Buffy vs. Dracula

Michael opened a crypt door and walked in. Candles were lit everywhere. He walked in, looking around.

“Well, well.” Said a voice from the dark.

Spike emerged from the shadows holding a crossbow.

“Well if isn’t the Slayer’s lapdog.”

“I’d put that down, unless you’re bucking for one hell of a headache.” Michael said indicating the crossbow.

Spike hesitated, then put the bow down.

“I can’t be too careful. I got quite a few demons after me these days.” Spike said.

“I’m looking for some information. Might pay a little.”

Spike shrugged, “I’ll play.” He went over to a couple of chairs.

“What can you tell me about Dragula?” Michael asked.

“Dracula?” Spike scoffed. “Poncy bugger owes me eleven pounds, for one thing.” He put a cigarette in his mouth.

“You know him?”

“Know him? We’re old rivals.” He lit the cigarette. “But then he got famous, forgot all about his foes.” Spike pointed at Michael. “I’ll tell you what. That glory hound’s done more harm to vampires than any Slayer. His story gets out, and suddenly everybody knows how to kill us.” He sat down. “You know, the mirror bit?”

“But he’s not just a regular vampire. I mean, he has special powers, right?”

“Nothing but showy gypsy stuff.” Spike said making a hand gesture. “What’s it to you, anyway?”

“He’s in town. Making his presence known.”

Spike smiled, “Drac’s in Sunnydale-way?” he put feet up on a cassock. “I guess the old boy needed closure after all.”

“Actually, he’s gunning for Buffy. But I’m out to find him before he gets another shot at her.” Michael said sitting.

“Tough talk, cowboy. But you’re not gonna catch him napping in a crypt. No, the count has to have his luxury estate and his bug-eaters and his special dirt, don’t he?”

“So you’re saying I should check out mansions, that sort of thing?”

“No.” Spike said standing. “I’m saying ... you should go home to your superhoney. Have a nice, safe snog. You’re out of your depth on this one, boy.” He turns his back on Michael.

“You’ve helped Buffy before, so she has a problem with killing you now that you’re helpless.” Spike still was turned away.

“I don’t.”

Spike turned to face him, walked up to him.

“I’d like to see you try.”

Michael stood, and got in Spike’s face.

“Would you?”

They stared each other down. Finally Spike looked away.

“Pfft.” Spike said.

Michael walked to the door.

Spike called out as Michael was at the door, “You’re never gonna find him.”

Michael left.

To himself Spike said, “Not before he gets to her.”

Buffy lay in bed, asleep and alone.

Fog poured in through the window from outside, it flowed across the floor and toward the bed. A breeze came up, ruffling the sheets. Buffy woke and sat up with a gasp. Dracula was standing at the foot of the bed.

“You are magnificent.” Dracula said.

“I bet you say that before you bite all the girls.”

“No, you are different. Kindred.”

“Kindred? Hardly, I…”

“Pull your hair back.”

Buffy looked surprised but pulled her hair back from her neck. Dracula stood admiring her.

“This isn’t how I ... usually fight.”

Buffy looked a little self-conscious. She glanced at the window.

“You think you can just waft in here with your music video wind and your hypno-eyes...” Buffy trailed off.

“I have searched the world over for you. I have yearned for you.” He sat on the bed next to her. “For a creature whose darkness rivals my own.”

He put his hand on her chin and moved her head aside. He saw the scar where Angel bit her and touched it with his fingertips.

“You have been tasted.” Dracula smiled slightly as he trailed his fingers over her cheek.

“He was…”

“Unworthy.”

Buffy stared at him, looking scared.

“He let you go.” Dracula looked her in the eyes. “But the embrace ... his bite ... you remember.”

Buffy was uncertain, “No.”

Dracula caressed her face again.

“Do not fight.” Dracula put his hand behind her neck. “I can feel your hunger.”

He leaned down to bite her neck. Buffy gasped but doesn’t pull away.

Buffy lay asleep in bed the following morning. She woke up. She sat up looking a little confused.

When Buffy was dressed, she stood looking in the mirror. She fiddled with her hair, she noticed something, and pulled her hair back to expose two bite marks on her neck. She looked at it for a Moment, then grabbed a scarf and ties it around her neck.

Michael leant over with a donut.

“Here’s a jelly one, you want it?” Michael asked.

Buffy half sat, half lay on Giles’ couch with the donut being held in her face. Jam oozed out of the donut kind of like blood.

“No.” Buffy said a little agitated.

“Got it! Got it. Mine, mine.”

Xander rushed out of the kitchen and grabs the donut. Michael looked at his hand where the donut had been a split second earlier, he then licked sugar off his fingers.

Giles stood in the kitchen. Xander walked in little circles, nibbling quickly at the donut. Michael looked in the box for another donut. Willow on a chair in the corner.

“Well, I think we have Dracula factoids.”

Xander sat on a stool eating the donut, “Like any of that’s enough to fight the dark master.”

Everyone gave him a strange look.

“...bator.” Xander added.

“A lot of it we already knew.”

Michael walked to the table opposite the couch and sat on it.

“Turnoffs: wood, fire, crosses, garlic. Turnons; nice duds, minions,” then wistfully, “long slow bites that last for days...”

“Yeah, I did a little research too.”

Buffy looked distracted.

“Dracula likes to live in style. Which means we can rule out the usual dumps vampires haunt.”

“Ah! But he’s smart enough to figure that we probably already know that. I’m guessing he’s lying low.” Xander said licking his donut.

Giles came out from the kitchen.

“Actually, my research backs Michael up. Drac isn’t the lay-low type.”

Giles gave Michael a glass of milk, “So we can, uh, check out the nicer places. Don’t you think, Buffy?”

Buffy wasn’t paying attention. Xander was moving from chair to chair and tapping fingers nervously.

“Buffy?”

Buffy blinked, and tuned back in.

“Yeah. We’ll check all the swanky places first. What else did you guys get?”

“Well, Willow has most of it, actually.” Giles said.

Willow sat up, “Only because you gave me super pointers! I never would have...”

Giles put up hand to stop her, “Just go ahead, Willow.”

“OK. Dracula’s modus operandi is different from other vampires. He will kill just to feed, but he’d rather have a connection with his victims. And he has all of these mental powers to draw them in.”

Buffy looked thoughtful.

“He, he can read and control minds... appear in dreams...”

Distractedly Buffy said, “Uh huh.”

“Makes sense. That stare ... he just kinda ... looked right through you. Didn’t you feel it, Buffy?”

Michael looked at Buffy, he leant back and supported himself with his hands behind him.

Buffy paused, “No.” she got up. “No, I didn’t.”

“See! Buffy didn’t feel it. I think you’re drawing a low of crazy conclusions about the unholy prince.” Xander said.

Everyone gave him a strange look again.

“...bator.” Xander added, again.

“The point is, though he goes through the motions of an intimate seduction, the end result is the same. He turns them into a vampire.”

Buffy looked as if she hadn’t considered that.

“Well… That is intimate. Dracula’s gifting these ladies with his own blood. And blood…” Xander noticed a spider on the desk next to him, glanced around to see if anyone was looking. “Blood is life.”

Everyone looked confused.

“According to them.” He slammed his hand down on the spider.

“Um ... Just be aware that he, he tends to form a relationship with his prey.”

When no one was looking, Xander scooped the spider into his mouth and chews.

“It’s not enough for him to take her. She must want to be taken. She must ... burn for him.”

Buffy looked uncomfortable, fiddling with her scarf, “That’s ... interesting. I’m gonna go find him.”

She started to leave. Everyone got up.

“You shouldn’t go by yourself, Buffy. I mean, this guy’s seriously dangerous.” Michael said.

“It’s cool, I got it.” Buffy opened door, and left.

Buffy walked through the courtyard outside Giles’ apartment. Michael came out after her.

“Hey.” He grabbed her arm and stops her. “Take off that scarf.”

“What? No.” Buffy put a hand over the scarf.

Michael gave an ‘I knew it’ nod, “You’re under the thrall of the dark prince!”

Buffy scoffed, “I am not under the thrall of the dark prince.”

“Then take off the scarf.”

“Oh, let go of me! This is ridiculous.” Buffy tried to break her arm out of Michael’s grasp but he held on.

Michael ripped off the scarf as the others came out too. Everyone looked at Buffy’s neck. She sat on the edge of the stone fountain and put her head in her hands.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Giles asked.

“Cause she didn’t want to worry us, right Buffster? It’s nothin’. Just a scratch.” Xander said.

“Two deep, puncture-y scratches.” Willow said.

Buffy looked apologetically at Michael.

“I’m not sure why I tried to hide it. Uh, there was just this voice, and it was, it was telling me to cover it.” Buffy told him.

“And what did I tell you?” then to the others Michael said. “That’s thrall.”

“You’re saying Dracula has some sort of freaky mind control over her? You’re watching too many creature features, man.”

“But it does seem like he has this ... control over me, I ... even though a big part of me is resisting.” Buffy said.

Xander grabbed a fly off a nearby leaf and ate it.

“No, that’s okay. I shouldn’t take this personally. I mean, what with Angel, I mean, it’s understandable that there would be transference. I mean, they’re both broody immortals.” Michael said.

Buffy looked dismayed and got up to walk close to Michael.

Buffy firmly said, “I am not transfer-y.” Then more quietly. “I swear to you. I’m your girl, and I’m gonna stay that way.”

“Okay. But you are not going anywhere near him again.” Michael said.

“Uh, Michael’s right, you should - you should stay out of sight. Let the rest of us look for Dracula.” Giles advised.

“I can’t go home. He already got inside once.” Buffy told them.

“You can come over to my place. I’ll make sure you stay put.” Xander offered.

“Good. Um, Michael and I can, uh, can... search for Dracula, and Willow, you and Tara could uh, could do a protection spell on Buffy’s mother’s house, and prevent him from returning.” Giles suggested.

Willow nodded, “Got it. How’d he get inside anyway?”

“He seemed so nice and normal. A little pale.” Joyce Summers said.

Willow and Tara were working magic on the front door of the Summers’ residence.

“A good Sunnydale rule of thumb? Avoid white-skinned men in capes.” Willow said.

“I’m not like this. I don’t invite strange men over for coffee, it’s just ... Oh, when you girls are older you’ll understand.” Joyce sat on stairs. “It’s hard to date. Sometimes you just ... feel like giving up on men altogether.”

Willow and Tara snuck little looks at each other and tried not to grin. Joyce didn’t know about them being lesbians.

The sun was setting on the horizon.

Giles and Michael walked through the grounds of a mansion. Michael had a notepad and Giles carried a bag.

“Another bust.” Michael said and crossed something off on the notepad.

“And it’s getting dark. I should have turned up a better lead. There must be an easier way to find him.”

“Too late to worry about that now. If we hurry, we can hit these last places.”

They left the estate.

“How come I have to be here Slayer-sitting while the other guys get to look for Dracula?” Anya asked annoyed.

Buffy and Anya were sitting on the couch while Xander paced around his basement room.

“I mean, just because I’m…” Anya began.

“What time is it?” Xander interrupted.

Anya checked her watch, “Uh, almost six.” She stood up so she was standing in front of an open closet door. “Look, I mean, I’m the one who knows him, I-I’m the one who had a really good look at him, and so, I mean, what…”

Xander pushed her into the closet and shut the door.

“Hey! What?” Anya called.

Xander put a chair under the doorknob to hold it shut. Anya was banging on the door and yelling. Buffy sat oblivious through all of it.

Xander turned to Buffy.

“I’m supposed to deliver you to the master now.” Xander said, still talking too fast.

Buffy looked up at him.

“There’s this whole deal where I get to be immortal. You cool with that?” Xander asked.

“Take me to him.” Buffy said, almost monotone.

She stood. Anya was pounding and yelling.

Xander and Buffy walked up to the castle in the dark, they walked up the steps.

The inside of the castle had the typical wooden furnishings. There were torches and candles everywhere. Xander led Buffy in.

“Master? I deliver the Slayer. She who you most desire.”

Buffy walked in behind him, still looking kind of catatonic. Xander gave a little bow.

“Sorry, whom.”

Dracula was standing by the fireplace, wearing black pants, red shirt and a black vest. He turned slowly.

“So now comes the immortality, right? You do the thing, and…” Xander said.

“Leave us.”

Xander stopped talking.

“We must not be interrupted.” Dracula said.

“You bet.” Xander said and left.

Buffy and Dracula stared at each other across a long table.

“I knew you’d come.” Dracula said.

“Why? Because I’m under your thrall?” Buffy asked and whipped out Mister Pointy and dropped the dazed expression. “Well, guess again, pal.”

“Put the stake down.” Dracula said.

“Okay.” Buffy put it down, then looked at her hand in surprise. “Right. That ... was not ... you.” Buffy was unconvinced. “I did that. I did that because ... I wanted to.”

Dracula watched her.

“Maybe I should rethink that thrall thing.” Buffy looked around nervously and gave a little whimper.

Michael and Giles walked up to Dracula’s castle.

“I’ve lived in Sunnydale a couple of years now. Know what I’ve never noticed before?” Michael asked.

“Uh, a castle?” Giles offered.

“A big honking castle.” Michael confirmed.

They walked toward it.

Michael and Giles opened the castle door and entered, looking around. Michael pointed down one hallway. Giles nodded and went down it. Michael went the other way.

Neither of them saw a woman with yellow eyes and vampire teeth peeking out from the shadows, smiling.

“Stay away from me.” Buffy said.

She was frightened, none of her enemies had ever had this much power over her. If she couldn’t resist Dracula, then this could be the end of her.

“Are you afraid I will bite you?” Dracula walked slowly toward her. “Slayer, that’s why you came.”

“No. Last night ... it’s not gonna happen again.”

Still walking toward her Dracula said, “Stop me. Stake me.”

Backing up a little Buffy said, “I...” she glanced at stake on the table. “Any minute now.”

“Do you know why you cannot resist?” Dracula asked.

“Cause you’re famous?”

“Because you do not want to.”

Buffy shook her head nervously, “My friends…”

“They’re here.”

Buffy looked at Dracula in surprise.

“They will not find us. We are alone.”

Buffy looked anxious.

“Always alone.”

Buffy continued to look anxious.

Dracula began to circle around her, “There is so much I have to teach you. Your history, your power ... what your body is capable of...”

Buffy shook her head, “I don’t need to know.”

“You long to. And you will have eternity to discover yourself.” He came back around in front to face her. “But first ... a little taste.”

“I won’t let you.”

“I didn’t mean for me.”

Buffy looked determined and resolute.

Michael moved through the dark hallways. He tried a door but it was locked. He turned away, but then the door opens and Xander came out.

“Nobody harms my master.” Xander said.

“Your master?” Michael asked.

“You want him? You come through me.”

Michael punched Xander in the face. He fell down.

“Okey-dokey.”

Michael stepped over Xander and went through the door.

Giles walked through another part of the castle. He tried a door and it opened. He stepped into the darkness beyond and fell off a ledge to the floor some eight feet below.

“Oh, good show, Giles. Uhh... at least you didn’t get knocked out for a change.” Giles said to himself. He turned over on his back with a groan. “Oh ... oh, ladies.”

Three vampire women appeared and began crawling over him.

“You would ... be the three sisters, yes?”

They began kissing his cheek and rubbing his chest.

“E-excellent, right. Uh, I’d heard that you were myth ... obviously erroneous.”

One of them ripped his shirt open and began caressing him.

“Aah! Ooh, that’s, uh, that, uh...”he giggled “Tickles! Ooh, uh... oh, dear god.”

Dracula held up his arm and rolled up the sleeve.

“What are you…” Buffy began.

“All those years fighting us. Your power so near to our own...” he cut his arm with a fingernail till blood welled up. “...and you’ve never once wanted to know what it is that we fight for?” He held his arm out to Buffy. “Never even a taste?”

Buffy looked conflicted, “If I drink that…”

“I have not drunk enough for you to change. You must be near death to become one of us. And that comes only when you plead for it.”

Buffy stared at his wrist, “I’m not hungry.”

“No. Your craving goes deeper than that.”

Buffy stared at him.

Whispering Dracula said, “You think you know ... what you are ... what’s to come. You haven’t even begun.”

Buffy remembered that she had heard this before, in a dream, Tara had said it to her.

Buffy looked at his arm, at his face. She took his hand in both of hers and put her mouth on his bloody wrist.

“Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature.”

Buffy’s eyes were wide.

Buffy saw a very quick series of shots flashing in her mind. Most were of her fighting, but some were of the First Slayer. She also saw a vein with blood corpuscles rushing through it.

Buffy lifted her head.

Softly Buffy said, “Wow.”

She suddenly shoved out her hand and pushed Dracula away. He landed on the table and slid across it on his back.

“That was gross.” Buffy said, completely normal again.

She walked forward as Dracula got to his feet.

“You are resisting.” Dracula said.

“Looks like.”

“Come here. Come to me.” He held out his hand.

“You know, I really think the thrall has gone out of our relationship. But I want to thank you for opening up my eyes a little.”

“What is this?”

“My true nature. You want a taste?”

Dracula growled and lunged at her. She jumped over his head, whirled round, kicked him, punched him twice, and kicked him into a wall. He span back, grabbed her arm, punched her and flung her across the room. She landed on the table on her back.

Michael walked up to an open door.

“Buffy? Are you in…” Michael stopped himself before falling into the pit. “Giles! Giles!”

Michael pulled out a cross and held it up. The three female vampires hissed and slunk away. Michael tossed the cross to Giles, who caught it.

“Come on, come on. Grab my hand.” Michael said.

“Thank God you came.”

“Come on!”

“There was no possible escape.” Giles said just standing and looking at Michael.

Still staring back toward the sisters, Giles took Michael’s hand and Michael pulled him up. Giles noticed his foot has only a sock on it.

“Oh, my shoe.” Giles pointed back into the pit. “Silly me, I’ll just pop…”

“No Giles!” Michael pulled him away. “No more chick pit for you. Come on.”

They get up and move off down the hall.

Buffy ran across the room. She barrelled into Dracula and they fell to the floor, rolling. He was on top. Dracula punched her, Buffy punched him, then she grabbed his shirt and flipped him over. Now she was on top. Buffy punched him a few times. Then Dracula caught her fist and flung her off him. He was grinning. They both got up, grab each other and fell down again. Buffy was on top. She brought both her hands down but Dracula blocked and flung her away again. She flew backward and hit the wall. Buffy stood up again, she grabs him, he flipped her across the table and then jumped onto it. Buffy hit him with a chair and then swept his feet out from under him. Dracula punched her. Buffy grabbed a torch and he rolled away just as she hit the table with it. They faced each other across the table.