Fic: "Daughter of Rosenberg..." Part VIII...
reg...@aol.com
Summary: One year after the events of "Groom of Rosenberg" Buffy
the Rosenberg Monster and her honey have returned to ask a special
favor of their creators Rosenberg and Praetorius...While Tara faces
the
more or less Big Bad...
Disclaimer: Would Joss want his name associated with this? I think
not...But anyway all BTVS characters remain the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the
Vampire Slayer series...Though his brother Mort gets nothing...
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Part VIII...
The McNabb Museum of Horrors...
“I’m telling you…It was her…” the tall young police officer facing a
group consisting of his partner, equally nervous in such company...,
the Chief himself…On a routine break-in call?, the Mayor…What the
hell, isn’t this just some dinky…If rather creepy…Museum? (Quick
glance to the obviously well-connected, fuming owner)…, some guy in
glasses who looked like a librarian…, and that pretty brunette girl
he’d been told not to pursue the other night when he’d reported her
running through the Crestwood cemetery at one am…
“…Just like I saw her last year, when we brought her into the station
and she broke out…All nine…”
“…Seven…” Giles corrected… “Are you sure about this?...”
“…Fine, seven…It was her…I saw her face as clear as you…uh, sir…” the
young officer gulped at the troubled-looking, frowning Chief…
“The Monster…”
The group collectively eyeing him…Then sighing a bit…
Great…
Anya giving Xander a smug glance as they stood to one side,
listening...
What’d I tell ya...
“…She did look a little better than the last time I saw her…Those
scars weren’t so bad…” the officer noted…
***
Tara-Willow Cottage, Rosenberg estate...
“I don’t think we can keep him here…If one of those guards at the
museum…Probably the tall, skinny one with all the sharp remarks…Talks…
The police’ll be over here…” Tara noted…
“Yes…” Andrew hastily cut in… “It would be a mistake to keep Mr.
Osborne here…An
absolute mistake…” he nodded wisely…Eyeing Tara…
Hey lady…We both have a stake in this one…
“Well, we can’t just drop him at a motel…” Willow frowned, looking
over at the now peacefully sleeping Oz… “He’ll need expert care for
days…And someone who knows about his ‘special condition’ to see he
doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else…”
“Yeah…” Tara nodded…Both eyeing Andrew…Who blinked…
Whoops…Made my point a little too well…
“Andrew…?” Willow, hard stare…
“I, uh…?”
“Praetorius, you know you owe us big time…” Tara, harder stare…
“It would just be for a few days, Andrew…And after all, you’re his
doctor…” Willow, winning smile at the end…
Uh…Well…
Don’t think I should mention I already have a houseguest…
***
The McNabb Museum...
“So you’re saying...” Chief Brody desperately grabbing at the
possibility of no new crisis... “...that was Ms. Willow Rosenberg who
was running from my men out there...?”
“She was here...” Security guard...er Assistant Curator Lou sighed...
“She and her friend...They took the guy who was hurt in the crate...”
Cousin Bud having resolutely remained at his post by the laundry...
No way I’m getting mixed up in this mess...
“What...Crate...?” the listening McNabb...
“That one...” Lou pointed at the crate Oz had emerged from...
“My werewolf?...” McNabb, staring...
Giles and the team exchanging wary glances...
“Lets get back to the man in the crate...” Chief Brody insisted...
“You say he was wounded?...”
“Shot...”
“Shot?...” McNabb echoed... “What the hell do you mean, shot?!!”
“Shot, Art...And he was just a kid...Barely twenty if that...”
“And Ms. Rosenberg took him with her?...” Brody tried to move on...
“Shot?...From my werewolf crate?!...” McNabb fumed... “Are you drunk
or crazy?!!...”
“Mr. McNabb, please...” Brody put a hand... “Go on...Did he go with
Ms. Rosenberg?...”
“They took him...” Lou sighed... “But how they got away so quick from
your guys...” he shrugged...
“I do not believe this...” McNabb, raging... “You let some girl and
her friends steal my werewolf exhibit?!...What kind of idiots are you
two?!!...”
“McNabb...” the Mayor hissed... “I’m sure Ms. Rosenberg...Daughter of
our third largest employer...Will have a reasonable explanation...”
Hmmn?...McNabb eyed the Mayor...
Rosenberg, eh?...The Rosenbergs?...
Perhaps not so bad as all that...Sunnydale’s version of Paris Hilton
wants to play a little prank, eh?...An expensive little prank once I
have a sitdown with Daddy...
“What did she do with my exhibit?...Was it damaged?...”
My priceless genuine werewolf...Imported from England at cut-rate...Er
incredible expense...
“There wasn’t an exhibit in the crate...Just that guy...”
“What?!!...”
“Sir, please...” Giles tried... “I’m sure there’s a logical...”
“Who the hell are you?!...” McNabb raged... “I’ve been robbed of a
priceless exhibit and some guy wandering in off the street is telling
me not to be upset?!!!...”
“Say...?” he suddenly paused, remembering the officer’s statement...
“What’s all that crap about a Monster?...”
The Mayor rubbing his face...Oh, Lord...
To think I mortgaged my home to win election as mayor of this place...
***
“Sorry...” Buffy tried, hesitantly...
William remaining silent as they hurried along, she back on her own
feet...
“Will?...” she tried... “I didn’t mean make trouble...”
“Right...” he said, curtly... “You’re sure not hurt?...”
“Fine...William...?”
“All I ask is for you not to bring attention to us...” he said,
precisely...Urging her along... “To let us have a little peace in our
reanimated existences...”
“But no...”
“William...” plaintively... “Wasn’t fault...”
“Hold up...” he halted, pulling her to a spot where some trees and
lack of streetlighting allowed some protection by night’s blackness...
“I don’t see any cars, yet...I think we out-ran the ones on foot...”
he put a hand on her shoulder...
“I don’t mean to get angry with you, love...” he said, gently... “It’s
just...”
“Me so dumb...” she sighed...
“Buffy...”
“You right...Me too dumb for Mommie...Babe probably dumb
too...Sorry...” she sighed, a tad too pathetically...
“Knock it off...” he frowned, then grinned... “At least your acting
skills keep improving...A little...Trying playing the ‘pathetic seven-
foot disability case’ with a bit less bathos and you might get me next
time...”
“Sorry...” she grinned back, a bit impishly... “Remember next
time...Less...Pathe..tic...Pathetic...Hey?...” she beamed...
“Better every day...” he smiled...
She turned serious...Again sincerely downcast...
“You think they know?...Lots of other...Seven foot freaks...” she gave
a little smile to his mock frown... “In town...”
“I think one of them at least got a damned good look...Maybe they’ll
assume it’s some other seven foot freak...But if Giles or the others
hear...”
Hmmn...Right...She sighed...
“We’ll have to keep out of town for a few days...” he noted...
“You mean I will...” she replied... “No one run from my cute six-
eleven guy...Girls run after...” she eyed him, narrow look...
“One girl in the coat store chatted me up...And thanks for reminding
me of how you nearly broke our cover last time...After I went to all
that trouble to bring you in to try things on...You nearly frightened
her to death when you got out of the wheelchair and the veil came
off...”
“Sorry...She believe ‘bad case, scurvy’ story, though...”
“Right...And one more tale of ‘the Monster woman’ to circulate in
town...Well...” he looked down the street carefully... “Nobody seems
to be coming...I think we can get on home...”
“What about things...?” she began... He looking round...Who?...
“At museum, mean...”
“This time we’ll need to leave it to Faith and the gang, I’d say...At
least for now...It didn’t seem too serious...”
“Willow involved...Giles and Slayer there...Serious...” Buffy shook
her head...
“They’ll manage for one night...Lets shove for home...Tomorrow we can
try and find out if anyone’s looking for us...”
“For ‘the Monster’...” Buffy put on a grim look...
Grrr...she growled, chucking at his worried face... “I ok...Tole you,
over it...”
“Now I got my honey back...” she beamed, hugging him...Unnh...He
groaned at the mighty squeeze... “Sorry...”
“Course...” she noted hesitantly... “Would help with adjustment if
could fulfill natural mat...Mommie desires...”
“Buffy...”
“Just rememberin’ from psych class..See?...Memory gettin’ better every
day...”
“Girl...Knock it off...And lets go...”
***
The elegant townhouse of the famed ‘wizard of cloning’...And you can
bet U Cal-Sunnydale is now begging for me to return to my old post as
Chairman of Biology...Booted for knowing too much, indeed...Hah!...Dr.
Andrew Praetorius...
“Ok...” Willow, looking round, a mite peaked from her bout of
teleportation...She and Tara having agreed it was best not to try and
transport Oz by car...
“This should do fine...”
Yes...It being my own well-appointed bedroom, Andrew glared at the
sleeping Oz in his bed...
“And you’ve already got bars on the windows...” Tara waved toward a
window...
“Yes...Magically enhanced...This being Sunnydale after all...” Andrew
noted...
“And there plenty of folks who must want a piece of you...” Tara
smiled sweetly...
“Tara...” Willow hissed... “Andy, we are grateful for the help...It’ll
just be a few days till Oz can get up and about...Can you square
things with your staff?...I mean regards the night-time howling and
rabid screaming...”
Not to mention claw marks in the walls, Tara added, again sweetly,
regarding the fine wall hangings and carved woodwork...
Hmmn?...
“Honey...” Willow waved a hand... “I’m sure Oz will be too weak to be
much bother...”
“Yes...Well...My staff is used to the occasional unusual
visitor...Though perhaps not to patients residing at my home...”
“I’ll...” “We’ll...” Tara cut in... “...Be in every day to change his
dressings and check on him...They won’t have to bother about a
thing...” Willow insisted...
Every day, eh...? Even with Oberfuhrer Maclauy on guard, not a bad
deal...Wait...
Dracula...
“All right then, all set...I’ll...” “We’ll...!” Tara corrected...
“...see you tomorrow...” Willow raised hands...
“Ummn...I should mention I do have a guest...” Andrew, hurriedly...“A
colleague of mine from Romania...Dr. Alucard...We’re hoping to form a
collaboration to set up a facility in Eastern Europe...Cheaper labor,
you know...”
“Alucard...?” Tara grinned... “Are you trying to be funny, Andrew?...”
“What?...” Willow stared... Alucard?...I...
Oh...“Very funny Andrew...” she frowned...
“So the name is popular over there...Sue me...” Praetorius shrugged...
Oh, shit...The worse words that can issue from a modern
physician’s...Especially an immensely wealthy (formerly) eccentric
modern physician-with-a-bent-for-cutting-edge-research’s lips...But as
long as we’ve mentioned it...
“Uh...Before you go...!” he called...
Willow pausing...Huh?...
He hurried to his bedside cabinet and opening a drawer pulled out a
sheet...Writing hastily...
“If you two wouldn’t mind signing here?...You may print Mr. Osborne’s
name and sign for him...There...”
“‘The patient understands that owing to emergency conditions of the
surgery all rights of litigation are hereby waved’...” Tara read...
Wish I’d had Dawn sign something like this...Willow thought...
“Just a formality...” Andrew noted...Offering pen...
“Fine..”.Willow shrugged, signing...
“Alucard?...Really?...” Tara asked... “You don’t suppose he’s a
relative...?”
“Possibly...They were a large and prominent family in their day...But
I hadn’t wished to give offense by asking...” Andrew, solemnly...
“Just keep Oz locked in and we’ll take care of him...” Willow handed
the paper back...
“Yeah...” Tara nodded... “You don’t even need to come in unless he
starts tearing the place down...”
“Lovely...Good evening, ladies...” he sighed as Willow raised and
waved hands and with Tara clinging firmly to her right arm, the two
vanished in a spreading blue glow...
Was Maclauy sticking her tongue out at me just as they
dematerialized?...Praetorius glared...
“Tara...?” Willow eyed her mate as they reappeared in their living
room...
“Yeah?...”
“‘Vlad’?...”
“Huh?...”
***
“Monsters, ghosts, bah!...All I know is...I’ve been robbed and I want
action...!” McNabb fumed to the Mayor and Chief...Pointedly ignoring
Giles standing beside the Chief...
Lord knows I’ve paid enough in bribes to the whole damned city
government...
Faith, Xander, Anya, Lou, and a reluctantly-pulled-from-the-
laundry...A see what you got us into? glare to Lou, Bud...Looking on
with those officers still in the museum...Faith doing her best...It
being what Buffy would do, she assumed...To follow Giles’ lead to keep
quiet and look innocent while keeping as close to the action as
possible...
Anya however unable to resist the occasional I-tole-you look at
Xander...As Xander pondered the possibilities...
On the one hand, would be nice to have Buffy back in any form...Dawn
might even be somewhat pleased when she got the news...
On the other hand...All seven greenish feet of her was ready to kill
us all last time we met...
“Artemis, my friend...I assure you, we will do everything to resolve
this matter...Right, Brody?...” the Mayor addressed the Chief...
“We’ll do everything possible...”
“Sounds like all you need to do is go and get my exhibit back from
this Rosenberg girl...She and her friends must have it...So why don’t
we go over and get it?...Tonight...”
The Mayor eyed the Chief who eyed Giles...Who gave a non-committal
look back...
“Perhaps...It being so very late...” the Mayor began...
“What?...Give her time to dispose of the goods?...Whose side are you
people on, anyway?!...” McNabb raged... “Either you get my exhibit
back undamaged...Tonight...Or I go to see my friend Governor
Schickelgruber...”
Hmmn...
“Perhaps it’s not that late...” the Mayor noted...
“That’s more like it!...All right, you two...” McNabb turned to Bud
and Lou... “...Dolts, finish straightening up and get the crates outta
here...” he moved toward the crate holding the Dracula coffin...Now on
its end, crate lid facing him...
Uh-oh...Lou tried looking at anything, innocently...Bud likewise...
“And get Dracula here...” he opened the crate lid...Eyed the standing-
up black coffin in the open crate...Holding the crate lid, ready to
close...
Hmmn...Well...Can’t hurt to just have a look...
Phew...Bud, ready to mop brow...Danger averted...
Nice one, Xander, Faith, Anya, noted to selves with experienced
eye...Real craftsmanship there, where it came from...
“Out of...” McNabb blinked at the now open, empty coffin...
“Anything wrong, Artemis?...” the Mayor asked...
***
“We’re here...” a deep voice pronounced...As two figures in black
faced the many times repaired “Welcome to Sunnydale”...”Penalty for
defacement of this sign $2,500 fine and two years imprisonment...”
“Sunnydale...” the figure next to the speaker shook its head... “Never
changes, does it?...”
“I wouldn’t say that...” the first speaker replied, firmly...Pounding
a fist into a hand...A rather oddly stiff hand...
Ow...The first speaker noted... “Help me, here, willya?...” holding a
strangely jack-knifed left arm to his companion who gave a tug
snapping it back out to its original straight, stiff length...
“When do we make contact...With The Slayer...?” the second speaker
asked...
“In good time...First we scout the place out...And see what we can dig
up ...Get the lay of the land...”
“All right...But...” the second, hesitant...”We are here for the
mission, right?...Not...”
“If the stories are true and the Monster is dead, it’s over...But...If
not...” resolute pause...
“I have a debt to pay...And a score to settle...”
***