Chapter 15: Stormy Days
8 8 8
The second that Buffy said they were going to the beach to enjoy the brilliant weather, Cassandra knew that Dracula was coming.
And, of course, she had to wonder at the timing.
The days had languidly turned hotter, bathing Sunnydale in the heat that gave the small, deadly town its name. The sun beat down on them almost constantly, and whenever Daniel and Cassandra went to visit Spike, he complained about it. Loudly.
Cassandra often found excuses to drag Daniel to Spike’s crypt without the others’ knowledge. Despite Spike’s groaning, she understood Dawn when she had said she felt safe there. Spike had a way of spinning marvellous ghost stories that would leave even Daniel shivering.
After the initial burst of research brought on by their arrival, everyone had tired and bored of it except for Giles. When Anya pointed out the fact that since Daniel and Cassandra had brought the prophecy with them, it would be a fairly new one and therefore not documented, Giles deflated. As such, Buffy managed to get them out of the house to go on a shopping spree with Tara and Willow for clothes. It was decided that they stay with Giles despite his protests for the time being, although they really spent more time on Revello Drive with Buffy and Joyce.
As for Cassandra, she was in the literal seventh heaven. Buffy was her idol. Back on her own earth dimension, posters had adorned her walls and action figures had stood from almost every available platform, bought by money she had painstaking scraped together. She took some time to get over staring after Buffy adoringly with puppy eyes, and it took Buffy herself to joke uncomfortably that ‘you know, apart from the whole saving the world job, I am human’ to get her to snap out of it.
Daniel found everyone to be every bit as kind, intelligent, gentle, compassionate, understanding, and plain funny as Cassandra had described. He and Xander struck up a friendship almost instantly, Daniel matching his dry sardonic wit to Xander’s cheery one. He also had a mutual bond of growing respect with Giles. He admired the Watcher for his vast knowledge and acute insight, while Giles was forced to respect his cool-headedness and his uncanny maturity for his age.
Things had really been going quite well as they’d settled in, surprisingly. There had been no more visits from delegates of the Powers, and everyone accepted that Cassandra and Daniel had a part to play, even though Cassandra had somehow known that now was not the time to tell all that she knew. Somehow, she had to help them through without telling them about the T.V series back on her dimension. So they were like normal teenagers, hanging out with the Scoobies as they adjusted to this demon-filled, magic-run world.
When Olivia came, they moved to the guest room at Revello, and while Buffy patrolled, they laughed with Willow and Tara, or listened secretly to Joyce and Spike conversing over cups of hot chocolate. They also found that they had created identities that the Powers had thoughtfully provided them with.
That had been quite amusing.
“He’s an illegitimate child of my uncle’s sent to study here with my mentor… the librarian… Rupert Giles!” Xander protested. “Come on! That’s ridiculous! No-one’s going to buy that!”
“She’s my cousin?” Willow asked in disbelief. “I don’t have any cousins with black hair!”
“So why are they staying at my house if they’re your random relatives?” Giles complained.
Their identities also provided them with a place at Sunnydale Junior, Year 8. Of course, as it was the holidays at the moment, they didn’t attend.
Of course, this bliss couldn’t last forever.
8 8 8
Dracula had been at the start of Season Five. And Season Five was a year after Season Four. Not… three months.
Something was happening, and it was completely screwing up the time system that Cassandra had made up in her head. She’d thought that they’d at least have half a year to settle in to life on the Hellmouth. It was still hard, waking up in the morning in a foreign bed, one hand searching for a nonexistent alarm to shut it off automatically, one hand seeking the comfort that the soft toy monkey always lent her in the mornings.
As stupid as it sounded, she missed Cheeky.
Cassandra was one for meticulously planning, but she also knew that mainly, the only reason she did so was to further her procrastinating. And now…? Oh gods. This was dumb. She’d foregone the beach to go to Spike’s… and had suddenly realized something.
Dawn was coming today.
Oh Gods, Dawn was coming today!
Buffy did a victory dance in her beach sari. “Hah! Touchdown. Oh yeah! Go Team me!”
Riley laughed. “Anybody ever tell Team You the quarterback throws like a girl?”
Buffy caught the ball, frowning. “I do?”
Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara lounged on the beach, watching them. Xander sighed. “I'm exhausted just looking at those two. All the splashing and jumping and running... Shouldn't relaxing involve less exertion?”
”Absolutely,” Anya agreed, smiling. “Exertion can lead to sweatiness.”
”Which can cause the pain and heartbreak of stinkiness,” Tara chuckled. “Better to just stay put.”
Willow grinned at that. “I think we've just put our finger on why we're the sidekicks.”
They watched as Buffy and Riley approached, sprayed with water and sand and laughs. “What, Game over?” Willow asked innocently..
“Uh, Buffy slayed the football,” Riley threw the deflated ball aside.
“Where my burger?” Buffy queried.
”Yeah, man, I'm starving. Cow me.”
Xander sighed again. “The, uh, fire's not cooperating. It's comforting to know that I lack the culinary finesse of a caveman.”
Willow gestured at the flames. “Ignis incende.”
The beach fireplace burst in a sudden whoosh of flame, causing Xander to fly backwards in shock onto the sand. Buffy grinned admiringly as Tara and Willow shared a look. “Willow, check you out! Witch-fu.”
“It's no big,” Willow said modestly. “You just have to balance the elements so when you affect one, you don't wind up causing... “
A huge clap of thunder decided at that moment to interrupt as dark clouds dissolved out of nowhere, and began to pelt them with rain. Everyone leapt up, shrieking, and Xander and Tara began frantically gathering up their stuff to run to shelter.
“I didn't do it! I didn't do it!” Willow yelped.
8 8 8 8 8
“Spike! Spike!”
Spike snapped awake as the crypt door came crashing open. He growled irritably under his breath. When would Platelet and Junior realize that vampires slept in the day!
“Spike! Please!”
Not that he’d ever tell them he enjoyed these little visits. Oh no… he hadn’t seen the Scoobies for a looooong time. Not since that little incident when they’d accused him of lying. He wasn’t really too keen to face them again, either. But the relationship that was building between the three of them meant more to him than he’d care to admit. They’d come here when the Watcher was on another research spree. Cassandra would sometimes talk about candles, her eyes fixed on him full of admiring adoration. He’d scare them with his massacres when the candles grew dim. Daniel would lean back, observing with sarcastic comments how it amazing it was that nothing had been set on fire yet. Spike’d never told Daniel this, but the instant Kraggy had leapt in an knocked some realizations into his head and then started on the humans, Spike had begun to harbour a grudging respect. Not many boys his age would move so automatically to protect someone in front of a raging Jok’lar demon. And firm and unwavering loyalty always commanded Spike’s respect.
“Spike! Are you there?”
“Where else would I be, Platelet?” Spike started getting worried. He pulled some jeans on and a shirt before Cassandra came barrelling down the ladder.
“Oh, thank God,” Cassandra sighed, collapsing against the crypt wall. It was only then that he noticed she was completely soaking.
“What’s wrong, Platelet?” Spike asked.
“Buffy and the Scoobies are in danger!”
He looked at her incredulously. “And I should care… why?”
“Come on, Spike,” she pleaded. “I know you’ve changed. Giles told me the enjoining spell…”
“Giles knows jack all,” Spike retorted roughly, before climbing back into bed. “And you’ve got to remember Platelet, as much as I’m fond of you and Junior coming around, I owe the Scoobies nothing. Hell, if you told me they were all sitting around in the Watcher’s living-room with their throats ripped out, I’d probably dance for joy and then run out to enjoy the sight.”
Cassandra had, however, zeroed in one thing.
“You like having Daniel and I come around?” she asked shyly.
Spike groaned in frustration at his careless slip. “Argh! Alright, so what if I do?” he thrust out his jaw pugnaciously. “Maybe I just like the sound of your heartbeats and the rushing blood and the fact that, if it weren’t for this chip, you’d have been dinner ages ago.”
“Oh yeah,” Cassandra felt some of Daniel’s sarcasm seep into her. “Like you really talk to me about candles and scare us with ghost stories because you think of us as dinner.”
Spike opened his mouth, and then closed it. Then opened it again. “Nah, I’m just spooking you in anticipation of the fear I’ll taste in your blood. Makes it go down all smooth, you know?”
Cassandra shrunk back, suddenly wishing she’d gone to Revello Drive and gotten Daniel before she came. Spike was… scaring her.
“S-stop,” she stuttered softly. “Look, I only want your help because it’s Dracula.”
“Dracula!” he demanded in disbelief, and then began to laugh. She relaxed slightly. This was kinda how his reaction had been… hadn’t it?
“Dracula? Soddin’ poof owes me eleven pounds, he does. What’s this about my old rival?”
“You were… old rivals.” She remembered.
“Well, yeah,” he mistook the statement for a question. “Until of course, he got too big for us with his legends and his castles and his stupid gypsy tricks. Why?”
“He’s come to Sunnydale. For Buffy.”
“And I should help… why?”
Gotta keep up the Big Bad image. Gotta keep up the Big Bad image. Gotta keep up the Big Bad image…
“Because…” Cassandra cast around for an idea. Then her face lit up. “Because, if you’re old rivals, then you won’t want Dracula to kill Buffy! Because it’ll just prove he’s better than you, ‘cos you could never do it yourself!”
Spike narrowed his eyes at her. “Why do I get the sense I’m being manipulated, Platelet?”
She gave a weak smile of relief. “So, you’ll help?”
Spike snorted. “Of course.”
Cassandra ran and impulsively hugged him. “Thank-you! Oh, thank-you, Spike!”
“Only to show the bugger who’s boss,” Spike tried to sound sour, but failed. “Poncy bastard’s thrall doesn’t do anything on yours truly…”
He remembered she was completely saturated.
“Platelet… did you just run through the storm?”
She nodded.
“You are never, never, NEVER coming to my crypt when it’s cloudy again! D’you hear me, Platelet? Never! Not even if bloody SATAN is knocking around for a cup of tea!”
“B-but… why?”
“Are you bloody thick!” Spike half-roared. “Vamps can come out now! They could have wrung your pretty neck in seconds…”
“What, and you wanted to save that for yourself?”
Spike sighed. “Now, Platelet. You know I was joking. Look, you’d better go back to the Watcher’s, anyway. I’ll walk you back, to make sure no nasties will take a bite before I do.”
“Yeah, joking, huh?”
Spike laughed. “Y’know, you should really get away from Junior more. He steals all of your sarcasm.”
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
“Cassandra, good lord, what are you doing?”
“Standing out here and getting very wet, Watcher. What does it look like?”
“Spike,” Giles realized guardedly.
Spike sauntered in, pulling arrogance around him like his leather duster. “Found the crazy bint walking through the graveyard to my crypt,” he announced. “Think she forgot that vamps can walk under clouds.”
“Sorry,” Cassandra muttered, looking away.
“And what?” Giles was still shaken. Last time he’d seen Spike was… well… last time he’d heard of Spike was when Buffy came back, bloodstained, curtly telling everyone she’d fixed the problem. “You, being the all around good fellow that you are decided to escort her back?”
“Yeah,” Spike agreed with much aplomb. “And got something for that Watcher brain of yours to wrap around too.”
“And what might that be?” Giles shut the door. “Cassandra, you’re soaking. Go dry yourself off, won’t you? I’m sure you’ll find plenty of clothes around.”
Spike laughed at Giles’ sour face while Cassandra scampered off. “Let me guess, they all had a field day shopping… no, they used your money as well, didn’t they?”
“I should never have suggested it,” Giles sighed. “Anyway, what is it that you wanted?”
Clear, succinct. “Drac’s in town.”
Giles polished his glasses. “Pardon me?”
“Dracula’s in town. You know… the Count? The big guy? Surely you’ve heard of him?”
Giles didn’t even notice the sarcasm dripping from Spike’s tone. “Dear Lord. Dracula’s in Sunnydale? How do you know this?”
“Platelet brought it to my attention. Platelet. Y’know the bint you just sent off to get dry?”
Comprehension dawned. “You mean Cassandra? But how did she know?”
“I don’t know,” Spike realized.
Giles’ eyes lit up. “Kendra… they said something about… wait…
‘You have been chosen,
Before the death of Time,
To follow the path,
And teach with song and Rhyme’
Perhaps that’s what they’re talking about!” Giles exclaimed. “To teach with… uh… song and rhyme? Maybe they were referring to…”
“Why don’t you just ask her yourself when she comes down?”
“Yes… yes… I should…” Giles mused. “Do you know why Dracula’s here?”
“I would say that he wanted closure for the eleven pounds he owes me, but I know that’s not true,” Spike snorted. “All I know is that there’s been stories. I had a bit of a sniff around during the storm before Platelet came. Everyone knows Drac here, because of course, his legend is infamous…”
“Please, stay on topic.”
Spike glared at him. “I was getting there. Anyway, it’s been whispered that Drac’s spent the last couple of years hunting for the Slayer… ever since the Acathla incident. Came to Sunnydale while the Slayer was off wherever she was, but couldn’t find her. He’s probably tracked her down again to here. Chances are, it’s not to say hello.”
“Dracula’s hunting Buffy…”
“Shock, isn’t it?
Shock, isn’t it?
Yeah, it sure as hell was. NOT.
Cassandra drew the towel around her as she listened to the voices drift from below. And knowing with a sudden growing terror that she could potentially stuff this all up.
Spike never helped out with Dracula. Buffy had done fine all by herself. What if Spike changed that?
And what if it were her fault?
Suddenly, with a dizzying clarity, she realized that she could make or break everything. That was whoever the Powers’ spokesperson had been talking about. She was a seer in this world, or could easily pretend she was. And her lies, or her truths, would or could do something disastrous.
Dammit!
8 8 8
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here, I promised mucho updates! :) ^_^