Alexina
By karenk
Disclaimers: All Buffy characters belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. I’m just borrowing them for a while.
Spoilers: Seasons 4 and 5, in particular from Hush till The Gift. This story is set after Buffy is resurrected. How that is going to happen I don't know and I'm not going to guess . She's just back and in this fic.
Distribution: All you have to do is ask.
Feedback: Yes please.
Pairings: W/T (but of course), X/A
Author’s Note: This is my first Buffy fan fiction. I started writing fan fiction around four years ago with Xena, then that became uber-Xena and now, I usually write more original short fiction. I haven’t seen all the Buffy episodes. I only started watching the show when Tara was introduced, so if I get any canon wrong, please let me know. And this is only my second attempt at a longish fic (my latest stories are usually less than 10 pages in word), so bear with me.
Chapter 1
“Look… look… look…” Xander’s pointed excitedly at the motorbike parked right by the kerb, “There’s the… the…”
“Are you drooling again, Xander? ‘Cause I’ve already told you before that you’re not allowed to drool on inanimate objects.” Anya was getting jealous. It was the third night in a row that Xander had stopped the Scoobies mid-patrol to admire the same motorbike. She frowned slightly, “You’re not allowed to drool on other animate objects besides me too.”
Her fiancé did not answer as he was not listening, he was too busy staring at the curves of the machine and mumbling to himself, almost touching the frame of the motorbike but not. Which of course elicited chuckles from the other three young women standing around, a vampire slayer along her patrol, the slayer’s best friend and the slayer’s best friend’s girlfriend.
“Is that the same one?” Tara asked.
Willow nodded her head, “Sure looks like the same one… I mean, what are the odds?”
“One in about 25,000.” Xander said absently, without looking back at the women behind him.
“Huh?” Four equally quizzical faces looked at one another though Willow was the one who uttered the question.
“The odds are one in about 25,000… this is a limited edition, custom-made model.” He swung round with a rather incredulous look on his face, “I can’t believe the owner would just leave it outside like that. I mean, someone could… you know… hurt it.”
“Um… Xander?” Buffy twirled her finger round.
Xander’s eyes grew huge as he turned again, rather sheepishly this time and came almost face-to-face with a woman almost half a head taller than him and dressed completely in black. With a smirk on her face.
“Err… hi?” which was followed by a soft chorus of other “hi”s from the rest of the gang.
The stranger just continued standing there with a smirk on her face and her arms carrying a brown paper bag of groceries. Which kinda makes sense since she just came out of a 24-hour convenience store.
“Cool ride.” Buffy quipped when she saw that Xander was still tongue-tied, whether that was from seeing that the owner of that cool monster bike was not a man, or that the woman was wearing a pair of leather pants that fitted her perfectly and which seemed to just go on and on.
“Thanks. It’s a mode of transportation.” The woman shrugged as she turned to open the bike case to put her groceries in while taking out her helmet. “You wanna ride?” she asked, glancing at Buffy.
Buffy was taken aback and the surprise must have shown on her face for the stranger chuckled and rolled her sky-blue eyes. “What am I saying? Young woman accepting a ride from a stranger? Your mum would have warned you against that…” The woman shook her head as she finished packing her groceries in.
“Well… I’m Buffy. Buffy Summers.” The slayer smiled as she offered her hand, “These are my friends, Willow and her girlfriend, Tara, the guy who’s been drooling over your ride is Xander and that’s Anya, his fiancée.”
The rest offered their hands to the woman, though Xander had to be poked in his ribs by Anya to act.
“Nice to meet you all. My name’s Alexina, Alexina Christofides. But you can call me Alex.”
“You’re Greek.”
“That’s right, Willow. I was born near Athens, though I’ve not been back for many years.”
“You’re new here.”
Alexina nodded to answer Tara’s question, “Been here a few days…”
“Business or pleasure?” it was Buffy’s turn with the questions. Anya was too busy staring angrily at her fiancé’s open-mouthed reaction to the Greek woman.
“I don’t think anyone in their right frame of mind comes to Sunnydale for pleasure, Buffy…” Alex pulled her helmet on, “Hate to seem rude, but I’ve gotta go. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around…” With a final wave, Alex rode off.
“Now… what did she mean by that?” Willow asked, not really expecting an answer from the rest.
But she got one, “I dunno, but I think we’re gonna find out.” was all the slayer could say as she shrugged and continued on her nightly patrol, her friends following behind - Anya busy slapping Xander on his arms and whining at him for his reaction to Alex while Willow and Tara were doing their best to ignore the other couple, walking hand-in-hand, just behind Buffy.
Tara’s eyes were troubled. Alexina had seemed familiar somehow; she could barely remember her mother having a very close lady friend who was Greek when she was very little. So little in fact that the woman’s height made her seem like a giant to the pint-sized Tara. Then one day, the ‘giant’ lady was gone and that was when the beatings started. For both her and her mother.
Chapter 2
“Damn it!” Buffy was torn between running after a nasty demon of an unidentified type, or running to the Magic Box and getting her friends to help hunt the demon down. “I had to choose tonight to get the Scoobies to leave me to my patrolling… great timing Buffy…” After her return, her friends had loathed for Buffy to patrol by herself and tonight was the first night that she was alone, “All by my lonesome self… great, just great…”
Buffy was fast losing ground to the deceptively quick demon (for its huge size) who had already nicked her slightly on her right arm. The slayer was about to finally give up the chase and head to the Magic Box for backup and research when the roar of a motorbike came up from just behind her.
Alex stopped her bike just long enough to throw her extra helmet to the surprised blonde, “Hop on.” Buffy did not move.
“Come on, Buffy… that creature’s getting away…” Alex gestured as she revved up her bike.
The slayer finally started pulling on her helmet and onto the bike as she heard those words ‘getting away’. Nothing escapes the slayer, she thought to herself.
“Put your arms around my waist and hang on tight… it’s gonna be a rough ride.” Alex’s deep drawl crackled over the radio built-into the helmet.
“Radio helmets… that’s SO cool…” Buffy said as she followed Alex’s instructions and braced herself when it became clear that the Greek woman intended to followed the demon right into the park and it’s slight hill.
Alex just chuckled as she concentrated on getting them and the machine up the slight hill where the demon had ran towards.
With the help of the bike, the distance between the demon and the slayer was closing fast and when the distance became more respectable and Buffy narrowing her eyes in anticipation of round two when to the slayer’s surprise, a length of branch hit the demon square on its back.
The bike came to a halt and Buffy stopped thinking about how Alex had managed to swipe a branch without her noticing and concentrated instead on hopping off the massive machine, which was a little awkward due to her size. Pulling off her helmet, she let it drop absently before running towards the still downed demon. In the back of her mind, she could hear Alex doing roughly the same thing and a part of her wanted to tell Alex to leave the demon to her.
But before Buffy could turn round fully to warn Alex, Alex’s voice cried out a warning, “Buffy, look out!”
The slayer swung her head back just in time to duck a swipe from the demon who then changed tactics and charged towards her, overwhelming Buffy with his bigger size, bringing the slayer to the ground. Just as Buffy was about to use her slayer strength to throw the creature off, the demon was pulled off her and thrown back by the increasingly menacing looking Alex.
“You alright?” the dark woman asked.
“I wonder if Buffy’s alright?”
Tara smiled as Willow asked the same question for the twentieth time that night. She waited for Mr Giles’ twentieth answer.
“Willow, I’m sure Buffy’s quite alright…” Giles did not disappoint.
“Yeah but…” Willow was still worried. She had the right to worry, since she was the slayer’s best friend.
“You know what we should do?” Xander jumped in the conversation from the floor where he had been pacing since Buffy had left. “We need to get Buffy one of those mobile phones so she can call us anytime she needs to.”
Willow’s eyes opened wide at the possibilities, “We should all get one. Us, the Scoobies, we should all get one and… and…”
“Willow…” Tara placed her hand on Willow’s arm, calming the other witch down instantly, “slow down…”
“But… we should’ve thought of this long ago… I mean…”
Before Tara could stop Willow’s babbling again, the door to the Magic Box swung open.
“You should have told me you were nicked by the demon earlier.”
“Look, I’m fine, okay. I’m sure it’s nothing…”
“Nothing! The demon could have some sort of venom or something…”
“I know, that’s why we’re here, so Giles can…” Buffy finally looked at her friends from the doorway where she had been arguing with Alex. Her right hand was holding onto a cloth that was placed on top on her left arm. Alex was hovering just beside her. “Hey guys,” Buffy greeted her friends sheepishly.
Giles snapped into action upon seeing Buffy’s injury. “What kind of demon was it?” he asked as he helped his slayer to a seat around the table where most of the other Scoobies were before gently easing the cloth off and checking on the wound.
“Big. Huge claws. Umm…” Buffy looked towards Alex for help in the demon’s description.
Willow, Tara and a rather reluctant Anya were already on their feet, ready to start researching. They waited patiently (some more patient than others) for more information. And everyone turned towards the tall woman.
Alex sighed, her blue eyes stormy as she seemed to fight an internal battle with herself. Closing her eyes she sighed again before saying softly, “It was a Malon demon.”
“What?” Anya and Giles said in unison. “But that’s impossible… Malon demons are extremely rare and…”
“And they haven’t been seen in more than 400 years!” Anya finished.
“How did you know about them?” Giles asked, his voice taking on a tone of protectiveness towards the stranger in their mist. “Who are you?” the Watcher voiced the question everyone else in the shop wanted to know while Anya took a step back.
Chapter 3
“I’m Alexina Christofides.”
At everyone’s still silent looks (throwing in a couple of accusing stares as well), the dark woman added, “I’m not… I’m not evil… I’m only trying to help. Malon venom is deadly and if enough of it has gone into Buffy’s bloodstream, then she needs help. Fast. Questions can wait till we know for sure that Buffy’s okay.”
“I promise.” She added when the silence continued, “Buffy…”
“Giles, I think we can trust her. I mean, if she wanted me dead… she wouldn’t have helped me chase that demon off.”
“I don’t want you dead, slayer,” Alex looked at the others’ shocked expressions, “yes, I know you’re the slayer, Buffy. Like I said, I don’t want you dead, the alternative is not… well, not an alternative right now.”
“How did you know about…” Willow started.
“Like I know you and your girlfriend are slowly growing into your powers as witches, like I know Anya was a vengeance demon, Xander is Xander and Giles is the slayer’s Watcher. But the time for questions is not now.”
“She’s right, if it was a Malon demon attack, we must act quickly.” Giles finally said after another awkward silence, “Anya, go to the bookshelves upstairs, fourth one on the right, the top shelf. Xander, maybe you should go help Anya, the text is rather high up. The text in question is roughly translated as the Lores of Demonhood, volume 3. And Tara, if you could please go into the backroom and get the first aid kit from there.” The Watcher glanced back at Alex who was smiling slightly. Tara nodded and left the room silently.
“Impressive, Watcher. Do you have all the volumes?”
“No, Miss Christofides. Some volumes have only two or three copies left in existence. Most of mine have at least five left in the world.”
“In your known world, you mean. And call me Alex.” Alex raised an eyebrow challengingly at the Watcher.
“Yes, yes. I do mean that…” Giles tried to hide that he was flustered.
“Are you…” Buffy finally spoke up but before she could complete her question, Alex interrupted.
“Buffy, there’ll be time for questions later and I promise to answer all to the best of my abilities. I want to be your ally, not your enemy.”
“You don’t really make my slayer senses go all wiggy…” the slayer pointed out rather absently as she watched her best friend fiddling her make-shift bandage while Tara returned with the box of medical supplies Giles kept in the backroom for just such occasions.
Alex’s gaze found Tara’s more timid one and held on for a moment longer than Tara would have normally felt comfortable with, but somehow, the witch knew in her heart that Alex was not evil. At least, not anymore.
Tara startled herself with that last thought as she hurriedly broke eye contact with the enigmatic stranger and settled down near her grounding force, her girlfriend. She risked another glimpse at the tall woman and noticed that Alex’s blue eyes were still upon her and now held a tinge of pure sadness that made the kind-hearted witch sad too.
“I’m sure Buffy will be fine.” Tara said, though whether it was for the benefit of her girlfriend, who was still fussing with Buffy’s bandages, or the dark woman was unknown.
“Sure I’ll be, Tara. Slayer strength and all…” but even Buffy had to admit that she did not like the worried looks of her Watcher and Alex. She did not like it one bit.
“This is one heavy book you’ve got, Giles.” Xander huffed as he placed the massive, and rather dusty, tome down on the main table.
“Yes, and it had to be tucked away in that corner of the bookshelf… look, I’ve got dust all over…” Anya protested, brushing away the thin layer of dust that covered most of her as she was the one who had to hunt down the tome.
“Well… Anya, as you should be aware, this is an extremely…”
“Yeah, yeah… rare book. I know. Even I only heard of the Lores of Demonhood volumes before. I’ve never actually seen an actual volume before. Is it true that your demon ranking is determined by where you are mentioned in the Lores?” the ex-demon was curious.
“Pretty much so… I think vengeance demons are in the latter end of volume 1. Or it might be in the front bit of volume 2… can’t quite remember. Been a while since I read them.” Alex reached out of the book when it seemed that no one else was touching it.
Anya frowned, “How many volumes were there?” her voice was close to whining.
“Five.” Giles answered.
“Six.” Alex answered absently at the same time.
“The Watcher’s Council only has five volumes.”
“There’s only one volume 6 in existence. And not many know that there is even a sixth volume.” The dark woman explained.
“I don’t think I want to know what’s in volume 6…” Giles nervously took his glasses off to wipe them.
Alex shook her head, “If you’re dealing with anyone or anything mentioned in volume 6… you don’t need to and won’t have time to do any researching on them.”
She settled herself down on one of the chairs and started flipping carefully through the ancient text for the information on the Malon while Giles leaned against the counter, trying to regain his balance from the surprises thrown at him that night.
“What do you know of the Malon, Anya?” Xander decided that the silence was too uncomfortable.
“Yeah… how or why did they disappear?” Willow added.
The ex-demon scrunched up her forehead and tried to remember, “Well, like I said, no one’s seen them in like 400 years… but their numbers started dwindling closer to 500 years ago. Or well, they started hiding. They were, are, a very powerful demon race but they were always like followers of other demon types.”
“Foot soldiers in a demon army.” Xander pointed out.
“Exactly. They were really fast and really good fighters and everything but not really smart. Rumours have that some demon hunter named Ritza or something, started, well, hunting them down and killing them until they just disappeared from sight. Not to extinction by the looks of it…”
“I want Ritza on our team…” Tara said shyly. The others nodded their agreement, even Buffy.
“Here’s the page on the Malon, Watcher.” Alex relinquished her seat to the Giles who immediately left his position near the counter, “I’ll leave you all to figure out what needs to be done. I need to go before dawn breaks.” She looked at Buffy, “I promised answers… and I shall provide them… later tonight.”
Alex walked to the exit, “Take care. And I’ll see everyone soon.” Waving slightly, the raven-haired woman exited faster than anyone could raise any objections.
“Okay… who’s thinking vampire here?” Buffy asked before looking at her friends who all slowly put their hands up, even Giles.
“But how come my slayer senses didn’t go all wiggy?”
No one in the room had any response to that.
Chapter 4
“You think she’s really gonna show up later?” Tara asked Buffy. The Scoobies had decided to accompany Buffy on her patrol again after last night’s scare.
The slayer shrugged, still unsure of the dark woman, “I dunno… sure have lots of questions to ask her though.”
“How did she fight last night?” this from Xander who could just imagine those legs swinging in action.
“She’s super-strong threw that demon right off me, fast reflexes… you know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say she fought like a Slayer. Or maybe a vamp… but she didn’t feel cold. You know, when she was helping me up. She didn’t feel cold at all.” Buffy had almost given herself a headache trying to guess what Alex may be after the other woman left hastily.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough…” Willow trailed off as she and the others noticed the extra police activities in the park.
Buffy looked towards her friends and nodded. Silently, they returned her nods before splitting off, they knew the drill. Spilt up and find out what happened. Buffy herself headed straight towards the police tape around two tall trees.
Loitering around, she utilised her Slayer hearing to the max and managed to catch glimpses of the medical examiner’s words to some detectives. Familiar words like, “massive blood loss”, “neck wounds”, sent a slight shiver down her spine.
She wandered back down the small hill where she just was last night with Alex. The Slayer pondered as she waited for her friends’ return. They soon did, Xander and Anya and then Willow and Tara.
“What did you get, Xander?”
“Two bodies. Couple, maybe, doing couply things. Found by another couple whose appearance apparently chased away the vamp or vamps doing this because they saw a motorbike speed off.”
“Motorbike?” Buffy raised her eyebrows.
“Ah huh… sounds like anyone we know?”
“Xander, there’s not just one motorbike here in Sunnydale…”
“Yeah, but…”
“Xander,” The Slayer interrupted, “let’s hear what Will and Tara got first.”
“Dust.”
“Dust?”
“What Tara meant was that we heard the first officers on the scene complaining that they got dust all over them.” Willow clarified.
“How did they get dust?” Anya wanted to know.
“Let’s get to the Magic Box, I’ve got whole set of new questions to ask someone.” Buffy was determined to get to the bottom of the truth. One way or another.
“Are you sure you don’t want anymore tea?” Giles politely asked his visitor.
“No thank you.” Alex was equally polite, though slightly frazzled looking.
“You look a little dishevelled there, Miss Chris...”
“Call me Alex, please.”
“Alex, of course, right, of course.” Giles could not help but feel a little nervous around the woman.
The tall woman stood up from her seat, “I think I should go to the restroom for a minute before they arrive, where…”
“Just after those shelves over there.” Giles pointed.
Alex smiled her thanks and headed in that direction. Leaving Giles alone for a moment. Which suited him fine. He was hoping that the others would have returned from their patrol before Alex showed up.
The entrance door crashed open and Buffy stalked in, “She here yet?”
Giles nodded, slightly surprised at Buffy’s rather pissed-off tone, “In the restroom, she was rather dishevelled.”
Buffy turned back to glance at her entering friends with narrowing eyes. Turning back, she stalked to the middle of the room and stood firm.
“Buffy,” Alex walked out from behind the shelves, “you look… tense.”
“Yeah…” Buffy whipped out Mr Pointy and in a flash was standing right in front of the taller woman, stake in hand barely touching Alex’s chest. “Talk… and you can start by telling us where you've been and what you’ve been doing tonight.”
Chapter 5
“Buffy, is this really necessary?” Alex didn’t even flinch, “I can assure you, I cannot be killed with a mere stake.”
“Then what are you?” the slayer asked, stake never wavering.
“Who I was, what I became and who I am now is a long story. Don’t you want to sit?” the dark woman gestured to a chair and tried to be patient… young people these days, she thought to herself.
Buffy reluctantly put aside Mr Pointy and with the rest of the Scoobies, took a chair around the main table. Leaving just Giles hovering around, cleaning his glasses and Alex who had crossed her arms round her chest.
“Talk.” Buffy demanded.
“No, ask.” Alex countered.
“Who are you?”
“I am immortal.”
“What did you m..m..mean by who you were, what you b..b..became?” Tara asked.
Alex smiled, someone was paying attention, “I was born a mortal, I became a vampire but now I’m not.” She walked towards the gang and bared her teeth, “See? No fangs.”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed, “We’ll see about that.” And faster than even Alex could react, she pulled Mr Pointy out and staked Alex in the heart.
Everyone flinched but nothing. Alex stiffened but did not turn to dust. Her clear blue eyes though turned stormy. Very stormy.
Tara grabbed hold of her Willow’s hand worriedly.
“You shouldn’t have done that…” the dark woman said mildly.
“I needed proof.”
“Giles, I hope your insurance coverage is substantial…”
“Wha..?”
Before the Watcher could finish his sentence, every entrance/exit of the Magic Box burst open and demons of all sorts, most unidentifiable and a few Malons, poured in.
“Protect our Lord!” the seemingly head demon ordered the rest.
“NO!” Alex shouted, absently pulling out Mr Pointy from her chest and flinging it back towards Buffy.
Unfortunately, she was unheeded as the Scoobies quickly and efficiently armed themselves (except Willow and Tara who moved to one side, whispering about spells) and the demons started attacking for all sides.
Alex watched the unfolding battle in horror for a second before plunging in and throwing the demons off the Scoobies.
“I said stop!” Alex’s words were in vain and she hurriedly looked round to see how the humans were doing.
Willow and Tara were busy casting simple spells to keep the demons off them and aid their friends. Xander had armed himself with a battle axe and was rather effectively keeping a couple of demons at bay. Anya had taken up the first thing she saw, which was a statue and was using that to hit a demon on its head repeatedly. Giles had somehow managed to get a sword, which he was using to fight off a Malon. Buffy was the busiest, spinning around, kicking about, fighting against four assorted demon types, doing deadly damage to them.
Alex’s eyes narrowed as more demons came streaming into the shop. The Scoobies would not be able to keep up. She looked back again towards the witches and saw Willow and Tara separated and a towering demon crouching over Tara who was on the ground. She could not see where Willow was but she didn’t care. All she could see was that Tara was bloody. Tara was hurt.
Her eyes turned white and she finally used her powers.
“PAX!” Everyone froze. Literally.
“Ancient Greek for enough.” Giles translated as he could imagine the Scoobies would be looking towards him for if they could move. If any of them could move.
“Tara!” Alex waved her hand slightly and the demon over Tara was flung away and everyone could see that Tara’s eyes were closed and her head had a rather nasty looking cut. “I will deal with you later.” Alex spared a glance at the demon before hurrying to Tara’s side.
“Tara? Sweet bird?” Alex pulled the young blonde onto her arms, she gently passed her hand over Tara’s wound and just like that, it was healed. Willow’s eyes could not be any more wide open than they were.
“Is she okay?” Willow’s mouth finally worked.
“She’ll be… she better be…” Alex tossed another glance at the demon responsible. If possible that demon seemed to cower in fear even though like everyone, it was frozen.
“There’s to be NO more fighting when I unfreeze everyone, is that clear?” her tone was cold.
A spattering of “Yes, my Lord”’s were offered by the demons present.
“Buffy?”
“Yeah…” the slayer was reluctant but after seeing a demonstration of Alex’s powers, she did not feel that she could disagree.
Alex sighed and in an instant, everyone could move again. Willow and the rest of the Scoobies ran towards their fallen friend who was still in Alex’s arms while the demons assembled in one corner and kneeled.
Reluctantly transferring her burden to the more than willing Willow, Alex stood up slowly. Outside, her movements were precise and deliberate. Inside, her anger seething to a boiling point.
Chapter 6
“How dare you?” she spoke softly but menacingly to the demon that had hurt Tara.
“I…, my Lord… forgive me…” the demon remained in his position.
“How dare you harm her? Of all of them… HER!”
“My Lord, we did not know…” the head demon started.
“No. I shall deal with you later.”
“You were being attacked, my Lord.” The head demon protested.
“By a stake! That can’t kill me, you know that.”
“It is always better to be safe, my Lord. We almost lost you once, we vowed never again.”
“That’s different… leave now before I decide to kill all of you.” Alex’s fists were tightly clenched. The assorted demons bowed deeply before rising and leaving the shop. Disappearing (some literally) into the night.
“What is it, darling?” Willow asked her slowly regaining consciousness lover who was mumbling. Kissing Tara’s forehead, Willow marvelled at the fact that there was not even a scratch where that demon was lucky enough to strike Tara at. They had been busy concentrating on casting those easy, simple spells that they neglected their backs. Two demons attacked, separating Willow from her lover. Willow had been sorely tempted to use the dark magicks that she had learnt when Alex froze them all.
“Jor… JorJor…”
“JorJor? Tara?” Willow could not understand what Tara was mumbling about.
Alex stiffened, her ears catching Tara’s soft words. She closed her eyes before heading back towards Tara.
“She’s here… she’s back…” Tara opened her eyes, still very much in a daze.
“Who?”
The dark woman knelt down beside Tara, gently stroking her cheek, “Sweet bird.”
With some effort, Tara turned her head, “JorJor…” her voice broke and tears started rolling down her cheeks.
“I’ve missed you, my sweet bird.”
“You left… without warning… mum cried for... for days…” Tara sat up with some effort and threw herself at the tall woman.
“I had to leave… I wanted to stay but they wouldn’t let me. By the time I could go back, years had gone and your mum had died. You were all grown up, I didn’t… I’m so sorry. I never wanted to leave you and your mum, my sweet bird.” Alex explained while rubbing Tara’s back gently.
“Then why?” Tara sniffled.
“People were starting to talk about how I’ve not aged in 15 years, they got nervous and ordered me out. I was working for them at that time, so I had to do as they commanded.”
“Who’s they?” Willow interjected softly. Not wanting to intrude but too curious not to ask.
“The powers that be, Willow. I don’t want to talk about them, I want to thank you for loving my sweet bird this past year. I had to handle a problem in Russia or I would have been here for Glory. I was too late again. The only thing I could interfere in was to get Buffy back, so I did.”
“You what?” Buffy was stunned, her return had been unexpected and no one knew what had happened. Everyone’s jaws dropped open. Even Tara loosened her death grip on Alex to stare.
“Hey, work for the powers for more than a century and they’ll owe you a favour or two.” Alex snorted.
“You’re Alexina…” Anya said, her tone one of amazement.
“What you talking about, An? We know her name…” her fiancé asked.
“No… you don’t get it… she’s the Alexina. The Defender of Mankind, us demons… well, ex-demons… um, demons talk about all the time.”
“Of course, how stupid of me… Alexina means ‘defender of mankind’ in ancient Greek…” Giles could have slapped his forehead.
“What does this all mean?” Xander was still puzzled as were Willow and Buffy. Tara just had a look of contentment as she lay protectively in the arms of Alex.
“It means I’m very old, Xander.”
“How old?” Tara asked.
Alex smiled down, “I was born 2,788 years ago.”
“That’s old.”
“Yes, Xander, that’s old. I was born an ordinary mortal… it wasn’t until I was in my twelfth summer when I realised that I was a little different. Oh, I was always a tomboy, but when I was 12, I started noticing how drawing water from the village well stopped becoming a hard chore, I could now climb trees faster than any boy or even man in the village, I ran faster than anyone else, etc. The villagers noticed, they made snide remarks but my parents told me to pay them no heed, so I didn’t.
Then I night, after I turned 13, a band of creatures that I would later learn were vampires hit my village. I tried my best but I could not stop them all before they killed three quarters of my village, including my entire family. The surviving villagers and I razed the remains of our village and the old healer told me that he knew now what my destiny was. I was the Slayer.”
Chapter 7
Buffy gasped.
“Yes, Buffy, I was a Slayer. With help from the old healer, who became sort of like my Watcher, I travelled round the known world, staking and killing vampires and demons alike. I had lost my family and I was just lost. As it occurred, I started hating my destiny. I hated it and thought it was my fault that my village was attacked when all around us were free of harm.
“The rot in my heart was gradual but it came. I was drunk on my powers and became more self-serving. The old healer tried to guide me but… I think I was too far gone. I hated my life and most of all, I hated my destiny. One day when I was about 21 years old, as I was fighting with a vampire master, I finally got so tired of the constant and never-ending fight. I dropped my stake, and told the creature to kill me.” Alex closed her eyes and remembered those dark days like it was just yesterday.
“Obviously the vamp didn’t…”
“No, Willow, the vamp didn’t kill me. He offered to turn me instead. So I could stop fighting against the non-stop flow of vampires and demons and be one with them instead. I went back, when I told the old healer, he berated me for letting the vampire master go. I snapped and stabbed him before leaving. Later I would find out that he survived, blamed himself for not noticing how I was feeling and even later founded the Council of Watchers before he died. I didn’t care about that that much, I was turned and was lovin’ every moment of it.” The dark woman smirked.
“What happened then? How did you become… you know, unvamp?” Tara asked.
“Can anyone actually unvamp?” this was from Buffy.
Alex’s eyebrows crinkled as she remembered more, “I don’t know, Buffy. For me, I think it was love. Well, after being a vampire for four hundred odd years, I was tired. I had killed over a dozen Slayers and countless others, I was feared by all, humans and demons alike. I even staked my sire. Nothing meant anything in my life anymore, until I fell in love. I fell in love for the first time and that was such a shock. I thought that a soulless creature like I had become would never be able to experience the joys of love. But I did.
“The first time I saw her, I was captivated. We were together for only a short time… she died in one of the many plagues that swept Europe. I was devastated, then I heard about the powers that be and managed to get myself into their sanctuary. I ripped apart their dwelling until they appeared before me. We made a deal, I was to fight for good again and in return, I would be rewarded with the soul of my beloved, Anastasia, reincarnated in a new body, every hundred years.”
“That’s so romantic…” Willow sighed dreamily.
Alex grinned, “For more than a thousand years, that arrangement was kept. I helped the powers rid of creatures the Slayers could not manage. I became a demon hunter. How long my reincarnated beloved and I were together was dependant on the powers and what they thought I had achieved. So sometimes, we had just a month together, sometimes a year or a decade, rare was when we shared fifty years together. But I was content. And as time went on, I started being able to tolerate sun and not afraid of wood anymore. I don’t know how but I’ve not morphed into my vamp face in more than five hundred years.”
“You’re the demon hunter, Ritza!” Anya exclaimed, fitting the pieces together.
“Yes, Anya, one of my many names through the years was Ritza. It was typical what happened with the Malon. Those same demons I had hunted down so diligently, started aligning themselves with me, treating me as their leader. Their ‘Lord’, that explains those demon types who were here. They know now when to keep out of sight and stay out of trouble. That Malon that night was an unfortunate incident. He had been sent out to do some recon when you spotted him and gave chase. That’s why he ran off once he saw that I was with you. He says sorry for injuring you.”
“It’s no big…”Buffy shrugged, unused to demons apologising, “so those demons are not the ones responsible for the death of that couple earlier tonight?”
“No, actually Buffy, I came across the ones responsible on my way here. I dusted one while its accomplice fled… I could have thrown a lightning bolt or fire bolt or something but I didn’t want to attract too much attention especially since I had heard footsteps.” Alex explained.
“You have other powers. Powerful… err, powers…”
“Other rewards from the powers that be… after all, I am, or should I say, was, their right arm in this world and I even journeyed to others to help out there. I’m sure that you’re aware that many other worlds exist, Giles.” The Watcher nodded his head.
“JorJor?” Tara tugged at Alex’s sleeve.
“Yeah, Tara?” the tone very gentle.
“Was Mum the reincarnation…”
“Yes, she was the latest reincarnation of my beloved. Unfortunately, Caitlin was already married to your father when I finally found her. Then she had your brother Donnie but knew that he was not… well, let’s just say, he took to his father a little too much. She wanted another child. But she did not want the child to be tainted by that man’s blood.”
“Wha…” Tara was more than a little terrified at what she was hearing.
“I spoke to the powers. I had them give me the ability to grant what your mother had wished for the most, I had to pay a price for it later. But a little something from me and a lot from her, which equalled you, my sweet bird.”
Tara snapped out of Alex’s loose embrace as she shook her head violently, disbelieving. Willow immediately moved to comfort her lover, eyes equally disbelieving.
“He was not my father?” Tara was devastated.
“A man like him could never have a daughter like you… he doesn’t deserve you. Neither do I…” Alex was sad to see Tara reacting the way she had feared she would, but she did not want any more lies between her and the Scoobies.
“Has my whole life’s been nothing but a lie?”
Chapter 8
“No!” Alex was vehement. “Tara, when I see what you have made out of your life… it makes me so proud that I can feel my heart’s about to burst. You have powers that are innate within you that you have never thought to use, wittingly or otherwise. That makes me proud.
Alex reached towards Tara who flinched back. The immortal dropped her head sadly, “I’ve waited so long to have a relationship with you, Tara. I’m not about to give up on that… I know I’ve let you down in the past, I know I let your mother down. After all, I left you two in the hands of that bastard. I should leave you to be with your friends… I’ll… I’ll be around. Dawn’s breaking…” she stood up, she was too old to be crouching for so long.
“But I thought you won’t go poof in the sun anymore?”
“I won’t Xander, but… I just... I tolerate the sun. After spending close to 2,000 years in relative darkness, I’ve grown used to…”
“But you brought me out to the beach. Many times.”
“That was for you, my sweet bird. You gave me a reason to be out in the sun…”
“Then… stay?” Tara’s voice was trembling and tentative.
Alex swallowed visibly, “If you want…”
“I want.” Tara’s voice was stronger now, as she looked up into the blue eyes of the person whose sheer presence made her feel the safest for much of her younger years. That safety was lost the day she was gone and the hurt that had followed for both her and her mum just compounded her belief that her “JorJor” was the only one who could protect her. Well, except now she had Willow and the rest of the Scoobies as well. Never in her mind, in her dreams, would she have imagined that such would happen to her.
The Magic Box had opened for business, Alex observed the ongoings with some trace of amusement and a hint of a smirk. Buffy, who had noticed that for a while now finally spoke up.
“What’s so funny?”
“Humans.” The immortal’s smirk turned bigger at the sight of Willow and Tara engaging in a tickle fight. Willow had very determinedly (in her Resolve Face no less), worked to make Tara laugh and smile after all the drama that had enfolded.
“Human interactions, more specifically.” Alex added before Buffy could ask.
“I’ve been around for a long time, Buffy. Too long perhaps… and for a long time, only one thing kept me going, the thought of being with my beloved again. The powers took advantage of that… they won’t again.”
“Does that mean…”
“I don’t know, Buffy. I don’t know if they’ll ever let Anastasia return to this world… I can hope but I won’t. We had a daughter together and she is now more important than anything else. When I heard about what Glory did to her, I was so angry… especially since the powers had sent me and my underlings on a complete wild goose chase just so I wouldn’t be able to interfere.”
“Then how were you able to get me back?”
Alex snorted, “I had one of their throats in each of my hand… and that was when I realised that with all the powers that they had bestowed upon me through the years, coupled with my own, I am now able to best the powers that be… and they know that as well. Which is why I’m here… and why I don’t work for them again.”
“You staying long?”
“For as long as Tara wants me…”
“Long then.” Buffy said matter-of-factly as the Slayer settled into her chair at the table.
Alex just smiled as Tara stopped tickling/torturing Willow for a moment and flashed a giant smile towards them.
Chapter 9
“Wow… this place is huge!” the redheaded witch exclaimed the moment she stepped into a luxurious condominium in the best part of Sunnydale. If there was one.
Letting go of her girlfriend’s hand, Willow ran excitedly towards the complex computer set-up in one corner of the main room and started to fiddle.
Tara’s reaction was much more reserved. She tentatively entered the apartment and glanced back at a smiling Alex slouching against the main doorframe.
“What do you think, Tara?”
“It’s nice…”
“It’s more than nice… it’s wow! How fast is this computer, Alex?” Willow asked, without turning her head back.
“The fastest around.” Alex assured Willow, “You like this place, Tara?”
Tara turned back towards Alex, she had been looking at her lover’s intense concentration on the computer screen and the excitement radiating off her.
“It’s nice…” Tara shrugged, she did not know what else to say.
“Glad you think it’s nice,” the immortal teased her ‘daughter’, “because it’s yours.” She threw a set of keys towards Tara, which was caught in reflex by the young woman. Tara was shocked. Whether it was from the fact that she had actually managed to catch the flying set of keys or because said set of keys were to a place that was now hers.
“What?” Both Tara and Willow asked, with the redhead jumping out of her seat and walking towards Tara.
“Your dorm is missing one wall.” Alex pointed towards Tara, “And the two of have been crashing at Buffy’s since the Glory battle, don’t you want your own place? With thick walls?”
“This is great, Alex, but we can’t…”
“Yeah, JorJor, we can’t…”
“Why not?” Alex asked reasonably, “Whether you accept it or believe it, you’re my daughter, Tara. It’s time I… I start taking my responsibilities seriously. And this… this is nothing. Really. Some immortals do not have an investment plan, I do. And I’m worth a lot. Bill Gates-lot. I’m not trying to buy your love, sweet bird. I just want you to be comfortable and safe. This apartment building has great security. Very experienced with ALL types of danger.” The dark woman stressed.
“I may no longer work for the powers, but I will still not always be around to protect you. Like I’m hearing about a surge demon sightings in rural China. If my underlings cannot eradicate the problem, I may have to head there soon.”
“When?” Tara got slightly frantic, she had just got her JorJor back, “You’re coming back, right? You’re not gonna…”
“Shh… Tara, it’s okay. You ARE coming back, right, Alex?” Willow pulled Tara into an embrace.
Alex moved towards the witches, rubbing comfortingly on Tara’s back, “I will come back, Tara. I have every reason to come back… now, not that I don’t trust the Slayer to protect you but, will you please accept this gift?”
Tara nodded reluctantly.
“Great!” Alex’s smile was almost ear-to-ear, “Now, since this isn’t exactly close to the campus, we need to get you two a car as well.”
A car? Tara and Willow mouthed to one another as they watch Alex mumbling to herself over several car models and makes. All the young women could catch were murmurings of “SUV”, “Lexus”, “Mercs”, etc.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” The answer was firm.
Alex’s forehead crinkled to a frown, “Are you really, really sure this is the car you want?”
“Yes.” Tara’s voice was unwavering.
Even Willow nodded, after some initial surprise at her lover’s choice.
“But… wouldn’t you rather have that nice Lexus SUV instead of this used, oh sorry, ‘pre-loved’ car?”
“No.”
“This banged up car? That’s what you want?”
“I… I’ve always wanted one… I think it’s cute.”
“I think it’s cute too.” Willow walked towards Tara and their hands clasped.
“Why don’t I get you the new model?”
“No. I’m happy with this one.”
“Are you sure?” Alex asked again.
“JorJor…” even the sweet-tempered witch was getting exasperated.
The immortal put up her hands, conceding defeat, “Okay, fine. Whatever you want. I’ll go talk to the dealer.”
“Oooo… I think here they come…” Xander had been waiting impatiently for Tara and Willow, and Alex, to show up with their new car purchase. He recognised the faint beginnings of the rumble of Alex’s bike.
Buffy and Anya both ran out of the Magic Box, eager to see what Tara had chosen. Giles finished serving a customer before walking more sedately towards the entrance, all the time keeping an eye out on the remaining customers in the shop.
Alex pulled up on her massive bike that took Xander’s attention for a moment, missing the entry of Willow driving her and Tara’s new old car.
But when the car pulled up and everyone finally realised that it was Willow behind the wheel and Tara next to her, there was silence.
“This?” Anya was incredulous, and more than a little slightly disgusted. She stormed back into the shop.
Xander stood there with his mouth slightly open as Willow and Tara alighted from the car and the redhead locked it up carefully. Alex was standing next to a Slayer whose only reaction was the slight rise of her eyebrows.
“A Beetle?”
“Yes, Xander, it’s a Beetle.” Willow patiently answered.
The young man swung his head towards Alex, “An old Beetle?”
Alex shrugged, “It was Tara’s choice. Willow supported her.” and stalked into the shop, looking non-too pleased.
Tara rushed in behind Alex, leaving Willow, Xander and Buffy on the sidewalk.
“Why not the new Beetle?”
“Xander, this is what Tara wants…”
Tara did not hear anymore as she caught up with Alex. Placing her hand tentatively on Alex’s arm, she fully expected it to be shrugged off.
But Alex stopped and turned.
“Are you mad, JorJor?”
“No, and never with you.”
“You look mad…”
Alex sighed, “Why did you want that car when you could have any you wanted?”
“This is what I want…” Tara insisted. Alex frowned.
“It was what Mum drove…” Tara finally explained, she had thought that maybe Alex would have remembered, “and what you drove when we went to the beach on Sundays.”
Alex’s posture slumped, she had indeed forgotten, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. It wasn’t easy having memories stretching back more than 2,500 years, “It was red, wasn’t it?”
Tara nodded and smiled.
“I hated it. It was so small, I was always uncomfortable in it… maybe that’s why I… I didn’t remember. Come here…” Alex opened her arms out to Tara, which was willingly accepted.
“You gonna spray paint it?”
“I’ll ask Willow what colour she likes. I chose the car, only fair I let her choose the colour.”
Chapter 10
“So… any new news about who’s behind the recent deaths of the couples in the park?” It was just another Scooby meeting after the Magic Box had closed and Anya was busy counting the money. Xander leaned by the counter as he asked Buffy who was sitting with Willow and Tara at the main table. Alex was over at a bookshelf with Giles, both with their heads over a very old looking book.
“Nothing. Even Willy didn’t know… or he isn’t telling.” Buffy was getting more frustrated.
“Did you rough him up?” Willow asked her best friend, knowing that Willy sometimes needed some encouragement.
“Yup. Punched him, I think I broke his nose.” Buffy looked over at Alex, fully prepared to enlist her help, “Alex?”
The immortal and Giles both looked up, “Yes, Buffy?”
“You know anything about the park couple killings?”
Alex shook her head, “Who ever is doing this is eluding even my best demon underlings. They have no idea… which means, it’s big and organised.” The dark woman added as she strolled towards the main table, Giles following behind.
“But also, Buffy, I’ve ordered my underlings to keep a low-profile. I don’t want a repeat of the Malon incident. Some of them are much more dangerous than the Malon…”
“I could use your help, Alex. I am stumped and we’ve staked out the park but the killings just continue in a different part of the park.”
“That’s true. There’s just six of you… and there is always strength in numbers…” Alex nodded in agreement, “Tixon.”
A demon shimmered into form just beside Alex, head bowed. The sudden appearance of the demon stunned the Scooby gang, even Buffy.
“My Lord?”
“Gather a number of our forces and meet here in an hour, we shall assist the Slayer in her patrols tonight. I want whomever responsible for the deaths of those couples in the park stopped.” Alex ordered.
“As you wish, my Lord.” The demon bowed deeply, he straightened up and bowed at Tara, “My Lady.” And with that the demon disappeared again.
Alex smirked at the looks round the room, “That was Tixon, one of my right hand demons.”
“That was a Lenti demon, wasn’t it?” Anya asked, in awe of the appearance of such a legendary demon.
“That’s right, Anya. Have you ever met one of them before?”
“No.” the ex-demon shook her head, “I thought they were a myth…”
“As you might… they were one of the first demon races to join me. Very handy skills they have.”
“I’d say!” Xander quipped.
“Why did he call me ‘Lady’?” Tara’s eyes were wide open.
“Oh that…”
Everyone looked at Alex.
“I’ve acknowledged you in the demon world… everyone knows who you are to me. That means you get the respect, the fear and also unfortunately, the hatred. Not ALL demons work for me, as is quite obvious… but those who don’t, know not to cross me. But, you may become a target… I shall endeavour to ensure that nothing…”
Alex trailed off as Tixon reappeared, “My Lord.”
“What?”
“The situation in China has become dicier… Temia has requested your presence, it is hoped just your appearance alone would scare those Yuan-ti back where they came from without having to completely exterminate them.”
Alex nodded seriously as she pondered.
“You should go.” Tara’s voice was soft but strong, she stood up and walked towards the immortal. Her other ‘mum’, she thought to herself.
The blonde witch swallowed nervously as she waited for Alex’s reaction.
Alex sighed, “You’re right. I should go.”
“I’ll miss you, JorJor.” Tara said, hugging Alex.
“I’ll miss you too, my sweet bird. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Not till the situation becomes less dicey.”
“I promise… not till the situation is resolved.” Alex promised.
Tara stepped back from their embrace and walked slowly back to the side of her girlfriend.
“Tixon, while I am gone, you and our numbers will remain here and assist the Slayer in any way possible.” Alex addressed her underling, “Make sure you work with her and everyone here instead of against her. Support her, not hinder her. And above all, protect Tara and her lover. Is that understood?”
“Perfectly, my Lord. Lady Tara and Willow will be under our protection. And we will avail ourselves to the Slayer.”
”Good, Buffy, Giles, this is Tixon. He’ll be your link to my demon force here. You can introduce yourselves after I’m gone. Sooner I go, sooner I’ll return.” Alex pointed the Slayer and her Watcher out to Tixon, “One last thing, Xander…”
“Yup?”
“Do you have a motorbike licence?”
“I do…” Xander was unsure quite where this was going.
“Well… here,” Alex threw a bunch of keys at Xander, who dropped it, eliciting giggles from Willow and later Tara, both of whom remembered Tara’s catch. Xander knelt down to pick up the keys, all the time looking at Alex.
“Keys to my bike. Take it out for a ride while I’m gone, just try to return it to me in roughly the same condition.”
Xander’s eyes bulged out.
“Stay safe, everyone.” Alex waved slightly as she turned and walked out of the shop.
After a few moments of silence, Buffy spoke up, “Hi, Tixon, right?”
“Yes, Slayer.” The Lenti demon bowed respectfully.
“More are coming?” she asked to confirm.
“Yes… to rid of the creatures responsible for the deaths of the couples in the park.”
“Do you know anything more about that?” Giles asked. It had been a very informative few days for the Watcher with Alex, the immortal openly sharing her vast, vast knowledge of the various demon types.
“Some of us have unfortunately arrived just a little too late to stop some of the attacks.”
“Really?” Buffy was very interested, “Tell me more.”
The end. For now. Will be continued in a new story in the series soon. Title unknown.
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