Title; A Childe Awakens, (BtVS)
 
Author; Phoenixheart79 aka Carl/theblondiebear
 
Rating; R overall, 18+ if you're british like me
 
Disclaimer; I do not own BtVS, that privilige goes to Joss Whedon and 
M.E. I guess I own Sebastian, but the rest I'm just borrowing. I 
promise to put them back in the toy box when I'm done!
 
Distribution; (not that anyone will want it! LOL) Please ask my 
permission before putting it anywhere else than the places I do.
 
Feedback; Please! I write for me, but it's a boost to know what people 
think of my work.
 
***********************************************************************
Chapter 4

A fortnight had passed since Sebastian’s abrupt arrival in Sunnydale 
and he had already started slipping into life in the town with 
remarkable ease. On top of all the slayers in training camped out in 
the house, Buffy had offered to let him stay, but he’d turned her 
down, he’d found a decent enough motel not far away. 

"I must admit, it’s all rather strange," Giles commented as they 
trained in the basement, "it took me a lot longer than this to settle 
in." Buffy delivered a three punch combo followed by a sharp kick. 
Giles steadied the punch bag.

"Yeah, well," she began between punches, "he’s younger and more funky 
than you, what do you expect? He’s of the MTV generation Giles, what 
did you think would happen?"

"Yes, well, be that as it may....what do you mean, he’s more funky 
than me? I’ll have you know..." They were interrupted by sounds from 
the garden. Buffy looked up. "Huh, Kennedy’s started them early. She’s 
dedicated, alright."

"Yes," Giles’ mused "She is most promising. Easily the most skilled of 
them all. And she’s a born leader."

"Please Giles, she questions me every chance she can." 

"As, I recall, a certain blond Slayer did with her Watcher in the 
beginning."

She glanced down at her feet, "Yeah well, you were stuffy and old, 
what did you expect?"

"Dedication, loyalty, care. I got them all, Buffy. I couldn’t have 
asked for a better slayer." He smiled. "I’ve done some checking. You 
might be interested to know that you are the longest active slayer in 
history, and also the one with the most deaths."

"Really?" she smiled "I’m special amongst all the special people? Do I 
get a little umbrella for this?"

He smiled and opened his mouth to respond when the door to the 
basement opened. Sebastian stood framed in the doorway. "Damn," Buffy 
whispered under her breath "He likes the dramatics almost as much as 
Angel." Giles smiled softly.

"He does have a flare for making his presence known, yes."

Sebastian took a step forward. "Kennedy asked me to ask you to go out 
in the garden and help her train the others."

"Kennedy asked?" Buffy said, starting up the stairs. Sebastian backed 
up and let her through the door, smiling a little. 

"Actually, no, she told me to tell you to go to the garden."

"That’s the Kennedy I know." Buffy answered with a smile, walking 
through the kitchen headed for the back door. Just then, she heard the 
front door open and Xanders’ voice filtered through to them. 

"Hey, Buffy! I’ve come about that training equipment you wanted making 
for the basement." Sebastian patted her on the back and pushed her 
gently towards the door. 

"Go show them which way to hold a stake, I’ll look after him. I make a 
good host." 

She smiled "Thanks, they need it."

He walked into the living room. "Hi Xander, she’s out back, showing 
the girls the tricks of the trade. I said I’d play the gracious host."

Xander bristled slightly as Bastian entered the room. He wasn’t sure 
why, but whenever that guy entered a room, he felt like he was under a 
microscope. And it wasn’t a comfy microscope at that. 

But there was something about him, Xander had to admit. The guy had 
something. Charm? Wit? Britishness? He snorted a laugh, Bastian looked 
taken aback.

"So, mocking my hosting skills, are we? Well, we’ll see about that." 
He turned to head back to the kitchen when he felt a hand on his 
shoulder. He turned to see Xander very close. He could see every 
nuance of the face, every line, every little, almost invisible scar. 
He took a breath. ‘Oh boy, you so don’t have time for this.’ he 
thought.

"Woah, no mocking." said Xander, "No mocking, just teasing. Honest." 
he raised his hand in a boy scout salute. Their eyes met for a few 
moments then Xander stepped back, raising his hands slightly, as if to 
protect himself. "Oh woah. I’m gonna go check out that basement, take 
some measurements. Can I have a coffee?" He hurried down into the 
basement, hearing Bastian’s distant "Sure" as he descended the stairs.

‘Nice one Bastian, what would Liz say if she could see you now?’ 
Sebastian thought to himself. ‘Can’t even make first contact without 
sending him scurrying for cover.’ With dark thoughts flitting through 
his mind, he finished making the coffee.

That night

"So, who’s your boss?" the seductive voice asked. The vampire looked 
up from where he lay on the ground, cradling his hand and broken 
finger. The petite red head stood over him, hands on her hips and 
looking down at him like he was something she had stepped on.

"Y-you are." The red head smiled, bent down, grabbed him by the collar 
and hauled him to his feet. She lightly brushed some dirt from his 
shirt. 

"That’s better." she said and walked away, her companion joining her. 
Their army was growing fast, the slayer and her new male friend had 
been busy. They had slain nearly 30 vampires in two weeks and every 
single one had agreed to work for her, when faced with the other 
option. Of course, she didn’t always tell them about that to start 
with, she had to have some fun, didn’t she? She laid a hand on Amy, 
who turned to face her as they walked. Willow smiled,

"Take him to the lair, I’m hungry. Gonna eat a puppy." Amy smiled 
back.

"Have fun, and watch out for her." Willows smile dropped a little.

"You’re no fun."

Amy laughed. "Maybe, but soon, soon, we’ll have carnage and flames and 
puppies in chains," At this Willow grinned - this girl was so easy to 
manipulate! Amy continued, oblivious to the thoughts racing through 
her partners brain, "and that’s worth the wait."

Willow turned and disappeared into the darkness, the shadows 
swallowing her. She stalked through the darkness, then she spotted 
her, a young brunette, maybe seventeen. She licked her lips. Silently 
she moved through the graveyard. What this girl was doing here at this 
time, she had no idea. It didn’t really matter. Her spies had told her 
that the slayer and her friends were currently on the other side of 
town, so at least it wasn’t a trap. Before the girl had any clue what 
was happening, Willow had grabbed her and sunk her fangs in deep. As 
the body fell limp to floor, a voice cut through the darkness.

"My favourite child....how pleasant to see you here."

She turned, the blood glistening on her lips. He stood before her, 
dressed in leather, his head shining slightly in the moonlight. She 
dropped to her knees, head bowed in submission.

"Master, I had no idea you were here. They said you were....gone."

The Master waved his hand majestically "Rise, rise my child." He 
stepped a little closer. "I am here, aren’t I? Together we can reap 
carnage and destruction on a scale never seen before. Work with me, 
draw your forces together, let us bleed this world and listen to it’s 
cries." A thin smile spread across his pale face and an answering 
smile spread across her face.

She turned and stared out at the small town around them, silent in the
night save for the occasional cry of animals. "Yes, Master" she 
answered, turning to face him, but he was gone. 

***********************************************************************
Chapter 5

A car pulled up at the edge of Sunnydale. Bright pink, with blacked 
out windows it looked more than a little conspicuous in a quiet 
neighbourhood like this. The door opened and one long leg swung into 
view, then another. The driver stood up, drew a drag on a cigarette 
and coughed before she realised she didn’t need to breath. She shook 
her head, feeling the soft breeze in her hair and looked at the town 
spread out before her.

"Oh, I’ve so missed Sunnydale! This is going to be so much fun! My 
blondiebear is just going to be beside himself!" 


Elsewhere

Buffy and Willow wandered the street’s, patrolling and chatting. Since 
Sebastian’s arrival they had been able to do it more often, leaving 
him to watch over the girls. That Buffy trusted him so implicitly was 
a good sign, Willow thought. If she could share this responsibility, 
than maybe she would finally begin to get herself back. She had been 
different, ever since her return. Maybe this would help, sharing the 
burden.

"We’re lucky, Bastian’s proving really helpful. He’s amazingly 
domesticated. I’ve never seen anyone, even your mom, who can clean as 
thoroughly as he does and not look like he’s cleaning." Willow smiled 
helpfully.

"Yeah." Buffy replied, "He’s certainly earning his way. But, have you 
noticed, Xander seems really uncomfortable around him. I’ve never seen 
him scurry from a room as quickly as he does when Bastian is around."

Willow laughed and Buffy looked at her friend, mild confusion showing 
on her face "What?"

"Haven’t you noticed?" Buffy shook her head. "Oh Buff! Sometimes your 
so....naive. Bastian has the hots for Xander, that’s what’s making him 
uncomfortable."

"Oh. He does? It is?"

"Hu-huh" Willow nodded. "You did know Bastian’s gay, right."

"I well, yeah, I guess, but I never really paid any attention. Wow. No 
wonder Xander’s acting so wiggy. Hey, how did you? Did you ask him?" 

Willow laughed again and shook her head. "Nope, just....knew. It’s one 
of those things. Like I knew about Kennedy before she even started 
moving on me."

"Oh."

"I just don’t think Xander’s used to that kind of attention, at least, 
not from a guy."

"Well, at least he’s not getting all testosterone-poisoned over it, I 
don’t think I could handle it if he did. A strutting Xander, not good 
at the moment."

Willow laughed quietly "Yeah, Xander has two methods of coping - run 
away and strut like the manly-man. Run away seems the better option, 
given all that’s happening. Hey, what’s that?" she pointed. A vampire 
was flitting across the graveyard, headed for a crypt that housed a 
sewer entrance. In fact, it was the same one she had used all those 
years ago when she tried to rescue Jesse.

"Huh, very stealthy of him. Hey, didn’t I stake him two nights ago?"

"Ummm, I dunno Buffy. You stake a vamp and usually it’s just poof and 
gone."

"Yeah, but the clothes Will. How many vamps do we meet that wear a 
luminous green tank top?"

Silently they stole across the graveyard, cutting across the vampires 
path without him realising. They reached the crypt almost a minute 
before him and proceeded inside, Willow slipping into the shadows and 
Buffy stepping to one side of the door. A shadow passed through the 
doorway followed by the vampire. Buffy’s leg shot out and he stumbled 
forward, his head cracking against the side of one of the tombs. She 
stepped forward and grabbed his hair, pulling him to his feet then 
cracked his head down again before hurling him to one side. He skidded 
across the floor and stopped near Willow. Slowly she stepped forward, 
moving to edge away from him. The vamps eyes locked onto the legs 
moving across his vision. He looked up and saw the face, cast in 
shadows. Suddenly he scurried backwards, backing up against the 
nearest tomb and trying to flatten himself against it as much as he 
could. Panic and fear swept over his face.

"I - I’m sorry mistress. I didn’t mean to lead the slayer here. 
P-please forgive me." His head was lowered in submission and he didn’t 
even glance again at Willow. Buffy stepped forward and grabbed him 
round the throat, dragging him to his feet. She swirled around and 
slammed him up against a wall, his feet dangling in mid-air. Willow 
stepped up behind Buffy and the vampire seemed to cheer a little as he 
saw her. Finally she spoke.

"Why did you call me mistress?" She asked. Confusion passed over the 
vampires face. Whoever he had been had never been in the science club. 
Or any lessons at all, by the look of it.

"Y-you a-are the mistress." he said.

"Yes, I am." came a voice from the darkness. Buffy whirled and sent 
the vampire flying in the direction from which the voice had come 
from. A strangled cry and the gentle ‘whump’ of a vampire turning to 
dust filled the confined space.

The shadows parted and Willow stepped into the light. Buffy and Willow 
stared in shock. She looked her doppelganger up and down. "Well, look 
at me, I’m not fuzzy anymore. Shame, it would’ve been fun to see the 
change I could bring out in you."

Buffy and Willow continued to stare, Willow finally breaking the 
silence. "I’ve not been ‘fluffy’ for a long time. I don’t know why you 
came here, but you should go home now."

"Yeah," Buffy spoke up at last, overcoming her shock, "You should go 
now, or there won’t be a later."

The doppelganger smiled. "I wouldn’t be so sure of that, slayer." Her 
fist sped out and connected solidly with Buffy’s nose, who reeled 
backwards. She turned to Willow. "She said not to mess with you, that 
it’d end bad. I didn’t believe her, but now," she sniffed the air "now 
I do. You reek of power." and wicked smile slid over her face "And 
a.....woman. I’ll rip her heart out and make you wear it on your 
sleeve." 

With a flash of light, she was gone. Buffy staggered back to Willow’s 
side. "Will? Did you do that? Send her away?" Willow looked to Buffy, 
the shock and disgust evident on her face.

"I? No, no I. I didn’t do this, o-or that. N-no magic for Willow, 
remember?" she waved her hand to where her doppelganger had stood only 
moments before. "What’s going on Buffy?"

"I have no idea. We’d better let Giles know about this, he isn’t gonna 
like it." 

Twenty minutes later they were sat in the Summers living room, hands 
wrapped around steaming coffee cups whilst Giles paced the living 
room, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

"And you’re absolutely sure it was vampire Willow." they both nodded 
their heads in agreement, "Well, whatever it is she’s planning, it 
can’t be good. And you say you fought a vampire that you had killed 
two nights ago?" Again, Buffy nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "How 
strange." He took a seat beside Buffy, who looked at him.

"You haven’t a clue, have you?"

"Not at the minute, no. But I’m sure that, as they do more, things 
will become evident."

"Giles, we can’t wait. We all remember what she did last time she was 
here. I don’t think we’ve got much time." Sebastian cleared his 
throat.

"Err, I don’t. In fact, this is all making about as much sense as, 
well, it’s not making any sense at all. There’s two Willows? And one’s 
a sadomasochistic vampire?" They all looked at him and nodded, even 
Xander standing in the doorway. "Oh. So, were you twins?"

Willow shook her head. "No. I cast a spell, years ago, that pulled her 
through from another dimension. She decided to have bondage and 
massacre fun at the Bronze. But we sent her back. It’s kinda odd that 
she’s keeping quiet. I mean, I’d have expected her to do something 
like that again straightaway. I think she’s working with someone."

"Me?" asked Xander "I mean, vampire me?"

"I don’t know."

"Wait, there’s a vampire Xander too?"

Willow nodded "Yup."

"Oh. Say, you aren’t a vampire too, are you?" he asked, looking at 
Buffy. She shook her head, then smiled wistfully.

"Only in waking nightmares." she saw his puzzled look "Never mind, 
long story."

"Few years back, all our nightmares came true. Willow ended up on 
stage, I got chased by a clown and Buffy was a vamp." Xander filled 
in from the doorway.

"Not that long a story after all." Buffy stated.

"Oh." Sebastian managed. "You guys ever thought of moving someplace 
quiet? My aunt lives in Cleveland, says it’s real nice." The gang 
looked at one another "What?"

Giles cleared his throat. "Cleveland is situated on top of a hellmouth 
as well."

"Oh, it is? Well, Aunt Pat always was a bit of a battleaxe. Not 
literally." he added at the end, catching their looks.

 

Sunnydale park 

The blond vampire walked through the park, occasionally shouting out 
"Spike-y! Spike-y! You’re little Hum is back!" She moved through a 
copse of trees and saw Willow standing near a swing, not paying 
attention to her surroundings. She seemed to be waiting for someone. 
Harmony smiled. The witch was weak. She’d eat her and leave her as a 
present for slayer. As silently as she could she stole around the edge 
of the play park and inched towards Willow from behind. She was 
stopped short by the icy tones of Willow’s voice.

"You either show yourself or I rip your head off and lick the blood 
from your neck."

"Willow?" Harmony asked. In the twilight it was hard to make out what 
the red head was wearing, but it didn’t look like her normal ensemble. 
"Willow?" she tried again. With lightning speed Willow turned and 
grabbed Harmony by the throat, yellow eyes staring deep into the 
blonds’ eyes.

"I remember you. I think I eat you when you were in school. And here 
you are, a vampire." She threw the blond vampire to the ground. "So, 
you know the slayer and her witch friend?"

Harmony sat on the ground, her jaw slack with shock. It worked up and 
down twice, but no sound came out.

"I think I’ve got a use for you." murmured Willow.

***********************************************************************
Chapter 6
 
"It’s perfect Master." Willow smiled, a smile full of malice and the 
urge for wanton destruction.

"Yes my child, the totem will make my children, the children of 
Aurelius, and those we bless, stronger than any vampire has ever been. 
Together we will rid this world of the plague of humanity."

The gathered vampires let out a small cheer as The Master spoke. "The 
totem will gift us with the strength and speed of slayers, we will be 
equal. No longer will we need to scurry through the shadows in case 
she catches us. Her superior strength and speed is her only advantage, 
take it away and we are equal, we will spread a new order on the flesh 
of her rotting corpse." At this the gathered crowd erupted. Willow 
stepped forward, taking her place at The Masters side. She raised her 
arms and addressed the crowd.

"Go. Fetch the pieces and let us assemble the Totem of Tilock." The 
crowd cheered again and left the great hall of the mansion, where once 
the demon Acathla had almost sucked the world into hell. They split 
into twos and threes, slipping off on their individual assignments. Willow turned to the form of The Master.

"What if the slayer intervenes? She is powerful here, her friends make 
her strong."

"If she interferes she will only die sooner." Willow smiled again. "Go 
my child." The Master urged. Willow jumped down from the small 
platform where she and The Master had been standing. She turned back 
but he was gone. Swiftly she left the mansion and vanished into the 
darkness.

In the darkness, Spike stalked through Sunnydale Park. He hadn’t seen 
Buffy in days now, but strangely it didn’t bother him as much as it 
used too. They were comfortable now. He didn’t need to see her face 
every day to be reassured she remembered him. Then he saw something. A 
figure walking through the park, alone. He recognised that hair.

"Hey, Willow!" he called out, breaking into a trot to catch up with 
her. "Hey, Red, hold up. You shouldn’t be out here alone, it’s 
dangerous in the dark, remember." he caught a whiff of her "Hey, you 
changed your perfume?" he made the statement a question.

Without turning, Willow answered him, "I remember. And yeah, I did."

"Then what the bloody hell are you doing out here alone? There could 
be any number of nasties lurk..." He broke off in mid sentence and 
looked around. "Willow, get behind me, there’s vampires nearby, I can 
smell them." Slowly Willow turned to face him, glowing, feral, yellow 
eyes assessing him like a piece of meat.

"I know."

"Willow?" Suddenly a half dozen vampires rushed Spike, Willow stepped 
back, musing quietly to herself, 

"So many people in this town fall for the same trick. Are they all 
stupid?" Amidst the throng of bodies, Spike struggled like a man 
possessed, dusting two of his assailants before he was subdued. He lay 
flat on his chest, the remaining vampires sitting on him. He strained 
his head up and watched Willow, dressed in a figure hugging black 
leather ensemble, stalk towards him, a predatory sway in her slim 
hips. As she approached he was dragged to his knees and his hands 
bound behind his back. She stopped in front of him and crouched down, 
looking him in the eyes.

"This world? It’s missing so much. No ponies in chains, no public 
hunts and I don’t have my puppy. He’s gone to the big city. But then 
a magickal little bird tells me that William the Bloody has a soul 
too." She stood as the vampires dragged Spike to his feet and she 
laughed, a soft, gentle laugh. "Looks like I’ve got a new puppy."


Elsewhere

Sebastian was on patrol. Ever since Buffy had encountered vampire 
Willow the night before the whole gang had spent the better part of 
the day researching, trying to come up with some theory as to what she 
might be planning, but to no avail. After hours with his nose stuck in 
smelly book after smelly book, he had made his excuses and left. 
Besides, he needed to breath and to clear his head. He couldn’t 
believe it. He had a crush. Like some bloody hormonal teenager. He had 
to shake it from his head.

He had already done a sweep of two of the towns cemeteries, whilst 
Buffy took the others, and was now headed for the UC Sunnydale campus 
where they would meet up. He moved through the deserted grounds until 
he reached their usual meeting place, a bench in front of Stephenson 
Hall. He sat and waited, then in the distance he saw blond hair, 
obscured among the trees and moving fast. On instinct he was on his 
feet and running, coat billowing behind him, before his brain had even 
made the choice.

Swiftly he moved across the clearing, following the rapidly retreating 
flash of blond. He put on a burst of speed, slipping through the trees 
and branches seemingly without touching them. He made no sound. Broke 
no twig, brushed no branch. Finally he approached a clearing and 
slowed. Three vampires were gathered there, including the flash of 
blond he had been following. She stood there, hands on hips.

"Well, it has to be here. This is the spot." One of the male vampires 
looked up at her, 

"If you’re so sure, you get down here and dig."

The blond wrinkled her nose, "Eww no, do these nails look like they 
dig? It can’t be far, keep digging. I’m going to look for the slayer 
again." She turned and started to head back into the woods when 
Sebastian heard Buffy’s voice.

"Harmony, I honestly thought not even you would be stupid enough to 
come back here." The other vamps stopped what they were doing, slowly 
getting to their feet and inching towards Buffy. Silently Sebastian 
slipped from his shadowy cover, coming up behind the vampires. Buffy 
paid no attention to him whatsoever. He was a non-entity at that 
moment in time, which suited him just fine.

Petulantly the blond vampire placed her hands on her hips again. "I am 
not stupid! I came here to talk to you Buffy, then I heard what you’d 
been up to..."

The slayer cut her off in mid-sentence, "Harmony, when we were at 
school, you were annoying. Now that you’re dead, you’re more annoying, 
if that’s possible. Go now and I won’t stake you."

"Gee, you make it sound so generous, like I’m indebted to you or 
something. Its ‘cos of you I’m like this! You and you’re ‘lets fight a 
big snake’ thing. But you wait! We’ll get the Totem of Tilock and then 
I’ll..."

One of the other vampires roared in frustration, "You fucking moron! 
Why don’t you tell her where were based as well!"

Harmony clasped a hand over her mouth "Oops."

Buffy let the charging vampire get within grabbing distance of her 
before she leapt into a three-hundred and sixty degree kick that sent 
him sprawling. The second vamp started forwards but stopped as a stake 
appeared through his chest. He looked down in shock, hands reaching 
for the offending item but they never touched it, crumbling to ash. 

Slowly Buffy approached Harmony, stalking towards her, as the blond 
vampire backed away. Then Buffy laughed.

"You know, I should probably let you live, I’ve never met another vamp 
who gives up so much information so easily. I thought you were dumb in 
highschool, Harmony and being dead definitely hasn’t improved things, 
has it?"

The vampire bristled "I am not dumb!" With that she charged at Buffy, 
who smashed her backhanded across the jaw, sending her reeling. Buffy 
marched over to the doubled over figure, grabbed her by the hair and 
drove a knee into her face. Harmony staggered a few feet back from 
Buffy, wiping blood from her face. Then she turned to run. She got a 
few steps before she stopped and looked back at Buffy, her hands 
reaching for the stake in her back. She crumbled to ash.


"Yes Harmony, you are." She turned in time to see Sebastian stake the 
last vamp. Buffy walked over to the small hole they had started. 
Something glinted in the darkness. Slowly she bent down and brushed 
the dirt away. She pulled it from the earth, a metallic cylinder 
twelve inches long with various holes and grooves in the sides. She 
turned it over in her hands.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked, studying the artifact in Buffy’s hands.

"I have no idea, but we should show the others." The object reflected 
the soft moonlight, little ridges and patterns becoming more visible 
as Buffy moved it around. "Come on, lets go." Silently, they turned 
and disappeared into the night.

TBC......