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Dark Paladin by Thianna
 
3 - Turning
 
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Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.

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CHAPTER 3 - Turning

Helena sat quietly across the room as she looked at William’s still form on the bed. It would take perhaps another day before he would wake up, but Helena felt that she needed to be here for him.

To say that the Council was furious was an understatement. She had to justify her actions in front of a panel of five Watchers. Each one grilled her on her intent for making Angel turn William. But in the end, she knew they weren’t angry that William was turned. They were angry that she had shown initiative and chose her new Vampire Guard herself. They talked about protocol and the importance of psychological testing, none of which made sense to the Slayer. The Council believed that there was a scientific method that could be used to determine which candidate would be most suited to being a Vampire Guard. But Helena knew that even though William did not posses any fighting prowess, his knowledge and caring attitude would be a huge asset.

She couldn’t deny that perhaps she felt a little guilty for what happened to him, though she would never admit that anybody else. Just days before she told him to muster his courage to tell Cecily that he loved her. She had not witnessed all the events in the party herself, but she was there, incognito of course, and she heard what had happened. She heard the others make fun of William and then heard Cecily’s incessant banter and disgusted tone at how someone like William could even begin to imagine that he was on the same level as her. She ran after him then, but lost him in the crowd and had asked Angel to track him down. They found him, though too late, as the vampire had drained him of his life’s blood. It was at that moment that she decided to change William’s life forever and she hoped that he would not be so cross with her when he awoke.

“Helena, you need your sleep. I’ll watch him for you.” Angel spoke gently.

“I can stay. I want to make sure he’s alright.”

“He will not wake up tonight. Please Helena, you need your strength.”

“Do you think that when he wakes he will hate me?” she asked as she stared at his still form, hoping that he would wake and smile at her.

“I don’t know. But he seemed to care for you in his mortal life. He most probably will care for you in his new one.” Angel didn’t feel the need to enlighten her of his situation. He had killed everyone he knew and loved when he awoke and it would not surprise him if his new child woke up with similar violent tendencies. But Helena had enough on her mind. He just hoped for her sake that she would never find a reason to ever stake William.

**

William’s arms were sore and his stomach was rumbling. How long had he been lying here? Gingerly he opened one eye and was amazed to see that he could see clearly. He must have slept with his spectacles on again. Mother would be cross if he accidentally broke another pair. He liked to read before bed and thus the habit of sleeping with his spectacles. He moved his left hand to scratch the itch on his nose and that was when he realized his wrists where in shackles.

What in the world was going? Where was he? This was not his room. Different scenarios crossed his mind. Perhaps those vagrants that they talked about in the party had taken him. They must have broken into their house. His thoughts went to his mother and he prayed that she was alright. He had to break free. He had to make sure she was alright.

The sound of the chains clanking against each other as he tried to free himself felt deafening in his ears but he didn’t bother himself with wondering why. He had to break free. He had to find his mother. He had to get out of here. He had to be out there. He had to hunt. He had to feed. He was hungry. What should he feed on? Blood his instincts answered him. Need Blood.

“I had a feeling you were awake. Calm down William.”

He turned and saw Angel’s familiar face. “Thank God you are here. Did you take care of those hoodlums? Is Mother alright?”

Angel approached him with his brows furrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about William. I’m sorry that we had to chain you but it was for everyone’s safety.”

“You? You did this to me?” He said looking at him straight in the eye. One word came to mind as he looked upon Angel’s face. Sire. “You are my Sire.” He said in disbelief. He knew it to be the truth but the full meaning of it was not sinking into his consciousness.

“Yes William. I am your Sire. You are no longer human. You’re one of us now.”

“One of you?”

“What is the last thing you remember William.”

“I don’t know. It seems all like a blur right now. Well. … There was this woman. Pretty… dark hair… She said she was looking for me. She said she knew what I wanted then she…”

At that moment, Helena entered the room, overtly excited. “William! I’m so glad. You’re awake.” She said running towards the bed and engulfing him a huge hug. “I was so worried.”
William tensed up at her presence.

Without his full knowledge, his face shifted and his arms started to move to hold the Slayer against him tightly. Angel moved quickly, grabbing Helena roughly before it was too late. The newly turned vampire growled in anger at having his prize taken away from him and he pulled against his restraints, clawing air in an attempt to get to the Slayer.

“What’s wrong?”

“You should have known better Helena. He hasn’t fed and the bloodlust is irresistible for a fledgling.”

“Do you think he’ll be able to control it?”

“Eventually. Or else you know what you have to do.”

“Hey, I’ve got something here that should calm the new boy down.” Caden said as he entered the room. The brown haired, green eyed vampire held a bottle of blood in each hand. “Cannot say I want to be him right now. I remember the thirst being unbearable when I was turned almost sixty years ago.” He said as he uncorked one bottle and thrust it into William’s hand.

William drank both bottles hungrily without question. Blood trickled down the sides of his mouth as he lapped up the red liquid. He had a look that bordered between hunger and ecstasy as the sweet elixir filled his body. He was breathing haphazardly despite the fact that it wasn’t at all necessary.

Helena watched in slight horror as she looked at her friend. This was the life she had chosen for him. In a moment of guilt and despair she had turned innocent William into a vampire. How different was he now? Will he prove to be the monster everyone seems to think? Will there ever come a time when she herself would have to destroy him? But deep down she had this feeling that his apparent aggressiveness was what she needed to survive against all the things that bump in the night. There was only one problem. Was William willing to be her Vampire Guard?

**

… three weeks later …

“You calmed down now Will?” Caden said as he dangled the keys to William’s restraints in front of the younger vampire.

“Yes! Now just get these sodding things off!”

“Patience Will. This is for your own good anyway. You should be thankful Helena apparently likes you. If it weren’t for her, you would be dust by now.” He said shoving a bottle of blood in William’s hand.

William just shrugged his shoulders and hungrily drained the bottle dry. “So which cemetery are we going to tonight?”
“Not sure where Helena wants to patrol tonight. I’m thinking that we might visit the posh side of town since we haven’t been there in over a week. Get dressed and I’ll meet you outside in five minutes.”

“Thanks mate.”

William pondered upon his new lease on life … or unlife as the case maybe. He was now a vampire and not just any ordinary vampire either. He ironically was now a Vampire Guard for the Slayer. At first it felt quite unnatural killing your own kind but violence was violence and he knew he craved it. Then again, it was not like they really gave him much of a choice. They told him that he could either join their cause and help fight evil or he could get staked. He knew too much of the inner workings of the Council for them to actually just let him go. It was safe to say, the obvious answer to that question was to join the Vampire Guard. It could have been worse. Helena was nice to him, Caden was a good enough bloke and quite a fighter, and the brooding shadow Angel was tolerable.

He knew that there were only two things that he needed in this world … blood and a spot of violence. But since he was only weeks old, he was still having a hard time controlling himself. He was curious about the taste of human blood. Part of him knew it was wrong to crave it but the demon inside him usually screamed for it. So, the others had decided to restrain him while he slept and he wasn’t to be released until it was time for patrol.

Just as Caden predicted, Helena wanted to go to the nicer part of town. The idea of walking down the familiar cobblestone streets brought back memories of his mother. He had been so absorbed in his new life that he hadn’t really thought about his old one. He did ask once about his Mother. Helena’s watcher, Robert, assured him that she was alright. When was that? At the realization that that was perhaps almost two weeks ago, William felt guilt and vowed that somehow tonight he was going to find a way to visit her.


 
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