Mercy

Disclaimer: See Part 1
______________________

Z sat alone in her room eyeing her computer as if it had teeth.

It did for all she knew.

It definitely had eyes.

"And painful little blue things that fly into mine" she muttered to herself.

"Meow"

Z leapt a good foot when the cat made his presence known.

"God Jace you scared me. Don't sneak up on me like that!" Z flopped back on her bead.

Jace leaped gracefully up to join her. Sitting on her chest he lay is soft white head on her breast and purred.

Z carressed him absentmindedly.

A combination of the calming purr, and her body healing from her un-orgined seizures, made her tired.

She slipped into a fitful sleep.

The images came to her slowly.

Fighting, then a flash of light.

Birds, a spotted cat, and children.

A metallic butterfly dancing, laughter...

And screams.

Pain, anger, hate, fear.

Faith...

"Z! My god Z wake up please"

Z jerked awake and clutched at the strong woman holding her.

"Faith on my god somethings coming" Z sobbed into the warm leather of Faith's jacket.

"What's coming? Z what are you talkin' about, what's going on?" Faith held the girl away from her. She looked deeply into the troubled...

Blue eyes?

"Z since when have your eyes been blue?"

Z paused at the strange question.

"Faith my eyes are brown, they have been for 15 years" Z frowned and held a hand to Faith's forehead "Are you feverish?"

"No. But there's something different about you. Not in a bad way. Just different" Faith lay her down gently and kissed her brow "Now what's this that's coming?"

Z answered without thinking.

"Death"

"I'm getting your Mom" Faith left the room before Z could protest.

"Meow?"

Z looked to find the cat at her side. She scooped him into a loose hug and carressed his furry ears.

"You believe me don't you Jace?"

The cat nodded.
______________________

Willow dozed in the last dregs of the fading night.

Mercy lay sleeping beside her, curled on her side.

Having sunproofed while waiting for Mercy to come to her, Willow had time to just relax and study the amazing woman she decided to claim as her own.

Starting at the reddish-blonde curls on her head, she worked her way down the sheet covered form. Over the small slope of her breasts, to the pleasing firm form on her abdomen, Willow gazed, memorizing the things they'd done the night before. Every sweet spot, places that made her moan, squeal, and jerk, anything and anyplace that pleased her to be touched. Willow memorized.

A warm feeling having nothing to do with arousal began to one again spread through the vampire. Starting around her non-beating heart, it spread down through her abdomen to her legs, and feet. Then slowly it moved to her head.

Willow began to feel uncomfortable after several minutes. The warm feeling was growing warmer. Hotter really. Uncomfortably hot. Pain shot from her mid-section up to her head. She quickly rolled off the bed to avoid disturbing Mercy's much needed rest.

She huddled in the darkest corner of the room, where should cold still see Mercy and hide her pain at the same time.

A light appeared between her breasts. It throbbed, black and strong, causing more pain in her upper chest.

Willow bit her lip to keep from crying out, but lost her balance and slid to lay on the floor, spasming with the intense pain.

"What's happening" she whispered to herself.

The black light grew larger, more painful.

Willow blacked out.
_______________________

"What do you mean death is coming?" Isabelle shook her daughter again.

Z's head snapped back.

Faith fought the urge to rip the woman away from the teen. I strange notion considering their relation.

"Don't shake her" Faith growled.

Isabelle shot her a confused look but stopped shaking her daughter "What do you mean death is coming Zeynep. Darling you aren't making sense"

"Death is here, and it plans on taking some of us with it Mother" Z tried to explain for the fourth time "There's some kinda 'master plan' going on in this drab town. There's something out there waiting"

"Waiting for what?" Faith and Isabelle begged harmonically.

"I don't know" Z cried shaking her head.

"Then how do you know all this. All these things about this.....death" Isabelle hugged her daughter. She hoped this was just a bad dream. Some side-effect of the recent seizures.

She had no clue how right she was.

"I had visions. There were children. Death was among them. It took..." Z trailed off as her body began to shake. Her breathing became labored.

Isabelle released her and moved to stand with Faith.

Z fell back onto the bed and shook.

"She's having another seizure" Isabelle reached for the phone on the dresser. She was beginning to panic. Something was seriously wrong with her only living child.

she she's not look" Faith's voice was dazed. There was an awe-struck look on her face.

Isabelle turned back to the bed and froze at what she saw.

Z's mouth was open and a strange blue light came from between her lips. Her arms were crossed and her hands rested open, palm up, on her chest. The light grew brighter, sharper, more vibrant.

To both their amazement a face appeared.

To Faith it was somehow eerily familiar.

At first it appeared to be looking down at Z. But then it turned and stared at the two silently stunned women.

The blonde, blue eyed child considered them for a moment. His mouth formed words though no sound came out. He tilted his head, spoke again and vanished.

Z's shaking stopped.

Faith's began.

Isabelle fainted.

Jace made himself comfortable.

This was gonna take some time.
_____________________________

Mercy was awakened by a pitiful cry.

She rolled to her side reaching for Willow, and found the bed empty.

"Willow?" she sat up abruptly and looked frantically about the room.

"Willow please? I know you didn't leave me alone" Mercy stood. The hardwood floor was cold on her bare feet but she hardly noticed.

"Willow. I need you somethings..." her plea trailed off when her eyes adjusted to the dark.

"Oh goddess. Willow!"

She rushed to her vampire's side.

Mercy slowly reached out and rested her hand on Willow's chest.

A dark blue orb hovered over her heart.

Willow was shaking violently, her pale face contorted in agony as she continuously turned her head from side to side.

Mercy carressed her cold skin, not knowing what to do.

Willow began to calm.

The orb lightened in color. It was now the color of the sky.

"What's going on" Mercy spoke allowed to herself.

Slipping her hands beneath her, she lifted Willow's upper body from the floor.

Struggling to her own feet, she moved them back towards the bed.

She barely managed to pull Willow back into the sheets.

Using a bit of magick she gave an ethereal 'push' landing Willow firmly on the mattress.

Mercy rolled her onto her side and spooned her from behind.

"I don't know what's wrong with you. But I sure hope this works"

Clearing her mind of all worry, and relaxing her body she attempted to will the vampire into a healing trance.

Willow's shaking eased considerably, but her demonic nature wouldn't allow the trance.

Mercy herself slid into the healing trance, projecting Willow into a shared one.

The trance and exhaustion fueled their sleep.

Neither woke for the fleeting day.
__________________________

Isabelle was still alarmed by whatever was happening to Z.

Nervously she dialed the phone.

"I must speak with Travers"

'I'll put you through Ms. Finch'

Impatiently she waited for the line to pick up.

"Ahh Isabelle how nice to hear from you and so soo.."

"Quentin I don't have time for small talk. Somethings happened" Isabelle interrupted (an act wholly against her nature)

"Is it the slayer?" Travers voice turned tired and cold "Has she screwed up again"

"No, Faith is fine. She's doing quite well now that's she's away from 'that' woman" Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"This is about my daughter"

"Well it must be important if you deemed to call 'us' about it. So out with it woman"

Isabelle huffed. She honestly 'hated' the man. The old fool, thinking he had the power.

"She's having visions"

"I didn't know your daughter was gifted with 'the sight' we could use someone like her under the councils influence" Travers spoke kindly. Isabelle had something he wanted.

"I know that man. She didn't have it before. Something here in Sunnydale has triggered it." Isabelle took a deep breath and continued "But these visions Quentin. The way she describes them. Their almost like memories of something that hasn't happened yet"

"A reflection of the future? She is truly powerful if her visions are that clear" Travers was practically drooling.

"Oh Quentin do beet. et. These visions she has. They're about death"

Travers took a moment.

"Who's death?"

Isabelle could picture him rubbing his lips in thought.

"Everyones"
_____________________