Fic: "Drusilla..." Part XLIII...
reg...@aol.com
PG-13...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, Cicelyverse page,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html, or direct to story at
www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/Dru1.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon,
Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire
Slayer series...
Summary: An alternate Cicelyverse tale...In 1880 Cicely Addams
Walthrop
makes the right choice and saves her William on that fateful night.
But Drusilla is not so easily cheated of her Prince...
A companion story to "Groom of Rosenberg" for Halloween, at the
request
of the Shes Who Must Be Obeyed...The musical touches are their
idea...Sorry...they want a "Phantom-ish" story...
[The usual note to G&S fans...I've fiddled with dates a bit in this
AU tale and moved the "Mikado" and the opening of the Savoy up a
few years...]
****
Part XLIII...
“Stop here…Don’t go inside…” Cicely insisted to Abercrombie who
frowned but pulled up just outside the funeral parlor’s carriage
entrance…Angelis in the hearse proper back with a rather grim Darla…
Nice way to spend a morning, riding to my likely grave in a miserable
shoddy hearse driven by the Slayer and some grave-robbing human…When I
ought to be enjoying the one pleasure afforded me in this miserable
existence of a little daytime rest in a comfortable room somewhere…
“What a fascinating way to travel…” Angelis cheerily noted… “And far
more comfortable than most coaches…”
Sings…( to the tune of “The Surrey with the Fringe on the Top…”)As
Darla stares…Angelis, one arm akimbo on hip…Other expansively raised…
“Ducks and geese and pigs, they all scurry…Instinctively humans run
away in a hurry…They all fear to see what is the matter when our
hearse….Goes by…”
Spins round…Oh…
“Though the windows are wide, if the curtains are drawn, this ride’s a
genuine Heaven…
Yes, the coffin is deep and pillowed within and I’d say I sense
leather…”
Darla…Shaking head… “Those human cheapskates…Never…Oh, whatever…” she
throws up hands…
“What the devil’s going on back there?...” Abercrombie looked at
Cicely as he reined the horses in…She frowning, listening…
Not that the loss of a vampire’s mind to abject fear was such a
terrible thing…Still…Really do not need more problems right now…
Angelis, continuing with beam…
“Yes, this mode of travel is just what should speed him…When a vampire
has to go in daylight where he’s needed…Darling, lets get one when we
finally flee here…
A charming little hearse with a fringe on the…”
“Oh, shut up!!...” Darla growled…
The noble Angelis, easy adaptable to any situation…Always ready to
ease others’ burdens with a cheering word…
“Yes, a charming little hearse with a fringe…On the…Top…” contented
sigh…
Darla rolling eyes…Then grabbing at his hand as he poked at a window
curtain, curious… “In case you don’t remember, it’s daylight outside,
you idiot?!...And if those curtains round this thing move so much as
an inch at the wrong point…”
Ah, yes…Nearly forgot my true nature, all this working on the side of
Light and all…He thought…Pulling back hastily…
“Just pray Dru isn’t in the place here or our usefulness to the Slayer
may be over…” Darla eyed him…
“Oh, I should hardly think so…The Chairman of the Watchers Council and
I have a solid agreement, Unman to Man…And even beyond the natural
bond of an agreement between gentlemen…We’re far too valuable to
simply dispose of…” he insisted…As she stared at him…Shaking head…
Moron…Why even bother…She turned away to try and find a spot where sun
might not prevent a quick peek outside…
Well, at least one of us is…he thought, cheerily…Yes, an existence
under Council protection and study…Blood freely provided…No more
running about filthy sewers, skulking around the world, Unliving in
fear…For my little family’s sake of course…The Slayer herself
consulting me on occult matters of grave…Excuse the pun…Import to the
world…
The world’s only vampiral hero…My…Rather like the sound of that…
(What?...Vladimir choked… “Dear friend…” he coldly eyed Angelis… “I
must point out that my own ancestor…”
“A remarkable case in its way…” Angelis smiled, dismissively… “But
never before had a vampire voluntarily offered, with no motive but his
desire to assist Humanity…”
Desire to…? Vladimir raged inwardly…The little…
Still…He eyed Stoker making a few notes…Business before pleasure…Yes…
No reason, after we scatter the fool’s ashes to the wind, we can’t
toss that into the mix of our own tale somehow…Perhaps a relative of
the great Vlad assists the little humans in their quest?…A noble
Prince of the blood, nobly overcoming the tug of Evil to atone for
Granduncle’s little faux pas in murder and mayhem?...Sure to get the
more romantically inclined in any case…)
A slat between driver’s front section and the hearse proper came down…
Darla pulling back nervously at the few shafts of sunlight peeping in
between curtain folds… “For God’s sake, miss…A little warning before
you do that, please?...” she hissed… “We’ve done all you asked, after
all…”
“Be glad I didn’t open the window curtains…” Cicely glared…She turned…
“Out…” Cicely urged Abercrombie…He reluctantly moved to the edge of
the driver’s seat… “Carefully…Don’t disturb the curtains…” she pulled
tight the curtain handle, keeping it from opening as Abercrombie
fumed, squeezing his bulk out and down the driver’s ladder to the
drive below… “And unhitch those horses, now…!” she called…
She hollered over to the other vehicle… “Jonathan!!?...Don’t let
either of them run off…!”
“The sun is quite bright out now…” she’d turned back a fold of curtain
to regard her otherworldly companions…Darla grimly pasting a
cooperative smile while keeping well back…Angelis a rather sincere one…
All going rather well, so far, eh, Slayer?...
“…You’d do well to avoid attempting any escape…Without horses and in
this sun, you’d find it rather hard going…”
“We’re at your service, Mrs. W…” Angelis beamed, waving hands
expansively…Darla gritting teeth a bit…
Lord, that’s my mate…The Slayer’s singing…And if this keeps up, no
doubt, dancing soon as well…Lap dog…
“Yeah…Sure…” she nodded stiffly… “Just let us know what we can do,
Slayer…”
“Right now you can sit and wait…” Cicely noted… “Or cross me and die…”
There are limits, girl…Darla eyed her…
And the raging, bright sunlight glowing at the front through the
curtain folds of the driver’s entry…
Hmmn…Perhaps I could yet defer my revenge a bit…
“If you wouldn’t mind closing that curtain when you leave, ma’am…And
perhaps resecuring that opening…?” Angelis politely asked…
Hard slam of the wood slat back on the driver’s entry, pull of curtain…
Sound of feet clambering down…Faint sound of Abercombie outside in the
driveway offering some new protest…
“Nice girl, really…One must make allowances under present
circumstances, naturally…” Angelis noted, contentedly…Removing his
coat, unbuttoning waistcoat, and leaning back in the empty coffin
which had once held the corpse violated by the two grave robbers…
“Wake me if the Slayer calls for me, would you, dearest?...May as well
catch a few winks while there’s a chance…”
“Get outta of there, you stupid dolt!...” she raged…
***
While Cicely rode herd over Abercrombie as he unhitched and led the
horses to the funeral parlor’s stable…Jonathan and Andrew had brought
the somewhat more complaint MacNee along into the main room of the
funeral emporium…Andrew looking about, a bit perturbed…
“Hallo?...Any one to home?...” he called…No answer…
“I say Levinson, you don’t suppose our Miss Drusilla is lying about in
one of those…” he pointed to the various coffins placed about the
room, on display…
“Lyin’ in one…?” MacNee blinked…The worn black silk hat on his head…
Bit of respect for the clientele…Bobbing jerkily…
Hmmn…Jonathan stared round…Drawing stake…Fowler doing so as well as
MacNee stared…
“Perhaps, gents…I could go and see…” he began…Rather urgently…
“Stay here, sir…” Jonathan frowned…Looking round again…
Not a sound…Still as the…Hmmn…Right…Well…
“Can’t hurt to look though I doubt she’d be so…” Jonathan gulped,
hastily lifting a lid, stake at the ready… Phew…Empty…Andrew doing the
same at a second…Hallo?...Miss Drusilla?...
Nothing…
“Careful there, Jonathan…” Cicely had entered, pushing a grumbling
Abercrombie along…
“Indeed you should be…” Abercrombie glared… “That’s expensive goods
and private property, you be handling…”
“Not as private as the property you were ‘handling’, sir…” Cicely,
coldly…“Where is your staff?...Do they go for dinner at this hour?...”
“They bloody well damned better not have…” Abercrombie
frowned…”Beggin’ yer pardon, miss…”
“What about the…Thing…In the hearse?...” MacNee spoke up… “Is she
safe?...”
“Perfectly…And if you don’t cooperate, you’ll join her…” Cicely eyed
him…
“I’m cooperatin’, Miss…Abercrombie, tell the young lady I’m
cooperatin’…You, sir?...” Mac Nee looked to Jonathan…
“He’s been no trouble so far…” Jonathan agreed…
“Maintain that sterling record, sir…And I might forget…This one
time..What I saw…Subject to your being monitored by the authorities
from now on, of course…” Cicely told MacNee…Moving to a large coffin
which she opened…
Damn…Nothing…
Andrew carefully opening his third yet…They do say third time’s the…
Hmmn…Not a thing…
“Are you police, miss…?” MacNee stared…Finally seeing the young lady
clearly for the first time in her rather crumpled if elegant day suit…
Definitely a lady of quality by the goods and well-kept hair…Though
perhaps out a bit too long…The gents likewise clearly not the run-of-
the-mill sort…
“Crown agents…” Jonathan, thinking quick…Cicely, slight smile to him…
Quick-thinking, beloved friend and back-up suitor…
“Crown agents?...You?...” Abercrombie, incredulously… “MacNee, don’t
be a fool…”
“Abercrombie…You saw that Thing in the hearse back at my place…”
MacNee pointed to the door… “If the lady can master that and says
she’s Crown…She’s Crown, in my book…”
“Enough!...We are whatever we tell you we are, unless you’d care to be
dining partners for that couple outside…Would your people be in the
back?...” Cicely eyed Abercrombie…Who glared back a moment but quickly
found himself a bit unnerved by her harsh stare…Coming down to a calm
place with unusual speed for a man used to tyrannizing over all in his
path…
“Most likely…Unless they’re all looking to be fired or caned…” he
frowned…
“Jonathan…Andrew…By me…” Cicely called them over… “She may have them
under her control…”
“Do you…?” Jonathan began…She shook her head… “I don’t sense her…Not
yet…But she is full of deceptions…You…” she pointed to Abercrombie…
“Lets go back there…Call your people and stay close by me if you don’t
wish to become an article for sale by one of your equally vile
competitors…You, too, sir…” she eyed MacNee who’d chosen to ponder if
the lady’s failure to address might mean leave to go…
She staggered suddenly as Abercrombie, now rather perturbed by the
idea of leading the way, moved cautiously to the door… “Sidney?!...”
he called… “Raymond!!...Abby!!...Leo, you clumsy lout!!...Where’ve you
all got to…?!!” Jonathan hurrying to her…Andrew as well…
“Cicely…” Jonathan took her arm…Andrew by her opposite, stake arm…
“Take care, Cicely…”
“I’m…” she began…Then wanly smiled to each of her friends… “That’s
ludicrous, eh?...No…I’m not fine…But I can’t stop until…” she
straightened…
“We know…” Jonathan nodded… “But it will do Will no good if you’re
dead…”
“Indeed not…” Andrew agreed… “Nor us lot…Who love you too…”
“So far as all things allow in the right sort and all…” he noted,
smiling…
“You two are too good for me…” she sighed…Patting Andrew’s arm… “But
don’t fear…”
“I won’t die…Not until I know, at least…” she tensed… “Come on, then…”
she moved to the half-opened door where Abercrombie was nervously
peering in…
All this death talk a bit disturbing even to a man in the trade…
“Like this, sir…” she pushed the door open wide with her stake…MacNee,
Jonathan moving behind him to block any attempt to flee, gulping a
bit…
“Might I have one of them crosses, sir?...” he asked…Pointing to
Jonathan’s…
***
Rooms of Simon Farris…
“Doctor?...”
Farris frowned at the sudden intrusion…Putting down the orb he’d been
handling, prepratory to summoning Halfreck for a report…
Damn...These young fools…Never around to die when they’re wanted,
always underfoot else…
“Mr. Foxcroft…” he stepped into what passed in his sparse apartment
for a parlor…
“Sir…” Henry…Still a bit drawn from his adventure of the previous few
evenings ago… “I’ve come hoping…”
“Yes, yes…” Farris nodded… “And I’ve got my people out looking for her
as well as him and the creature...No sign as yet…”
“I’ve come from the Chairman…Likewise…Sir, we must do something…She’s
dangerously weak now…It’s insanity for her to continue like this…”
Excellent…Farris pasted a look of deep concern… “Young man…There’s
little you or I can do to stop Cicely Add…Excuse me, Walthrop…I have
tried…Perhaps it’s best if we give her her head and let her exhaust
herself, under monitoring, of course…At least she can feel she is
acting, not merely awaiting events..”
“We can’t simply leave her alone out there…With those two…Creatures…
And Drusilla likely in wait…Even with Jonathan and Andrew in support…”
Even with…? Farris stared…
Support?...He desperately repressed a chuckle…
“No…” he nodded gravely… “We can’t allow her to continue like this…
Which is why, I’ve ordered my people to bring her in as soon as they
feel they can do it safely…Regardless of what she threatens…”
Henry rubbed his forehead…
“She’ll never allow that…”
“They won’t make it a request, I assure you…” Farris eyed him… “She
will be angry with me but that’s of no import now…”
“Thank you…” Henry sighed… “Surely, though, we can do more…More toward
finding Walthrop…What about your demon?...”
“Miss Halfreck?...” Simon blinked…
Hardly thought you’d remember, boy…He thought…
Still…
“In fact…Henry…I’d thought of the same thing myself…And was about to
try and summon her…But Foxcroft…” he was solemn… “We should be
cautious in dealing with her…After recent events, I suspect she may be
using us for her own ends, whatever those may be…More than likely
involving a plot on her superior’s part to ensnare Cicely’s soul…I
believe I can deal with her, but one can never be too careful with
such beings…”
“If we could just use her to protect Cics…” Henry tried… “Or better
yet, find Walthrop and Drusilla…”
“A worthy plan…But lets not underestimate our Cicely…” Farris smiled…
“Incredible as it sounds that we could…She has survived worse…”
“But never the death of her child…” Henry sighed…
“Yes…” Farris nodded carefully…”That is true…” A sincere cloud of…
Despair?...Guilt?...Desolation?...He himself could not say…passing
across his face…
And even I…Even I…Can barely…He thought…
But I have set my course and will follow it to the bitter end…For her
and me…
“Let me see if the creature can again be summoned…But caution,
Foxcroft…” he warned… “We are meddling in very deep waters…And the
last thing we should wish is to endanger Cicely’s soul with such
efforts…”
Should, I note…He thought…
***
Though it appeared several of the staff had gone missing, Abercrombie
was relieved to find his lumpen dolts of sons still on the job, more
or less…Or, given their still, slack faces and general lack of
response as they stood in the dark of the preparation room…Along with
young Robert the messenger boy…Still on the premises might be the
better depiction…
Yet even less of use than usual…Neither Leo or Raymond or even the boy…
Who usually had the good sense to respond to the master’s threats…
Showing any willingness to respond to Abercrombie’s shouted demands
for information…Cicely, Andrew, and Jonathan now reaching the group,
MacNee unwillingly following but terrified to remain alone in the
empty main parlor…All four eyeing the three young men standing blankly
to Abercrombie’s continuing rants…
Jonathan turned on the gas at Cicely’s request…No response from the
three slack-jawed figures…
Thrall or…Cicely noted to Jonathan… “Sir, there are how many
others?...” she called to Abercrombie…
“Sid and Abby …The junior mortician and the lass who does the do on
the clients…” MacNee helpfully cut in…Eyeing the three…
Not that young Leo and Raymond are exactly what one might refer to as,
lively…They do seem a bit…He gulped again…Stiff…As does young Bob…Who
generally has a bit more of the spark as a rule…
“Fellows…” Andrew addressed the three… “I say, Levinson…They seem a
bit…”
“A bit…” Jonathan nodded…
“You stupid imbecilic louts!...” the frustrated Abercrombie now
attempted to reassert authority in his normal manner, shaking his fist
at the dull face of his son Raymond… “Tell the lady where…!!” He fell
back in horror as the boy took demon face and lunged for him, fangs
out…Cicely rushing to intercept…As the messenger boy lunged as well…
Though minus any demonic aspect…
“Oh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…” MacNee stared, crossing himself,
dropping back as well as a cloud of dust began settling…Cicely
grabbing the boy who struggled in her grip...Jonathan moving to
recover “Dickens” from the floor and return the stake to her…
“No, the other…!” Cicely called as Andrew moved to help her with
Robert… “I’ve got him…” she forced the struggling boy down on knees…
Holding him firmly…
Dear God…Abercrombie, staring…
The other boy, Leo remaining dully staring…Jonathan and Andrew,
confronting, crosses out now…Levinson’s firmly extended, Fowler’s a
bit more tentative…Seems an odd way to deal with such things…Rather
like joining the Salvation Army…Jonathan’s stake ready…
Besides, shouldn’t Levinson be using the other one?...
Not wishing to insinuate anything negative, whatever Tucker might have
said about him the other evening at dinner…Capital old fellow, our
Johnny…
“Alright…He’s still human…And the other…” Cicely noted, eyeing Leo,
while holding the quieting Robert carefully…
Well, human after a fact at least…She shook her head at the large
hulking boy…
“Human?...” MacNee croaked… “What’d’ye mean, still human?...”
“Lord preserve us…” Abercrombie gasped… “What happened to me boy?...”
“I’m sorry…Drusilla must have transformed him…” Cicely kept her
attention on Leo who returned her stare blankly but perhaps with a bit
more attention than usual for him…
She sighed…Glancing at Jonathan… “Sorry…I should have sensed him…I…”
she brushed it off and turned back to Leo…
“Now…Where is Drusilla, boy?...” she asked… “You can tell me…Has she
left?...”
“Not supposed to say, ma’am…” he shook his head slowly… “The Lady said
I was not to tell…”
“You, boy…” she swung round and pulled Robert’s head up to face his
blank eyes… “Who told you to attack me?...Was it Drusilla…?”
“Cicely…Andrew and I will check the main parlor again…” Jonathan
suggested…
“No, stay…” she insisted… “If she is still about she’ll be looking for
a chance to take anyone close to me…Sir…” she addressed the bewildered
Abercrombie… “What is the boy’s name…?” she indicated Leo… “Jonathan,
Andrew, take this one…Don’t let him run…” she carefully released her
grip on the boy as Jonathan and Andrew moved to grab him…He remaining
quiet now…
“Name?...” Abercrombie blinked… “Leo, Miss…” MacNee perked up,
somewhat adapted to the new situation as befitting a man who had, for
necessity of life of course, at times descended to what might be
considered by some as unsavory occupations…
“Yes…Leo…” Abercrombie agreed, still dazed…He focused sight at the
settled pile of ashes…
“Leo…” Cicely, kindly, stepping close, staring at him with a smile…
“You don’t have to tell where she went, just if she went…You can do
that without making your Lady angry, right?...”
“Don’t know, Miss…The Lady said…” Leo, hesitant…
“Where are the others?...” Abercrombie asked… “Leo…” he looked at the
boy… “Where’d the rest get off to…” he gulped… “Are they…Like Ray?...”
MacNee solemnly preparing to whisk hat off…In remembrance of dearly
departed…With some sincerity, given old associations with the said…
“Quiet, sir…” Cicely hissed, waving Abercrombie off… “Leo, did
Drusilla leave this place?...Tell me…”
“The Lady said…” Leo began…
“What Lady?...Leo…Who did this to Ray?...Speak up, boy…” Abercrombie,
recovering a bit…Somewhat resentful eye to Cicely as she again glared
him back…
“Jonathan, watch them…” she called, turning away toward the entrance
to the main parlor…
“Cicely?...” Jonathan stared…
“Just a moment…” she hurried through the door…
“Should I be off with her?...Eye out?...” Andrew asked…Jonathan
nodding… “Keep close by her, Andrew…And watch yourself…” Fowler
nodding as he hurried out to the parlor…
“Here…” Abercrombie, relieved at the intimidating Cicely’s departure…
“I want an explanation…What did you people do to my son?...”
“Nothing except give him peace…Drusilla killed him, sir…Now just be
quiet a moment…She may yet be around…”
“Drusilla?...Who the bloody hell is…?”
Darla entered, cloth from the casket in the hearse draped about her
head and shoulders…Cicely at her back, stake out…Fowler just behind…
“All right…The boy there first…” Cicely pointed with stake to the
blank-faced Leo watching them in return with vacant look…
“Is that the…?” Abercrombie looked to Jonathan, still holding the
other boy, shaking his head…No…MacNee hastily falling back…
Lord, preserve a poor man from the Beast…He averted his eyes nervously…
Darla, sensing…Tossing a faint smile his way…
“But she is one of her kind…”
“Hello there…” Darla addressed Leo… “The Slayer here has asked me to
ask you to tell her where Dru went just now…And you are going to tell
me, aren’t you?...” she stared at the boy…
God, talk about having to use the dregs…Poor Dru must have been
desperate…
“The Lady said…”
“Nevermind what the Lady said…” Darla, impatiently… “You are going to
tell me…”
“You’re pretty, too…” Leo nodded…
“Not all day about it…” Cicely hissed…
“Slayer…Either let me bite him or let me go about this my way…” Darla
returned, harsh whisper…Cicely waving her to continue, stepping back…
Darla moving closer to Leo…
“Cicely?...” Jonathan whispered… “Do you know what you’re…?” Cicely
frowning him quiet…He eyed Andrew nervously…
“Leo…You think I’m pretty as your Lady, don’t you?...” Darla, warm
smile…
“You’re pretty, Miss…”
“That’s right…And if you tell me, this pretty lady will give you a
kiss…Do you want a kiss, Leo?...”
“What’s she doing?...Miss, I tell you, I’m ready to go for the
nearest…”
“Abercrombie, don’t be a fool…” MacNee cautioned him…
Cicely whirling on Abercrombie… “You go right ahead, sir!…You can
explain your trade at the same time…” Abercrombie falling silent…
“Please do be quiet…” Darla hissed…Another gentle smile to Leo… “Leo…
I’m much like your Lady, aren’t I?…And all I want is for you to tell
me where she and your friends have gone off to…” she came close,
reaching to touch his face… “You want to be friends with me, don’t
you?...” she leaned to him, kissing his cheek…
“Just tell me, Leo…Whisper if you like…Where…” she turned her ear to
near his lips…Hand on his shoulder…
“Gone for the ship, Miss…For some place…” he whispered into the ear…
“Ship, Leo…Where…?” she asked…
“Jonathan…” Cicely turned to him… “See if there’s a copy of the Times
about…Try our friend in the hearse if not…”
“There’s several in the parlor…” he hurried out and returned a moment
later…
She took the folded newspaper from his outstretched hand and began
thumbing through… Ship times…It must be leaving soon…Ah…
With a sudden burst of desperation, Robert the messenger boy broke
from Jonathan’s grip as Cicely focused on the paper…All but she and
Darla hurrying to catch him…
“Robert, you worthless little!!...” Abercrombie called…
“Cicely?...” Jonathan called to her from the parlor… “He’s made
off!...Andrew’s trying to follow him…!”
“Nice…” Darla noted… “But shouldn’t we be off after the boy, even if
you wanted him to get free to join Dru?...” she smiled coolly at
Cicely who put up a hand…
“Soon as I have a sure idea where he might be heading…” Cicely shook
her head, glancing briefly at Darla with equal coolness…
***