind. She went over to the bed to smooth the sheets tenderly. She then takes up her abandoned paperback romance novel and sat on the chair beside the bed, to be ready in case Lissa should wake up. She sighed.


“Mom,” Buffy murmured.


Sasha got up an approached the bed slowly. “It’s okay, I'm here...” She knelt on the bed, taking Buffy into her arms, rocking her slowly. “Shh, Mom is here.”


Buffy has been unconscious for a day. When she had collapsed, they had feared whatever virus had taken hold of the Kindred had spread to humans as well, but that fear was quickly unfounded after few simple blood tests. The wound on Buffy arm hadn’t quite healed, it had festered. It had taken the better part of the day with both Sasha and Daedalus, applying alternated hot and cold compresses to draw out the poisons.


She should have woken up by now, Sasha thought. Her fever had broken early that evening. It was weird, how a person can become so important in just few short weeks. After seeing Lissa for the first time, lying still as death after the accident, I didn’t know what to think of her. She was pale, small and not that interesting. What was weird was, Uncle Julian picking up a stray. It was so not like him. After Archon death, he broke up with Caitlin, and then he went into a depression. Nothing had seemed to interest him, not Lillie, not work and not even me. We all tiptoe around him, not knowing what to say or do. But Lissa seems to bring him out of his shell. He was laughing, showing interest again.


And because she was important to Uncle Julian, therefore she was important to me. He deserved someone who will love him unconditionally not because he a millionaire and Prince of the city, but because he is Julian. Cash and I had talked about it. We still don’t know anything about Lissa, where she from, and how she got to be here. But as long as she made Uncle Julian happy, that is all that mattered to me.


In the meanwhile, Buffy was struggling in a midst of a recurring nightmare. Nothing was clear. Everything and everyone was a shadowy indistinct person or thing. She kept seeing Sunnydale. The people she couldn’t save, crying out to her. Her friends, her mom and Angel. All of them screaming ‘Help me. Help me.’ “Where are you?” she would cry. “I can’t see you.” Thick gray fog surrounded her. She tried going towards the voices, but they would disappear. Each time, she would catch up to the voices; there would be an obstacle. She tried to get over it, but it was too high, she tried to get around it, but it was two wide, she tried to get under it, but it was two low. “Where are you,” she cried again, banging her fist at the impregnable wall in frustration. She could feel it, but could not see.


“I am here, little one,” said a voice. “Don’t cry.”


“Angel?” Buffy asked, voice quivering.


“No, I am not your Angel,” said Julian, coming towards her.


“Julian?” she asked puzzled. “I thought you were sick.”


“I am,” he said.


“If you are sick, what are doing here?” she asked looking at him in astonishment. Julian was healthy, elegantly groomed, looking as he was before he was ill. He was dress in a black silk shirt and black pants. “And where is here?” she asked looking around. All around her was gray shadows. It was like pea soup, she couldn’t see anyone or anything clearly, except Julian, who seem to have a light shining on him or within him. Buffy didn’t know which.


“It is the Summerland, a place between the living and the death,” Julian said, walking to stand in front of her.


“Am I dead?’’ asked Buffy fearfully. She was tired of being afraid.


“No,” Julian said, coming to stop in front of her.


“Are you dead?” she asked, wanting to touch him, but she was afraid he would disappear like the others.


“No, I am alive. Barely, but I am alive. See,” he said, taking Buffy in his arms.


Buffy sighed in relief. She felt like, everything would be all right. Here was someone who will help her and guide her.


“You are dreaming Lissa and in your dreams you have called me here. We are not here. You had created me here with you.”


“You feel so real,” Buffy admitted.


“I am real, as you wanted me to be,” Julian said.


“I miss you Julian,” she said, holding onto Julian as tight as she can.


“I miss you too Lissa,” said Julian, nuzzling her hair.


“Why did you have to leave?” she cried plaintively. “Everyone leaves.”


“I did not leave you. I am here,” he said.


“I can’t find them, they were calling me.”


“They are not here, Lissa,” Julian said sadly. “They are in a better place.”


“B-but they were calling me,” she said confused.


“They are not here,” Julian repeated. “But I am here and I always will be,” he said rocking her gently in his arms. “You and I are one.” Soon the soothing rocking motions of his arms lull her into a peaceful sleep, enough to be wakened a half hour later.


Thirty minutes later, Buffy’s eyes open to the now familiar room; it seems all she had done lately was being one place and to be wakened in another. “The last thing she had remembered was... Oh, yes, Lillie trying to kill her. She should get out this bed and confront that bitch. How dare she try to have her kill? Didn’t she know whom she was dealing with? She is the slayer and she could bounce Lillie up and down, without breaking a sweat. She’s gonna…. “Mmffpp” she said.


“Oh Lissa, you are awake,” said Sasha, grabbing Buffy in a hug. “You have been sleeping forever.”


“Mmpff,” she said. “Let go of me you are crushing my spine.”


“What happened,” Buffy asked Sasha.


“Don’t you remember?”


“No,” Buffy said, avoiding her gaze.


“Daedalus said you were attack by primitives, but that didn’t cause you to be unconscious. It seemed that the wound Uncle Julian caused you was infected.”


“Oh,” Buffy said, gazing down at her bandaged arm. Which she just noticed was aching.


“You will be fine,” Sasha said cheerfully. “Daedalus cleanses the wound, and he said in couple of days, you will start to heal.”


“That’s good to know.” Buffy said softly. “How’s Lillie?” she said abruptly.


“Lillie?” asked Sasha, puzzled. She cannot conceive that Lissa was asking about Lillie, especially since there were not friends.


“Yes, Lillie.”


“She’s alright. Why?”


“It’s nothing,” Buffy denied. “I was wondering how she was doing. So, how long was unconscious?” she asked changing the subject.


“A day. Lissa, are you okay,” asked Sasha, concerned about her friend frame of mind.


“Yea, I’m just tired, I guess. But how can I be tired, after being in bed all day?” Buffy asked jokingly.


“Well you have been ill and what you need is some rejuvenated sleep. Okay,” said Sasha, tucking the sheet over Buffy.


“Okay,” Buffy said, fighting off a yawn.


“Good night,” Sasha said, walking towards the door. She paused, looked back at Buffy, then shut off the light and closed the door behind her.


Buffy eyelids close. In between sleep and wakefulness, she heard whispering. “Uh,” she muttered, sitting up in the bed. As a Slayer, her vision was perfect and she could see in the dark, but she did not see anyone. Puzzled she got out of bed, and turned on the lights. Still hearing whispers, she looked around the room carefully searching corners, closets, everything, still the whispering continued.


She had even checked outside the room. Making sure that someone wasn’t out there making mischief. However, the whispering continued unabated. Even then it continued. She was getting frantic. By morning, Buffy was sitting in the middle of the bed, her hand across her ears, as her blood shot eyes continued to searching the room. She covered her ears with her hands.


She slept restlessly.


“Hi Lissa, “Sasha said bounding cheerfully into the room. She stooped when she saw Buffy. “What’s going on? You look awful.”


‘Buffy,’ a voice whispered.


“Did you hear that?” Buffy demand.


“Hear what?” Sasha said puzzled.


‘Buffy.’


“That!” Buffy whispered harshly, covering her ears with her hands.


Sasha looked around the room puzzled. “I don’t hear anything,” she admitted, biting her lip uncertain. Is Lissa, going crazy? Did the wound on her hand affect her mind?


"Please?” Buffy begged. “I don't want to hear anymore.”


In his basement cage crouched, with red haze swirling in his brain, Julian Luna banged his fist on the stone floor in frustration. . Hunger and biting pain burned in his stomach. Scenting blood, he lifted his face. It was feeding time. His fangs burst piercingly through his gums. He howled in pain. He shuffle to the large blooded carcass on the stone floor and ripped into it.


Part of him was appalled of what he had become. A mindless animal. And part of him doesn’t care. Suddenly a glimmer of intelligence formed in his mind and a mental door way opened a pathway to Buffy. As a Slayer, she has shields across her mind that was resistant to compulsion, but during her unconscious state, her mind had relaxed and they had communicated. In her waking hours, her mind was closed. Now, a pathway had opened between them once again.


For weeks, he had been trying to reach her, but she ignored him. He could feel her fear. He didn’t mean to frightened her. She was his light, without her he would be living in a world of darkness and pain. Following the pathway between them, Julian reached for her mind. Lissa possessed some psychic ability, if she didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to reach for her with his mind, although he doesn’t believe she knew she had power. Being on the Hellmouth all those years must have suppressed her natural talent.


Julian found out that he could communicate with Buffy during a time she was feeling vulnerable and stressed that’s when she lets her guard down. Now was the right time. ^’Lissa, Lissa?’^ He called.


In her bedroom, Buffy lay on her bed in a fetal position, rocking to and fro, while tears of anguish streamed down her face. First, fear was utmost in her mind. Was she going crazy? Then confusion. Why her? And why now at this point in her life. Has the burden of being a Slayer finally made her snapped? Then despair, because only she heard the voice calling her. Now she was angry, and she was not going to take it anymore. After a couple of hours, Sasha finally left her alone, making sure she wasn’t going crazy. She slid out bed and turned on the lights, wiping her tears on her sleeves. She peered in corners once again, this time determined to find “the Voice”


^Lissa, Buffy, Lissa, Buffy.’^ The voice called, chanting the name in a rhythm.


“Here I am, you coward,” she shouted, her expression thunderous. “Come on. I’m right here,” she shouted again, flinging bed sheets, clothing, books etc willy-nilly across the room. She just knew that Lillie planted an electronic bug in her room, for what she does not know. But she’s not going to rest until she finds it.


^‘Lissa, it’s Julian.’^ he called, his voice calm. Not showing the distress he was feeling.


“Julian?” Buffy said, looking around puzzled. “Where are you? I don’t see you,” she cried. This is it, Buffy thought. I am definitely crazy. Someone should lock me up in a padded room and throw away the key.


^‘I am with you.’^ he said, his cool voice broke through her reverie.


“With me where,” she muttered distressfully. Was Lillie playing tricks on her? Is she giving Lillie more fodder to fuel her spitefulness, by yelling aloud in an obviously empty room?


^’I am talking to you telepathically ‘^Julian said.


Sudden realization hits her. ^’Oh my God, I can hear you in my mind.’^ “I am dreaming,” she said aloud, her voice shakier than she would have liked.


^‘No you’re not, I may not be physically with you, but I am right here.’^


^‘I can hear you,’^ Buffy said surprised. ^’And I can feel you,’^ She said again in wonder. ^’I thought I was going crazy, even Sasha thought I was crazy.’^


^‘I’ve been trying to reach you.’^ Julian said apologetically.


After listening to Julian in bewilderment, Buffy had to ask. ^’What’s happening? Why after this time, am I hearing you? And should I be hearing you?


Buffy could hear the gentle softness in his voice, when he replies to her questions. ^’You are Psychic Lissa.’^


^‘What!’^ she stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by disarray blank and shaken. Not sure, she had heard him clearly. ^‘I can’t be.’^


^’Yes, you are. You are telepathic. Living on the Hellmouth suppresses your natural ability. And to why you are hearing me now. I think the reasons are that you let your guard down. Now , I can hear you, and you can hear me..’^


Buffy nodded. It felt weird to suddenly hear someone else’s thought in her head. ^‘Julian,’^ she called.


^’Yes, little one,’^ his voice a gentle caress in her mind.


Buffy shivered, as his voice caused a tingling in the pit of her stomach. ^’Will I be able to hear everyone’s thoughts?’^ she asked curiously.


^’In time little one, in time.’^ Julian said wearily. In the basement he prowled the cage, fangs glistened dully in the moonlight that shown from a window. He felt trapped and tormented by his primitive body, especially since his mind was alert. .


Assaulted with Julian’s despair, Buffy closed her eyes with a moan of distress. ^’Everything thing is going to be all right,’^ she promised.


Night had fallen and Buffy and Julian continued to talk, getting to know each other. Few knew this, but Buffy was shy and it was hard to start over, even with a loveable person like Sasha. Buffy felt reticence about sharing so much about her self, but with Julian, everything was effortless, it was as if they knew each other for years. Soon her eyes began to get heavy, and then they closed. She was drifting away into a dream.


The dream took on a surreal quality. The only thing, she could make out was that she was lying nude on a bed, surrounded by what seemed like thousands of white candles, scented with jasmine. The sheets on the bed were black silk and it caresses her body like a lover’s hands.
She squirmed on the sheet, watching Julian saunter nude towards the bed. His eyes raked boldly over her and she felt a surge of excitement within her. Her feelings for Julian were intensifying. He grabbed a part of the sheet and slid in beside her on the bed, and gathered her into his arms. The mere touch of his hand sent shivers through Buffy; he was so warm, so male. The dream then grew more vivid, as entwined limbs came together and harsh breathing echoed throughout the room, as hands, tongue, and teeth fought for dominance.