Blood Calls part 7
Disclaimer: All the characters from the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Whedon and Fox. All of the original characters (such as Ann Grove and Gang Long) belong to the author.
Chapter 7 Relationships and Relations
Ann opened the door and let Giles, Dawn and Buffy in to the large foyer.
"We were delayed a bit. Dawn couldn't find her bathing costume," Giles said.
"Thank you for letting me bring Dawn. Mom is off to the exhibit opening and I couldn't leave Dawn home alone."
"You could, too," Dawn said. "Or I could have stayed with Malinda across the street."
"Thank Ann for letting you come and swim."
"Thanks."
"That's quite all right," Ann said. "We've had an interruption on this end, anyway."
"Oh," Giles said.
"Spike," Ann started.
"Ha!" Buffy muttered.
"Spike was listening to Alice, and made an intelligent suggestion about a computer search she was running on silver Z-3's. Apparently, there are many silver Z-3's in California, and Spike wanted to know if any had been stolen recently, as a limiting factor in the search. Then, Willow asked some detail about the search. Alice took the two of them back to her office to use the computer there."
"I didn't know Spike knew a computer from a brick," Giles said, as he followed Ann into the library, which was occupied only by Tara, who was standing at a huge dry-erase board, holding several different colored markers and a sheaf of loose paper. The board was similar to every other dry-erase board, except for the lack of frame and legs and the ability to move up and down to make access to its top and bottom easier.
"That's entirely Tara's fault," Ann said severely. Tara looked over and grinned at her. Ann smiled back at the girl, then continued: "She showed him how to access the London Times web page and locate the crossword. Spike found his own way to the letters to the editor chat room, and since then, there's been no stopping him."
"Is that what he was doing in the library last night?" Buffy asked.
"Yes. Some Royal got stopped for speeding and the e-mail has been heavy."
"The Times? The real Times? I never knew the net could be so useful," Giles said. He picked up part of Alice's report Tara had finished with and tossed on the low table and started reading it.
"Was Spike's suggestion really any good, or was he just trying to impress Alice?" Buffy asked.
"She thought it was interesting," Ann said. "Willow came up with the geographical limit--stolen from somewhere that might correlate with Eric's known movements."
"What's this?" Dawn asked, indicating the board Tara was writing on.
"Sort of a time chart," Tara said. "We know generally where Harmony was and we were concentrating on time, since she is so annoyingly vague about that."
"Humph," Dawn said. "I'm going to swim,"
"Gang Long's out there," Ann said.
"Is he wearing a suit this time?" Dawn asked.
"I believe so," Ann said, and watched Dawn head for the pool through the French doors in the north wall..
"Can Gang Long swim really well?" Buffy asked.
"All the longs are fine swimmers. They have a real affinity for water," Ann said. "She won't drown in his company."
"Good."
"What color is Zac, Tara? Month before last, last month, this month. Fill Zac in where you can, Buffy, using Alice's report. I'm doing Ian. Eventually, we'll have to get Harmony up here and dredge her memory."
"Ann, I think we can squeeze Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays into one column. Nothing seems to have happened then and we could use more space for weekends, when she was really busy."
"Certainly," Ann said, and glanced at the board. The calendar grid tucked in at the sides, then expanded again with the squares for Friday, Saturday and Sunday suddenly become rectangles. Ann picked up a pink marker and started entering Ian's data. Buffy took a turquoise one and began with Zac.
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"Who's Charles? Harmony didn't do a Charles."
"She gave them nick-names," Ann said. "She said she thought it was cute. Charles is Carlo. Jake is actually James."
"Are you sure I can't stake her?" Buffy asked.
"I'm afraid you can't," Ann said. "For one thing, we'll need her for bait tonight."
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"So Denis, Zac, and Charles haven't been located yet, and Ian didn't come to the phone. Everyone else, except Eric, is at his parents' home. That isn't what usually happens," Buffy said.
"These youngsters are from a different sub-group, with a different mental set, than the ones you usually kill," Ann said.
"You make it sound like an anthropological study," Buffy complained.
"You can analyze the situation as if it were," Ann said.
Giles glanced up, and stopped reading..
"What do you mean?" Tara asked.
"Consider the data Claire gathered from studying the vampires descended from Darla," Ann said. "Darla was alone, entirely on her own, when the Master changed her; she turned Angel, who was having trouble with his father and who then killed all his family. He turned Drusilla, and killed all her family. She took over Spike, who was out on his own. Harmony was alone, down in Los Angeles, when Spike got her. Those victims were alone, they had no support--admittedly, sometimes they were isolated because of their own actions--and neither do the vampires you usually kill around here.
"Many students from Stanford, not just most of the vampires Harmony turned, come from a sub-group that can expect help from parents, extended family and not infrequently, trust funds. In case of any difficulty, they can go home to mom and dad, who can probably smooth everything over with money or influence."
"Being a vampire isn't something you can smooth over," Buffy said indignantly.
"There are obviously problems, but the Slayer, and even the Council, may not notice these vampires at all, since many of them aren't leaving a trail of bodies, either because they aren't creating any, or because mom and dad have someone following their child around tidying up."
"Are you saying I'm killing only poor, defenseless, orphan vampires?" Buffy demanded.
"Shorn of the sarcasm," Ann said mildly, "yes."
The papers Giles had been reading had fallen to his lap. He raised them again, and appeared to be reading when Buffy glanced at him.
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"That's everybody," Tara said.
"I suppose we should ask Harmony," Buffy said, with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.
"And there is no reason to put it off," Ann agreed.
Harmony appeared in the library. "Hey," she began. "I'm bore..."
"Quiet," Ann ordered. "Look at the chart. We are filling in what you did to whom, when, and then what happened to them after. You will, without digressing, answer our questions. That--"
Harmony jumped. "--is what happens when you annoy me."
"Oh, all right."
"When did you meet Eric?"
"The 26th of the month before last."
"What color is Eric?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Green."
"And when did you turn him?" Ann asked.
"The same day."
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The fax announced incoming mail. Tara brought the new sheets over to the group. "More stuff," she said.
"Well, that certainly catches your eye," Buffy said, adding Charles to the same date as Ian and Eric.
Spike, Alice and Willow ported into the library. "What happened then?" Spike asked, looking at the 12th of the current month, then: "Harm, weren't you back in Sunnydale then?"
"I got back the week before that. There weren't any more parties, so I left Palo Alto and came home."
"The office faxed the new reports, Alice. Ian, Eric and Charles were expelled then. Harmony turned Charles just before she left, on that Sunday; Ian nearly four weeks before she left--he was her only weekday trick; and Eric ran a record five weeks and three days before the university expelled him," Tara said.
"What happened before that Monday?" Alice asked. Spike glanced over at her, then nodded:
"Right," he said.
"Well, I don't know," Harmony said, tensing.
"Eric was probably the most sophisticated new vampire. He grew up around other vampires, remember. He was apparently able to pass for over a month," Ann said.
"What was he eating?" Buffy asked. "Or who?"
"Yes," Ann mused. "Alice, are there any other strange happenings, after hurricane Harmony swept through campus?"
"Stanford has over 14,000 students, Ann. There's a lot going on anytime, with that many young people."
"I'll hack into the campus health service," Willow said. "See if there was a sudden upsurge in anemia." Willow and Tara went over to the computer.
"Excellent," Ann said.
"Ann," Alice murmured.
"Hilary helped me set up the computers, Alice. These are as good as yours, and as untraceable. I'll tell Willow not to try this at home," Ann grinned.
"Actually, I was wondering if we could get a look at these threes' class schedules," Alice said.
"You think they might know each other?"
"Two of them lasted the longest, they were the only ones expelled, Charles and Eric were fraternity brothers,. what else might they have in common?"
"Eric's dead," Spike said.
"Ian didn't come to the phone," Alice said.
"And Denis, Zac and Charles?"
"I haven't located them yet," Alice admitted. She ported out.
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"All of the three expelled," Alice said, speaking as she ported back to the library, "were on the soccer team, second string, even Charles, who still doesn't answer his phone. We're still after Denis and Zac. Shall we send someone to their parents?"
"Do it," Ann said.
"Ah," Willow said. "Ann, Alice, listen to this: The Friday before the 12th, Eric's fraternity had a party, the forfeit party, they called it, after the soccer team chickened out of a match with the Berkeley soccer team. I read about that. That same night, a member of the fraternity was admitted to the University Medical Center with acute anemia."
"And Charles would have been a vampire only about five days," Spike said. "You haven't lost your appetite for solid food, but too much makes you sick. You can't go out, except at night. You ache in strange places. Your whole life is changed, and you're coming to grips with that."
"You'll never play soccer again." Giles said.
"And you drink much beer, I bet," Willow said.
"At a frat party? Probably," Alice said. "A bad mix--emotional upsets, bad press, mockery and lots of beer."
"And on Monday, the dean wants to see you," Tara said.
"Harmony," Spike asked, "who did you tell you were from Sunnydale? Besides Eric?"
"Most of them, they were all very interested in what I had to say."
"Why?" Buffy asked Spike.
"Monday, or even Friday, doesn't sound like enough time to decide to hire mercs, find them, hire them and send them here by last night. Eric, Charles and Ian probably aren't the ones trying to kill Harmony."
"Your theory is that the trio was coping, not necessarily well, but coping, until Friday or perhaps even Monday?" Giles asked
"Yeah. Something happened, they get expelled, their parents find out, and their lives are openly ruined, instead of just changed," Spike said.
"If Harmony is in fact the target," Tara said.
"Right," Spike said. "We're working on that."
"We'll find out tonight," Buffy said.
"Alice, can you get back to us on the car search? I'm still interested in who was in Sylvandale last night," Ann said.
"Oh, sure. I'll call when something comes up. Bye," Alice said, and ported out.
"That was almost rude," Giles said.
"Not as rude as making her what Nancy Polias calls an accessory before the fact," Ann said.
"Perhaps not," Giles admitted.
"What fact?" Tara asked.
"We're going to indulge in kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment," Ann said cheerfully.
"And you're going to help, Harmony," Buffy said.
"I don't want to break the law," Harmony said.
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Chapter 8 - Diversion and Deception
"We're staying here tonight," Buffy told Dawn.
"It's OK," Dawn said, looking around the bedroom of the guest suite that took up the west end of the second floor. Sitting room, bedroom, bathroom. No phone, but a computer and a TV occupied a corner of the sitting room. "Why does Ann have such a big house, if usually only she and Gang Long live here?"
"Possibly because sometimes she has other people staying with her, like us, or Tara and Willow, or Xander and Anya, who will be here for dinner. Which bed do you want?"
"That one," Dawn indicated the one further away from the door. "Are we going to have dinner?"
"Before we all go out and try to catch the mercenaries, yes. Change out of your suit, and come downstairs."
"Do you think Ann is sleeping with Spike, too?"
"What do you mean?"
"Besides Giles."
"How, I mean why do you think Giles is sleeping with Ann?"
"Last fall, they went from calling each other Miss Grove and Mr. Giles, to Rupert and Ann, after they were both gone for three days. Tara mentioned Ann was gone, and you were wondering if Giles would get back in time for Thanksgiving. I think they went away together for a dirty weekend."
Since that was exactly what had happened, Buffy ignored it. She went after the polite and moral high ground: "That's a rude and crude term. Don't use it. Anyway, whoever Ann is sleeping with is not your business. The same with Giles. Why do you think Ann would sleep with Spike?"
"He's cute, and she certainly likes him. Besides, he's got a room here, too."
"He and Gang Long run around together a lot, that's all. It seems to me that Ann likes older men, not a kid like Spike," Buffy halted, remembering what Alice had said about Spike the night before. "Look, do me a favor: Don't ask Giles if he thinks Ann is sleeping with Spike, will you? OK?"
"Well, it's not like he didn't still have Olivia, and what's her name, Claire's friend from Seattle, and the long haired groupie who likes his singing and is always careful to slip out just before six AM. I saw her leave twice when I was out jogging."
"Dawn!" Buffy took a deep breath. "No more discussion about Giles's sex life. No more, none, zero. Ann's either. Or mine, for that matter."
"OK. Xander's and Anya's is more interesting, anyway."
"Dawn!"
"Gotcha."
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"No, I don't want to do this," Harmony said.
"Logically," Spike began.
"No," Harmony insisted. "I don't think it's safe. If it were safe, Buffy would do it."
"Buffy can be killed from ambush. They can't kill you by shooting you, they have to get close enough to stake you or decapitate you. Once they come out of hiding, we catch them. "
"Let Buffy do it. If they're so dumb they're confused about who we really are, she'll be just as good bait as me."
"Harmony," Giles said, "This action is to your benefit."
"This is all for Buffy and I can get hurt."
"No one is denying that Buffy, and indeed all of us, will benefit from having armed marauders removed from the streets, but of course, so will you."
"And when we get right down to it, we can just drop you off in the cemetery and see if you get attacked. If you do, we stop them; if you don't, we wait until tomorrow and see if you get attacked then," Xander said.
"That's enough," Ann said. "Harmony, you are a short-sighted idiot who should be required to have a keeper. Go away." She flicked one hand at the girl vampire, who disappeared.
"You've got another plan?" Xander asked.
"No, just different bait," Ann said. "I'll be right back." She disappeared.
,/P>
"Well, I'm willing," Buffy said.
"Do you still have that vest?" Spike said.
"Yes. But it does slow me down," Buffy said.
"Better than being shot or staked for real," Willow said. "Oh, we're going to have to redo your hair."
Harmony walked in. Everyone glanced at her, then back to each other, except for Spike, who looked, looked away, then back at the other vampire. He frowned, then saw her eyes. They were a clear, emerald green. Spike bounced to his feet: "Bloody hell," he said, in a sort of awed voice.
Giles glanced up at him, then followed his gaze. He looked over Harmony, back at Spike, seemed ready to speak, then jerked his head around. Harmony was wearing Ann's clothes. He looked at her face and saw her eyes. She grinned at him.
"So how do I look?"
"You're taller than Harmony is," Spike answered.
Buffy looked. The girl she thought was Harmony shrank three inches. She realized who it must really be. "Oh," she said. "That's uh, interesting."
"Better," Spike said. Buffy looked at him. Except for his first outburst, Spike didn't seem surprised at all. She glanced over at Giles. He had been startled, but appeared to accept Ann's shape-shifting as well as the vampire did, certainly with more aplomb than Xander displayed:
"Wait, wait," Xander said. "You...She...Look," he told Willow, gesturing wildly at Ann/Harmony.
"Yes, I see. It's something she does. Don't worry about it."
"Neat," Dawn said.
"No big deal," Anya said, "I used to do it all the time."
"She's done this before?" Buffy asked.
"Yes. She used to be shorter. But, Ann, Harmony doesn't dress that well."
"She uses a different palette," Tara said. "More creams and ambers. And she's fluffy." Ann's clothes rippled, changing colors and developing lace and ruffles. "Good," Tara said.
"Ann," Giles asked, "Why? We could, as Xander explained, just release Harmony."
"She's not a friend, she's not even an ally. She's an obnoxious twit and an attractive nuisance, but I've violated her free will all I intend to do."
"But we'd just be letting her go," Tara said.
Ann frowned at the girl. "She's my prisoner, Tara. There are conventions regarding prisoners. I can't use her as bait unless she agrees."
"But she's an obnoxious twit," Anya said. "She really is."
"What I do is not about her, it's about me. Staking her, if she's bothering Tara; or letting the guardian lions eat her, if she tries to return here--I have no trouble with either of those actions, but I can't make her a puppet or force her to put herself at risk." Ann spoke with a cold finality than silenced even Anya.
"You'll fool most people," Spike said. "Even those who know her well, even with those eyes."
Giles sighed quietly. "And it will be dark, too dark to tell their color."
"Then let's do this," Ann said.
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