Chapter 3 Little Miss Muffet

She waits in silence for her little girl to rise; wondering what will her first words and actions will be and if the moon's musings are correct. Will her pretty girl taste of nutmegs? She shivers, a wide grin playing on her face, her hypnotic eyes closed as she savours the moment, feeling a cold breeze dance on her tingling skin as she feels the demon stirring after growing strong and vicious in her fragile body. She hopes her girl will like playing the same games as she does. She waits, remembering how she forgot how much she loves being a mummy, how much fun it is to give cakes and reprimands in equal measure. This little daybreak is special too, lonely and sweet like the doll left on a shelf that no one wants. She wants to play with the left out, take her on grand adventures and have lots of tea parties. She reminds herself that soon she will have a wonderful party and there her new childe will have a chance to spread to spread her wings; not tattered but bright, shiny and colourful, ready to dazzle everyone.

She waits by the lake, her large obsidian eyes taking in the sight in front of her, like a painting come to life, each stroke of the brush was created the grand scene whispering secrets in her ear. It is a still, pristine lake, surrounded only by a forest on the outskirts of the Hellmouth. On the lake, she let pretty candles float and dance in a special ballet, just for her. And her new daughter. Her child's cold, pale body is still naked and lovely, like a sleeping virgin as she rests on a wooden raft she borrowed from that kind family, so still and silent now, not even minding the bugs that crawl on them. The raft is decorated with all her finest flowers and she even put one of her dolls - Miss Charlotte - on it to keep watch of her little star. The other stars - the pretty, whispering ones shine down gloriously lighting the lake, bathing it in light. Twilight. She smiles, all the stars shall bless her special girl with their magic and songs and she will wake to see their wicked smiles. Nothing but the best for a childe of hers, nothing but the stars for her to wake under, she reminds Miss Edith, who watches the scene with some scrutiny in her arms. She frowns angrily - Miss Edith is lucky she was even allowed to witness the big event, such and ungrateful thing she is!

She sighs, although her kind need not waste unneeded breaths. Who told her such a secret? She can be such a wicked thing! She knows Miss Edith disapproves of her star but she only pats her faithful doll on the head and reminds her to play nice or she will be punished. Miss Edith is quiet now. She smiles victoriously and presses her point by telling her rude little friend that it's high time she made such a pretty girl as they were both outnumbered by all their special, strong boys. Daddy, Spike, Chaos Demons, Fungus Demons.she needs daughter to make sure she doesn't sink in all their manly ways and trials. She wants balance, or no one will fit on the table and tea will be ruined then. Besides, she liked such a pretty daybreak very much, so sad and confused with ever-changing lights flirting with each other in her. She liked holding her and being her Mummy very much. She misses being loved too, now that Spike, Daddy and Grandmummy have all left her, nasty, nasty things. She will have to see to that with some leeches. She dips her toe in the cool, sweet water of the lake, letting it lap up around her feet, then pulls it out again quickly, this lake is for her black flower, she's committed a naughty, evil blasphemy now and mustn't do it again.

A frown momentarily marrs her features and she pouts unhappily at the memory of her Spike, her dark bloody champion all ruined and stinking of the Slayer and her sunshine. He was cruel and didn't play fair, not one bit. Had she known he would change the steps to the dance and that when he tied her up it would be without any cheeky thoughts, only hurtful ones and that his black devil heart was full of the Slayer, maybe she wouldn't have returned. Her eyes return to Miss Edith sadly, she disapproved from the very start, said it was good riddance that he was gone, now she could stay with Daddy. Miss Edith always preferred Daddy even though his games were horrid and burning when Spike always had her face and wants at the forefront of his dead heart. She doesn't like it when she and Miss Edith disagree because Miss Edith can be such a fusspot and a telltale, such a meddlesome companion. But she went back to her Spike; she wanted him back, her murderous knight with icy eyes like glaciers of the north. She still wants him. She tore up his heart in confusion once and now she wants to put it back together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, to fix him like she fixes her dark deadly star and then ask him to punish her for being so cruel to her dearest lover.

But he never came back and her heart still bleeds from his rejection. Torn to bits by a chip and dissected by a poisonous love for that nasty Slayer that he once hated for ruining all their fun and putting him in that horrid wheelchair. She would like to rip that Slayer limb from limb into such pretty messes. She sometimes dreams about it when she's awake and naming the stars again because her Spike isn't there to tell her she's named them already. The confusion makes her dizzy, like waking up when after sleepwalking into Daddy's bed and started playing sweaty games with him. She smiles, maybe if she were to make a crimson wave of moulded flesh out of that false golden Slayer and give it to Spike as a Valentine's Gift he would love her like he used to. She hopes he will. She ran away the first time and left him to the wolves but now she doesn't want to give up until he's in her arms again, she won't leave her treacherous love again, he vows to get him fixed and make him better so that all those horrible thoughts of the Slayer leave his poor weak mind.

She smiles again, feeling much better now. Naughty Miss Edith, always trying to make her suffer in sadness. She should be gagged like the others and will be appropriately punished when she returns to the other, her darkest daybreak holding her hand. She and her pretty star will have all the tea and biscuits, and perhaps Miss Charlotte as she watches over her sleeping form so well. But nothing for Miss Edith, she will be left out for her sharp words, like paper cuts, skimming down, down on burning leaves.

She looks forward to welcoming her beautiful childe to the world and holding her and kissing her and showing her the world of night and blood and watching her break things of stone and flesh. She will be the best Mummy to this one and let her have all the things a good girl deserves. Her girl will wake up strong and they will have such fun together and teach that bad Slayer and her cohorts wonderful, painful lessons. She only hopes that her girl will not mind leaving Spike alive and wonders how her two lovers and fledglings will get on together. She hopes they won't squabble or get on too well either. She smiles at the thought of what a lovely family they would make, as she misses her old one very much and all the fun they would have together. But she pushes her thoughts to the impending rebirth of her daybreak, her childe who will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and bring such fire to the Hellmouth. She clenches her hands together tightly in anticipation of the grand event, swatting away the moon's distracting words. She fed her sunrise like her baby and now she's hers forever and she wants to be there for her special girl's first words.

She laughs heartily, like a child. She's excited, anticipating, as though it is the night before Christmas. She remembers how warm her little sunrise was, how sweet with a face like a flower and wearing such becoming garlands of innocence in her eyes. Pretty as a picture. She pouts with impatience; wondering how much longer till her sleeping beauty wakes up and she can shower with bloody gifts and lavish attention on her, like all good mummies ought to. She wonders what her star will be like when she's bad, not a sweet little Miss Muffet from the fairy tale, she will burn with darkness and wickedest desire, her finest work of art. When she was good she was very, very good, she reminds herself.

But when she was bad, she was horrid.

* * * * *

Dawn's eyes fluttered open with almost angelic grace to reveal her haunting blue eyes against her pale, skin. Skin of a corpse. She smiled to herself, a smile cruel, sensual and of slight innocent happiness. So this was what is was like to be a soulless, undead, evil demon of the night that had to feast on human blood. Actually, it wasn't that bad, or really very different. She felt strong, as though she'd manage to tap into and endless reserve of might and power in her body and could just unleash it at will, like a magick spell. Se also felt old - but not weak, just.ancient. As though she was older and wiser than time itself, and that only added to her strength. She shivered, delightfully, overwhelmed by it. It felt so cool. A thought came to her - 'At least I didn't die a virgin.well.sort of'. She laughed to herself that after so many problems and secret grievances that previously threatened to rip her skull apart, that this should be the only negative thought in her mind. God, it made her feel so free, so liberated! And more importantly, she didn't feel alone anymore or scared. It was like the ability to feel all those negative, human feelings that used to make her so miserable sometimes, that came close to dragging her down in a ditch of self-mutilation, was completely wiped from her being.

Only then did she realise where she was - on a thin wooden raft on a lake in the middle of nowhere. And butt naked. Oh yeah, the bath.whoa. The memories were still enough to get off on. She was surrounded by beautiful garlands of beautiful flowers and on the lake was a small army of floating candles. She was more surprised by her body's reaction, the weird power reserve also made her feel lithe, graceful and agile like a jungle cat. Normally if she she'd woken up on a raft on a lake, she would've freaked and clumsily fallen into the water but instead she sat perfectly composed and still but still kinda excited. She wanted Dru to see her already.

So this was what being undead was like. So far, it was very cool - apart from the dying bit of course, that was majorly creepy at the time but now she felt so different. Like she'd finally found who she was and was planning on showing it off to the whole world. The not feeling any heartbeat or trying to get used to not having to breathe felt funny. And she didn't even miss her soul, it hardly felt like it was gone.she didn't feel more evil, just uninhibited. And her feelings felt very uncomplicated, which was a new thing for her. No inner moral conflict or any big deal like that just the want inside to have her own way and without feeling scared to have it by any means possible. She was beginning to wonder why Buffy always big such a big deal about the soul issue - she felt much better without one; happier, free, strong, as though she was the coolest person on earth. She grinned; maybe she'd pay her dear sister a visit sometime to discuss the finer points of child-neglect.

Then she saw Dru at the edge of the lake and waved, listening to her insane sire shout as she danced. "The lamb is caught in blackberry patch! She's so beautiful, my flower! Can you hear her? She sings of such war and death, like sweet wind chimes in my ear! My lovely Dawn!" and clap to herself, giddy with childish, passionate happiness. She was a masterpiece.

Dawn waved, grinning slightly to herself for no reason and watched in fascination as her sire placed Miss Edith on the ground and slowly removed her blood-red dress, each movement a powerful seduction, like a dark dance of desire. Her Dawn was beautiful. She stood on the shore of the lake for a moment, allowing the moon and stars to bathe her in their glory and have of her all their wishes, lit up by white and blue hues reflecting of the water. Slowly again, her movements with a proud, untouchable grace, she began to walk forwards to claim her prize, her dark childe. She walked, looking beautiful, dangerous and deadly, her alabaster skin bathed in moonlight looking paler yet, her velvet waves of midnight black hair crashing against her shoulders and back in a sensual frenzy. Her normally expressional face was calm, a twisted smile playing on her lips and her dark drowning eyes gleaming with life, affection, lust and purpose, totally focused on her childe on the raft, if only for that precious moment.

Soon, Drusilla was completely submerged in the cold depths of the lake, clearly preferring to walk the rest of the distance to the raft, even at the bottom of the lake, than swim it. Dawn smiled to herself in content, wondering in anticipation when Dru would choose to jump up from the water and drag her down with her in a burning kiss. she felt a warm feeling between her thighs and giggled to herself. So, they were actually gonna be Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust like out of a cheap sixties movie. But recalling the burning, enticing feeling of her first, powerful climax with Drusilla, she decided that despite being another dumb cliché, she didn't mind it when it felt that good. She grinned wickedly and parted her legs to the separate sides of the raft, letting both feet get a dip in the water as she sat o the edge of the raft.

Suddenly, Drusilla's dark head popped out of the water, soaking and wide- eyed at the sight of Dawn. She smiled at her childe "Time to rise and shine, little star." She whispered, then her smile disappeared from her face as she saw Dawn leaning down on her hands, obstructing the view from between her legs. She frowned a child-like, loveable frown.

"Naughty Dawn," she said "I shall have to punish you now for taking my treat."

Dawn smiled lavisiously in arousal and lay down again on the raft, legs still spread wide "Feel free, Dru." She said teasingly. She wasn't alone anymore. She had someone now. Dru had 'fixed' her, just like she promised...and it felt good, like she meant something. She was obviously worth Dru's time and effort, beside she remembered Buffy saying something about vampires being very picky about who they change over, so it made her feel kind of special, better. She smiled darkly to herself, hoping she'd get a chance to perhaps show Buffy how special she was, maybe even better now that she had all those cool supernatural advantages going on.

Drusilla hopped onto the raft in one swift, graceful movement and settled on top of her childe, grinding their nude bodies - hers soaking wet - for a moment, her face inches away from Dawn's, the contact and the thrilling need for more driving Dawn wild.

"Yes." she whispered innocently "I'm your Mummy now. I promised to look after you and hold you and love you forever, little blossom."

"And you promised to play - don't back out on THAT one! Besides, I guess I still kinda owe you for bringing me off when you turned me, which by the way, was totally amazing." Dawn laughed.

"Such a woman." Dru mumbled as her hand stroked her childe's face giving her a coy smile "I made a promise to the moon and stars and if I break it they'll strike me down. So how do you feel now that you're so strong and cold?"

Dawn answered by reaching up, grabbing Drusilla's shoulders and slamming her down on her own body in a rough feral kiss, tongues battling fiercely in ecstasy for dominance, both biting on lips and tongues hard enough to draw blood. Dawn broke the kiss gently, still holding her sire close. She tilted her head upward and nipped Drusilla's ear before whispering.

"Alive."

Drusilla smiled a triumphant, proud smile before tenderly kissing her childe again, both their hands roaming about each other's bodies in heated passion. Dawn's hands tangled themselves in Dru's ebony hair then travelled downwards to cup her sire's breasts, relishing the smooth, slick feel of her cold skin, covered in water, slipping and sliding and rubbing hotly against her own and Dru's small hands touching her, teasing her skin, creating shallow cuts all over her and then pausing to lick it off before settling to tightly grasp the tender flesh of her petite behind. Together, they moaned into each other's touches and kisses, passion flowing through them needing more, feeling more and more heated pangs of arousal hitting them in their warm, wet cores.

Drusilla was the first to break away and as the sire, proceeded to explore her childe's young body with her mouths, lapping her beautiful wounds and teach her what rue pleasure was. Miss Edith would think such a thing between two ladies so scandalous and wicked that Drusilla found it laughable. Gently at first and building up intense passion, she began to taste Dawn's supple skin and kissing each lovely inch of exposed flesh bathed in moonlight most ardently and travelling ever downwards until she cupped both of Dawn's tender breasts. Teasingly, she lightly ran her fingers over both coffee-coloured nipples and giggled to herself as Dawn moaned in pleasure and both nipples peaked at her elegant, silvery touch. Dawn's pleasure reached higher as she felt Dru's beautiful mouth dip down and capture one nipple in a desperate kiss - her tongue flickering furiously at the nub, then using it to run small but long, teasing circles around it. Dawn cried out wildly, throwing her lightly coloured head back, bucking her chest against Drusilla's mouth and almost losing the power of comprehendable speech as her sire's nimble finger sought out her flower again, parting the pink walls of her petals with her hand and dancing moving her fingers further and further inside to her hot core and spiderwebbing across her engorged desire, frantically teasing it with quick, wild rubs of a finger and thumb. Totally feral and reckless they were in that moment, like the demons they were. Dawn's climax of ecstatic pleasure took hold in a fierce, mad scream that seemed to echo across the lake.

They both slumped next to one another and Drusilla leaned over to kiss her childe once more in gentle, affectionate satisfaction "See how much Mummy loves you? Do you like my games?"

"Hell yes.that was so cool." Dawn mumbled, still feeling the warm aftershocks of her climax run through her.

Drusilla smiled warmly, her eyes looking far away and dreamy "The moon commends me for my choice. She tells me how wisely and well I pick my lovelies."

"And there I was thinking you just sired me because I was dumb enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Dawn joked.

"Oh no, my dreams sang of my special lonely star singing songs no one hears and having no one go to her parties. Her grand green boughs were spread, ripe and ready but no passing travellers stopped to rest in her shade or taste the sweet fruit. I saw her though, I wanted her to mine, my special black daybreak."

A bolt of strange gratitude at her sire's words and fierce determination swept through Dawn at that moment which manifested itself in Dawn roughly pushing her sire beneath her and kissing her deeply and touching her body rough as she liked it. Drusilla laughed between kisses and whispered, her voice thick with passion "I gave my childe such pretty emotions and I like how you use them, Mummy cared for you and now you care for Mummy.my sweet star!"

Dawn continued to work her way down Drusilla's lithe form in a patchwork of deep, lingering kisses and lascivious sweeps of her tongue against her sire's skin, tenderly and eagerly tasting her sweet flesh under her mouth, exploring all; a student excelling herself. Drusilla gave encouraging gasps hinting at her pleasure and her nails raking raw furrows in Dawn's back and shoulders. It sent her childe wild with the shock of pain and the pleasure that came with the cuts. Her mouth captured Drusilla's lovely breasts in rapture then travelled downwards, inch by lovely inch, her tongue teasing her insane sire's navel frantically before settling even lower. Dru parted her long slim legs for her childe, the movement with all the ethereal grace of the parting of an angel's wing but with all the divine wickedness of the demons that they were.

Without hesitation, Dawn lowered her head and began tasting the sweetness of Drusilla's sex, a pink flower of desire in full bloom, glistening with arousal. Dawn lapped her sire's warm centre with her tongue, exploring further with each swipe, each flicker and driving Dru closer to the edge of pleasure and into a climatic storm. Firstly, she eagerly explored the depths of Drusilla's inner-cavern, wanting to feel and taste everywhere inside her before her tongue absently grazed Dru's bud of ecstasy, engorged with wanting. Dru cried out in passion as she felt her childe's tongue on her most special place and bucked wildly into her mouth. Dawn continued teasing Dru's sweet clit with soft strokes followed by rough, hard flicks. That did the trick. Drusilla reached her violent fulfilment and came hard, only seeing the burning fires inside the core of her desire as real as a flame in the physical world. She was beside herself with joy at how considerate and cheeky her new childe was and how much fun they would have together in the future, once William was sorted out, of course. She spanked thoughts of those other than Dawn till they left her insane mind - she only wanted to think of her wonderful sunrise now.

Dawn pulled back, pleased with herself but also exhausted, savouring her sire's taste. Sweet, but with a tangy bite to it.like the sort of girl she always wished she would be when she was Buffy's age. Well, she was amazing with how she was now. She was great! She was perfect - so strong and agile and untroubled and having cool sex. She was hungry. A strange image filled her head of Willow and Tara. She had a few times wondered pointlessly what doing the gay thing was like, but always thought it was a bit sick (in the least homophobic sense possible of course!) but never thought she would try it, her not being gay or anything. She supposed she still wasn't gay, not really, despite having just had mind-blowing sex with Drusilla. Maybe she was just bisexual. Maybe all vamps were bi. Then again, she'd never heard Spike mention anything any 'encounters' with Angelus. She shivered at the thought.

Right then the raft decided to topple over, unable to bear the pressure of the two immortals - however agile they were - pleasuring each other any longer. In a split second, Drusilla and Dawn were doused in cool, refreshing water; letting it envelop them and sharing a quick underwater kiss before swimming to shore.

"Whoa, that was so much fun!" Dawn exclaimed "Hey, what are we gonna do next?"

"I have to teach you to chase the helpless rabbits and hunt and kill and feed like all naughty things."

"So I have to suck someone's blood? What's it like?"

"It tastes like honey in my throat. I like looking in their eyes."

"Yeah, I'd like to start on that soon, I'm getting hungry."

"Is your tummy growly?"

"Dawn laughed, despite herself "I guess so, it feels weird."

"Soon you'll learn, my sweet. You'll learn the rules of all the games if I show you carefully. You have to be quiet as a mouse, quick as cat and as bad as a dog, only without any of the slobbery bits. Don't worry, Mummy'll teach you how to do it all right."

Dawn noticed Drusilla frown at her crimson dress, lying discarded by a beautiful porcelain doll. "What is it, Dru?" she asked. "Hey, you'll dry off soon enough." She reassured, assuming that was the problem. Drusilla shook her head, still pouting in the direction of the fine dress.

"I don't want to be bound by clothes. I want to be wet and wild like we are now and sleep naked in the undergrowth like the animals."

Dawn laughed heartily "Well, you wouldn't freeze to death and I'd like it, because it's a cool idea.but.um.I think you look totally good in clothes though, not trying to be Miss Prude here or anything but people usually notice girls when they're butt naked and I'm not expert here but aren't us vamps supposed to keep a sorta low profile?"

"Oh yes, Daddy used to beat me whenever I drew attention to myself, like pretty fireworks made flesh with extravagance. I liked his beatings but he never did any of my favourite things when I was naughty."

"Yeah, I guess you'd better wear the dress then."

Drusilla pouted in discontent "I knew you'd take Miss Edith's side, she always wins even though she cheats as often as the moon whispers in my ear. Fine, I'll wear my itchy dress but I shan't wear any underclothes, just to spite the two of you."

Dawn giggled "Sorry Dru, but you have to wear the dress. Besides, it's pretty. You know.nice and classical, even though the girls at school said I was a fashion doofus. What sort of word is 'doofus' anyway? They always try to sound so clever and stuff but I'm betting that Tolkein never had Frodo call anyone a doofus!"

"Ooh, black tongued fiends. People speak out of turn about me too, saying I'm all topsy-turvy. Even Miss Edith. Especially Miss Edith. She's a wicked girl, no right to be called a lady sometimes." Drusilla said sympathetically.

"Yeah, it's good to have someone understand."

Drusilla smiled wickedly "Once I've taught you how to hunt and eat like a proper lady, would you like to have those bad for supper. We can have crumpets and jam and naughty children on top and then beat them black and blue if you like. I always pluck out the eyes of people that speak badly of me; I can't abide by any rudeness. You should learn to teach them a good lesson. The sounds of their nasty bones crumbling and snapping is like sweet music, makes me all tingly and happy."

"Cool. I have to try that!"

"Mummy knew her star would like it."

"Well, my mommy's clever then."

"Yes.I know all the secrets of the shadows and how to read the stars like parchment."

"So are you gonna try the dress?" Dawn asked.

Drusilla considered "Yes, for my little daybreak. And it look like blood, running all down my body and coating and soaking me like it did in that church when Daddy rescued me and made me pretty." She frowned almost comically, her nose wrinkling upwards "I don't like churches; they keep singing 'Abide With Me' all day and night and they smell of dirty old men and poor weak Jesus."

"Hey, maybe we could burn a church or something - it sounds like fun." Dawn suggested excitedly.

Mischievous lights danced in the older vampire's large eyes "Oh pretty fires, yes! It would be great fun and I'd laugh and soar. Especially if some nice, nice people were in for midnight mass and saying their final prayers before screaming for mercy. And I would laugh in their faces at their misfortune and spite them with my blood dress."

"Oh yeah, speaking of dresses, Dru.um.did you bring my clothes with you?"

Her sire looked like a guilty child with her hand caught in the cookie jar "No, I forgot them at home but the moon reminded me on my way here so I took them from a pretty woman, but not as pretty as my girl though." She said indicating at a forgotten heap of clothes on the ground.

Dawn picked them up hesitantly; they were muddied and the top had a small trace of blood on it but it less than visible. Dawn looked at each item of clothing, assessing it; they all looked around her size, miraculously. A pair of mountain boots, black jeans and a tight T-shirt adorned with a red tartan pattern that actually looked quite alright. She smiled.

"Thanks Dru, these are great."

"They suit you, I think, the bad you. But I liked your other ones, all cotton and sweetness and innocence - you looked like a wolf in sheep's clothing."

They both dressed in silence, apart from when Drusilla hummed a nursery rhyme to herself. Little Miss Muffet. Well, she was no Miss Muffet no more. She could already feel a bloodlust stirring inside her, a need to feed and a curiosity about what it would be like to kill and torture. Just to see what happened. Soon they were ready to hit the town, ready to go and experience Dawn's first kill and taste of action and violence. No more listening intently to Spike's stories, now she'd get to LIVE them. She wondered absently if Dru wanted Spike back while she was in Sunnydale. And if she might be open to sharing.

They began to walk the short distance.

Dawn's face suddenly lit up with a thought she hoped to indulge "Hey, you know what you said about branding irons?"

"Very well indeed" she replied with an innocent, child-like smile.

"I think I might be open to it after all."

They both laughed and joined hands as they walked into the unsuspecting town of Sunnydale and its unwitting inhabitants with one thing on their minds. Blood.