Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: 28 Feb 2004 18:44:55 -0800  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: djinn@djinnslair.com (Djinn) 
 

TITLE: The Lost Years: Hellspawn(Slayer Series)
AUTHOR: Djinn
CONTACT: djinn@djinnslair.com http://www.djinnslair.com
SERIES: TOS
RATING: PG-13
CODES: Ch, K, U, Others
PART: 6/6
SUMMARY: The sixth in the Lost Years series.



Christine walked through the cemetery, sure that David was shadowing
her.  She turned and scanned the bushes but there was no movement. 
Nothing to give him away.  She wondered if her slayer senses would be
more helpful if she actually considered David a threat.

It was dangerous to think of him as more friend than foe.  Very
dangerous.  Yet she was having trouble thinking of him as anything
else.  He could have killed her more than once.  He hadn't.  Slayer
existence sometimes came down to logic that simple.

On the other hand, he would have hurt Emma the other night if Lori
hadn't intervened.  That was easy logic too.

Lori.  Something caught in Christine's stomach as she thought of the
pens.  Such horror.
She heard a sound from up ahead and forced herself to pay attention. 
She had horrors far more immediate to deal with.

Christine felt her senses come alive, the hairs on the back of her
neck springing up, the nerves in her thighs trembling as she rose a
bit on her toes, her stride becoming more feral, less civilized.  She
was here to kill, to slay.  Sometimes it was very elemental.  She was
jagged, tearing death for things that were already dead.

Two vampires waited for her by a large crypt.  They were big...and
old.  These weren't David's fledglings.

"Slayer," one of them said.  His smile was not pleasant.  

They knew what she was.  It was a relief.

She pulled out her stake, touched her leg where another one was jammed
into the side pocket.

"A slayer?  Where?"  Another vampire stepped out from the inside.  

And another.  And another.  They wore identical jackets.  Black
leather with a silver half moon design sewn on the arm.

Great.  A vampire gang.

A female vampire jumped down from the roof.  "She doesn't look like so
much, guys.  I say we kill her quick and have her as an appetizer." 
The woman laughed at her, taunted her with a sad face.  "Slayer all
alone."

"Slayer 'is' all alone, you stupid bint.  It's called a verb."  David
sounded more amused than annoyed.  He moved next to Christine. 
"Hello, love.  Sloppy letting me get that close to you."

She glared at him.  "I knew you were back there."

"You didn't know that was me just then.  I could have been anything."

"You brought your watcher?" One of the male vampires asked.  "Ooh. 
Scary."

David's face changed.  "Ooh.  Scarier."  He grinned at Christine. 
"These aren't mine, by the way."

"Yeah, I figured that out.  Yours don't usually have time to get
matching ensembles."

He laughed.  "No.  They don't."  He pulled out a stake.  "Shall we?"

"What?  No fancy weapon for this?"

He shook his head.  "That's your job, my dear.  To think of how you'll
stop me."  He pulled out another stake.  "But I did bring extra of the
nice pointy sticks."  He let them fly, overhand like daggers.  They
both hit hard, dead center of their targets and two vampires burst
into dust.

Christine was impressed.  "Nice."  She rushed the female, falling
easily as the vampire kicked out.  Christine's legs whipped out in a
simple scissor kick, catching the vampire as she came down from her
own missed kick.  The female hit the ground and rolled--right into
David's waiting stake.

"Nice team we make, Christine."

"Uh huh."  She met one of the remaining vampires, blocking his punch,
then letting him get a solid hit in.  She fell back and he followed
her--obviously thinking she was more stunned than she was.  She
stumbled once, then again and he moved toward her, defenses down,
grinning as if tasting her blood already.

"Idiot," she said, as she slammed the stake home and moved to the last
one.

"No, dear.  He's mine."  David kicked the vampire away from her.  He
seemed to be toying with the bigger vampire, letting him get close
enough to almost land a blow before kicking him away again.  "Have you
asked yourself why all these old ones are suddenly showing up in San
Francisco?"

She stuck her stake in her pocket and sat down on a nearby bench. 
"Hadn't really thought about it."

"Well, think about it, Christine.  Why do vampires show up anywhere?" 
He let his face go back to human as he punched the roaring vampire
away.

"Good reviews on the vampire travel network?"

He shot her a look.

"Fine, David.  I give up.  Why do they show up anywhere?"

He seemed surprised that she asked, finally dropped his guard and let
the vampire rush in close and try to grab him.  The only thing the
vampire got his hands on was the stake--after David had jammed it into
his chest.  David was already walking away when he exploded into dust.
 "You really don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

He sat down at the far end of the bench.  "They come for the slayers."

"Plural?"

He nodded.

"I don't understand."

"What kind of reinforcements do you think Silver brought with him? 
Slayers.  Lots of them.  Vampires sense them and go crazy.  It's an
instinctive thing, to go where the slayer is.  A death wish of sorts."

"The ancient dance," Christine said softly.  It was what Spike had
always called it.  She looked at David.  "Silver brought slayers?"

"Lots of them.  Haven't you seen them?"

She shook her head.  "I don't believe you."

He shrugged, and looked up, staring at the night sky.  "Did your
friend tell you about the Cruciamentum?"

"Yes," she said, forcing her voice to stay even.

David looked over at her, surprise on his face.  "Did he?"  Then he
smiled.  "He's smarter than I thought."

"He and I don't have secrets."

David made an amused face.  "Give it time.  You will."  He leaned
closer.  "We were talking about the sewers, Christine."

She jerked up, off the bench and away from him.  He followed her,
moving in close.

"Don't want to talk about it, eh?"

"Don't need to.  I talked to him about it."

"He wasn't there, Christine.  I was.  Barely older than you were. 
Horrified by what I saw them do to you."

She made a face, backed off a bit.  This time he didn't follow her.

"You couldn't have been that horrified, David.  You stayed a watcher
until you were turned."

"True.  I sublimated that horror.  Became something worse in many
ways.   At least, until Laura--"  He turned and walked back to the
bench.  "How many girls have they murdered that way, Christine? 
Hundreds?  Thousands?  Hundreds of thousands?"

She looked down.  "It only happens at eighteen?"

"Yes."

She met his gaze, sighed.  "How many of us make it to that?"

His smile was sad.  "Not many."

She wrapped her arms around her.  "I don't understand why you still
care about the slayers, but I believe you do.  I believe that some of
what you say makes sense.  I'll help you, and so will Jim.  Just stop
killing the watchers."

"Why?  Because they're innocents?"

"Because I'll have to stop you if you don't.  And I don't want to hurt
you."  She took a step toward him.  "Let me help you."

His face was amused.  "By all means.  Come help me.  And get ready for
eternal life while you're at it.  If you come too close, I'll take it
as an invitation for biting, Christine."

She stopped.

He stood.  "Soon, you'll have to choose between us.  Your
handlers--the ones who left you in that sewer.  The ones who let you
fight alone out here while they huddle inside their houses.   Or me. 
Your ancient enemy.  The one who fights beside you."

"Emma fights beside me."

"I don't see her fighting now."

"You think I'd bring her out here if I thought you were anywhere
around?"

"She's your watcher.  She should want to be here.  Or doesn't she care
that much about you?  You're not her slayer, after all.  Not really."

Christine smiled gently.  "Like you weren't really Laura's?"

David stood.  "I cared for Laura.  And I care for you."  He turned
around.  "Where is Emma in all this?"  He was shaking his head as he
walked away.

Christine watched him go.  She stood on the path until he was out of
sight then turned and headed for her watcher's townhouse.

She rang the chime but no one answered, so she pushed herself up onto
the low brick wall and waited.  She felt very exposed sitting in the
open, but she was not going to run and hide just because she was a
little jittery.  She was the slayer--or one of them, at least.  What
had it been like during the old days, before Buffy, when there had
only been one?  To be "the" slayer?  How terribly isolated had those
girls been.  How very frightened.

A flitter eased its way down the street, stopping in front of Emma's. 
Christine pushed herself off the wall as Emma got out.

"Christine?"

Christine saw her watcher touch her coat pocket.  Did she think she
was in danger?  Did she really not trust her?  Christine tensed.

Emma shot her an odd look at she pulled out her keycard and passed
her, climbing the stairs slowly.  "Dear, you seem awfully jumpy."  She
opened the door and stared down at Christine.

"I want to know about the Cruciamentum."

Emma sighed.  "David told you?"

"Actually he told Jim and Jim told me.  Why didn't you tell me?  Why
didn't Roger tell me when I was eighteen and scared out of my mind?" 
Christine shook her head.  "Funny how you've never seemed very eager
to examine why I don't patrol in the sewers."

"I'm perfectly aware of why you don't.  And I'd say fear of the sewers
is a valid response to nearly having died in one."  Emma sighed again.
 "Come in."

When Christine didn't move, Emma started to shut the door.

"Did you ever watch one?  Did you ever watch a slayer die?"

"Yes.  Once.  And I'm on record as condemning it.  It's a barbaric
practice.  I'm not the only one who feels that way."

Christine could feel tears stinging her eyes.  She looked away.  

"Christine.  Please come in."

"I was all alone down there.  And I thought I was sick.  But there was
this terrible vampire that had to be stopped, so I went.  Because
that's what slayers do.  They go.  They fight."  She looked up at
Emma.  "They die."

"I know."  Emma walked down the stairs, took Christine's arm and
steered her into the house.  "I know."  She shut the door gently and
turned around slowly.  "Did he hold you?  Korby?  Did he comfort you? 
Tell you that you did well?"

"Oh yes.  He did all that."  Christine wiped at her tears.  "He did
everything but tell me the truth."  She sighed, the sound was ragged. 
"I needed a vampire to tell me that.  Why is that, Emma?  Why does he
seem to be on the side of the angels on this one?"

"Because he is.  It's what drew us together, David and me.  One of the
things.  That we abhorred this practice.  That we were working to stop
it.  And then he was killed.  And his voice lost authority.  We're
still trying, those of us who hate it.  Each year there are fewer and
fewer watchers willing to put their slayers through this.  I swear
that's the truth.  We'll stop it, eventually.  But change takes time,
Christine.  You know that."

Christine closed her eyes.  Felt Emma's hand on her arm, urging her
upstairs.  She let herself be moved, fell onto the couch, boneless,
nerveless.  Tired.  Confused.

"Are there other slayers here?  Did Kevin bring others?"

"What do you mean?"

Christine sat up, her voice harsh.  "Other slayers.  How hard is that
to understand?  Instead of me.  Because you don't trust me."

"No.  No, there are no other slayers here.  Why would we bring them? 
This is watcher business."  She sat down next to Christine.  "Did
David tell you that?"

Christine nodded.  "I told him I didn't believe him." 

"But you did."  Emma leaned her head back, looked over at her.  "You
seem to believe a great deal that he tells you.  I find myself
thankful that you're so interested in the admiral or I might be afraid
you'd fall for David and all his truths."

"That's not very nice."

"Perhaps not.  But it is what I think.  You did let him bite you."

"That was different."

"Yes.  You were having some sort of difficulty with Jim, weren't you?"

Christine closed her eyes.  "You're too good at this Emma.  You'll
twist anything I say."

"I'm going to ask you something.  And I want you to think about it,
not dash off some smart answer."

"Ask away."

Emma turned, curling her legs up on the couch so that she was facing
Christine.  "When did it become your first inclination to reach
out--to connect--with your gonads?"

Christine laughed.  "Flattering."

"Think about it.  And I'm not talking about David anymore.  I mean in
general."

Christine took a deep breath.  "I'm not having sex with Jim."

"I know you're not.  It's possibly the first time you haven't jumped
into bed with a man."

"Not my choice," Christine muttered.

Emma laughed.  "I believe that too."  

"You think I'm a bad person?"

"I didn't say that.  But Spike.  Spock."  She touched Christine's arm.
 "Roger.  Your watcher, Christine?  Why?  He was a father figure."

Christine pulled away.  "Spock and Spike weren't."

"No.  But all three have something in common.  You just haven't seen
what it is yet."

"Good in bed?"

"Christine.  There may not be many more of these sessions in our
future if we don't stop David."  At Christine's look, she shook her
head.  "I'm a realist.  Work with me now."

"I told you I won't let him hurt you."

"Work with me.  What do they all have in common?"

Christine looked down.  The room was silent and she expected Emma to
say something, to break the impasse.  But her watcher sat silently,
her head pressed against the cushion as she watched Christine.  She
smiled gently at her, then closed her eyes, as if she could wait all
night for Christine's answer.

"They saved me."

Emma opened her eyes and smiled.  "And in return, you gave
them...what?"

Christine looked away.

"Christine?  It's not a bad thing.  It's just truth.  Truth that I
don't think you've ever looked at."

"I gave them my body."  She turned and stared at Emma.  "You're the
expert.  You tell me why that is."

Emma smiled again.  "I think that after Marcus died, you shut down. 
Buried yourself deep.  You set out on revenge, became a wild thing. 
Killed them all.  Right?"

Christine nodded.

"A true child of Faith's line."  Emma shook her head.  "I know the
mystique that slayer holds for you.  And I know why.  She protected
herself the same way by all accounts.  Gave her body, but not her
heart.  Not until she learned how to love.  And grew up."

"You think I need to grow up?"

"What do you think?"

Christine shrugged and they fell into another long silence.  Then she
looked over at Emma.  "'I've seen Faith in my dreams.  But not lately.
 She doesn't come anymore."

"Maybe you don't need her to come anymore."  Emma shook her head. 
"After Marcus, you shut down and the only thing you could give was
your body.  And you gave it with such abandon that you fooled your
partners."

"Are you saying I didn't love them?"

"I'm saying you didn't know what love was.  You never got the chance
to find out what it might be with Marcus.  And you never let yourself
know what it might be with the others.  You were too busy protecting
yourself."

"That's bullshit.  I loved Spock."  Christine pushed herself off the
couch.  "I bonded with him."

"I know."  Emma didn't move, just waited as Christine paced.  "And you
ran away from him.  Not when you thought he had died, but when you
knew he hadn't.  You ran away from his love, Christine."

"You can't figure out everything like that.  There isn't an easy
answer for everything."

"Fine, then tell me why haven't you slept with Jim."

"He doesn't want to."

"Yes he does."  Emma grinned at her.

"He doesn't think we should."

"So you're his...?"

"Friend.  I'm his friend."

Emma nodded.  "I see.  Would the old Christine have known how to do
that?  How to just be a friend?" Emma closed her eyes.  "Or would she
have tried to seduce him by now--maybe even succeeded?"

"You don't make me sound very nice?"

Emma laughed.  "At times, you aren't very nice.  None of us are."  She
patted the couch, waited for Christine to sit back down before she
asked, "Do you like who you are?"

Christine thought about that.  "Yes."

Emma nodded.  "I like who you are too."  She smiled gently.  "Very
much."

Christine smiled sadly.  "I wish I'd known you when I was eighteen."

"I was just about that age too then."

Christine nodded.  Funny how much older Emma seemed.  Full of the
wisdom that was usually won over time, over years.  "I'm glad you
pissed off Kevin."  She grinned.  "I'm glad you had to come help me."

Emma took her hand.  "I never have to do anything.  Especially stay
here.  Believe me, part of me would like to run very fast and very far
until David is neutralized.  But I can't."  She squeezed her hand
hard.  "I stay for you."

"Thank you."  Christine squeezed back.  "Thank you for staying."

"It's going to get very bad soon.  He won't wait forever.  You know
that.  He's been playing with us all.  Me most of all by his wooing of
you.  He wants me to think you might turn on me."

"He knows I won't."  

"Not yet.  But once he is sure you can't be won, he'll move.  And then
it will be war.  And you'll have to choose sides."

"No I won't.  I'm already on your side.  You know that.  Or you should
know that by now.  Why don't you know that?  Let's examine that. 
Maybe look at your sex life?"  Christine grinned to take out a little
of the sting in the words.

Emma smiled.  "That vampire trying to kill me was my sex life."

"Oh yeah."  Christine shook her head.  "Well, let's not go there,
then."

"Good idea."

Christine yawned.  "I have to get home."

Emma let go of her hand.  "You could stay here." 

"Do you want me to?"

"Oh, I'm not afraid.  I just mean if you're tired.  I have extra
rooms."

Christine shook her head.  "I'm all right.  The walk will do me good. 
I have lots to think about now."  She grinned ruefully.  "Therapists."

Emma laughed, started to get up but Christine waved her back down.  

"I can see myself out."  Impulsively, she leaned down and kissed
Emma's cheek.  "You do good work, you know."

Emma shook her head.  "It helps to have such a good patient."  She
smiled, closed her eyes.  "Lock the door on your way out?"

"They can't come in unless you invite them in," Christine said as she
walked down the stairs.

"Lock it anyway."

"Sure thing, boss."  She closed the door behind her, made sure it had
locked before heading home.  She took a deep breath of the night air. 
Her element.  The night.  It would be strange to be on the ship again.
 No night.  No patrol.  No killing.

Strange but good.

She passed a man on a bench.  "You must have been bored?"

David just laughed as she walked away.

She turned, continued to walk as she talked.  "I'll choose her, David.
 Go away and let this die now."

"No."  He jumped up.  "Can I walk you home?"

"No."

"There may be other vampires?"

"No."

"Fine," he said as she walked quickly away.

But she could tell he was behind her, all the way to her place.  A
menacing presence, protecting her from the other vampires.  It was
both comforting and deeply disturbing.


FIN

--
Stephen Ratliff
ASC Stories Only Forwarding

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