DISCLAIMER!!!! Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, and all the characters, from "Buffy theVampire Slayer" aren't mine. They belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy. I'm jealous, but what can I do? All other characters, and the story itself are the sole property of ME, and my imagination. Please send all comments on the story to ME! Thank you and come again!
Chapter 16
As a zombie walked past her, Maria du Maurier marveled again at what efficient workers the dead made. She had watched them work for the past three hours, only stopping when she gave them a new task. I'm even getting used to the smell, she thought as she watched a rather large male zombie unpack a crate that held a number of fully automatic rifles. Must have been a football player or something when he was alive. The zombie, its arms full of weapons, ignored Maria and continued to stock one of the large freezers with weapons.
Maria, her eyes sweeping though the factory floor, allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. They were almost finished for the night, and still ahead of schedule. "Not bad, if I do say so myself."
Passing in between two zombies that were carrying a large crate into one of the freezers, Maria headed toward a small box that she had placed in a far corner. She had worried that one of the zombies would knock it over and damage the contents inside, but was surprised at how...careful?...the dead were when you told them to do something. The rigger had thought they would have shuffled around, moaned, and bumped into things. Maria was happy to see that the movies she has seen as a girl were wrong. When not working or doing as ordered, zombies simply stood still and waited. When they were given an order, the walking dead went about it at a slow and steady pace. "Damn things work like robots," she muttered to herself as she picked up the box.
Carrying the case to a table, she placed it down gently, almost reverently. The activities of the zombies forgotten, Maria concentrated solely on the contents of the box. She opened it slowly, as if it were a part of foreplay that she relished and inspected the objects inside. Secured by foam rubber were four small glass vials with mouthpieces attached to the open ends. They resembled the inhalers that asthma sufferers used to fend off asthma attacks, but there the resemblance ended.
Inside each inhaler was a bright blue liquid that seemed to capture the light in the room and keep it for itself. The creators dubbed it "Blue Blood", for two simple reasons: the first was obvious to anyone who wasn't colorblind. The second reason was that only the truly rich even knew it existed. The first time Maria had come across it was at a, now dead, drug czar's birthday party in Miami, 3 years ago. The rigger had a long-standing policy of not sampling the merchandise. It cut into the profits. Yet she had been persuaded to try Blue Blood and had immediately succumbed to its charms. She also realized the opportunity for the methamphetamine/PCP mixture on the streets. It had taken 2 years to get it off the ground, since all the major players in the trade were cautious bunch when it came to new drugs. They also probably didn't want regular riff-raff enjoying their drug, Maria thought bitterly as she carefully picked up one of the inhalers. Stingy bastards don't want to put any real money into anything that isn't a proven seller.
And that, to Maria, was what was wrong with the drug trade in the 90's: lack of growth. Sure, people were doing more drugs now, then at anytime in the past and spending more money to do it too, but there hadn't been a major new drug on the market since the early 80's. The newest stuff came out from kids' basements and small time pushers. The big boys stuck to what had sold in the past: cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Even old time drugs like PCP and LSD were homemade stuff now. The masses do it like crazy, and we don't see any money from it! Maria looked into the vial she cradled in her hands. "But you're going to change that," she said softly as she watched the light refract in the blue liquid. "You're going to put the cartels and LA on their asses when I get you out there."
That was what the job was about, getting Blue Blood into LA. The people she was working for had promised to make and distribute the drug if this warehouse/lab was a success. They don't think it will though, Maria mused. They think it'll be busted before it even gets off the ground. That's why they had decided to hire that damn voodoo master, cheap labor, low risk. If this thing goes down the tubes, they know I won't turn on them and Charles would be nuts to say anything. He'd probably be thrown into a padded room anyway. Maria suspected that, like her, Charles Cristo had his own reasons for taking such a dangerous job on. His reasons were a mystery to her, but Maria thought she'd get to see more of it after she delivered the sacrifice for his ritual tonight.
Putting the inhaler of Blue Blood back in its foam-lined metal case, Maria noticed that the meat packing plant had become silent. Looking around, she saw the five zombies simply standing still, staring at nothing. She frowned and took a closer look around the meat packing plant, surprised to find that all the work for tonight was finished. With their tasks complete, the zombies simply stopped where they had finished and waited for her to tell them what to do. If only the people I work for were so easily controlled, she thought as she shook her head again at what great workers zombies made. Closing and locking the case, she picked it up and started walking toward the loading area. "Come on, " she said to the zombies. "Get in the truck, we have to go find your master a sacrificial lamb."
Maria waited until the last of dead had walked into the back of the truck, and then pulled down the door. Thinking again about Charles Cristo's agenda, she started the engine and put the truck in gear. I don't care what his plans are. If they interfere with mine, I'll bury him with one of his fucking zombies. With that happy thought in her head, she drove off to find herself a young man.
Something was wrong. Eddie could feel it. At first he thought it was him, that it was his invading their group that was causing the feeling of awkwardness around their table. But that ain't it, he thought as he took a good look at the people sitting at the table with him. Xander seemed to be looking for someone in the crowd, and doing his damnedest not to look at Willow or Buffy in the process. Willow was trying not to look at anyone at the table, excluding Eddie who she sporadical ly sent an apologizing smile towards. What's she sorry about? Whatever it is, she's feeling guilty about it. The werewolf, Oz, seemed oblivious to it all and simply watched the band start up another song. Sounds like Clumsy, Eddie thought absently as he listened to the first few bars of the song. Bringing his mind back to the table, he looked at the final member of their little group, Buffy. She was the only one who at the table who even tried to make conversation. Her friends gently rebuffed her attempts, and she hadn't said much to Eddie since he had gotten upset about their reaction to his werewolf story. I told them they wouldn't like it. Hell, I don't like it, and I lived though it! Eddie knew he had gotten defensive, and felt bad about it. Not exactly a ripping good start to the evening. Buffy, her conversation attempts adding up to nothing but a few grunts from the others, was now occupying herself with sending worried looks at Willow and puzzled ones at Xander. Eddie was about to excuse himself to go have a smoke outside, when someone behind him tapped him on the shoulder. It was one of the girls who had eyed him when he got in, the one he had labeled the leader of the group. "You must be Eddie," she said as she walked around the table to stand behind Xander.
The first thing Eddie noticed about her was her hair. It was long and dark, and seemed to give her face the type of cool, determined look many girls tried for these days, but few pulled off. She was taller then Either Buffy or Willow, almost statuesque in bearing. She seemed to radiate confidence. Eddie hated people who radiated anything other heat. The male Slayer looked up at her face and gave her a half smile. "Really? Why must I be Eddie? Why couldn't I be Rick or James or even Bill? I could be Bill couldn't I?" Eddie turned to Willow, who was unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile. "I could be Bill," he asked the redhead. "Couldn't I?
Willow nodded the smile she had been fighting plastered on her face. "Sure, you could be Bill. That is, if you really wanted to..." Her voice faded as she noticed Cordelia glaring at her and Eddie.
Xander put his arm around his girlfriend in mock protection. "Hey leave Cordy alone! It's not her fault she's completely clueless!"
Cordelia threw Xander's arms off in disgust. "What did I tell you about touching me in public?" The dark haired girl turned to face Eddie, and missed the hurt look that temporarily crossed Xander's face. "The only reason I asked anyway, is that Harmony wanted to know if you'd like to dance with her." The reigning Queen of Sunnydale High stopped talking and took a better look at the Necromancer sitting in front of her. "Nice shirt," she commented. "Italian?"
"Uh, no." Eddie looked down at the black silk shirt he was wearing. "English tailored."
"Why can't you dress like that?" Cordelia said as she looked down at her boyfriend, who was wearing a powder blue shirt with a picture of Sylvester and Tweety on the back. Xander looked over at Eddie's shirt and then at his own. "What's wrong with this shirt?" he asked defensively. "It's original!"
"It's an original piece of trash, is more like it!" Cordelia snorted. "Why do you think I've been standing by the stage all night? It's hideous! And your cologne doesn't help either!"
Buffy, Willow and Oz, accustomed to these little tiffs, simply shook their heads. Eddie, somewhat shocked by the harshness of Cordelia's words, spoke up in defense of Xander. "I personally like the shirt you're wearing, Xander. I have a red one just like it with Daffy Duck on it." The zombie slayer leaned over the table toward Xander an inhaled. "Old Spice?"
Xander gave Eddie an odd look, as if he wasn't expecting anyone to come to his aid. "Yeah, Old Spice." He said as a smile spread across his face. "I find it has a more subtle aroma the Aqua-Velva."
Eddie nodded in agreement. "True, true, but sometimes, I like the boldness that is Aqua-Velva. Not all the time, but on those special occasions when you need to make a statement."
"Personally," Oz put in, "I've always liked High Karate. It's a bit strong, but I like it."
Buffy and Willow giggled at the exchange, while Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Whatever, " she sighed, more then a little impatience in her voice. "My friend want's to dance with you. Do you want to dance with her?" By the tone of her voice, Cordelia didn't like being a messenger.
The smile that had crept onto Eddie's face over the last few minutes disappeared, replaced by a look of caution and a slight frown. "What was your friend's name again?"
"Harmony! The blond girl over there trying not to look over here!" To illustrate her point, Cordelia pointed directly toward the blond girl who had been checking him out when he had first entered the Bronze. At the moment she had her back towards him and seemed to be in "deep conversation" with the other girl he had seen earlier. The dark-haired one kept looking over the blond one's shoulder and talking excitedly to her friend.
"Who's the girl she talking too?" Eddie asked as he took a better look at the girl that wasn't Harmony.
"Who? Oh, that's Melissa, she's new to Sunnydale. Used to live in Chicago." Queen C. didn't even to bother to look at the girl in question, but was busy fixing her make-up in a compact. "Why?"
"No reason," Eddie murmured. He looked back at Melissa and Harmony, who were both talking excitedly about something, and then at Willow and Buffy, who seemed to be watching him intently. "What should I do?" he asked, his voice trembling a little nervously.
Both girls looked at each other, surprise registering on their faces. "Well, if you want to dance you should," Willow said carefully.
"But then again, if you don't want to dance, then you shouldn't." Buffy said quickly after W illow. "I mean, not to talk behind someone's back or anything, but Harmony is pretty much a bitch." Buffy caught the look of shock that Willow shot her, but chose to ignore it.
"Not to nit-pick, but I think that would be considered talking behind someone's back," Oz said, his eyes still focused on Our Lady Peace's performance.
The look Cordelia gave her was a little harder to ignore. "I really don't appreciate you knocking my friends, Buffy," she said somewhat tersely.
"Yeah, that's Cordy's job!" Xander put in as he looked up sweetly at his girlfriend. Cordy returned his smile, and added a punch in the arm for fun.
While the others at the table laughed, Eddie simply sat quietly and stared at the table. Dance? Do I want to dance? Do I know how to dance? Ah hell! Things were going fine, and then this shit hits me from out of the blue! The Necromancer looked up from the table and across the Bronze at Harmony and Melissa. I don't even know this girl! She want's to dance with because she likes my shirt? What the hell is up with that? Eddie gave Harmony another look. She attractive, I guess, but still...what the hell do I know about girls? I'll do something stupid, she'll slap me, and then I'll have to kill her... As a torrent of excuses ran though his mind, Eddie noticed Xander watching him. "What?"
"Nothing," Xander said, the hint of a smile on his lips. "It's just, that for a second there, you looked like you were thinking about killing someone." Before the male Slayer could protest, the other boy leaned in closer to him. "I understand. The thought of dancing with Harmony is enough to drive any man to homicide," he said seriously.
Eddie stared at Xander for a moment, then cracked a smile. "Is she really as bad as all that?"
Xander leaned in closer, until only a few inches between them. "Let me put it this way, " he whispered. "If you were to pour all of Harmony's redeeming qualities into a shot glass, you wouldn't need to wash it afterward." Eddie frowned at the analogy, trying to figure out what Xander meant. "Because it would be empty," Xander added helpfully when he saw the other boy's confusion.
Eddie chuckled softly. "That's harsh, man." He looked over again to where Harmony was still talking to Melissa. "What about the other girl, Melissa?"
Xander turned his head to look across the dance floor at the girls and instead found Buffy staring hard at him. "What are you two whispering about?" she asked, her tone slightly parental. "Very rude you know."
Xander, not wanting to admit he was bashing Harmony in front of Cordelia, put on his best look of shock. "Rude?" He looked at Eddie and then back at Buffy. "Us? I think not, my stake-wielding friend! We were simply discussing something, and not wanting to be rude and yell across the table, we leaned in closer to talk! To think, that one of my best friends in the whole world was thinking that we were whispering because we didn't want anyone else to hear us! Why, I'm hurt!" Xander changed his expression from shock to hurt in the space of a heartbeat.
Buffy, eyebrow arched in disbelief, turned to look at Eddie. "Yeah, me too." He said, deciding to follow Xander's lead. "What he said."
Willow, who had been watching them nervously, spoke up. "W-what were you talking about?" She sent Xander a worried look.
Eddie watched Xander's look change again, this time to embarrassment. Something's up there... "Just guy stuff," the Necromancer said instead. "Nothing that either of you would be interested in hearing about." He caught Xander grateful look to him. Willow's expression however turned even more worrisome.
"But we have lots of interests!" the hacker said earnestly. "We like hearing about all sorts of stuff!"
Buffy nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, we're a couple of knowledge-seekers over hear. Especially about stuff people think we're not interested in. Strangely enough, that's where all the interesting stuff is."
"Yeah, that's fascinating, but you girls really wouldn't be interested in this," Xander said. "Involves bodily fluids, and ugly rashes. There was talk of ointment."
Cordelia, who had finished checking her make-up, made a disgusted face. "Eww! Please, keep it to yourself!" With that, she walked off toward the washroom without looking back.
The group watched her leave, with mixed expressions. Oz's face showed mild interest, while Willow's showed a mixture of anger and sadness. Buffy looked slightly annoyed, but switched to one of concern when she looked at Xander. The dark-haired boy had no expression on his face as he watched his girlfriend leave. Eddie watched them all, interested in how each one reacted differently to a given situation. They're so different, he thought as the glanced at each occupant of the table. I wonder how they can work together as a group. Eddie's musings about the group's dynamic were suddenly halted by Xander. "So Eddie, you gonna dance or what?" the boy asked, a smile forming on his face from the blank slate it held moments ago.
Buffy, Willow and even Oz, all turned toward Eddie expectantly. "Well I would," the male Slayer began hesitantly. "But I'm not exactly known for my dancing abilities. If you wanted me to go and beat the crap out of her, then it'd be no problem! Just point the way! But dancing? I'm not very good at it..." Eddie stopped talking when he saw that everyone was laughing. "Good, laugh at my faults! Thank you so much!"
Willow was the first one to get a hold of herself. "We're sorry, Eddie."
"Yeah, sorry." Buffy said as well, still trying to contain her mirth. "But you shouldn't let not knowing how to dance stop you. Xander never does!" That set the whole group laughing again, even Xander. "Seriously though, go dance. That is if you want to. Because if you don't want to, you shouldn't. You should stay here if you want to." Again Buffy caught the look Willow sent her, again she choose to ignore it.
"Yeah, but if you really want to go beat the crap out of Harmony, you should do that too," Xander said, still smarting from the knock his dancing abilities had taken.
As the table filled with laughter again, Eddie looked toward where Harmony, Melissa and now Cordelia were standing. "Actually, I was thinking of someone else..."
"Is he looking?" Harmony asked for the third time in the past fifteen minutes.
Melissa Steinway looked over toward the "he" they were talking about, and shook her head slightly. "No, he's talking with Cordelia's boyfriend."
"Xander." Harmony's face showed what she thought of Xander Harris. "I still don't see what she sees in him. Cordy must have lost her mind the day she decided to go out with him. He's so... ugh! His hair, his clothes, the way he talks! If there is a bigger loser in Sunnydale, Xander Harris must keep him locked up somewhere!"
Melissa looked at the object of Harmony's scorn. Wonder why she doesn't like him, she thought as she looked at the dark-haired boy. He's good looking in that 'I-don't-give-a-damn-as-to-how-I-look' way. Plus, I like the shirt. But Melissa's attention was quickly captured by the boy sitting next to Xander. Now that's good looking! Eddie, or so Cordelia had said, was his name. She and Harmony had been watching him for almost two hours briefly looked toward them, his eyes catching hers for a moment, then turning toward the blond-haired girl sitting at the table with him. What's her name? Cordelia told me\'85Barbie? Bambie? Buffy! That's it, Buffy. Buffy made some sort of comment, and the group of teenagers around the table laughed. I wonder if she's going out with the new guy... Melissa's thoughts were interrupted when Harmony asked if the new guy was looking at her. "No, now he's saying something to that blond-girl, Buffy."
"Oh, her!" Harmony laughed scornfully. "Now, she's a match for Harris! Two losers, united by their lack of friends and their abundance of patheticness!" Harmony laughed again, not realizing that 'patheticness' was not even a word.
"Yeah," Melissa said automatically. She had learned not to defend people when Harmony said something bad about them. Even though Cordelia was the acknowledged leader of the group, Harmony usually led the charge when ripping someone to shreds.
Melissa watched as said leader, Cordelia, made a disgusted face at her boyfriend and walked off in the direction of the washroom. The group at the table watched her go with mixed expressions and then returned to talking. Eddie said something, which caused everyone to start laughing again, and not for the first time tonight, Melissa wished she were with a group of people like that. It wasn't that she didn't like Cordelia and Harmony, but they rarely laughed at anything other then something at someone else's expense. Since Melissa was new to Sunnydale, having moved there only three weeks ago, she chose not to argue with her new friends.
As she listened to Harmony prattle on about what losers Buffy and her friends were, Melissa thought about her old friends back in Mississippi. She had lived her whole life in a small town named Horn Lake, where her father was the plant manager for a plast ics plant. She had had a good life there, she was popular, had plenty of friends and a boyfriend. Nothing ever really happened at Horn Lake, except the occasional scandal like the time one of the priests at the church was found urinating in the confessional. Melissa chuckled softly at the memory of the sensation the incident had caused in the town. And now I'm here. The move to Sunnydale had been caused by the plastics plant being closed and her father re-assigned to another one in California. Her father had said they should be happy he still had a job, and had not been laid off with the scores of people who had worked at the plant with him. Now, her father running a plant a few miles from Sunnydale, her and her mother had been forced to take up residence here.
As she listened to Harmony telling about how by the end of the night she'd have Eddie eating out of her hand, Melissa couldn't help but miss her old life in Horn Lake. She liked Cordelia and Harmony, but couldn't shake the feeling that they were simply shallow girls pretending to be more important then they were. Especially Harmony, who could not get though a day with out causing some poor girl to cry about what they had worn to school. As if what you wear to school is a life-shaping event! Melissa sometimes felt that the only reason Harmony and her friends talked to her at all was because she could afford to buy designer clothes. Looking down at her outfit tonight, she had to admit that she looked good. The light blue cami top had cost her a fortune, as did the 40's length navy skirt, and the light blue strappy sandals she had gotten in LA had put a major dent in her credit card. The least expensive thing she wore were the dark blue butterfly clips in the hair, and even those had been pricey. The price we pay to look good, Melissa thought as she noticed Cordelia walking toward them. "You would not believe what they were talking about over there!" she said when she reached them.
"What did Eddie say?" Harmony practically jumped up and down as she waited for their leader answer.
"Nothing." Cordelia looked down at the bouncing blond, and frowned. "And stop jumping around like caffeine-addict! You're going to mess up my hair!" Harmony stopped jumping, but Melissa wasn't sure whether it was because Cordelia shouted at her or out of disappointment.
"He didn't say anything?" Harmony asked, her voice coming very close to whining.
Cordelia rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she were trying to keep herself from shouting again. "I told him you wanted to dance with. He asked who you were. I pointed you out, and he asked about Melissa. Then Buffy made some comment about you, and everyone laughed." She frowned at Harmony again, this time her eyes hardened with the frown. "Happy?" she all but shouted at the girl.
Harmony's mouth hung open, and then quickly shut as she tried to digest what Cordelia had just said. "What did Buffy say about me?" Melissa would never have thought that the name 'Buffy' could be used to convey so much hostility.
Cordelia waved her hand dismissively in the air. "She called you a bitch or something. It doesn't matter, since he's coming over here anyway." Melissa and Harmony both looked over to see that Cordelia was right. Eddie was making his way through the crowd toward them.
"How's my hair?" Harmony asked as Eddie approached them. Before either Melissa or Cordelia could answer, Eddie was standing in front of them.
"Hi," he said simply. Again Melissa took a good look at the boy in front her. Eddie's hair was long and dark, and combed back so that it hung around his neck like a lion's mane. His eyes were a bright green that seemed to emit a strange light of their own as he gazed at her. The skin on this face was smooth, and the faint hint of Old-Spice told her that he had recently shaved. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. The shirt, which Melissa guessed was silk, was rolled up to his elbows and revealed a rather nasty set of scars on his left arm. Looks like a bear took a swipe at him. To Melissa, Eddie looked like something akin to a biker that had cleaned up his act and was surprised at how good he looked. He looks so uncomfortable standing there, she thought as Eddie took turns looking at the floor and at the three girls in front of him.
"Hello, I'm Harmony," the blond girl beside her said, a large smile on her lips. "This is Cordelia and Melissa." Harmony motioned at the two girls on either side of her.
A small smile of amusement played across Eddie's face as he looked at Cordelia and then back at Harmony. "I believe I met Cordelia just a few minutes ago, when she came over to the table."
Harmony's smile faltered a bit as she remembered that Cordelia had already talked to Eddie. "Of course you did! Sorry, it's just that the music is so loud that I forgot!" The smile was back at full force. "So, I heard you just moved to Sunnydale."
"No, I'm just in town for a job." Eddie said as he looked at Harmony for a moment and then turned to face Melissa. "Hi, I'm Eddie." He smiled hesitantly. "In case you didn't know that already."
Melissa smiled at his nervousness. God, that's cute! "I knew that, yes." She said instead. "Aren't you a little young to be a traveling salesman?"
Eddie laughed softly. "I don't sell anything. Actually, I work with a...consulting firm. I'm in town with a partner. We've been asked to help find a more efficient way of exterminating...pests."
Harmony wrinkled her nose. "You mean like rats and cockroaches? Eww! Gross!"
Eddie shrugged. "It's a living."
"Ok, this is boring." Cordelia said as she started to walk off again. "I'm going for latte."
"I'll be back in a sec! I have to talk to Cordy for a sec," Harmony said as she turned to follow Cordelia.
As Melissa turned to watch them go, she felt Eddie's step closer to her. "Um, do you want to dance? I'm not very good, but if you want to we can." The shock of Eddie's warm breath on her ear and the words that they carried made Melissa step back.
"Well, I think that Harmony wanted to dance with you," she said, surprise showing on her face.
Eddie didn't step in any closer this time, but his words seemed to sound even closer then it had before. "Well I want to dance with you. And since I'm the one who ultimately gets to choose who I dance with, I choose you." When Melissa didn't reply immediately, Eddie started to back away. "But if you don't want to, that's cool. I just thought I'd ask..."
Melissa reached out and grabbed Eddie's arm as he started to back away. "I didn't say I didn't want to dance with you. Just said I thought that Harmony wanted to dance with you first." Eddie looked down at his arm where she was still holding him. Her hand rested on the scar on his left arm. "Oh my god! I'm sorry!" Melissa pulled her hand from his arm quickly brought it to her mouth. "Did I hurt you?"
The dark-haired boy laughed again. "No, it's an old scar." Eddie stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. "You said that you didn't say you didn't want to dance with me. Does that mean you do?" He p aused a moment, and the frowned. "Did that make any sense whatsoever?"
Melissa laughed, her short brown hair shaking with the laughter. "Yes it did, and you're right I didn't. I yes, I guess I do."
Eddie's frown deepened "You do what?"
"You," she said. When Eddie's eyes widened in surprise, Melissa blushed in embarrassment. "I mean, I want to dance with you!"
A smile came across Eddie's face. "Oh, good! For a second I thought..." This time it was Eddie that was embarrassment. "Never mind, let's dance before your friend gets back. With that, he took Melissa's hand, and led her to the dance floor.
A minute later, Harmony arrived back holding two latte's. "What the hell?" she said as she saw Eddie and Melissa dancing closely in the middle of the dance floor, as Our Lady Peace played '4am'.
