TITLE: Stalemates
EMAIL: [email protected] - ophelia_rd@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: Joss, not I.
DISTRIBUTION: Ask me first!
CATEGORY: B/D
RATING: NC-17
PART: 2/2
STALEMATES 2
Chapter 13
"Good morning, slayer mom," Drusilla greeted politely, ignoring the woman's terrified face.
"How...? Why...?" Joyce stuttered, gasping for air.
For a few seconds the two women silently stared at one another.
"You must invite me in!" Drusilla finally stated matter of fact, running out of time.
She felt confident, if only she were to choose her words really, really carefully Buffy's mother wouldn't have a choice but to invite her in.
"It's Buffy," she explained. "The slayer is in danger."
Expecting this to be a pretty good reason to be allowed in immediately, she nearly head first ran into the invisible barrier.
"What???" She exclaimed, confusion all over her. She just couldn't understand, how the slayer's mother could hesitate after such announcement. It wasn't as so she would offer back up to just any slayer. When the vampiress looked up again, she almost tumbled and fell, when all of a sudden she came face to face with a nasty looking squint gun.
"Vampire!!!" Joyce screeched in a stage-worthy manner, expecting her daughter to come flying downstairs.
But much to her surprise, nothing such happened - no angry Buffy came down for her rescue.
Frowning, Joyce shot a puzzled look at Drusilla.
"Where is she?" She hissed. "What have you done to my babay?"
Drusilla, unable to explain her request, did the only thing she could think of eventually convincing Buffy's mother.
"With this," she said, raising her hand. "I, Drusilla Andrews, swear, that no harm from me should come to the slayer."
***
Chapter 14
"Daddy!!!"
An icy glare on her beautiful face, Drusilla took in the picture in front of her.
She knew approaching Angelus was dangerous thing to do, but still, she had to at least try to get Buffy out of there.
It had been one thing to claim the girl in front of her sire, but actually making her play along was something quite different.
She was scared. Really, really scared. But still, ignoring Angelus she quietly sat down on the bed, without visible haste untying the slayer.
"Out. Now." She then instructed her in a grave voice, quickly pulling her free from under Angelus.
"You're sure that's a wise thing to do?" The dark-haired man asked in a voice just as gravely as hers. "Turning down on your sire, for a slayer."
His expression showed her clearly how stupid he thought her - this wasn't some meaningless fucktoy but their most deadly Nemesis.
Dru, however, didn't as much as bat one lash. She wanted that mortal, period. But she knew, that since Buffy hadn't returned her claim Angelus had every right to challenge her. Oh well, she didn't mind fighting him, as long as it kept his mind of the slayer. Realizing that Buffy was still standing naked and bleeding in the middle of the room. She quickly jumped to her feet, shoving the quivering girl out of the door.
"I've always known you're stupid, Drusilla," Angelus snarled, when the brunette turned back at her sire. "I just didn't think you'd be that stupid!"
Then he attacked her, silently and without a warning. And within seconds the sound of bones breaking bones was the only noise to be heard.
***
Chapter 15
"Buffy!"
"Mom!"
Crying and bleeding all over the place, the tiny blonde threw herself at her mother. Enjoying for a few fleeting seconds the fake safety the older woman could offer. She certainly knew there was nothing she could do should Angelus decide to come after her instead of fighting Drusilla. But only for one moment she wanted to feel protected and save. Much to her surprise her mother hadn't even commented yet on her lack of clothes or the blood pouring down her legs, let alone the fact that there were two master vampire fighting in her bedroom. And since Buffy didn't want to risk their shaky truce, she just quietly allowed herself to be held, all the while waiting for her sobs to ebb off.
"C'mon, sweetheart," Joyce finally whispered. "Let's get you cleaned up."
She ever so slowly maneuvered her apathetic daughter into the bathroom, gesturing her to sit down on the tub. Although, she had a pretty good idea of what Angelus had done to her baby, she didn't want to upset her furthermore by acknowledging so.
"What is it about you and Drusilla?" She inquired instead, all the while running a soapy cloth up and down her girl's legs.
"Oh my God, Dru!!!" Buffy immediately jumped to her feet. "I've gotta go back!!!"
She was just about to re-enter her bedroom, when her mother's hand clamped down on her wrist.
"What about getting dressed first?" She quietly suggested, throwing her a pair of running pants and a jumper. "And then I'd really like to know what it is between you and this vampiress."
Buffy's chin nearly dropped to her feet.
"Y-y-you know sh-sh-she's a vampire?" The slayer exclaimed, wonder all over her. "How come you invited her in?"
For a few seconds Joyce tolerated her daughter's piercing stare, then she embarrassed lowered her head.
"She kinda promised…"
Her daughter's eyes grew even bigger.
"She kinda promised???" Buffy repeated, shaking her head. "She's a vampire, remember, she'd promise you the moon and the stars…" Her voice trailed off, since she couldn't believe that her mother of all could have this incredibly careless, inviting the enemy into their house - knowingly.
Once again, her eyes drilled into Joyce but this time the older woman wouldn't back off.
"Well, since she's been living in our backyard for weeks…"
Buffy visibly paled.
"…and since she didn't just promised but swear not to hurt you…"
The slayer's face changed from an unhealthy white to a deep flashy pink.
"Y-y-you know a-a-about the t-t-tree hut?" She whispered, faintly, burying her hot cheeks in her hands. In all of her life she'd never felt that embarrassed before. Although she felt pretty confident, her mother couldn't know about the strange relationship she'd formed with Drusilla, she obviously knew far more than she was supposed to.
Joyce all the while fought hard to bite back a smile. She had seen that look on her daughter before. Especially whenever a certain handsome, dark vampire had been involved - not that she liked the idea of Buffy making out with Drusilla, though…
Hesitating, but in the end unable to meet her mother's eyes, the slayer finally bolted for the phone.
***
"Giles?" The quivering girl little later huffed into the receiver. "I need you to find me every bit of information there is on vampire claims and mating habits."
***
**Dru?**
From the relatively safety of the doorway, Buffy watched the two grimly fighting vampires. She had never been the one letting other people step into the ring for her. But this time, although she held all the necessary information, she still didn't know how to approach. Hiding Drusilla in a tree hut had been one thing, but officially confirming the vampiress' claim was quite another. Given, she liked the pretty brunette, in fact liked her very much, but still - she was a girl for Christ sake. A very, very old one, but a girl nonetheless.
What would her friends say? Or her mother? Her watcher?
She felt another wave of embarrassment wash over her cheeks, when she recalled her mother's knowing smile. Still, she couldn't just stand here and watch Drusilla fighting for her. This was her battle, although according to vampire custom not anymore.
**Dru?** She once again tried to reach her, this time little harder.
**Stay out of this, slayer!**
She was immediately told, their eyes locking for the briefest of seconds.
However, enough for Angel us to catch Drusilla of guard.
"Ouch!!!"
Both women winced simultaneously, when the brunette's lack of concentration was instantly rewarded with a vicious uppercut.
So much for telling her what I am up to.
For several more minutes Buffy silently followed the combat. It didn't look too well for Dru. Although, she fought hard, Angelus' physical superiority was wearing her out. She was heavily bleeding from a nasty gash on her forehead and as far as Buffy could see a fair part of her delicate frame, too, was covered with bruises and cuts.
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Buffy thought.
She so much wished, someone would come out of their hiding and help her with this.
She honestly, and probably for the very first time in her life had no idea what to do. There was no use in coming to the vampiress' assistance, since, from what she had learned from Giles, this was a legal challenge of a vampire declaring but not having confirmed their claim. It was all up to her, the show would be over immediately, if only Buffy could make up her mind.
She none too gently startled out of her thoughts, when, with a hard thud, Drusilla got smashed to the floor.
Buffy was with her in the fracture of a second.
**You're alright?** She asked, brushing a strand of bloodstained hair of the other girl's face.
**That's not your fight, slayer, so get the hell outa here!**
Although, to her the answer was loud and clear, Buffy could feel her exhaustion and tiredness.
"Well, lover, are you coming?" Angelus chose this very moment to silkily purr. "If you do so, I promise, I won't punish her - at least not too hard." He gave her a smug smile. "Well, I'm waiting, lover."
Instead of an answer, the tiny blonde reached for the sharp metal object safely hidden behind her back.
"Ouch!!!" Drusilla immediately shot her an infuriated glare. Her complaint, however, got stuck in her throat, when realization hit her. There was even a faint smile tucking at the corners of her lips, when she caught sigh of the rickety "b" carved into her wrist.
**The blood. Drink.** She signaled, sensing Buffy to be at a loss.
And a single blood tear strained her cheek, when the slayer, much to her surprise, actually drank from her.
"It's over, Angelus," Buffy told the dark-haired man little later. "Go away, now, you're no longer welcome here."
For a long, long time the two ex-lovers silently stared at one another.
"You made a grave error, my dear," the master vampire finally spoke up with no emotion whatsoever. "Not even Spike has been so stupid to claim her!"
They exchanged one last look, before he finally left her.
**You're sure, you're not gonna regret this, slayer?**
The vampiress lucid eyes looked at her very sober and Buffy just couldn't but give her a serious answer.
"I care for you, Drusilla." She whispered, kissing the girl's quivering lips. **But that's about all I can promise you, yet.**
-end-