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The Rest of our Lives by Ariel Dawn
 
Catherines
 
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Disclaimer: Ya, I know, not mine.
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Chapter 20: Catherines

When Ariel arrived home from school that day, she was greeted by a virtually empty house. Fred was typing away on a computer in the office, Cat was taking her afternoon nap.

“They left us with you?” asked Ariel.

“Uh, the others are out searching for Drusilla,”

“Even my Da and Angel? In the middle of the afternoon?”

“They are strange vampires.”

“A hardy nodding of the head to that statement.”

A loud piercing scream filled the hallway. Cat was having another headache.

Fred and Ariel rushed towards Cat’s room.

“What’s wrong?” asked Fred looking a little overwhelmed.

“She’s having a headache, she needs Mum or Da.”

“I’ll call them on the cell phone.”

Ariel shook her head at Fred. Sure she was nice and all, but was she really the right person to leave to protect her sister? She didn’t seem like she knew a lot about kids. Especially not Cat.

“Aweel? Head hurts,” whimpered Cat. “Mummy?”

“Mummy’s not here D, I’m sorry.”

Cat launched into another fit a wailing.

Ariel scooped up her sister and took her down stairs, hoping against hope that maybe there was some slayer blood in the fridge. There probably wasn’t, but she could hope.

“They are on their way back,” said Fred, coming in from the living room. “Maybe we could give her some children’s Tylenol for her head?”

“It won’t work,” said Ariel peering into the fridge. “She needs a sire.”

“Huh?”

“Blood, she needs blood from Mum, or Da, or Angel or someone related directly to her by blood.”

“Would Drusilla work?” asked Fred.

“Yes, why?”

“Cause she’s on the front lawn.”

The sun had just set, and sure enough, Drusilla was dancing on the front lawn, clad in a white regency style dress.

“Thank God.” Ariel, still carrying a crying Cat rushed towards the front door, only to be stopped by Fred.

“You can’t go out there. Drusilla’s a vampire!”

“Duh!”

“It’s not safe for you!”

Ariel yanked her arm free of Fred’s grip and whipped open the front door.

“Don’t do it, Ariel, your parents will be back soon.”

“She’s in pain Fred, don’t tell me to keep her in pain.”

Ariel strode out of the house and directly at Drusilla, who had now stopped dancing and was looking at Ariel and Cat with a delicious smile on her face.

“Ariel!” screamed Fred from the safety of the house.

Ariel looked back at Fred and smiled. “I know what I am doing Fred.”

“Hello pets,” purred Drusilla.

“Hello grand mummy,” said Ariel.

“Grannie Du!” whimpered Cat as she reached towards the vampire.

Ariel gave up her little sister to Drusilla.

“Give me the child,” said Fred forcefully, holding a stake at Drusilla’s back.

Ariel did a double take, she hadn’t noticed Fred moving into that position. Equally as fast, Ariel knocked the stake out of Fred’s hand and pushed the woman down on to the ground.

“Don’t hurt her!” shouted Ariel.

Fred looked up at the trio of girls. Cat was happily sucking away from Drusilla’s wrist. Ariel was in a fighting stance, protecting Dru and Cat from Fred.
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Buffy arrived in front of her house to see Fred passed out on the lawn, and the front door wide open. Not of the good. Wesley and Gunn were at her side before anyone else could react and were carrying her into the house. Buffy wasn’t concerned for Fred. She wanted to know where her kids were. Screaming at the top of her lungs and searching every room in the house, every nook and cranny, Buffy failed to find Ariel or Cat in the house. It was just too much for her. She collapsed, sobbing, at the bottom of the stairs to the second floor. Instantly Spike was at her side.

“We will find them, love. I swear to you.”

“I should have stayed. I should have protected them,” she wailed.

“She’s awake,” came Wesley’s voice from the living room.

Buffy flew at Fred.

“Where are my children!?” screamed Buffy.

“Buffy! Calm down, let her talk!” said Angel, holding the girl’s hand.

“Fine. Talk.”

“Catherine had a headache,” began Fred. “I didn’t know what to do. Ariel said she needed Sire’s blood, that she needed you.”

“Oh god Spike, I really shouldn’t have left. Our baby is out there in pain.”

“Or she could be dead,” said Kennedy.

Spike growled at the former potential and backhanded her.

“You keep your bloody comments to yourself.”

Remarkably no one chastised Spike for hitting Kennedy. Xander even giggled.

“She’s not in pain anymore,” said Fred. “Drusilla came, and Ariel took Cat to her. I never saw a two year old drink blood before.”

“Thank god,” murmured Buffy.

“Then what happened?” asked Spike.

“I ran outside after them, tried to get them away from Drusilla. But...”

“But?” asked Spike.

“Ariel hit me.”

“She what!” yelled Buffy.

“Knocked me down. The last thing I remember is Drusilla looking at me all weird like.”

“Thrall,” said Wesley.

“You didn’t see where they went?” said Buffy frantically.

Fred shook her head. “It was strange. Ariel defended Drusilla. I had a stake and everything.”

“You threatened to stake her grandmother, how did you think she was going to react?” said Spike annoyed.

“Drusilla is a vampire!” protested Kennedy.

“So is her father and great grand father!” protested Buffy.

“And two of her sisters,” said Ariel’s voice from the front door. “But I probably shouldn’t tell you that.”

“Ariel!” screamed Buffy as she rushed to hug her daughter. “I’m so glad you are ok! Where’s Cat?”

“I left her with Dru.”

“Why would you do that!” said Xander

“Cause Dru won’t hurt us!”

“You don’t know that!” protested Gunn.

“Yes, I do. Where do you think I’ve been for the last 45mins? Do you see me all dead?”

“Can you take us to Dru, Ariel?” asked Angel.

“Not if you are going to hurt her,” said the 12 year old.

“I promise I won’t.”

“Fine. I only came back cause I had to go pee, you can come with me, Da too. Maybe Mum, but that’s it.”

Ariel turned and headed towards the bathroom.

“I don’t believe you people,” muttered Kennedy, as she turned to go into the guest room.

“Can I bite her love?” Spike asked Buffy

Buffy smiled. “Be my guest, just don’t get blood on the carpet.”
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Buffy, Spike and Angel followed Ariel back through the sewers to an abandoned maintenance room. Sitting on a makeshift bed, it looked like Dru was telling Cat a story.

“My mummy and I were all happy because sister had made the cake instead. It all fell to pieces and the pixies came. The pixies talk to you too. I see them floating around your head.

“Cat?” whispered Buffy as she drew nearer to the pair.

“Mummy! Look Dusilly!” Cat pointed to Drusilla happily.

“Baby you gave Mommy a scare.”

“Had to get away from the nasty girl with all the numbers.”

“Huh?” said Buffy confused.

“Fred,” offered Angel.

“Oh.”

“Wanted to hurt Catherine. Did you know that my name was Catherine once? Hmm? Named me after a saint me Mum did. Me Mum’s dead now...My Angel made sure of that. Didn’t he my precious girl. You’ll be like me, are like me. Another sad Drusilla, another sad Catherine.”

“Dru, pet what do you see?” asked Spike, realising that Dru had seen the future of this child.

“Not to tell. The pixies tell me. Must listen to Miss Edith or there will be no cake and tea. You’ve come to take me away from them haven’t you?”

Angel nodded.

“Why?”

It was such a simple question. Buffy felt a little bit sorry for Dru. She was a vampire, she was just doing what she did to survive, granted, eating little kids was bad. It seemed wrong that Dru was destined to be tied up and caged by Angel for the rest of her unlife.

“Gonna get you a soul, pet,” said Spike.

Angel and Buffy looked shocked at Spike.

Dru started to whimper. Then a smile crossed her face. “It won’t work,” she sing songed. “Little one has my soul.”

“Cat has your soul?” asked Buffy.

“Must protect Little Me, so she can be me.”

“Huh?” Buffy was confused again. “Can we get out of the sewer at least?”

“Will the nasty girl be there?”

“Fred? Yes.”

“I won’t let her hurt you grand mummy,” said Ariel sweetly.

“And don’t think we aren’t having a conversation about that young lady,” said Buffy.
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No one except Ariel, Cat, Angel and Spike wanted to be anywhere near Drusilla. Kennedy had nearly been kicked out of the house when Buffy invited Dru inside, she raised such a loud fuss.

Buffy almost wished she could just let Dru eat her. The problem was that even though Buffy knew that Dru would be contained, with the chains that Angel and Spike had set up in the training room, she couldn’t help but agree with Kennedy on a slayer demon level. There were 3 vampires in her house now, and one without a soul. Her inner demon was screaming at her to dust Drusilla, and to dust Angel. What it was screaming at her to do with Spike on the other hand...

She knew that she had promised him that she would let him decide when he was ready for the mating thing, but she wanted it, she needed it so badly, or at least her demon did.

Sneaking down to the training room to relieve Angel from his watch post at sunrise Buffy wondered how hard it would be to have a coherent conversation about Spike with Dru.

“Slayer all covered in my William,” said Dru. Buffy guessed it was a greeting.

“Dru. Do you remember Beth Sumner?”

“Nasty blonde to take away my William.”

So yes then.

“If Spike were to take a mate again...would you let him?”

“Ahhh. Mummy doesn’t like it when her boy does things she doesn’t like. You make my William do nasty things. Betrayed Daddy, tried to stake Mummy. Miss Edith was very cross with William for ages and ages.” Dru started swinging back and forth on her chains. “But Miss Edith has changed her mind. She’s thrown out the cookies and wants only muffins now. Where’s Miss Edith?”

Honestly Buffy had no idea what to say about the doll. She assumed that it was lost somewhere.

“Will you make him happy? Take care of him like I never did?” Dru asked, quite seriously.

“Yes,” answered Buffy.

“You took him away from me a long time ago you know. His head was always full of you, even when he thought he still hated you. He’s not my William anymore.”

“You are wrong Drusilla,” said Buffy. “He’ll always be your William. It’s just that now...He’s my Spike.”

Dru smiled.

“Then Miss Edith will dance with the pixies. Mrs Graves.”

Dru refused to leave Ariel and Cat for the time being, and strangely Buffy was ok with that. Though she knew that if anyone other than Angel, Spike or the kids came down into the training room, Dru would probably try to eat them.

Buffy was relieved by Xander in mid morning, so that she could get some sleep. Buffy had thought Dru was asleep until a whispered ‘Sweet dreams Mrs Darlington’ was murmured across the room.

“Huh?” asked a sleepy Xander.

“Don’t ask.”

Buffy went upstairs to cuddle with her Spike, strangely comforted that Dru saw her as Spike’s wife.
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tbc...

 
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