Title: New Beginnings

Author: Lotusja

Genre: Crossover/AU

Fandom's: BTVS/Kindred the Embrace

Spoilers: None

Pairings: Buffy-Julian

Ratings: Pg 13

Feedback: Yes Please

Email: Please asked and it will be given unto you.

Summary: Take place when Buffy run away in season 2 to Los Angeles, after killing Angel. In season 3 after helping Lilly in hell, (because time move slower in hell dimension) Buffy founded that 10 yrs had past when she got out. Therefore, she went to San Francisco to start a new life and meet someone who gives her reason to live.

Authors Note: Story takes place six month after Archon death in Kindred. Although the show ended in 1996-97, the story takes place in 2004-05. Post Anne. So there will be no Dawn and Anya or Angel and Spike. After Kendra died, Faith was called and she was the resident slayer on the Hellmouth. She had Giles as Watcher and the Scoobies as friend. She lives with Joyce as her foster daughter. 1. Joyce died of Brain tumor. 2. Xander died on the job, where a building he was working Construction collapse. 3. Willow died on patrol, after been bitten by a vampire, later she was staked by4. Giles, who could not handle it, went home and shot himself. 5. Faith grieved by her watcher and friends dying rushed a vampire nests. She killed 15, before she died. 6. Oz turned feral and attacked a building full of school children and later a demon bounty hunter killed him. 7. Cordelia left town after graduation, going to the big city, where she died of drug overdose. There is a new Slayer on the Hellmouth with Wesley as her Watcher.

AN: Buffy is 29 yrs old in this story, but look a least 23.

New Beginnings

By

Lotusja

Prologue

Sheer black terror swept through her. She was scared; she never thought she would be this scared. Several hours had passed since she had waken and found herself in the middle of the ocean. Time seemed to stand still as a deep silence surrounded her. The only thing she heard was the pounding of her heart and the chattering of her teeth. . She could no longer feel her hands and feet. She limply hanged onto a piece of flotsam; as the cold waves continued to batter her numb body.

She coughed deeply, spitting out salt water, sagging weakly against the piece of driftwood. Cold, wet darkness trapped her, bringing panic. Ice spread through her. She was starving for air. She was dying. She had fought demons and master vampires. She knew that slayers died young, but this was ridiculous. She thought she would at least have died fighting monsters, not in a watery grave.

A bright light suddenly flashed, blinding her. She gasped; blinked rapidly as salt-water stung her eyes. The calm blue water start churning, then all of a sudden, the heavens opened up. It had been raining on and off since she had entered the water, but what had started as slight winds and small drops of water, was now a huge down pour of heavy rains with angry winds that caused the ocean waters to surge up and down, tossing her like a buoy.

Weariness enveloped her, she felt empty and drained. She continued to grip the bobbing driftwood, as it bounced back and forth, making her empty stomach heaved. "Oh my God," she cried out, her stomach knotted, as the ocean started rotating like a slow moving whirlpool, sucking her and the debris to its center, choking her. Fierce waves crashed over her head, taking consciousness with it.

She lay on the bed as still as death, her only movement was a jerky movement behind her eyelids. It has been a couple of days since her rescue from the sea. Her injuries were not extensive, but she had not woken up.

Suddenly she jerked upright with a scream. She froze, mind and body benumbed. Her hazel eyes opened wide, searching her surroundings. A warning vibrated throughout her body. Everything was dark. Her senses opened and told her, what her eyes couldn't see.

Vampire!

She jumped swiftly out of the bed but her weak knees gave away. She grabbed helplessly at the bedposts, searching for a weapon, anything, that could combat the monster that she could not see, but sensed. She was poised for flight.

A tall, dark figure stepped from the shadows.

She gasped; panting with terror as she slowly crawled backwards, using her hands as a guide.

"I am not going to hurt you," said a deep, accented voice.

Her heart jolted, her pulse pounded and she shivered slightly, as the voice, deep and sensual, sending a ripple of awareness through her. Her eyes strained to see in the darkened room.

"Yeah right, that's what all vampires say," she retorted, her voice heavy with sarcasm. The little crawl across the floor was tiring. However, if she should die, she was not going to show any weakness in front of this creature.

"Vampire? Why do you think that I am a vampire?" he asked curiously, his voice a velvet soft murmur, as he moved towards her.

Then, suddenly, what seems to be thousands of candles blaze to life, to illuminate the room.

She blinked rapidly, the light blinding her for a few seconds. "Are you kidding? I am a slayer, I can smell a vampire a mi…," she said, her voice trailing off into silence.

For the first time, she saw the man, the vampire in the room. She stared wordlessly. He was tall, elegant looking with gelled black hair with a pronounced widow's peak that gleamed in the lights, dark eyes and thick eyebrows, a strong aquiline nose and sensuous lips. He was devastatingly handsome. She felt the power that coiled within him as he walked towards the bed with a cat like grace, to stopping in front of her.

Yum, What a hottie, she thought, but that thought was quickly banished from her mind.

"A Slayer?" he asked, clearly surprised. "Mmm, I have not seen a slayer for over fifty years. In addition, we prefer to be called Kindred, not vampires," he said, standing over her, his hands on his hips.

"Stay where you are," she said, uncertainty made her voice harsh and demanding as she used the bed as a lever to prop herself up. She was weak as a kitten. A wave of apprehension swept through her. She didn't want to give this strange vampire any advantage, so she used the bed as cover to hide her weakness.

"I won't hurt you," he spoke in an odd yet gentle tone.

"Hurt me," she said disparagingly, trying not to show her confusion. "I am the Slayer, you can't hurt me," she said, throwing an awkward punch at the man's shoulder. Oh, God I am so weak. She shuddered inwardly at the thought. However, she misjudged her strength and balance and he caught her easily in his arms. The moment he touched her there an electric current running from his arms to hers.

"My name is Julian Luna and I will not hurt you." Wow, what was that? I never felt that before, he thought with quick intake of breath.

With color staining her cheeks, she said. "Let go of me." Cursing her weakness, she struggled to get out of his arms. When she got stronger, he was so going to get it. A quick and disturbing thought came to her mind, she gasped softly. He should have attacked her already. Where is his grr face? She found him vaguely disturbing. Every thing was out of control. First, her head had several little men using jackhammers in it; secondly, her body felt like a train had hit her.

"Be quiet, little one," Julian ordered, his voice a deep rumble, soothing her sore head. "You are too weak, you might hurt yourself."

"I said let go," Buffy said, still struggling, not willing to show any weakness.

"Okay, have it your way," Julian said, his mouth twitching with amusement. He let Buffy drop from his arms.

"Ahhhh," Buffy cried, as she felled and bounced on the large mahogany bed. "You are so going to get it," she said glaring, her heart beating abnormally fast. For a minute there, she felt weightless. Now a heavy feeling was rising up in her again. A wave of apprehension swept through her. Where was she? Buffy eyes wondered looking around the room, counting the exits. She doesn't recognize the room. The last thing she remembered was… she shivered, with recollection.

"If you say so," Julian said, looking at her curiously. She was a petite and slender woman, almost emaciated. Several scars marred her arm, which seemed to hide strong muscles. Her face was pale and delicate looking, with bloodshot hazel eyes. Her cheek was hollow, and her blond colored hair tangled around delicate shoulders and her plum lips with set in mutinous frown. For the first time in six months, he was feeling something different from apathy in his life. "Now who are you?" he asked, his eyebrows rose inquiringly.

"You Vamp, me Slayer," she said sarcastically.

"Don't be facetious, I just asked a simple question. If you are the slayer, you know you should have asked permission to enter my city."

"What!" Buffy was so astonished, that she almost dropped off the bed. She quickly caught herself. Where am I? Her mind was spinning with bewilderment.

"Yes permission. You needed permission to enter my city, girl. Didn't your watcher tell you this?" Julian said, looking down at her with curious eyes.

Her voice broke. "My watcher is dead. And I don't need anyone's permission. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want," she said tossing her hair across her shoulders in a gesture of defiance.

Julian's eyebrows shot up. He loved her spark. "I am sorry about your watcher," he said, a gentle softness in his voice. "But I am the Prince of this city; a Slayer needs my permission to enter the city. Most slayers resides on the Hellmouth," he said puzzled. "So what are you doing here, little one?"

The weakness and pain, which she was trying to hide, erupted from Buffy. She was in a strange place, with a strange vampire. Heaviness seems to settle in her chest. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She pressed her hand convulsively over her face. Since becoming a slayer, she had to be brave, hiding her vulnerable side. No one had seen the pain and despair she tried to hide. She had to be strong for her mother when she had divorced, be a strong slayer for Giles and even a stronger friend to Willow and Xander, no matter how she was dying inside. Her lips quivered her eyes watered and huge sobs of grief welled up in her. Julian couldn't abide tears, especially from someone as lovely as this Slayer. He sat on the bed and gathered her into his arms, letting her grieve.

"Shh, Shhh, It's alright, let it out. It's alright," Julian said, smoothing her hair.

Grief and despair tore at her heart, Buffy sobbed louder.

Julian looked at the girl in his arms. Not a girl, he thought, his gaze traveling over her. But a woman. She looked at him out of pain-filled, luminous hazel eyes. She cannot be the slayer. Slayers suppose to be giants or at least bigger than a mite.

Two days ago, he had rescued her from a watery grave. When he saw her, soaking wet and half-dead from the pounding of the sea, he knew there and then, she was important to his survival. He does not know how, but he just knew.