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Disclaimer: Angel, Cordelia, Ethan, Willow, Xander, and Buffy (and Whistler, who doesn't appear till story's end) belong to Joss. All other characters are mine.
Prologue
Dusk fell early on the Arizona desert, bathing the cacti, arroyos, and waves of endless sand in a stream of shadows. It began to cool right away, the blistering heat giving way to the pleasant night. At first, nothing moved save for the occasional wildlife, allowing a short tranquility to set in.
The stillness was broken by the lone vampire that appeared from behind a huge mesa, away from the caverns it called home for an evening of hunting. However, it appeared that such a feat would prove unproductive. At least, that's what the fiend thought until he caught onto the scent of human blood.
He stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air to try and determine where the source was, all the while praising his good fortune that some foolish person... no, people; there were definitely two... would venture out this late. Licking his lips in anticipation, he headed off towards the nearest, shallow arroyo for his meal....
The young couple had been there since before sunset, hidden in the shadows to gain some mild relief from the sun. While they waited, the boy had invited his companion to snuggle up against him, wanting her to feel comfortable while they waited for the stars to come out. And, in spite of themselves, both had been lulled to sleep by the serene warmth.
The dark-haired beauty was the first to awaken, the chill causing her to break out in goosebumps. She blinked her eyes in disorientation a moment, then slid her sunglasses off her face. Looking around, she let out an expletive, checking her watch. Then, she turned to her still-sleeping companion, shaking him urgently. "Wake up," she said hurriedly. When he failed to stir, she added, "Antonio, wake up! It's nearing midnight! We should have been home hours ago!"
He opened his eyes with a groan, looking up at her with confusion. "What... What's going on?" he asked, running a hand through his light blond hair.
"What's happening is that we're going to be in big trouble!" she cried, hurrying for her purse. "God, my Dad is never gonna let me hear the end of this one!" She looked at him in a panic, drawing the strap over her shoulder. "How could we have fallen asleep?!"
He sat up with a groan, stretching to work out the many kinks in his back. "Look, let's not overreact, okay?" He went to her side, putting one hand on her arm. "Just relax, Carmelita," he added. "It's not the end of the world."
Her gaze was drawn to his hand where it lay on her, then she looked up at him, slightly startled. After a moment, she asked, her green eyes roaming over his face as if to memorize it, "You promise?"
He smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to die," he replied. There was a slight pause, then he let out a short laugh, leaning forward to embrace her. "You shouldn't worry so much. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
She let a smile pull at her lips. Moving to whisper in his left ear, unclasping and reaching into her purse with one hand, she breathed, "As long as we're together, I have nothing to be afraid of." Then, right at the end of her speech, she raised the crucifix she held in one fist, shoving it in the face of the vampire that had appeared over her partner's right shoulder.
At the same time, her companion turned, striking the hissing bloodsucker in the face. "What perfect timing!" he muttered sarcastically, watching as the love of his life drove a stake through the unlucky vampire's heart.
She stood upright and turned to face him a moment later, wearing a look of elation. "Yet another one literally bites the dust!" she said, taking a step closer. "We're getting good at this act. Never fails to draw one or more of them in for the kill!"
Chase stood as well, gathering up the blanket they had been resting on. "Yeah," he agreed with a smile. "But seriously..." He held out his hands in a confused gesture. "Antonio?! Where did you come up with that?"
Ivory smirked. "I'll only answer if you explain where you thought up Marguerite, Rochelle, and Carmelita," she retorted, knowing even as she said it that he'd refuse to do so. As they moved to walk from the arroyo, she added, "We should each just pick a faux name and stick with it. Would save us a lot of trouble."
Chase nodded in agreement, and, for the rest of the walk to where their rental jeep was parked, they engaged in more idle chatter, during which Ivory took the time to reflect on what had brought them to this point. It hadn't even been that long ago, towards the beginning of the school year, in fact, that she had been content living her life with a foster family unaware of her destiny.
Then, her reign as the Slayer began, and Ivory's world had literally changed almost overnight. Over the course of the past few weeks, she had been introduced to the fact that her father was a vampire (albeit a good one), that her foster mother and real mom had been former Slayers, and her own nightly exploits in ridding the world of the undead.
Chase had ended up figuring into this scenario in an odd way. Upon learning who Ivory was, what her destiny was, he had revealed that her real mother (believed dead for fifteen years) was still alive and being held captive in an underground cavern network of bloodsuckers. Having cause to believe him, Ivory and her father had suggested a rescue mission of their lost loved one. All that was required firstoff was reducing the numbers of those who existed in the cavern, thus the reason for her and Chase's nightly "baiting" acts.
Ivory sighed as she settled into the plush passenger seat of the vehicle, her eyelids growing slightly heavy. "What do you think my Dad's gonna say when he hears we fell asleep on the job?" she said in an effort to stay awake.
Chase glanced over at her briefly. "Who says we have to tell him?"
Ivory sighed, growing sleepier by the minute. "He's going to wonder why we've been gone so long. We'll have to tell him something."
Chase considered this. "Well, if you think the truth wouldn't hurt..." he said softly, casting another glance at her and letting out a breath when he saw she was asleep. After a moment, Chase removed one hand from the steering wheel, reaching out to put his arm around her and pull her closer so her head rested on his shoulder.
It wasn't anything special; it wasn't as if he and Ivory were involved. In fact, she had been carrying on a long-distance relationship with a guy in her hometown for the two weeks they had been in Arizona. *But,* Chase mused, *even though this is probably the closest Ivory and I will get, it's enough...*