StormChaser 7 (non-attachment ver)

["Parise, Charles" <Charles.Parise@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Shadowlander's 'StormChaser 7' was apparently missed by a number of people
as it was an attachment and got removed by some e-mail systems. Since there
seem to be a lot of people asking, I am re-sending it to the lists. 
Apologies to people who got it OK the first time. 

Chazzman

Title: Stormchaser (7/?)
Author: Shadowlander
Email: Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx - or - Tankesly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rating: PG-17
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Warner Bros. Television own all,
I'm just borrowing them to play around with for a bit. I promise to return
them to their proper place when I'm done.
Pairing: Buffy and Willow
Spoilers: None, everyone is still in my own little universe, you have to
wait for the crossover for there to be spoilers. :) 
Achieve: Sure I don't mind, just let me know where it's going. Even if it
is to the worst Buffy story ever written web page. {Is there such a page?}
Note: Sorry for the delay folks. Real life has been rudely interrupting my
creative pursuits. That and its real hard to work on the computer when you
got ice on the knee. That's my story and I'm sticking too it. 

STORMCHASER (7/?)

Later that same night - the Garbaldi house.

Willow prowled the first floor in a near blinding rage, her growls echoing
throughout the quiet house. Someone had tried to probe her mind; she could
still feel the after effects of a powerful enchantment touching her. It
wasn't a pleasant feeling; the enchantment tasted of dark magic, the kind
that Sunnydale seemed to attract. It was a magic she was beginning to
recognize; it smelled of that crazy vampire that had invaded her dreams the
night before. However, tonight was different, the magic smelled odd, like
it was more powerful. She really couldn't explain it, she only knew that it
angered her. With a deep growl of frustration, she turned suddenly and
headed for the front door. It was no use trying to get back to sleep, she
knew from past experience that she was filled with a restlessness not easily
satisfied. 'Best to run it off', she decided with resolve, absently
wondering how many miles it would be this night before her cat calmed down
enough to sleep.


She had been running for some time, dawn just a few hours away, and Willow
was still all wound up. The past couple of days troubled her, she wasn't
used to people trying to get into her mind while she slept, and she sure
wasn't used to losing control of her cat in public. 'It has to be the
hellmouth,' she thought with disgust, unconsciously turning her aimless jog
toward Sunnydale. The town was calling to her, mocking her with its
evil...almost like it was daring her to do something about it. As a result
she was rapidly developing an intense hatred for Sunnydale and its undead
populace. 

Shaking her head to clear it of her silent musings, she realized that she
was headed back to the Bronze. She hadn't meant to go back into town, at
least not at night anyway. The fight earlier with the vampires had taken
more out of her then she would like to admit. Her cat had gotten a taste of
blood and it wanted more. Willow had always feared losing herself to her
animal psyche; of course her brother firmly believed that she - her 'human'
self - would always remain in control. Sometimes Marco's faith in her
astounded even her. Deciding that she had run far enough, and having no
desire to see the other side of town, she turned back toward home briefly
wondering if she could beat the sun [there] or not.

**********************

Angelus couldn't believe his luck. He had been in a rage of his own after
the brawl in the Bronze, losing several good minions to the Slayer and the
red head. He had already taken out his displeasure on the assorted minions,
who had the misfortune to get in his way, back at the lair. He had left his
own mansion lair, over looking one of Sunnydale's larger graveyards, hours
ago to spread even more mayhem among any unsuspecting human who might have
been outside so late at night. Only to find the mysterious red head on a
late night run.

Smiling to himself, he followed her, careful to stay down wind of the small
red head. Although, the scars across his cheek were healing themselves, he
still felt the need to repay her in kind, to possess her in every way. When
he first came to Sunnydale to overthrow the imprisoned Master, he had
stalked the Slayer, toying with her whenever he could. He was determined to
destroy her, to break her human mind and then vamp her. She would make a
good companion for Spike and himself], he had decided. But now there was
the red head, who seemed to be helping the Slayer some how. That would not
do, the Slayer was his to break and mold in his own twisted image, and
Angelus always got his way. The red head's presence in Sunnydale would have
to be addressed and soon. The longer he watched her the more obsessed he
became. The need to calm the fire that burned within her eyes, as his own
consumed him. And whatever Angelus wanted, he got. He was Sunnydale's
master after all. 

**********************

Drusilla watched Angelus form the shadows, noting her sire's pleased
expression as he followed the unaware red head through town. She had the
left the safety of her own lair when she felt her kitten's presence in town.
Dru had already prepared her kitten's new home, and was eager to place her
in it. Soon she would have her kitten with her, where she would remain
until the Slayer joined their little family, and then they would rule the
night. 

Still there was the little matter of Angelus to address; the master vampire
was unaware of her presence in town, believing that he had gotten rid of her
back in Prague. Her 'daddy' always was full of his self, buying into the
insane act she put on for the last two hundred years. She had planned her
revenge carefully, waiting for the most opportune time to destroy him as he
once tried to do to her. 'Perhaps, I should rethink my plans,' she silently
mused, careful to keep out of range of Angelus's senses. It wouldn't do for
him to know that she was in town, not until she was ready to stand over him
as the Slayer dusted him. 'Yes, it would be perfect,' she thought with and
evil grin. Dru would take her little kitten tonight, Angelus was getting
ideas of his own for her kitten, and that would not be allowed. The kitten
belonged to 'her', she was for 'her' Enforcer, and Angelus's continued
interest in either of them was growing tiring. She would have to do
something about that, she had wanted Angelus's last hours to be painful as
his hold over the town, and minions, were stripped away from him. Dru was
confident that she could direct the Slayer in the final battle with Angelus,
she would ensure that he would die just as Drusilla wanted him to -
painfully and slowly. Then there was the little matter of Spike; she wasn't
sure what she wanted to do with him just yet. Oh they had some good times
in the past, as they, literally, painted many a town red. But he had chosen
to side with his sire, betraying Dru. His death would be nowhere near as
swift as Angelus's, Spike would die much more slowly. It would take years
for her former lover to finally become dust, but only after she had firmly
taken control of Sunnydale. Before she would allow him to become dust, he
would beg her for release from the agony that would become the center of his
existence.

*******************

'Damn', Willow mentally cursed, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.
She was being followed; her cat began to stir at the thought. She was
pretty sure that it was a couple of leeches that had attracted themselves to
her shadows. She would have picked up heartbeats if it had been a couple of
humans. 'Not much I can do about that now. I wonder if they ever played
tag before?' She asked herself spotting a graveyard up a head. Her cat was
feeling a bit frisky at the thought of turning the tables on her two
shadows. 'Maybe some blood would take the edge off,' she [thought] with a
smile, as she gave a quick burst of sped and fled into the dark depths of
the graveyard. The call of the hunt pounded in her veins for the second
time that night. It was time to kill something.


End Part 7