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The last person Buffy expected to see being attacked by a vampire was the same one who had sang at the Bronze the night before. From what she and Angel could see, Venus was losing the fight, shrieking as the bloodsucker's fangs got closer to her throat.
With an extra burst of speed, Buffy rushed forward and pulled the vampire away. Simultaneously, she stretched one arm over his shoulder to drive the stake into his chest. She stared at the pile of dust that was left for a moment, then turned her attention to the singer. "Are you okay?" Buffy asked her.
Venus got to her feet with Angel's help. "What... What was that?" she asked in a shaky voice.
Buffy shrugged. "Someone you need not worry about again," she replied nonchalantly. "Where are you staying? My boyfriend and I could walk you there if you want."
Venus threw a quick glance at Angel, digging a pack of cigarettes from her purse. She removed one and lit it, then said, "While the night's still young? Forget it!" She paused, taking a few puffs; Buffy couldn't help noticing that her hand was shaking in the process. "Besides, the Bronze asked me to do another number tonight, and I always keep my promises."
Neither Buffy nor Angel could argue with that, but they did volunteer to accompany Venus the rest of the way. The couple didn't plan on a conversation, but Venus engaged them in one anyway.
"So, do you both live here in town?" the blue-haired singer asked. "Because if you do, I wanted to have someone show me around... Maybe after my performance is over. What do you say?"
Buffy shrugged again, a smile playing at her lips. "I don't see why not," she said, looking at her boyfriend. "Angel?"
"I don't think tonight would be good," he said after a moment. To Venus, he added, "We promised our babysitter we'd be home early. Perhaps we could set up a later date."
Venus felt a split second of surprise at his words, looking back and forth between him and Buffy. "If you don't mind me saying, you two look a little young to have a baby," she said, changing the subject.
Buffy gave a short laugh, exchanging looks with Angel. *If only she knew how old you really are*, Buffy told him mentally, watching as he suppressed a laugh. Out loud, she added, "We're not that young. Early twenties, to be exact."
Venus threw a glance back at her. "Well, still that's pretty young in my opinion," she responded. They had reached the Bronze by now, so Venus excused herself from Buffy and Angel and rushed for the backstage entrance.
At this, Buffy turned to her boyfriend. "Well, she seems fairly normal," the slayer said. "What do you think?"
"She's a little eccentic for my tastes," Angel replied after a moment. "She's a good singer and all, but... From what I saw, she's also an addict." Seeing Buffy's confused look, he added, "Venus had track marks on her arm."
"Well, as long as that's all she is, it's fine with me," Buffy said. "The last thing we need is another monster terrorizing Sunnydale... Speaking of which, what do you think the odds are that we'll see some action tonight?"
Angel remained silent a moment, reaching out with his senses. The air felt charged with electricity, he soon found, and it didn't do anything to put him at ease. But he didn't want to worry her with that, just in case nothing happened.
Angel quickly dispelled any thoughts Buffy had of a possible fight, then said, "Why don't we go in? We'll only stay an hour, and then spend a nice quiet evening at home."
Buffy offered him a warm smile. "I've got a better idea," she said, leading him away from the night club...
At home, Stefanie was feeling the same kinetic energy as well, only, save for Ivory, she had nothing to distract her from it. Not even watching a new comedy movie on television was helping her mood.
Stefanie was almost grateful when the phone rang. She turned down the volume quickly, then reached over for the receiver. "Hello?" she said.
"It's Jenny," Giles' wife answered. "Is Buffy there?"
"She and Angel will be back in an hour," Stefanie said calmly. "Why?"
Jenny took a deep breath on the other end. "It might be too late by then," she said urgently. "I had a friend of mine do a tarot reading on Buffy's future... Steffi, it's not good. I need to see her now!"
Stefanie only took a split second to answer. "Well, she's at the Bronze. If you hurry, you could be there in five minutes... Oh, and Jen?" She waited until the other woman answere before she added, "Be careful."
Too restless now to get back to her movie, Stefanie shut of the TV, then began to pace back and forth, wringing her hands together. She surely would have driven herself crazy if she kept it up long enough, but was saved when she heard a loud thunk against the front door.
Stefanie turned and stared at the door a second in fright, then moved towards it slowly. She pulled it open swiftly, almost causing the person who was leaning against it to fall inside. "My God," Stefanie cried. "Cordelia!"
The conceited brunette threw a quick disoriented glance up at her friend. It was the most she could manage, Stefanie guessed. From what the slayer could see, Cordelia was bloodied from head to toe. "Help me!" Cordelia rasped, before half-collapsing onto the porch.
Stefanie took a step forward, supporting her friend in her arms. "Get inside," she said, mostly to prompt Cordelia to move. It wasn't long before Stefanie had her on the couch, examining her grievous wounds. But nothing looked too serious as to require medical attention. "What happened?"
With a groan, Cordelia said weakly, "A vampire jumped me as I was walking from my hotel to the Bronze. Lucky for me, I was carrying a sharp pencil in my purse, or I'd be dead now." She paused, eyes rolling up into her head. "Do you mind if I pass out now?"
Despite herself, Stefanie couldn't help but laugh at Cordy's comment. "If it makes you feel better, be my guest," she answered, going to the kitchen for a first aid kit. And, as she preceded to clean and dress Cordelia's wounds, Stefanie hoped that Buffy and Angel were faring better than this.
But, little did she know that things were about to get a whole lot worse, and that the events so far were just the tip of the iceberg...