Chapter One

Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used herein.
Title: Xander's Cousin, the Zombie Queen (Not sure on that, I could use some hints, it had another one but it got taken for a different story)
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Teen to adult
Pairings: All of Anita Blake for norm, substitute Remus for Richard and Tygra is with Asher, see Asher's Man on another sight
Fandom: Buffy/Anita Blake
Summary: Something bad happens; Xander's cousin gets custody

Anita Blake looked next to her and behind her at the two men riding in her car. They were driving in to Sunnydale proper and she was getting more and more tense. That was why Damian's hand was resting against her shoulder. If anything could stop her anger, it was Damian, her vampire servant. And she was angry. Angry at the Council of Watchers, angry at the Council of Vampires, angry at the Slayer that denied her duty and ran from everything and angry at her aunt for insisting that living here was safe. She wasn't angry at her cousin although she had a feeling that was going to change because she knew what kind of prejudices he'd have. Especially since his information all came from the Council of Watchers and that meant it was all flawed.

They got out of the car at the house the boy was staying at and she sighed. She needed Damian to come in with her and yet she knew the boy wouldn't let it happen even though he had no choice about leaving with her.

She knocked because she had limited time. Jean-Claude needed her back as soon as possible and she wanted to be back with Micah. Jean-Claude needed her back because said Vampire Council was sending another envoy to see them. Remus Lupin, the new Ulfric, had become Jean-Claude's wolf and he was willing to do what Richard Zeeman, ex-fiancé and old Ulfric, had not been able to do: he joined them in bed and fed blood and power and sex into their triumvirate. And he was not afraid to do it, either.

The door opened and an older man stood there looking at them. He saw a resemblance between her and her cousin she supposed because he invited them all in immediately. Damian stopped Anita suddenly and explained why.
"How do you know the house is surrounded by revenants?" Nathaniel asked off his whispered explanation.

"I may never make 'Master Vampire'," he told the youth, quietly, "But I am still over a thousand and I am far more powerful than most of the vampires in this town. This place is surrounded by revenants. I do not know why, but it is."
"Oh," the boy spoke. And compared to Damian, Nathaniel was a boy. Anita knew it, Micah knew it, Jean-Claude knew it, Remus knew it and, hell, Nathaniel knew it, but her lavender eyed animal to call just forgot sometimes that Damian wasn't the weakling everyone thought he was.

Entering the living room where it seemed everyone was waiting, Damian suddenly snarled and moved in the blur of speed only the really old vampires had, faster than the new ones of course, faster than about anything on earth including the snake that had struck at her heel once, pinning a pale, dark haired man to the wall.

"Cur!" He almost but not quite roared. "You demon tainted, half excuse for a vampire, Cur!"

"Demon tainted are the only kind of vampire," the older man spoke with a decidedly British accent.

"So your masters would have you think," Damian answered. "But that it not true, is it, Angelus?"

"N-no," the man whispered, looking at Damian and getting even paler. "Nemhain . . . You're of Nemhain . . ."

"Congrat-u-fucking-lations," Damian told him, "You get a cookie."

"Damian," Anita called, not ordering him because she felt something change in him when he let his rage show. "Damian, what's happening?"

"I don't know," he answered. "But whatever it is, it's good for our side because just as when your power grows, mine does, so does mine growing affect you and Nathaniel there."

"Please don't kill him," a voice spoke. They all turned to where a young man with Anita's dark hair and eyes was standing. "He tried to save my parents. Him, someone I thought was evil. And I don't think you have this taint or whatever. And yes, I think you 'are' a vampire but one that we've never seen the likes of before, but Angel didn't do this. Buffy was responsible. Angel wasn't fast enough this time to fix her mess."

"As you wish," Damian told the boy, dropping Angelus to the floor. "And you are correct. I am a vampire but not of the line tainted by Nest."

"How did he manage that, anyway?" Xander, the boy had to be the 'Xander' they were here to get, asked.

"A poorly done spell," Damian answered. "Even the entirely too arrogant for their own good can screw up royally. Nest was one of the ones who is almost as old a Mother Gentle. But he would never be her equal so he strove to make himself such. He twisted what it was to be a vampire with his spell and so his line was banished from the Court. Angelus, here, and one of his childer, Spike, I think he calls himself, seem to have gone back to what they are supposed to be in a way. By the way, Vampires should not lose their souls. Whatever Nest did, he caused a serious problem. We need to be clear of this town soon, Anita. Your power will cause great damage here and make the Hell Mouth even more unstable than it is."

"Right," she nodded. "Xander? Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he told her, his eyes still carried the look of someone who was in shock, though, so she knew he hadn't really reacted to everything Damian had said. The older man looked stunned but he, too, had luggage by him. As did Angel.

"Let's go then," Anita spoke. "Whoever's coming, go out and get in the car. We don't leave people behind if we can save them."
Everyone in the room followed her out. It was a surprisingly small group of people: A dark haired girl of about ten or eleven, the older, British, man, Angel, and Xander. Anita's rental could comfortably seat all of them.

"Where are we going, exactly," the British man asked.

"St. Louis," Anita answered. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Giles," he said. "Rupert Giles. Thank you for taking us with you."

"Jean-Claude said everyone here," Nathaniel spoke up. "We're taking everyone here. Damian? Are you all . . . SHIT! Anita, you need to feed!"
She slammed the breaks on and looked over the back of the seat.

"No! Damian, no! Don't do this! Not now. We have another hour!"

"He used power in the Hell Mouth," Angel spoke. "And he shielded you from it and it from you. He needs energy if he's going to live. And you're his Master. You're the only hope he's got."

"I can't raise the Ardeur with minors in the car," she almost screamed in frustration. "But I need lust to make him well."

"Will love do?" Giles asked. Anita stared at him and had a feeling of seeing another face over-laying his.

"What are you . . ." she began. But she didn’t finish her statement as a love as deep and as pure as any ever known filled the car and her and through her, her people.

"There," Giles spoke, taking a deep breath. "How is that?"

"What was that?" Anita asked.

"The ancient love of Order and Chaos," Giles answered. "I called someone and he answered. How is Damian?"

"Better," she answered. "Can you drive us to the airport? There's a jet waiting. I need to make sure he's all right."

Giles nodded and started driving. The former Watcher noticed that Xander's cousin was scared to death for the scarlet haired vampire and he didn't understand why. But then, the Council of Watchers hadn't been able or had chosen not to explain anything to them so maybe they all needed to rethink their positions.

"I hope he gets better," Giles whispered as the car drove to the airfield. For some reason he knew it was important, 'very' important, that Damian be all right. He just didn't know how important or why.