[Reviews - 226]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 3074 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you, for reading this fiction. It's a tough one to write and will not be short, I'm afraid.
Warning: The violence in this chapter is by reference only.
LA COSA NOSTRA: LA FAMILIA



Chapter 12: ‘She Was A Slayer’


A/N: I’m so trying to keep this fiction going. Hopefully, I can explain just ‘what’ the ring is and some of it’s history. However, I’m not sure how to explain what it can do?


“I don’t understand, Grandpa,” little James said, confused now. “Why are you so sad?”

“I…” Marcus the Godfather began, his voice full of pain. The all mighty powerful vampire reached out and plucked his only grandchild from his mother’s arms and held him, tightly.

“My Annie,” Marcus whispered to no one in particular. “You’re father’s mother, the ring was hers. A Watcher, nearly a hundred years ago. He killed my Annie and took her ring from her ashes. She was human, once, at least half human and I…”

Buffy watched the drama unfolding in front of her, disbelieving, for the most part.

‘He turned her,’ Buffy realized in shock. ‘Spike’s father turned his mother, completely and a Watcher from the Council murdered her. No wonder why Marcus has no use for Watchers?’

“Will,” Buffy wrapped her arm about Spike’s shoulders and nestled her head into his chest. “Your mother? Was she…”

“A Slayer,” Marcus answered for his son. “Anne was a Slayer, once. Before I seduced her, claimed and turned her. She was ‘my’ Slayer and I loved her.”

Buffy glanced over at Giles, who, she noticed, looked as if he’d been told that the Queen of England was really a man. The old Watcher looked as if he was going to be sick.

“A Slayer?” Giles mumbled, stunned.

“A hybrid,” Marcus replied in a monotone voice, his blue eyes were clouded with pain. “Her mother was a human Slayer. She was bitten by a master vampire, while she was pregnant with Anne. When Anne was born, she carried human and vampire traits. Mostly human. Because of my Annie’s lineage? She was doomed, from the beginning, to be a slave to the Watcher’s Council.”

“I don’t understand,” Xander mumbled as he stood, surprisingly, by what used to be Charles Gunn. “Are you saying that William’s mother was a Slayer? Like Buffy? But a mix of demon and human?” Xander looked even more puzzled then he usually did.

“My Anne,” Marcus whispered in a voice full of regret. “The first time I saw her? She was taking out half of the Hoarde from Hell. Vampires,” the Godfather continued, with a slight smile.

Marcus handed his Grandson, James, to Spike, who just stood stock still, his blue eyes clouded in pain.

“Anne was so beautiful, wasn’t she, William?” Marcus asked his oldest son.

“Yes,” Spike nodded in agreement, “Mum was beautiful, Dad.” He looked over at his younger brothers, Angel and Connor. Spike felt a tinge of sympathy for the two vampires. Their own mother, Jennifer, was a wonderful female and mate for their father. But even the two youngest Aurileous’s realized, long ago, that she would never be able to replace Anne, Drusilla’s and Spike’s mum, in their father’s unbeating heart.

“There was a ball,” Marcus continued in a disembodied voice. “A few days after the ‘Hoarde’ incident.” He smirked, briefly, then continued his tale.

“I attended the gala, having been ‘invited’ by the Count De Comaise. A titled, genteel aristocrat, at the time, that is. I appeared at the party, after sunset, of course, attired in the best apparel of the time. My family has always been well-to-do,” Marcus paused and winked, quickly, at Buffy.

“Anne was there,” Marcus smiled warmly. “Attired in the finest pale blue silk to be found. She wore her hair down, which was quite unfashionable, at the time. But I thought it made her look like a golden Goddess. My Golden Goddess,” he added with a sigh.

“I knew then, at that moment, of course,” the Godfather continued, perhaps unaware of his rapt audience by now. “I knew that this ‘woman’ was my destiny. My one true love. Who cared if she was a Slayer of my kind? ‘She’ was my kind and I wanted her. Loved her at first sight. So, I persued my Anne, relentlessly, following her about the ball like a love sick ponce.”

Spike flinched, in recognition of himself and Buffy. The blond vampire gazed at his Buffy, lovingly, as he held their son to his cool body.

“Of course she rebuked and rejected me, immediately,” Marcus chuckled softly. “Threatened to stake me if I did not leave her sight instantly. Then she said the most remarkable thing,” he smirked in memory.

“Anne said it would be a pity to stake such a handsome being as you, Lord Aurileous. So be on your way, sir, now. For when we meet again? I know one of us will surely die, and I could not bear it to be you.”

“After that?” Marcus sighed deeply, “I courted my Annie as best I could, day and night. Day being the most difficult, of course. We grew closer, nightly, until I dared to ‘make her mine’ by claiming her. She returned the claim, much to her Watcher’s dismay. The old fool never could understand that my Annie needed me as much as I needed her.”

“I would follow her, everywhere, after sunset. Watch ‘over’ her as she followed her unhappy duty and killed the dregs of the demon world. One night, Annie got caught by a particularly strong vampire. A nasty brute, I guess. I was not with her, at the time. My own duties, as…” his voice trailed off.

“The bastard grabbed my Annie and ignored the claim that I had marked on her beautiful neck. He had drained her, nearly dry, by the time I reached them. Annie,” Marcus spared a look at his son, Spike, “her heart had nearly stopped beating, completely and I saw no other choice but the one I took.”

The Godfather’s blue eyes turned black with anger. “I came too late to ‘save’ her, my Annie,” he explained. “There was nothing to do but to ‘save’ her ‘forever’ by turning her, all the way. Which I did, without hesitation. And,” he finished harshly, “I would do again, in a heartbeat.”

“Godfather,” Giles stammered cautiously, “I…” The Watcher gazed at ‘his’ Slayer, lovingly.

“






“You knew,” Buffy hissed at Spike, accusingly, breaking the nostolgic spell that Marcus the Godfather had weaved about the room. “All the time, from day one, with us? You knew that this had happened before. That your own parents ‘were’ us once. You…”

The Slayer began to cry, softly and turned from the group of demons and people about her. She sought out Willow, who took Buffy into her gentle embrace and tried to comfort her.

“Buffy,” Giles murmered quietly, “this is hardly the time to fall apart, emotionally. William probably had no idea about all of this and…” Giles looked at Spike, hopefully, “you didn’t know the whole story, right?” He asked the blond vampire.

“Not all of it,” Spike whispered as he closed the space between Buffy and him. The vampire pulled Buffy from Willow’s arms and wrapped his own about her.

“I knew Da turned Mum, baby,” Spike explained in a whispery voice. “Had no idea of who and what she was before that, not totally anyway. Promise.” He nuzzled his lips into Buffy’s warm, soft golden head and cuddled her close to his body.

“I believe you,” Buffy choked out. She took Will’s left hand in her right one and brought it to her lips. “Always,” she whispered her promise.

“Always,” Spike murmered, returning the kiss on their clasped hands. “You are mine as I am yours,” he added, reverently.

“You are mine, as I am yours,” Buffy repeated with a firm nod of her blond head.

“See, Grandpa,” James giggled, “Mum and Dad love each other. No worries,” the little boy nodded wisely, kissing his big strong Grandfather’s cool cheek.

“No worries, James,” Marcus echoed his very ‘wise beyond his years’ grandson’s words.

“I still don’t get it,” Xander hissed at Giles and Willow. “How the heck did Riley Finn get Anne’s claiming ring?”

“The name of the Watcher,” Rupert Giles blurted out his question, boldly. “Do you know the name of your wife’s ‘murderer’ Godfather?”

“Quinn,” Marcus muttered, holding his grandson protectively, “the bastard’s name was Quinn Travers.”

Spike and Buffy stopped with their silent, private bonding ritual and glared at the Godfather.

“Quinn Travers?” Buffy hissed in shock. “As in Q. Travers, esq.?” She stared at her own Watcher, Rupert Giles.

“Oh dear Lord,” Giles gasped, removing his glasses and cleaning them thoroughly, on his shirt.

“The head of the present day Watcher’s Council,” Giles mumbled, under his breath. “His name is Quentin Travers and I believe he had an ancestor by the name of Quinn Travers. Oh, dear,” Giles sighed heavily.

Buffy pulled away from her ‘mate’ and strode over to her Watcher, an angry gleam in her eye.

“Do you think that Travers, I mean the present day one, had a hand in giving that ring to Riley?” Buffy was beginning to get more then a little disturbed with these turn of events.

“It’s likely,” Giles groaned. “Quentin Travers is a rude, crude and sociably unacceptable moron. He’s tried to rid the Slayer world of you,” Rupert averted his gaze from Buffy’s, “many times. We know that. He has ties to Ethan Rayne, my old college ‘chum’ and now, enemy. If he thought it would serve ‘his’ purpose,” Giles continued, gruffly, “he would sell his Grandmother for a dime.”

“I get it!” Xander burst into Giles’ tirade. “Old Quentin Travers, the now one that is,” he continued smugly. “He got his hands on Spike’s mother’s ring, right? His great-great-grandfather, Quin, killed Anne, then took her ring. Somewhere, somehow,” Xander was almost jumping for joy at his deductions, “Quentin inherited the ring and ‘gave’ it to Riley? Maybe even before old Finn went fangy on us?” Xander looked like he was about to wet his pants from the excitement of having formed a coherant thought.

“That’s got to be it,” Spike hissed harshly. “That bastard Travers is in this up to his ears,” he finished with a pained frown. “His great-great granddad must have been this Quinn Travers. He must have been my Mum’s Watcher, when she was a slayer. But why in the world would he ever kill Mum?”

Buffy felt a hard tug at her heart. The pain in her mate’s eyes was killing her. She took her son from his Grandfather and buried her head into the boy’s soft neck.

Spike clasped both his mate and their son to him, tightly. He turned his head to look at his father.

“Explain, please,” he asked simply of the ‘family’ patriach.

“Watcher?” Marcus barked at Giles, his blue eyes met the human’s even blue orbs in a hateful glare.

“The ring is special,” Giles mumbled, almost embarrassed by the revelations of that day.

“Special?” Buffy asked weakly, not liking the sound of this, at all. She snuggled her little family closer to her.

“If I was to ask you, Godfather,” Giles stared evenly at the master vampire. “If I was to ask you,” the Watcher began again, carefully. “About the ring on your finger,” Giles nodded at Marcus’s ruby ring. “Would you tell me that a once great Roman Warrior wore that ring? Perhaps the greatest known true General warrior of Rome?”

“I would, Watcher,” Marcus rasped in reply.

“And the ring that your beloved Anne wore? Her wedding ring, of sorts?” Giles continued in a quiet voice. “Who’s ring was that, Godfather? And who placed that ring on the original owner’s slim finger?”

“This ring,” Marcus held up his hand for all in the room to see. “This ring was worn by Julius Caesar himself. From the time he conquered the known territories of Rome, until the he was assassinated on the steps of the Roman Senate House.”

“And my Mother’s ring?” Spike asked in a strained voice, clutching his Buffy and their son to him.

“Her’s,” Marcus replied in a somewhat subdued voice. “Her majesty, Empress Cleopatra VII; Queen of the Nile, Pharoh’s most beloved Daughter, Daughter of Isis Herself and Mother to the true heir of Rome, Caesarion; Descendant of Ptolemy, Alexander’s truest ally and friend.”

“Shit!” Buffy gasped in wide-eyed shock. “That’s some freakin’ lineage you’ve got there!” She gazed at her son with pride and smiled at her William, affectionately.

“The ring belongs to my Buffy,” Spike blurted out, suddenly. “And that fuckhead, Riley Finn thinks if he wears it? He owns her? Is that is?” the blond vampire roared his disapproval.

“Mine!” Spike growled again as he clasped his mate and son to him, possessively. “They are mine!” he roared loudly, shaking the old beams and rafters of the abandoned warehouse.

“Of course Buffy and James are ‘yours’ William,” Giles interjected, calmly. “What we have to find out is why Quentin Travers ‘gave’ Riley that ring, and what all this means. If the ring has certain powers? Then we need to get it away from the ponce, Riley, as soon as possible.”

Giles nodded in self-satisfaction as he motioned for Wesley to join him. “I think we should put our two brains together, Pryce,” Giles admonished the now turned ex-Watcher. “Do some research, get some answers.”

“Brilliant, Rupert,” Wesley grinned widely, just barely showing his long, white fangs. “However,” the ex-Watcher paused in thought, “I wonder if Miss Willow would like to join us?” The handsome vampire smiled, benevolently, at the red-haired young woman.

“I’d be honored,” Willow replied with a breathy sigh. “Just say when and I’m…”

“Okay,” Xander groaned, audibly, “this is getting ridiculous. Buffy is somewhat ‘mated’ to Spike aka William the Bloody. They’ve got a kid, the spawn of…” Xander caught Spike’s nasty glare towards him and didn’t finish the statement.

“Okay,” Xander began again, “we’ve got Buffy and William, together again. I could get used to that. Really, I could,” Xander continued, nervously, as he stared at Spike from the corner of his brown eye.

“But now? Willow and an ex-Watcher, Wesley the Vampire ‘mouthpiece’ suit? What next? Me and a trophy vampire wife who…”

“My Darla happens to be a fucking trophy vampire wife, human!” Angel hissed at poor Xander, with a venomous tone.

“Sorry,” Xander whispered, meekly.

“I really ‘like’ Dawn Summers,” Connor gushed, unembarrassed by the legions of the undead that surrounded him.

“Oh, for the love of God above!” Xander cried out in exasperation.

All of a sudden, the whole ‘audience’ grew quiet and waited with baited breath, or unbreath, as the case may be.

Giles gave Xander a nasty look, while Buffy just groaned, loudly and Willow sighed, audibly.

“Not a real good ‘save’ there whelp,” Spike chuckled good naturedly. “My family, our soldiers? ‘That’ name isn’t one they like to hear, too often that is.” The blond vampire slapped his old enemy, Xander Harris, on his back.

“Sorry, again,” Xander mumbled with a blush.

“So what now?” Buffy asked, quietly, trying to break the mood that had enveloped the building.

“We find Riley’s nest,” Spike barked out, like a commander. “I get to snap the fuck’s neck, myself,” he added with a pleased grin.

“Will,” Buffy sighed in frustration.

“Yes, beloved,” Spike purred as he tucked a blond strand of hair behind her ear, affectionately.

“Please, for the love of all that’s not quite holy?” Buffy sighed. “Quit cursing in front of our impressionable son!”


A/N: Bet you thought I’d given up on this one, huh? Nope.

Please read and review, thanks, Luv, Spuf





You must login (register) to review.