Love Through Touch

Disclaimer: See Part 1.
Rating: R
Love Through Touch

---

"P-part Vampire?" Tara stuttered "Giles what are you talking about?"

"She's not part Vampire" Buffy argued with the Watcher "I'd sense it if she was"

"It says so right here in this text" Giles adjusted his glasses.

"Right like they've been real helpful lately" Willow said with no little venom.

"Well this one is quite helpful" Giles snapped at her. He turned and stomped out of the training room.

"Part Vampire?" Hyatt chuckled "That's definitely a first"

"So the book is wrong?" Buffy asked.

"No. His interpretation of the book is wrong" Hyatt corrected "I'm sure he'll explain it to you"

They all gathered around the table, even Anya who remained silent and angry due to her loss of money.

"It says here that the Al-Faqadi family is cursed. It seems even Vampires frown upon Fratricide" Giles continued to read "Apparently, the elders took this to shame and cursed Fatima. 'May your descendents die of the lack of the life giver, or disease of the life giver, lest the one whom brings death to her own family takes pity and releases their pain'. I believe by life giver they mean blood. She turned you. But I don't understand how you can walk in the sun" Giles stared Hyatt in the eye.

Hyatt rolled her's "She doesn't turn anybody. Everyone in our family is eaither born with or develops a blood disease. When you first become sick, Fatima gives you some of her blood"

"You drank her blood?" Willow asked frowning.

"No it's a blood transfusion. A few of the side effects are: Advanced sight, smell and hearing, also strength and agility" Hyatt sighed.

"So that's where it comes from" Buffy sat back "She saved your life and gave you super powers. But do you drink blood?"

"No. She just gives up the blood once to break the curse. After that we're fine. No resistance to sunlight, nothing. The curse is really on her though. She has to remain knowing that the reason her family suffers is because she killed her descendent"

"He was sacrificing infants" Anya spoke for the first time "I'd of killed him too if I knew about. Eviscerated his ass off"

"Fratricide is Fratricide" Hyatt shrugged.

"Well that sucks" Willow said sadly "Being punished for doing something good"

"Yeah" Buffy sat up in her chair "Kinda makes me nervous about saving the world"

"Have any of you eaten it's just past lunch time" Giles hoped to change the subject. He felt bad about accusing the girl about being a vampire.

"Lunch?" Hyatt looked at the clock "I'm so beyond dead. My father's gonna shit a brick!"

"That would be painful. And a nice vengance curse" Anya nodded.

"Want us to go with you?" Buffy asked "You'll have your own walking excuse"

"Your own walking, talking, ass kicking excuse" Willow added with a smile.

"That might help" Hyatt forced a smile.

"Well let's get moving then" Buffy moved to stand. She froze halfway out of the chair "Do you mind undoing whatever it is you did to my legs?"

"Oh" Hyatt blushed "I forgot. Sorry" She slid from her chair and onto her knees in front of Buffy's.

Buffy stiffened when Hyatt slid her arms around her waist "What's with the hugging? Hugging got us into this mess"

"I have to release the knot" Hyatt explained. She slid two fingers of each hand to the base of Buffy's spine and slowly began to massage. Her fingers slid towards the bones, then up.

Buffy began to feel the muscles ease, and the pressure she didn't realize was there began to dissipate "You've got to teach me that move"

"It paralyzes vamps. They can only move from the waist up when you do that" Hyatt explained releasing the 'hug' she'd been giving to Buffy.

"What does it do to normal humans?" Willow asked. She knew what the nerves in that part of the back were for.

"It renders them unconscious I believe" Giles scratched his head "I wonder why I never thought to teach it to you"

"Maybe because I wouldn't want to hug a Vamp?" Buffy offered.

"You more than hugged Angel" Willow pointed out.

"Shut up Will" Buffy muttered.

"Who's Angel?" Hyatt asked rising from her knees. When she was standing fully erect she reached to help Buffy to her feet.

Buffy excepted the helping hand and quickly realized why it was offered. She was slightly dizzy for a moment and the world seemed to tilt "Wow. That moves a doozy"

"Ain't it" Hyatt agreed "Who's Angel?"

"I'll tell you later" Buffy avoided "Shouldn't we be explaining your mis-adventure to the parental units right now?"

Hyatt groaned. This was not gonna be peachy "I'm parked out front"

---

After the surprise of how exspensive the car Hyatt drove was they were on their way.

They all piled into the silver Coupe and chatted the entire way to Hyatt's home.

"It's a Mansion" Buffy exclaimed.

"It's a Palace" Willow breathed.

"It's a Tomb" Tara whispered.

Hyatt gave a look that told Tara she had the correct answer.

"Come on, we'll go through the kitchen" Hyatt directed them out of the spacious garage where they 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the various cars.

"This looks like the Garage off of Batman" Willow said filled with excitement.

"This is the family garage" Hyatt explained when they exited "These are tars ars we drive. Daddy's Garage is on the Southern most edge of the estate"

"He has his own Garage?!" Buffy and Willow squealed.

"He has his own everything" Hyatt said tiredly. She open the last door leading to the outside.

The yard was huge. Huge, green and immaculate.

Tara thought it looked lonely.

Everything was perfect. Alot of work went into this yard, she surmised, but very little love. If any at all.

The house was made of stone. Only the front entrace way had glass windows. The above stairs rooms all sported stained glass, coloring the natural light.

They avoided the front entrance.

Hyatt led them in through the side kitchen. At first sight the huge kitchen appeared empty. But with further observation they realized a woman sat at the center island, sipping was seemed to be red wine.

Buffy was startled she hadn't noticed the woman sitting there. She hadn't been staring 'that' hard.

"Nahl Mama" Hyatt whispered.

The woman made an aggravated noise and began to speak to Hyatt shortly in a different language.

"But-" Hyatt began only to be cut off. This time the woman spoke english.

"And who are these...people you've brought into my house?" Her voice sounded deeper when she spoke english, heavily accented.

"This is Buffy, Willow, and Tara" Hyatt introduced them all nodded at them respectively.

"Hello Mrs. Al-Faqadi" Buffy said politely.

Willow mimicked Buffy's greeting. Tara nodded at the woman mutely.

"Ah, is this your excuse for missing your morning training? Fatima was quite upset" Hyatt's mother said ignoring the greetings.

"I was training with Buffy this morning. It was kind of a last minute...thing" Hyatt explained.

"Trained? With her? She's so small. She's barely a match for you" Hyatt's mother sized the slayer up "Though you are about the same height”

"Buffy's the Slayer" Hyatt said. She had yet to look the woman in her eye.

"The Vampire Slayer? Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" the woman laughed. It sounded evil, and slightly insane "It sounds like a bad prime time drama"

"Yeah, thanks, remind me" Buffy muttered. She wasn't liking this woman very much.

"I don't believe I asked you to speak" she snapped.

"I don't believe I need to ask" Buffy snapped back.

Hyatt and Tara both sucked in a breath.

She leaned back in the chair and eyed Buffy once more "You've got moxy. I like that" she turned to face Hyatt "Take your 'friends' to your room. I'll tell your father our here. He wishes to speak to you" with that she dismissed the four girls from her mind.

They all walked out silently.

The hallway's Hyatt led them through were silent. Barely any life appeared to be in the house. At the end of a rather dull corridor, Hyatt stopped and opened a door that didn't seem to be there. Stairs appeared leading down.

Buffy balked. It was pitch black from where she could see. Even her slayer sight seemed to be failing her "I'm not going down there"

"What's wrong Buffy chicken?" Willow taunted though she too was nervous

"No" Buffy poked out her lips "You first"

"No way" Willow shook her head.

"I'll go" Tara said. She stepped up next to Hyatt "Come on"

Hyatt stepped down into the darkness with Tara only inches behind her.

Buffy and Willow both rushed to join them.

The moment the door closed they were awash with light. Lights of all different colors seemed to be dancing before their very eyes. Blues and red mixed into purples of so many shades their eyes began to decifer them as white light.

"What was that?" Willow asked in amazement.

"Stained glass windows" Tara said softly.

"This way" Hyatt led them down a hall that gave off as much life as the ones above the stair gave off dreariness. She opened a solid wooden dor that opened to a room the size of Buffy living room and kitchen put together.

"This is all your's?" Willow gasped.

"I feel poor" Buffy commented studying the actual size of the room.

"Actually your alot richer than you think" Tara and Hyatt said in unison.

I've got money" Hyatt said softly "But you've got something better"

"What?" Buffy scoffed.

"Family" Tara said. She made her way over to the four poster bed "What's the point of having everything. If there's no one to share it with"

"Don't you have brothers or sisters?" Willow asked "We walked past all those doors"

"Brother's, sister's, aunt's, uncle's cousin's, you name I've got it. They're all in this house to" Hyatt laughed "but it doesn't make us family"

"Do you have a cousin Beth?" Willow asked suddenly.

"Beth, Bethany, Mary-Elisabeth, and Beth-Ann" Hyatt sounded off " Age: 2, 7, 14, and 23. In that order"

"Oh. Do they have potty mouths?" Willow asked.

"Mary-Elisabeth does. Like a sailor" Hyatt chuckled.

"Willow honey hush" Tara said softly.

Willow bit her lip.

"So you have money. Are you rich or just your dad?" Buffy asked scooching nearer to Hyatt on the bed.

"He gives us a weekly allowance of $500. Most of mine is in the bank" Hyatt said.

"You save it?" Willow asked amazed, she'd of been in shopping heaven.

"I didn't have anyone to spend it on. I already have enough stuff" Hyatt chuckled.

Buffy looked around the room. It was sparse. Everything seemed to be in it's place "Either your really neat, or you don't buy much"

"Both" Hyatt admitted.

"You could spend it on me" Willow offered "And Tara too"

Buffy cleared her throat.

"Oh and Buffy too. This really dumb Vamp ruined her favorite jacket, she could really use a new one" Willow hinted.

Tara nudged her soulmate. She was really pushing it.

"So how much are you banking? Are we talking Million's here?" Buffy asked rubbing her hands together, she had a gleam in her eye.

"Yeah a couple million. I'm a trust fund baby. Got it all when I turned 19. He still gives me allowance though. I don't think he know's how old I am" Hyatt sighed "he always did have a habit of calling me Nerida. She's only 16"

"Is she your sister?" Willow asked.

"One of them" Hyatt reached onto a night stand that stood not far from her bed. She grabbed a framed picture and handed it to Willow "This is all of us. It's about 4 years old though"

Willow examined the picture. She counted nine children and two adults. There were only two males in the photo "You only have one brother? There's nine kids in this"

"Nine kids? I though having two was pushing it" Buffy exclaimed.

"There's only eight kids in my family. The baby belonged to a cousin. She died" Hyatt whispered.

"The baby died?" Tara's eye's widened.

"No. My cousin. The baby is almost 5 now. Her name is Zasha" Hyatt touched the infant in the picture fondly.

"Oh is she around?" Tara wanted to meet the person that could make this suddenly solemn girl smile.

"She's on her way. Trust me. I give about 3, 2, 1" Hyatt counted down on her fingers.

"Hyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt" a twinkling voice screamed. A blurr of demin and bright red flew into the room through the open door and made a bee-line for the four people sitting on the bed.

It stopped feet from them "Your really pretty"

Willow blushed when she realised the child's gaze was fixed on her "T-thank you"

"Just tellin' the truth. Truth can hurt" The little girl climbed onto the bed and directly into Willow's lap.

Zasha was a bit lighter than Hyatt's olive complexion, and she had brown hair with a natural red highlight. Her face was an angelic mix of baby and maturing child. She had dimpled chubby cheeks and sparkling light brown eyes.

Willow immediately fell in love "Truth might hurt sometimes. But sometimes it makes life alot easier"

"Did it make your life easier?" Zasha asked snuggling into her new friend.

"It definitely made my day better" Willow tickled her under he chin.

"Good things are best in small doses" Zasha decided "What's your name?"

"Willow" Willow said "And your Zasha"

"Yup. But you can call me Star" Zasha stage whispered.

"Zasha means 'Morning Star'. She was born at dawn" Hyatt explained.

"Oh. So what's the word for Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"Ayumi" Hyatt said "That's my sister's name"

"You have a sister named Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"Ayumi means Dawn" Hyatt explain

"Same difference" Buffy huffed.

"Yes I have a sister named Dawn. And she's fifteen just like your's" Hyatt explained.

"Wow" Buffy's brow's lifted "So 'lil' miss morning star' you gonna say 'hi' to the rest of us?" Buffy turned her attention abruptly to the little girl who was staring at her in a way that gave her the wiggin's.

"There's something special about you" Star said in answer "I don't quite know what it is. But it's there" Star pointed to Tara "Her too. Like she's an Angel of something"

"Tara's my angel" Willow offered.

"Yeah, but she's more than that" Star looked into the second Wiccan's eyes. Whatever she found there she excepted. She settle back into Willow's arms.

"Hyatt" a deep voice called from the doorway.

They all turned to find a man who stood about 6'8 standing in the opening. He wore a stern look that didn't bode well.

"I'll be right back" Hyatt rose from the bed and left. She didn't look to happy.

"Well that can't be good" Buffy said tempted to follow her new friend.

---

Hyatt returned a while later looking no happier than when she left. In fact she seemed more tense.

Tara noticed her entering first.

"He didn't hit you did he?" she asked while both Willow and Buffy were distracted by the enchanting little girl.

"Just a few smacks. They don't show" Hyatt shrugged rubing her shoulders "Next time I'll leave a note"

"He'll just be mad that you didn't tell him to his face" Tara said, knowing the situation. She'd been through it herself.

"I'll deal with it" Hyatt snapped "I'm ok Tara"

"So was I" Tara grabbed Hyatt's now bare "T "This was a whole sleeve when you left. That was more than a few smacks"

"Just leave them out of this please?" Hyatt begged.

"Just know. You have us now too" Tara said softly "Hey Hyatt ready to go?" she said loudly.

Willow and Buffy looked up from the hand game Star had convinced them to play with her.

"Yeah. Say bye Star. We have to go" Hyatt pasted on a fake smile.

Star obediently hugged Willow and Buffy good bye. When she reached Tara she gave the Wiccan an extra kiss and a whispered message. Tara merely nodded.

"Bye Hyatt" She kissed her cousins cheek "I'll tell Bri that you'll see her next time" she whispered. Star was unaware of Buffy's slayer hearing thinking her words went no further than Hyatt's ears.

Hyatt smiled in response "Let's go"

---

"Hyatt lives in a Palace" was the first thing out of Willow's mouth when they reached the Magic Box.

"So the Empath is rich?" Anya's brow shot up "Are you single too?"

"No" Buffy answered before Hyatt could open her mouth.

She recieved strange looks all around.

"What?" she asked defiantly.

"Do you know something we don't?" Tara asked slyly.

"No" Buffy said turning her back "I'm going home. I want a nap before I go to patrol"

"I have some errands to run" Hyatt backed towards the entrance slowly.

"Want some company?" Tara asked softly.

"Sure" Hyatt waited as the Wiccan grabbed a weaved bag and headed towards her.

"Make sure your back before dark" Buffy called to them as they headed out the door.

"We can take care of ourselves Buffy" Hyatt assured her.

"I know. But I kinda like doing it to" Buffy babbled.

"Whatever. We'll be back before dark" Hyatt left the doorway.

Tara waved followed her.

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