The Mating-Part
1
Spoilers: All other Clover stories. Every Buffy and Angel episode
(just to be safe)
Copyright: I Oak14177 or Nichole own all these stories and the
people from them.
Disclaimer: I don't own the people from Buffy or Angel they
belong to Joss Wedon.
Summary: Clover learns of the "mating" only to have her
soul stolen by Kelmarc. Dustin gets help from an old hero. And a
new alley helps Clover see her density.
Clover was lost. Running throw a place she didn't know. Its halls
were dark and like mazes. She felt weaker and confused. She tried
to find her way out of the dark, damp, decaying halls.
Clover stopped running and stumbled back, there in front of her,
was her missing Watcher, Chris Barron. She let out a scream and
turned the other way. When she turned around, however there he
was. She screamed again and turned to her right; she ran.
Suddenly for no real reason at all, she looked down at her cloths.
She was wearing a long old looking dress, it was soaked in blood.
Clover didn't know what to do, so she ran.
She ran as fast as she could looking desperately for a way out.
But, sunddely she wasn't running anymore, she was strapped down
to a bed, by unbreakable iron bars. Clover looked up to see Chris
Barron above her holding a baby.
"Its not a boy," he told her in a strangely deep voice.
"Lets try again shell we?" He looked down at the baby,
then killed it right before Clover's eyes. "I think you need
some help." Chris said with a laugh. He walked away.
Clover closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come. She didn't
have to wait long, the blows came fast and in groups. She felt
the hot wipes cut into her stomach. Clover screamed a scream that
echoed throw the halls.
Clover Chase shot up in her bed. She looked around her room,
everything seemed normal. The Slayer turned to the night stand,
she picked up the picture of herself,Rai, Gavin,Nick, and Coal in
the quad at SunnyDale high. Clover put it back down,and looked at
her alarm clock, it said five-forty; it seemed earlier.
She put it down, and got out of bed to get dressed. As she walked
over to her closet, she looked over at her candler. It read the
28th of May; today was the last day of school. Clover knew she
should be happy but she felt scared.
The Slayer opened her closet to try and forget about the dream.
She pulled out an outfit and started to get dressed. Clover had
to hurry and get to school, to tell her Watcher about the dream.
Alicia Price opened the door to the old mansion slowly and
cautiously. She closed the door silently be- hind her and let her
hand linger on the cold iron doorknob.
At that moment, Spike walked into the room picked up a poker and
stirred the fire going in the hearth. Keeping the poker in his
hand, he turned around and saw Alicia standing there.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned.
Alicia walked to sit down on the sofa in front of the fireplace.
"I came to see if you've had heard anything from the
underground. It's been four weeks and Kelmarc still hasn't made
his move yet. What's he waiting for?"
"If I could answer that I would," he replied, "
but Kelmarc knows there's a vampire working with the Slayer, and
he's not blabbing where any of us could hear."
"Are you sure your're not holding anyting back?" Alicia
questioned propping her feet on the lower edge of the fireplace
as the vampire sat on the same cold stone and leaned until his
white blond hair mixed in with the gray stone.
"I don't want the world to end remember, Writer. End of
vampiric fun, no more late night dinners," he answered with
a half smile.
"All right Spike, all right, but there's this ritual..."
she began hesitantly.
Spike's interest was caught. "What ritual?" he demanded
sitting up straighter.
Alicia turned her face from the vampire for a second and sighed.
"Dustin and I found a way to help protect Clover from the
demon. We're not sure how well it's going to work, but it's
better than nothing. And right now, she doesn't have much."
Spike waited patiently for about three seconds before demanding,
"Well what's the bloody ritual? What are the ingredients?"
Alicia looked back at him as if surprised he was actually paying
attention for once. "It's not a cake Spike. Two demons,
willing," she stated simply.
"The demons willing? For what? Is this something kinky?
Because I can do kinky ."
"This is serious Vampire. It may be her only chance at even
facing Kelmarc. Bloodletting, ancient symbols, Latin words,"
she explained the ritual to him, " but TWO demons."
"And don't tell me, I've been volunteered right," he
said moving to sit next to her on the sofa. He raised one light
eyebrow. "And who's the lucky contest volunteer number two?"
he questioned in the silence.
"Who do you think?" she questioned almost angrily.
"And does the little Slayer and her entrouage know?"
"Not yet," she replied," but now is as good a time
as any. What the hell, things can't be perfect forever."
Alicia reached over and picked a piece of flint off the sofa,
examined it closer and found it was dried blood. She spared Spike
a glance and flicked the blood into the fireplace listening to
the crackling.
Spike watched as she slowly got up form the sofa and said quietly,
" Well, I'm already going to be late for my first class. Oh
well, it's creative writing, I'll tell them it was a practice on
personal creative learning."
She opened the door, but paused when he asked her where he still
sat, "When?" he questioned.
"Tonight," she replied as she closed the door behind
her," It all happens tonight."
Gavin McNeal slammed his locker shut and turned to the people
behind him. His cousin Rai Sheilds and his best friends and
bandmates Nick Green and Coal Potter. "How do I look?"
he asked them for no the first time that morning.
Coal looked his friend up and down. Gavin was in his usual old
sneakers, baggy kakhi pants and green short sleeve bowling shirt
with the name "Fred" sewn on it. His hair was pulled
away from his face for a change, and his hazel eyes looked at
them with need. "Dude, you look fine. What's the big about
today that has you stressing?" he asked in a motherly voice,
that got laughs from Rai and Nick.
Gavin looked over at Coal who could get girls so easy. All he had
to do was give them his poster child for Crest smile, move his
hands through his now black hair and a wink of one of his brown
eyes at them. It didn't matter that he was so tall and lanky and
that all he wore was baggy pants and bowling shirts like Gavin
and Nick.
"You don't get it man, today's the last day I'll see Clover
for three months and two and a half weeks. And even though she '
just wants to be friends' , I want to show her what's going to be
waiting for her in good old SunnyDale." Rai, Coal and Nick
gave him a look with a mixture of confusion and laughter on their
faces. Gavin threw up his arms in frustration. "Come on guys,
don't look at me like that. How's my hair?"
The three teens in front of him exchanged looks. "It's great
man," Nick finally said at the same time Coal added, "It's
really good. I want your hair", and Rai said, "It's
fine."
Gavin ran a hand through it. "Are you sure?" he asked
again. The other three teens couldn't take him any longer, they
started walking away toward the quad. "Hey guys! Wait up!
You can't leave me, I'm the drummer! Without me there's no beat!
Guys!" The drummer started to do a little funky dance to
catch up with them.
Once outside the school building and in the quad, Gavin finally
caught up with the group. "Hey guys, whats'..." Gavin
began but trailed off as he saw Clover walking up the stares in
front of them on her way to the principal's office. Everyone
followed his gaze. Clover was wearing a light pair of jeans,
white tennis shoes, and a white tee shirt; something a little too
simple for Clover's usual outfits.
Coal whistled under his breath. "That Chase gets called to
the principal's office a lot," he observed.
"What do you mean?" Rai asked quickly, then caught what
she said when Coal and Nick turned to her quizzically and Gavin
looked at her with a 'what are you doing' look. "I mean yeah,
but she's new and maybe he just wants to make sure she's had a
good year and all and well, I've gotta go to the ladies room or
something," she covered hastily then turned and almost rna
up the same steps Clover had just disappeared up.
"Okay, Gav, your cousin has lost it man. Just thought you
should know," Nick said shaking his head.
"You just noticed?" Gavin questioned as the bell rang
for first hour.
"See you later man," Coal said as he and Nick headed
off to the left. "The last day is calling, graduation is
looming for next year. Too bad someone here failed eight grade,
or he'd be graduating with us."
"Ha,ha," Gavin replied drily to their retreating backs
as he headed off in the opposite direction.
Clover swung the door to Dustin Roger's office open, calling as
she walked in. "Dustin, your never going to believe this."
She stopped as the man at the window turned around to revel
someone who was definitely not the principal, the man was short,
portly,bald, and had a pudgy nose.
"Excuse me young lady, but can I help you?" he
questioned in an annoyed voice.
"Um, where's Dus, Mr.Rogers?" Clover questioned slowly.
"I was just wondering the samething,"he replied coming
to stand behind the desk, and looking at the planner. "Do
you have an appointment young lady? Is there some pressing school
matter that demands the attention of an authority figure? Did a
cheerleader break a nail?"
"Not to my knowledge. I don't have an appointment, but um.
Wait a minute who are you?" Clover questioned.
"Mr.August from the school board. I was sent to evaluate Mr.
Rogers. I know its the last day of school but there have been...rumors.
Not that its any business of yours," he chided.
"Rumors," Clover gasped in mock horror and placed her
hand over her mouth. "You don't say? Is it gangs? Rival drug
overlords? Conspiracy theories?"
Mr. August clicked his tongue loudly at her, disapproval of her
attitude. "I do believe you're being insolent young lady,
but never mind that for the meantime perhaps you can help me,
Miss. Chase."
Clover looked surprised. "How do you know my name?"
"Really Miss. Chase, you're a very popular person over at
the school board. Infact, I've been sent here to discuss your
current status at this school, with Mr. Rogers. No last period
Miss. Chase? Getting in to fights? Frequent excused but
unexplained absences? Why aren't you like your mother was? Would
you care to explain?"
Several sarcastic remarks ran through her head at once,
unfortanty she settled on the least believable. "Carpool
syndrome," she cried loudly raising a hand. "yes,
carpool syndrome. You see I can no longer enter a classroom two
days in a row. I have to go to the doctors quite often you see. I'm
on medicine Carpool syndrome medicine. It makes me go nuts, but
it.. works." She looked at Mr. August. "You're not
buying this are you?"
"Frankly young lady, I'm not. Now I think you should head to
class, the bell rang quite some time ago."
"Yes, well I'm going now, because I'm a student, I want to
learn. Education's the key," Clover said quickly as she
backed out of the door.
"What a psychologically disturbed child," Mr. August
muttered as the door closed behind her.
As Clover walked out the door, she ran into Rai. Rai was in her
favorite red overalls, blue long sleeve shirt, and red shoes, her
long raven hair was tied back in a tight ponytail.
"Oh, hey Rai, have you seen Dustin?"
Rai blinked once then anwered. " Well, hello to you two. No,
but Gavin is looking for you." She pointed down to the first
story.
Clover waved her arms in the air. "No time. This is big, no
huge, no...."
Rai put a hand over her best friend's mouth. "Clover, calm
down." She moved her hand away from the Slayer's mouth.
"Now tell me what is going on."
Clover shook her head in confusion. "Wish I knew, Rai. Didn't
the bell ring?" The Chosen One didn't wait for an answer,
instead she took off the otherway. "See you later Rai!"
She called with a small wave.
Rai Shields shook her head as she walked down the stairs. "Something
is definitely happening."
Dustin paced back and forth through the "Batcave" ; he
had been on hold for over an hour. How long did it take the
Watcher's Council to find a number for one ex-Watcher? He was
surely running up the school's phone bill.
Finally, just when Dustin thought he was about to scream, a
female voice with a beautiful German accent answered. "Mr.
Rogers? This is Anne, we talked earlier. I found the number for
Mr. Rupert Giles in a small village outside of London,England.
The number is..."
The
Mating: Part II