Three days later the role of the ruling couple was one of visiting, ‘chatting’, hosting and inspiring.
Their day was now timetabled and organized by Minna’s personal assistant, Anna. The slim, six foot tall, vampire with dark strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes, had an eye for efficiency, a ruthless political attitude, and keen business acumen. She was a tremendous support for Spike and Xander.
The young woman was Norwegian by birth, but had been a Harvard graduate studying the ‘cell phone phenomena’ of Scandinavia in the late nineteen nineties, when she ran across the Vampire Master of the southern Swedish clans in a bar. Intelligent, multilingual and stunningly attractive, she was turned as a Childe.
Her gender orientation in life seeped into her unlife eventually, and her own sire, Master Tobias, benefited politically as the Mistress Minna (Grandchilde of the Mistress Alenka) took Anna as a lover on his first trip with her to the Northern court some two years later. She and Minna were not yet formally mated but certainly made a handsome pair, and were rarely seen apart ‘after hours’.
On their first meeting, the young vampire did as any Childe of the European Clans might, she knelt and kissed the Aurelian ring. She could smell that the High Master had recently fed and before falling to her knees, saw the fast healing bite mark on his Consort. Anna could sense the power in the blood and was rather overwhelmed, quickly prostrating herself before the ruling couple. The blood demanded servitude and obedience, but her High Master moved forward and lifted her chin gently.
“We need your skills *and* your loyalty, not groveling. We are told you can provide that, yes?”
Utterly intimidated and feeling an intrinsic desire to forgo all instructions and simply curl onto the floor with her head on the tiles, the young vampire gulped then nodded desperately.
Spike smile indulgently and kissed the pretty forehead, “Then you will be our professional assistant, and will aid my Consort and I in a most trying time. Mistress Minna has recommended you, and I trust her judgment. I am also aware of your partnership with the dear Mistress, and know that you accept our combined commitment to the Clans. I trust that you will you do your best for the same cause.” Spike dropped his fangs and bit hard into his thumb, offering it to their soon to be assistant.
Anna did not hesitate and was rewarded with a sip of the extremely potent High Master’s blood. She was still dizzy with the taste but immediately bent her neck for the High Master and sighed as she felt his fangs enter her, the exchange confirming the loyalty to the court on a visceral level. She knew – as did Spike – that she would serve and defend them all until she was dust.
Anna was brilliant at her given role. There was not a slayer, wiccan, apprentice, vampire (master, childe or minion), or watcher that felt they had missed personal attention from the High Master or his Consort. Her timetabling was extraordinary and cleverly managed to take advantage of the interrelating groups.
There was meet and greet, inspection of training, casual addresses in the daily gathering by either of the ruling party, granted audiences with Clan Masters, and congratulatory meetings with outstanding students prior to the weekly award ceremonies. All were timed to perfection and any ‘glitches’ dealt with, without any need for the ruling couple’s attention. And in addition, their usual business interests and the business of the whole European Vampire Nation… was slotted in apparently effortlessly, to the point that Xander and Spike were regularly able to relax by around midnight.
Willow and Minna initially accompanied them on the first two days, but opted to do their own tours the second afternoon, realizing the truth of the adoration for the ruling couple.
Willow grinned as she and Minna jokingly likened them to rock stars and those attending the court to groupies. On the third afternoon however, as the wiccan watched her old friend and the extraordinary Spike, she realized that they were so much more than that. Their demeanor, their commitment, even the most passing contact with those in their care… they were extraordinary in every way. The High Master William and his Consort Alexander gave out such power now that even Willow itched as though with hives when with them for too long. She was a power in her own right, yet these two together were something quite different. Willow had no doubt as to why all the lesser vampires struggled to stay standing in the presence of the ruling couple.
Xander had been sweet and listened with some amusement to her ‘itchy’ complaint, then, on the third night of their new regime, encouraged her to partake of a mouthful of his own blood, something that she was very unwilling to do… and yet… it did make a difference. She still felt the pair quite profoundly as they entered the room, but it was no longer an irritation, rather a sense of unfettered happiness.
Willow was rather concerned that the slayers might feel the discomfort while not having her advantage of being the long time friend of the Consort. She attended one of the education sessions and found something quite different. It seemed that her own immense power caused the itches, as the other wiccans and Slayers spoke in awe of a sense of exhilaration whenever the two were present, then went on to swoon over how handsome they were and how kind and how beautiful the Mistress was and her clothes…. and at that point Willow departed. It seemed she should perhaps shift her attention to her own.
She met with the senior witches present later that evening. Their understanding of the power of the ruling High Master and his Consort was somewhat different to their apprentices and the Slayers. First and foremost was the difference in age of the senior wiccans. It seemed to make a difference, the former averaging around forty, their apprentices and slayers, half that, if not less. The witches had all felt the power of the vampiric High Master of Europe, but the feeling was not that of a normal vampire or even a regular Master demon. The High Master was ensouled, the inheritor, the favored Childe of the former Aurelian Master, one fourth of the Scourge of Europe… and there was more… His Aura was a warm shade of deep blue, indicating benevolence and good will … also strength and honor… And even more extraordingary, his Consort’s aura was identical. The ruling couple’s magical power felt like the edge of an embrace… it still felt dangerous, but enticing and hopeful; prickly, but inviting.
Willow grinned as the various witches stood and attempted to explain what it was they felt.
Proceedings moved on quickly from there. Their alliances settled and the issue of auras one of ongoing intrigue, the witches were under no delusion as to their task. The *had* to educate the slayers and their minders - the young watchers - and to protect their own wellbeing as the Watchers’ Council had sent out yet another hard line edict demanding the elimination of all those with ‘demon origins or connections’. It was an interesting contradiction since the Slayers themselves were all part demon entity, something the clans and the wiccans hoped would come to be understood in the schooling of their groups.
Twelve days into the program, Xander was ‘doing the rounds’ while the High Master dealt with a couple of clan issues in southern Greece via a conference call.
The Consort was aware that even his single presence distracted the sessions, so approached the ‘breakout room’ cautiously.
There was a tiny girl sitting next to the entrance sobbing. She could not have been more than six or seven years old. Xander melted as the red head looked up with tearful green eyes, she was so like the little Willow he had known years before. He shrugged off his coat, wrapped it around her, then lifted her into his lap, adjusting them until they both sat with the small girl gradually relaxing in the soft, warm lining.
Xander was pleased when she pushed even closer, so ventured a question. “Do you feel like telling me what’s wrong?” Xander looked down and began to stroke the pretty red hair. He then tried again in French and this time she responded (He silently thanked Anton for insisting on him learning two – and a bit! – European languages while Spike was recovering from the accident.)
Still crying quietly she mumbled into his shoulder in French with a definite Belgian accent, “I miss my Mama… and Papa… We always had cuddles… *always*! And I … oh… [sob] I know I’m a Slayer, because they said… but I just want to… see… [hic] Mama and Papa!!…” She lifted tearful eyes to meet Xander’s look of compassion, then began to sob in earnest. As she calmed a little Xander felt her snuggle in for a tighter hug. Then, amongst hiccupping sobs and residual tears she looked at him squarely in the eye and articulated a question that encompassed a thousand wrongs, “Why won’t they let me go home? Papa and Mama must be so worried… for Elouise too… The watcher men came to school and took us… and I still have presents that I made for Easter!… And they won’t know where we are!” She dissolved into tears as Xander hugged her close and realized the implications of the statement.
Rather than continue on his ‘tour d’ jour’, Xander lifted the child and carried the small girl at speed through the palace, and directly to Willow’s quarters.
The witch was having a break but responded to the knock on the door. A very upset looking Xander stood with a now sleeping little body in arms.
Xander settled his charge on the small settee in Willow’s sitting room still wrapped in black, the wiccan not failing to notice Xander’s stunning leather coat wrapped around the child and her snuggling down for comfort, sleeping on, before they spoke.
“Since when have the Watcher’s council been *abducting* slayers?”
“What?”
“*When* did the council start pulling these *children* from their homes and schools?”
“I wasn’t aware they had?”
“This *child* and her sister were taken from their school! Her parents have no idea where they are! Wills this is beyond serious! If there are two here under our care… how many more do we have? And how many more are the Council ripping out of their mothers’ arms?!” Xander was so upset that there was no way Willow could block the waves of power and emotion flowing from him. He was pacing the room but stopped as he passed her for the third time, “Can you access the abductions of fifteen and under girls in the last two years and cross reference them with the names of the Slayers that we know of?”
Still staring in shock at the petite figure now sleeping in her drawing room, Willow quickly agreed. “Ummm yes… yes of course! Oh Goddess Xan! The poor sweetie… no wonder half of them have been crying! I thought it was the training and that sort of thing… Xander this is *so* wrong!”
“Does Giles know?”
“Xander you *know* Giles! He would *never* agree to this!!”
“But I’ll bet our current ‘Head Wanker’ would! If *nothing* else comes of this exercise with the northern clans, we have to stop the abductions!” Xander looked at Willow pleadingly, knowing he was sending messages of distress through the Consort/Master link but unable to control his emotions.
Spike was at Willow’s door within minutes. He wrapped his arms around his distressed Consort and watched in near disbelief as the current list of European Slayers (kindly supplied by Andrew) was cross referenced with the international and national missing persons lists for the previous two years (since Mr James Moxley had taken power).
The ripple of anger as Spike arrived was augmented by Xander’s upset, and left Willow with an overwhelming, very primal sense of fear. Spike kept hold of Xander’s hand but moved toward the tiny figure.
By the time he stood back to address Willow, the High Master was in game face, standing resolute and proud as he growled, “This is our ace in the hole, and I *will* drain that bastard if I ever get within ten miles of ‘im!
“We return every slayer to their families – magic or no magic… they *don’t* take something that later might be willingly given. It’s a bloody callin’ not a sentence!!! Stupid bastards make it into a curse and rip tiny tots from their mothers to indoctrinate them with a bunch of rubbish from some dusty ol’ tomes. I thought I was soulless but this … this is…” Spike was sending off such waves of frustration that Xander was barely holding on to his own sanity. He did the only thing he could think of and bared his neck.
The vampire bit very hard and deep. It was in no way the loving attentions Xander had so come to enjoy, but a vicious necessary claiming bite that had the single aim of centering the very distressed High Master.
Willow gasped and began to panic as she saw Xander pale and begin to pass out. She need not have worried, a wrist was firmly planted at her friend’s lips, and the Consort latched on. Xander’s color returned and they sat to discuss strategy.
Spike, Xander and Willow visited Giles at his bedside later that day to present their findings. Giles was distressed but unsurprised by the revelation that the Council was now abducting and brainwashing their Slayers.
The man looked a little better than when he arrived in St Petersburg, though he was decidedly grey and far slimmer than was normal for a man of his stature. He was still on oxygen but it was through a nose piece which was a relief. With only one more round of chemotherapy to endure, he was looking forward to moving independently again in a week or two.
There had been wheel chairs and needing to be lifted; the humiliation of being wrapped in layers of sheets and a ‘space blanket’ as chemotherapy took its effect; being bathed by a nurse daily; and suffering catheters and enemas as his body was no longer in his control. To his shame he had cried as he had asked for his pajama bottoms and was told “No” in no uncertain terms, the answer itself not upsetting, the explanation the cause… “You can have them but I am not sure you are yet ready for the pads that would go with them”… Six days later as Giles determinedly attempted to put his own pajamas on the ‘rigors’ had set in, and despite his best efforts he was shaking so hard that he could not even say his name… the weakness that followed gave him no choice but to cry quietly while a kindly nurse assisted him to finally ‘get respectable’.
Willow had visited the afternoon of the 'pants incident' just as a hefty sedative was applied and Giles finally slipped into unconsciousness. The white haired wiccan drew on the Earth’s strength on Giles’ behalf. Xander, Spike and Willow had never failed to visit daily since his arrival, nor had Andrew and a couple of the older Slayers, and for that Giles was grateful. But he still felt he had let them all down.
Now the three sat at Giles’ bedside, the old watcher was as angry as any of his companions. He could not believe the vicious new policy of ‘indoctrination’ had extended to abducting tiny girl Slayers from under their parent’s noses!
Anton was on a conference call to the group as it was confirmed beyond doubt that the Council had begun grabbing little Slayers by force shortly after Moxley had come to power.
They had gathered the evidence. Magic or no magic, kidnapping a minor was an internationally indictable offence. Moxley may have his lackeys but he had *not* done his paperwork, and the trail of offences stopped at him. He would be easily convicted. But Anton counseled caution, and the ruling couple listened.
They quietly spoke to all Watchers present, listing the names of girls involved – many of whom were present in St Petersburg. All those present were stunned beyond belief. They had known that some of the girls were missing their homes, but had no real understanding of why. Now with the reports (confirmed) of abductions and virtual brainwashing exercises with the Slayers, the vast majority of Watchers, already on the side of those trying to resolve things, were horrified to learn that the little girls in their care might not even be there willingly, nor as it turned out, legally!
There was whole hearted support for returning any girl that wished to go, and for the mandatory return of any child under fifteen, unless the move risked the young woman in some way. Four of the watchers resolved to track down the other under aged abductees across Europe and return them to their families (with a plan to offer the same to the post fifteen year old Slayers after that). Meanwhile Willow and a couple of Mistress Minna’s staff would work on the case against the perpetrators, sometimes knowing the laws of all the countries in Europe was helpful and the combined network of the Aurelian clans and Anton’s connections really could not be beaten. Anna was in her element, swiftly coordinating the upgrading of their internal network, establishing safe houses for the Slayers, even ensuring that every meeting had juice, blood, fresh coffee and ice water on hand.
At the end of the second month at Minna’s summer palace, Spike decided, and his Consort agreed wholeheartedly. He called the young PA in as their last meeting finished around eleven that night. She entered and fell to her knees, assuming there was a problem. But instead of criticism, Spike lifted her chin. “My Consort and I are extremely grateful for your efforts on our behalf and your partner, your Mistress Minna is *so* proud of you. I wish to offer my thanks in a time honored way.” Spike opened his wrist and allowed her to drink. She barely took a single draft but the gesture was something she had only ever dreamed of. Then, Anna let her tears fall as the Consort’s wrist was also offered, and despite her sobs, she managed to take a tiny mouthful before pulling away.
Spike leaned forward and whispered to their lovely assistant, “Now, I have spoken to your lovely Mistress, and we have agreed that it is wise that if you are to Mate it should be while we are here.” Spike reached for his Consort’s hand and Xander stepped forward, not just accepting the familiar gesture but also moving to grasp the hand of the rather overwhelmed young vampire as she attempted to stand.
Minna arrived barely minutes later, and Willow swiftly began preparations for a full mating of vampire Mistresses.
Meanwhile the tracing of abductions continued. It had been decided that the small girls taken from their families should be re-schooled along with their parents. The latter group being the suggestion of the Consort having grown up on the Hellmouth, there was no doubt that denial was not of use to anyone!
Some parents were distressed beyond belief, their tiny girls torn from them when at school or sport or … even at the Mall… Anna was in her element. She managed to accommodate them and graciously hosting the incoming groups and allowing the reuniting to occur as soon as the High Master was available.
Spike was fluent in most languages and without exception the parents were both tearful and appreciative… and supportive of the vampire/renegade watcher agenda.
Xander was wandering in to their rooms at the end of a very long week eight of their venture when he noticed his beautiful friend with elbows on the table and face in his hands. He moved swiftly, placed the coffee and the O pos on the table then enveloped his tired looking blonde lover in his arms.
“Penny for your thoughts lover?”
“The bastards are bringin’ forward the dates. We’ve hurt them by returnin’ a lot of bloody weeny little loves to their parents… and now they’re gonna try ta wipe us all out! I swear that no human who does that deserves his soul …. None!”
Xander opened his wrist and appealed to Anna with a begging look, as she arrived to check if she was further needed that evening.
Anton was on the phone within minutes.