Title: What a Tale My Thoughts Could Tell Genre: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Rating: PG Word Count: 785 Prompt: While reading a scary book, you realize that you’re a character in it. fauxklore, I hope that you enjoy this bit of Halloween cheer! My thanks to you and to Sparky for her beta “ Once upon a time, there was a happy family. There was a Mommy Vampire, a Daddy Vampire and a Baby Vampire… ” Buffy paused in her reading and shot a glare over at Spike. “Vampires can’t have babies.” “It’s a story.” Spike lit a cigarette, took a deep drag on it and blew the smoke in her direction. “Do you mind?” “Nope. Not in the least.” Buffy turned the book over in her hands. “This feels weird. What is it, some kind of faux leather?” Spike smiled. “Yeah, somethin’ like that. Just keep reading.” After a long moment of silence, he added. “Please, keep reading.” “It was just after sunset one night when the Daddy Ponce, Angel, and the Mommy Vampire, Darla, decided to go out hunting. “But I don’t want you to go,” the baby cried. “I’m afraid.” “What are you afraid of?” the daddy asked. Daddy wasn’t very good on the big picture .” She sighed. “It never ends between you two, does it?” “Wot? I didn’t write this. I’m not the only one who thinks he’s a prat.” “I’m going.” She got up to leave. “Don’t go, Buffy.” There was a note of pleading in Spike’s voice. “Please?” “Why? You can read. I know you can.” “Ever since Glory, my day vision hasn’t been good.” “It’s ten at night.” “Your point being?” “I should be out on patrol.” “You’re almost done.” She smirked and reseated herself on the crypt lid. “Okay.” She flipped to the next page. “I’m afraid, Daddy. What if the monster comes and I’m here alone.” “The monster wouldn’t hurt a child, or so they say. You must stay to your human form until she trusts you.” “And then I bite her?” “Then she will kill you.” Mommy was the more practical of the two. She’d had her own close call with her own monsters. She had scars, but so far had always managed to escape the monster. Daddy, he didn’t worry. He would swagger and…” She broke off again. “I don’t believe this!” “Just read.” “… make the monster not see his bad bits. He knew how to play the game.” “What if you and Mommy don’t come home?” “Go to the side of the road and cry. There is a sucker born every minute. Someone will pick you up and care for you. Never eat them, at least not at first and never the adults.” “But the children are okay?” “Absolutely, they are tasty Happy Mea--- “ Buffy slapped the book closed. “That’s it, I’m out of here. I don’t even care what this monster is. I’ll just ask Giles, if I have to. Or Willow. It was a mistake thinking you could help me. You keep telling me there’s a monster loose here, but I’m not seeing it.” “Buffy…” But it was too late, she had already stormed to the entrance of his crypt and like a wisp of smoke, she was gone. Buffy picked her way through the graveyard. Sunnydale had a lot of them, along with a Hellmouth. She’d figure out what new monster was plaguing her home on her own. “What a stupid book.” She tromped on a clod of dirt. A fresh grave usually meant a new vampire. Sunnydale had more than their share. Not all of them were bad, take Angel, for instance, as long as he wasn’t Angelus, he was kind, sweet, and loving… mostly. Then there was Spike. He was cruel, evil, exciting… She shook her head. “No, not exciting.” There was movement at her feet and she reacted without even thinking, staking the new vampire before it had a chance to have its first feed. Another soul to rest in peace. She glanced at the headstone and read aloud. “Here lies Harold, devoted husband of Margo, father of Sam. Here’s lies Margo, devoted wife of Harold, mother of Sam. Here lies Sam, taken too soon.” “Looking for me?” The woman’s voice made her turn. “Not really, but somehow you always find me.” She pulled the stake and the female vampire shrunken. “No! The Mon--” She vanished in a puff of ash. Buffy waved her hand in front of her face and brushed the dust from the fabric of her coat. “Whatever.” She looked back at the grave. “Mom, Dad…” That’s when she heard the noise, almost like a soft mew of a kitten. Frowning, she followed it and there was a couple kneeling by the side of the road. “Oh, you poor little thing.” The woman cradled it. “Why are you crying?” The child looked at Buffy and pointed. “The Monster.” In a blinding flash, Buffy realized that not all monsters were evil and some of them are closer than you think.