Fic: The First

Series: The Prophecy of 6

Author: DarkChilde

Rating: Overall for series is a hard R

Summary: A prophecy takes the Scoobies to New York City where their lives will change forever.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. Joss and others own it all. No profit is made. I do own several original characters in this story. They are from my, as yet unpublished, trilogy, Eternal.

Spoiler Warnings: Anything through the season 6 episode with Xander's wedding, is fair game. I don't think I have any blatant spoilers, but you never know what might pop up. This is actually set in what would be season 8.

Distribution: List archives can have it. If anyone else wants it just let me know. I haven't turned anyone down yet.

Feedback: Yes please. I live for it.

Author's Notes: Okay first of all I have to thank my faithful beta Heather. Not that she'll ever see that, but oh well. Next, there are some things that you should probably know about this story. If this works out it will be the first part in a 6 part series. It's a cross-over with a trilogy of novels that I have written, but haven't found a publisher for yet. Given that no one on these lists is likely to have read them, I have tried to make everything very clear, but here are some basics. Alexei, a 200+ vampire controls the city of New York. He also has a human consort, Katharine. The vampires here are similar to Buffy vampires, but with a whole different culture and a wider range of power. If anyone wants to know more about the novels, I'm always happy to talk about them. Spike knows Alexei, because he was master in New York when Spike and Drusilla were there in the 70's.

THE PROPHACY OF SIX 1: THE FIRST

by DarkChild

"Oh, dear God." Giles exclaimed. He had been skimming through a new book in the magic shop. Deciding whether to keep it for his collection or offer it for sell.

Buffy looked up, but didn't seem at all worried. "What's up Giles? End of the world again?"

"Really, I would think that you would have a little concern." Giles was annoyed with Buffy's complacency. It wasn't as if he was ever overly dramatic. "I've found a prophecy. It will take some checking, but I believe that it will become an issue quite soon."

"Sorry, it's just...How many times have we saved the world, averted the apocalypse, or stopped a prophecy. I don't mean to sound unconcerned, but it's just kind of my life." Buffy hadn't meant to upset Giles. "So, what kind of terrible thing is in this one?"

Giles sighed as he set the book aside, to explain this new threat to Buffy. "Literally hundreds of ancient manuscripts, from around the world, refer to the six Evils. While a great deal of scholarship has been applied to these references, no one actually knows what they are. I believe that the prophecy I have found indicates that the first of the six will awaken. As I said, it will take some research, but I believe that this will happen soon and somewhere in this country." Giles paused for a moment, unsure that he really wanted to add this last, "I think I may need some assistance. We should call Angel."

Buffy was serious now, she knew that if Giles was willing to call Angel something truly scary was involved with this prophecy. "I'll take care of it, if you'll call Willow and the others. We can get the research party started. Do you want all of them, or just Angel or Wesley?" Buffy had already pulled a cell-phone out of her jacket pocket.

"I'm not sure. The source materials will be in a variety of languages, both demon and human. Both Angel and Wesley, may be helpful for that. If we have to fight this thing, we may need the others."

"Okay, I'll ask Wesley and Angel to come. If there's nothing going on there, the others will come too."

"Alright." Giles stood and crossed to the phone at the counter. He began dialing the others, ready to tell them of yet another threat to the world. Buffy likewise dialed the number for the Hyperion hotel in Los Angeles. Calling old friends for help yet again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Half an hour after Buffy and Giles began dialing numbers, the table at the magic shop was full of books and people poring over them. Wesley, Angel, and Cordelia were on their way, and Willow, Tara, Xander, and Spike had already arrived. They were used to research, and settled into an easy pattern.

In the last several years, Willow had gotten back to her roots, as far as research went. She still assisted with magic occasionally, but preferred to stay away from it. She never wanted to be in a position where she would use her power to hurt those she loved again. So, these days, hacking was once more her specialty. If there was information about this prophecy that was accessible by a computer, she would find it.

Spike and Tara were both accumulating a pile of references. Between the two of them they could read 10 languages. They may not know quite what to do with the information they found, but they could assemble it for someone who did.

Giles was doing all of the heavy reading. Whenever one of the others found something potentially useful they would pass it along to him. The pile of books and printed sheets from the computer just kept growing. It would be a relief when he had some help. Of course if the prophecy weren't so vague, or if he had it in its original state, there might be a little less to sift through.

Xander and Dawn were busy. They continually brought likely looking books to Tara and Spike for closer examination, did a little reading through the English texts on their own, and kept the group supplied with coffee, snacks, and anything else that made this job a little more comfortable. Buffy was doing her nightly patrol, but would be back to help out where she could soon.

They had a system, it worked, and sooner or later it would produce results. Hopefully, before the world came to an end.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was another forty-five minutes before Angel, Wesley, and Cordelia arrived to help. Wesley and Angel settled in to help Giles. With three of them working on the stack of materials it finally began to diminish. Cordelia, it seemed, had picked up a new skill in Los Angeles. She was able to take the notes of Wesley, Angel, and, after a little questioning, Giles and turn them into something that the whole group could understand. She also made note of the things that were confirmed by a variety of sources, who had found each item, and the sources used. She turned out page after page of neatly organized facts.

The group worked until shortly before dawn. Spike and Angel needed to get some sleep today and they would have to be elsewhere to do that. Giles told the others that they should get some rest as well. Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Tara returned to the Summer's home. They would try and get some rest. Wesley stayed, preferring to continue working. Cordelia also decided to stay, being unwilling to fall behind in her work. Xander went home.

The pattern continued. Each grabbing a few hours of sleep when possible, reporting to jobs or school when necessary, and working the rest of the time. The entire group was exhausted and frustrated. There were too many variations, too many languages, and too many vague references. They had made some progress. Wesley had determined that the prophecy would probably take place in New York City. They had found nothing to confirm the nature of this first of six evils, how to fight it, or even what it meant for the world.

It was in this atmosphere, that Giles made the first real breakthrough in days. "I think I may have found something." The declaration was quiet, understated, but all eyes in the room still turned to look at him. "I believe I've just found the key that will identify dates in these prophecies. At least, we'd know when to expect this to happen."

Wesley stepped closer examining the text that Giles was still holding. "Yes, I think you may be right. We will have to make some adjustments for changes to the calendar, but I believe we'll at least be able to get a date from this."

The announcement caused a brief moment of excitement before everyone realized that all it really meant was that there was more research to be done. They quickly settled back into the mind-numbing routine that had become their days. For two more days the pattern continued.

It was Giles who finally finished the work. He and Cordelia were alone in the shop at the time. Work, school, or sleep had taken the rest of them away. "I've got it. I'm done." The words were spoken quietly and they barely carried to Cordelia sitting several feet away.

She glanced up, unsure if she'd even heard correctly. "You're sure?" Giles nodded in response. "Okay, I'll call the others." Cordelia began dialing the list of numbers that would bring everyone back to the magic shop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"We still don't know anything. What are we going to do just fly to New York and hope we run into something evil to fight and we can figure out how to kill it when the time comes?" Buffy's voice was heavy with sarcasm. She didn't see that this new information did them any good.

"Of course not. We will go to New York. We will continue our research there, and prepare ourselves as best we can." Giles voice held a harsh edge, he too was frustrated, and dealing with Buffy was more than he could handle just now.

Spike interrupted at this point, his voice oddly unsure. "Yeah, about that. There may be a problem there. New York is run by traditionalists, and I kinda pissed the master off the last time I was there. We'll have to get permission for Angel too."

"I had heard that New York was controlled by a master. The watcher diaries mention a vampire named Alexei from the time that the city was founded. Very little is known about him before he came to the new world. He dropped out of sight nearly a hundred years ago, though. The diary of the last watcher to have a slayer in New York seemed to indicate that Alexei's protégé, Nicholas was now in charge. Is that correct?" Wesley's voice was academic. There were vampires in the world of an ancient order. They had rules and traditions that didn't bind the common vampire. Very little was known about them, and Wesley was curious.

Spike laughed at Wesley's questioning. "The city would have fallen apart in a week under Nick. That's assuming he even survived Alexei's death. Alexei's still in charge, just staying under your radar. It was that last slayer that got him so pissed at me. Don't know how he'll feel about me coming back to his city and bringing along a slayer and a couple of watchers."

"If you talk to him, will you be able to get into the city. If this thing is as bad as I think it is, we're going to need all of the power we can get." Anger laced Giles' voice. It was ridiculous that because of the actions of Spike, they were going to have to negotiate with vampires.

"He'll want to meet, no weapons, but I'm certain he'll let us in."

"Oh no. This is not going to happen. First of all, I'm the slayer. We kill vampires we don't have meetings with them. Second, I will not go into a situation where there are vampires and I don't have any weapons." Buffy was practically screaming at this point.

"Yeah, because that's what you've been doing with the two vampires in the room for years now. And believe me it would be a much better idea to have this meeting than to have his people after us." Spike was angry now too.

"If you don't watch it, I will remember I'm the slayer with you." This argument was spinning out of control.

"Stop it! Stop it now. Both of you." The room fell silent as shocked eyes fell on Xander. "We don't have time for this. Spike fucked up 30 years ago, big surprise. There isn't anything we can do about it. We need in that city. Giles if Spike sets up that meeting will we be safe?"

The silence hung for a moment more. Everyone was surprised at Xander's outburst. Finally Giles answered his question, "From what I know of these vampires, we should be safe, if we take some precautions. The meeting should be on neutral ground. No more than say 4 of his people should be present and I'd like at least the humans to be allowed stakes and crosses, nothing exotic. Will he agree to those terms, Spike?"

Spike nodded. "I'll make the call." He got up and walked out of the room into Giles' office to use the phone there. Xander followed him unnoticed by the others. "Thanks for stopping that argument, Xan."

"Don't start Spike. I'm not any happier with you than Buffy right now, but we can't afford to waste time here. "Make your call and make damn sure to be as polite as you have to be to get into that city." There was a coldness to Xander's voice that Spike wasn't used to hearing. He didn't like that sound, hoped he never put it there again. He nodded as he picked up the phone and began dialing a number that he had filed away in his memory years ago.

In the other room Buffy was contiuing her argument. "I still don't like it." Buffy sounded like a petulant child.

"Buffy, would you please be quiet. We don't have a great deal of choice in this matter." Giles' irritation was still evident in his voice.

Buffy was quiet, but still obviously unhappy, when Spike returned 30 minutes later. "Took a bit to reach Alexei. He's agreed to a meeting on neutral ground. We'll meet in a small club, I know the place it's warded against violence. He won't bring any more than 4 of his people with him, and he'll allow the humans in the group a stake and a cross each. Nothing fancy, no crossbows or anything. Meetings set for tomorrow, just after sunset. He says he's heard a lot about the Slayer and is anxious to meet her. I think he may have been saying that sarcastically though, it's hard to tell with him."

"Well, then I guess we need to make some travel arrangements. I'll do it, no one can get bargain flights better than I can." Cordelia jumped at the chance to be useful again. "I'm going to try to get us out on flights that leave tonight, so you should all go pack. We won't have much time."

"While you do that I'll call Gunn and Fred, they can come and stay with Dawn." Angel added.

"What? Why do I have to stay here with babysitters. I'm not a baby." Dawn wanted to go along.

"Dawnie, I think that Angel is right. You should stay, we don't know what we're coming up against, and besides you have school and I don't have any good reason to pull you out for a month, not one that your guidance counselor would understand anyway. And they won't be babysitters, they'll just be here in case you need something and to fix you dinner and things like that." Buffy tried to appease her little sister.

"I don't need protecting, but you're right about school. They'll never let me miss that much. Okay, I'll stay."

Part 2

"So is there anything we should know about tonight? I'm not exactly up to date on my ancient vampire ritual." Cordelia's words were sarcastic, but the tone was almost teasing as she addressed the group. They were gathered in the living area of the suite Cordelia had found for them. It was a little tight for 9 people, but they would manage.

Giles answered her. "I don't think they'll get into anything too esoteric here. I certainly hope not, because the Council doesn't have much information on such rituals either. We do need to decide how to present ourselves though. Spike, you actually know this master, do you have any suggestions."

"Alexei is a very strange mix of the ancient world and the modern. He's actually not even as old as he seems, but his own master was alive to see Athens built. He'll be asking for the vampires to present themselves and the humans to be presented as relative to the vampires. Buffy, I know you're not going to like this, but you and the others are mine. Cordelia and Wesley belong to Angel." Spike tried to keep his tone light, but this was serious.

"You're right. I don't like it. We don't belong to you, and Cordy and Wesley don't belong to Angel." Buffy was on edge and that made her more disagreeable than usual.

Spike sighed, he knew that Buffy would hate this, but it was how vampires like Alexei understood the world. "I've been with you lot a long time. I've saved your lives and you've saved mine. I consider you to be my family. In vampire terms that means you belong to me. In human terms it means something more like I belong with you. It doesn't matter, but this is the only way that Alexei will understand the relationship. I imagine the same is true of Angel and his two." Spike waited for Angel's nod. "Things will be much easier if you don't fight me on this. Safer for those of you without super powers also. They won't try to hurt you during the meeting, but I can't speak for after. If you're mine, there is at least some protection in that."

"Understood. I'm sure we can all deal with that. Anything else?" Wesley answered for the group.

"Just one more thing. Let Alexei lead things. Speak only when spoken to, that sort of thing. To the other demons in this city he is an absolute god. Some of them would kill you just for seeming to show him disrespect. They might be killed for it by Alexei, but that won't mean much if you're already dead." Spike swept the room with a glance. The others needed to understand this and take it seriously. Everyone seemed suitably subdued. Spike nodded, "Alright then, lets go."

"It is time." Giles added. Buffy nodded and stood, grabbing her jacket. The rest of the group followed suit.

Twenty minutes later, they were standing in front of a small club. The sign above the door labeled it Night Crossings. A sign next to the door informed them that the club was warded against violence. Another sign announced that the club was closed for the night for a private party. Spike laughed at this, "Ha, that would be us." As he pushed the door open.

A tall thin man stood on the other side. He was human, and he was old, nearing 60. He still had a full head of hair, and it was cropped short. His eyes were the coldest blue that any of them had ever seen. He spoke with some power in his voice. "I assume you would be the vampires Angelus and William of the order Aurelius and their human companions." Spike nodded. "I am Marcus, I own this establishment. Follow me." He did not wait for an answer, just turned and walked across the empty club, opening a hidden door on the other side.

The group followed, looking around at their surroundings as they passed. The club was dark, only ambient lighting provided by infrequently spaced lamps illuminating the space. The floor and walls appeared to be black, lacquered. What furniture there was was made of iron and velvet. The colors rich and deep. There was a bar on one side; seating at tables, booths, or just in chairs on the other; and the center was taken up with a dance floor. A narrow wrought iron stair case led up to a balcony with more seating. Buffy wondered as they passed through what kind of music would play in this club. Willow, Tara, and Giles shivered at the prickle of magic that brushed them as they walked. The others, remained focused on the room beyond, the room that held Alexei and his people.

They followed Marcus through the door, noting that there were no other apparent entrances or exits. This room had the same black flooring, but the walls were painted a rich red, nearly the color of fresh blood. There was furniture in the room, all covered in a midnight blue velvet, but no one was seated. As the group filed in they formed a defensive arrangement. Spike and Angel standing in the front; Xander, Buffy, and Cordelia immediately behind. Willow, Tara, Giles, and Wesley stood in the back.

"Can I get you anything?" Marcus addressed the question to a tall man, easily more than 6 feet. His raven black hair, hung to his shoulders. His features were sharp; He was all angles. His eyes shone with an emerald light and his skin was as smooth and perfect as alabaster. He was dressed impeccably in a black suit, that Cordelia knew had to be silk and suspected was by a major designer. Everything he wore was black, except for the tie which was a green to match his eyes. The power practically poured off of this creature. Even Xander could feel it hit him in waves. This was the master of the city, Alexei.

Alexei waved his hand in a manner only the very rich know, dismissing Marcus, who left without further comment, closing the door behind himself. Alexei inclined his head slightly towards the group assembled before him and spoke, "Welcome back to my city, William. As you see we have complied with the arrangement. I am Alexei Nikolaev and I am the master of this city. This is my right hand, Nicholas Maro." Alexei indicated the man to his right, also a vampire. The two were as different as night and day. Nicholas was diminutive in stature, almost delicate. He was barely taller than Buffy or Willow. If possible he was even paler than Alexei, there was almost a translucent quality to his skin. His hair, hanging nearly to his waist, at first, appeared to be silver in color, but upon closer inspection was actually colorless, reflecting back every stray bit of light. Large almond-shaped amber eyes were set deep into an oval face. They were made to seem all the larger by the generous application of eyeliner. His appearance screamed alien, other. His features were soft, delicate. His dress tried to deny this softness. He was wearing leather and silk. He was dressed to visit a Goth club, whereas Alexei was dressed for a board meeting of a fortune 500 company, but the same aura of power emanated from them both just ever so slightly less impressive from Nicholas. Gesturing to his left, Alexei introduced another vampire, "And my left hand Marie Jeanne." The woman that he indicated was noticeably less powerful than Nicholas and himself. She was a vampire, but either younger or simply less powerful. She was a striking woman, nearly as tall as Alexei, towering over Buffy, Willow, and Tara. She had shorter hair than either of the men, just barely reaching her cheekbones. It was honey-blonde, and highlighted as if she still were able to spend long days in the sun. Her skin too held a slightly darker tint than Alexei's. Her features were fine and even. Her clothes were reminiscent of several professors that the girls had at UC Sunnydale. She wore a long natural colored skirt with a well-tailored blouse and a jacket. Her make-up was likewise, tasteful and subdued. "These other two are unimportant. Now William would you grace us with your introductions?" Alexei waved dismissively at the two vampires that stood behind him. They were both of average build and features with brown hair and brown eyes. Their was nothing remarkable about them in any way shape or form, and their dress was equally unremarkable. They wore off-the-rack suits in dark subdued colors with their hair cropped short. They would be unrecognizable in a crowd.

Spike nodded and stepped slightly forward. "Thank you for granting me entrance to the city, Alexei. This is my grandsire, Angel. He was once known as Angelus of the order of Aurelius. Many years ago, he was cursed with a soul and is now simply called Angel." Spike's voice sounded oddly submissive to the others, and very formal. He gestured to Angel as he spoke and Alexei along with the vampires to his right and left turned their eyes accordingly. "He brings with him, two human companions. This is Cordelia Chase, she is his seer, his connection with the powers that be." Cordelia felt the weight of Alexei's gaze upon her as though he were memorizing her. "And this is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, formerly a member of the Watcher's Council." Spike turned to begin introducing his own companions. He first gestured to Buffy. "I have brought 5 companions with me. This is Buffy Summers; she is the slayer." He paused here, expecting comment from Alexei or one of the others when none was offered he continued. "This is Xander Harris. He has fought along-side the slayer since he was 15 years old, though he has no power of his own." The pride in Spike's voice was evident. Alexei took note of it as Spike continued with his introductions. "Willow Rosenberg, she's a powerful witch, though no longer practicing. She has also been with the slayer since she was 15. And this is Tara Maclay. Tara is also a witch. Willow and Tara are bonded. Finally, this is Rupert Giles, formerly with the Council of Watchers. He was Buffy's watcher."

Xander registers little more than a blur of black and white, before he feels small hands touch him. Nicholas is standing in front of him, invading his space. His hands sliding along Xander's arms up towards his shoulders. Nicholas speaks quietly but his voice carries throughout the room. It's cold and threatening, even while the actual words are not. "Such a lovely lovely boy."

Xander twists his head to look directly at the vampire. His eyes flash with something feral and dark. Spike moves at the same moment with the same kind of blurring speed that Nicholas had used. "Mine, claimed in word if not in deed. Don't touch him." Spike's words held every bit as much menace as Nicholas' had. They also heard Xander's whispered words. "Take your hands off of me." The words were soft and even with vampiric hearing no one but Nicholas and Spike heard them. Each word was sharp, cutting. There was power in Xander's voice. Power that Spike had never heard before.

Nicholas backed away almost as quickly as he had moved to Xander. Fear flashed in his eyes and it wasn't for Spike. He resumed his place next to Alexei. Spike spoke with confidence and force this time. "They are mine. My claim lies on them all."

Alexei nodded, "I will not permit such a breach in etiquette again. Really, Nicholas you should know better. Now that I know who you are, would you tell me what you are doing here?" Alexei's voice was calm and controlled, but under the surface he was overwhelmed with questions. He had caught the quick look of fear from Nicholas. Few things scared his childe and he was determined to figure out why this common boy was one of them.

Spike took a moment before he answered, visibly calming. His gameface melted back into his human features, and a calm, reserved mask slid into place. He returned to his original place in the room. "Of course. If you will allow it, I will have Mr. Giles explain to you why we are here." Spike waited for Alexei's nod of assent before gesturing to Giles to come to the front of the group.

Giles did, he was already beginning to understand the kind of formality that ruled these proceedings. He kept his eyes downcast, not looking at the very powerful vampire. He stopped when he reached Spike's side and waited for acknowledgement. It came from Alexei. "Rupert Giles, I have never had the pleasure of a Watcher's company. Tell me why you have come."

Giles looked up then, keeping his expression carefully neutral and his stance non-threatening, almost submissive. "Of course. Several days ago, I was going through some new books and discovered a prophecy. After a great deal of work, my colleagues and I have determined that the event will take place in New York in just under 3 weeks. The prophecy seems to be one of the many versions of the Prophecy of Six Evils. It tells of the coming of the first of six. Unfortunately, it does not give any indication of what that evil is. We have come to protect the world against it, as best we can. Such is my Slayer's calling." His words were kept very formal, his tone flat and neutral.

Alexei was silent for a moment, weighing the words of the man before him. If it was true, then they may have more visitors soon. He would need to know more before he could determine the validity of their statements. He would need to study their manuscripts. "I have decided. You are welcome to stay within the confines of my city. Rules of course must be followed, but I understand that they are no longer an issue. I would like to know more of this prophecy and may be able to offer some assistance of my own. I have an extensive library of rare and ancient manuscripts including many works on the Prophecy of Six. You may stay on one condition." Alexei had made a decision. The best way to find out what he needed to know was to assist this strange group.

"What is that?" Spike asked

"We will have at least one more meeting. This time a little less formal. It will require a show of trust. I am inviting you and yours to a dinner party. Don't worry we are civilized here. You won't have to witness any feedings, voluntary or otherwise. It will be a small group. Nicholas, Marie, and myself will be accompanied by our bondmates. There will be four vampires and two humans present. It will be at my home, but I will dismiss my security for the night." Alexei was confident that they would take him up on this offer.

Spike surveyed the small group he had brought. He wished that they could just have some kind of conference to determine whether this was a good idea. He couldn't do that though, it would show weakness. As it was, just looking to the others before answering was bad enough. He received slight nods from Angel, Giles, Wesley, and Xander. Cordelia, Willow, and Tara all looked wary but didn't make any overt gestures that they wouldn't go along with this. Only Buffy obviously objected. She shook her head. Spike had his answer. The group would accept the conditions, even if Buffy wasn't happy about it. "We agree."

"Excellent." Alexei extended his hand which held a business card. "My address. We will be expecting you promptly at 8:00 pm tomorrow. The man at the desk will let you up. My housekeeper will let you in. They are both human. Now, I have other business to attend to." Alexei walked out of the room, right down the center of the group from Sunnydale, his entourage following.

A mere second after he was gone, Buffy started speaking. "What the hell were you thinking about. I said no, we aren't going to some dinner with that vampire."

"I was thinking that you were outnumbered, Slayer. Both of the watchers, my sire, and Xander here all said to do it. The girls didn't offer me any opinion. We'll be safe enough. Masters are followed for two reasons. The first is that they are powerful enough to carry out their threats. The second is that they stand by their word. Besides, I think we could use the help." Spike's calm mask had slid away revealing the tension in his face and frame. His voice now held that emotion also.

Giles broke into the argument before it could escalate. "Buffy, he did what he had to do. We have to stay in the city regardless, and if this vampire really does have material which can help us, well that's for the better. We should go. I'd like to know a little more about our elusive hosts before we meet again."

Buffy had calmed at Giles words. She still wasn't happy about this situation as was evident in her voice, but she wouldn't fight any longer. "Okay. Lets get back to the hotel."

The group began to leave. Spike hung back, and caught Xander's arm as he started to walk out. Xander didn't resist, just gave him an odd look. When the others were a little ahead of them, Spike spoke. "When Nicholas came to you, you spoke to him. I got there at about the same time, but I had the distinct impression that he was backing off from you, not from me. Care to tell me what happened?"

"I'm not really sure. When he touched me I was afraid, but then after a second it was like I just wasn't anymore. Something changed and I got really calm. Then I told him to take his hands off of me. It was weird." Xander sounded just like he usually did, if a little freaked out.

Spike knew that there was more to it than that, but it was possible that Xander really didn't know what. He would have to watch the boy. "Alright, but watch out for him. It doesn't seem that he's changed a bit. He won't hurt you, but he's still dangerous for you to be around. He's a master at seducing boys that take his fancy, and you apparently have." Spike was blunt. He'd seen Nicholas take boys that wouldn't look at any other man over and over again when he was last in the city. He wouldn't let that happen to Xander.

Xander recoiled a little. "I wouldn't, not with him. Anyway, what was that claim thing about?"

"Just be careful of him, pet. He can make people do things they wouldn't normally. What do you mean, claim thing?" Spike feigned ignorance. He really wasn't feeling up to explaining claims and bonds to the boy.

Xander let out a short sigh of exasperation, "You said it. Claimed by word if not by deed. I just want to know what it means." If anything, Xander was more curious because he knew Spike was trying to evade the question.

Xander thought for a moment that Spike wouldn't answer, but eventually he started to speak. "It can mean lots of things. Basically, and what was important for that meeting is that it is a way that vampires say that people or other vampires belong to them. Because Alexei is who he is, he will honor a verbal claim. Other masters will only honor a physical claim. There's a whole ritual involved with that, and depending on the way the ritual is performed it can mean different things. That's not really important though. Can we please not talk about this now."

Xander was shocked. Spike had actually just said please. He definitely wanted to reinforce this habit. "Okay, but later."

Spike nodded at him and the two continued on their way. They would rest and find out what they could about the vampires in the city tonight, and Tomorrow they would go to meet Alexei again.

Part 3

"Well, I dare say, we've managed to find out much more in the last several hours than I had expected." Wesley commented on the pile of paper that represented their research into Alexei and his people. It was noon and they had been working for hours now.

"We have discovered quite a bit about the people surrounding Alexei Nikolaev. Very little about him, though." Giles was a bit disappointed that they hadn't learned more about the enigmatic vampire that ran this city.

"Okay sure, we still don't know when, where, or by whom Alexei was turned, but we've got quite a bit of information, even on him. We know that he arrived in Athens in the late part of the 17th century and was taken in by the Master there. We know that about a century later he came to New York and established himself as master of the city, bringing a handful of vampires with him and that he's held the city for more than 200 years now. I'd say that's pretty good." Cordelia tried to put things into perspective.

"It is, quite good actually. I really should provide the council with this information. We have an astounding amount of information on his companions Nicholas and Marie. I find it rather miraculous that Alexei can hold two vampires who are 200+ years old at his side. Marie is weak, I can understand her staying, but Nicholas is nearly as powerful as Alexei. His attachment to his sire is unusual." Giles marveled over the information they were able to find.

"Okay can we go over that part again just to make sure I have the timelines down right for Nicholas and Marie?" Cordelia was putting all of the information they had discovered into a usable format.

Xander chuckled, "I never though I would see the day when you were actually asking for more of this stuff." His tone was light, teasing.

"Yeah well, I bet you never thought you'd see the day when I could kick Angel's ass with a sword either, but if we get a chance to train, I'll show you." Cordy answered in similar fashion. "Now is someone going to go through the timelines again or not."

"Sure Cordy, I'll do it. Nicholas first. He was Alexei's first childe, turned in the mid-18th century. He had been the illegitimate son of a very rich local man. When the man died mother and son were thrown into the streets. His mother had been a servant and was foreign. No one would take them in, and Nicholas had no marketable skills. He had been educated as a gentleman by his father. His sexual preferences were also a hurdle in finding work. He was given a job in Alexei's master's home and was turned a few years later after his mother's death. No one is quite sure why he lost the coloration in his hair and eyes, but it happens sometimes. He's been loyal to Alexei ever since, following him to New York and remaining his second in command. He's a genius, and an artist. He's very powerful but has no particularly special skills for the kind of vampire he is. Got it now." Angel answered Cordelia, delivering the information in a clear crisp format.

"That was perfect, now what about the woman, Marie." Cordelia thanked Angel.

"Marie was Alexei's second childe, turned approximately 20 years after Nicholas. She has never been as powerful and likely never will be, but she does have talents that make her perfect for his inner circle. She was the wife of a rich merchant. She contracted some disease, we're not sure of what, Alexei turned her to stop the progression of the disease. She's an empath, she was in life and it carried over when she changed. She can pretty accurately sense emotions even at some distance, and is a very powerful touch empath. Her services would be invaluable to Alexei when he was negotiating with others." Wesley was intrigued by Marie and it showed. In many ways she was utterly unremarkable, but she still had managed to reach the inner circle of the most powerful group of vampires that he had ever even heard of.

"Thanks Wes." Cordelia was about to say more but there was a knock at the door. She stood and went to it. "Who is it?"

"My name is Martin, I'm the assistant manager. I have a message for you." A young man called. Cordelia warily opened the door, to find a well-dressed young man standing in the hall. "I was asked to personally deliver this to the suite."

Cordelia took the small envelope that the young man held out. "Thank you, Martin was it?"

"Yes, ma'am. If there's nothing I can do for you, I'll return to the front desk." The words were spoken as a question. Cordelia had missed having hotel managers and other workers use this voice to speak to her in. She thought that opportunity had gone along with her father's money.

"That's quite alright, Martin." She dismissed the man, and went back into the room. The envelope was plain and white but of a very high quality paper. It was addressed with only their room number and gave no indication of who it was from. "Hey guys, something was just delivered to the room. I'm betting it's from Alexei. Can I open it?"

Giles looked up, "Why yes, I suppose so."

Cordelia carefully opened the envelop not wanting to rip this perfect paper. She remembered days when she would have just ripped right into it without a second thought. Inside there was a single sheet of stationery made from the same high quality paper and imprinted with some kind of seal. She'd have to look at it closer later. There was also a small card, about the size of a business card. She pulled both out, unfolding the stationery to read the note. It was handwritten with an old-fashioned and delicate script.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friends

I would like to make this dinner a rather formal affair. I find it highly unlikely that you brought along formal wear to fight great evil. I am therefore enclosing a card that when presented at any of the shops listed on the back will allow you to buy anything you wish and have it charged to my account. Feel free to buy anything you like, and it will be my gift to you. I owe you a gift for the rude treatment you received at the hands of my childe. I would be most displeased to find that my gift was not accepted. I expect to find you all appropriately dressed tonight.

Sincerely
Alexei Nikolaev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She looked at the card that was enclosed. On one side was merely the same embossed symbol that she had noticed on the stationery and his name printed in a silver ink. On the backside of the card several upscale boutiques that Cordelia had heard of, but never been lucky enough to actually shop at were listed in the same delicate script of the note.

"Umm, guys. He wants to buy us clothes. He wants to buy us really nice clothes." Awe and desire were warring for command of her voice. It had been so long since she had owned a true designer dress, or shoes for that matter.

"Let me see that." Spike took the note from her and quickly read through it. "I guess he does. Actually he is practically demanding to be allowed to buy us clothes and unless you all brought some designer labels I wasn't aware of, we had better do it. I hate formal wear." Spike wasn't happy about this prospect. Especially as he knew that to do this in the time they had would mean that the others would have to buy for angel and himself.

"I can't believe you don't like nice clothes. There won't be time for you and Angel to go tonight. I'll have to get some measurements and pick some things out for you." Excitement was mounting in Cordelia's voice. This would be the first real shopping trip she'd had since Daddy had lost his money.

"This may actually be the only fun thing we get to do while we're here. I haven't bought designer clothes in years." Buffy sounded nearly as excited as Cordelia. Even Willow and Tara looked inordinately pleased at being able to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes they probably wouldn't wear more than once.

"Xander does not get to choose his own clothes. I won't allow it. On second thought I think we should be in charge of all of the guys wardrobes for tonight what do you think Buffy?" Cordelia sounded even more pleased at the thought of being able to dress her friends.

Buffy laughed, "Absolutely. We're going to dress them right. Come on lets get some measurements on Angel and Spike and get out of here." She was impatient. She wanted to shop now.

"Oh dear god, I don't know what sin I have committed that makes it necessary for me to endure a shopping trip with them." Despite the severity of his words, Giles' tone was amused.

"Me neither, let's get it over with." Xander sounded less amused and more resigned.

*************************************************
Across town another smaller group was holding a very similar discussion on the meeting they had the night before and the people involved. "Marie, give me your opinions of the group. I'm rather intrigued by them myself. The Slayer seems to break all of the rules, and I'm rather glad of that." Alexei spoke much less formally now as he sat with his two closest confidants.

"They are indeed a rather remarkable group. Do you realize that they felt no fear of you. A couple of the girls were a bit wary, but there was no real fear for the most part. They were confident, strong. I think they all feel as though they've faced down scarier things than the three of us and lived to tell the tale. That's not too unusual for the slayer, Angelus and William, or even for the watchers. For the others to have that same confidence and lack of fear is utterly amazing. Ms. Shea is the only mortal I've ever known to have no fear of any of us." Marie was obviously impressed by the group.

"Yes, Katharine has always been a rather remarkable example of human bravery. From what I've found about these young people, they may have reason to feel their confidence. As William told us, at least two of them have survived living on the hellmouth and being an acquaintance of the slayer since they were very young. This slayer has faced more than most, and yet she lives. Can you tell me anything specific about any of them?" There was a certain amount of respect in Alexei's voice. That was unusual enough to make Marie choose her next words carefully.

"They are, for the most part, a very strongly united group. It is rather difficult to pick out specific emotions from one to the next. There were a few that stood out though. First, the Slayer was angry. It seemed very directionless. I'm not sure what her problem is, but I'd say that she is worth closely watching. Rupert Giles, the watcher, is blocking something. I don't believe it was for our benefit, but rather a part of his daily life. It's as though he has buried some part of his past in hopes that it will not touch his present. I'd be interested in finding out what that is, but I don't know that it's relevant. Then there was, of course, the incident with the boy."

"Yes, what about that." Alexei was curious to know how much Marie had been able to pick up from that situation.

"When Nicholas approached the boy there was a moment of pure, stark terror. That is certainly not unexpected. It's what happened next that is. Even before, William began to move, it was as if the boy was dropping some kind of shields into place. It wasn't just that the fear melted away, but that everything else did as well. I've only known a couple of types of people that could do this, and even they usually can't move from such raw emotion to the blank slate. Professional killers learn to block out every bit of emotion and the very best of gamblers can do it as well. I don't believe this boy to be either. There had to have been some visual confirmation of this blankness though, because I felt a flash of fear from Nicholas. I know that he's not afraid of William, so the boy must have scared him. What I got from William was an overwhelming protectiveness. He would have challenged you over this boy. He would have challenged just for the touching. It would have been foolish, he knows he can't win a fight with Nicholas, but he would have done it. I think the same would have been true had it been one of the others, but I don't know that." Marie glanced about, she was a little concerned about how Nicholas would take her words. His expression remained carefully neutral.

"We shall have to watch this boy, see if we can learn what he is. Nicholas, do you have any observations to share." Alexei turned his attention to the other man in the room.

"William is much as I remember him. He's arrogant and rash, but completely devoted to his family group. I do find it rather surprising that family group now includes a number of regular humans and a slayer. Still he has not changed that much. I am actually rather surprised. After his initial call, I expected him to be very different. The chip itself would have destroyed most vampires, even most of us. That he has survived it more or less intact speaks to his resiliency. Angelus was much as I expected him. I'm much more interested in finding information on his seer. I suspect she is more than she seems." Nicholas delivered his observations with a cold indifference that both Alexei and Marie recognized as being false.

"Thank you. Marie you should be going. Nicholas I would like to speak with you for a moment longer." Alexei dismissed Marie. She left quietly, Nicholas waited for his master's words. "Your breach of etiquette was inexcusable. I recommend that such a thing does not occur again. I let you get away with a great deal, Nicholas. You are my first and favorite childe and I realize that I have trapped you in a life which will never be what you wish it to be, but I will only allow so much. You will treat our guests with respect, you do not want to test me on this."

There was anger at the surface of Alexei's words. This was rare enough that it caused Nicholas to flinch away. "I am sorry, master. It will not happen again." The words were submissive with none of Nicholas' usual sarcasm or disdain.

Alexei was silent for a moment, just as Nicholas began to fear his reaction he laughed. The sound was pure joy. "I rather doubt that. But perhaps you will remain well-behaved for the duration of their visit at least. Now, you should be calling your mate if you expect him to be here for dinner. Please tell him that it is formal dress tonight. I trust that he has something appropriate from the many occasions where he has accompanied Katharine to events."

"Of course, Alexei. Timothy will be dressed appropriately. I will leave you to your own preparations." Nicholas left swiftly and quietly.

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

Hours later, the human members of the LA and Sunnydale contingents were returning to their suite. While they held many bags, the clothes they had bought would be delivered within the hour. The girls were still chattering animatedly about their shopping trip as they walked in the main room. Giles and Xander immediately dropped into chairs exhausted. Wesley, having more recently endured shopping trips with Cordelia, was not quite as effected but was still tired and worn from the trip.

"We picked out the best clothes for you guys." Buffy gushed, having given herself over to the pleasure of shopping.

You guys are going to look fabulous." Cordelia added. "Clothes will be here in less than an hour. We had things delivered so they wouldn't get crushed or wrinkled. We went ahead and brought back the accessories, shoes, make-up, that sort of thing." The girls were already going through bags and sorting a seemingly endless array of jewelry, bags, shoes, make-up, and styling products into piles for each of them.

Exactly 38 minutes later the phone rang, it was the manager who had spoken with them earlier. "There are several people in the lobby here, with packages for your suite. Should I send them up?" He sounded a bit flustered. He was unused to having guests that demanded this much attention.

"Of course. Thank you again Martin." Cordelia pulled the man's name from memory, thoroughly enjoying her chance to play at being rich and important.

"Yes Ma'am."

A moment later there was a knock at the door. When Willow opened it several well-dressed young men walked in and began to find appropriate places to lay or hang the clothing they brought with them. Several of the men spoke briefly with Cordelia, mostly expressing the regret of their employers at not being able to do a full fitting in the allotted time. Cordelia was gracious with all of them and dealt with the matter quickly.

"Okay guys, there are now less than 3 hours until we are to show up for this dinner. I think we need to get started." Cordelia was in her element and taking charge.

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

They were precisely on time for their appointment. It had been decided, much to Buffy's dismay, that they would proceed in much the same way as they had the night before. Spike would continue to act as the leader of their small group. He would however make it clear to Alexei tonight that he did not do all of the decision making, that task was shared.

The building that housed Alexei's apartment was huge and modern, all steel and glass. They walked into the lobby where an armed guard was on duty and a diminutive woman sat at a reception desk. Spike crossed the black marble floor to the desk and announced himself, "William and Angelus of the Order of Aurelius with our companions to see Mr. Nikolaev."

The woman opened a drawer and removed a small key ring before standing and addressing the group before her. "Of course, Mr. Nikolaev is expecting you. If you will follow me, I'll get you upstairs to his residence. His housekeeper Madeleine will meet you at the elevator." She walked as she spoke and the group followed along behind her, stepping into a large elevator. The woman inserted a key and pressed a code into a number pad on the elevator before quickly stepping out. The ride up seemed interminable. Several long minutes later they were stepping out into a spacious entry room of pure white marble, decorated only with statuary. Giles was shocked looking about to recognize that most of this was original Greek and roman statuary some of it literally thousands of years old.

A small woman who looked to be about fifty was waiting for them. She was dressed in a dark conservative suit and her greying hair was pulled back into a severe bun. There was not an ounce of humor about the woman. "My name is Madeleine, I see to Mr. Nikolaev's household. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the drawing room. Mr. Nikolaev will join you there shortly." Her voice, likewise was humorless. The group followed along behind her. They were shown into a large room with parquet wood floors, rich red walls and furniture in the same red and gold placed about the room. They found places to sit and waited for their host to arrive.

Their wait was not long. A few minutes had passed when the door to the room opened and Alexei Nikolaev walked in with a stunning redhead on his arm. Alexei looked very much as he had the evening before. An elegant suit cut in the same trim style and obviously silk hung on his thin frame. This time everything was black, there was not a touch of color anywhere, until your eyes wandered the short distance to his companion. The woman was tiny compared to Alexei, possibly as small as Willow. Her hair was a shade of red that none of them had ever seen before, it looked like Molten copper, as if it would burn to touch. It fell in riotous curls halfway down her back. Her complexion was pale and smooth and her features utterly delicate. Spike thought she looked like one of Dru's dolls. Her eyes were a rich jade green and her simple silk sheath matched the color perfectly. She wore very little makeup and only a single strand of pearls for ornamentation. Alexei spoke as he entered the room, "My friends, I see that you have put my gift to fine use. This is my bondmate and my love, Katharine Shea."

Just as Alexei finished his statement, four more people entered the room. Marie stepped forward, she looked stunning in a rich gold silk dress. The style was very simple and just slightly Asian in feel. Her hair was held back from her face with diamond clips. At her side was a lovely young man, actually a vampire. He was Marie's height exactly. He was slender and had a relaxed boneless quality to his movements. His features were very delicate without crossing the line into being feminine and his hair was a fine pale blonde, long enough to reach his cheekbones. His eyes were a soft grey color. His suit was simple and of a wheat colored linen, the shirt beneath was of a slightly paler color. Alexei continued his introductions, "You remember Marie, and this is her mate Karl Davis."

Nicholas stepped up to Alexei's right. He looked completely different from the night before. Tonight he was elegant, polished. His long silvery hair had been pulled back into a tight braid and he wore a suit with a similar classic cut to Alexei's. It was also of a fine black silk, but his shirt and tie were a liquid silver color. There was still a faint smudge of eyeliner on his upper lids, but the heavy make-up of the night before was gone. A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties was at his side. He was possibly the most ordinary person in the room. At 5'10" he was significantly taller than Nicholas but still shorter than most of the men in the room. He was thin with relatively ordinary features and short light brown hair. Only his eyes, a stormy blue that held intelligence, kindness, and a certain fierceness showed him as anything but utterly pedestrian. He seemed uncomfortable in his tailored suit of a rich seal brown color. The careless cut of his hair further suggested that he did not normally dress this way. The two men did not look as though they belonged in the same room together, let alone bonded to each other. "And of course you have met Nicholas. I have his solemn promise that he will behave himself tonight. This is his bondmate Timothy Jordan. If you would be so kind as to remind us of your names, William." Alexei turned the floor over to Spike.

While Timothy appeared uncomfortable it was quite possible that Spike was actually the most uncomfortable person in the room. It had been more than a century since he had dressed for a formal or even semi-formal occasion. The girls had picked a suit for him that he suspected came from the same designer that made Alexei's. The cut was the same and the fabric was silk. It was a deep blue color that Willow kept insisting made his eyes sparkle. He wasn't really sure why one would want their eyes to sparkle, but who was he to argue with the combined force of Cordelia, Buffy, and Willow. Tara had also informed him it looked rather nice, though she was unused to such things herself. He didn't let any of his uncertainty come through in his voice or stance however, as he answered Alexei. "Yes, of course. I am William, though I have been known as Spike for more than a century. This is my grandsire. He was called Angelus until just over a hundred years ago, a gypsy clan cursed him with his soul. He is now called Angel and is a champion for the Powers that Be." Spike gestured to Angel who looked much more at ease in his clothes than Spike felt. His suit of a much different, but still elegant cut, was a deep chocolate brown. Cordelia had said she wouldn't hear of him wearing black in clothes she chose. He stepped briefly forward and nodded at the group and then back to his place at Spike's side.

"His companions are Cordelia Chase, she is his seer, and Wesley Windham-Pryce a one-time member of the Watcher's Council." They likewise stepped forward. Cordelia had her hair swept up and held in place with clips. Angel had been afraid to ask if the stones in them were real. If they were, as he suspected, the stones were clear bright rubies. They matched the shade of her lipstick and her dress perfectly. The dress, like so much of their clothing tonight, was silk. It reached nearly to the floor had a long slit up one side. The material hugged her every curve, while somehow managing to leave quite a bit to the imagination. She looked stunning and utterly at ease. It appeared as if Wesley also had some experience in dressing to impress, because he wore his clothes with a similar ease and grace. Apparently Cordelia's prohibition against black extended only to Angel. Wesley's suit and tie were black while the shirt was grey with just a hint of blue to it. Their moment of introduction passed and they stepped back.

Spike continued, now re-introducing his own friends. "These are my companions. This is Buffy Summers, the slayer and her long-time watcher Rupert Giles. Buffy and Giles stepped forward as the others had done. Buffy's dress was sleeveless with a full skirt that reached the floor. It was made of raw silk, in a lavender shade, and was richly adorned with glass beads arranged in a large floral design against the bodice. Her hair was held in place with silver, beaded clips. Her make-up was soft and just barely there. A small silver-filigree locket hung around her neck. It looked like an antique. Giles had surprised the girls by announcing that he was choosing his own clothes for the evening and selecting a suit that perfectly matched their own choice. It was cut in a classic line and was a charcoal grey. The suit was wool and the matching shirt was silk. While he seemed a bit more formal, less relaxed, than Wesley or Cordelia had, he looked as though he belonged in these clothes.

As they stepped back, Spike continued, "This is Willow, she has been with the slayer since she was 15. She has a great deal of power, but refrains from using it. Tara is her girlfriend and a powerful witch in her own right." Willow and Tara were holding hands as they stepped forward. Willow's hair and make-up were understated, allowing the gorgeous sweep of emerald green silk to take center stage. Her dress seemed to flow as if it were a living breathing entity itself. The dress was vintage, from the thirties and spoke to the glamorous ideals of that time. Her only ornamentation was a small simple band of gold that Tara had given to her nearly a year ago. Tara's dress was velvet. The skirt was long and voluminous without being full. The bodice was very simple with thin straps holding it in place. The color was a stormy blue shade. She wore her hair down , but pulled back with silver clips. She wore pearls at her throat and a ring that was the twin of Willow's.

"And this is Xander, he has also been with the slayer since he was 15." Spike introduced the last member of his entourage. Despite all of his complaining beforehand, Xander had been quite easy to deal with on the shopping excursion. He actually seemed to enjoy himself, though he would never admit to that fact. His suit was a brown so dark it was nearly black. The silk tie and shirt were a rich deep shade of burgundy. He wore the clothes with an easy confidence that no one would have suspected. If a complete stranger were to see him, they might think that he dressed like this every day of his life.

Introductions made, Spike tried to turn the conversation to business. "Now, I would like to discuss the terms of our remaining in the city."

Alexei smiled, "And we shall, but first we will eat. I am rather certain that your companions as well as my own Katharine and Timothy will be hungry. After dinner we shall retire to the library and discuss your future in New York." Alexei's tone would brook no argument, while still managing to sound like a concerned host.

Dinner was fabulous. Though it seemed odd that a vampire would employ an expert chef, Alexei assured them that the man had been brought from France to work for him. Conversation was mostly kept light and inconsequential. Each side tried some gentle probing with their questions but neither got very far.

They spoke of careers and lives, or at least the public more normal parts of their lives. Katharine shared a bit about her job as the art expert for a special FBI unit designed to recover stolen art. She related the story of her meeting Alexei. She had actually been investigating him. They had been together for just over a year now. Timothy and Tara found a connection when they found that he was a professor of World History at NYU. This was Tara's field of study as well. Neither Timothy nor Nicholas were willing to discuss their relationship, though. Their interaction held a certain intimacy that was only present between people who were or had been lovers, but it was also clear that love was not a part of their relationship. There was pain and anger from both of them softened by a gentleness and compassion that seemed at odds with the other emotions. Timothy did share that he and Katharine had known each other for years and that she was his best friend. Karl Davis was a young vampire and Marie's only childe. He had yet to see his 50th birthday. In life he had been an artist, a painter. He and Marie had been married for more than twenty years now, making them the longest lasting couple at the table.

Alexei hadn't really been expecting to hear any grand revelations at the dinner table, so it was probably a little irrational for him to be disappointed when he was proven right. He had learned little more than the girls majors, Cordelia's desire to be an actress, and the endless stream of jobs that Xander had worked at before finding a place in construction. He learned virtually nothing of the watchers. They carefully skirted questions about their lives and backgrounds. The vampires too were guarded in their responses. Marie had one asked about Drusilla, but the question was brushed aside. Hopefully Marie had been able to pick up something from the emotions at the table that he had missed in the actual conversation.

"If everyone is finished here I suggest we retire to the library and discuss business." Alexei paused looking for confirmation that they were indeed finished. When he saw that they were he stood and led them to his personal library. The room was huge, at least as much floor space as the Magic Box. It held two levels. The lower level held floor to ceiling shelving all along the walls and was filled with comfortable furniture, reading lamps, and tables. There was a small iron staircase at one end which led to a second level. "The rest of my collection is upstairs. If you would like, I could perhaps arrange for you to see it." The words were addressed to Wesley who was looking around as if he had just found a corner of his own personal heaven.

"There's more. Of course, the prophecy is what brought us here and I can't focus on anything else at the moment, but after, if there is time I would like to see." There was an almost childlike joy in his voice.

"Ah yes, the prophecy. I know of the Prophecy of Six. I believe I may be of some assistance to you in this. Sit, friends and we will discuss such matters." Alexei's voice still held the graciousness of a good host, but was also touched with command now. They sat, waiting to hear what the vampire had to say.

While everyone did as he asked, it was clear that they were not going to be passive and pliable for this conversation. "And I am sure that we can use any help that we can get, but first there are a few matters we must discuss." Spike spoke firmly. "We need to set down some terms for our visit here. Also you need to understand our power structure."

"Certainly, I see the need for terms, unfortunately, I don't feel prepared to offer terms until we have spoken about the prophecy. As for understanding your power structure, I am ready and willing to hear that explanation. I expect it to be a rather confusing one, considering the rather unique
composition of your group." There was a touch of amusement to Alexei's voice as he answered.

"I suppose we can set aside the terms for a short while, but they must be set before we leave this place tonight. These people are my family, my people. I protect them as any master would his pack, but they are much more than that. They are my friends, my life. I claim them as my own, yet I do not own them. I do not do the decision making for this group, neither does any other individual. We decide things as a group. It's a strange thing for me, so I'm certain that it is even more so for you, but it is who we are." Spike had dropped his lower class accent and sneering manner for this
speech. In life, he had been educated as a gentleman and he still held that capacity with language, he simply chose to reject it at most times. Now he needed Alexei to understand the sincerity of his words.

Alexei was silent for a moment. William had lived in New York City for more than a year, and had been brought before Alexei more times than either of them would have liked. He had heard him under many different circumstances. He had even heard Spike's impassioned pleading for a cure for his love, and yet he had never heard this voice. Never once had the creature that called himself Spike allowed his shields, defenses, and layers of deception to drop enough that he could see through to the man behind, see through to William.
When he finally responded to him, it was in a soft voice that dropped many of his own layers of protection. "You are right. This kind of arrangement is difficult for one as myself to understand. In life, my world was ruled over
absolutely by my sovereign, my lord, my friend. As a vampire my only experience is with masters who rule absolutely over their province. I may never full comprehend your way, but I do respect it. This will not be a problem between us. Now I must share something with you that you may find difficult to understand or believe. I know that all of you are experienced with a certain kind of vampire, and some of you have heard or even seen things about my kind. Certainly, none of you know much about us, and normally I would maintain that secrecy, but I believe in this case you must
understand."

"Alexei, you can't." Nicholas broke in, fear and anger in his voice. "The Elders would not forgive this."

"Nicholas, I both can and I will. The Elders can not afford to lose my support with the others. They can not afford for me to join Giovanni and his people. Even if they were to hear of this, they would turn aside. This is my land, I make the decisions here." Alexei's response was sharp.

"Alexei, I know that you make the decisions, but I also know that you value the opinions of those of us close to you. I must recommend against this. Our secrets have been sacred for longer than you have existed. It is one thing to tell one woman, to tell this group which includes a slayer of our kind and members of the council is pure folly." Marie spoke in a much more subdued manner than Nicholas had, but her message was essentially the same.

Alexei softened a bit, recognizing her genuine concern. "Marie, I do value your opinion, but our secrets will be safe with these, of that I am certain. Slayers have never been a serious problem for us, nor do I expect them to
be. These men may have been Watchers once, but no longer. Their very acceptance into a family group with two vampires proves their ability to see truth rather than just the stories they have been told. In this, I believe we can trust them."

"As you wish, my lord." Marie replied, offering no further argument. Nicholas looked unhappy but did not speak.

Alexei turned back to Spike and the others. "I apologize for that display. There are things that you must know in order to trust me. Please recognize that my telling of these things is a gesture of trust on my part. My people have survived for the millennia that we have in large part by remaining hidden, not only from the common people, but from those such as yourself, from slayers, and most especially from the Council of Watchers. It is our law that this story shall not pass to human ears that we do not plan on making one of us. I have broken that law once before. My love, Katharine will never be a vampire. She does not wish it, and I would not force it upon her. For love I told her this story. For trust I tell you." Alexei paused here hoping for some kind of reassuring response from the others it came
from Wesley.

"One of my areas of scholarship with the council was on the ancients. That is what we call your kind, as most of the oldest vampires we are aware of seem to be of your kind. There was little information to be known, but there were a few things that I believe are relevant. The incredible secrecy of your kind was well noted. Your reluctance to break from tradition was also prominent. So, I do believe you when you tell us that this is a tremendous act of trust. You are right, I am no longer a part of the council either by employment or by inclination. I no longer believe in the black and white world that the Council tells us exists. I do however believe that they do a tremendous amount of good in the world. I can not promise you that your words will not make it back to them. What I can promise is that I would only betray your trust if I believed it to be necessary for the good of all. I would tell them, only if I believed that doing so would bring about a safer world."

The answer was honest. Alexei believed that merely from the tone it was given in. He glanced at Marie who nodded almost imperceptibly to confirm this. He then turned towards the other Watcher in the group. "And you Mr. Giles?"

Giles answer was swift and sure. "I have had very little contact with the Council in recent years, and have only initiated that contact once. I no longer believe in their ideals, I'm not certain I ever did. I can not make promises about what I have not heard, but unless you are about to tell me that you and yours have secretly set up great slaughterhouses where you murder innocents on a daily basis, I sincerely doubt that you have any cause to worry that your trust will be broken." His disdain for the organization that had trained him and shaped him from his youth was clear.

Alexei received the same small nod from Marie indicating that this man too, told the truth. "Good. This is an ancient story as you may have guessed. My kind have many legends about our origins. I do not know which is true, nor does my master who is the oldest vampire I have ever encountered.
Regardless, our origins are rather irrelevant. What is important is that in the early days of humanity there was only one kind of vampire. All vampires were as I am. We are stronger than the vampires that you have learned about, not so much physically, though we are stronger and faster, but we have power that is kept from them. Our powers are many and varied. I have the ability to influence individuals with the sound of my voice, I can manipulate my environment, the temperature and appearance of the things around me. Nicholas can call the darkness to him, he can cloak himself in it, even during the day. He can walk among mortals in this manner. He can send emotion with his voice. Others can shapeshift or call animals to themselves. Virtually any power that you have ever read in fiction as belonging to
vampires belongs to one or more of us. By the time humanity was building cities and developing government we were already forming the structure that still exists today. A ruling body was established. It has had many names but is now called the Council of Elders. It has always been made up of the 9 oldest living vampires, regardless of power. The idea is that much wisdom must be gained in order to survive the lengths of time that the Elders have. Their rule was to be followed without question. Their first act was to
organize vampire society. Many of the rituals of greeting that my kind practice are from these early decisions made by the council. The established the strongest vampires as masters over a domain. A master's rule was absolute. This system and the supremacy of the elders lasted for centuries,
even millennia. A relatively short time ago, maybe 2000 years, a group broke away from us. Our way had always told us that we were not superior to the humans, we co-exist with them. They are our primary source of food, and as such many of us choose to kill to survive, but we are not superior to them. In many ways we were a part of the human world. They knew of our existence, our masters were frequently close advisers to the human rulers of an area. We were often prominent merchants. This small group of rebels wished to
change that. They saw themselves as superior to the humans. For nearly a century a bloody war raged between the two groups and many humans were slaughtered by the rebels or simply caught in the crossfire. The humans began to fight back, a small group of us assisted them. We formed the
Council of Watchers and through magic and ritual helped them to find the Slayer. Slayers have existed since the beginning of time, their purpose was to be a force of balance in the world. In particular they were to stop the powers of chaos from gaining dominion. We strangely enough helped them to
become what they are today. We taught the Watchers how to locate and train their girls to fight and kill more and more effectively. It did not take long for millions of us to die in this battlefield. Eventually the Elders decided that the rebels would be outcast forever. They would not be allowed
entrance to our society, they would remain outside of it. Unfortunately, we were already losing what could be called the PR battle with the humans. Too many of them were dying at the hands of vampires. The only way that the Elders could save us from this righteous indignation was to begin to hide. The laws that keep our ways hidden from the outside world were created then. We may not tell those who we do not plan on turning of our existence. We must hide our kills. In short we should be invisible to the world around us. The leadership also made great efforts to erase every human record of our existence, those among us that could effect memory removed the memory of us from our few remaining allies minds. Our enemies were left with only the knowledge of the outcast, not of us. I can not explain why it happened, though there are those among us who have theories, but over the next several centuries the outcast became weaker and weaker until they were as they are today. William, Angelus you may be interested to hear the name of the vampire that led the outcast. His name was Aurelius. You are his direct descendants and for that reason you are among the most powerful of your kind. I am in no way trying to make my kind into some noble creature. We are not, we are in many ways, very human. There are those among us who are
simply evil, there are also those who are a great deal more righteous than I, but one of the things that we retained that the outcast did not was our ability to rule our thirst. We choose to be who we are. They, for the most part do not. The two of you have met unique circumstances that have restored your control to you, but few of your kind have that. It is because we choose that you can trust me and mine. We choose not to kill you. Most of us choose not to kill at all." When he quit speaking the silence fell heavy on the room. It was a lot of information to digest all at once.

Finally, Giles broke the silence. "You have said that the Elders hold absolute control, and yet you spoke with your people of how they needed your support. I may be overstepping my bounds to ask, but what does an absolute
ruling body need with your support."

Alexei sighed, but answered the question. "The outcast are not the only group to have challenged the Elders. Very recently a group of young vampires, their leadership is mostly from the Italian renaissance, has been trying to break with the elders. Their public voice is Giovanni, it is
rumored that he is the bastard son of Lorenzo De Medici. He calls his people the Children of Reason. They believe that the time has come to retake our place at humanities side. He believes that modern science will protect us, that we will no longer be seen merely as monsters. He advocates revealing
ourselves to humanity. He also wishes to do away with the old system of masters answering to the elders and establish an elected body to rule over us democratically. He is an idealist, and while I find beauty in his ideals, I do not believe that the world is ready to hear them. Unfortunately for the Elders, he and his followers are among the most powerful vampires in existence. They control several major cities including, Paris, London, and Boston. What they lack is organization. Their very ideals keep them from having a strong leader and factions split the vote on every policy. They acchieve very little, but have a great deal of potential. They would very much like to include me as a supporter of theirs. I have thus far remained my neutrality. Giovanni is welcome in my city he has free passage, but neither do I choose to break from the Elders. If I were to leave there are many who would follow. This incarnation of the Elders is comprised largely of relatively weak vampires for all their years, and the few with great power feel much as I do, or so go the rumors."

Giles nodded. Angel spoke, "I think we can understand that, and for the record I believe you are right. Perhaps one day people will be able to accept our existence, but for now they are not ready. There are too many people like the Council in the world who see things only in terms of good
and evil, black and white, and miss all of the subtleties in between."

"I understand your reason for telling us this, and recognize it for the great act of trust that it is. Forgive me if I do not return that trust just yet. I assume that you tell us this to emphasize your status as something less than evil." Giles voiced his own doubt.

"Certainly that is why I tell you. I want you to believe me when I tell you I wish to help. I do. I have studied the Prophecy of Six for most of my lifetime now. The evil that is to come could destroy everything, not just your world, but mine as well. If preventing that means allying myself with the Slayer then I am happy and even honored to do so. I believe that I have books in this library that you do not have any access to. I also have access to books in my Master's possession. I believe that with my help you and
yours stand a much better chance of defeating the six evils, and finding those that are prophesied to fight this fight." Alexei answered easily. He had won, enough of their trust that they would work with him, he was certain of that.

"Whoa, you mean that there is a prophecy about who's going to defeat this thing. Why didn't we know about that part Giles." Buffy interjected.

"Probably because we are dealing with commentaries and translations that are several thousand years removed from the original prophecies, and we have fragments at best. I'm very curious to hear what you have found." Giles academic nature had won out over any mistrust he still felt.

"You're going to give us access to these prophecies?" Spike questioned his accent and demeanor fully back in place.

Alexei smiled smoothly as he answered, "Ahh my dear, William. I think it is time that we discussed those terms that you were so eager to set. I propose to grant you free access to my library and the expertise of both myself and
my close advisers in this room. What I ask of you is merely that you share any information or insights that you find with me and that you report in to me every day that you are in the city."

"That's all?" Xander spoke for the first time since they had begun their business. "You want us to tell you what we know?" It was obvious that he still had his doubts about the sincerity of Alexei.

"That is all I ask. I want to see this thing destroyed as much as you. At this point maybe more because I understand more fully what it is and what it could do if unleashed on the world. Are we agreed?" Alexei tried to sound reassuring as he spoke.

"If you'll give us just a moment." Spike addressed Alexei, "We need to discuss this."

Of course. We will attend to some other business while you talk. We will return in ten minutes." Alexei rose even as he was speaking. His companions stood and followed him out the door.

"So how do we know we can trust them." Buffy was still wary.

"I guess we really don't, not anymore than they know they can trust us." Willow answered her.

"I don't really think we have a lot of choice in the matter. If he's telling us the truth about having access to a great deal more knowledge about the prophecies than we have, then we need that knowledge." Giles wasn't quite sure that he trusted them himself, but their knowledge could be invaluable.

"That being said, I think we should consider the fact that Alexei knows that too. If he were really trying to manipulate us somehow, he could have demanded much more and been reasonably certain that we would accept his conditions. It might not be a reason to trust him, but it is a reason to
believe that he is being honest about this one thing." Angel rationalized.

"Okay so are we going to agree?" Spike asked.

"I think so." Giles answered him.

"Like Angel said, if he was trying to cheat us he could have done much more. We don't have a lot of options here." Cordelia chimed in.

The conversation considered in this vein until Alexei returned. "My friends, I hope you have reached some decision." He addressed them.

"We agree to your terms. Now I think we'd like at least a little of the information that you promised us." Spike answered for the group.

"I can give you a brief overview of the knowledge, but I imagine that your scholars would like the opportunity to review the materials for themselves."

Wesley nodded and Giles spoke. "We would."

"Well then, I will let you know the basics. I have gained access to literally thousands of versions of the prophecies. The oldest and most complete version that I have found was taken from a very old vampire that I killed last year. He found it in Wales centuries before I was turned. Basically what this version of the prophecy set down was a series of six evils, "And the evil shall arrive as Fire and Ice, Drowning floods and crippling plague, Eternal day and darkest night." Some of the other versions and some of the commentaries offer a bit more description of what these might be. It also tells of six warriors who will defeat these evils. "For six shall defeat the six which destroy. Three creatures of light and faith and three knowing only night, bound in pairs most unlikely shall begin to fight." There is more, some description of the pairs involved, but it's all rather vague. Most of the scholars agree that the six will be three humans bonded to three vampires but beyond that there is little that we have determined for sure." Alexei gave this short version of what he knew.

"Fascinating, I've only heard of a relative few bondings between humans and vampires and of course two of those are in this room. Have you considered that?" Wesley was curious as to whether one or both of the bonded pairs here were implicated by the prophecy.

"We have of course considered it. I don't believe that Katharine and myself are one of the pairs spoken of by the prophecy, mostly because only the defiance of a related prophecy allows us to be together. It would not be unheard of that one prophecy cancelled out another, but I don't believe that to be the case. There are other reasons, but that is the major one. Timothy and Nicholas steadfastly refuse to believe that they may be involved with the prophecy but I have yet to find any reason to exclude them. With your permission, I would like to call in an expert on several of the languages that my books are in. He is human, and has worked for me for more than about a decade now. While he has a somewhat more flexible sense of morality than
most humans, he has always dealt honorably with me." Alexei had been waiting for an opportunity to bring in this friend. "He has not yet been given the opportunity to examine these works, but I believe he could be of some help."

After some brief discussion it was agreed that the help would be welcomed. They had now talked most of the night. They needed to return to their hotel before dawn came. The humans would return in the early afternoon after grabbing a few precious hours of sleep. The vampires would join them as soon as the sun had set.

"Goodnight my friends. I understand your reluctance to accept my further hospitality, but if you should wish to leave your tiny rooms at any point in this journey simply let me know. I will arrange for you to have much nicer
accommodations." Alexei's voice had become the voice of the gracious host yet again.

"Thank you, but I believe we will be perfectly happy where we are. Not that we don't trust you, but lets just say it is perhaps better not to test that trust." Giles answered him.

Alexei laughed. "I see why you and yours have survived as long as you have. It will be a pleasure to see you tomorrow." With that he took his leave, followed by his companions.

*

"You said we could talk later about what the whole claiming thing meant, and as you put off answering me, I've got more questions for you too. They were talking about bonded pairs tonight and Alexei and Nicholas referred to the humans with them as their bondmates. They said that the other vampire was Marie's mate. I want to know what's the difference between them and what's different between bonded pairs and any other person that a vampire claims." Xander babbled his way through the questions. He just hoped that Spike would actually answer him this time.

This is where the ritual stuff starts to come in. To be a bondmate to a vampire is to have shared blood with them. Usually bondmates are both vampires, they share blood on a fairly regular basis and there is usually some amount of ceremony involved as well. The term also usually implies that they are lovers. It's very rare but occasionally a vampire will make a bondmate out of a human companion. It's like the claim only involves the human also taking blood from the vampire. The rituals can get fairly esoteric and from what I understand the effects of the bond, vary greatly depending on the ceremony used. The thing between Marie and her mate is much the same. It's just that they've been together longer, their bond is deeper, their marriage also gives them the upgrade in terms." Spike had tried to make that as succinct and academic as he could. He actually knew a little more of the ceremonies involved, but hoped that Xander wouldn't question him further.

"So, I guess that means that whatever else happens, we'll just be back-up for this fight. I mean, none of us are bonded or whatever, and that's what Alexei's prophecy says." Xander sounds both a little disappointed and relieved.

"I think, you should get some sleep. Come on, lets go back."

They went quickly and quietly up the stairs and back to their rooms. Spike hoped that this would be the end of Xander's questions, but knew that realistically it would not. Despite Xander's protests, he went immediately into one of the small bedrooms and collapsed, still dressed on one of the beds. Spike turned out the light and whispered as he left the room, "Goodnight, Xan."

TBC in part 6