Tristan Tormented

Volume 9 - Shadow Self (Part Three)

Warning: I do not own the rights to the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-off series Angel, its dark horse comics continuation series, or any of the characters created by Joss Whedon and others in the Buffyverse.
15 years +, Mild to Strong Violence, Sexual References and Suicidal Themes that may be triggering.
F/F, F/M, M/M, Other +

Eons ago long before slayers roamed the earth monsters reigned supreme with nobody there to stand against them until one day three men known as the shadow men managed to lure and trap the shadow demon to use it in a spell that would merge the demon's heart, spirit and soul with a young girl known as Sineya, making her the first slayer.
She alone stood against the vampires, demons and the forces of darkness although unlike those who came after her, here newfound super strength came at the price of her humanity, changing her forever until one day she died and another slayer was born.
Into each generation over the years a new slayer would be called until eventually the all-consuming destiny called on Buffy Summers who changed things for the better with the help of her bewitching best friend Willow Rosenberg a new era was born, one in which all potentials would be slayers.
No slayer had ever merged as fully with the shadow demon as the first slayer until one vampire led a man down a path into the past toe become a monster travelling back to the primordium age where the shadow men merged the shadow demon with Tristan Summers.
Unlike the first slayer Tristan managed to hold on to his humanity largely due the shadow men having perfected their spell, however when the first male slayer met an untimely demise only to rise again as a vampire the shadow demon inside of him had awakened from his slumber.
Which takes us to now as the vessel known as Tristan Summers found himself battling against the literal demons inside of him, one wanting to consume him completely,

"Look I'm not saying I ever expected parenting to be easy because why should it when nothing is, but I at least expected it to be easier than slaying." Buffy complained to Angel as the two of them walked through a New York cemetery late night.
"To be fair Buffy you have been a slayer for a long time now that comes easier to you than most things." Angel replied as they continued their former lover's walk. "And searching for your son who is being haunted, potentially possessed sounds like typical slayer stuff to me."
"Trust me there is nothing typical about a slayer having children least of all a child who is almost the same age as them thanks to some time jumping nonsense courtesy of Willow." Buffy replied, venting her frustration over her current situation. "It's just Faith...she was the rogue slayer, the sleeps with your boyfriend slayer, the I murder people slayer and yet she is a million times better with him than me. They have a freaking bar together!"
"They get on better because he doesn't have to live in her shadow, she gets him and there's no complicated biological ties, but she is not taking your place as his mother nor would Faith want to." Angel explained to the slayer, eager to reassure her.
"I know," Buffy admitted with a reluctant sigh. "It is just so hard trying to get through to him you know, and I just want...to be honest I do not know what I want."
"You want him to be safe, happy and most of all happy with being with you, but things are never that simple especially when portals take your children." Angel stated, having experienced that situation more than once. "You just got to take it all from them and hope one day they do not hate you, that's parenting I guess."
"Your right which is incredibly annoying when I just want to be mad." Buffy complained to him. "And what is with Spike suddenly hanging around New York ready to pounce on any problem Faith or Tristan may have?"
"Now that I agree with." Angel replied, happy to know he was not the only one unimpressed by Spike's presence. "I swear Spike is Drusilla's ultimate revenge against me for slaughtering her family when I had no soul and clearly, she's won that one."
"I think Drusilla's revenge for taking Spike and you off her as she sees it, was twisting up our child so much he's basically more hers than ours!" Buffy admitted out loud, before realizing how harsh those words may have sounded.
"Do not say that," Angel demanded as the two stopped walking and he looked at the slayer with anger on his face. "Sure, he is a little messed up but who would not be after everything he has been through...he is not Drusilla's kid Buffy he is ours!"
"I know I'm sorry I did not mean that." Buffy apologised. "Okay well maybe a little but it is just so hard being a mother to a child who last time you saw them tried to kill you."
"Welcome to the club Buffy," Angel told her. "Tristan's come a long way since then."
"Without anyone informing me about it." Buffy butted in. "It sure would have been nice to hear about his improvement or heck even a damn note through the letter box saying hey your son's not a full-blown psychopath anymore!"
"It would've been nice to have known he existed before you and Willow threw him into a portal to the past." Angel snapped back at her. "If you do not like how your son turned out maybe you should stop blaming it all on Drusilla and take some ownership to your actions."
Buffy believed splitting up with Angel while searching for their son would be easier than teaming up with Spike or Faith, but she quickly began regretting her decision after they exchanged heated words. She could not blame Angel for his resentment about Tristan, knowing she was in the wrong for keeping the truth from him and it would be a long time before those wounds would be fully healed.
With Tristan missing, falling out with Angel and getting jealous over Faith this trip to New York for Buffy was so far nowhere near as bad as she had built it up being in her mind but then again for her the trouble would truly begin when she saw her son again.