It has been said that it is better to put the old aside and start anew. People can sometimes get caught in their old, tired lifestyles where everything is the same. It doesn’t even matter if it’s good or bad. Life can, at times, just be boring when it is constant repetition. To change the feeling of boredom, it can be better to let the old pass by and start again, where things are novel and fresh. It can be refreshing to wipe away the past and exist where all prior faults mean little.

However this isn’t always the case.

New isn’t always better. New can remind us what we once had. For some it becomes a fond memory; one which nothing would ever compare. For others it becomes the “what could have been”. The worst of it all comes for those who can not let the past go. Many Kindred fall into this trap. They are unable to exist in the ‘now’, preferring to grip onto the ‘what was’. Those lost Kindred hang on the ripping seams of the past until there is little left but a pile of string. But this isn’t merely a fault of Kindred. Most Kindred were once humans. And for those that weren’t, there’s only Caine to blame.

****

Brian closed his eyes while he stood in the shower and left the water cascade down his back. He felt arms wrap around his body and just for a moment, he pretended they belonged to someone else. It was then a pain surged through his body and he felt his unborn child calling to him. His face changed and he turned around to a very shocked man whose only intentions that evening was a sexual encounter with Liberty Avenue’s biggest stud. What the trick got was a mouthful of teeth in his neck. What Brian got was a meal and nothing more. There was only one thing that could stop the pain within him, but there was nothing Brian could do about it. Rather, there was nothing he would do about it.

Instead of going to his mate and unborn child, Brian dried himself, got dressed and headed downstairs. He opened the door to the second floor and saw Cash sitting by Sasha’s bedside. There lay the Brujah Primogen, still in Torpor, and all he could think about was Justin. He tried to push the thoughts away, but they always returned no matter what he did. He had to force himself to keep focus, even though he knew he should be concentrating on his pregnant mate. Only he had no control over Justin and Justin chose his clan over their…well, he really didn’t have a name for what they were.

Brian quietly made his way into the room to assure that the last thing he had wouldn’t be taken away from him. Work. It was the only thing he was still in complete control of. And that wasn’t always true, though since Lillie’s downfall the attempts on his and Justin’s life had dwindled to nothing. Brian guessed Julian and Chris had other things in mind for them, but he was prepared. One false move and not only was Chris a dead Kindred, Julian would have to pay and his father would make sure that would happen.

“Any news?” Brian asked, looking away from Sasha.

“Julian and Chris haven’t so much as jaywalked.” Cash stood up and addressed his Prince respectfully. “But don’t worry. I’ve got my people on both of those bastards.”

“Good.”

“I’ve also been keeping an eye on Justin,” Cash said softly, knowing full well what his Prince’s reaction would be. “He’s doing fine.”

“What the fuck!?”

“Don’t be upset-”

“Who the fuck are you to…” Brian stopped mid sentence and took a deep breath. He wasn’t out of control. He didn’t care what Justin was doing. So what if Cash was watching him? He didn’t care. He didn’t care and he’d repeat it until he believed it himself.

Brian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his face was emotionless and he was on to something new. “Did my father tell you about the Slayer?”

“Yeah,” Cash answered, glad his Prince no longer seemed mad. “I wonder what the fuck she’s doing over here. I thought they were supposed to make sure she stayed on the Hellmouth.”

“Something’s going on…and I’m not exactly sure what it is,” Brian admitted. “All my dad said was that she’s needed here. We’ll still need to be on alert, but he says that if she goes too far we’re allowed to kill her.”

“Sweet,” Cash growled. “I’ve never bagged a Slayer.”

“You don’t get to kill her yet,” Brian said with a smile. “I want to know what she’s here for. My dad’s being all vague, which means he thinks I need to learn something. Fuck, I hate it when he and Isis get together and decide I need a fucking lesson. Why don’t they just tell me what the fuck’s going on for a change?”

“Maybe they don’t know.”

“That’s a frightening prospect.”

“You want to know what the Slayer’s here for?” Cash asked, though he knew his Prince’s answer. “I’ll find her and you can ask her yourself.”

“I’ll send word when I’m ready for a meeting with her, but watch out,” Brian warned. “She’s deadly.”

“This should be interesting,” Cash replied, grinning, “if I don’t end up dead.”

****

Buffy punched a vampire, crushing the man against a wall. With a quick twist of her body, she flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him onto the ground. She took him by the arm then twisted it until a bone cracked.

“We can keep doing this all night long,” Buffy said. “I don’t mind a good workout.”

“Screw you!”

“I’d do what she says,” Willow warned the man.

“I don’t think he understands,” Buffy remarked as she stomped on the man, breaking his ribs. She turned to Willow, ignoring the man’s squeals of pain. “You’d think vampires would get it by now. But, oh no…they have to play all cool and thick skulled, when they know in the end what a Slayer wants a Slayer gets.”

“Slayer?”

“I think you got his attention,” Willow said as the man squirmed under Buffy’s grip.

“What’s a Slayer doing here?”

“You don’t get to ask the questions,” Buffy snapped, twisting the man’s arm until it got limp. “I ask, you answer…capiche?”

“Yeah!”

“Who’s your leader?” Willow asked. “And where can we find him?”

The vampire laughed, choking on his own blood. He sat up when Buffy loosened her grip and held his mangled arm.

“I’ll tell you where to find that asshole,” the vampire said. “He deserves to go face to face with a Slayer after what he did to her. My Cla…group could have been great with her, but now we’re just lapdogs.”

“She?” Buffy wondered aloud. “Who’s she?”

“My leader,” the vampire said. “Her name was Lillie.”

“And who’s the new head honcho?” Willow asked.

“His name’s Justin, Justin Taylor,” the vampire answered. “He stays right off of Liberty Avenue. You better watch out, though…he’s got a bunch of bodyguards, most of which you can’t even see.”

“Thanks,” Buffy said smiling, before she pulled out her stake and shoved it in his heart.

The Slayer didn’t even watch the vampire turn into dust before whipping out her map and going over her destination with Willow.

“Liberty Ave, huh?” Willow remarked. “We’re pretty close by, but what do you think he meant by ‘a bunch of bodyguards you can’t see?’”

“Who knows?” Buffy replied confidently. “We kill the leader, Justin, then the mother of the apocalypse, save the world and…how about after that we grab a real Philly Cheese steak then head back to the hotel?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Cool,” Buffy replied, shoving the map back into her pocket. “Let’s go kill some vamps.”

****

“A million praises,” a Toreador said, taking Justin’s hand in his own. “We all knew that you would lead us justly.”

“Thanks.”

“We cannot give you enough praise,” another of the Primogen’s people added. “Your love is well received.”

“Thanks,” Justin repeated.

“We love you dearly, My Lord.”

Justin thanked his group again and though he smiled to them, he felt sick inside. All he ever wanted was to be loved, but when it finally surrounded him he found it lacking. He guessed he should have been more specific. He wanted to be loved by Brian.

The Toreador Primogen rubbed his belly and thought of his mate. He ignored his brethren as they left the room and stared at a picture on the wall. It was an original Picasso given to him by a Toreador Prince from Canada. Normally he could see a painting and imagine all the possible meanings behind it, but not this time. Now all he saw was Brian. It seemed the lines and colors moved to create his face then his slim figure. At one point Justin wondered if it wasn’t just his mind tricking him, or possibly his baby. It seemed to always find a way to get what it wanted and now all it wanted was Brian.

“Quite possibly,” Isis said interrupting Justin’s train of thought. “Your unborn is quite powerful. Must be his father and grandfather’s blood.”

“Are you reading my mind?” Justin asked, going to Isis’ side and giving her a hug.

“Not by magic,” Isis assured the young man. “I can see that you’re staring at a picture which is being morphed by magic. Since the picture of our Prince seems to be causing you great pain, I can only assume that it’s not by your hands, but by the hands of your unborn child. Am I correct?”

“Yeah,” Justin sighed. “So I’m not going mad.”

“Not yet,” Isis laughed, giving him a hug. “You called for me. Is there something I can help you with?”

“There are a couple of things,” Justin told the Brit. “For one, I’m opening a new art gallery. I was hoping you and Father Beg would show up.”

“Of course I will,” Isis answered, sitting down and placing her bag on the floor by her side. “I’ll inform Master Beg, though it might be better if you asked him yourself. Though you no longer live with the Tremere, he still considers you one of his childer.”

“I will.”

“And of Brian?”

“Sure,” Justin replied hesitantly. “He probably won’t want to come, but…yeah. Of course he can, he’s my Prince.”

“I’ll inform him,” Isis sighed.

Isis was quickly tiring of these two men who clearly loved each other, but somehow found a way to separate themselves. She wondered what was wrong with Justin, thinking the young man had the more sense of the two. And though she cared dearly for Brian, she found that in matters of the heart he seemed quite out of his league. Something had to give between the two men and soon.

“Was there something else on your mind, childe?”

“Yeah,” Justin said, feeling almost ashamed to ask her for such a favor. “I was hoping that you could cast that spell on me to prevent the baby from teleporting us anywhere.”

“Of course,” Isis replied. She had been expecting the call from Justin the moment he left. Not wanting to dwell on what she couldn’t fix, she reached into her bag and pulled out several containers filled with blood. She placed them on the table and walked towards the front door. “I’ll need some ingredients first, but I’ll be back as soon as I retrieve them. Until then, feed well, childe.”

Justin said goodbye to his mentor and picked up one of the containers. When he opened it, he smelled Brian and immediately drank. Ambrosia. Though it was only for a moment, he and his unborn were content. He finished off the container then picked up the others and took them to the refrigerator where he placed them next to the containers that Cash and Matt gave him.

Justin smiled. Brian was still taking care of him. Somehow he wasn’t surprised. He concentrated to keep from teleporting again and chuckled. Somehow he was missing something and he guessed his unborn knew. Now all he had to do was figure it out for himself.

****

Matt twisted his body around, ending with a kick to Trish’s face. He didn’t wait for her to fall before grabbing her arm and slamming her body to the floor. Though she found her way to her feet, Matt twisted her wrist around until she submitted.

“You have our master’s blood in you,” Trish pouted. “I can’t think of any other way you could beat me, seeing as you’re still a fledgling.”

“I’m blessed to be a childe of my Prince and of Master Beg,” Matt replied with a cocky grin. “Though I think I could kick your ass either way.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Ted said, shaking his head. “When Trish and Michael fought the first time, she kicked his ass all over the place.”

“She did not,” Michael disagreed.

“I sure as hell did,” Trish laughed. “And considering you’re also a childe of the Prince, I wonder what’s wrong with you.”

“We all have our strengths,” Ted suggested, glancing sympathetically towards his friend. “Michael just isn’t the physical type.”

“I have other strengths,” Michael agreed.

“Yes you do,” Ted agreed. “You’ve been hitting the books pretty hard lately.”

“I have,” Michael replied, turning his attention to his brother. “And you should be hitting them more often, Matt. Sparring with Trish isn’t going to get you anywhere in this Clan. Brian prefers brains over brawn.”

“Books are boring as shit,” Matt snorted. “I’d rather fight…or get laid.”

“Well at least he sounds like Brian,” Ted chuckled.

“I think Brian would go apeshit if he knew you even thought about comparing him to a straight guy,” Michael barked.

“I’m not just a straight guy,” Matt retorted coldly. “I’m his childe. And he isn’t Brian…he’s our Sire…our father. There’s order to everything. You seem to forget that.”

“He’s not our father!” Michael snapped. There was one thing that disgusted him and that was being called a ‘childe’ of Brian’s. It was a name that he’d have to deal with, but there was no way he would ever consider Brian his ‘father’. Brian was his Sire, which he felt was closer to an idol than anything else. “He’s our Sire, not our father, Matt, don’t confuse the two.”

“You’re the one confusing the two,” Matt disagreed.

“You have no idea what’s it’s like to be Brian’s childe,” Michael said. “You sure as hell have no idea what’s it’s like to be Brian’s friend…his best friend at that. I do.”

“I guess I’m lucky then,” Matt replied, looking over Michael’s shoulder. “I don’t have to take the time to relearn how things are. I already know my place.”

“That’s a good thing,” Brian said, strolling into the room. He glanced around at the group, walking past Michael and Trish only to momentarily pause by Ted. “Did you get those numbers for me?”

“Your bankroll is still fatter than your dick,” Ted replied. “I was wondering what you were thinking about that other venture I was talking about.”

“The porn site?” Brian chuckled. “I’ll lend you the money for a hefty percentage, but I’ll need numbers on all of that before I’ll commit.”

“Sweet,” Ted mumbled, his mind already thinking of figures and percentages.

Brian felt Michael’s presence close behind him, but he had no intention of speaking to his eldest childe. He had business to do and Michael just didn’t fit into his schedule. Well…that and he didn’t have the patience to deal with Michael. He had come to speak to his youngest.

“Matt,” Brian began. He smiled when his youngest childe stood before him, fell to his knees and held him. Brian, for a moment, thought that his straight childe was about to switch hit, but was glad that wasn’t the case. He had other things in mind for the man. “I need you to go with Cash and tell him it’s time to find her.”

“Her who?” Michael asked.

“Of course,” Matt answered, leaving without another word.

“Don’t worry about it,” Brian told Michael.

“Brian!”

The Prince turned around and glared at Michael. But he had no one to blame but himself. He should have known better.

“Sire,” Michael quietly said with the most innocent look he could muster. “I need to speak to you in private.”

“I don’t have the time.”

“Please.”

“Mikey-”

“It won’t take long at all…”

Brian closed his eyes and sighed. There was still so much to do and so little time to do it all. He would never mention what his worries were, especially any concerning a certain Toreador. He would never say anything about the possible threat Craig Taylor presented being a Prince so nearby. He would also never speak the name of the Slayer whose job was to kill every Kindred she met. There was only one thing Brian Kinney could say.

“I need a blow job.”

****

On her knees, Buffy looked up at a vampire, ignoring his smug smile. Though the vampire thought he had the upper hand, it was clear he wasn’t expecting a Slayer as an opponent. With a grab to the groin, Buffy flipped backwards kicking the vampire in the face. After releasing her grip, Buffy twisted and landed on her feet. She did a back flip then pulled out her stake named Mr. Pointy and made the vampire dust. She put the stake back in its place and wiped her hand on her pants a little disgusted.

“Icky,” Buffy said, shrugging off the attack and heading down the street like normal.

“You won’t catch me grabbing some guys’ package,” Willow said, moving next to the Slayer. “I mean…I wouldn’t grab some chick vamp’s boobs either…well…unless there was a reason…you know…other than just feeling her up. Like for some reason it’s-”

“It’s cool, Willow,” Buffy interrupted.

Buffy knew what Willow meant and though it would have been funny to watch her best friend try and talk her way out of that conversation, they had other things to do. In fact, as they walked down the street, they saw a horde of mean looking vampires looking very much like a biker gang standing in front of a bar.

“Alright, I’ll start with the butt kicking,” Buffy whispered, “then if necessary, you follow up with the magic hoodoo.”

“You sure?” Willow asked, wondering if she should try magic at all.

Willow recalled her past as a ‘magic junkie’ and her time as the Big Bad trying to end the world. Nothing about any of that was good. In fact, she, out of all the prior Big Bads, had come closest to ending the world. Willow had no idea how powerful she was. One thing was for certain, there was more power within her that was still untapped. There was no telling what she was capable of.

“You’ll be fine,” Buffy assured her, already moving toward the group.

Buffy hid behind a car then another, making her way to the gang. In no time she was in ears distance and was shocked by what she heard.

“I ain’t worried bout no Slayer in these parts,” a large man said.

“Yeah,” a woman with more earrings than face agreed. “Our Prince will make short work of a Slayer. Tremere’s are kinda funny ‘bout that.”

“I’d like to see that,” Buffy said, coming out from her hiding place. She strolled to the group confidently and struck a pose, showing off Mr. Pointy. “In fact, take me to your leader…you know, so I can kill him.”

“Wrong Coast, Slayer,” the woman growled.

“I want to kill her first, Uma,” the man snarled. “Our Prince will be pleased.”

“Why don’t you just take me to him?” Buffy asked, looking more like a child wanting to go to Disneyland rather than to a vampire leader. “Come on! It’ll be fun!”

“Kill her!”

“No?” Buffy said innocently. “I guess I can send him a message using your dust.”

“Bloody hell, Buffy,” a vampire with an English accent said, coming from behind several others.

“Spike?”

“Alright,” Spike said, getting in between one petite, blonde Slayer and a gang of Brujah. “There’ll be no killing of any kind.” He turned to the vampires and tried to assure them, “We’ll be out of here in no time flat, mates.”

“And pass up killing a Slayer?” Uma wondered out loud.

“Spike,” Buffy said, getting the vampire’s attention. She moved to him and asked him softly, “Where’ve ya been?”

“This isn’t the time,” Spike whispered.

“We’re like in the middle of a big battle and then you’re totally ‘poof’,” Buffy complained. “I mean, the world could’ve ended and you’re off doing…what were you doing?”

“Not now, Buffy…”

“I didn’t mean to try and end the world,” Willow said as she walked up to the group. “It was a one time thing, you know…as in never to be repeated…and I said I was sorry.”

“Are you people crazy?” Uma asked, flabbergasted by all the nonsensical chatter.

“Apparently,” Spike mused, turning to his former lover. “Just trust me, Buffy. You can’t kill any of these vampires…I mean...Kin…” Spike glanced towards the Brujah and sighed. There was no way he was going to win in this sticky situation. He took a deep breath and looked deep in Buffy’s eyes. “You can’t kill any vampires in this city.”

“Too late,” Buffy replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Buffy!”

“Why can’t we kill any vampires?” Willow asked. “And what’s so bad about this city?”

“Yeah,” Buffy concurred. “We do live on top of the Hellmouth. What makes this city all oogy boogy? Is it their leader…that Prince guy, Justin Taylor?”

“’Nuff with the bloody twenty questions!” Spike snapped.

“Dim Slayer,” Uma said, shaking her head. She approached Spike and spoke to him. “I see you changed from killing Slayers to bedding them. Some would say that was a smart way to stay alive. I, however, would never.

“You know your choices, William the Bloody. You’re better off taking your Slayer and leaving the East Coast, but if you’re insistent on staying, may I suggest going to Philadelphia or another city. This place isn’t safe for the likes of you, especially since your Sire’s nowhere to be found.”

“Soddin’ Pouf,” Spike cursed under his breath. “Was never good for much.”

“But, if you insist on staying in the city, you are obligated to pay homage to the Prince,” Uma continued. “That is if he doesn’t kill you first.”

“How do I find him?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, William the Bloody,” Uma replied, walking away with her gang following. “He’ll find you.”

“What’s the hub bub?” Buffy asked. “Is this about Angel?”

“This is about us leaving ‘ere,” Spike corrected. “You don’t understand anything. We’re better off in Philly, if anywhere, Buffy.”

“No can do,” Willow disagreed. “Giles said the apocalypse is starting in Pittsburgh. So…in Pittsburgh we be.”

“Apocalypse, huh?” Spike replied, not believing that he had found himself in that situation yet again. He remembered the old days when he would kill and torture at will: now he was relegated to being a back up for a Slayer. It wouldn’t make any sense if he wasn’t so in love with her…or so he kept telling himself. “I suppose that means my unlife’s about to get a whole bloody lot shorter then.”

“It’s not like this is our first apocalypse,” Willow said. “I mean, we’ve saved the world like five times…six if you include the last one….but if you didn’t want to, I’d appreciate it since like I said before, I really didn’t mean it.”

“That isn’t what I meant,” Spike sighed. “I meant the Prince is more likely to kill me than to listen to one word I say. Tremeres are funny like that.”

“What’s a Tremere?” Buffy asked.

“I wish I could tell you,” Spike sighed.

Spike hadn’t yet broken a Tradition and wasn’t planning to anytime soon. He would keep the Masquerade even if it killed him and it probably would. There had to be another way to stop the apocalypse and get out of town before he was put to death by the Tremere Prince. Well…there didn’t have to be, but it was wishful thinking. Spike racked his mind until the thought of something, or someone, that hadn’t occurred to him before.

“Hold on,” Spike said when a plan finally came to mind. “I think I have a way to get us out of this…I’m not the only vampire who actually likes the world like it is. I have a contact I’ll need to talk to first. You staying somewhere?”

“Generic hotel off of Liberty Ave,” Willow answered. “The big one with the rainbow flags everywhere. It’s a right at some diner or something.”

“I know the one,” Spike said. “You two go back there and wait for me. I’ll come back with word if I’m not dust. Give me a few hours.”

Buffy and Willow watched Spike leave patiently. The moment he was out of site, Willow turned to Buffy and asked, “So…back to the hotel?”

Buffy looked up at the sky and gazed at the moon, deep in thought. She sighed, mulling over her choices. She could trust Spike and though he was always faithful and loyal even after she died (a second time), he was still a vampire.

Decisions, decisions…

“This Prince knows we’re in town,” Buffy reasoned. “So we can go back to the hotel and wait for Spike who might never show up because the Prince killed him…or we can go kill the Prince? I dunno, Will, what do you think?”

“I think Justin Taylor better watch his back.”

****

“What?” Justin asked, hoping he’d heard one of his clansmen incorrectly.

“I know for a fact,” the man said. “I don’t feel my childe any longer. He’s been killed!”

“I’ll find out what happened,” Justin tried to assure the man.

“The Prince wouldn’t allow this, would he?” the man beseeched. “We stood by his side, by your mother’s side and by your side when all seemed lost for the legacy of the Toreador. This is how he repays us?”

“I’m sure it wasn’t one of his people,” Justin swore.

“You must find out from the Prince!”

“I can handle it,” Justin declared, about to lose his patience. “I am your Primogen and can’t run to the Prince every time an issue comes up. I’ll find the murderer and enact justice upon him, as is my right.”

“Thank you, Lord Justin.”

Justin sighed when the man left and wondered how he was going to find the murderer of one of his own clan. It wasn’t something he could just leave up to Brian. It was something he had to do for himself. He would face the threat and destroy it. It couldn’t possibly be that difficult…could it?

It has been said that it is better to put the old aside and start anew. People can sometimes get caught in their old, tired lifestyles where everything is the same. It doesn’t even matter if it’s good or bad. Life can, at times, just be boring when it is constant repetition. To change the feeling of boredom, it can be better to let the old pass by and start again, where things are novel and fresh. It can be refreshing to wipe away the past and exist where all prior faults mean little.

However this isn’t always the case.

New isn’t always better. New can remind us what we once had. For some it becomes a fond memory; one which nothing would ever compare. For others it becomes the “what could have been”. The worst of it all comes for those who can not let the past go. Many Kindred fall into this trap. They are unable to exist in the ‘now’, preferring to grip onto the ‘what was’. Those lost Kindred hang on the ripping seams of the past until there is little left but a pile of string. But this isn’t merely a fault of Kindred. Most Kindred were once humans. And for those that weren’t, there’s only Caine to blame.

****

Brian closed his eyes while he stood in the shower and left the water cascade down his back. He felt arms wrap around his body and just for a moment, he pretended they belonged to someone else. It was then a pain surged through his body and he felt his unborn child calling to him. His face changed and he turned around to a very shocked man whose only intentions that evening was a sexual encounter with Liberty Avenue’s biggest stud. What the trick got was a mouthful of teeth in his neck. What Brian got was a meal and nothing more. There was only one thing that could stop the pain within him, but there was nothing Brian could do about it. Rather, there was nothing he would do about it.

Instead of going to his mate and unborn child, Brian dried himself, got dressed and headed downstairs. He opened the door to the second floor and saw Cash sitting by Sasha’s bedside. There lay the Brujah Primogen, still in Torpor, and all he could think about was Justin. He tried to push the thoughts away, but they always returned no matter what he did. He had to force himself to keep focus, even though he knew he should be concentrating on his pregnant mate. Only he had no control over Justin and Justin chose his clan over their…well, he really didn’t have a name for what they were.

Brian quietly made his way into the room to assure that the last thing he had wouldn’t be taken away from him. Work. It was the only thing he was still in complete control of. And that wasn’t always true, though since Lillie’s downfall the attempts on his and Justin’s life had dwindled to nothing. Brian guessed Julian and Chris had other things in mind for them, but he was prepared. One false move and not only was Chris a dead Kindred, Julian would have to pay and his father would make sure that would happen.

“Any news?” Brian asked, looking away from Sasha.

“Julian and Chris haven’t so much as jaywalked.” Cash stood up and addressed his Prince respectfully. “But don’t worry. I’ve got my people on both of those bastards.”

“Good.”

“I’ve also been keeping an eye on Justin,” Cash said softly, knowing full well what his Prince’s reaction would be. “He’s doing fine.”

“What the fuck!?”

“Don’t be upset-”

“Who the fuck are you to…” Brian stopped mid sentence and took a deep breath. He wasn’t out of control. He didn’t care what Justin was doing. So what if Cash was watching him? He didn’t care. He didn’t care and he’d repeat it until he believed it himself.

Brian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his face was emotionless and he was on to something new. “Did my father tell you about the Slayer?”

“Yeah,” Cash answered, glad his Prince no longer seemed mad. “I wonder what the fuck she’s doing over here. I thought they were supposed to make sure she stayed on the Hellmouth.”

“Something’s going on…and I’m not exactly sure what it is,” Brian admitted. “All my dad said was that she’s needed here. We’ll still need to be on alert, but he says that if she goes too far we’re allowed to kill her.”

“Sweet,” Cash growled. “I’ve never bagged a Slayer.”

“You don’t get to kill her yet,” Brian said with a smile. “I want to know what she’s here for. My dad’s being all vague, which means he thinks I need to learn something. Fuck, I hate it when he and Isis get together and decide I need a fucking lesson. Why don’t they just tell me what the fuck’s going on for a change?”

“Maybe they don’t know.”

“That’s a frightening prospect.”

“You want to know what the Slayer’s here for?” Cash asked, though he knew his Prince’s answer. “I’ll find her and you can ask her yourself.”

“I’ll send word when I’m ready for a meeting with her, but watch out,” Brian warned. “She’s deadly.”

“This should be interesting,” Cash replied, grinning, “if I don’t end up dead.”

****

Buffy punched a vampire, crushing the man against a wall. With a quick twist of her body, she flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him onto the ground. She took him by the arm then twisted it until a bone cracked.

“We can keep doing this all night long,” Buffy said. “I don’t mind a good workout.”

“Screw you!”

“I’d do what she says,” Willow warned the man.

“I don’t think he understands,” Buffy remarked as she stomped on the man, breaking his ribs. She turned to Willow, ignoring the man’s squeals of pain. “You’d think vampires would get it by now. But, oh no…they have to play all cool and thick skulled, when they know in the end what a Slayer wants a Slayer gets.”

“Slayer?”

“I think you got his attention,” Willow said as the man squirmed under Buffy’s grip.

“What’s a Slayer doing here?”

“You don’t get to ask the questions,” Buffy snapped, twisting the man’s arm until it got limp. “I ask, you answer…capiche?”

“Yeah!”

“Who’s your leader?” Willow asked. “And where can we find him?”

The vampire laughed, choking on his own blood. He sat up when Buffy loosened her grip and held his mangled arm.

“I’ll tell you where to find that asshole,” the vampire said. “He deserves to go face to face with a Slayer after what he did to her. My Cla…group could have been great with her, but now we’re just lapdogs.”

“She?” Buffy wondered aloud. “Who’s she?”

“My leader,” the vampire said. “Her name was Lillie.”

“And who’s the new head honcho?” Willow asked.

“His name’s Justin, Justin Taylor,” the vampire answered. “He stays right off of Liberty Avenue. You better watch out, though…he’s got a bunch of bodyguards, most of which you can’t even see.”

“Thanks,” Buffy said smiling, before she pulled out her stake and shoved it in his heart.

The Slayer didn’t even watch the vampire turn into dust before whipping out her map and going over her destination with Willow.

“Liberty Ave, huh?” Willow remarked. “We’re pretty close by, but what do you think he meant by ‘a bunch of bodyguards you can’t see?’”

“Who knows?” Buffy replied confidently. “We kill the leader, Justin, then the mother of the apocalypse, save the world and…how about after that we grab a real Philly Cheese steak then head back to the hotel?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Cool,” Buffy replied, shoving the map back into her pocket. “Let’s go kill some vamps.”

****

“A million praises,” a Toreador said, taking Justin’s hand in his own. “We all knew that you would lead us justly.”

“Thanks.”

“We cannot give you enough praise,” another of the Primogen’s people added. “Your love is well received.”

“Thanks,” Justin repeated.

“We love you dearly, My Lord.”

Justin thanked his group again and though he smiled to them, he felt sick inside. All he ever wanted was to be loved, but when it finally surrounded him he found it lacking. He guessed he should have been more specific. He wanted to be loved by Brian.

The Toreador Primogen rubbed his belly and thought of his mate. He ignored his brethren as they left the room and stared at a picture on the wall. It was an original Picasso given to him by a Toreador Prince from Canada. Normally he could see a painting and imagine all the possible meanings behind it, but not this time. Now all he saw was Brian. It seemed the lines and colors moved to create his face then his slim figure. At one point Justin wondered if it wasn’t just his mind tricking him, or possibly his baby. It seemed to always find a way to get what it wanted and now all it wanted was Brian.

“Quite possibly,” Isis said interrupting Justin’s train of thought. “Your unborn is quite powerful. Must be his father and grandfather’s blood.”

“Are you reading my mind?” Justin asked, going to Isis’ side and giving her a hug.

“Not by magic,” Isis assured the young man. “I can see that you’re staring at a picture which is being morphed by magic. Since the picture of our Prince seems to be causing you great pain, I can only assume that it’s not by your hands, but by the hands of your unborn child. Am I correct?”

“Yeah,” Justin sighed. “So I’m not going mad.”

“Not yet,” Isis laughed, giving him a hug. “You called for me. Is there something I can help you with?”

“There are a couple of things,” Justin told the Brit. “For one, I’m opening a new art gallery. I was hoping you and Father Beg would show up.”

“Of course I will,” Isis answered, sitting down and placing her bag on the floor by her side. “I’ll inform Master Beg, though it might be better if you asked him yourself. Though you no longer live with the Tremere, he still considers you one of his childer.”

“I will.”

“And of Brian?”

“Sure,” Justin replied hesitantly. “He probably won’t want to come, but…yeah. Of course he can, he’s my Prince.”

“I’ll inform him,” Isis sighed.

Isis was quickly tiring of these two men who clearly loved each other, but somehow found a way to separate themselves. She wondered what was wrong with Justin, thinking the young man had the more sense of the two. And though she cared dearly for Brian, she found that in matters of the heart he seemed quite out of his league. Something had to give between the two men and soon.

“Was there something else on your mind, childe?”

“Yeah,” Justin said, feeling almost ashamed to ask her for such a favor. “I was hoping that you could cast that spell on me to prevent the baby from teleporting us anywhere.”

“Of course,” Isis replied. She had been expecting the call from Justin the moment he left. Not wanting to dwell on what she couldn’t fix, she reached into her bag and pulled out several containers filled with blood. She placed them on the table and walked towards the front door. “I’ll need some ingredients first, but I’ll be back as soon as I retrieve them. Until then, feed well, childe.”

Justin said goodbye to his mentor and picked up one of the containers. When he opened it, he smelled Brian and immediately drank. Ambrosia. Though it was only for a moment, he and his unborn were content. He finished off the container then picked up the others and took them to the refrigerator where he placed them next to the containers that Cash and Matt gave him.

Justin smiled. Brian was still taking care of him. Somehow he wasn’t surprised. He concentrated to keep from teleporting again and chuckled. Somehow he was missing something and he guessed his unborn knew. Now all he had to do was figure it out for himself.

****

Matt twisted his body around, ending with a kick to Trish’s face. He didn’t wait for her to fall before grabbing her arm and slamming her body to the floor. Though she found her way to her feet, Matt twisted her wrist around until she submitted.

“You have our master’s blood in you,” Trish pouted. “I can’t think of any other way you could beat me, seeing as you’re still a fledgling.”

“I’m blessed to be a childe of my Prince and of Master Beg,” Matt replied with a cocky grin. “Though I think I could kick your ass either way.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Ted said, shaking his head. “When Trish and Michael fought the first time, she kicked his ass all over the place.”

“She did not,” Michael disagreed.

“I sure as hell did,” Trish laughed. “And considering you’re also a childe of the Prince, I wonder what’s wrong with you.”

“We all have our strengths,” Ted suggested, glancing sympathetically towards his friend. “Michael just isn’t the physical type.”

“I have other strengths,” Michael agreed.

“Yes you do,” Ted agreed. “You’ve been hitting the books pretty hard lately.”

“I have,” Michael replied, turning his attention to his brother. “And you should be hitting them more often, Matt. Sparring with Trish isn’t going to get you anywhere in this Clan. Brian prefers brains over brawn.”

“Books are boring as shit,” Matt snorted. “I’d rather fight…or get laid.”

“Well at least he sounds like Brian,” Ted chuckled.

“I think Brian would go apeshit if he knew you even thought about comparing him to a straight guy,” Michael barked.

“I’m not just a straight guy,” Matt retorted coldly. “I’m his childe. And he isn’t Brian…he’s our Sire…our father. There’s order to everything. You seem to forget that.”

“He’s not our father!” Michael snapped. There was one thing that disgusted him and that was being called a ‘childe’ of Brian’s. It was a name that he’d have to deal with, but there was no way he would ever consider Brian his ‘father’. Brian was his Sire, which he felt was closer to an idol than anything else. “He’s our Sire, not our father, Matt, don’t confuse the two.”

“You’re the one confusing the two,” Matt disagreed.

“You have no idea what’s it’s like to be Brian’s childe,” Michael said. “You sure as hell have no idea what’s it’s like to be Brian’s friend…his best friend at that. I do.”

“I guess I’m lucky then,” Matt replied, looking over Michael’s shoulder. “I don’t have to take the time to relearn how things are. I already know my place.”

“That’s a good thing,” Brian said, strolling into the room. He glanced around at the group, walking past Michael and Trish only to momentarily pause by Ted. “Did you get those numbers for me?”

“Your bankroll is still fatter than your dick,” Ted replied. “I was wondering what you were thinking about that other venture I was talking about.”

“The porn site?” Brian chuckled. “I’ll lend you the money for a hefty percentage, but I’ll need numbers on all of that before I’ll commit.”

“Sweet,” Ted mumbled, his mind already thinking of figures and percentages.

Brian felt Michael’s presence close behind him, but he had no intention of speaking to his eldest childe. He had business to do and Michael just didn’t fit into his schedule. Well…that and he didn’t have the patience to deal with Michael. He had come to speak to his youngest.

“Matt,” Brian began. He smiled when his youngest childe stood before him, fell to his knees and held him. Brian, for a moment, thought that his straight childe was about to switch hit, but was glad that wasn’t the case. He had other things in mind for the man. “I need you to go with Cash and tell him it’s time to find her.”

“Her who?” Michael asked.

“Of course,” Matt answered, leaving without another word.

“Don’t worry about it,” Brian told Michael.

“Brian!”

The Prince turned around and glared at Michael. But he had no one to blame but himself. He should have known better.

“Sire,” Michael quietly said with the most innocent look he could muster. “I need to speak to you in private.”

“I don’t have the time.”

“Please.”

“Mikey-”

“It won’t take long at all…”

Brian closed his eyes and sighed. There was still so much to do and so little time to do it all. He would never mention what his worries were, especially any concerning a certain Toreador. He would never say anything about the possible threat Craig Taylor presented being a Prince so nearby. He would also never speak the name of the Slayer whose job was to kill every Kindred she met. There was only one thing Brian Kinney could say.

“I need a blow job.”

****

On her knees, Buffy looked up at a vampire, ignoring his smug smile. Though the vampire thought he had the upper hand, it was clear he wasn’t expecting a Slayer as an opponent. With a grab to the groin, Buffy flipped backwards kicking the vampire in the face. After releasing her grip, Buffy twisted and landed on her feet. She did a back flip then pulled out her stake named Mr. Pointy and made the vampire dust. She put the stake back in its place and wiped her hand on her pants a little disgusted.

“Icky,” Buffy said, shrugging off the attack and heading down the street like normal.

“You won’t catch me grabbing some guys’ package,” Willow said, moving next to the Slayer. “I mean…I wouldn’t grab some chick vamp’s boobs either…well…unless there was a reason…you know…other than just feeling her up. Like for some reason it’s-”

“It’s cool, Willow,” Buffy interrupted.

Buffy knew what Willow meant and though it would have been funny to watch her best friend try and talk her way out of that conversation, they had other things to do. In fact, as they walked down the street, they saw a horde of mean looking vampires looking very much like a biker gang standing in front of a bar.

“Alright, I’ll start with the butt kicking,” Buffy whispered, “then if necessary, you follow up with the magic hoodoo.”

“You sure?” Willow asked, wondering if she should try magic at all.

Willow recalled her past as a ‘magic junkie’ and her time as the Big Bad trying to end the world. Nothing about any of that was good. In fact, she, out of all the prior Big Bads, had come closest to ending the world. Willow had no idea how powerful she was. One thing was for certain, there was more power within her that was still untapped. There was no telling what she was capable of.

“You’ll be fine,” Buffy assured her, already moving toward the group.

Buffy hid behind a car then another, making her way to the gang. In no time she was in ears distance and was shocked by what she heard.

“I ain’t worried bout no Slayer in these parts,” a large man said.

“Yeah,” a woman with more earrings than face agreed. “Our Prince will make short work of a Slayer. Tremere’s are kinda funny ‘bout that.”

“I’d like to see that,” Buffy said, coming out from her hiding place. She strolled to the group confidently and struck a pose, showing off Mr. Pointy. “In fact, take me to your leader…you know, so I can kill him.”

“Wrong Coast, Slayer,” the woman growled.

“I want to kill her first, Uma,” the man snarled. “Our Prince will be pleased.”

“Why don’t you just take me to him?” Buffy asked, looking more like a child wanting to go to Disneyland rather than to a vampire leader. “Come on! It’ll be fun!”

“Kill her!”

“No?” Buffy said innocently. “I guess I can send him a message using your dust.”

“Bloody hell, Buffy,” a vampire with an English accent said, coming from behind several others.

“Spike?”

“Alright,” Spike said, getting in between one petite, blonde Slayer and a gang of Brujah. “There’ll be no killing of any kind.” He turned to the vampires and tried to assure them, “We’ll be out of here in no time flat, mates.”

“And pass up killing a Slayer?” Uma wondered out loud.

“Spike,” Buffy said, getting the vampire’s attention. She moved to him and asked him softly, “Where’ve ya been?”

“This isn’t the time,” Spike whispered.

“We’re like in the middle of a big battle and then you’re totally ‘poof’,” Buffy complained. “I mean, the world could’ve ended and you’re off doing…what were you doing?”

“Not now, Buffy…”

“I didn’t mean to try and end the world,” Willow said as she walked up to the group. “It was a one time thing, you know…as in never to be repeated…and I said I was sorry.”

“Are you people crazy?” Uma asked, flabbergasted by all the nonsensical chatter.

“Apparently,” Spike mused, turning to his former lover. “Just trust me, Buffy. You can’t kill any of these vampires…I mean...Kin…” Spike glanced towards the Brujah and sighed. There was no way he was going to win in this sticky situation. He took a deep breath and looked deep in Buffy’s eyes. “You can’t kill any vampires in this city.”

“Too late,” Buffy replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Buffy!”

“Why can’t we kill any vampires?” Willow asked. “And what’s so bad about this city?”

“Yeah,” Buffy concurred. “We do live on top of the Hellmouth. What makes this city all oogy boogy? Is it their leader…that Prince guy, Justin Taylor?”

“’Nuff with the bloody twenty questions!” Spike snapped.

“Dim Slayer,” Uma said, shaking her head. She approached Spike and spoke to him. “I see you changed from killing Slayers to bedding them. Some would say that was a smart way to stay alive. I, however, would never.

“You know your choices, William the Bloody. You’re better off taking your Slayer and leaving the East Coast, but if you’re insistent on staying, may I suggest going to Philadelphia or another city. This place isn’t safe for the likes of you, especially since your Sire’s nowhere to be found.”

“Soddin’ Pouf,” Spike cursed under his breath. “Was never good for much.”

“But, if you insist on staying in the city, you are obligated to pay homage to the Prince,” Uma continued. “That is if he doesn’t kill you first.”

“How do I find him?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, William the Bloody,” Uma replied, walking away with her gang following. “He’ll find you.”

“What’s the hub bub?” Buffy asked. “Is this about Angel?”

“This is about us leaving ‘ere,” Spike corrected. “You don’t understand anything. We’re better off in Philly, if anywhere, Buffy.”

“No can do,” Willow disagreed. “Giles said the apocalypse is starting in Pittsburgh. So…in Pittsburgh we be.”

“Apocalypse, huh?” Spike replied, not believing that he had found himself in that situation yet again. He remembered the old days when he would kill and torture at will: now he was relegated to being a back up for a Slayer. It wouldn’t make any sense if he wasn’t so in love with her…or so he kept telling himself. “I suppose that means my unlife’s about to get a whole bloody lot shorter then.”

“It’s not like this is our first apocalypse,” Willow said. “I mean, we’ve saved the world like five times…six if you include the last one….but if you didn’t want to, I’d appreciate it since like I said before, I really didn’t mean it.”

“That isn’t what I meant,” Spike sighed. “I meant the Prince is more likely to kill me than to listen to one word I say. Tremeres are funny like that.”

“What’s a Tremere?” Buffy asked.

“I wish I could tell you,” Spike sighed.

Spike hadn’t yet broken a Tradition and wasn’t planning to anytime soon. He would keep the Masquerade even if it killed him and it probably would. There had to be another way to stop the apocalypse and get out of town before he was put to death by the Tremere Prince. Well…there didn’t have to be, but it was wishful thinking. Spike racked his mind until the thought of something, or someone, that hadn’t occurred to him before.

“Hold on,” Spike said when a plan finally came to mind. “I think I have a way to get us out of this…I’m not the only vampire who actually likes the world like it is. I have a contact I’ll need to talk to first. You staying somewhere?”

“Generic hotel off of Liberty Ave,” Willow answered. “The big one with the rainbow flags everywhere. It’s a right at some diner or something.”

“I know the one,” Spike said. “You two go back there and wait for me. I’ll come back with word if I’m not dust. Give me a few hours.”

Buffy and Willow watched Spike leave patiently. The moment he was out of site, Willow turned to Buffy and asked, “So…back to the hotel?”

Buffy looked up at the sky and gazed at the moon, deep in thought. She sighed, mulling over her choices. She could trust Spike and though he was always faithful and loyal even after she died (a second time), he was still a vampire.

Decisions, decisions…

“This Prince knows we’re in town,” Buffy reasoned. “So we can go back to the hotel and wait for Spike who might never show up because the Prince killed him…or we can go kill the Prince? I dunno, Will, what do you think?”

“I think Justin Taylor better watch his back.”

****

“What?” Justin asked, hoping he’d heard one of his clansmen incorrectly.

“I know for a fact,” the man said. “I don’t feel my childe any longer. He’s been killed!”

“I’ll find out what happened,” Justin tried to assure the man.

“The Prince wouldn’t allow this, would he?” the man beseeched. “We stood by his side, by your mother’s side and by your side when all seemed lost for the legacy of the Toreador. This is how he repays us?”

“I’m sure it wasn’t one of his people,” Justin swore.

“You must find out from the Prince!”

“I can handle it,” Justin declared, about to lose his patience. “I am your Primogen and can’t run to the Prince every time an issue comes up. I’ll find the murderer and enact justice upon him, as is my right.”

“Thank you, Lord Justin.”

Justin sighed when the man left and wondered how he was going to find the murderer of one of his own clan. It wasn’t something he could just leave up to Brian. It was something he had to do for himself. He would face the threat and destroy it. It couldn’t possibly be that difficult…could it?