Title: Dark Childe
Author: spikegirl7
Rating: undetermined
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I do not own anything but the plot, and am making no money from this whatsoever.
Summery: The joining together of one family, the bringing together of the light and the dark.
Spoilers: none really. Early season one
Distribution: my site www.geocities.com/spikegirl7 and here and whereever else, as long as you tell me


As the young girl drove up to the school in the passenger seat of her mother’s car the sun beat down. Yet still she felt the strange pull inside of her. She had felt the pull before, not quite like this, but a pull none the less. In Los Angeles, only a few months before.

She mentally shook herself. She would not be drawn into such matters again. She had given in before, and had been given only pain in return. She had seen her family fall apart, those who were close to her die, and her life fall apart around her. She would not go through that again if she could help it.

She heard her mother call her name: “Buffy.” She turned her head, her long blonde hair moving around her face as she turned to look at the woman sitting next to her. Her eyes were blank behind her dark glasses.

“Are you doing ok? You’ve been kind of quiet today.”

“It’s nothing mom, just, you know, new school jitters.”

The older woman smiled, and placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I thought as much. You’ll do great honey. I worry about you, it’s my job.”

Buffy smiled and placed her hand on her mother’s before turning and opening the door. Her mother called out, “Have a great day sweety.” She turned back and replied, “I will, mom” before slamming the door closed and turning to go into the school.

The hallways of the school were like any other, imposing and very institutional. It was well lit and as inviting as a hall in a public school could be, which was not very. Yet Buffy walked down these halls with a purpose, down to the office with the wooden door and the printed letters on the door that read the name “Principal Flutie.” She took a breath and then pushed the door open, entering with a confidence to stand by the desk where the receptionist waited.

The receptionist looked up at her with a warm smile that is only achieved by those who work as teachers or in the educational field, and have done so for quite some time, “Could I have your name, dear?”

“Buffy Summers, I was told to come and see the principal when I arrived.”

“Yes, miss Summers, we’ve been expecting you. Go right on in, he’s not with anyone at the moment.”

Buffy smiled weakly and turned to walk through the reception area into the open door of the principal’s office. He was behind his desk, searching through some paperwork or other when she came in. She spoke to get his attention, “Mr. Flutie?”

He looked up with a wide smile to see her form on the other side of his desk, “Miss Summers, yes? It’s you? Sit down! Sit down!” She pulled out one of the chairs and sat, looking across the desk at him.

Mr. Flutie got up and walked to across the room, shuffled through a file cabinet, and pulled out a file, picking it up and walking around the desk to his own chair again across from Buffy. He opened the file and started reading, “Buffy Summers, sophomore, late of Hemory High in Los Angeles. Interesting record, quite a career...”

He sat down in his chair and took out the sheet of paper that he had been reading from and tore it to pieces before her. She sat there slightly astonished. He smiled, “Welcome to Sunnydale! A clean slate, Buffy, that’s what you get here. The past is past. We’re not interested in what it says on a piece of paper, even if it says...” He took a good look at one of the fragments he had just torn and his face nearly turned white. “Whoa.”

Buffy spoke up, seeing the falling expression on the man’s face. “Mr. Flutie...”

“All the kids here are free to call me Bob.”

She started again, somewhat slower, “Bob...”

“But they don’t.” He was reassembling the torn page on his desk. Carefully laying them out so that it was somewhat recognizable as what it had once been. Hopefully it would be legible when it was done.

“I know my transcripts are a little...” she nearly cringed as the sound of the scotch tape tore through the office, “colorful.” Flutie applied the tape to the torn papers.

Flutie spoke with the warmth that had been present in his voice the entire meeting. “Heey... We’re not caring about that. Do you think, uh,” he paused here, trying to collect himself before proceeding, “colorful is the right word?” Carefully he applied another piece of tape to the ruined paper, smoothing it down. “Not, uh,” he searched for the word for a moment, “dismal?”

Her voice was defensive now, trying to explain the dismal record currently being pieced back together on the desk in front of her. “Wasn’t that bad!”

He looked at her incredulously, “You burned down the gym.”

Buffy exhaled, nodding her head as she spoke of the previous arson. “I did, I really did, but... You’re not seeing the big picture here, I mean, that gym was full of vampi....” Quickly she caught her near error, pulling in a new word. “Asbestos.”

She cursed herself silently for her little slip. The call had been so strong recently, her slayer sense was going haywire. She couldn’t get vampires off the ground. This wasn’t right, there weren’t supposed to be vampires in this small hick town. She shouldn’t be feeling this now.

Mr Flutie remained oblivious to her near slip. Still he fussed over the torn paper, yet he still managed to speak with that warm institutional tone to his voice. “Buffy, don’t worry. Any other school they might say, ‘watch your step,’ or ‘we’ll be watching you.’” He paused for a moment here, perhaps himself considering if perhaps it wouldn’t be better to keep an eye on her. “But that’s just not the way here. We want to service your needs, and help you to respect our needs. And if your need and our needs don’t mesh...”

During the last part of this speech he had held up his right and left hands and meshed the fingers together as a visual demonstration that only teachers are capable of. At the end he had a small smile on his face and was shaking his head as to indicate the trouble that might happen as a result of the failure to “mesh.”

He took his eyes from her and unlaced his fingers. Quickly he took the taped up paper and placed it back in the folder, closing it shut. Across the table Buffy gave him a small nervous smile. It didn’t matter anyway, she wouldn’t be bothered by those problems again, she told herself. Not here, never again.

Mr. Flutie looked up at her again, “Now, Buffy, I hope that you will enjoy your time here at Sunnydale High. If you stop by and see Ms. Jones on your way out she will hand you your schedule and direct you to the library where Mr. Giles will be happy to give you a set of books.”

“Thank you principal Flutie.” She stood up and exited the bright office and the uncomfortable feeling that he gave off, the falseness that lingered around many educators. Stopping by the receptionist’s desk she caught the dour look on the woman’s face before she was noticed. The second the woman saw that Buffy was standing there a false smile was plastered once more on her face.

“How can I help you, miss Summers?”

“Principle Flutie told me to pick up a schedule on the way out. And he also said that you could tell me where the library is.”

Ms. Jones smiled, “Of course, just a second.” She bent down and opened a drawer, shuffling through till she came to a folder. She pulled out a piece of paper and closed the drawer. She handed the paper to Buffy and pointed out the door and down the hallway. “The library is down the hall, and around the corner at the first left. It’s the set of double doors on the right.”

The woman at the desk gave her one last smile before turning back to her computer screen with a dour look on her face. Buffy took this as a sign that she was dismissed, and turned from the woman. Pushing open the door, tucking the schedule into her bag. She didn’t notice the girl coming up until she had run into her, knocking the contents of her bag onto the cold linoleum floor. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

The girl who she had run into didn’t stop, didn’t turn around. Just called out as she passed, “That’s ok.” She moved on. It was nothing of her notice. Just another body in this school.

Buffy looked down, to see all her stuff splattered on the floor, “Oh.” She knelt down, gathering up the papers, books, folders, everything that had been in her bag. People walked by and didn’t stop. No o ne would help the extra person on the floor.

A boy saw her and a smile lit up his face. He had seen her as she walked into the building, and he had been enraptured by her appearance. So much so that his already poor skateboarding skills had evaporated, causing him to run right into a pole. Now he saw her again, and he wanted nothing more than to talk to her, to get her to notice him. He kneeled down next to her, “Can I have you?”

Buffy looked up at the boy with the dark floppy hair. Had he really said what she thought that he had? He looked pleasant, cute enough and with a warm look in his eyes. And he was human, she could tell that. This might be a welcome distraction to the tug she had been feeling since last night.

The boy cringed inwardly. He didn’t want to seem a loser to this girl. He gave a nervous laugh, “Duh, can I help you?” That’s smooth, scare her away before you even have a chance. That’s a new record for you.

She smiled. He was a nice boy, the first person to offer to help her. “Thanks.”

He realized that he was the only one to stop. She must think it strange to be approached by some strange guy in the hallway. “I don’t know you, do I?”

“I’m Buffy. I’m new.” He really was trying to make a good impression, she could tell. Perhaps he would be worth more conversations.

“Xander. Is, is me. Hi.” He smiled. He was so nervous. Please let her like me, please don’t let her think I’m some huge loser. Please!

“Um...thanks.” This boy was trying very hard. She herself was a bit distracted. But he was very funny, she had to admit.

They gathered her belongings up together, neither saying a word through this short work. His mind was racing, here she was, the new beautiful girl. He didn’t know what to say, what to do. How should he talk? Did she think that he was cool? Think of something fast, after this she’s gonna go. “Well, uh, maybe I’ll see you around...maybe at school...since we...both...go there.”

Buffy smiled. She liked this boy. She could tell he was a person that she would have fun talking to. She needed to reassure him, “Great!” She stood up, as did he. “It was nice to meet you.”

She turned and walked off down the hall towards the library. Xander stood there, watching her go. He muttered to himself, “We both go to school. Very suave. Very not pathetic.” He looked down at the floor, and noticed a stake lying on the ground. He called out, leaning down, “Oh! Hey! You forgot your....” he examined it closely, with curiosity, “stake.”

But Buffy had nearly reached the library by now and didn’t hear him. She approached the double doors with the word Library printed above it. Pushing open the doors she walked in. She looked around at the library, it seemed empty. “Hello?” She came further in. Shouldn’t there be a librarian in this school? “Is anybody here?”

She walked up to the checkout counter. The high polished counter had a newspaper on it, opened to one of the local interest sections. It was the part of the paper that was for third-rate news that most people were unconcerned with. One picture was circled, with a caption that announced that a boy was still missing. Buffy frowned. This was the type of thing that should be page 1. This town wasn’t supposed to be so full of strange disappearances that the loss of a young boy would be put to one of the last pages.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. She spun around, seeing a tall older man standing behind her. He had brown hair, and wore glasses. He was handsome, although he was too old for her tastes. Much too old. But he had an air about him that was familiar to her somehow.... “Oooh! Anybody’s here!”

He looked at her, “Can I help you?” He spoke with a cultured English accent. His whole air was cultured, yet not uninviting.

“I was looking for some, well, books. I’m new here.”

He tilted his head to the side and appraised her, “Miss Summers?”

She smiled, “Good call! Guess I’m the only new kid, huh?”

“I’m Mr. Giles, the librarian. I was told that you were coming.” He walked around the checkout counter to stand behind it. As he moved over there she talked.

Someone was on top of something at least. God knew that she had been off her game. So distracted. She pulled out her schedule, where the books had been written, “Great! So, um, I’m gonna need ‘Perspectives of the 20th century...’” She listed off the books that had been listed for her classes.

He interuppted her, “I know what you’re after.” He knelt behind the counter then came up quickly with a large tome. With a smile on his face he put the book down on the counter. On the cover was printed in large letters the word “VAMPYR.”

Buffy’s eyes hit the book then shot up to his face. This wasn’t supposed to be happening, not here. She had moved away from LA, she had hoped that she would never have to deal with all this again. Not here. She didn’t want to go through all this again.

Her mind flashed back to the past year. Her parent’s break up, her falling grades and social status in school, finally ending with being expelled after she was caught burning down a school building, the third building she had done so to.

And her first watcher’s face. Merrick had died because of her calling. Because she had failed. She didn’t want to put any more people through that.

Mr Giles could see the anger on her face. He could see the hurt, the suffering that had tortured her. Yes, this was the right girl, he knew it. He walked over to the library doors and put the “CLOSED” sign outside the door. He turned back to the young woman, “Miss Summers, I am a watcher. It is my duty to train the slayer. You are the slayer, and it is your duty...”

“My DUTY?!?” She glared at him. “I left LA hoping to never hear about that shit ever again. I don’t want to do it again! I don’t want to come to a town where disappearances are so common that they’re pushed to the middle of the paper where no one will see them! I don’t want to have my vampire senses pulling at my mind every minute of the day!”

He looked at her, “Miss Summers, I apologize for the hardships that might have fallen upon you. But I must tell you that the supernatural gravitates around the slayer. Especially here. I’ll have you know that we are on what is known as the Hellmouth.”

Her eyes were vacant now, as she tried to grasp what he had just said. “Hellmouth? As in the mouth of Hell?” This couldn’t be true. She had wanted to escape all this only to be thrown right into the center of it all.

“Yes I’m afraid so.” He walked up to her and led her to one of the tables, pulling out a chair for her which she promptly sat down into. He kneeled down in front of her, she was so young, this one. He had never had a slayer of his very own, but the ones that he had been exposed to had always been older than this. He felt the need to calm her, to nurture her. “I’m sorry for what might have happened to you, but you must know that trouble will come to you, whether you are prepared for it or not. The best course of action is to prepare.”

“I just want everyone to be safe. I don’t want to go through all that again.”

“Then the best way to keep them all safe is to keep the dangers away. Dangers will come to you, and you will have to fight them. I offer you my assistance.”

She looked to him, “I don’t want you to get hurt. Last time my watcher died. Now my slayer senses are going off all the time, ever since last night. It doesn’t ever stop, does it?”

Giles sat silently and heard her words. Bad times were coming, he knew. The signs were coming together, and they all pointed towards something ominous. This girl was at the center of it, as the slayer. Her words only confirmed it. Research was to be done. “Come back after school. We will begin training then. You can call your parents from here and tell them where you are.”

Underneath the streets the master sat in his throne, surrounded by the members of his family. Soon more would come. The most powerful of his line would be brought to him to join in the strongest coven in three centuries.

He could feel them approaching. Drawing closer and closer, soon they would be with him. Soon the name Aurelius would be feared by all in their world once more. Even if what Darla had told him concerning Angelus was true, they would be a force to be reckoned with. And he was sure that they could fix that problem, it was only a matter of time.

In the middle of the Texas desert a black vehicle drove down the empty highway, the sun beating down on the painted windshield. Inside Spike, with Drusilla leaning against him fast asleep, was driving ahead. Dru had said that when they met their family she would be healthy again. He hoped that was true, it had been so long since she was at her peak. He couldn’t wait until she was strong again, they would have so much fun.

In her head Drusilla also had visions. She dreamed of the stars, and a woman dancing beneath them. A dark child, beautiful and deadly. She saw herself, strong and deadly again. She saw herself dance with the child, fangs and blood and fists. So beautiful.

She pressed closer to Spike as she slept. He smiled sleepily and pulled her closer to him. He would make her strong again, and they would have so much fun together.