Sire

By KnightMare24

Willow had seen Oz staring at her in the lunch room and she did her best to not stare back by paying more than enough attention to her lunch. The day seemed to drag and Willow had a hard time focusing on classes, but even though it dragged it was far too soon and it was over. The bell rang in her last class of the day and Willow continued to sit at her desk as other students got up and started to leave.

“I’m right, that’s all that matters.” Willow whispered to herself and started to put her books in her bag.

“What are you right about?” Cordelia’s voice was a surprise and Willow looked up into the cheerleader’s face before glancing around for the Cordettes. The Cordettes were missing.

“Nothing.” Willow sighed, unwilling to have this chat with Cordelia of all people. She wished she could have had it with Xander, but he wouldn’t listen, he won’t listen. His response to Angel was more than enough proof that he didn’t care for vampires, even strange ones that worked for the white hats.

“Could you ask Kristin if she wants to go shopping with me sometime?” Cordelia spoke and Willow’s eyebrows drew together in surprise. “She has style. Hey we could even take you out and expand on your improving wardrobe.”

“Are you trying to date my girlfriend?” Willow asked, feeling a bit stunned.

Cordelia gave Willow a disgusted look. “Like I’d ask you to ask her out for me if I was? Please, I have way more class than that. I was thinking shopping and maybe a pedicure, you know a girls day out. We could sit and drink lattes and talk about the people walking by.” Cordelia grinned. “She’s wicked, I like that. Some of her comments in the movie were so cutting I expected to see the characters bleed.”

“You like my girlfriend.” Willow spoke in a flat tone, wondering if someone had slipped something into Cordelia’s water, because this felt wrong. Cordelia wanted to hang out with Willow’s vampy girlfriend. If that wasn’t a Hellmouth original nothing was.

“I have no idea how you managed, but you did real good Rosenberg.” Cordelia spoke and Willow started to move toward the door. Willow had too much to worry about right now, she could deal with the fact that Cordelia liked Kristin later.

Still, what did it say about Cordelia that she liked the only wicked vampire part of Kristin, her cruel wit? Kristin never used it often, in fact Kristin normally only talked that way around people she didn’t much care for. It was because Kristin didn’t like Cordy, that Cordy found something to like in Kristin.

“I need to go. I’ll think about it.” Willow muttered, still unwilling to really think about it yet. Maybe after all this was said and done Willow would need Cordelia’s help with Xander, so she didn’t blow Cordy off completely.

Cordy went towards the gym, and Willow made sure to skirt around the cheerleader’s afternoon lair like she always did while on her way to the library.

“Hey.” Willow spoke as she noticed Giles sitting rather tensely at the table and Xander snacking on a candy bar. Oz and Buffy weren’t here yet, but Giles was tense looking. Oz normally wasn’t a part of these meetings, just occasionally and with him being the bad werewolf who couldn’t keep his nose out of Willow’s business he’d be there today. Cordelia missed most of the after school meetings, but occasionally she’d come in after cheerleading practice if they were still around. “So hump day is over, and we’re downhill sliding for the weekend.” Willow said as she moved toward the table.

Xander’s eyes were too amused and Willow considered what she’d said, before her eyes widened a little and she glared at her perverted friend, but it was a weak glare because Willow was just talking to hear something other than the buzz of tension in the air.

…………………………

Kristin felt edgy and nervous, but she knew it wasn’t her own emotions. She sighed as she rolled over and tried to focus on reassurance and her bond with her Sire.

“Whatever you’re doing, stop it.” Faith muttered and Kristin just hugged her pillow to her head and continued.

“My Sire needs me, it isn’t anything dangerous.” Kristin spoke quietly in response.

“Sire?” Faith sat up and Kristin could practically feel where the slayer was staring at the back of her head.

“Willow.” Kristin could feel Willow was starting to relax a little bit, and it helped her relax as well.

“You better cut that out. If the weird vibes your giving off come from Willow too it really won’t help her case.” Faith told her and Kristin sent one last thought to her Sire before pulling back from their bond.

…………………………..

Willow took a deep breath and smiled just a little at what her vampire had done. They were getting much better at this bond thing. Willow remembered the trust in her vampire’s mental voice as Kristin told her that she’d come, day or night, if Willow needed her, Willow just needed to ask.

The door opened and Buffy took several strides into the room. “There is something wiggy around here, but I just can’t place it.” Buffy spoke and Willow bit her lower lip and looked down at the table, glancing at a few of the books.

Buffy sat and Giles seemed to be stalling. Willow felt like her heart was hammering in her chest. She could wait for Giles or Oz to bring this up or she could try and take control of the situation. Willow swallowed hard. “So who’s planning a summer trip?” They had a month left of school.

Xander half raised his hand and grinned. “I thought I’d have my license by then so I’d do a road trip.” Willow glanced at Buffy and Giles briefly and Buffy shook her head no.

“Oh, I know, who here has been to a movie this week?” Willow grinned tensely and held her hand up. Xander looked a little baffled, but his hand went up too. “Hands up for if you’ve been on a date this week.” Willow raised her hand again and Buffy’s eyes widened.

“Something you want to tell us Wills?” Buffy grinned.

“Well, um,” Willow stammered a moment, but then lifted her hand up in the air again. “Hands up if you’ve ever dated a woman.”

Xander seemed to choke for a moment, but his hand went back up. Willow gave a tense look toward a rather bewildered looking Giles. Then she looked toward Buffy, whose eyes were bigger, but she was also blinking a lot. “Hands up if you’ve ever dated a demon.”

Buffy’s hand moved rather slowly and while Xander’s hand jerked down for a second it had to go back up too. “Internet Demon counts Wills?” Xander asked quietly about something Willow had forgotten at this moment. It ruined her admission that they would assume that now.

Willow’s voice was shaky, and she ignored the sound of the door as she noticed Oz step into the library. “Hands up if you’ve had sex with a vampire.” Xander’s hand was down so fast it hit the table on its way down and Buffy looked a little pale as she stared at Willow, slowly lowering her own hand. “No, we know you can raise your hand too Buff.” Willow tried to smile, but she didn’t really manage more than an unattractive grimace. “Last one, hands up if you’re in love with a vampire.”

“Oh Dear Lord.” Giles muttered in a loud whisper and everyone was staring at her now. Willow felt shaky, like she was facing a whole group of demons alone.

“Wills?” Buffy was almost whispering it, sounding stunned.

“What about Kristin?” Xander spoke and Willow glanced at him.

“There’s a reason my girlfriend can’t go to the movies in the middle of the day Xander.” Willow answered him as calmly as she could. Her voice wasn’t shaky as she stared back at Buffy. “Kristin’s one of those Pet Vampires that VampWillow made. She’s my vampire.” Willow turned to look at a stunned looking Oz as well. “No one slayed Oz for being a werewolf, we learned how to work around that.” Oz just grimaced and turned to leave, his head was hanging down and he was muttering. She’d hurt him, and she felt bad, but she traded in her wolfy boyfriend for a vampy girlfriend that really needed her. He claimed he didn’t need Willow and maybe he didn’t, but Willow preferred being needed. She also really did love her vampire.

“That’s not the same, Oz has a soul.” Buffy finally spoke and her voice was cold. “I don’t know what she did to you Wills, but I know how to fix it.”

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Willow stared back with the strongest resolve face she had. “Your one of my best friends, but I swear to you Buffy, that it would all be over if you killed Kristin, I’d never forgive you. Never.”

“Perhaps she’s become some sort of Thrall?” Giles finally spoke up and Willow felt her frustration grow at being talked about.

“I am not a Thrall!” Willow spoke more harshly, even though she was talking to an adult.

“Well, Wills, you weren’t exactly gay before you met her.” Xander pointed out and Willow turned her attention to him.

“You’ve met her. She’s not some evil demon, and hello, hot woman, no need for voodoo and spells to make someone want smoochies!” Willow snapped at him. If she didn’t know her vampire was hidden she’d be more terrified, even willing to beg, but now she was just pissed. “You liked her too!”

“That was before I found out she was a bloodthirsty vampire!” Xander looked mad. “You let her hang out with us and never told me I should be watching out for my neck!”

“She’s never killed anyone and even if she wanted too you could easily fight her off. She’s not like a regular vampire.” Willow’s eyes narrowed at Xander, hurt that he was dismissing Kristin so quickly.

“Willow, a vampire is a vampire.” Giles spoke and Willow turned to stare at him.

“Have you ever seen a Pet Vampire Giles?” Willow stared him in the eye. “I’ve lived with her over a month and I’ve read every book I could get my hands on about them, and I can tell you that there was a reason that Angel said the other vampire’s don’t consider them vampires.” Willow could see that Giles was interested to hear more, but before she could explain a bit more nicely Buffy spoke up.

“You’ve been living with a vampire for a month and never told me?” Buffy sounded betrayed and Willow turned to look at her friend.

“I didn’t want you to hurt her. I had to patch her up after the vampire’s got a hold of her and she was so weak and damaged, I just didn’t want you to hurt her.” Willow hated the betrayed look, but really if she could have trusted Buffy to listen she would have told her.

Buffy got up and marched for the door. “This has gone on more than long enough.”

“She hasn’t hurt me even when she was starving.” Willow called out and then stood up to follow Buffy, knowing where she was going. Even if Buffy found no Kristin at her house, the fact that Buffy went would be a thorn in their friendship. “Don’t do this Buffy.” She called out and when she started to walk toward Buffy she found Xander’s hand grabbing her arm hard.

“It’s better this way. Let Buffy dust her.” Xander spoke so coldly and Willow’s heart actually ached from the pain she felt, but she slammed her opened hand into his nose, making him let her go.

“You wanted Angel dead so badly you lied to Buffy and risked the entire world. I forgave you that, but this, you hurt Kristin in any way even by your lies and I’ll hurt you!” Willow moved to follow Buffy again and found the way blocked by Oz. She’d thought he’d left.

“Buffy will fix this Will.” Oz spoke, but the most important thing was that he blocked the door. “You’re not acting like the Willow I know.”

“And I’m Glad!” Willow yelled at him. “I’m growing up Oz, I couldn’t be that little girl forever, and I’m glad I’ve changed. I’m happier.”

“I’ve never seen a Thrall. We need to research how to free her.” Giles spoke up and Willow was about ready to rip her own hair out as she turned to glare at him. Her eyes widened to see the tranquilizer gun they used on Oz in his hand. “I’m sorry Willow, but once you’re better you’ll understand.” And he actually fired at her.

…………………………

“We need to go.” Kristin sat up suddenly and spoke into the silence of the room. “We need to go.” She repeated and the slayer rolled over to stare at her.

“What’s up Fangette?” Faith spoke with a lazy voice that grated on Kristin’s nerves.

“I can’t sense her at all. They hurt her.” Kristin felt nervous, scared and like she needed to be there. Willow must need her, and Kristin needed to go.

“She told you to stay here until I said you could leave.” Faith reminded her and Kristin stared at the slayer. “You going in now isn’t going to help anything. She can handle them.”

“She needs me.” Kristin’s voice cracked.

Faith’s eyes were just a little softer. “What are you going to do against a slayer?” Kristin’s shoulders slumped.

“I can’t lose her.” Kristin’s voice was shaky and it embarrassed her.

“They wouldn’t slay her, she’s still human.” Faith swung her legs over the side of the bed and her nakedness was rather apparent. Kristin didn’t bother looking, she was staring into Faith’s eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll go check on her, that make you happy Fangette?”

The hard clenching in her chest relaxed and she nodded. The slayer would be able to help more than Kristin could.

“I’m vampire whipped that’s all there is to it.” Faith was muttering angrily to herself as she looked at the closet and Kristin stayed quiet. Faith’s voice rose to the point it was aimed at Kristin. “You stay in here, and if you go out for a bite I’ll stake you myself.”

“I don’t do that.” Kristin glanced at the door. “Is this place safe from vampires?” She asked quietly. It wasn’t a house, and she hadn’t tried to enter without the invite. Maybe she could have. “Maybe I could go with you.”

“No, you stay here. I’ll call you if you should come.” Faith started to tug on pants and Kristin noticed the slayer didn’t bother with underwear.

Kristin almost reminded Faith that it wasn’t safe for her outside at night, but then she just sighed. For Willow Kristin would run through the streets if she had to, but she’d be running not walking.

………………………

Willow groaned as she opened her eyes and the books sure seemed to tower over her. Willow blinked as she stared up the bookshelf to the ceiling. “This isn’t good.” She whispered as she recognized the bookshelf. Willow sat up and stared at the closed and locked door on the book cage they’d locked her evil Vampire Double in when VampWillow was in town.

She could see Giles sitting at the table staring at a book. “I’m not a demon you know.” Willow called out, irritated and a little woozy from the tranquilizer still.

“Of course not. You’re a victim, but until we break this link we have to keep you safe.” He turned to look at her and Willow glared at him.

That comment reminded her. Willow took a moment to close her eyes and focus hard on her vampire. “Kristin” Willow called out.

The wave of relief and fear hitting her was so extreme Willow gasped a little. “Sire, Sire, are you okay?” Kristin was sending words as well. Willow didn’t think her vampire had done that before.

“I’m fine. They think I’m a Thrall, your Thrall.” Willow told her and moved to rest more fully against the bookshelf behind her. The wave of disbelief hitting Willow was touched with a tiny bit of amusement. “Am I your Thrall baby?” Willow sent teasingly.

There was a moment of amusement and then it shifted to concern. “They didn’t hurt you did they?” Kristin sent back. “I sent Faith to you, because she wouldn’t let me go, but if you need me I don’t care how many vampires I have to run past to get to you.”

Willow took a shaky breath as she felt as well as heard how dedicated her vampire was to her. This was what she was fighting for, and she wouldn’t lose. “They won’t hurt me. It’s you I’m worried about. You stay safe.”

The door in the library opened and Xander came in looking rather serious, but he was carrying snacks. “Are you guys going to lock me up every time I do something you don’t like?” She called out to them again, but she still felt her link to Kristin active.

“We’ll dust the vamp and you’ll be yourself again.” Xander told her. “I can’t believe she was a vamp.” He muttered more quietly, “such a waste.”

“She’d rather be a vamp then dead.” Willow muttered to herself, and sure he might hear it but she didn’t care.

“It might take a while to clear this up.” Willow told Kristin. “I may not be able to get to you tonight.”

“Why don’t your friends listen to you?” Kristin sounded frustrated, almost as frustrated as Willow was.

“Because they can think of remote and unlikely reasons not to.” Willow glared at the back of Giles head. “If I really were a Thrall I’d say there was no reason to kill my vampire lover, so when I said they shouldn’t hurt you, well, they think vampires are all evil.”

“I’d never have the power to make a Thrall.” Kristin sent back, irritated. “Don’t they understand what I am?”

“I don’t think they do. We’ve never seen something like you before.” Willow sighed and noticed Xander looked over at her.

The library door swung open again and Willow looked over to see a slightly surprised expression on Faith’s face. “What? Is this VampWillow again?” Faith asked loudly as she moved toward the cage. “You don’t look like a vampire to me.” She spoke right to Willow and Willow grinned just a little.

“We had to lock her up, she’s under some vampire’s power.” Xander answered and Willow’s slight grin turned to a frown as she glanced toward him.

“I am not.” She spoke, but she didn’t talk loudly. No one was listening to her now.

Faith moved closer. “You’re Pet vampire was being a pest, so I thought I’d check on you.”

In her mind Willow sent a teasing toned message to her lover, “Are you a pest?” Faith’s head tilted and Willow decided to let Faith in on how strong their link really was.

“She says she just told you that I was in trouble and you volunteered to check it out.” Willow smirked confidently, liking the power that she had. Faith’s eyes widened a bit.

“You sure you aren’t under her power?” Faith asked, but she was actually asking, not assuming, so Willow didn’t feel like yelling at her.

“I’m sure. She’s more under mine than the other way around, but I am her Sire and that comes with a few strange things I wanted to ask about, but with everyone overreacting I can’t.” Willow wrapped her arms around her knees while she sat on the floor.

“Faith, don’t bother her.” Giles spoke up and Willow turned to see him looking back into the books again.

“And for once you aren’t actually bothering me.” Willow grumbled and got a wicked wink as Faith turned to walk up to the table.

Faith seemed to drape herself over a chair and grabbed one of the donuts Xander brought. “So what’s up with Red?” Faith asked lazily and then started to lick the fingers of one hand while holding the donut in the other. “I don’t see any bite marks.”

“Yes, well, we can’t dismiss the possibility that she’s healed.” Giles seemed to glare at Faith and little and Willow watched as the dark slayer just continued to lick at her fingers far too much.

“From what I heard a vamp wouldn’t let a human heal a whole hell of a lot.” Faith took a bite of her donut and Willow started to feel a little hungry too, but he woozy made the idea of eating unpleasant. Faith chewed for a while and after she swallowed she tore at Giles’ attention again. “I haven’t heard of any new Masters in town, how’d one get in without setting off waves?”

Willow’s eyes widened just a little as she saw what Faith was doing. The dark haired girl was trying to make them think about this. It showed a bit more intelligence that Willow thought Faith had. Willow noticed that Faith knew what was required to make a Thrall and it wasn’t a newly risen Pet vampire.

The library door slammed opened and Buffy marched in looking very unhappy. “No luck, the vamp fled.”

“But Kristin is afraid to leave the house.” Xander spoke up in shock.

“And yet you all think she’s a big threat.” Willow called out angrily. “Why won’t you all just listen to me!”

Oz slipped into the room as well, making Willow think Buffy had help looking for Kristin. Willow glared at him.

“We want to help you Will.” Buffy spoke softly and moved toward the cage, before glancing at Giles.

“She wanted to chase you.” Giles explained Willow’s position in the cage.

Willow stood up and stared Buffy in the eye. “Listen to me, why can’t you do that? I listened to you when you realized your boyfriend was a vampire, I listened to you when you came back from running away, I always listen Buffy. Why can’t you just try to listen to me?” Willow’s eyes stung as she felt tears creeping up on her. “If you hurt her you’ll rip my heart out. This is why I didn’t tell you, because I knew you wouldn’t even listen.” Buffy took a shaky breath and Willow pleaded with her eyes. If Buffy listened the others would have to.

“Do you know where she is?” Buffy instead demanded quietly.

“Safe, she’s safe.” Willow answered and swallowed hard, before turning to look at the window her cage had and the light. It looked like it would be night soon. “She’s a VampWillow vamp, and you know none of those were normal.” Willow spoke in a flat tone. “You didn’t even ask how I met her.”

“How did you meet her?” Buffy asked, but it was still slayer Buffy in charge, Willow could tell.

“The night after we met our first VampWillow vampire, you remember her, the one that was horrified to realize she was a vampire?” That was the first one and still the oddest one they’d seen as far at Willow knew. “Well I woke up to find Kristin’s bleeding and crumpled body on my porch.” Willow had gotten more details about that time from her vampire. “She’d risen the night before and she’d stayed outside my house waiting for me to notice her all night, even though she was hungry. She thought I was VampWillow.”

Willow turned to look at Buffy and noticed the other four in the room were listening as well. “She hid in a neighbor’s toolshed the next day and then she waited for me to sense her again the next night, but she gave up. She was walking in town and a group of vampires grabbed her.” Willow left out the prey that got taken from Kristin, knowing that wouldn’t help now. “Angel was right, the night life does take care of the weak vampires.” Willow grimaced and stared into Buffy’s eyes. “They held her down and laughed as they used wood to pierce holes in her breasts, and they pushed it in six times. A few must have been dangerously close to her heart, but they didn’t stake her. They cut her, they beat her, they kicked her,” Willow had tears running down her face, but her voice was cold and firm. “Somebody bit her. And all the while they told her she was nothing but a pet and that was what pets were for. If her sire didn’t think to protect her they’d keep her.” Willow took a shaky breath. “Kristin told them she had a sire. She described VampWillow to them and warned them of how cruel that vampire was. They left her to die a few hours before sunrise.” Kristin had had tears in her eyes when she told Willow this story and now Willow could still see the damage Kristin suffered in her mind.

“I woke up to find her, she’d crawled back to my house and collapsed on the porch just maybe ten minutes before sunrise.” Willow noticed Xander was a bit pale. “I found her there, and she pleaded with me to save her. I knew what she was the second I looked at her. I knew she was one of the weak ones Angel told us about.” Willow expected them to want to yell at her for her next action, but she sure had their attention now. “VampWillow made her, and it was my fault that vampire was in this world. I couldn’t leave Kristin to die scared and alone. I started to drag her inside and she passed out. I spent hours pulling splinters out of her chest. I saw more about the insides of bodies than I ever wanted to, and I went and got her blood at the butchers.”

Giles was fidgeting, but a quick look from Faith seemed to keep him from scolding. Willow nodded to the dark slayer. “She hadn’t killed anyone by then, and she hasn’t killed anyone at all. She begged me to become her Sire, to protect her from the vampires. They broke her, they broke her and terrified her. I didn’t agree right away, but you need to know that once she was healed she tried to fall on a stake, hoping that if she was still hurt I’d let her stay. You should know that she is disgusted by pigs blood, but she is willing to eat it forever if I let her stay. She’s warned one of my neighbors not to walk around at night, she’s worked on my database to help you, and she’s the best thing to ever happen to me Buffy.”

Buffy looked torn, but not convinced. “I gave Angel a chance Buffy. He killed my favorite teacher, he killed my fish and he terrorized us, and still you said to give him another chance and I gave it. My vampire hasn’t hurt anyone, and she wouldn’t. All I want is a chance. If you can’t give us that, then I’ll leave. I was accepted at UC Sunnydale and I was going to stay even though Kristin hates this place, but she’d really rather live in Las Vegas. It’s safer for her there, not so many vampires. I didn’t apply there, but I still could.”

“You’d leave us?” Xander sounded stunned and Willow just shook her head. How could he not see that killing her girlfriend wasn’t going to make things better?

“Cordelia tormented me for years Xander, she still does. When you told me you were dating her it felt like you’d stabbed me in the back. Did I ever tell you that you had to pick between the girl you were dating and me? Did I ever try to destroy what you have?” Willow looked away. “No, I keep giving everyone chances to date people that hurt me, to make me hang around them, and you won’t let me have this chance with someone that makes me so happy. She needs me, and I need to be needed. Oz never needed me, but she does, and I love her.”

“Damn Red,” Faith spoke, breaking the silence. “I’ll drive you two to Las Vegas if you need to go.”

“No.” Buffy spoke and Willow looked away from Faith. “No one is going anywhere.” Buffy grimaced and turned away, staring at the floor. “We’ll give her a chance, but Will,” Buffy turned to stare at Willow. “If she screws up once, just once, I’m dusting her. If she hurts you, I’m dusting her.”

“And if you were wrong you’ll never see me again.” Willow replied. She couldn’t let those threats hang there alone. Willow felt sick and her stomach hurt almost as much as her heart did. She’d won, at least for now, but she looked around and the only somewhat friendly face was the woman she’d hated since she’d laid eyes on her. Willow nodded to Faith her thanks and looked away from a still angry looking Xander and a clearly upset Giles. “So am I still a prisoner or can I go reassure my vampy girlfriend that my best friends didn’t hurt me?”

They unlocked the cage and Willow was a little wobbly stepping out of it. “Faith?” Willow asked for help once more from that slayer. They needed to go and bring Kristin home.

Buffy looked shocked and hurt that Willow was calling for Faith. “Faith hasn’t been threatening to hurt Kristin, and I still need to get her home safely. I don’t ever want to have to patch her up like I did that first night again. I don’t ever want her hurt like that again.” Willow stared at Buffy. “She’s already scared, she doesn’t need Buffy threats right now.”

Willow started to walk out of the library, and Faith reached out to steady her once Willow had bumped into two chairs that seemed to jump out to hit her legs. “G-man, your keys.” Faith stopped them and turned to Willow. “I can’t get Red home, hold her up and protect her from vamps all at the same time. You guys clearly drugged her.”

Keys flew through the air and Willow noticed a slightly guilty and concerned expression from the watcher, but he was also so very quiet. Willow and Faith made their way to the parking lot.

Faith spoke as Willow got into the car. “You sure changed. Normally you let them walk all over you.”

“I couldn’t afford to let them this time.” Willow stared at the school as Faith started the car.

……………..

Kristin moved into the kitchen as soon as they got inside and moved to microwave some blood. “I can have dinner going in just a minute.” She called out.

“Gee, Red, you got yourself an undead stepford wife?” Faith spoke and Kristin sighed, not liking that comment.

“If the slayer is going to insult me like that maybe she doesn’t want to have a home cooked meal.” Kristin spoke up. She’d planned to check to see if Willow would let her invite the slayer for dinner, but now she’d gone around Willow. Kristin grimaced as she considered that.

“I can’t really stay.” Faith spoke and Kristin noticed the slight change in the slayers heartbeat. She turned to look at Faith standing near the table, where Willow was sitting. “G-man’s gonna need his car.”

Kristin glanced at her sire and her grr face came out. “Let him walk.” She spoke coldly to the slayer. Faith deserved at least a home cooked meal and that watcher deserved to wait. Kristin would say he deserved a bite as well, but Willow would protest.

Kristin looked at Willow. Mentally she spoke. “She was so nice to us, and she lives in a hell hole. Can she stay for dinner?”

Willow sighed. “Why don’t you drop the car off and come back Faith?” Willow offered. “My vampy girlfriend is an amazing cook.”

“What ya thinking of cooking Fangette?” Faith turned to look at her. Kristin put her cup in the sink and moved to look in the fridge.

“Well, I think I have what I need for spaghetti and meatballs, I also have what it takes to make tacos.” Kristin looked over at Willow. “Someone didn’t wake me up so I could make the shopping list last time. I don’t have any salsa.” Kristin was doing her best to talk like a human, which included small playful jabs about this, but she sent a small wave of apprehension to Willow so Willow knew she wasn’t really criticizing her.

“I could maybe pick some salsa up on the way back.” Faith spoke up and Kristin smiled just a little while nodding.

“No garlic, I don’t know if they have one that has that, but I really don’t want to find out the hard way.” Kristin spoke up as Faith picked up the keys.

“Kay, vampire friendly foods only, I got ya.” Faith turned to leave and Kristin stayed just standing and facing Willow while Faith closed the front door.

“Are you okay?” Kristin asked again and the angry look from Willow was her answer, she’d asked that too much. “Thank you for inviting her, I’m sorry I did that first.”

“It’s okay, I’m just a little out of it still or I might have done it first.” Willow spoke, but Kristin suspected it was a lie, because Willow still wasn’t all that friendly with Faith.

Kristin moved to start thawing some beef, and she sighed as she watched the microwave again. Part of her wanted to bitch about whoever was supposed to be watching out for Faith, because they were doing a lousy job, but she stayed quiet. Willow was looking a little tired and it worried her.

“You could take a nap before dinner.” Kristin offered quietly.

“I think I might.” Willow stood up and slowly shuffled to the living room. Kristin really wanted to bite that watcher for pulling that tranquilizer gun on Willow. She wished she’d rammed that car into something while she had it, because he needed to be punished.

Faith’s returning woke Willow up and dinner was a little tense, but Kristin didn’t know what to think. She actually liked Faith, but her sire was so uptight around the slayer and so tired that dinner was a bit awkward. Faith had gone to protect Willow, and had helped them, so Kristin was torn. Faith left right after dinner and Willow went back to napping. With little else to do Kristin started to work on the database.

…………………..

Willow had been rather cold and unsmiley girl all day at school. Xander had actually avoided her and Buffy hadn’t said too much in the class they shared. Oz was being stare from a distance boy, and Cordelia was just normal Cordelia. By the end of school she even considered just leaving for home, but Buffy came by her locker. “Scooby meeting tonight, a bit later so Angel can come. Bring Kristin.” Buffy spoke up and Willow just glared at her a moment before putting her books in the locker a little harder than she needed to. “Look, Wills, I’m sorry.”

“So is it safe for me to go to the library or will I be all locked up again?” Willow asked a bit nastily, and Buffy’s shocked and pained eyes helped her reign in her temper. “Look, Buffy, bringing Kristin isn’t all that easy. I’m not sure I want her around a bunch of people with sharpened stakes in their hands. And don’t forget she can’t just walk through town, I can’t risk that yet. Kristin has just started being able to leave the house. If some demon or baddie attacks her I’ll have trouble getting her to do it again. She’ll do it if I order her to, but she’ll be so scared she won’t be able to ungrr face.”

Buffy’s jaw was just a little dropped, and she looked a little lost. Willow just sighed. Buffy wasn’t really understanding what a Pet vampire was yet. “Maybe we could just meet at your place.” Buffy offered and Willow considered that. It would be better and might make Kristin relax more.

“Okay, that works.” Willow smiled just a little. “We could order pizza and show you guys the database we’ve been working on.”

“Ah, yeah, sure Wills.” Buffy’s smile was tense and Willow hated that, but it would do for now she guessed. “I need to do some errands with Mom, but I’ll see you later.”

It felt like a polite lie, and as Willow left the school she wondered if she’d become that acquaintance that people pretended to want to hang with but never would have time to. It wasn’t a good feeling

………………………

Kristin sat behind Willow and hugged the redhead to her body as they tried to watch a movie. They had guests coming and Willow was nervous, which was making Kristin nervous too. The movie was supposed to help them forget about it a while, but Kristin found herself having trouble concentrating on the movie.

Kristin let her face change and started to slowly caress Willow’s neck with her fangs, very slowly. A small smile started to cross her lips as she enjoyed the rise in Willow’s heartbeat. The movie wasn’t doing anything exciting right now. Kristin moved to kiss Willow’s neck lightly and started to really wish they didn’t have visitors on the way at all.

“Don’t be too naughty.” Willow spoke even as she tilted her head for Kristin to caress her neck. To Kristin that sounded like permission, so Kristin pulled Willow back into her own body more tightly. The warmth of her Sire always felt good.

A small scrape of the fangs and Kristin licked the small amount of blood off before healing Willow. Willow didn’t even complain; she never did. Kristin could feel that Willow liked sharing her blood, that it made her happy to make Kristin happy. “I love you.” Kristin whispered into Willow’s ear.

The knock at the door made her groan. Kristin reluctantly and slowly let go of her sire so Willow could answer the door.

…………………

Willow took a moment to take a deep breath before opening the door. The gang was out there, Buffy closest, but Xander was behind her. Giles was still walking up from the car and Willow wasn’t too surprised to see Oz missing. Finding out Willow had moved on to a female vamp had to hurt his pride a bit. Willow just stood back, so they’d have room to come in. She did look out the door one more time after Giles entered and didn’t see Angel yet.

“Hey Xander, didn’t bring Cordy?” Kristin spoke up from the opening of the living room and Willow watched as Xander tensed up and appeared to try and ignore Kristin. Willow frowned at him. She looked at the others and watched how tense Giles and Buffy were. This was going to be a really horrible night, Willow thought sadly.

“Buffy, Giles, this is Kristin.” Willow introduced the two people Kristin had never met and Kristin glanced at Willow uncertainly, before taking a step forward.

“Hey, nice to meet you.” Kristin tried, really tried to make this as normal as she could and Willow was a bit ashamed of her friends when it took so long for someone to reach out for Kristin’s offered hand. Giles shook it briefly.

“Nice to meet you my dear.” Giles voice was still tense and he was staring at Kristin. Kristin just nodded and seemed to realize that the slayer wasn’t going to shake hands, so she didn’t try again.

“Baby, maybe you could find the number for the pizza place?” Willow noticed her vampire’s eyes seemed to light up. “We’re only after pizza.” Willow smirked just a little at the fake pout as Kristin moved upstairs to most likely look up numbers online.

Once Kristin was out of sight Willow turned to glare at her best friend, then looked at the others. “If she goes grr she could be scared, embarrassed, or angry, but she isn’t a threat. She is just young and doesn’t have a lot of control over her grr face under stress.” She warned them. “So no staking my girl for having emotions.”

“I didn’t realize that vampires weren’t in full control over their appearance.” Giles seemed to relax as he considered that.

“There are a lot of things I learned about vampires living with one.” Willow smiled just a little. “The books really don’t always know what they are talking about.”

“So does she go grr when you have sex with her?” Xander snapped at her and Willow turned to stare at him. “She doesn’t even have a pulse Wills, that’s pretty sick.”

“Xander.” Buffy spoke coldly and Xander went quiet, but he’d already hit his target. That had hurt.

Willow turned away from him and stared at the kitchen table. “Anyone want a coke?” She was trying to ignore his attempts to hurt her.

Willow felt the arms wrap around her as she started to close the fridge, and she heard the scrape of chairs as the others in the kitchen panicked as Kristin hugged her tight. “You sure you don’t want me to bite anyone?” Kristin spoke quietly into her ear and Willow turned a little to see Buffy glaring and reaching for a weapon. Kristin made it a little worse by leaning down to kiss Willow’s neck gently, like she always did. Kristin ignored the danger she was in and Willow wondered if Kristin even realized her every move could set the others off, but then Willow realized that Kristin just fully trusted Willow to protect her.

Willow turned to look at Kristin and smiled just a little, but her heart was hammering at the public display. “Got the number?”

Kristin let go of her and held out the piece of paper she’d written it on. “I don’t know why this place still has pizza delivery, every other delivery boy has to end his career with a big hole in his neck.”

“But not the one we get. No tasting the delivery boy.” Willow teased a little, purposefully ignoring the others to smile at Kristin, before she turned to pick up the cans of coke she’d picked up for everyone.

Kristin sat down at the table next to Willow, but Giles seemed a little tense to end up the one next to the young vampire. Willow just sighed and grabbed one of the cokes for herself. “So pizza first? Or talking first?”

“We could order the pizza and then talk.” Kristin offered a solution, not realizing that a question like that was usually aimed at Buffy at these meetings. Willow glanced at the others for any sign of disagreement.

“Angel will be by soon, so we might as well order pizza. He won’t want to miss the talking.” Buffy spoke.

“I say anything with lots of garlic.” Xander spoke and Willow turned to glare at him. He wasn’t even trying, of course given how he treated Angel still that shouldn’t be a surprise.

“I don’t think Cordy would appreciate that Xander.” Kristin spoke and her voice was a little chilly. “You were going to go and drag her into a romantic closet after this right?” Willow noticed the tension and looked to see her vampire’s eyes were golden, but she hadn’t gone grr just yet. “I mean not everyone can afford a hotel room, and it is just adolescent fumbling at this stage anyhow isn’t it?” Her vampire was going for emotional blood. She even smirked evilly.

“Kristin, be good.” Willow snapped a little at Kristin, because Kristin would listen.

Kristin’s head bowed. “Sorry Sire.” She spoke softly and quickly.

“I know sweety. How about you call and order us two large pizza’s, whatever you like. They’ll eat it.” Willow glared at Xander. Kristin nodded and got up, and Willow made sure to send a wave of affection and understanding.

Buffy’s eyes moved from Kristin to Willow and they stared so hard while Willow was connecting to her vampire, and the slayer stare relaxed a bit when Willow let go so Kristin could just focus on the phone call.

“This is just wiggy Wills, really wiggy.” Buffy muttered and Giles was staring after Kristin for a moment.

“She seems subservient to you when she addresses you as Sire.” Giles muttered, clearly intrigued.

“Do you have to let her neck you like that?” Buffy spoke quietly.

Willow smirked just a little, “Yes I do.” She turned to look at her vampire nodding along to whatever the person on the other side of the phone was saying. “She’ll never hurt me, but she likes my neck. She’s a neck girl, and I’m more of a cleavage girl.”

“TMI Wills, TMI.” Buffy looked a little disgusted, but Willow found herself not caring as she stared at her vampy girlfriend doing her best to behave. She was proud of Kristin, especially when she heard Kristin order a pizza she knew was the Xander special even though he’d ticked the vampire off. Kristin was trying to play nice, she was trying.

Willow then turned her attention to Giles, remembering he’d spoken. “I am her Sire.” She admitted and he looked a little confused. Willow knew there would be yelling when she explained, so she just took a deep drink of her coke and waited for Kristin to get off the phone. Nope, no one would want to deliver food to a place yelling about vampires, so unless they wanted to go hungry they’d have to wait so they didn’t scare the pizza delivery away.