Watcher, Vampire, Slayer, Witch
Disclaimer: See Part 1
Chapter 4: Lessons and Dragons
"Come with me," Ann said to Spike
"Where are we going?"
"The practice room. You can't go running around loose at the moment, so if you want exercise, you do it here." Ann cut
through the kitchen to a small back hall and followed it to another set of stairs, these leading down.
"Actually," Spike said, "Tara showed me how to get the Times Crossword on the computer, and I was working it."
"They're going to be using the computer. Come on," Ann insisted. At the bottom she turned to him and said, "There is
someone I want you to meet. Especially since it may come to fighting."
"Why does that matter?"
"Well, he's young, and he eats demons. I want him to know you, so he doesn't kill you accidentally."
"What is he?"
"At the moment," Ann said, opening a pair of doors into a high-ceilinged, wooden floored room, "he seems to be human.
Gang Long, come and meet Spike, also called William."
A boy, or maybe a young man, Spike couldn't tell his age, turned and smiled at Ann. As boy toys went, Ann's was much
prettier than Buffy's. The kid was slender, and his face was composed of flat planes, hollows and sharp angles. He was
wearing long loose pants, in rough black silk, gathered at the waist. He was barefoot, and taller than Spike, although he was
no broader. He was Oriental in features and coloring, except his eyes, which were silver, with black flecks. He wore his hair
short in a Benjamin Bratt cut. Gang Long wasn't heavily muscled, but he moved smoothly and gracefully, more like a dancer
than a weight lifter, Spike thought, watching the boy walk over to them
"How old is he?" Spike asked Ann.
"About fifteen hundred years," Ann answered. "In terms of life expectancies, think of him as about three years younger than
you were when you became a vampire."
Spike glanced at her. Ann seemed completely serious.
"Which would make him not human."
"Of course. Show Spike your other forms, would you, please, Gang Long?"
"Certainly, Wu Jing."
Spike made a note to ask Ann what 'Wu Jing' meant, turned back to the boy and saw instead a silver, black and crystal
Chinese dragon. The dragon hung in the air in front of Spike for a moment, stuck out a startling red tongue, then shifted to a
heavy, double-edged sword, with an ebony hilt and a crystal in the pommel. The boy reappeared, grinned at Spike, and
disappeared entirely.
"A hologram?" Spike asked.
"I should have let him bite you," Ann said, mildly. "He's as real as you are, more real in a sense, since he doesn't need magic
to keep him alive and you do. Words don't seem to be working, so let's try this," and she hit him, a quick half-hard punch to
his face.
Already scared and tense, he was so startled, he hit her back, then grabbed his head.
"Ow!"
Ann laughed.
"My hand! My hand?" Spike lowered his hands from his head and stared at his left, the one that had struck Ann. It had been
like hitting a steel wall. His hand hurt like hell. His head felt fine. "You're not human."
"That certainly took you long enough."
"That's why you've always invited me in, isn't it? You can't keep me out, can you? You're a demon."
"No."
"Those are the choices, luv."
"Not all of them. Neither of us is a demon. Keeping you out is easy, by the way. It's just a matter of letting the guardian lions
kill you."
"What are you?" Spike asked, refusing to be diverted by the possibility of lions.
"I can't say," Ann grinned at him.
"Does Giles know?"
"Of course."
"And apparently it works for him." Spike reached up and gripped Ann's neck. It didn't work out quite as he had planned. Ann
remained cool, mildly interested and totally unafraid of him, even though she knew there was nothing stopping him from
attacking her now. He held her head still and kissed her.
"You're really warm. You always act so cool, I wondered if Rupert could ever warm you up, but you start out hot. I can
imagine being surrounded by all that heat, all that passion. You must get tired of a steady diet of Watcher. Ever have a
vampire?"
"Yes," Ann said calmly.
"What?" He had not expected that. He let her go and stepped back from her.
"Yes, I've had a vampire."
"Does Giles know that, too?"
"Of course. I don't hide anything like that from my lovers. The vampire knows about the Watcher, and they both know about
the politician in Manila, who knows about both of them. They all know I'm not human."
"Who? When? It would have to have been recently, since I was the first vampire you ever spoke to."
"If you recall, Spike, the first time we met, I did not speak to you, I just turned you to stone. The one who ran away--"
"Harmony."
"--was the first vampire I spoke to. You are the first vampire I was ever introduced to, however, and the first vampire to
speak to me."
Spike reached inside the collar of her shirt, pushing her chin slightly up and to her right, then changing hands and checking the
right side of her neck. "And he didn't even taste you. So. Who was he? Who got you? No one around here, I bet."
"Do you really think I'd take up with a piece of rough trade from Willies? The clever ones who frequent the No Mirrors Bar
in San Francisco are more to my taste. They can read and they know how to use a shower."
"The SOMA one? You go there? With their cover charge? You've learned a lot about us since you and I met. All right, so you
know how good we are. Let's dance."
"You're too young."
"Hey! There are a lot of girls who say otherwise."
"How many women?"
"I'm three times Rupert's age."
"Closer to four times, but Rupert has a maturity of mind that I find enjoyable. You don't. You act and dress like a teenager;
you still think of yourself as a boy. I welcome adult lovers to my bed, I do not molest children."
"I'm one hundred thirty-eight years old! Make an exception for me."
"No. Besides, you're in love with someone else."
"You can tell that?"
"You glow like a Very flare," Ann said, gently.
"Do you know who?"
"Oh, Spike, that's obvious."
"To everyone?"
"To me, at least. However, it's not my business, and I don't discuss it."
"With anyone?"
"No one but you."
"Thanks."
"One thing, Spike. If you're thinking of trying to feed on me, think again. Claire says she has no idea what my blood will do to
a vampire."
"I've fed on demons."
"You can't extrapolate from that. Remember, I'm not a demon."
"What does that over-educated sadist think might happen?"
"Claire said she could make guesses involving kill, cure or craze."
"How very alliterative. Kill seems self-explanatory. What about cure?"
"Buffy's blood cured Angel of a really vile poison. I might turn you human. We don't know."
"Sod that. Craze?"
"You found a Slayer's blood to be an aphrodisiac. That's minor. There are some serious kinds of drug-induced mania."
"Oh, yeah."
"On the other hand, anytime you want a glass of my blood, I'll be glad to provide one, put you in restraints, and bring Claire
down to take notes."
"No thanks," Spike managed
Ann laughed. As she was leaving the room, she said over her shoulder, "Stay and talk to Gang Long, Spike. I meant it when I
said he ate demons, and I don't want him confused about you. If we go fight humans, though, both of you stay home."
"Why?"
"He won't fight humans and you can't. Play nice." Ann went upstairs.
Gang Long the boy reappeared.
"Hi."
"Hi. Have you known Ann long?"
"All my life," Gang Long said. "She was there when I was hatched."
"Has she really got lions around here, too?"
"Sure. Want to meet them?"
"Maybe later."
End of Part 4
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