From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (14/?) by Ingrid Date: 01 Feb 1998 00:11:52 -0500 First things First… DISCLAIMER: To my great despair, I don’t own Buffy or any of her friends. They belong to an evil coalition known as the Joss/WB compact. Just don’t sue me, okay guys? SUMMARY: We resume where we left off, with Buffy and Angel in the library, but now they have some uninvited guests… If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, mail me (Ingrid29@juno.com) and ask me for them. If you don’t…well I don’t need *you* either. Here it is! Enjoy! WARNING: I’m not great with rating things, but this probably deserves a PG-13 for violence. Let the games begin… *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" (14/?) by Ingrid *** "Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." --Martin Luther *** Buffy ran her hand along his jaw, closing her eyes and simply feeling the bones underneath the skin. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that now his were closed as he leaned into her touch. Buffy heard and felt a loud crash as Drusilla and Spike broke through the library window. Buffy and Angel stood and backed away from where they had landed. Spike stood up first. "Oh drats! Did we come at a bad time?" Drusilla rose to her feet brushing the glass fragments from her hair and clothes. A little laugh escaped her throat. "It’s never a bad time to play, silly!" She kissed his cheek. A crimson liquid dripped from her hairline. She touched the blood, smearing it across her face. "Sp-ii-ke! Now I’m all dirty!" "Sorry love, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry." "Angel?" She watched him acutely. He was trying to bluff and he had no idea if it was working. "What’s wrong with you Angel?" She turned to Spike. "I can’t feel him there." "Pity. Then I guess it won’t matter if we kill him!" Spike whipped a stake from his jacket and looked at Drusilla. "You take the slayer, baby. Angel is reserved for me." His eyes bored holes into Angel, even as the demon consumed his face with a growl. Buffy swallowed hard. Angel. What would they do when they found out he wasn’t a vampire? He had to get out of here, let him get out of here, she prayed, grabbing two stakes from her bag and tossing one to Angel. How could he even begin to equal Spike’s strength with the doubly strong demon multiplying the power in each blow. Drusilla wasted little time, hopping down from the balcony easily. She quickly latched on to Buffy, who was struggling hard against her. She felt Drusilla strain towards her neck and planted a swift kick to the vampire’s stomach. Momentarily dazed, Drusilla flew backwards and hit the rail. Buffy turned around to see Angel attempting to hold off Spike who was clearly the stronger despite his injuries. Before she could get her bearings, Drusilla was on her again, tearing at the flesh of her shoulders. Drusilla was stronger than she’d ever been, and Buffy was having trouble fending her off. "Aaaaarrrrggghhh!" Buffy heard Angel’s scream and whipped around to see the stake in his shoulder, red blood flowing from the wound. Spike was grinning as he yanked the steak from Angel’s body, and re-aimed for the heart. The horrific bloody scene, and Angel’s gasping for breath sent Buffy into an irrational rage. She pinned Drusilla to the floor with the strength of the fire that burned in her heart, and viciously impaled the body of the young vampiress on the steak. She could hear the beginnings of a shrill scream as Drusilla disintegrated before her. Bloody and acting solely on base instinct, she ripped Spike from Angel’s motionless body. Spike grew livid with anger when he saw the pile of dust Buffy had transformed his love into. Blind fury drove them to viciously rip at one another’s skin, taking whatever advantage there was to have from sheer pain. There was no longer good or bad. They fought like two animals, clawing and beating one another with rage in their hearts. She could hear the sound of the blood pumping through her, and her head throbbed with urgency. She proved the stronger, finally plunging the splintered wood through Spike’s chest. She collapsed and hit her head on the floor. Now her head felt like a balloon, swelling to extremes. She crawled to where Angel lay, touched his neck. She felt a faint pulse, but at last, there was nothing she could do. She collapsed beside him, hand on his heart. *** END, PART 14. Hey…maybe this should have been part thirteen. Oh well. I’m not superstitious anyway. (Comments to Ingrid29@juno.com). _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: I Will Survive 1/3 Date: 01 Feb 1998 06:34:40 EST Title: I Will Survive 1/3 By: Alex Queirolo Genre: Typical Buffy/ Angst Spoilers: Surprises & Innocence Distribution:Anya's and mine. Eventually. Mine is: http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html Feedback: Yes, please! Summary: Buffy deals with the fact that Angel plans to destroy her mind before he kills her. *** I WILL SURVIVE ---------------------- BY: Alex Queirolo *** AUTHOR's NOTE: This takes place after "Phases" but relates to "Suprise" and "Innocence". It steps outside of the time-stream after that in a desperate attempt to save itelf from getting "Jossed" by the next upcoming episode. God save us all. ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Joshua I make reference to is of the Watchers' Society. He was in my previous piece "Where Do the Children Play" and has a more active part as a Guardian in another that I am working on. His job is to ensure that time and life don't mess with the Slayer too badly and to make sure that some punches go her way. He has the ability to alter time and change the past and future. DISCLAIMER: Time to jump on the band-wagon. All the great characters seen on BUFFY belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any you've never seen on the show belong to me. I wouldn't dream of infringing on Joss. *** "Oh, you're a hard one but I know that you've got your reasons these things that are pleasing can hurt you somehow" She felt the calm of sleep sweep over her, comforting, gentle and then it fell around her like a warm blanket. Hands out-stretched and welcoming, she grasped at it and pulled it to her, tucking it under her chin as if it could protect her. "Buffy." She turned into her bed, pressing her face against her pillow, not caring if it suffocated her. She moaned slightly in pain from soreness in her ribs caused by being hit by one of the vampires she had killed earlier in the night. The pain was an irritating reminder of the waking world so she tried to block it out. She could deal with it later. "Buffy." Dreams. Images. She didn't want them. She didn't care if they warned her that she had only twenty-four hours to save the world. Let it save itself. She was so tired. So very tired. She wanted the black velvet of dreamless sleep to overtake her and hold her like she were a small child. "Buffy." Something brushed gently over her cheek and she stirred unwillingly, her body wanting to believe but her mind screaming for her to remain still and embrace the exhaustion that ran rampant in her. Without meaning to, she moved a hand to cover the one that brushed at her face like the caress of a lover. "Buffy, open your eyes." She moaned and tried to curl into a ball, ignoring the sensations and warning sirens going off in her head. She wanted to sleep, to rest..surely that wasn't too much to ask for. It was so little, so very little. One night's peace. A hand on her stomache, on the soreness of her bruised ribs prevented her from curling into herself. Without opening her eyes she murmured, "If you're gonna kill me, why don't you just do it." The voices in her head began to scream at her, telling her to take it more seriously, insisting that he just might take her up on it. Right now she didn't care. "And ruin my fun, not likely." He moved a hand behind her back and brought her up and forward so that she had little option but to open her eyes and face him. As soon as her weary blue eyes opened and she regarded him with a gaze that showed little more than exhaustion, he smiled. "Saw you dust Jerod tonight. Impressive. Nice spin kick." "Thanks. I'll remember to use it on you," Buffy Summers replied dryly as she stared at him. He was so handsome, so beautiful and so evil. She wondered idly how she could have missed it back at his apartment the night..well..the night after all hell had broken loose in the time it took for her to give herself to him body and soul. He ignored her comment,"You oughta protect your ribs better though..you're getting sloppy. You're gonna have one helluva bruise in the morning." "Your concern makes my heart flutter. What do you want? To torture me? Haven't you done enough?" Buffy asked wearily. This was so odd, just talking to him in calm tones as if they were old friends instead of bitter enemies. In truth however, she doubted that she had the energy to yell and scream and demand answers. He grinned and his eyes glittered as he leaned forward and stroked her cheek. A flash of warmth ripped through her body but was quickly numbed by her brain's insistence that it was just another game, another way to hurt her. He knew what his touch did to her and he knew that she couldn't control it. She still loved him with every bit of her heart and soul and he was well aware of it. Another way to hurt her. "I've just begun, Buffy." Then he laughed, "I just don't want you dying on me 'fore I've had my fun. It's important you know." "Go to hell," she replied mildly and without real animosity. She was too tired to muster the hatred the was beginning to boil in her soul. In a flash of an eye, he reached forward and grabbing her shoulder roughly pulled him to her. She stared up at him without fear, knowing that he wasn't through with her and not really caring. Then he turned her head towards his and kissed her savagely on the mouth. Breaking away, he laughed, "You are a sweet child. No, Buffy, I'm already in hell and it's a wonderful place. I think you'll love it. You all will." And with that, he kissed her again and jumped up from the bed and strode like a cocky cowboy back over to her window. He put one leg out and then turned to her, "Oh..one more thing." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a white and green piece of clothing. "Got a present for you." He laughed and then tossed it over to her. "Love ya babe." She caught it and looked down at it. When she looked up again, he was gone. She unfolded the cloth and gazed at it. As she did, she felt her eyes flood with tears which was quickly followed by a shudder ripping it's way through her body. Terror overwhelmed her as she realized that she was holding one of Willow's tee-shirts. Barely able to breathe, she reached over and picked up the phone. "I hope you got your things together I hope you are quite prepared to die Looks like we're in for nasty weather." "Good morning, good morning, good morning," Xander Harris chirped as he all but skipped through the library with a large grin on his face. He jumped up on the check-out counter and turned to look at the other three occupants of the room. Frowning slightly he said, "Okay..not a good morning?" "No, I'm afraid not," Rupert Giles said softly. "We've got a problem." "Like that's new, I mean..hey...where's Buffy?" Xander asked, his eyes widening as he glanced from his best friend Willow Rosenberg to his girlfriend Cordelia Chase. Nope, the Slayer was most positively not in attendance. Only it wasn't a positive thing. Nope, nope. "She's in there," Giles said, pointing towards his office. "I'm afraid she didn't sleep very well last night." "She got a visit from Angel." Willow explained, not looking all that well herself. In fact, she looked kinda scared. "And it involved clothing. But not in a good way." Cordelia added somberly. She acutually seemed upset too. This couldn't be good. "Did..did he hurt her?" Xander asked in alarm. He knew what his mind was thinking but he couldn't put it into words. Giles understood though and he quickly shook his head,"Angel brought Buffy one of Willow's shirts." "He was in my room last night,"Willow said quietly, a small shiver working it's way up her spine. "He left it a mess even though what he took was from the clean clothes pile on my bed. He wanted me to know he'd been there." "And he wanted Buffy to know that he could go there," Giles said. "I'm uh, already looking into ways to uninvite a vampire but it's a tricky matter that involves ultimate ownership and such. It's a great deal more difficult to uninvite a vampire than it is to.." "Right, gotcha..bad...Giles, what do we do? I mean, we got to protect them." Xander exclaimed as he moved over to do a quick examination of Willow despite the fact that she hadn't come into contact with Angel. "I watch him," Buffy murmured, stepping into the doorway between Giles' office and the library. She rubbed sleep from her eyes. "Buffy, you can't watch him around the clock. You may be super-chick, but you're not a god," Cordelia said. Buffy smiled weakly," No, I guess not..a god would have taken care of business and dealt with him by now." She looked down at her shoes and chuckled without humor, "I can't and you guys are paying the price for it." "It's okay, Buffy..we can deal.." Willow said quickly. Buffy cut her off just as quickly, "Can you? Will, he was in your room, going through your things. I don't know how far he's willing to go..how long he's gonna play before.." she shook her head and found that she was unable to finish the sentence. For a moment no one dared to move or speak. Nothing anyone said would have made a difference. They all knew the score and it wasn't pretty. Finally Giles spoke, his voice heavy and full of unchecked emotion, "You four had best get to class. I'll see what I can come up with." They all nodded and began to move towards the door, Buffy only in the lead because she'd been closest to the door. Just before she left, Giles caught Willow's arm and whispered, "Watch her. She's not well." "I know." Willow replied sadly. She wanted to reassure him that it would all be okay. Everything always turned out for the best but one look at Buffy made all the confidence seep away. "All the vampires walking through the valley move west down Ventura Boulevard All the Bad boys are standing in the shadows and the good girls are home with broken hearts" "I wish I knew what to do," Xander said softly, his eyes never leaving her. The lights in the physiology room were off, a movie about something too weird to think about playing on a white projection screen. She had her head in her arms, sleep once again claiming her. "She's the Slayer, she'll be alright." Cordelia replied, the words a lot more certain than she really was. But she needed that. She could tell that Xander was freaking out. Not like he didn't have reason but just the same. Xander turned to her,"That's cold." "Why are you jumping on me?" she hissed, a flash of irritation moving through her. "I wasn't trying to make light of it." "Look, she needs our help right now.." "I know that. All I'm saying is that she's survived before. She's a fighter, right? She'll be okay. I think the last thing she needs is all of us stopping our lives for her. I know.." "Oh don't even say that you wouldn't. You love it when the world stops for you," Xander retorted. He shook his head. "You know, I don't get you..." "And I don't get you..." she whispered back at him. She wanted to yell but in a full class that wouldn't be a good idea. So strike that. "She's the Slayer..she's a survivor but everytime there's trouble, she's suddenly poor little Buffy who needs big bad Xander to rescue her." Wow, she thought, that really sounds bad. She took a deep breath and then reached out and grabbed his arm, "Look..Xander..don't get me wrong..although I hate admitting it, I care about her too. I mean, she's like a friend and I'm worried too but we've got to give her credit for what she has been able to do. And we can't stop our lives because hers is in crisis. She's the Slayer..her live is always in crisis. We do what we can..we're the back-up team. It's her fight. We're there if she needs us." He stared at her for a long moment and then sighed, "Cordy, I'm not sure that even she can deal with this. I mean..." Before he could finish the sentence, the reasonable calm of the room was pierced by a loud scream. From Buffy. Both Xander and Cordelia jerked around causing him to fall off of his chair. He hit the floor with both feet and was at her side within seconds. "Buffy.." She reached up from the floor and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her, "He's gonna kill us all." "Lean on Me When you're not strong and I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on, for it won't be long Til I'm gonna need Somebody to Lean on" "Hey, what happened?" Willow asked as she practically ran up to Cordelia in the courtyard. The taller girl was sitting on a bench, sipping a diet pepsi and watching her boyfriend converse in a hushed tone with a frightened and animated Slayer who didn't look well at all. Xander was trying to calm her but failing miserably. "Buffy freaked out in physio. Complete panic attack." Cordelia murmured without turning to look at Willow. "How was French 4?" Willow gave Cordelia an irritated look, "Is she alright?" "I guess..Xander told me it wasn't my place so I'm here and he's there," she replied with a trace of bitterness. "Right," Willow said softly, not really wanting to deal with this problem too. It was like Xander trusted Cordy only half of the time and that was crazy and problematic. Not something any of them really needed. "I'm gonna go..see..if I can help." She gave Cordelia a quick smile and them moved quickly across the grass to where Xander was now gripping Buffy's shoulders in an effort to calm and quiet her. "Sure..I'm sure Xander won't snap at you," Cordelia muttered. Then she laughed bitterly, "I can't believe this..here I am letting him get the best of me. Like I'm some puppy that needs to be told when I can come in and go out. Whatever." She stood up and shaking her head indignantly decided to go to the library and see if maybe she could help out there. She really did want to help Buffy but playing by Xander's rules were really beginning to irk her. "What happened?" Willow asked, touching Buffy's arm as she approached the pair. "Are you okay?" Buffy looked up at her wild-eyed, "I don't know..I think I'm losing it, Will. I keep freaking out, but when he shows up in front of me..I'm perfectly calm. What's wrong with me?" Tears formed in her eyes. Willow looked at Xander and they both realized that they had no answer for her question so she simply moved forward and pulled her friend into a hug. "If there's a load you have to bear that you can't carry I'm right up the road I'll share your load if You just call me call me..call me" Within an hour, word of her panic attack in physio was all over school. And as Willow and Xander walked her down the hallway towards the library, each hovering by her side protectively, people watched and whispered and Willow heard the words "drugs" and "psychotic" mentioned more than once. She clasped Buffy's hand and looked at Xander who wore a matching expression of worry. If the Slayer was indeed having an emotional breakdown, they were all screwed. "Giles." Willow called out as they stepped into the library. From the table in the center of the room, both Oz and Cordelia glanced upwards from books. Oz smiled at her in greeting. "About time you guys showed up," Cordelia said. "Sorry, we had a friend to take care of," Xander replied as he led a still dazed Buffy to a seat. "Not now, guys." Willow said authortively. "We need answers, not fighting. You guys are gonna have to put aside whatever stupid immature things you two are bickering about today and concentrate on figuring out how to keep Angel out of mine and Buffy's houses." "She's right and I'm glad you're here," Giles said as he exited his office. He knelt down beside Buffy. "How are you feeling?" She smiled down at him weakly "Tired. Like I didn't just take a nap." She chuckled but it sounded more like a sob, "I had a dream. Suprise of the year, huh? Buffy has a bad dream..wow..concept." "Why don't you tell me..er..us about it," Giles suggested as he handed Cordelia a book. She had proven to be suprisingly good at research. She was quick and thorough and had a good eye for catching small detail that might escape someone else...like Xander. She accepted it wordlessly and then looked at Xander as if to say, "see I am trying to help Buffy. I do care." "It was just scary, Giles." Buffy replied, looking down at her hands. She took a deep breath. "We fought..Angel and I...for what seemed like forever..neither of us making any ground. Then you guys arrived and he started laughing and he said...he said that the entertainment had arrived and that I oughta sit back and I enjoy it." She swallowed hard but refused to make eye contact with anyone, "Then he hit me and I fell down and I couldn't get up. All I could do was watch as...watch..." she shook her head. Giles closed his eyes to focus himself. Her dream scared him but he didn't want her to know that. "It was only a dream. A nightmare. We're all here. All of us. It's okay." Buffy looked up and nodded but her eyes remained clouded with fear and her lip continued to tremble. "You look in her eyes the music begins to play hopeless romance here we go again" She felt his hand slide against the cool skin of her neck and instinctively she moved against it, prompting him onwards. He continued to kiss her, leaving a trail of fire up her neck and across her face. She moaned and wrapped an arm around him. Then he pulled away. "This is wrong," Xander said shaking his head. "I can't believe we're.." "No..please, let me guess...you're shocked that we could be making out while Buffy's freaking out." Cordelia groaned. "Why am I not suprised? Look, if you don't want to do this..that's one thing but stop hiding behind Buffy. This isn't about her." Then she laughed, "Or is it?" "What?" Xander exclaimed. Shaking his head in indignation he said, "Yeah, it is about her but not in the way you think." "Oh? Then tell me why it is that everytime we're together, it's only minutes before Buffy is either brought into the conversation or thinking of her stops you from kissing me. I mean what is it with her? Why are you always obsessing?" "She's my friend..I'm sorry you don't get that..maybe it's as foreign of a concept to you as doing your own laundry but the fact is that I owe her my life.." "And I do also, Xander. And I'll fight for her. I can't believe I'm saying that but it's true. The point you're oh so conviently missing though is that right now there is nothing we can do for her. She and Willow are together at her house. Buffy can protect the both of them. Why can't this be our time? Unless the truth is that you'd rather be with her." "No," Xander said firmly. "I want to be with you. God help me but it's true. I'm just..I'm worried..about her..about all of us." He looked up at her. "You want the truth?" "It'd be nice." "I'm scared. Before it wasn't close to us..it was something we knew and fought and we could defeat and go home and party. This is Angel and either way we lose. If he kills one of us..that destroys us. If Buffy kills him, we're just as screwed because I don't think she can recover from it. Either way, all we are now is stuck in a holding pattern and it's driving her crazy and.." "And it's pulling us all apart. I know." Cordelia replied, settling against his chest on the couch. They were in his house. His parents were out of town for a couple of days..something about a large family reunion. In any case Xander wasn't with them..he was with her. He sighed loudly and wrapped his arms around her tightly, almost afraid to let go. "Rolling and burning blinded by thirst they didn't see the stop sign took a turn for the worst" Willow glanced over at the bed and wasn't all that suprised to discover that her friend had dozed off, the trig book perched cautiously on her hip. Leaning over, she took it off of Buffy and closed it. They'd been studying or at least attempting to for hours. It hadn't gone so well. Buffy was jumpy and easily distracted, her mind a million places at once. But always on Angel. Everytime the Slayer would daze off, Willow would see her turning the ring on her finger as if it could make it all better. She would turn it and gaze up at the window with hope shining in her eyes. A moment later they would go dull and she would refocus herself on the trig. Or attempt to. It wasn't long before she would fade again. Twice she had pulled herself together enough to say, "I need to get a grip. I can't keep letting him do this to me." But she couldn't stop him. He had her heart and he had no plans of relinquishing it. They had thrown caution to the wind and become lovers and it had come back to haunt her as he had become Angelus once again..the demon intent on conquering her. And yet he'd been unable to break her. Willow had gone with Buffy on her sweep of the graveyard, against the Slayer's strong protests. She'd watched Buffy dispatch three burly vampires with her usual strength and style. And the irony of it all was that it was only then, while fighting the undead, that her mind stubbornly refused to settle on Angel. She had created a sort of separation between Angel and the rest of the vampires even though she knew that he was the same as any of them. He was the one she couldn't defeat. And they both knew it. He held the upper hand and she knew it but she refused to allow it to interfere with what had to be done. If anything, she used it to fuel her hatred towards the other vampires. It was acutually a comfort watching her go postal on one of them. It showed that she wasn't letting herself go soft and that she was still the Slayer even if she as Buffy was an emotional mess. Willow took off her shoes and socks and moved to sit in the chair next to Buffy's bed. She knew that she should sleep in the bed but for some reason, she felt a protective need to watch the window for any sign of the demon that could very possibly destroy them all. Whispering softly she said, "Sleep well, Buffy. We'll get through this." - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: I Will Survive 2/3 Date: 01 Feb 1998 06:38:37 EST Title: I Will Survive 2/3 By: Alex Queirolo Genre: Typical Buffy/ Angst Spoilers: Surprises & Innocence Distribution:Anya's and mine. Eventually. Mine is: http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html Feedback: Yes, please! Summary: Buffy deals with the fact that Angel plans to destroy her mind before he kills her. AUTHOR's NOTE: This takes place after "Phases" but relates to "Suprise" and "Innocence". It steps outside of the time-stream after that in a desperate attempt to save itelf from getting "Jossed" by the next upcoming episode. God save us all. ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Joshua I make reference to is of the Watchers' Society. He was in my previous piece "Where Do the Children Play" and has a more active part as a Guardian in another that I am working on. His job is to ensure that time and life don't mess with the Slayer too badly and to make sure that some punches go her way. He has the ability to alter time and change the past and future. DISCLAIMER: Time to jump on the band-wagon. All the great characters seen on BUFFY belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any you've never seen on the show belong to me. I wouldn't dream of infringing on Joss. *** "Last thing I remember I was running for the door had to find the passage back to the place I was before 'Relax,' said the nightman 'We are programmed to receive You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave" She jerked forward in her bed, her eyes staring forward, glazed and frightened. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to control the tremors. The darkness of her room folded itself around her but it wasn't comforting. "Buffy?" Her thoughts jumbled in circles. She recognized the voice and knew that it belonged to a friend, but her body reacted instantly upon being touched by the speaker and she shoved Willow to the ground and jumping from her bed, leapt on her friend, fist raised. "No more!" "Buffy...Buffy...it's me," Willow cried. Buffy blinked and her attack posture eased a bit allowing Will to reach up and pull down Buffy's fist. "It's okay, it was a dream. Nothing more. See." She put her other hand up and turned Buffy's cheek towards the window that was still shut and locked. "He hasn't been here. It's okay." Buffy nodded and moved away from Willow. She fell to the ground and again wrapped her arms around herself. "It was so real, Will. He's in my head. He's everywhere in me. I try but I can't stop thinking about him." Willow gave her a sympathetic smile, "Tell me." She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Buffy nodded but didn't look up,"It was..I mean we were..it was Angel and I and we were at his apartment..it was that night and it was him and me and then everything went dark and it was him the next day and then there was this bright light and Angel walked towards me. He held my hand and told me he loved me and that it would be okay and that I needed to stay strong." She looked up at Willow with tears gleaming in her eyes and with a breaking voice said,"And then Angelus came out of the shadows and killed him. He said that he would kill all of you one by one and then he'd make me like him. Oh God..." "Sh..it was a dream. Nothing more. You haven't slept well in awhile..your mind is playing games with you..working off of your fears." Willow told her softly. And to her suprise, it earned her a smile from the Slayer who then laughed, "Freud much, Will? Great, now I'm a mental case?" "Weren't you always?" Willow teased gently. Buffy moved across and tackled Willow, hitting her with a pillow. There was a brief fight and then Buffy groaned as her ribs said it was time to quit. Willow checked her out to make sure she was okay and then they both settled on the floor with their backs to the bed. There was a long moment of silence and then Buffy whispered,"You're a good friend, Will. You know that right? I won't let you down." Willow smiled,"I know you won't, Buffy. You never have." "Well I know that you're in love with him Cuz I saw you dancin' in the gym You both kicked off your shoes And I dig those rythimic blues" "Hey, did you hear?" Harmony asked as she and her man of the week Colt Harper walked up next to Cordelia at her locker. Harmony moved next to Cordy as if they were sharing a deep secret. "Hear what?" Cordelia asked, frowning as she tried to remember what book she needed for her next class. The night before had been long and rather draining in an emotional way. "Buffy not only totally freaked out in physiology yesterday but this morning she flipped Kevin Willis in the gym." Harmony said, her tone making her sound like she couldn't believe it. "Buffy doesn't have gym until 4th period and I was there for the thing in physio. She fell asleep and had a bad dream is all," Cordelia replied, not looking at Harmony. A part of her wanted to defend Buffy more strongly but the other part knew that her status quo and reputation were already in extreme jeopardy. "Well she was in the gym last period and Kevin just touched her..I mean barely and she totally tripped out. Aura heard that she's on LSD. I mean, like, no doubt." "She's not on LSD," Cordelia said tersely, shutting her locker. She straightened up and looked at Harmony. "You can't believe everything you hear. Maybe she's just going through a hard time." "Uh huh, for sure...when did you become her biggest fan? I mean, hello? She's crazed...remember? You said that and you were so right." Harmony said, looking at Colt and nodding. Then she looked down the hallway, "I mean..just look at her..she looks like something that crawled out of the sub-low tax bracket." Cordelia followed Harmonys' gaze to where Buffy was leaning against her locker about thirty feet away. Willow was standing next to her and it looked like she was doing all the talking. Well, Harmony was right in one aspect; the Slayer didn't look exactly peachy-keen. "Excuse me," Cordelia murmured as she started to break away from them. Colt caught her arm. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Colt asked, shaking his head, "I mean, I know you're getting it on with one of her weirdo friends but you're acting so strange." Harmony nodded solemnly,"This isn't you." "Maybe it is," she muttered as she strode across the hallway to Buffy and Willow. Harmony turned to Colt, "I just don't get it." Then she sighed, "Come on, let's go meet the gang.' Cordelia turned and watched Harmony and Colt depart and then she turned back to her new friends. "What's up?" she asked as casually as she could. She did a quick inspection of Buffy who looked not only tired but a bit wild. Her blonde hair, though clean and shiny, jutted out at odd angles and her blue eyes seemed slightly glazed. "Buffy had an incident in the gym," Willow informed her. Buffy looked up at her and offered an almost apologetic smile. "He touched my neck and I wigged. I guess I'm a little jumpy," Buffy said with a laugh. She was trying to make light of it but the other two knew better. She was just as bothered by her lack of control as they were. "I know, Harmony just told me. What were you doing in the gym?" Cordelia asked. "I went to tell McCathers that I wouldn't be there for class today." She frowned, "My mom is making me go to the doctor..she thinks I'm sick. Just what I need. By tonight I'll be in a damn straight-jacket." "Well, physically you're alright..right?" Cordelia asked. She glanced up when she saw Xander and Oz walking down the hall towards them. They seemed to be deep in discussion. "Yeah, my ribs are still a little sore but no use telling him that. Then there are questions followed by psychiatrists followed by little white padded rooms." She looked up at their curious looks, "So I've heard.. that is. Nah, I'll just say I'm fine...just tired from school. He'll tell me to rest and that'll satisfy my mom who will then procede to cut me a bit of slack for about a week..two at most. Xand..Oz..heya!" Xander and Oz looked up and almost instantly both of their faces lit up. Oz crossed over to Willow and gave her a quick peck that made her beam. Buffy couldn't help but smile. Xander grinned at Cordelia but neither of them were that big on public displays of affection. Especially her..she still had something of a reputation to uphold. For whatever that was worth. "Ladies...how are we?" Xander chirped. Willow smiled back at him,"Buffy flipped Kevin Willis." Xander lifted an eyebrow,"Buffy, what did we tell you, no playing with your food. Animals like Willis should get the stake..quick and simple." "Not funny, Xander." Cordelia said. Then she turned to Buffy, "This could be serious. People are saying you're on LSD." "Like that's news. It's actually a better answer than the truth. I can just see me explaining this. So Buffy, why are you acting like such a head-case? Oh..maybe it's because my first time was with a vampire and because of it he lost his soul and now he wants to torture me and I can't stop him because I still love him. Yeah, that'll work. They're coming to take me away, he he." "Well if you wanna look at the bright side," Xander said shaking his head. Then he waved his hand. "Screw 'em, Buff. They don't know any better and they don't matter." "Don't they? Think about it..Snyder's already got it out for me. He doesn't need much more. God...I feel like I've been so crazed lately, but it's like I can't get a grip. I keep trying and I feel like I'm making progress but then he does something and it all spins out again." "Buffy?" A voice called out from the hallway. The entire group looked up and saw Giles approaching. "Oh great," she muttered, "This is so not what I need. Hey guys, cover me." And with that she turned and faded into the sea of students heading to their next class. The Slayerettes all exchanged confused gazes and then moved quickly to fill in the space Buffy had vacated. "Hey G-Man." Xander called out. "Top of the morning to you." Giles gave him a look and then said, "Um, yes, right. Have you seen Buffy? I could have sworn I just saw her." "Saw Buffy?" Willow chirped. Cordelia put a hand over her eyes and shook her head. So much for playing stupid. "Uh no..we haven't seen her..Buffy that is. We're Buffy-less as you can see. No Buffy." Cordelia quickly reached out and covered her mouth, "What she means to say...at least I think so...is that Buffy has gone to class already. We'll tell her that you're looking for her, okay?" "Um, right..uh, thank you. When you see her, tell her to try to avoid Principal Snyder. He's looking for her...something about an incident in the gym this morning. Do any of you know anything about that?" A kid walking by stopped and leaned in, "You're talking about Summers, right? Major LSD freak. Isn't that cool?" And with that he walked away, talking to his companions. Xander glared after the kid, "I oughta..." "You oughta nothing. Chances are that Snyder is not only looking for Buffy but for all of you. He already sees you as her accomplices. It's best to be on your best behavior for now." "Well that sucks," Oz muttered. A bell rung behind them. "So does that mean we have to go to every class?" "Hey, I was just gonna ask that." Xander exclaimed. "Oh that's scary, two minds with the same thought and one of them Xander's." Cordelia teased. He gave her a look but all she did was grin back at him. "If we get to see tommorow I hope it's worth all the pain." "I thought you'd show up eventually," she said softly, not lifting her eyes to look at him. "Oh?" he questioned, laughter in his voice. The game had already begun anew. "You can't resist a chance to hurt me. I knew you'd show." "You're smarter than I gave you credit for, kiddo. Well maybe not, you came alone. That's not very bright." "I'm not going to bring them to you, Angel." She looked up at him. "I want to know what you want from me. How much you plan on taking from me?" Unwanted tears glittered in her eyes so she closed them to push the tears back..she had to stay strong. Had to. He laughed, "You really want me to spell it out, Buffy? You really want that? Because I have no problem with it. You want to know that I plan to kill them all...one by one. And maybe I'll make Willow a vampire. I mean, Spike kinda allowed the Judge to kill the only other one with brains so we could use some intelligence." "Leave her alone." "Oh yeah, that's likely. Come on, Buffy..you've got to realize that this is all your fault. Their lives are on your shoulders and each time I drain the blood out of them, their dying word will be your name. You've got to know that." "I will kill you." "No, you won't. You don't have it in you. You've got this whole love thing happening. Like I ever loved you. You were a challenge, Slayer. Not much of one albeit but a fun one." "I won't let you do this." "Theresa..she was sweet. Not as sweet as you..." Buffy jumped to her feet, grabbed him by the collar and smashed him up against a tree. "You're right, Angel..I love you. I love you so much it makes me want to die but if you hurt any of them, I will destroy you." Her eyes blazed fire and for the sheerest of moments, she thought that she could acutually do it. His eyes softened and for a moment she saw her Angel. And then he growled and flipped her to the ground and stradled her. "Your promises are weak. If you killed me, you'd be killing yourself." She turned her face away from him,"Then the results are the same. Why don't you just do it now. No games." He growled at her and pulled her up by the shirt,"Because that's not how it goes. When I'm ready to kill you, I will." "Or maybe you can't. Maybe there's still part of my Angel in there," she said softly, vaguely aware of the fact that she was taunting him and he was getting angrier. "No," he howled, his fist flying against her already sore ribs. She grunted in pain but refused to look away from him. Trembling slightly, she reached up and touched his face. He flinched backwards and caught her hand, twisting her wrist so hard that she was certain he'd broken it. "You want the truth, Buffy? Alright, we're both here..that little coward Angel and me. Except we're both Angel and we both agree that you were a sweet treat. A lot of fun but you'll be funner when we make you like Dru." "I'll never let you do that," she said with a certainty that she knew was false. She couldn't let him think he was winning..even if it was true. She needed to have some type of platform to fight from..even if it was flimsy. He smashed her up against the ground and laughed as she struggled underneath him. She was strong but he had managed to pin her leverage points. He curled his legs around hers and forced her to quit moving and then he pressed his mouth up against hers and whispered, "You're mine, Buffy. You always will be." "I was never yours, Angelus." Buffy retorted, falling back on the mentality of a separation between Angel and Angelus. It was all she had left to maintain her sanity. "Oh yes, you are." He kissed her hard, his sharp teeth cutting through her lip and causing it to bleed. She struggled as she felt him suck the blood from her lip. "You're turning me on," he whispered. A moment later he howled in pain when she bit him. Lurching backwards he lashed out and hit her across the face. "Bitch!" She used his positioning to unpin her legs and then to shove him off of her. Moving her hand up to her lip, she dabbed at it and then touched the cut that he had caused on her cheek from hitting her with the hand that was wearing the Claddagh ring. How ironic. Another way to hurt her, no doubt. She took a few clumsy steps backwards, still watching him kneeling on the ground. He looked up at her and his face changed from his vampiric visage to his human one. "You can say it all you want, Buffy but you know the truth..I'm going to take your soul...but first I'm gonna take theirs." He laughed then, "With a song in my heart." Her eyes narrowed, "And I'll say it again, if you hurt any of them, I won't think twice about killing you." She closed her eyes, "I love you, Angel and if you want me, that's one thing but keep it between us." Angel laughed again. Cruel and dark. "Keep praying, Slayer. It's all you've got left. And keep looking behind your shoulder because babe, I'm right there." And with that he was on his feet, walking away from her. Again. As soon as he was gone, she collapsed to the dirt and cried. "And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun and he lost a friend but kept his memory" She sat on her back porch staring up at the sky. The stars glittered brightly above her but they gave her little comfort. The darkness now meant loneliness without reprieve. Her greatest love was now her worst enemy. "Hey, Buff..I figured you'd be out here," Xander murmured, stepping away from the screen-door and moving to sit next to her. He slung an arm around her and pulled her against him. She smiled up at him weakly but said nothing. For a long moment they sat in silence and then he saw the cut on both her lip and cheek. The one on her cheek also had a darkening bruise around it. "You're hurt." "I met up with Angel. We had a talk," Buffy replied dully. She glanced down at her wrist which although unbroken sure did feel like it was. "Are you okay?" Xander asked although he knew it was a stupid question. For a moment she said nothing and then finally she looked up at him,"He's gonna take everything from me." "We won't let him," Xander vowed, turning her so that she was looking at him. She shook her head, "We can't stop him. I can't stop him. And he won't kill me until he's destroyed me." Buffy laughed but it sounded strange, strangled. "He could have, Xander. He had every opportunity but he was just playing. It's all a game. One we're gonna lose." "We're not. He's not Angel, Buffy. He can't defeat you if you realize that. He's Angelus. He's who he was before he loved you." "But he is who I love." She threw up her hands. "God, why didn't I listen. When I first found out that he was a vampire, you told me that I had a duty..I should have done it then. I should have walked away then..now I can't." "Buffy..." She turned to Xander, "You guys have given me nothing but friendship and support and this is what I have to offer you..certain death and pain because I can't..I can't..." "Buffy...we're here for you. We'll get through this. I'm here for you." She pushed herself away from his shoulder and looked up into his dark eyes, "You always have been," she murmured. She laughed bitterly. "You were always there for me no matter what..you brought me back after I hurt you...you've backed me up after all the times..oh God.." "It's okay, Buff...that's who I am..your Xander shaped friend." He smiled down at her and then leaned over and kissed her forehead. In that moment something snapped in Buffy and she wasn't able to stop herself from moving her mouth upwards towards his and kissing him. He let out a small moan and then accepted the passionate embrace. It was what he'd always wanted, wasn't it? And then, just like that, he broke away. "Buffy, we can't do this," Xander breathed, only half-believing that it was he that wanted to stop the kiss. She stumbled to her feet and nearly tripped over a chair sitting on the porch. "Oh God, I'm sorry..I...I'm sorry..." She moved backwards and then turned and fled into the house and towards her room. "Buffy!" Xander called after her. He started to move after her but hadn't taken more than a few steps before he collided with a solid form. "Cordy!" he gasped, wide-eyed. He opened his mouth to explain but then shook his head, "It's not what you probably think..." Cordelia stared back at him with sadness in her eyes. "I don't know what I'm thinking, Xander." She sighed. "Go to her. We'll talk about this later." She'd seen the whole conversation and she thought she understood why it'd happened but that only partly eased the pain. However, now was not the time. He regarded her somber face for a moment and then nodded and raced up the stairs towards Buffy's bedroom, calling her name. A moment later, he came back down the stairs, fear and concern on his face. "She's gone." "What?" Cordelia exclaimed. "She just went up there." "Well she's not there anymore and it looks like while she was there, she had a fit." "Huh?" Xander grabbed her arm and pulled her upstairs and into Buffy's room. Sure enough, it'd been trashed and the picture of the Xander, Willow and Buffy lay shattered on the ground. "She's snapped." Cordelia whispered. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: I Will Survive 3/3 Date: 01 Feb 1998 06:43:09 EST Title: I Will Survive 3/3 By: Alex Queirolo Genre: Typical Buffy/ Angst Spoilers: Surprises & Innocence Distribution:Anya's and mine. Eventually. Mine is: http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html Feedback: Yes, please! Summary: Buffy deals with the fact that Angel plans to destroy her mind before he kills her. AUTHOR's NOTE: This takes place after "Phases" but relates to "Suprise" and "Innocence". It steps outside of the time-stream after that in a desperate attempt to save itelf from getting "Jossed" by the next upcoming episode. God save us all. ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Joshua I make reference to is of the Watchers' Society. He was in my previous piece "Where Do the Children Play" and has a more active part as a Guardian in another that I am working on. His job is to ensure that time and life don't mess with the Slayer too badly and to make sure that some punches go her way. He has the ability to alter time and change the past and future. DISCLAIMER: Time to jump on the band-wagon. All the great characters seen on BUFFY belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any you've never seen on the show belong to me. I wouldn't dream of infringing on Joss. *** "Don't your feet get cold in the winter time sky won't snow and the sun won't shine it's hard to tell the night-time from the day You're losing all your highs and lows ain't it funny how the feeling goes away." "We gotta split up." Xander said finally as he moved into the circle formed by Cordelia, Oz and Willow. The latter couple had been hanging out at the Bronze when Xander had run in with the news about Buffy's disappearence. "That's not safe. We're easy pickings for Angel." Willow replied. "We need to stay together." "We're not covering any ground." Xander exclaimed. "How about we go me and Xander and you and Oz?" Cordelia said to Willow. The hacker considered it and then nodded. "That sounds reasonably okay. Oz has a cordless so we can keep in touch," Willow murmured. "Okay..if we find nothing, we meet back here in an hour. If we find anything, we call immediately." "Okay. Good. Great." Xander said, grabbing Cordelia's hand and pulling her towards the cemetary. They walked for what seemed like forever in silence and then she finally spoke, quiet and unusually uncertain, "Did you enjoy it?" "What?" Xander asked, turning to look at her with bewilderment in his eyes. "When you kissed Buffy..was it everything you ever dreamed about? Was it your fantasy come true?" Xander stopped and looked down at his hands, "You want the truth? It was amazing but you wanna know something else? It was wrong. I could feel it. She could feel it. We both wanted to be with other people. That simple, Cordy." "You kissed her. You can't tell me that didn't mean anything. You've been jonesing for her..well...since she came to Sunnydale. Are you saying you're over her?" "I dunno. I guess so. I mean, it was great..it really was but there was no passion behind it so no, it wasn't everything I'd ever dreamed of. She wanted me to be Angel." "And you?" He chuckled, "God help me, Cordy...I wanted her to be you." He shook his head. "Are we done? Because Buffy needs us." "Yeah," she murmured. "Let's go save the Slayers' butt..." "You're too late," a voice growled from above them. They both looked up to see Angel crouched in a tree wearing his game face and grinning wildly. "What did you do to her?" Xander yelled. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you, I swear." Angel laughed, "Poor deluded bastard, aren't you, Harris?" He stretched his arms and leaned back against the tree. "Oh don't worry..I didn't kill her. I won't let her take all the fun out of my game. It's not allowed." Then he smirked, "You two on the other-hand are un-neccesary playing pieces." Xander was barely listening to him. He'd spotted Buffy lying face-down in the dirt about fifteen feet away. He looked up at Cordelia and swallowed hard. She gave him a wild-eyed look and then grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the unconsious Slayer. Xander fell to his knees, pressing his ear to her chest, begging with any divine entity willing to listen that he hear a heartbeat. Unable to do anything else but watch in desperation and with a growing sense of dread, Cordelia called for back-up. "Will you tell us when to live Will you tell us when to die?" "Are you okay?" Oz asked quietly as he folded up his phone and placed it into his backpack. He moved forward a couple steps so that he could look into Willow's eyes. She tried to smile. Tried to be brave. He knew better. And she knew better. Finally she shook her head in the negative and whispered, "I'm scared. I...I can't lose any of you.." "No one is dying tonight, okay. The monkey men from Mars are protecting us." He looked at her with such mock seriousness that try as she might, she couldn't keep a straight face. "Good," he said softly. "Because I'll kill anyone who makes you stop smiling myself." And then he reached out and took her hand. "These foolish games are tearing me apart Your thoughtless words are breaking my heart You're breaking my heart" Angel watched, the grin never fading from his face. He'd let them check Buffy out and try to rouse her and then when they failed, he'd kill them and leave their corpses for the Slayer to discover when she did come around. It'd been all planned so perfectly. Well kinda..acutually luck had just been on his side that night. So damn many lucky things. The Slayer was mentality weak from his game and she'd made herself even more-so by kissing Xander..which had messed with her head. Such fun although he hadn't been all that fond of the flash of well..what the hell was it..jealousy? that had twisted its' way through him when he'd watched them kiss. It was alright though because she'd freaked out and thrown a fit in her room, breaking pictures and throwing furniture and then she'd run out into the woods to face him. Surely she'd known that in her state, she didn't stand a chance. But that wasn't the only lucky thing. While he'd been watching Buffy's house, he'd seen a home doctor go the lady next door and give her sedatives. A hunch had told him that the good doctor's medical bag could come in useful and he had been powerfully hungry. So the good doctor was no more and Buffy was tanked on tranks. Well okay it hadn't been that easy. She'd put up a better fight then he'd expected but the damage he'd done earlier had taken it's toll on her and she wasn't fighting with adrenlyn to ease the pain, she was fighting out of raw emotion which only made everything worse. She'd been on a hysterical high and it hadn't taken much to make her crumble to her knees, holding herself. She'd been hurting and yet she'd known that he had no intention of killing her so she hadn't reacted when he'd wrapped an arm around her torso and ran a hand over her face. Well she had flinched away then but that was okay. When she was one of the undead, he reasoned, she wouldn't want to flinch away. When he'd put the needle into her neck, she'd barely moved. She'd glanced up at him with tears in her eyes and then collapsed..perhaps even welcoming the darkness. Now he watched as Xander and Cordelia turned her over and did a quick cursory examination of her body. Physically speaking, she was bruised up but no more than she usually was. "Buffy? Wake up..come on?" Xander pleaded, slapping her face. He looked up at Angel with hatred in his eyes and then looked back down at Buffy. "Come on." Angel jumped down from the tree and started to walk towards them. He growled and then grinned. "This will be a good dinner. I've always wanted to kill you, Xander. Now I can." "Over my dead body," Cordelia yelled. Xander looked at her with wide eyes, "What the hell are you doing?" "I don't know," she squeaked, grabbing his arm and pushing him in front. "Momentary insanity?" "Right," Xander replied, trying to joke away the fear that was gripping up. He dropped Buffy to the ground and stood to face Angel. "I'm gonna die like a man you son of a bitch. You'll get no pleasure from me." "Oh yeah..I will. If not from you..then from Buffy. Her screams when she wakes up to find your blood splattered all over the ground will make me laugh until hell freezes over, little boy." "Not tonight you won't, Angel." Buffy murmured, standing up on shaky legs. She shuddered and tried to build herself up but she looked like the small, scared child she was instead of the strong, powerful Slayer she had the capacity to be. She could feel the drugs working through her body, making everything numb and sluggish. If she'd been a normal girl, she'd still be unconsious but she wasn't normal by any stretch of any imagination. Angel chuckled, "You really think you could fight me, Buffy?" "No, I know I can't. I just need to fight you long enough to get them away from you. After that I don't care," she replied wearily. She looked at Xander and Cordelia. "Go. Get out of here." "We're not leaving you," Cordelia said. She looked at Xander, "We're not." "No, we're not. We're in this together." Xander added. "Aw..ain't that sweet..it's the damn Walton family. Your friends are as stupid as you, Buffy.. you acutually look vaguely bright next to them." Buffy looked at her friends, "This isn't a request, guys..go!" "And we weren't asking for your permission. We're not leaving you." Xander shot back, his hand reaching out and grasping Cordelia's. He noted with some degree of shock that it was shaking so he squeezed it harder. She tried to look at them with stone in her expression but upon seeing the determination in their faces, hers' softened and she said quietly, "Please..I don't want to lose you. I can't fight him...you need to go while I can still hold him off." Angel laughed. He seemed to be finding the whole scene amusing. "As if you can. Don't fool yourself, Buffy..if I want them..they're mine." "I'll make you kill me first." She shot back knowing full well that it would enrage him. He growled at her and barred his fangs. She didn't react. "Please..Xander..get her out of here." "Um, hello..I can walk myself and I'm not going anywhere." Cordelia replied, shaking her head in irritation. "Buffy!" Willow's voice called out from the sidewalk behind the bushes. Buffy looked up in horrified shock and shook her head. "No, Will...get the hell out of here.." "Buffy, watch out!" Xander screamed as Angel lunged and knocked the distracted Slayer to the ground. Xander looked around desperately for anything to use as a weapon. "You're breaking the rules, Buffy." Angel growled, slamming her to dirt and wrapping a hand around her throat in a vise like grip. She gasped for air and looked up at her former lover in panic. There was no hatred there, just fear. "I oughta kill you for that." "Not today you won't," Xander growled, thrusting a metal hair-clip into Angels' side. The vampire howled in pain and fell away from Buffy, grasping at the bloody wound. He looked at Xander with pure animal lust and absoloute hatred. "What the hell was that?" Oz asked, eyes fixed to the blood gushing out of Angel's side. "My three hundred dollar hair-clip," Cordelia muttered. The others all threw her looks of dismay so she quickly added, "Not that I mind, I mean but daddy's gonna go postal. He already thinks that..never mind." Her eyes widened in shock as Angel stood up to his full height looking really, really pissed off and staring right at Xander. "Your life is forfeit, boy." Angel growled. He stared at each of the faces watching him and then he grinned. "But that will be another day. Today, I make you all suffer." In what couldn't have amounted to more than second, he lunged forward and grabbed Cordelia by the collar of her jacket and slammed the stunned girl to the ground. He wasted no time in barring his teeth and shoving them up against her throat. She screamed and kicked but he swallowed the pain. And then he pressed his fangs into her jugular. She saw swirling darkness rush towards her and a tear found it's way down her cheek. And then all she saw was dust. "Oh my God.." Xander breathed, his eyes moving over to where the gasping Slayer stood shakily above Cordelia, a cloud of dust raining around her. Buffy locked eyes with him and then she fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for the air that he had deprived her. Willow jerked forward, followed by Oz. She fell to her knees next to Buffy, "Are you okay?" "I..killed..oh God it...hurts..." Buffy gasped out. She looked up at Xander, "What..what..did..." "You saved my life," Cordelia whispered, taking Xander's offered hand and standing up. Xander looked at her with worry in his eyes so she smiled reassuringly even though all she wanted to do was curl up and collapse. Almost absently, she touched her neck where Angel had just pierced her skin. Still bothered but reasonably sure that she was okay, Xander dropped down beside Buffy. "It's okay, Buffy...it's gonna be okay." Xander promised. "We need to get you into bed. We can all shack up at my place for the night..my folks are in Vegas.Your mom would flip if she saw you in this condition." "Xander.." "No objections." "Right," she murmured, her head falling backwards and the drugs catching up. "Okay..not now." And with that her eyes slid shut and she fell into a dead faint in Willow's arms. Xander looked at Oz,"If you'll be so kind as to help me.." "Age to age You're still the same by the power of the name" "I can't believe I'm taking Buffy to bed," Xander muttered as he carried Buffy in his arms up the stairs in his house to his room. Cordelia rolled her eyes and bit back on the retort that had rushed to the surface. They had already dealt with that. Chances were that his comment was no more than just an annoying guy thing. Oz held the door open and watched as Xander and Willow patted and poked the pillows and sheets of the bed to make it just right for Buffy. Xander placed her on it and pulled the covers over her. Then he jerked his head to the others and they left the room with Cordelia flipping off the light. They descended the stairs slowly, each wrapped in their own thoughts. It was Willow who broke the silence, "This is gonna be bad." "We'll be here for her," Xander insisted. He laughed bitterly, "I'm not sure it'll be enough but we'll give her what we got and do what we can." "She'll make it through this," Cordelia said softly. "She's the Slayer." "No," Willow said, "She's Buffy and that's what will help us all through this. She won't give up." "And neither will we," Oz added in, still wondering how the hell he'd managed to get wrapped up in the middle of all the insanity. "Now the Valley cried with anger, mount your horses, draw your swords And they killed the mountain people so they won their just reward" "Hi. How ya feeling?" Xander asked, moving to sit next to her. He offered her a hand and helped her prop herself up on the overstuffed pillows. "Like I got hit by a truck with ACME written on the side of it. My head is ringing." Buffy moaned. "Here," he chuckled, offering her two white aspirin and a glass of water. "This should help somewhat." "Thanks." She took them, swallowed, drank and then gazed down at her hands. Then she looked up at him and he saw tears in her eyes, "Xander.." "Hey..don't..it's okay..." "No..it's not. Xander, I'm sorry...I don't know what happened. It was like I snapped. I thought I could make it all better..that if I could feel like I did with him..with you...then I could make all the pain go away." "It's okay," he insisted. "But it just made it worse. I made it worse." "You love him." Xander said softly. "It's that simple." "I..I..." He smiled, "Listen to me..no hard feelings. I won't allow it. Not while you're under my roof and eating my microwaved cooking. While you're here, you're cheery Buffy and we'll play all sorts of games and always smile..you understand?" "You're so good to me." "That wasn't the reply I was looking for. I wanted 'yes...how about Twister?'..okay? So let's hear it?" Instead she began to cry. His eyes widened in alarm. "No, don't...I'm sorry..I didn't mean..I just..." "I miss him..." she said between wracking sobs. "I'm never..oh God..." He wanted to tell her that she still had her memories but he doubted that it would do her any good. He too felt like he'd buried a friend that night. He watched her shake for a moment and then he moved forward and pulled her into his arms. He tucked her under his chin and pulled her against his chest and began to rock her, closing his eyes as he did so. "There's so many things you should have told her but night after night you're willing to hold her just hold her tears on your shoulder" Cordelia entered the room, holding the cordless phone in her hand. She stopped when she saw the way Xander rocked Buffy. Lifting the phone to her ear she said, "I'll have him call you when he gets out of the shower." She clicked the power button and then settled against the door frame to watch. "Talk to me- tell me your dreams Am I in them? Tell me your fears Are you scared? Tell me your stories I'm not afraid of who you are" She could hear her mother talking to Doctor Jacobs in the hallway. Asking if she'd be okay and begging to know why her daughter was so sick. She couldn't possibly understand. Buffy settled back against her pillows, her eyes as always focused on the window as if he might climb through it at any minute and lay next to her. As if he might press his lips to her feverish forehead and make it hot with passion instead. But that wasn't going to happen. By her hand he had fallen. Not the greatest and possibly only love of her live but as a vampire. Savage and blood-thirsty and in a rain of damning dust that had scattered in the wind. He remained in her dreams. Always there. In slow motion and colorless..like a nightmare from the days before movies had color. His expression of suprise and horror trapped in her mind forever. She had killed him. To hell with the reality that in doing so she'd saved Cordelia's life. She'd had no choice and that was true too and she knew she'd do it again but all of those were just bitter reminders of the fact that he would never again hold her. When he'd been stabbed by Xander in the side, his blood had quickly seeped down the edges of his shirt and on to hers and now that shirt was the only tangible proof of the past. All she had left was the liquid that had condemned him to hell..a vampires' blood. She laughed at herself, angry at her own inability to make it all make sense. She wanted it to stop hurting but it wouldn't. Couldn't. She closed her eyes and tried to find the light where sometimes he existed before the nightmares began. He would smile at her from there and she would try to make it mean something but clarity never came before the horror. "I love you," he whispered. She reached out to him and felt nothing but the air of a fading dream and yet his voice echoed strongly in her head. "Angel." "I'm here," his calm, soothing voice whispered. "I need you." "Open your eyes, Buffy." "I don't want to leave you. Don't make me. I can't live without you. I don't want to." "You don't have to." Buffy blinked and allowed her eyes to open, not wanting to see the harsh light that was reality. What she saw instead shoved her back into the whirling darkness that was unconsiousness. He waited for her, hand cupping her cheek. He knew he should have run as far as he could. Been grateful for the renewed life that had been granted him but he also knew that without her..it wasn't life. "Angel?" she whispered, stirring, certain that it was a dream that would shake her to tears within moments. "Right here. Always here." She opened her eyes wide and stared up at him, "It can't be..I know better..I..I know..I saw...why are you doing this?" "It is me, Buffy...you gave me another chance. You set me free," Angel told her softly, leaning forward to hold her. She tried to resist initially but found that she lacked the strength. "It's all a game.." she whispered. "I don't want to play anymore." He winced at the mention of the torment his body had caused her. His voice, his touch..they had all tainted the love they shared for each other. "No game, Buffy...I am here. Me..Angel...Angelus is no more. You killed him." Scared to believe but unable to stop herself from hoping, she looked up at him with wide eyes full of pain, "How..I don't..." "The Guardians made me live." "The Guardians?" Buffy repeated. "Joshua?" "Yeah..he's got a special affection for you, Buffy. When you gave up our love..your soul.. in order to save a friend...you bought back my soul. I watched you kill Angelus and destroy the demon. None of it makes sense..not even to me but what does is that I'm here. I'm here." "Are you human?" He gave her a sad smile, "Only in heart and soul. My body would have been destroyed if it were human. But the curse that binds my soul is permanent...I can't lose it. I can't lose you." Buffy lowered her head. She wanted to say something...nothing made sense..even in her head. Finally she looked up at him with tears glinting in her eyes, "Hold me." -FIN........FEEDBACK PLEASE!!! I don't know who wrote the song that the title of this story is taken from. My apologies to the artist. Lyrics taken from: 1. Desperado...Eagles 2. Bad Moon Rising...Creedence Clearwater Revival 3. Free Fallin'...Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 4. Lean On Me...Bill Withers 5. Lean On Me...Bill Withers 6. New Kid in Town...Eagles 7. Life in the Fast Lane...Eagles 8. Hotel California...Eagles 9. American Pie...Don McLean 10.It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday...Boyz II Men 11.Rocky Mountain High...John Denver 12.Desperado...Eagles 13.Where Do the Children Play?...Cat Stevens 14.Foolish Games...Jewel 15.El Shaddai...Amy Grant 16.One Tin Soldier...Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter 17.New Kid in Town...Eagles 18.Justify My Love...Madonna - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: That Was The Day 1/2 Date: 01 Feb 1998 06:50:32 EST Title: That Was The Day 1/2 By: Alex Queirolo Genre: Typical Buffy/humor Spoilers: Surprises & Innocence, Phases Distribution:Anya's and mine. Eventually. Mine is: http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html Feedback: Yes, please! Summary: Um...Buffy, Cordelia, Xander,Willow, Oz, rabbits and bets. *** THAT WAS THE DAY BY: Alex Queirolo *** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place after my story "I Will Survive" and therefore adheres to the events of that piece. In the Buffy scheme of things, it takes place after "Phases" but then promptly procedes to split off from the time- stream that is Joss Whedon's. It makes the assumptions that Cordelia and Xander are still together as are Oz and Willow and that through time, Buffy and Angel can begin to rebuild their relationship. Time-wise, it takes place around Easter which would be a couple months after the events of the previously mentioned story. CONTENT WARNING: This should contain nothing that is too objectionable except for the fact that I'm trying humor instead of angst. That could be traumatic for all involved. Actual contents include brief sexual situations, a tad bit of language, a slight smidgen of angst(I tried..honestly I did but I couldn't get away from it completely) and a whole lot of insanity. So damn the man and rock and roll. DISCLAIMER: The characters seen on the show BUFFY belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. He is my yoda and such. Any that I create belong to me and I am their god. Ya dig? I mean no infringement, just pointless lunacy. The title of this piece is taken off of the THREESOME album and is by THE THE. The musical quote is by BIRDBRAIN and is lifted from the original SCREAM album. Have fun. *** "Say a prayer for the youth of America God bless our youth America" "Okay, everyone look at me like I'm in a bunny-suit 'cause that's how stupid I feel saying this..." -Buffy to Giles, Xander and Willow in "The Puppet Show" *** Her eyes widened in un-natural horror and she stumbled backwards several feet before slamming up against a wall. She grunted in slight discomfort and found that she was unable to tear herself away from him. "No," she whispered with tears forming in her eyes. "I don't believe it." He lifted his hands towards her, trying desperately to indicate the good nature of his intentions and then he sighed dejectedly, "It's not that bad." "Um, no..it's not *that* bad." Willow Rosenberg said weakly, looking up at her blonde haired friend who was still pinned to the wall in wide-eyed shock. Willow covered her mouth with one hand to stifle a laugh that seeped through the cracks and came out as a cackle. He turned to glare at her and she lifted her other hand towards the Slayer, "She made me laugh." Alexander "Xander" Harris turned and looked at Buffy Summers with such a pained puppy-dog look that when he asked, "Is it that bad, Buffy?", she almost lied. Almost. "It's pretty hideous, Xand. Well, I guess the upside..if you can find one through all that hair...is that now you know better than to make a bet with Cordelia." Then she shook her head and grinned as she pushed herself away from her bedroom wall. "Wow, Xander..that's bad." She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "But don't worry..we still...love ...you...whatever you are." He gave her a mock thankful look and turned to Willow for encouragement. She stiffled back a laugh and said, "Yeah and you can still hang with us at the Bronze." "You're not going to the Bronze tonight," Xander replied with a sigh. "Wow," Buffy said with a laugh, "He's right." Then she stuck out her lower lip at him. Only she wasn't trying to get anything from him; she was attempting to assure him of the sincerity of her sympathy for him. The giggles that kept creeping through weren't helping her case. "You know this is your fault," he told them accusingly. "I wouldn't be..like this...if it weren't for you two." The two girls looked at each other wearing matching expressions of innocent denial and then proceded to ruin it by cracking up. Buffy fell to her bed clutching her sides as she laughed and everytime Willow looked up at Xander, another peel of mirth escaped between her fingers as she tried desperately to cover her mouth. "Yeah, yeah..laugh it up but I'm blaming the two of you for any psychological damage this..this...does to me." He pointed down at himself and then shook his head in disgust. Buffy crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him,"Aw..it's okay..we'll visit you in loony bin..." "Yeah," Willow chirped, "We'll bring carrots." That was all it took for Buffy to lose it again and have to bury her head against Xanders' shoulder as she held on to him for fear of falling over from laughing. Then she looked up at him and said, "Hey..you did this to yourself, Xand..you're the one who was stupid enough to make a bet with Cordelia. You had to know she'd hold you to it." "Whatever," he grumped, sitting on her bed. "You got a brush I can borrow? My fur is getting all tangled up." Buffy pursed her lips and then reached over and removed a brush from the desk. Xander took it and moaned as he started to brush himself out, "Oh man..how did I get myself into this mess?" *** "Ow! Dammit! Ow!" Xander cried, slumping back into the drivers' seat of the Lincoln. He growled and stared at the steering wheel. "Damn, damn, damn." "What's wrong now?" she asked, sighing in annoyance. "Is your shoe untied?" She shook her head. "No," he replied tersely,"The steering wheel was biting into my hip because you move too much." "I move too much. Oh that's great. Last time it was your nails are too sharp. I don't think you wanna..." He leaned forward and kissed her before she could finish the sentence. Then he gave her a look that said "see" and grinned. "We gotta go meet Buffy and Willow at the Bronze." "They can wait," she smiled, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pushing him back against the seat. "I promised her..we'd...meet..Buffy..that..is...I promised...Buffy.." Xander protested between kisses. She pushed herself away from him,a look of pure anger on her face, "You can't do it, can you?" "Do it?" Xander exclaimed, wide-eyed. "I didn't know we were doing 'it'..I mean.." "No! No! No! You can't not say their names!" Cordelia cried out, desperately wanting to smack him upside the head. "They have names now? Wow.." "Shut up..shut up..I'm talking about Willow and Buffy!" Xander gave her a confused look, "You named them Buffy and Willow...oh no..oh..oh..I get it..." "Wow...I'm only pushing 80." She blew out a gust of air between her teeth in disgust. "What's with you and them? I know they're your friends.." "And yours," Xander reminded her. "Whatever but hello, I'm your girlfriend...you know..car, kissing...not telling daddy? Ring a bell or are you still only seeing Buffy's name up in lights?" "Hey...that's not fair...you're the one bringing her up now." Xander replied. Then he sighed, "Come on..I don't wanna fight." He leaned forward and kissed her. She pushed him back. "No, uh uh. You're not getting out of it this time, Xander." "Man! Why are you wiggin' so hard on this? Look, I'm sorry..can we kiss now?" Xander exclaimed, leaning forward again. She placed a hand flat on his chest, "No..I'm sick of this...if your mind is on them then it's not on me and if it's not on me then I don't want to be here because this is about me. You understand? Me." "You. Right. Got it. Kiss?" "Not yet, hormones boy. You wanna kiss me, we make a deal." "What kind of deal?" Xander asked wearily. "It's actually more of a..well it's a bet." "A bet? What are the stakes?" She narrowed her eyes at him, "I bet that you can't go an hour without saying Buffy or Willow's names." "You're on." Xander replied with a grin. "Down boy..you may not like the stakes," Cordelia replied with a grin. She traced a hand up his chest to his jawline and then looked him in the eye. "If I win...you have to take my place at the Easter event that daddy's sponsoring at the mall." Xander swallowed hard, "Your place?" "Uh huh. Scared? Don't think you can do it?" Cordelia taunted, the grin becoming predatory. He narrowed his eyes at the challenge, "Okay..alright and if I win..." "Name it," she all but sung. "Hmm...okay...if I win, you have to dress up like Laura Bosley and.." "Ew..she looks like a hobo and her hair..it's disgusting..all ratty..yuck!" Cordelia squeaked indignantly. "I'm not done." He replied with a smirk. "You have to dress and look like Laura plus you have to carry *my* books for me...to *every* class." "Fine," she groaned, sticking out her hand. "Wait a minute..one more thing...you have to walk around school yelling 'Xander is so sexy' as loud as you can for an entire day. Got it?" She looked at him for a long moment, thinking over the odds in her head and then she smiled, "What am I worried about? I don't think you've gone five minutes without saying their names. You are so on." "Yeah." He thrust out his hand and shook hers vigorously. And then he leaned forward and kissed her. The way he worked it, if he kissed her for an entire hour then he won. No talking. Just kissing. Helluva plan. "Xander!" Someone yelled from outside the car. The two of them jerked apart and Xander looked up in shock. And then realization hit him. "Buffy! She's in trouble! Buffy!" He opened the door and was about to get out to look around when Buffy and Willow came racing up to the door, decidely out of breath. "God, we've been looking everywhere for you two." Then she frowned, "Oh, sorry about interrupting and all.." Buffy said quickly. "Not at all. What can we do for you, Buffy?" Cordelia chirped. Buffy gave her a strange look and then blew it off. "We wanted to tell you guys that we wouldn't be meeting you at the Bronze. We're gonna go catch Grease down at the park. You wanna come with?" "We'd love to. After all, I've got to celebrate winning a bet." Cordelia said with a smile. Xanders' eyes widened, "Oh no...that doesn't..oh man...oh man.." He looked up at Buffy and then whimpered, "I'm gonna kill you." *** "Stop crying so much, Xander...you're gonna cause your fur to tangle even more than it is," Willow ordered as she ran the brush through the bright pink hair. Buffy laughed and turned away from them. "I'm gonna..go..get something to drink..and a camera." Buffy said with a grin as she retreated out of the room. Five steps out, she practically collapsed against the wall, hysterical with laughter. "Something funny, honey?" Joyce Summers asked as she stepped into the hallway, an oversized suitcase under her arm. "Oh, just the big pink guy on my bed." Buffy replied, trying desperately to keep a straight face and failing miserably. Joyce lifted an eyebrow, "Buffy..be nice to Xander. He's a boy and has a fragile ego." "Mom, he's a big rabbit. If that were me..*you'd* be harassing *me* mercilessly. Admit it." Joyce smiled. "Just remember, he won't be in that suit forever." "I know. Twenty-four hours is long enough." Buffy replied with an evil gleam in her eye. "Buffy, be good. I'll be out of town tonight and tommorow night. I don't want to come home to find pink bunny hair all over my house because you drove Xander to..bunny-a-cide." "Funny, mom." Buffy quipped. She leaned forward and kissed her mom on the cheek. "Have a good time and be careful. You never know what kind of blood- suckers there might be out there." Then she smiled as if she'd just remembered something, "I mean art collectors..you know..bad men with stupid..I'm shutting up now..I love you, mom." "I love you too, Buffy." Joyce replied. "But you are a strange girl." Buffy nodded, "That's me, mom...weirdness girl." Then she rolled her eyes, grabbed the camera off of the table in the hallway and retreated back into her bedroom where Willow was trying to help Xander put on his costumes' head. "Wow, Xand..you are...so hot. Can I sit on your lap?" Buffy asked with a grin. He shot her a dirty look. "That's Santa Claus, Buffy." Willow reminded her. "Hold still, Xander..this is tricky..your ears are too big." "Oh that's great..first I have to wear this ridiculous costume because I tried to be savior boy for the two of you.." "Whatever." Both the girls said at once. Then they looked at each other and giggled. Xander rolled his eyes, "And now I'm taking friendly fire. All I can say is that pay-back is a bitch." "Just as long as you believe that," Buffy replied. Then she broke out into a giant smile, "Hey Xand, do your folks know that their little boy is a cute little bunny rabbit." "That's it, Slayer..you're going down!" Xander yelled as he jumped at her. Had she not been laughing so hard, she would have been able to easily avoid him. As it were, he tackled her to the floor and they began to wrestle. Willow watched with amusement until she saw Xander manage to pin Buffy with one of his rabbit paws. Buffy struggled to push him off but her laughter was causing quite a problem and it didn't help that his costume was difficult to manipulate. With a wicked gleam in her eye, Willow jumped on his back and pulled him off while he cried foul. Buffy rolled out from under him and grabbed at the camera sitting on the chair. "Smile," she chirped as she snapped the picture. Xander howled in indignation and Willow dismounted, grinning cheek to cheek. "Wow, Will..I already know the perfect place at school to put this pic." Xanders' face flushed bright red, "You wouldn't dare..." "Bet me," Buffy said with a laugh. "You be good or I'll tell Giles that you're the one that had him summoned to the faculty room two nights ago because you wanted to come party with us." Xander shot back. Buffy narrowed her eyes at him,"It's not over yet, Thumper" Willow giggled and then cleared her thraot, "Uh guys, I hate to interrupt your little black-mail party but Xander is due at the mall in ten minutes." "Yup, yup," Buffy said, "So ya better hop to it." "You're killing me," he replied dryly. "Really, truly. You're killing me here." *** "Where is he?" Willow asked as she tried to gaze out the doorway towards Cordelia's car. She knew Xander was around there but she sure couldn't see him. "He's hunched down in the seat so that the little kids don't see him. I guess I could have told him that there's a changing room at the mall but that would have taken all the fun out of it." "And it would have been the nice thing to do." "He lost the right to me being nice.. whatever that means..when he lost the bet. He's in my world now." Cordelia grinned. "Oh hey, are you and Buffy gonna meet us down at the mall? I don't think this is something you should miss." "We'll be there. Buffy is up to something. He should be afraid. Very afraid. I don't trust her when she gets that look in her eye and she's still wanting to get him back for giving her that trick ink pen." Cordelia grinned wickedly, "Oh I know what she's up to and it's evil. And I like it. Speaking of Buffy...where is she?" "Oh," Willow said, sombering up, "She's in the bedroom talking to Angel." *** "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly, her fingers intertwining with the phone cord. "Better," he replied. "My head's clearer. I..I feel better." "Does that mean you're coming home soon?" Buffy asked with hope slipping into her voice. She hadn't wanted to let him know how much she missed him but that was only slightly impossible. "Buffy.." "Please." She said quickly. There was a long beat of silence and then she added softly, "I want you here." "I know...I know..I just...I don't think we can go back." "I don't want to go back, Angel..I want to go forward..I just want it to be with you." She could almost see him smile and it caused her too. "We'll talk." Angel replied. "Yeah..when you come back...maybe tonight. Afterall...you wouldn't want to miss Xander the Easter Bunny." "Excuse me?" Angel laughed. Buffy smiled, happy to hear his joy, "Oh, it's a pretty funny story." *** "Hey, hey, hey." Buffy called out as she and Willow approached Oz in the mall. He was standing with his back to the glass display window of the music shop on the bottom floor watching the Easter display. Willow and Oz greeted each other with a kiss and Buffy beamed at her friend's apparent joy. It was good to see Will getting what she wanted. Both of her best buds deserved happiness and now they were getting it. "Hey ladies, you're missing all the festivities. Some little kid just asked Xander if the Easter bunny has sex with Mrs. Easter bunny." Oz said with a grin. "What did he say?" Willow asked, laughing as she saw Xander kneel down and talk with some rudy faced little kid who insisted on pulling on Xanders' rabbit whiskers. ""Only when she unlocks him," Oz replied. "Cordelia just about had a fit. It was pretty funny. I was amused." "I would have been." Buffy put in, looking at Willow. The hacker nodded her agreement. "It would have been mirth-worthy." "So, what's this big scheme you got up your sleeve?" Oz asked. "Oh...you'll see," Buffy grinned. Then she looked at Willow, "Hey Will, did you bring the carrots? Xander-Rabbit looks hungry." TBC.......FEEDBACK PLEASE - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: That Was The Day 2/2 Date: 01 Feb 1998 06:54:10 EST Title: That Was The Day 2/2 By: Alex Queirolo Genre: Typical Buffy/humor Spoilers: Surprises & Innocence, Phases Distribution:Anya's and mine. Eventually. Mine is: http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html Feedback: Yes, please! Summary: Um...Buffy, Cordelia, Xander,Willow, Oz, rabbits and bets. *** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place after my story "I Will Survive" and therefore adheres to the events of that piece. In the Buffy scheme of things, it takes place after "Phases" but then promptly procedes to split off from the time- stream that is Joss Whedon's. It makes the assumptions that Cordelia and Xander are still together as are Oz and Willow and that through time, Buffy and Angel can begin to rebuild their relationship. Time-wise, it takes place around Easter which would be a couple months after the events of the previously mentioned story. CONTENT WARNING: This should contain nothing that is too objectionable except for the fact that I'm trying humor instead of angst. That could be traumatic for all involved. Actual contents include brief sexual situations, a tad bit of language, a slight smidgen of angst(I tried..honestly I did but I couldn't get away from it completely) and a whole lot of insanity. So damn the man and rock and roll. DISCLAIMER: The characters seen on the show BUFFY belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. He is my yoda and such. Any that I create belong to me and I am their god. Ya dig? I mean no infringement, just pointless lunacy. The title of this piece is taken off of the THREESOME album and is by THE THE. The musical quote is by BIRDBRAIN and is lifted from the original SCREAM album. Have fun. *** Xander peered out through the screened eyes of the costume and to his horror he saw them there. Willow. Oz. And Buffy. And oh God, she was up to something. He saw her take a plastic bag from Willow and start to approach and his heart began to pound. He didn't have long to contemplate it however before he felt a savage tugging on his whiskers. Looking down he saw a little boy searching through the pocket of his rabbit overalls. Well at least he was a bunny with dignity. "Can I help you little boy?" Xander asked into the voice changer. Appparenty Mr.Chase didn't think his voice sounded very bunnyish. Talk about adding insult to injury. "Eggs," the kid growled, grabbing the front of the overalls. "Where are my damn eggs? Didn't get none last year. Mom said ya screwed me over. Want my damn eggs, Mr. Bunny." Xanders' eyes widened. Oh this was great. Insult. Injury. Buffy. Cordelia. Willow. Oz. Psycho kid. Go team go. "How about a nice carrot?" A voice asked from above the kid. Xander looked up and saw Buffy standing there with a bag full of carrots. His first instinct was to groan at the obvious pun. "Get real, lady...I want my damn eggs." "How about I give you five bucks and you go buy your own eggs," Buffy replied in a sweet tone that told Xander if the kid didn't take the money, she was gonna go Slayer on the tike. Xander sighed and decided that it was a good thing that it wasn't Buffy who'd lost the bet. On the other hand..Buffy in a bunny suit woulda been priceless no matter what the attitude. "I guess so. Let's see the fundage, lady." The kid replied through narrowed eyes. Buffy rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket and pulled out a five. The kid snatched it from her, examined it carefully while she watched in awe and then turned to Xander, "Your mistress got you off the hook this time, rabbit-boy but you'd better deliver next time or I'm telling the Mrs. about her." And then he stalked off. Xander turned to Buffy, "You see what I've been putting up with all day. Little kids who use my whiskers..my poor precious whiskers for tissue paper. Try to grab my tail and eat my ears...it's hell, Buffy...hell.." "Yeah..Xand..I think you're becoming way too attached to that costume. Maybe you should take off the head and let some air get to your brain." "Oh no, no, no. I know what you're up to...you and Cordelia both. Wherever she is. You're planning bad things for me. I think I'm safer in here." "Whatever you say, Xander." Buffy said with a grin. Then she reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a carrot, "Hungry?" He groaned and grabbed the carrot and jabbed it at his heart. "Buffy, the bunny-rabbit Slayer..ack..." "Oh my God, mommy! Mr. Rabbit is commiting suicide!" A little girl walking by yelled. Xander swiveled his head and let the carrot drop to the ground. He looked at Buffy for help but she was leaning against the wall of his "rabbit-house" laughing so hard that she was practically crying. "Oh God," she managed between giggles, "What I wouldn't give for a video camera." *** "Is that Alexander Harris? Betsy, is that Xander Harris?" a teenaged girl asked her friend as they approached the area where the Easter display Mr. Chase was sponsoring was set up. "Oh my God...it is...Paula...look..Xander Harris is the Easter bunny." Betsy cried out as she grabbed another friend. Xander felt his face flush deep red beneath the mask. How the hell did they know? And then as he watched the crowd of high-schoolers grow, his eyes settled on the culprits; Buffy and Cordelia leaning against the display wall of the music store watching with matching grins. Oh..they were so going to die. And then, almost as if they knew he was looking at them, they both lifted their hands and waved. And then Cordelia blew him a kiss. He scanned to the left and saw Willow and Oz watching with large grins on their faces and suddenly he realized what was going on. He'd been set up. From the beginning. Buffy and Cordelia had planned it all out and Willow had at least known about it. Ambushed. They'd played the ultimate prank on him from start to finish. Well so they thought, he vowed. It ain't over yet. And then Buffy winked at him and raised a carrot up to eye level so that he could see her wave it around. And then she lowered it and took a bite. That was the last thing he saw before the sea of high-schoolers descended upon him, demanding to get their pictures taken with Mr. Easter Bunny. Ooh...they were so going to die. *** "I think pink is a good color for you," Cordelia assured him as she helped him lift off the rabbit head. He groaned as the head stuck coming over his head. "Right," he muttered. "One of them peed on me. Another one clipped my whiskers.I'm whisker-less. Mr.Bunny has no whiskers and how am I supposed to know if I can fit through a door..if I get trapped it's gonna be all your guys' fault." "But you're so cute..so kissably cute. And it's not like he peed on you..he got your overalls. We can just strip those off and throw them in the washer." Cordelis reminded him as she leaned forward and kissed his nose. "Oh wonderful, now I'm a naked pink rabbit without whiskers," Xander replied. "Actually it's kinda sexy...in a barbaric strange kinda way. Okay, its not but you were such a good sport that I'll humor you and say you're sexy." "Oh I'm touched," Xander responded sarcastically. "Oh hey, let's make this evening complete, we can finish chewing off my bunny ears. Sure, they're not chocolate but those little kids sure liked them anyways." "Oh cheer up, it's over and you survived." "No thanks to you and Buffy. The whole school is gonna knoew about this. My reputation is shot. I'm gonna forever be known as Xander the Pink Bunny." "I know this is hard to believe but this is actually an improvement over your old reputation," Cordelia replied. "Good to know I always have your support. When did you and Buffy become chummy enough to plot against me? I kinda liked it when you weren't..it was less painful for me." She shrugged,"I don't know what your complaining about..you were a hit with the kids. Daddy wants you to work the next two weeks up until Easter." "Uh uh..hell no..no way..Tarakan bugs couldn't make me...no way...I don't even want to know what evil things you and Buffy could do to me in two weeks worth of time. As of tonight, I am this demented rabbit no more. I'm just fine with being plain Xander." Cordelia grinned,"I think I could convince you." And then she wrapped her arms around him and pushed him back against the inside wall of the rabbit-house. *** "Ugh..I got to still do a sweep of the cemetary," Buffy groaned as she munched on the remaining carrots. She'd bought about twelve and then handed out all but three to high-schoolers who had used them to torment poor Xander. At one point Buffy had almost felt bad enought to step in and save him but then she'd gotten a mental flash of the white shirt he'd ruined with that damn trick ink pen. That'd been enough for her to decide that his pain was justified. Willow had been harder to convince. At one point she'd had to physically restrain Willow from running to Xanders' aide. At another time she'd had to convince Oz to take Willow on a tour of the malls' computer shop. A few minutes in cyber- nerd land had cured Will of her desire to help Xander. "But we'll meet you at the Bronze afterwards, right?" Willow asked, taking a carrot from Buffy. "Yup. I am so the party girl tonight,"Buffy replied cheerfully. "And I'm not gonna wait out here forever for them. Ten minutes, no show, no stake. No bad. That's the way I see it anyways. And if Giles ask, then I can answer truthfully that I did run a sweep." "Argue semantics, that's good." "No, no, Will...I'm just giving Giles a slight misrepresentation of the acknowledged facts. Not semantics at all, just a different way of saying it." "That's semantics." "Well okay, if you have to be stubborn about it," Buffy pouted. Then she grinned, "Angel might come home tonight. I'm hoping." Willow smiled, "I hope so..that would be so neat..it'd be like couples night." She squealed and reached forward and grabbed her friends' hands. "Uh guys," Oz said from behind them."There's um, uh...bad men who haven't seen a dentist in awhile behind you. Could you, uh..do that cool dusting thing you do, Buffy?" Buffy spun and scowled at the three approaching vamps,"Oh you just had to be jerks about it. Oh well, might as well do my job..feel happy about myself and raise my average." "You're funny, Slayer." One of the vamps growled. "But did you hear the one about Arkanasas? Turns out they found a new use for sheep...wool." Buffy's eyebrow jumped upwards, "Oh great..a comedian. Figures. You, my friend, will be stand-up funny to kill. Oh hey..I made a joke. I da chick." And with that she spun around and kicked the comedian vampire in the chest. Oz looked over at Willow and pointed to the bushed. "There are more." "Oh shit!" she yelled. She gave him an apologetic and shy smile when she saw his stunned expression, "We need back-up. I'll go for Xander and Cordelia." "I get to fight." He nodded his head and grinned. "Right on." "Be careful." She warned as she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on mouth. He watched her go and then he jumped at one of the vampires. *** "Okay, this pink thing really has to go," Cordelia muttered between kisses as she worked desperately on the zipper of the costume. Xander growled and looked at her. "I've been trying for only the last ten minutes. The damn thing is jammed. Maybe if we turned on the light.." "No," she said quickly, "Kissing's okay..it's just weird feeling fur under my fingers." "It's your fault," he shot back as he kissed her again. "Uh huh," she whispered. Of course that was when the door flew open. Both Xander and Cordelia jumped upwards and stared. "Will?" Xander exlaimed. "What the?" "Buffy's in trouble...she needs our help." Willow said quickly. She gave Xander a once over and then said, "You don't have time to change. You're gonna have to fight as Mr.Easter Rabbit." "Oh great," Xander muttered, "Now I'm gonna have to take abuse from vampires. This is so not my day." And then he followed the two girls out of the rabbit- house muttering something about whiskers and nude pink bunnies. *** His hand collided with her face and she stumbled back a few steps before spinning around into a kick that knocked him to his back. She jumped atop him and reached for something to stake him with. What she came up with suprisingly orange. "You're gonna kill me with a carrot, Slayer? Now look who's the comedian!" the funny vamp laughed as he reached out and grabbed her hair and pulled it. "Hello! I just conditioned that today!" She cried angrily as she pulled back and smashed him in the nose. He howled in pain. "You brokt my nowse, now how da hewl am I gunna tewl jokes?" He complained, putting his hand over the bloody cartilage. She gave him a dry look and then reached back and grabbed a piece of wood off of the ground, "Don't worry,I'll pick up the slack. Sweet dreams, laughing boy." She thrust it into him. To her horror she heard a loud noise that resembled what Xander sounded like after eating too much Taco Bell. Wide-eyed, Buffy watched as the vampire dusted and a whoopee cushion fell to the ground. She shook her head and then jumped up to assist Oz who was actually handling himself quite well. Giles had surmised that Oz had gained a few of his werewolf like traits. Just the same, he was no Slayer. "I got him..oof!" Buffy cried as another one kicked her from behind. She fell forward stake extended and took out the vamp that Oz had been fighting. Oz nodded. "Cool." "Why thank you," she grinned, spinning to deal with the last remaining vamp. Of course he was the one that had to be the pain in the ass about becoming dust. "Would you just..oof...die...already?" she asked in exasperation as she dodged his Jackie Chan like kicks. He spoke in some foreign language, hurling a whole line of dialogue at her that just flew past her head. Hell, maybe he was Jackie Chan. "Buffy!" Xander cried as he, Cordelia and Willow came into the clearing. Buffy turned ever-so-slightly to see her new arrivals and instantly knew she shouldn't have. Kung-fu boy was just too good. She hit the dirt with a thump and groaned as he placed his foot on her chest, pointed and yelled a bunch of unintelligible things at her. Great, she thought, I'm gonna die without even knowing what the hell my killer is saying to me. He pushed his foot harder against her chest and she felt the air seeping from her lungs. Then she heard Xander scream "No!" and Kung-Fu boy glanced at him. And then he stopped dead in place. Staring at Xander in his bright pink bunny suit. Buffy would have laughed if she had the oxygen to.Instead she used Kung-Fu boys' dazed state to flip him and change positions. She climbed on his chest and placed the stake to his heart, "Didn't your mom ever tell you? It's not nice to stare. Even if he is a naked pink rabbit without a head." And then with a predatory grin, she dusted him. She stood up and coughed a couple times to get the air circulating again and then she reached over and gave Xander a hug. "You are so the man..er..rabbit. Whatever." "It's cool, Buff..just doing my job and making the world safe for poor saps like me who get ambushed by their best friends..." "Okay, we get it Put-Upon-Boy. You're abused." Cordelia muttered. "Can we please get out of these woods..leaves are sticking to me and that is so...ewww." "Yeah..wouldn't want to have to make you actually wash your clothes yourself," Buffy teased with a smile from ear to ear. Then she sighed, "Let's blow the Bronze tonight and tank it at my place. I got lotsa food..mom stocked up." Then she smirked at Xander. "And lotsa carrots for the cute little rabbit who saved my life." *** "It's not coming off,"Willow finally said, looking up at him and trying hard not to laugh. She wasn't doing so well. "Then rip it off. Come on..I gotta get outta this thing!" Xander cried out desperately. "I mean I got a zipper..you know...but come on...just rip it..who cares.." "Don't rip it!" Cordelia yelled, coming into the room with Buffy at her heels. Buffy was carrying a tray filled with two pints of ice-cream and soda cans. "Come on..it's a rabbit..it's not alive. It's not even real fur and frankly it's chaffing my butt." "You're not wearing clothes under there?" Buffy asked in amazement. And then she held up her hands, "You know what? Nevermind...I don't actually want to know the answer to that..it just kinda popped out." "Well I do. You..are...wearing clothes under there, right?" Cordelia asked. "Boxers. My jeans wouldn't fit. Now Buffy would you please use your almighty Slayer powers and rip this damn thing off of me." "Sounds kinda kinky." Buffy replied, lifting an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know why you're asking Buffy to rip a pink rabbit suit off of you?" a soft voice said from Buffy's window. They all turned at once and Buffy's eyes went wide. "Angel!" Buffy all but squealed as she propelled herself into his arms. He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her and accepted her fiery kisses. "Aw," Willow said excitedly, "Big smoochies." "Yeah, yeah," Xander growled. "Great. Hello, Buffy..me..bunny suit..you..Slayer...come on?" "Oh, she can't." Cordelia told him, staying away from making eye contact with him. "Uh, what? When you say she can't..you mean because she's super-glued to Angel at the moment, right?" "No, I mean that costume is worth over five hundred dollars. You can't rip it. You'll have to wait until morning when we can take it into the shop to have it removed." Cordelia replied. Xanders' eyes went wide, "Oh no...no no...I am not wearing this...this..rabbit all night long." He looked at Buffy. "Please..I'm begging you." She looked at Cordelia and her face contorted as she tried desperately not to laugh. Unable to stop, she turned back to Angel and pushed her face against his chest until the giggles subsided. "I can't help you, Xand. Sorry." "This is wrong." Angel laughed, "I feel for you, man." Then he shook his head and looked at Buffy. Softening his voice he murmured, "I just wanted to stop by and see you. This is your time with them. We'll talk later." "Are you sure? I mean.." "I'm sure." He leaned forward and kissed her and then he whispered into her ear, "I love you." He started to back away and then he leaned forward again and said, "Don't keep him in that outfit too long..he looks like an idiot." "I know," she replied wickedly. And then just like that he was gone. She sighed and turned back to the others. "Lets us..party?" "Please?" Xander protested again. This time he didn't miss the look that passed between all of the girls. Oz, of course, looked utterly lost and out of the loop. Will was wearing a sympathetic look...she'd be his champion.And then she shook her head and Cordelia and Buffy nodded. They were discreet, subtle movements but Xander already knew something was up. "Sorry, Xand." Buffy replied. "Wanna bowl of ice-cream? It's carrot flavored." "I'm gonna get you for this, Buffy. Gonna get all of you." Xander promised. then he looked down at himself. "Just as soon as I'm not...pink...anymore." Cordelia started laughing then and couldn't seem to stop. Buffy and Willow watched her in amusement knowing full well that the game was up. "Um, am I missing something?"Oz asked. That got Willow rolling and Buffy began to cackle. Cordelia crossed over to Xander and reached down to his leg. He jumped as she moved her hand to his inner thigh and found the zipper for his crotch. Eyes wide, he tried to say something but all that came out were sounds of disbelief. And then she pulled a hidden zipper up and the outfit split in two. "Nice boxers," she said with a smile. Buffy nodded, trying to be serious, "Very manly..those...rabbits." That was all it took for all three of the girls to lose it again. Xander and Oz exchanged confused looks and then sat on Buffy's bed at the same time. Oz offered Xander a bowl of ice-cream which he took and then they sat back to watch. All the while not having a clue about what was going on. And when they finally managed to calm for a few seconds to catch a breath, it was Cordelia who moved forward and whispered, "Happy April Fools' Day, Xander." -FIN..........FEEDBACK PLEASE!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: I Will Survive Date: 01 Feb 1998 11:46:50 -0500 Alex- Extremely well done! Expressive writing, unbelievable angst, and (yeah!) a happy ending!!!! =) Made me smile! -Ingrid _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Volume 2, #23 Date: 01 Feb 1998 11:50:05 -0500 Anyone out there who can help- I got digest number 24, but for some reason i didn't get number 23. Can anyone forward me a copy? It would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! -Ingrid _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Vapthorne Subject: BUFFYFIC: Proofreaders needed. Date: 01 Feb 1998 15:15:00 -0500 Hi, I looking for people willing to proofread my upcoming chapters for grammar mistakes. If any are interested, e-mail me off-list. :) Vapthorne ---------- NuRPG: Jasper and Aria Cardea: Mercury Author of "Sins of the Mother" -BtVS Fanfic ffff,0000,ffff Keeper of the following: Buffy's first day in Sunnydale Buffy's Vampire form (from Nightmares) Ethan's broken statue of Janus ***** "Only in a mad world, are the mad sane." -Akira Kurosawa - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (15/?) by Ingrid Date: 01 Feb 1998 16:41:03 -0500 First things First… DISCLAIMER: To my great despair, I don’t own Buffy or any of her friends. They belong to an evil man named Joss, and an evil network known as The WB. Just don’t sue me, okay guys? SUMMARY: Where we left off with Buffy and Angel… the "cliffhanger," if you will. This one's pretty sad. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, mail me (Ingrid29@juno.com) and ask me for them. If you don’t…well I don’t need *you* either. Here it is! Enjoy! WARNING: Fairly graphic description of blood & guts. I try to be tasteful. Et je commence… *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" (15/?) by Ingrid *** "Forgive my grief for one removed, thy creature whom I found so fair. I trust he lives in thee, and there I find him worthier to be loved." -In Memoriam, Alfred Lord Tennyson *** Willow sauntered into the library, hoping she wasn’t interrupting anything too steamy, but she had to get that book for her history assignment. She froze when she caught sight of the scene in the library. Pale ashes covered the blood stained floor, and broken glass lay all about. Splintered remains left the banister looking like a hideous weapon. There, in the center of it all, a blood- soaked Buffy lay next to a motionless Angel. Her pale hair was dyed crimson and Angel’s shoulder had all but been ripped off. Her screams were so loud that her own ears seemed to shatter, phantom blood flowing from her brain. Xander, Giles and Cordelia came rushing into the room, only to halt in horror at the vision before them. Giles was the first to run to Buffy’s side, and Willow was quick after him. Xander and Cordelia looked on from afar, holding each other in what little comfort they could offer. Giles looked at them and dropped his head. Certainly they would have wanted to die this way, together. Through the bloody mess, Giles could almost make out a peaceful expression on Buffy’s face, with her arm wrapped loosely around the only hope in her hellish world. He too, wore a calm face, almost as if he were smiling at her. Giles began to shake. He sat down hard, and stared listlessly ahead. This meant another slayer had- "NO!" The thunderous sound scared even Giles. Cordelia jumped and buried her head in Xander’s shoulder. Ever practical Willow just watched, completely stunned as he fled from the room. *But wait. Had he even-* She touched Buffy’s neck. Something was coursing through the veins, and strongly, too. "Giles!" she screamed, and seconds later he was racing back into the room. "Buffy’s Alive!" She touched Angel. "And he is too!" we’ve got to get an ambulance! Xander didn’t hesitate is racing for Giles’ office. In moments, he came back out. "They’re coming," he informed them, and flew out the door. Willow had no concept of time or space as she sat huddled in the corner watching the paramedics lift the two unconscious bodies onto stretchers and carry them out. It wasn’t fair, screamed the voice inside her. After all they’d been through, for it to end like this. She twisted her long hair around her finger, unconscious of the pain she might have felt. Buffy… what had she ever done to- Xander appeared behind her, patting her back gently. "Will? You wanna go home now?" His question was little more than a breath in her ear. She nodded, but said nothing, standing up numbly and following him to his car. Giles waited in the hospital lobby, pacing hurriedly, as if he was attempting to go somewhere. He said silent prayers for them even as he dammed himself for giving up. For abandoning her, whom he was supposed to protect. But now, he couldn’t protect her. He could only wait and helplessly, foolishly hope. *** END, PART 15. "We have but faith: we cannot know; For knowledge is of things we see; And yet we trust it comes from thee, A beam in darkness: let it grow." -Tennyson, *I.M.* _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: NuPhalanx@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (15/?) by Ingrid Date: 01 Feb 1998 20:14:37 EST Hi! Can you send me parts 1-14 of this, please? Thanks! cordially, Mike Z. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Lml1996@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Proofreaders needed. Date: 01 Feb 1998 21:45:48 EST In a message dated 98-02-01 15:28:11 EST, you write: << rorhoad@ibm.net >> - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: I Will Survive Date: 01 Feb 1998 22:52:12 EST Ingrid, Glad to be of service. Did you like the other one That Was the Day? Thanks again, Alex - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Guttilla Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: I Will Survive Date: 01 Feb 1998 22:23:27 -0600 Hey! I loved both of your stories! I have a small fanfiction site and was wondering if you'd mind if I'd post them? If you want to check it out before you decide its here: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/3586/fanfic.html And check out the rest of my site too. Jen(AngelsSoul):} reply to angelssoul@hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: #23 Date: 01 Feb 1998 23:24:41 -0500 Anyone- Please, please tell me if you got issue number 23. If no one got it, I'll have to repost part of my story! If you did get it, and you're willing to help, please forward me a copy. Thank you. =) -Ingrid _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Guttilla Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: I Will Survive Date: 01 Feb 1998 22:24:30 -0600 Sorry I didn't mean to send it the list! Jen - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pndora17@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: question Date: 02 Feb 1998 08:57:10 EST how do I unsubscribe? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: Even the Score (1/1) Date: 02 Feb 1998 09:48:55 EST Hi Guys! I was reading yet another story where Angelus wreaks havoc on Buffy's mental state and I said no more! It's time Buffy shook up Angelus' world a bit. Here's my take on it. Now keep in mind, I wrote this in 20 minutes and where I am, it's really late. It's rough and I think it may need work. So help me out. And if you like it, I may write a second part. TITLE: Even The Score AUTHOR: Aramat EMAIL: Aramat330@aol.com SPOILERS: Innocence RATING: PG SUMMARY: Buffy evens the score DIST: Ask and you'll recieve. After I edit. DISC: The characters are property of Joss Whedon and the WB. FEEDBACK: Please, I beg you. I need it. Even the Score She smiled when she saw him. As he strolled across the room to her she felt a spark of desire for who he used to be, a spark of love for the one he'd replaced. She didn't try to ignore it. Turning her back was how she'd gotten to this point to begin with. She was not ignoring her feelings anymore. And she was going to make sure he didn't ignore his. She waited patiently as he took his time meeting her. She knew it was all part of the game. Keep her waiting, make her sweat. All designed to break her down. It wasn't working this time. This time she had a plan of her own. "You're prompt," she said when he reached her finally. "I like that." He smiled, amused at her words. "I'm glad I could make you happy," he replied his voice deep and smooth. He took a step toward her. "So, why the meeting?" "I wanted to see you," she answered matter-of-factly. She smiled when he raised an eyebrow in quesiton. "Is that so hard to believe?" He nodded. "A little," he answered with a shrug. "But who am I to question how you feel?" "True." She took a step toward him. "Take my hand." He was confused. She saw it in his eyes. It pleased her. He wasn't the only one who could be unpredictable. But along with confusion there was curiousity. He wanted to know what was going on. He obeyed her command, taking her hand in his. He pulled her closer and their bodies were touching. He leaned down, his mouth only inches from hers. "Are we entering the game now, Buffy?" he asked softly. With her hand still in his, he wrapped his arms around her body, trapping her arm behind her back. Buffy felt a moments pain, but she ignored it. She had him where she wanted him. Looking deep into his eyes she shook her head. "Not yet," she answered. "Just taking what I want. And learning a few things along the way." Then slowly, she stretched up and placed her lips on his. There was a pause, and his surprise was clear, but after a second he responded to her lips. Gently he kissed her and she opened up to him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth engaging hers in battle. But Buffy fought strong. Without taking her mouth from his she slammed Angelus into a wall, pinning him hard against it. He groaned softly, as the pain registered, but he didn't stop kissing her. And she didn't stop kissing him. It was only when it was obvious she had to breath did they seperate. She took a moment to catch her breath before she pulled away from him. They stood there watching and waiting to see who would make the first move. It was Buffy who spoke first. "I called you here because I had something to tell you." One second she was standing there looking up at him, the next she was pinned to the wall exactly the way he'd been moments before. "So tell," he said, his voice cold and lethal. He was angry. She liked that. "I just wanted to let you know, you and Angel have two things in common." "Do we really?" he asked in amusement. "Mind filling me in." She nodded. "One, you both want me," she said boldly. "And while they may be for different reasons, the song is still the same. You want me. You need me." His eyes darkened with anger but he didn't bother to deny it, he couldn't. "What's the other thing?" he asked impatiently, suddenly eager for this to be over. Buffy smiled broadly, her eyes reflecting nothing as she looked at him. With a speed that surprised him, Buffy pushed Angelus away from her. While he was still off balance her foot connected with his abdomen and he fell to his knees. She grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to look into her eyes. "The other thing is I'll be the downfall of you both." She leaned forward, placing one more kiss to his lips before punching him, knocking him unconcious. Pushing him away from her, she watched as his body fell to the ground. She picked up her leather jacket from the arm of the chair and slipped it on. With one last look at Angelus' body she walked to the door. Just before she left she whispered two more words. "Game's tied." The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Okay, let me know what you think. If it made absolutely no sense to you at all, tell me. That's why I begged for feedback. I know what's going on, and I want to know if you don't. So, everyone, send those emails! Fill my inbox with feedback. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: DISCUSS: BUFFYFIC: Even the Score (1/1) Date: 02 Feb 1998 08:51:41 PST >Okay, let me know what you think. If it made absolutely no sense to you >at all, tell me. That's why I begged for feedback. I know what's going on, >and I want to know if you don't. So, everyone, send those emails! Fill my >inbox with feedback. Whoa... The Black Fire ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (16/?) by Ingrid Date: 02 Feb 1998 20:07:44 -0500 First is the worst… DISCLAIMER: The characters of Buffy, Giles, Angel, Xander, Willow, Cordy, Spike and Dru, and anyone else I forgot to mention belong to Joss Whedon and the WB. SUMMARY: Takes place day and a half after the last part. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. Here’s Johnny! *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" Part the Sixteenth *** "When we are born, we cry that we are come To this great stage of fools." --King Lear *** Pale starchy sheets scratched at Buffy’s cheeks as she turned her face up to the light. She was lying in a hospital bed, she realized as she got her bearings. It all came rushing back, and her head throbbed with the memory of it. Wounds near her face and neck were nearly healed- being the slayer, she had that ability, but there was someone who didn’t. The aching emptiness of the room scared her. There was nothing- no word of him, no sign, not even a feeling inside her that told her. There was only a gut-wrenching knot in her stomach that nothing could allay except the knowledge that *he* had survived. *And what if he hadn’t,* her mind railed, almost driving her to the edge. But no. She wouldn’t even go there until she knew. Giles- Giles could tell her. But where was he? A nurse entered the room, perfunctorily checking the stats on the monitor next to Buffy’s bed. When she realized that Buffy was awake, she did a double take. "How could- So soon after- My! How are you feeling?" "Not so bad. But if I’m allowed visitors…" "Oh! Of course! That teacher who’s been waiting around here for so long. Sure. I’ll go get him. You’re sure you feel aright?" "Yeah. Do you know anything about the man they brought in with me? He was attacked too." The nurse raised her eyebrows. "I haven’t seen anyone who’s been attacked here but you. But I have only been on watch today." The knot tightened. "Okay, thanks." A few moments later Giles came rushing into the room. The supposedly unemotional Brit. gathered her up into a warm hug. Buffy was surprised, but Giles’ presence alone was reassuring enough to help her focus reality. Giles Pulled up a chair next to the bed eagerly, and begin a little monologue. "Buffy, I was so worried. The way we found you… I’m just so glad you’re aright-" Buffy smiled, but the tension in the pit of her stomach seemed to rise and fall as if she were on a roller coaster, her fragile soul being jerked about violently. "Giles?" She interrupted him. The words were pathetic. Pleading. Like a child asking a question that could only kill her. But she had to know. "Angel. Is he-" Giles sighed and pulled at his suit jacket. "Buffy, he’s in critical condition. Not only was he mauled by one of the strongest existing vampires in the world, but he was weak from becoming human." "But he’s gonna be okay, right?" Buffy almost wanted a lie. Almost. "They don’t know Buffy. He lost a lot of blood." Before she knew where it was coming from, a sob wracked her body and she buried her face in the uncomfortable pillow. She could almost feel her heart break in that moment. All she could think was *I can’t go on if-* Friendly tears were quick to offer their comfort, but the wetness that slid down her cheeks only cemented the reality she now faced. Giles stood and walked out uncomfortably, knowing she had to be alone, yet unwilling to leave her. Buffy breathed deeply, strength growing with the air in her lungs. She swallowed her grief and resolved to wait. It was all she could do. All there was left to do. She slept. *** END, PART 16 Comments? Questions? Write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: NuPhalanx@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: All Alone in the Night Part 3/5 Date: 03 Feb 1998 10:45:45 EST TITLE: All Alone in the Night AUTHOR: NuPhalanx (Mike Z.) EMAIL ADDRESS: NuPhalanx@aol.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya and Zandarah. Others please ask. FEEDBACK: All comments/CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is greatly appreciated RATING: PG-13 DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of this. The story is my idea; I'm just borrowing certain characters and situations from Joss Whedon's BtVS. All Alone in the Night Part 3 By NuPhalanx (Mike Z.) The fog had thinned somewhat, but visibility was still poor in some areas. Angel took his time as he patrolled the streets, not finding anyone or anything. He was grateful that he had not run in to any vampires. Angel had helped Buffy slay several vampires, but it was something he really didn’t like to do. The Bronze had closed down early tonight since most of the kids had stayed home, and out of the weather. Angel made several sweeps near the warehouses adjacent to the club. The large buildings were a prime hiding place for vampires looking for unwary prey. Finding nothing, he decided to make a run out to the outlying areas of Sunnydale. Usually the vampires preferred to remain near the city, as the suburbs had fewer hiding places. However, with the heavy fog a hungry vamp might range quite far looking for a meal. Angel glanced at his watch. 11PM. With any luck, he would be finished in an hour or so, and he could resume his post outside of Buffy’s bedroom window. He would watch her through the night; to make sure no one would come along and try to fight her in her weakened state. *** Cordelia screamed as she wriggled in the man’s grasp. He winced, then used one of his hands to cover her mouth until he could get through to her. Cordelia kept squealing through his hand. "Miss, I’m not trying to hurt you! What’s wrong?" he asked, in a low, calm voice. Cordelia stopped trying to scream and looked up at him. He slowly removed the hand from her mouth. "Okay, now, tell me what’s wrong?" He was looking around, but couldn’t see anything. Cordelia sagged against him. "There’s two people chasing me. I can’t see them. Help me!" she wailed. She was trying to look over her shoulder. She couldn’t see anything moving through the fog and trees behind her. Had Marci given up? Or was she still waiting for her out there? "Okay, who’s chasing you? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" he asked, holding her at arms length while peering at some nearby trees. "I don’t see anyone," he muttered, keeping his voice low. Cordelia took the chance to look at her rescuer. The man was Caucasian, about five foot nine, with a totally bald head. He had a large, bushy mustache that hung over the corners of his mouth. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit, and was wearing hiking boots and an army field jacket. A strange looking pair of glasses was hanging off his belt. ‘Who is this guy?" she wondered. "A nature boy? Or maybe a vampire?" That thought sent a wave of panic up her body. "Could you let me go now?" she asked meekly, watching him closely. He released her and she backed off a step. She felt the back of her head where Marci had struck her. Her fingers came away sticky with half-dried blood. Grimacing, Cordelia wiped her hand off on some wet leaves. "My name is André. That’s a nasty looking cut you have on your head," he observed, carefully brushing some of her hair away from the wound. Cordelia hissed as his fingers touched a sensitive spot. "Sorry, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t bleeding." Andrea told her, looking at the top of her head. "One of these people slugged you pretty hard. How’s your head feel?" Cordelia winced as she tried to shrug. "It hurts a little. Nothing a couple of Advil can’t fix." She tried to appear calm as she glanced at some nearby undergrowth. "Um, what are you doing out here?" André smiled at her. "I’m looking for bats. They’re kind of my specialty." He motioned towards the nearby road. "Do you want to get out of here? Is your house close by?" His head was turning back and forth as he surveyed the area. "I still don’t see anybody, but it would be best if we got inside." Cordelia hesitated. This man was alone, as far as she could tell. Marci and her helper were still out here. Yet, Buffy had always told her to be careful whom you invite in to your house. That was the only way a vampire could get in. ‘What do I do now?’ she wondered, watching André closely. He was just standing there, watching her, then glancing at the trees. The silence stretched on while Cordelia debated what to do. ‘If only my head would stop throbbing,’ she thought. ‘At least there’s some other stuff at the house. I can hit this guy if he gets too frisky.’ "Look, if someone out here is after you, let’s get moving, okay?" he stated, keeping his voice low. His tone obviously said: ‘ Quit messing around.’ Cordelia was torn. Her house had been broken in to, but no one else was home and she wasn’t going anywhere else with this guy. ‘Okay, we’ll try my house." She started walking through the woods towards the road. André was right beside her, holding her arm as they maneuvered around the trees. She watched him warily as they left the treeline and headed for the road. *** No one accosted the pair as they walked up the driveway to the Chase mansion. Cordelia’s nerves were on edge. She was expecting Marci to come at her at any time. However, nothing happened. Andrea had been talking to her in a low voice the entire time. He had been asking questions about who had attacked her, and what they looked like. Cordelia wisely decided to say nothing more about Marci and her friend being invisible. Instead, she just gave a vague description of Marci. That seemed to satisfy him. She stepped up to the front door and looked around. Nothing. André gently pushed her aside and slowly opened the door. He peered around it, stepped in, then motioned for her to follow. André closed the door behind them and locked it securely. "Where’s your nearest phone?" he asked her in a whisper. "The phones weren’t working. But there’s a cell phone in the kitchen," she replied, keeping her voice low. She pointed towards a hallway. "That way." "Come on," he said, leading her further in to the house. His was obviously alert, as he kept glancing around the living room as they went through it. Cordelia was glad he was here. She managed to see his reflection in a mirror as they walked by. She sighed with relief at the thought that he wasn’t a vampire. He cautiously pushed his way through the parlor doors in to the kitchen. He whistled in appreciation when he saw the entire room. "This is a nice setup! I bet you mother likes to cook!" he enthused, examining the large food preparation area. Cordelia snorted. "Not really. She lets the cook do all the work. I don’t think she’s even turned the oven on in years." She pulled the cell phone out of its recharging socket and tried to turn it on. There was no dial tone. "Damn it, what is wrong with this thing?" she yelled in frustration. André took the phone from her and looked at the tiny LCD display. "The batteries are dead. That’s odd, considering it was plugged in to that charger." He tossed the phone on to the counter. "Okay, anything else?" he asked. Cordelia shook her head. "The other phones are out. And right now, I really don’t need this!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She started when something banged against the house. She was trembling when she looked at André. André moved closer to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. She gripped his other arm tightly. The noise didn’t repeat itself. Cordelia was breathing rapidly; her eyes were darting around the kitchen, looking for something, anything, out of place. The only thing they could hear was the sound of their own breathing. André waited for ten minutes, then slowly pried her fingers from his arm. "You’ve got a good grip. Are there any other phones in this house? Anything at all?" Cordelia frantically tried to remember. She shook her head. "No. Now what do we do?" she asked, starting to pace. ‘I still don’t trust this guy, but he hasn’t made a move yet.’ Her eyes wandered over to the rack where several large knives were stored. ‘Only if I have to,’ she thought. ‘Mom would freak if I got blood on her floor.’ "Look, show me one of the phones. Maybe I can fix it?" André asked. "Follow me," Cordelia replied, leading him to the family room. Some of the furniture had been overturned, and pieces of a lamp lay in a heap on the floor. CD’s and their cases were scattered around the room, like someone had been playing with Frisbees. Cordelia gasped as she saw the remnants of the china in its cabinet. Her mom would probably have another breakdown when she saw this. Andrea retrieved the phone from its spot on the floor and examined it closely. He went over to the nearby phone jack and looked up at Cordelia. "Do you have any tools? A sharp knife and a screwdriver would be good." He set the phone on the floor and proceeded to pull some wires out of the wall. "I think I can get this working." He smiled encouragingly at her. "I’ll get some from the utility room," Cordelia answered, relieved to be getting her phone back. She quickly left him and started looking in the small room off the kitchen. She found some tools in the second box she opened. As she made her way back, she grabbed a paring knife from the kitchen and hid it in her sock. ‘Just in case,’ she thought to herself. While Cordelia was off on her errand, André had pulled a small cellular phone out of his jacket. He glanced around to make sure that Cordelia wasn’t watching; then turned it on and punched a number in to it. He let it ring twice before he stuffed the device back in his jacket pocket. He had managed to get some of the wires untangled before Cordelia returned. André thanked her for the tools and proceeded to work on the phone. After a few minutes, he had the wires connected. It was a sloppy job, but it couldn’t be helped. "Will it work?" Cordelia asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Andrea shook his head. "Maybe. Here we go," he said, plugging the phone line in. He picked up the headset and tried to dial. A grim look spread across his face. "Nothing." He rose and gestured towards the kitchen. "I hate to be a pushy guest, but can I get something to drink?" He focused his gaze on her head and continued. "And that cut should be cleaned out." Cordelia blinked, taken aback by the question. "Sure, I guess. But what do we do about getting help?" She tried to keep her voice level. "We stay put until daylight. Then we’ll have to hike out of here. Okay?" He saw how pale her face was getting and gathered her in his arms. "Take it easy. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you." He ran a hand through her tangled hair and looked in her eyes. "Promise." Cordelia kept her body from shaking by pure force of will. ‘I’m not afraid, I’m NOT!’ she thought. "I’m glad you’re here," she whispered, breaking eye contact as she went back to the kitchen. André just stared at her as she walked away. *** Angel was near the end of his patrol. He had left the Kawasaki near the entrance to the Sunnydale Hills residential area. The Hills, as the locals called them, was an exclusive community. The families who lived out here had money, power, or both. Most of the residents reminded Angel of feudal lords. He was relishing this part of his sweep. Angel raced from place to place, using his vampiric senses to scope out the area. It felt good to be in the open, and to be hunting. He wished that Buffy could be with him. The two of them were so much alike – both enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, and the kill. He hoped that someday she would be able to accept him, all of him, including his dark side. He had just cleared a small rise when he saw them. Two figures were moving along the road below. He couldn’t make out any details in the fog, but he could sense their heartbeats. ‘Why would two people be out here at night?’ Angel wondered, dropping to a crouch to observe. He watched as the pair walked closer to a nearby house, and turned to go towards it. ‘Cordelia lives there,’ he thought. ‘This is looking strange.’ He started running, watching the two strangers as he closed the distance. *** Cordelia had brought André a soda. The two of them were in the family room, looking out through the large bay windows. Cordelia was finally starting to relax a little. The throbbing in her head had lessened, thanks to some Advil and André’s careful ministrations.. André had been the perfect gentleman. He had complimented her on the décor of the house, and had admired the Monet that hung over the fireplace. He had just started questioning her about her family when someone knocked at the front door. Cordelia’s eyes went wide with fright. Andre placed a finger on his lips and shook his head. She nodded her understanding as he took her hand and led her to the front room. "Wait here," he whispered, as he pulled a 9mm Baretta from inside his coat. "What the hell –" she started, but a stern glance from him quieted her. He crept slowly to the front door as the knocking started again. He looked back at her once, then nodded. He pulled the door open and backed away, brining the gun to bear. Two figures were standing on the front porch. "Evening, ladies," André Dulcimer said, waving Marci and Rissalla in. The two girls hustled inside and stood near him. Marci giggled at the shocked expression on Cordelia’s face. "Cordelia, let me introduce my associates." Dulcimer had a strange smile on his face. He waved his hand at Marci and Rissalla. "But then, you’ve already met. Ready to finish this, girls?" Cordelia didn’t bother to scream. She just turned and ran for the back of the house. End part 3. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: sah (by way of sah ) Subject: BUFFYFIC: ADMIN: List rules Date: 03 Feb 1998 11:24:58 -0500 Welcome! 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Jill Kirby (jtkirby@mcs.com) & sah (romana@mindspring.com) Listowners, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fiction List buffyfic@xmission.com - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "The Mistress" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nightmare At The Hellmouth (1/13) Date: 03 Feb 1998 20:46:37 EST Title:Nightmare At The Hellmouth Author: EA Karras Email address: mattacks@hotmail.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya has a different version (script format) For this version: Anya,, possibly Zandarah. Also me. Others please ask. My page is http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/1205/space.html FEEDBACK: All comments/opinions and suggestions. Rating: Maybe Between PG 13 and R Spoilers: None, that I see Disclaimers: Nightmare On Elm Street belongs to Wes Craven and New Line Cinema. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jack Mender, the premis of the Dream Slayer and Dr. Vandari belong to me. Part One - "The Nightmare Springwood 1941 John Mender locked the back door to St. Michael's Seminary, feeling quite exausted. Mender was a student, studying to be a priest, as he had for about 6 months. He was nineteen years of age, just barely out of high school. His mother had been less than ecstatic when he'd told her what he was going to do with his life. He hadn't really seen anything else he could have done, he wasn't athletic enough for anything of that sort, and he was too bookish for his own good. His mother still didn't understand. Hearing a noise coming from the end of the alley, he slowly went to investigate, finding what appeared to be a young woman in trouble. He knew he shouldn't interfere, and that he should go to find help. But, something deep inside him told him that he could help her. Something almost primal. As he got closer to the woman, a girl really, he noticed that the two men she was trying to fight off were wearing some kind of stage makeup. A feeling deep in his gut told him that this was very wrong, something was seriously wrong. "Good God..." he muttered, and ran to her aide. With strength that he didn't even know he had, he grabbed the wrist of one of them men. "Let her go. Now." The man hissed at him, a reaction that Mender had not been expecting. The woman looked enraged as well. "You idiot!" she shouted. "Get out of here before...." Her sudden lapse in concentration made the 2nd man jump at her. As he bit into her throat, Mender screamed. He tried to grab the man, but was knocked flat by the first. The last thing Mender heard was the sound of sirens on their way. *********** When he came around, he found himself in a jail cell. His mind was still reeling from what he'd seen. As he sat up, he noticed that an older man was staring at him from outside the bars. The man was wearing a dark brown coat, and his hair looked uncombed. He looked deeply disturbed by something. After a short pause, he asked "Are you John Mender?" Mender walked up to the bars, a question in his eyes. He put his hands, which were shaking, around the steel bars. "Yes...what.." Before he could finish the sentence, the older man had yanked him by the shoulders against the bars. Mender fought the urge to cry out. "My name is Merrick, and I want you to tell me exactly what you saw. Is that clear?" He looked almost deranged. Mender nodded, quickly and was promptly dropped on the floor. Mender struggled to recall exactly wht had happened. His voice was stuttering a bit, "S-some men with um..stage makeup...they uh..t-they attacked a girl..." Merrick nodded, urging Mender to go on. "I uh..I tried to help her..But I couldn't..." Merrick smiled, amused. "You were afraid." He looked as if he found the mere thought of fear a ludicrus idea. That idea horrified Mender. Blind panic was the phrase that would best describe what he was feeling now, and he attempted to quell it. "Of course I was afraid...what kind of stupid...." Merrick hushed him, a kinder smile coming into place. It calmed the young student a bit. But not much. "John, do you believe in the forces of darkness?" That question sent a chill down Mender's back. His stutter seemed to get worse, and he could barely control his shaking hands. He let go of the bars, running a hand through his hair. "Yes...of course...for all things good there is it's evil counterpart....It's..it's w-written in the...C-C-Codex" Merrick looked serious, for the first time in this conversation he looked like someone Mender could trust. "John, I want to help you..." Mender looked at Merrick with an examining look in his eyes. "You're wondering who I am? I'm a watcher, John. And you...well, let's just say you're very important to us...to the Slayer." He let that sink in. Finally,. Mender cleared his throat. His throat felt very dry. "What...what is it you want me to do?" Merrick paused, looking at Mender uncertainly. "I want you to plead insanity..." He saw the look of disbelief in Mender's eyes. "If you don't, they'll surely send you to the electric chair, or worse. They believe you killed that girl.." He paused again. "Besides, we need to you do something for us...Have you heard of the hellmouths?" "The Seven Gates to Hell from Earth?" "We want to send you one, here. In Springwood. You assisted in killing the Slayer, how ever inadvertantly it was.. The new one won't be ready to fight for a while. We have to find her as well, she's moved around quite a bit. " He smiled. "In the meantime, John, you're it. You are our Slayer." ************* End PArt One. Please send feedback to Karras at mattacks@hotmail.com A slightly different version of this is at the website above. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "The Mistress" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nightmare At The Hellmouth (2/13) Date: 03 Feb 1998 22:01:51 EST Title:Nightmare At The Hellmouth Author: EA Karras Email address: mattacks@hotmail.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya has a different version (script format) For this version: Anya,, possibly Zandarah. Also me. Others please ask. FEEDBACK: All comments/opinions and suggestions. Rating: Maybe Between PG 13 and R Spoilers: None, that I see Disclaimers: Nightmare On Elm Street belongs to Wes Craven and New Line Cinema. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jack Mender, the premis of the Dream Slayer and Dr. Vandari belong to me. Part Two: "The Seven Gates" Springwood Asylum for the Criminally Insane December 23rd, 1941 It had been three long months since Mender had been unceremoniously recruited by the watcher called Merrick. Three months in which his "free" time at the Asylum was spent training with Merrick. The watcher had attempted to ensure that no drugs were used on Mender, who the patients referred to as Jack (A nickname Mender had become quite fond of), and the doctors had referred to as The Fallen One, a reference to his past as a seminary student. In his training, Mender had not been very strong. This angered Merrick to no extent, and he defintely let it show. "Try a little harder, Jack. You've got to be strong enough to fight these..." Mender glared at Merrick, cutting short the nitpicking...for now. "Any luck finding her, Merrick?" he changed the subject quickly, another trait that bugged the watcher. Merrick smiled, and pressed a few buttons of his own. "Oh, about as much luck as you're having with that nurse you've been eyeing.." he replied. In response, he recieved a hard kick in the chest that nearly sent him across the room. Merrick shook it off, "Touchy, today, aren't we?" He rubbed the bruised, knowing it was going to hurt later. Mender smiled, almost sarcastically. "You were right about this place. The Hellmouth's here...it's about to blow..." He grinned at Merrick's stunned look. "All the signs are there, Merrick. We've had demons, wraiths. Tremors.." He looked discomforted. "Nightmares..." Merrick loked discomforted at that as well. "Vampires?" Mender leaned against the wall, and nodded in reply. "There's always a vampire, Merrick. but don't worry. I took care of it..." At that, the nurse entered. She frowned at Merrick, disapproving of the training. She didn't believe it good form to teach criminals how to fight better. Especially insane ones.. When she told Mender it was time for his medication, both Merrick and the younger man looked confused. "What medication?" ********** It had taken both the nurse, Dr. Vandari and an intern to get Mender back to his "room", a cell really, and strapped down. Merrick had been no help at all, insisting that they had no right to start him on any medication, to which Vandari replied, almost maddingly, "Mr. Merrick, he killed a patient and burned the body. There was no need to inform you of a change in his treatment." He jabbed the needle into Mender's arm, quite unprofessionally, and let the drug disperse. Mender's face contorted in pain, and he looked at Merrick pleadingly. "He's under /my/ custody! Of course, there was a need." The watcher wasn't sure what to do. He'd put Mender in considerable danger by bringing him here, he hadn't though that the younger man would be drugged into a stupor. Vandari glared at Merrick. He had no love for the man. "He's lucky he's not in the hole with the real crazies.." Again, the doctor sounded very unprofessional. He yanked the needle out of Jack's arm, and tossed it into his bag. Mender looked as if he were trying to hold back a scream, and his eyes were squeezed shut. "That ought to teach you to harm them..." Vandari left, slamming the door shut behind him. Merrick hurriedly undid the straps holding Mender down. He didn't want Jack that vulnerable to the hellmouth. "John...Jack? I need you to fight this...I can't protect you..." Allready, Mender was falling under the drug's effects. He was sweating, his breathing sounded very raspy. Merrick realised Jack was hyperventilating. In Mender's mind, the room had suddenly exploded in a hot, white flash. He could smell gasoline all around, and there was a fire raging around him. It was over within a few seconds that felt like hours. He sat up, grabbing hold of his watcher's shoulder tightly. Panic started to fall over Merrick's mind. There was no way this drug was helping Jack. What the hell had Vandari done? "John?" he whispered. Mender doubled over, seemingly in pain. Mender saw the flash again.He heard someone screaming and looked up. Across the room, he could see a young woman, she was holding a crying baby with a look of terror in her eyes. She was dressed as a nun... Another flash. One that sent in falling backwards in pain, too fast for Merrick to catch him. Now he couldn't see anything but darkness. There was an agonising pain in his stomach, as if someone had ripped out his abdomen. Then it was over, and Merrick was leaning over him, whispering something. "John. Jack. I'm going to go. I'll be back. You're going to be fine...." Merrick didn't sound so sure. He was beginning to have some serious concerns about Mender. Maybe he was more than just the temporary slayer... As Merrick left, the darkness took Mender and he blacked out. **************** When Merrick arrived back home, he immediatly grabbed the Vortexica, a book of prophecies that were related to the Slayer, but not about her. He found what he was looking for and paled. "Oh God...what've we done..." He sat down, the panic getting worse. "After 4 generations, we find him....and now I've damned him..." ************* Mender slowly came around, his body felt like it'd been put through the ringer, and his mind felt very much the same. He moaned, and opened his eyes. To his stunned surprise, Vandari was above him. Not standing, but quite literally /floating/ above him. He blinked in shock.. Vandari was in full vampire mode, fangs and everything... "Well...Who would've thought we'd find a Dream Slayer in our midsts, hmm? I wonder how powerful your blood is.." Vandari hissed, before biting into Mender's neck. Mender felt beneath his cot for the stakes that were taped to the bottom. Vandari uttered an odd grunting noise as it was shoved through his chest. "Don't mess with a priest, Doc...It's not good for your health." Vandari looked surprised now. "B-But you aren't a priest." At that, Mender grinned. "Good point." He shoved the stake the rest of the way in, and Vandari imploded in a cloud of dust. "And so was that..." he whispered as he fell back on the bed. ******************** ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Holly L. Benton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Calefacto's Chalice 0/3 - Notes Date: 03 Feb 1998 23:17:08 -0800 Calefacto's Chalice 0/3 - Author=92s Notes by Holly L. Benton=09 This story features Giles, Angel, Spike, Dru, Buffy and Noel Arceneaux. It is rated R for very mild violence, general blood-sucking and sexual innuendo. No spoilers. Song lyrics lifted from "Walk This Earth Alone" by Lauren Christy, Charlie Midnight and Patrick Doyle; available on the "Great Expectations" soundtrack. =20 There is a prequel to this story in the works, which will cover all the loose ends and nagging questions, including the Mokoi. (Read on!) This one takes place in alternate Buffy-universe, where Angel never reverted to Angelus, but other equally nasty things have happened. How fast the sequels get done is usually directly related to the type and amount of feedback, so let me know what you think!! All comments to hbenton@ix.netcom.com.=20 My thanks to the following: My sister Sherry, who provided vampire info, historical/mythological perspective and support; beta readers Zak Zandarah, EA Karras, Travis S. Casey, and Joseph W. Brogan, who volunteered to help and provided invaluable feedback. =20 Disclaimer: The characters of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" do not belong to me; they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and Twentieth Century Fox. This story was not written for profit, and no copyright infringement is intended. The character of Noel Arceneaux, as she appears in this story, is my creation. Please do not reprint or distribute without the author's name and e-mail address intact. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Holly L. Benton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Calefacto's Chalice 1/3 Date: 03 Feb 1998 23:19:20 -0800 Calefacto's Chalice A "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" story by Holly L. Benton Part 1/3 - See part 0/3 for notes/disclaimer Noel Arceneaux, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, was just finishing up an incantation when she received the summons. Unlike most calls for her services, which she intuited or received telepathically, this one came the old-fashioned way - by telephone. It seemed more appropriate, given the source. She picked up the phone and heard, amid crackling static, "Hello? Hello, Noel?" "Giles!" She grinned with pure delight. "It's been such a long time, my friend!" She quickly swept her shoulder length black hair into a ponytail, securing it with a soft velvet bow, and pressed the phone back to her ear. "I wish the news were better," he said in his somber, understated tone. "Angel has resurfaced, and so has Drusilla." Noel wasn't truly surprised. All her most recent dreams pointed to some major disturbance in the balance of nature, and Dru certainly qualified. For that matter, so did Angel, in his own way. "Have you spoken to Angel yet?" she asked, only half wanting the answer. "Only briefly." Giles paused for a moment, then said, too quietly, "He'll never be the same again, you know. None of us will." Noel was silent for a moment. Then, she offered, "I can be there by tomorrow morning, if you need me." "I think that would be wise." Giles' tone was odd. Noel was instantly aware that he was hiding something from her. "What aren't you telling me, Giles?" she asked. "Dru has recovered Calefacto's Chalice. Angel has been chasing her all over the world for months, and he believes she has returned to the Hellmouth because it is the center of her own power." He paused, and added reluctantly, "Rumor has it she is searching for you." Noel knew this meant that Angel was concerned for her safety, and had mentioned this to Giles so he could warn her. And if Angel was worried, it was serious. Especially considering that Noel had been the source and cause of the greatest anguish of his existence. "Who is Calefacto and why is he so important?" she inquired, sure already that she would regret having asked. "Oh, sorry," he apologized. "The chalice is a sort of medieval holy relic. I haven't had time to do the proper research yet, but I believe it has to do with raising the dead, or some such thing." Noel was searching her memory. She could vaguely recall being told about the chalice by her mother, but nothing specific would come to her. "Should I do research on my end, or will you have a little light reading ready for me when I get there?" she teased. Giles snorted, "Light, indeed. I'll have the materials ready for you. But, Noel..." "Yes?" she prompted. "Be careful of Angel. I don't think he's quite forgiven you yet for what happened to Buffy." Noel closed her eyes for a moment while the entire episode in time crashed back upon her in technicolor. With steel in her voice she said, "At least she's still alive." "Yes, I suppose you're right," Giles agreed dubiously, in such a way that there was no doubt he didn't really agree at all. "I'll be there by dawn," Noel said, and hung up. On the other end, as the line went dead in his hand, the hair on the back of Giles' neck prickled. He turned to face Angel, who had crept up as silently as a shadow behind him. There was something dark and menacing in Angel's eyes, and he spoke, very softly. "You were right to warn her." In a dark and forbidding sewer underneath the city of Sunnydale, a saccharine whine filled the dripping, dank chamber. "Spike, are you here?" From just ahead in the tunnel, he emerged. Drusilla stepped forward to meet him, hands behind her back. "You're looking well," she observed. "Cut the bull, won't you, darling? You wanted me here, I'm here. Let's discuss the plan." Spike seemed much different from the last time she'd seen him. They hadn't parted on the best of terms, what with Spike intent on finding a new human to sire into the lifestyle, and Dru looking to destroy humanity. "Let's put all those hard feelings behind us, shall we?" Dru offered coyly. "I've missed you." "Mm-hmm," he grunted skeptically. "The plan." Dru's eyes glittered with ferocious intensity in the dim light, like malachite pearls. "See, I've brought you a present." She pointed to a far corner of their old haunting ground. A brass-colored urn gleamed dully there, like a worn copper penny, glinting with stray shards of light which dropped upon it from above. It hummed with a peculiar frequency; not loud enough to be heard by ordinary mortals, just enough to be annoying to the undead. Spike inhaled sharply. "My, now, isn't that pretty," he said reflectively. "If I've got this right, you get what you want from it, and after that, I get what I want from *her*. Is that the bargain?" "Oh, yes." The malice in her voice was chilling. "It will be delicious." Spike grinned. "In more ways than one." After leaving Giles, Angel walked the streets near the park, not knowing or caring what time it was. He was torn emotionally as to whether Giles should have brought Noel into this struggle. He knew he wouldn't be able to look at her without thinking about Buffy. More than once in the first days after Buffy had been found, he'd considered killing Noel, but that had passed. Now she was just a reminder of the love he'd had with Buffy and would never have again. The memory of that other night, only a year ago, was sharp as a razor in his mind. Sunnydale was being plagued by a particularly troublesome evil spirit called the Mokoi. After Willow and Cordelia had both been injured by the spirit, Angel suggested that Giles call Noel. Based on his long acquaintance with Noel, Giles had agreed that there was no one better versed in the magickal arts. Noel had given Buffy an enchanted dagger which should have carried enough positive energy to kill the physical manifestation of their enemy. Unfortunately it didn't work. When Buffy tried to use it she was enveloped by the Mokoi and disappeared. Angel had not even heard Noel's calm words of reassurance. He had hit her so hard that she flew backwards ten feet, unconscious. The police found Buffy a few days later, huddled in a doorway and shivering with cold. Her memory had been erased. All trace of the person she had been was gone. There was nothing left of the Slayer. Another Slayer had been called. Life went on for everyone but Angel. He still visited her at least once a week in the special school where her mother had sent her, but it was hard for him to look into her pleading eyes and know that his Buffy was locked inside that shell, perhaps forever. Eventually, after several hours of wandering and reminiscing, his prowling brought him back to his own apartment. Even after a year he could close his eyes and see her asleep in his bed. The image had kept him up reading on many occasions. He still tried to conquer his dread of returning home, but it never seemed to get easier. He approached the door, digging in his pocket for his key. When he raised his head to insert the key into the lock, he saw the slip of paper wedged into the door. He yanked it out and unfolded it. "Found Dru - transit tunnel by river -Giles." He pocketed the paper and headed for the street at a dead run. At nearly the same moment Angel was heading for the transit tunnel, Noel was emerging from a taxi in front of Giles' apartment building. Giles threw open his front door and stepped out, silhouetted by the bright yellow light from numerous lamps. "Noel! Here, let me help you," he offered, as she lugged an enormous bag, stuffed full and bulging on the sides, out of the back seat of the taxi. The driver looked at her oddly as she handed him the fare, then threw her petite form at Giles, smothering him in an unabashed hug. Giles patted her awkwardly on the shoulder until she released her death grip on his ribs. "Same old Giles, affectionate as ever," Noel said with a grin. Giles adjusted his glasses on his face as he leaned over to pick up her bag. "Good God, what do you have in here!" he exclaimed, huffing with exertion. "The whole drug store," she answered. "I never leave home without it." He half-carried, half-dragged the bag behind him, to her amusement, until he had hauled it past the threshold. As he shut the door, she buried her head in the bag and immediately began digging through its contents. "Find anything in those big ol' books yet?" she asked, voice muffled. "Actually, yes," he answered mildly, as though surprised she would even ask such a thing. As she busied herself with her tools of magic, he retrieved the volume he'd been reading just prior to her arrival. "There are several allusions to Calefacto's Chalice in various books, but none to any person with that name. The name is said to have been taken from the Latin, calefactio, meaning the act of warming or heating, or the production of heat in a body by the action of fire. It can also be taken to mean a chemical reaction, such as liquefaction." That got her attention. Noel stopped her rummaging and glanced up at Giles, with an expression of deep concern on her face. "Yes, I thought that might interest you," he said. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Stories linked to the chalice and its powers date to the 1400's. There were rumors that it was used in sabbat rituals by practitioners in France. Some time near the turn of the 16th century, a Scottish magician laid his hands on the chalice, and in an attempt to cleanse it of its evil, performed a spell which was supposed to seal the evil inside. He got more than he bargained for." Giles set the book down. "What was sealed inside, or so the legends say, was a fallen angel too terrible in its beauty for mortals to behold. As its penance for causing evil the angel is bound by the spell to destroy any person whose heart is tainted with evil, should the chalice be used for those purposes." Noel felt her eyebrows climbing into her hairline. "Then Dru can't use it or she'll be destroyed," she said, puzzled. "So why even bother to track it down?" "Perhaps she hopes to get someone else to use it for her," Giles said, emphasizing his words. "And be fried to a crisp in the process," Noel added. "She undoubtedly wants some sort of magic performed, which is most likely why she was seeking you out." Giles' face was very serious. "Has she any leverage she could use against you?" "Not so far as I know. Everyone connected with my life is aware of the danger; I haven't seen my sisters in years and don't even know where they are." After a moment she asked, "Did you tell Angel I was coming?" "Yes. I haven't seen him since," Giles told her frankly. "There's been no sign of where Dru's hidden herself or he would have found a way to let me know." He stared at the cluttered mess she had scattered on the floor: bottles of sparkling powder capped with cork; packets of dried weeds that looked suspiciously like amphibian body parts; mortar and pestle; a canister of Morton's Salt; two shriveled candles. "Did you protect yourself with the necessary incantations?" he asked. "I used a mage's spell. No undead creature can harm me so long the spell is woven about me. The longer a demon is exposed, the weaker the host body becomes," Noel explained, gesturing with a half-melted green candle for emphasis. "The magic is very old and there is no way to counteract it unless I remove the spell myself." "Good. A wise precaution." Giles extended his arm and flicked off the nearest reading lamp. The first tender rays of sun were filtering into the periwinkle sky. "I suppose all we have to be thankful about thus far is the fact that Spike isn't in the picture." "I suppose all we have to be thankful about is that the Slayer isn't around to make the damage any worse!" Spike roared petulantly, shaking one of Dru's henchmen by the shirtfront. "I ask you to do a simple task...just tie up a prisoner. Any fledgling vampire could have done a better job!" "But...but...we did it just like you said, Spike!" stuttered the demon, head flopping violently as Spike lifted him off the ground in a rage. "And lost three men in the process." He dropped the vampire to the ground, where he lay gasping for a moment before crawling away. Spike threw his hands up in the air and looked over at Dru. "Unbelievable. If you want an evil deed done right these days, I guess you have to do it yourself." Dru wasn't listening; she was gazing up at Angel, who was bound by his hands and suspended in mid-air, chained to an old hoist in the center of the abandoned subway transit tunnel. She pushed his foot, which set him swinging wildly. This sent her into a fit of giggles, which stopped as suddenly as it began. "It's been a long time since I've had you hanging on my every word," she said. Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said scornfully. "Tell me you're not still hung up on this whining half-human abomination." "No," she said, giving Angel one last forceful shove. "The thrill is gone. Now he's only a means to an end." She fixed her doe eyes on Spike. "You haven't been very nice, either," she complained, in the tone of a child about to have a rousing temper tantrum. Spike waved her away with a flick of the wrist. "Those days are gone, pet. Even if I could stand the sight of you, I have better things to do with my time." "Like nibbling on a witch?" Dru questioned him. When he didn't answer, a sinuous smile appeared on her lips. "She'll never do it. You'll never get her to agree. She's too smart for you." "Which doesn't say a lot about *your* taste, Dru darling. Now run along and let me work on the plan." Dru turned on her heel and walked away. From over Spike's head, his words fading in and out as he swung to and fro, Angel shouted, "I can open the chalice for you, Spike. Noel won't go for it. She knows what you want." Spike's expression became pensive for a moment. "I think she does at that, mate. I'm counting on it." He snapped his fingers and one of Dru's hired help appeared. "Take this. Give it to the witch. Tell her it's from Spike, and tell her not to be late." He handed a small slip of paper to one of the nervous-looking flunkies, who protested, "It'll be sunrise in a few minutes!" "Better hurry then," Spike urged, eyebrows raised expectantly. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Holly L. Benton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Calefacto's Chalice 2/3 Date: 03 Feb 1998 23:21:17 -0800 Calefacto's Chalice A "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" story by Holly L. Benton Part 2/3 - see part 0/3 for notes and disclaimers The horizon was glowing a deep pink and fiery red when Noel arrived at the meeting place. It was an abandoned church, doors hanging from the hinges, shutters splintered and barely concealing the shattered, multi-colored glass behind. As she stood outside with more than a little trepidation, the sun finally sank out of sight. She began to sense them faintly at first, growing stronger with each second that the shadows grew deeper. With a deep breath, and a mental reminder to herself that they couldn't harm her unless she were no longer under the protection of the mage's spell, she climbed the stairs and entered the rotting doors. Inside, the scene was oddly peaceful, eerily quiet. Though dusty, the pews maintained a kind of silent grace, empty but expectant. She laid her hand on the back of each as she passed down the center aisle. That simple action was strangely calming to her. "Nice of you to accept our invitation." She froze just in front of where the altar should have been. The disembodied voice had come from behind her. "Show yourself, Spike. I don't like to be kept waiting." As if an ice cube had slid down her back, a sickeningly cold feeling enveloped her. She turned to find him standing less than a foot away. "Impatient as always, I see. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he observed. He smiled at her suddenly, the smile a cat might smile if it were finished toying with a live mouse. Noel caught herself as the merest ghost of a smile crossed her face. "No, you shouldn't," she confirmed, rising to the occasion. She felt a familiar sensation; fear, mixed with a peculiar thrill of attraction and curiosity. Dangerous, she thought to herself. Don't play this game. It would destroy any advantage she might have if she betrayed her feelings to him, but there was no denying it; he was still as handsome as he had been the day he died. He cocked his head, studying her. "Constant and true, just as I remembered. What a sparkling example you set for all the other little witches." Spike stepped forward into her space. She could feel the demon which lived inside him unsettled by the power of the spell which encircled her. For a moment, those forces interacted, like electricity passing though water, until he withdrew. Their eyes locked; neither spoke. Noel didn't even breathe. "Spike..." The moment was broken by a silky female voice. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" "Oh. Right. Well then, down to business." He extended his hand, and Drusilla appeared out of nowhere near the opposite wall. Noel was stunned by her ethereal, almost innocent beauty as she glided across the church, between two pews, moving toward them. She turned her face toward Noel, as Spike said, "Dru darling, Noel Arceneaux." Noel felt a visceral stab of horror as she looked into Dru's eyes, and saw only malicious evil there. "At last. How lovely of you to come and join our little party." The child-like lilt of Dru's tone was incongruous with the reality of the threat she represented. "I've so looked forward to meeting you." She beamed at Noel. "Shall we discuss our bargain?" "There is no bargain, Drusilla. Give me the chalice, or tell me where it can be found. I'm not playing here." Noel's tone was soft and pleasant, but had the ring of authority. Dru stepped closer, all trace of innocence gone from her features. "Neither am I, witchy girl." Her tone became even softer than Noel's, and she said conspiratorially, "You'd better be nice to me, or I won't tell you my secret." Noel sighed heavily. "I'm not interested in secrets. You can't harm me; we all know it." "But I *can* harm Angel. I'd rather enjoy it, in fact." Spike spoke up suddenly, and as his words registered with Noel, a flicker of apprehension flashed through her eyes. It was enough; Spike immediately noticed, and triumphantly he added, "Now it's all up to you. A favor for a favor. Dru and I are feeling generous these days, aren't we precious?" Dru nodded, eyes glued to Noel. She was enjoying the show. "Tell her, Dru. After all, she's not a mind reader - oh, wait. Silly me. I forgot." He fixed Noel with a look so intense that even though she was not able to read a vampire, there was no doubt as to what he was thinking. "But not where we're concerned. Go on, Dru," he urged her, as a slow flush spread across Noel's cheeks. Dru said, "It's very simple, really. All you have to do is raise my family from the dead and restore them to me, and you can have your ridiculous relic back." "What!" Noel cried, truly appalled in spite of herself. "I can't-" "Yes, you can," Dru interrupted. "If you don't, I'll open it, and unleash...well, whatever's in there. And it won't be pretty." Noel's mind was racing. She wasn't sure she possessed the necessary power, even with the chalice, to raise the dead. It was abhorrent to her to even consider such a thing, for she would be providing evil with an uninhabited shell, a place for more demons to come to rest. There was no way to know what would happen if she *did* try. If she didn't, Dru would unleash the potentially cataclysmic forces locked behind the holy seal of the chalice. And Angel...she had already deprived him of Buffy. She couldn't allow him to lose his life as well. Slowly, she asked, "If I do this thing, you'll hand over the chalice to me, and you'll release Angel?" Dru tittered and pressed her fingers to her lips. "I'm afraid you don't understand, dearest. But that's not really surprising, I suppose, given your limited scope." She looked to Spike, who stepped past her and approached Noel. The way he was looking at her was enough to make Noel's heart stop. "A favor for a favor," he reminded her. "Dru doesn't have Angel; I do. All she has to trade is the chalice. Angel is mine." He watched with satisfaction as comprehension dawned slowly, then moved in on her without warning. Spike swept her up against his body, holding her in place with an arm around her that seemed made of steel. He ignored the strange fluttering vibrations caused by their body-to body contact, as he spoke rapidly in low tones. "You will surrender yourself to me. Willingly, with no conditions, no spells of protection, no expectations. If you do, I'll release Angel unharmed." He released her, shoving her backwards so that she staggered to regain her balance. "You have until sunset tomorrow to decide," Dru added brightly. "All you have to do is meet us here." "Otherwise, you can gather up what's left of Angel the following morning." Even as Spike made that final pronouncement, Dru was moving away toward the back of the church. "Are you coming, Spike?" she asked. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Just behind you," he called after her. He turned his gaze back to Noel, and they stared at one another for a very long moment. In a hushed but clear voice he said, " Forget about waiting 'til sunset tomorrow. Meet me here by dawn or our part of the bargain is no longer in effect. Understand?" Noel could only nod her head. Spike held her gaze a second longer, then turned and stalked out of the church behind Drusilla. Noel waited until he was out of sight, then sat down hard on the floor and buried her face in her folded arms. Two or three hours later, Noel knocked on Giles' front door. He opened it immediately, relief easing the tense, tired lines in his face. "Thank God. When you didn't return, I was certain they'd killed you." Noel moved past him, into the apartment, and sat down on the couch. Giles shut the door as she passed. "What were their demands?" "Dru wants me to raise her family from the dead," Noel stated flatly. "What! Well...well, that's...it's preposterous," Giles sputtered. He removed his glasses, and asked, "You simply can't do it...can you?" She was silent. Giles felt a chill settle over him. "Dear God." "I don't know if it can be done," she answered finally. "I'm not at all certain I could control whatever forces are unleashed during the ceremony." She looked away from Giles. "That's not the immediate problem, however. Spike has Angel, and he wants to make a separate bargain. Me for Angel." "You're protected. He can't harm you. You're not seriously considering removing the spell!" "It's the only way to save Angel," she said angrily. "No," Giles said, vehemently. "That is not an option. He'll kill you, or worse, he'll turn you into one of them. There's no way to tell what the effect on your powers will be." "He doesn't want to kill me, Giles. He wants to possess me." "Possess you?" Now Giles sounded confused. Noel felt her irritation rising, irritation because Giles was right and she knew it. She shouldn't even be considering her own capitulation. Her voice rose before she was aware of it. She couldn't seem to stop herself. "Possess, Giles. *Possess*," she stressed, not enjoying the stunned look which greeted her words. "Oh." Giles blinked rapidly. His eyes narrowed. "You don't seem too disturbed by the prospect." "I'm not. Not the way you might think." He seemed so shocked that she reached out on impulse and grasped his arm. "Don't look at me like that. Who wouldn't be curious?" "He's *dead*, Noel. As in, no pulse." He sounded so much like Buffy that Noel suppressed a smile. "He's a thing, not a man. You can't seriously consider this! Angel wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself." "Don't be too sure. One witch for one slayer. It seems a fair trade," she shot back. Giles opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "I made my decision before I came here tonight. The larger question is, what will happen if he changes me somehow and I try to perform the spell for Drusilla?" "It could be disastrous," Giles said grimly. Noel felt compelled to try to comfort him. "I don't see any other options, Giles. I could say a million things to you about what I feel, but it's not really relevant." "You could tell me why Angel is so damn important," Giles said sharply. "You're willing to throw away your life, and possibly the lives of millions of other people, for one person. Please tell me this isn't some romantic notion-" "No!" she interrupted vehemently. "It was never like that between Angel and me." "You can't think that you owe him so much because of ..." "A mistake?" Noel suggested. She leaned forward on the couch, resting her elbows on her knees and extending her arms out, fingers laced together. "It's not that either, Giles. I've known Angel since I was a small child. He came to my mother for help breaking the curse, but all she was able to do was cause him pain." Her eyes took on a far-away look as she elaborated, "My sisters and I heard him screaming in agony one night, but I was the only one brave enough to hide on the stairs to see what was going on. That was the first time I ever saw the face of a vampire. "The next day, my mother explained to me what Angel was, and why he had come to her. He returned that night, with a gift for my mother, and a flower for the little girl on the stairs." Noel smiled wistfully. "After I became apprenticed to my mother, Angel would come to see me often, to share his knowledge of the nature of evil and the things he had seen. He's been a true friend to me all of my life, even into adulthood. I can't turn my back on him now." Something clicked for Giles then, like a peg into a hole. "You were the one who sent him to Buffy in the beginning, weren't you?" he asked, almost reverently. "Yes. So you see, I'm responsible for that little tragedy, too. I thought he could help her. I couldn't have known." "No one could have," Giles murmured, feeling the burden of his own lapsed responsibility heavily on his heart. He regarded Noel with melancholy eyes. "It's clear to me that you also know Spike, though you've somehow avoided mentioning this to me." "Yes. For a while he seemed to be at the center of every summons I responded to. He's been a busy boy, especially in the past ten years. I started to think he was instigating some of these little hauntings and demonic possessions just to get my attention." She was smiling again, which brought a distinct frown to Giles' face, but she seemed not to notice. "He enjoyed the challenge of the confrontation, or the verbal sparring." Noel paused, allowing Giles to draw his own conclusions. "You know, this impulse of yours to become a martyr could be considered a weakness." Giles' sarcasm was devoid of humor. "In fact, almost as serious a weakness as actually hoping to be bitten by a vampire." "Things will be as they are meant to be. No amount of spell-casting or research will help that now." She gestured toward the piles of books which littered the room, literary skyscrapers. "All we can do is try to find out what will happen...after." For the next hour, they did precisely that, sifting through piles of ancient texts and documents. Noel lounged on the floor, while Giles sat hunched over his desk, poring over books with his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Noel's thoughts wandered as she lay with a book propped on her stomach; she tried imagine what might be different about her when the sun rose again in the morning. Somehow she knew that this was not about disposing of her; Spike had no need to get rid of her, since she had no power to get rid of him. It was his way of conquering, and for some reason, he had decided that she must be conquered. Although there was supposedly no human feeling left in him, there was no mistaking the desire or inquisitiveness in his eyes when he looked at her. She was counting on that to save her life. "Look here," Giles said abruptly. He brought a heavy, gilt-edged volume to her and laid it in her lap. It reeked of old magic and disuse. Noel read aloud, "The power of the magician is amplified by the mixing of his blood with the blood of the undead. Second sight may become clearer, while the seeing of thought shall become treacherous and not without danger. Senses may become sharper and more distinct, but with unpredictable consequences." She pursed her lips. "It's a bunch of double-talk. This, but not that. It doesn't help at all." "Maybe not, but at least you know that any spell you undertake could have dire results if you're not familiar with the effect of Spike's..." "Bite," she supplied, arching her eyebrows. "Well, yes." The clock on the wall behind him pleasantly chimed four o'clock, on the hour, and Noel put the book aside. "It's time." She smiled at Giles, with an expression that was infinitely wise and mature. "If I don't succeed in freeing Angel, or if Spike decides he's better off with me dead..." "I have it here," Giles confirmed, waving the small paper with the binding spells and incantations. "Whatever happens, do be careful," he pleaded. "I'll do my best," Noel answered. She retrieved her long coat from the rack by the door, and with a last, lingering look at Giles, was gone. * * * Noel walked around the church twice, slowly, watching the city lights shimmering in the distance. Her heart was pounding harder than she could ever remember. It wasn't fear; she was apprehensive, but not afraid. Instead she was edgy, and she felt a little wild. She knew he was inside because she sensed him there. She felt like a traitor for being in a hurry to meet him. Noel shrugged off her overcoat and was instantly chilled by the October wind. She raised a hand and rubbed absently at her neck with her fingers; even her blood seemed like ice water. She had the distinct impression she might never be warm again. She raised her arms , extending them straight out from her sides, and closed her eyes. Her lips moved, in silent pantomime. As she said the necessary words, she began to feel more and more as though there were a lead weight on her chest. Finally she was finished. Her arms dropped heavily to her sides. As though compelled, she turned toward the church; she felt him exerting his influence, testing her to see if she was there, if the spell were still in place. She was aware of his surprise when he realized she had come. Noel opened her eyes and advanced toward the church at a stride, covering the stairs two at a time and moving directly through the open doors. She stopped short, surprised. Lit candles were everywhere - the tops and seats of pews, the stairwells, the narrow ledges under shattered stained glass masterpieces - casting an incandescent glow which was reflected in the deep ruby and sapphire depictions of saints and sinners. It was surreal and beautiful. Spike was sprawled across two pews in the front of the church, his heavy black leather coat draped to one side. "My, you've certainly gone to a lot of trouble, William," Noel remarked dryly. Spike swung his feet to the floor and rose gracefully. He stood, a few feet in front of her, hands folded in front of him. "No trouble. This is, after all, a memorable occasion." He waited, looking at her expectantly. "What, no witty repartee? No little pearls of magical wisdom?" "Where is Angel?" Noel demanded. "We did make a deal." Spike sighed. "Always a stickler for details." He stepped in closer. "I left him with Dru for safekeeping, in case you decided to get tricky. Once we've finished here, we'll retrieve him." "Does that mean you aren't going to kill me?" Noel asked skeptically. Spike took one more step, so they were face to face. "Killing you isn't what I had in mind," he admitted. He moved to her left, then behind her, like a lean, pale wolf circling its prey. "Let's see if you held up *your* end of this deal." He reached for her then and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly up against his body. She stiffened. It was unnerving to have him behind her and to be locked into his embrace. Spike waited for a moment to see if there would be a negative reaction which would force him to release her. When nothing happened, he turned her around. "Nice to see you're a woman of your word." Noel was quite conscious of the fact that he could feel how fast her heart was beating. His eyes moved between the pulse beating in her neck, and her eyes, which were fastened on his face. With one hand, he fingered the buttons of her crisp white shirt, then deftly released the top two. "Let me help you with that pesky collar," he said, proceeding without waiting for an answer. He neatly folded down her collar, effectively baring her neck. She shivered, from cold and from other, less identifiable sensations. He looked deep into her eyes for a moment, then said softly, "You are wondering why I won't kill you." She inclined her head slightly. "Because I want you to have your wish, my darling. You will know what it feels like to be on the verge of immortality." He smirked at her. "It's a weakness of yours, you know." "Get it over with," she rasped. Spike affected a wide-eyed look of innocence. "Such a nasty temper. Impatient, too. Nevertheless, your wish is my command." He bent his head lower, and raked his fangs across her unprotected neck. The impact of his teeth on her skin was electric, and her hand flew out to brace her against him. "This won't hurt a bit," he lied. Without warning, he sank his fangs into her neck. Noel felt a sharp pain as he bit into her, but no tearing of her skin. In fact, he was surprisingly gentle. His lips fastened onto the wound, and as he began to drink, a pleasant warmth suffused her, spreading into every part of her body. She felt herself becoming limp in his arms, and he tightened his grasp to support her. Images flooded her mind, of Spike before his transformation, of what he'd seen and done in the years after, of Dru, of Angel, of herself. For the first time she began to truly understand the awful loneliness of an abandoned soul. Then, she began to feel joy, a rapture so exquisite that she could not imagine it ever ending. As suddenly as that joy began, Spike withdrew, but did not raise his head. Face nestled next to hers, he whispered, "Choose." Her heart ached for the feeling which had been taken from her. She was certain that he had already seen into her soul, as she had seen into his mind, and so she only reached up to touch the side of his face. At her touch he gave a low growl. She knew he understood. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Holly L. Benton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Calefacto's Chalice 3/3 Date: 03 Feb 1998 23:24:27 -0800 Calefacto's Chalice A "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" story by Holly L. Benton Part 3/3 - see part 0/3 for notes and disclaimers Noel stood with Spike in front of a large, dark cavity leading into the sewer. She looked over her shoulder at the sparse light on the horizon, fading faster with every second as the sun crawled to its bed for the night. "In here?" she asked. Spike nodded. Noel dropped to her hands and knees in order to crawl through the opening. She emerged into a dark sewer tunnel which reeked of ...well, it reeked. She scrunched her face up in disgust as Spike popped though the hole next to her.=20 "This way," he instructed, moving to the left. She could see easily in the dark; she felt as sure-footed and sharp-eyed as a tiger. She could also sense exactly where Spike was in the darkness. It was as though he were secured to her with a string, which tugged and pulled at her whenever he moved. He projected his amusement at her child-like amazement. They advanced down the access tunnel slowly. Spike clutched a handful of Noel's sleeve and guided her toward a hidden entrance to the lair. When she hesitated, he shoved her through unceremoniously. She landed face-first, sprawled on the slimy, hard concrete floor. An instinct newly born warned her of Dru's approach. She jumped to her feet as quickly as she could, slinging muck off her hands and arms. "About time," Drusilla called out. "I was beginning to worry." "That=92s so...touching," Spike scoffed. "Let's get on with it."=20 Dru gestured for Noel to follow her. "This way," she invited. Noel followed her deeper into the lair, with that same instinct warning her that Angel was nearby. She stopped. "Get him down," she ordered. Surprised, Dru turned to look at her.=20 "Are you...are you telling *me*...what to do?" she asked incredulously. Noel stared her down without fear. "If you want that spell performed, you'd better do it." Spike chuckled in the background. Dru looked from one to the other mistrustfully. "Why didn't you just make her one of us, Spike?" she pouted. "It would have been so much easier." "Stop whining," he said in exasperation. He walked past her and grasped a chain which was anchored to the wall. With a quick pull he released it. Angel crashed to the ground in a heap.=20 Noel watched dispassionately, then said, "Get out of here, Angel."=20 He looked up at her. "No," he said through gritted teeth. "If you're actually going to do this, I'm staying." He raised himself to a sitting position with great effort. His eyes accused her as he said, "I never thought you'd be bought so easily." His words stung for many reasons, not the least of which was that she was trying desperately to save his life, but Noel didn't show her feelings. "Stay. Whatever." She directed her attention to Dru. "Where is it?" "There." Dru pointed, not willing to go too close to the chalice.=20 Noel saw it in the center of a small table near the wall. She approached the table and without delay, picked up the chalice. She nearly dropped it immediately; it seemed charged with electricity and was icy to the touch. The feel of the surface of it burned her skin. Noel's entire body became tense with concentration. She clasped the chalice to her chest for a moment, then held it at arm's length away from her, at eye level. Eyes tightly shut, she began to recite the spell she had memorized and repeated a hundred times the previous morning. =20 As soon as she began the incantation, she felt a burning pain in her chest, which spread through her veins like liquid fire. She gulped deep breaths of air, but continued chanting, feeling her fingers go numb where they were wrapped around the chalice. She was scorched, then frigid. Her eyes felt like hot marbles burning in their sockets. Dru watched her with fascination. "She's doin' it, she's really doin' it," she whispered, lapsing into the cockney accent of her youth. "Look at 'er. Blimey!" She whirled toward Spike to get his reaction, but he was on the ground, writhing in pain. Her eyes widened at the sight of him there. Then, a fiendish grin spread across her features. " 'Atsa girl!" she cheered. Angel's face darkened with concern as he watched Noel's arms shaking wildly. He knew with the aid of the seventh sense unique to every vampire's demon, that a demon's blood had tainted Noel. He looked from Noel to Spike. It was clear that Spike was getting the worst end of the deal. Noel continued to weave the spell. The air in the tunnel had become still and thin, as though her words were sucking the oxygen from the room. She trembled from head to toe, but continued on, for fear of what might happen if she should stop. Her skin tingled; her lungs felt ready to explode. She lifted her head, and as she opened her mouth, a scream was ripped from her, one that should have shattered human eardrums. It was a piercing cry; it reverberated through the room until it was a sonic wave, unstoppable.=20 Noel dropped to her knees and quickly ripped the seal from the chalice. There was a blinding flash of light, brilliant, radiant. Stillness filled the chamber. Spike rolled over and lay unconscious.=20 "What was that?" Dru demanded to know. Alarmed, she turned circles in the center of the room. Every instinct told her something was very wrong. "Where's me mum?" She turned to Noel and leaped at her. "What've you done?"=20 In answer, Noel only looked at her, eyes brimming with tears of pity. A soft howling began, growing louder, like the far-away sound of the winter wind. Dru's fear was palpable. "No," she pleaded. "No, no, no, no..." Angel bolted to his feet as though pulled upright by an unseen force. "No, NO!" Dru shrieked, pressing her hands to her ears. Noel felt the pressure of a thousand hands on her heart, and she succumbed, as blinding light again filled the room. Noel's last conscious sensation was the sound of Dru's wail; her last conscious thought was relief. Noel woke to find Angel sitting beside her, a stunned but beatific expression on his face. Every joint and muscle in her body was protesting loudly, but she seemed to be in one piece. Angel put an arm underneath her, almost absently, to help her up. She made a small noise which might have been a whimper of pain but he didn't notice. Dru was nowhere to be seen. Spike lay on the ground, limp and lifeless.=20 "Are you all right?" she asked Angel hoarsely. He nodded at her. When he turned his face toward her, she thought he was almost beautiful.=20 "I felt it," he said softly, wonderingly.=20 Noel took his hand. "What, Angel?" "My soul," he whispered. "I felt it, I felt it leave and come back."=20 Noel smiled wearily. "It's what saved you," she told him. Angel shook his head. "I don't understand." "Your soul saved you from destruction. A piece of my human soul saved Spike from death; his blood in me almost killed me." Noel could still feel the raw prickling of her skin. Her blood still felt as though it were boiling, but she knew it would pass. "I couldn't allow Dru to raise the dead. So I worked a spell to free the angel...or whatever...was in there. It zeroed in on the only truly, fully evil thing in the room, and immolated it." "Dru," Angel realized. He looked at her. "You took a big chance." "Had to," she grated as she pushed up from the floor. Everything went sideways, but Angel held her in place. She looked down at Spike's motionless body.=20 "I'll get something to stake him with," Angel offered. She laid her hand on his arm, restraining him.=20 "No." He didn't question her. He remembered that feeling of first discovering the powers of the night. He didn't begrudge her this reluctance to kill the person who made it possible. "Let's go. Giles will be worried." Deliberately, they stepped over Spike and made their way out of the lair, into the freedom and darkness beyond. * =20 * * "Don't suppose you'd change your mind and stay awhile?" Angel offered the sentiment hopefully, though he knew what she would say.=20 Noel smiled at the floor as they walked toward her departure gate. "Duty calls," she reminded him, pleased that he made the overture. They stopped and turned to face one another. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" she asked, a trace of hope creeping into her voice.=20 Conflicting emotions warred within Angel and were reflected on his face. "I know it wasn't your fault," he answered at last. " I shouldn't have blamed you like I did." "I understand," she said, pensively. "I still haven't quite forgiven myself." A look passed between them which was heavy with meaning.=20 "The world is gonna look pretty different to you now," Angel said, breaking the moment. "Now that you have Spike's blood in you, a lot could change." "So maybe you'll help me with that?" she asked, expectantly. "I feel the difference, but I don't understand everything yet." Her bright green eyes were sparkling with a mixture of delight and wonder. It was infectious. In spite of himself, Angel smiled at her. "If I can," he acknowledged. Noel took his hand in hers, pressing something metallic into it. She wrapped his fingers around it.=20 "I went to see Buffy today," she informed him. "I'm still working on a way to reverse what was done to her, Angel. Please don't give up hope." He looked down at the medallion she placed in his palm. It was one half of a circle, a silvery crescent moon on a long chain. It was engraved with symbols which were foreign to him, and it shone with a cool, almost icy light. "When you go to sleep in the morning, wear this." His eyes met hers, questioning. Noel stood on tiptoe, to kiss him feather-light on the cheek. As he lifted his arm to embrace her, she whirled and walked away.=20 Angel's sleep was restless that morning. The amulet was cold and pendulous on his skin. Somehow he drifted off, thinking of Noel's words...*I'm working on a way...please don't give up hope...*... ...a flash of light, and he was in The Bronze, with a crowd of people he didn't recognize. The room should have been full of noise and chatter, but all he heard was a song playing softly in the background. *But I walk this earth alone/And all I've ever known/Is you are right beside me/If I love you for a day/Then blow my life away/Could I leave you behind me...* He turned in a circle, bewildered, not understanding what he saw. "Angel." The voice penetrated his heart; it was a sound he believed he'd never hear again. He looked up to see Buffy there, Buffy as he remembered her, strong and sexy and full of life, as he'd so often wished she would come to him. She walked forward, eyes full of love and compassion.=20 Angel met her halfway and crushed her in a hug so fierce it could have broken bones. "How..." was all he could manage. As he released her, she reached out and touched the medallion he wore. He saw it then - an identical medallion around her beautiful neck.=20 Her eyes filled with tears as he touched her face wonderingly. "Noel gave us our dreams," she said simply, as she captured his tears with her fingertips. "So we at least have this, until we can be together." In answer, he gathered her to him, and they held one another in the shadows of consciousness, free at least for that moment to love each other again. Wordlessly, they danced. There was time for everything else later. Holly L. Benton January 1998 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Holly L. Benton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Calefacto's Chalice 0/3- Author's Notes Date: 03 Feb 1998 23:48:12 -0800 Calefacto's Chalice 0/3 - Author=92s Notes by Holly L. Benton =20 This story features Giles, Angel, Spike, Dru, Buffy and Noel Arceneaux. It is rated R for very mild violence, general blood-sucking and sexual innuendo. No spoilers. Song lyrics lifted from "Walk This Earth Alone" by Lauren Christy, Charlie Midnight and Patrick Doyle; available on the "Great Expectations" soundtrack. =20 There is a prequel to this story in the works, which will cover all the loose ends and nagging questions, including the Mokoi. (Read on!) This one takes place in alternate Buffy-universe, where Angel never reverted to Angelus, but other equally nasty things have happened. How fast the sequels get done is usually directly related to the type and amount of feedback, so let me know what you think!! All comments to hbenton@ix.netcom.com.=20 My thanks to the following: My sister Sherry, who provided vampire info, historical/mythological perspective and support; beta readers Zak Zandarah, EA Karras, Travis S. Casey, and Joseph W. Brogan, who volunteered to help and provided invaluable feedback. =20 Disclaimer: The characters of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" do not belong to me; they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and Twentieth Century Fox. This story was not written for profit, and no copyright infringement is intended. The character of Noel Arceneaux, as she appears in this story, is my creation. Please do not reprint or distribute without the author's name and e-mail address intact. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Beta reader needed Date: 04 Feb 1998 13:47:49 PST I am writing a X-Files/Buffy crossover, and I need someone who is familia= r with the X-Files. I have an 'XF' person, now I need a 'Buffy' person :) Anyo= ne interested? Sapphire sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer Specialty Archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG founder; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs Sapphire sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer Specialty Archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG founder; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (1/?) Date: 04 Feb 1998 10:55:42 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: None, that I see Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. But posting the first part means that I have to hurry up and finish it. INNER DEMONS The night was clear. The stars shone in the sky and the waxing crecent moon grinned down like a cheshire cat. An eriee silence hung around the town of Sunnydale. A silence broken only by the faint sounds of flesh hitting flesh. In a dark ally, a lone girl was set upon two vampires. Their battle raged on for several minutes before she was able to overpower them. But no sooner had she finished off the first two when two more threw her into a wall. Recovering almost not quickly enough, she watched one move in for the kill. But it didn't matter. Stake in hand, she was ready for him. When suddenly, the vampire stopped and looked down at an arrow that was jutting from his chest. It was the last thing he saw before vanishing into dust. The girl and the remaining vampire stopped, startled by this oddity. Where had that come from? However, the moment's hesitation was all it took for a second arrow to find the creatures heart and reduce it to dust as well. Still puzzled, the girl followed the arrow's path back to a low wall. There, the figure of a pale man with long dark hair stood. He was dressed in black and held a longbow at his side. The two stared at each other in silence for a time. Until a noise caused the girl to look away for an instant. But, in that instant, he was gone ans she was left confused and alone in the ally way. "Thank you!" she finally called out, and left the battlefield. * * * * * Alone in the night he walked. The lone predator moving through the urban jungle. But he wasn't hunting this night. Well... not yet anyway. The night was still young. Tonight he was just out thinking. Something wasn't right. Their numbers were decreasing faster than normal. Not that they still didn't have enough among their ranks to do some real damage. But there was something weird about the recent decline. He could blame *her*, but even she couldn't slay as many as had been killed in the last few days. No. Someone was helping her. But who? Not the others. He wasn't underestimating them, he knew better, he just knew that they weren't involved in this. No this was someone else. "Damn," he swore. Who was helping her? Dru had said that someone was coming. That he walked in between darkness and light. But that was all she could... or would say. Whoever he was, he was staying out of sight. He continued on, walking and thinking. All would resolve itself. But now he was hungry. Now it was time to make her suffer more... * * * * * Please send your feedback to Blackfire42@hotmail.com The Black Fire ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Calefacto's Chalice Date: 04 Feb 1998 15:08:00 -0500 Great story! Kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked the way you delt with the incantation. (That Dru was the only purely evil thing in the room) Seeing Spike in a somewhat different role was interesting, and so was his brake-up with Dru. The only thing I didn't understand was what happened to Calefacto. Is she something in between a vampire and a human now? --Ingrid ________________________________________________ I know. I look like Willow, I act like Willow... I guess I am Willow! _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Beta reader needed Date: 04 Feb 1998 15:48:54 EST What exactly is a beta reader? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: conmoon@cruzio.com (Connie) Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Beta reader needed Date: 04 Feb 1998 14:09:32 -0800 >I am writing a X-Files/Buffy crossover, and I need someone who is familiar with >the X-Files. I have an 'XF' person, now I need a 'Buffy' person :) >Anyone interested? I know both. I would like to help! Connie - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Larry Walansky Subject: DISCUSS BUFFYFIC: Even The Score (1/1) Date: 04 Feb 1998 18:26:27 -0500 =FE=F0 > Okay, let me know what you think. If it made absolutely no sense to yo= u > at all, tell me. That's why I begged for feedback. I know what's goi= ng on, > and I want to know if you don't. So, everyone, send those emails! Fil= l my > inbox with feedback.=20 That was a great story. I like how Buffy gets Angelus back. That was a great line- "Game's Tied". Nice job. Keep it up. Larry - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (17/?) by ingrid Date: 04 Feb 1998 21:48:54 -0500 And now for the gratuitous, but entirely necessary DISCLAIMER: The characters of Buffy, Giles, Angel, Xander, Willow, Cordy, Spike and Dru, and anyone else I forgot to mention belong to Joss Whedon and the WB. SUMMARY: Takes place a day after the last part. This one's *very* fluffy with a lot of dialogue. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. Have fun… *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" Part the Seventeenth *** Buffy looked at the bare wall in front of her. She was being released today, and today, she would see Angel. Giles had come in earlier to tell her that he was awake. Her heart had jumped into her throat, and hadn’t gone back to its proper place. She was in a constant state of anticipation, and felt she might bust her way out of this place now if they didn’t hurry up. Willow stopped at the doorway and looked at Buffy’s bed. "It’s okay, Will. I’m not asleep." "Do you ever go to sleep, Buffy? ‘Cause every time I come in here you’re always-" "How’s Angel?" Buffy sat up eagerly. "Oh. Angel? He’s better. He can’t wait to see you." She paused. "Uh…Buffy?" "What?" "I kinda faked some stuff for Angel on the records." "Faked? As in…" "Hacked. Yeah. Angel’s now my step-brother." Buffy burst into a fit of giggles. "Will, he doesn’t look anything like you!" "Well, step siblings don’t have to look alike, and this way, he’ll have some family. Besides, only a relative was allowed to provide his information." Another nurse stepped into the room. "Buffy Sommers?" "That’s me," Buffy answered perkily. "Everything has gone through. You’re free to go. Just sign yourself out." Willow didn’t think she’d ever seen a bigger smile on her friend’s face. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Buffy bolted into the room, running smack into a doctor. They both backed up. "Oh my God! I’m so sorry!" The doctor looked slightly amused. "That’s okay. Just next time, try not to run in a hospital." "Sorry!" She repeated to his retreating back. As soon as he had disappeared, however, she took off for Angel’s bed. Behind the curtain. Number 302, she recalled. She pulled back the antisepticly white cloth to reveal Angel sitting up in bed reading a small book. She guessed it wasn’t about demons. He looked up when he saw her and smiled. "Buffy." Her heart constricted in her chest. He looked absolutely beautiful sitting against the crisp white sheets, light pouring from the window through the gauzy white curtains. She hurried to his bedside, settling on the edge of a chair and kissing him hard. "I missed you," she declared, burying her head in his chest and reassuring herself. "I missed you too," he responded quietly. He waited; stroked her hair. "Buffy?" "huh?" "What happened in the library- To Spike and Drusilla, I mean." She looked up into his eyes. "I staked them," she replied fiercely. "Oh my God- I didn’t even tell Giles." "I had a feeling you had. I couldn’t remember." "I’ll let him know as soon as I get out of here… Hey! When are you getting out, anyway?" He sighed. "Unfortunately, not for a while. I had to get stitches. Just don’t heal like I used to." Buffy cringed. "Stitches? Ow." "Yeah," he answered, "but it’s worth it." Her heart melted. She kissed him again gently. "Poor Angel." Their lips met again. He smiled. Buffy reached at the foot of Angel’s bed, grabbing the chart. "Angel Claire," she read. "Angel Claire?" "Willow said it was from a book she’d read. A love story." "Really," Buffy asked, intrigued, "And what happens?" >From the doorway, Willow answered. "Well, he breaks her heart, she marries another guy, goes insane and kills him and is executed." Buffy raised her eyebrows, "Will, why do you wound me?" "Did I mention he marries her cousin?" Buffy’s nose scrunched up. "eww!" She looked at Angel. "Promise to never marry my cousin?" He watched her with an amused expression. "As long as you promise not to marry another guy. Or kill anyone, for that matter." "Okay. Deal." She shook his hand and leaned towards him. "You need to get some rest," she whispered intimately, "I’ll see you later." "goodbye," he answered softly. "Sleep," she commanded on her way out. **** END, PART 17 Comments? Questions? Write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. "Tess of the d'Ubervilles," by Thomas Hardy is the book I make reference to, in case anybody was wondering. _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (2/?) Date: 05 Feb 1998 12:28:47 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: None, that I see Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. (You'll find out why soon enough) But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: A mysterious guy has been killing vampires in Sunnydale. If you couldn't figure out who the other two characters were, why are you on this list? INNER DEMONS Part 2 "And you're sure you saw this guy." "Xander, vampires don't just turn to dust by themselves." "Spontainious combustion?" Xander shrank a bit under the glare his friend turned on him. "Hey. It could happen. Right?" "What could happen?" came a familiar voice from behind them. The two turned to see a man standing near the library doors. "Hey Giles," Xander said in greeting. "Buffy was just telling me about the strange happenings while on patrol last night." "What sort of strange things?" came the response, as Giles lead them into the library. "Strange," Giles finally said, after listening to Buffy retell her story. "Yes, very unusual." "Unusual?" Buffy echoed. "That's all you have to say?" "In an area where the unusual is... well... usual, what would you have me say?" "That you've maybe heard of this guy," Buffy countered. "Isn't there something in your books about a Robin Hood wannabe who goes around shooting vampires?" "I can look again, if you wish, however, I have heard nothing of a strange man running around with a longbow." There was a lull in the discussion. That is until Willow walked in the room. She surveyed the group with a puzzled look. "Okay, what's going on?" she started. "Something's up isn't it. Anything I can do?" "Not unless you've seen a strange guy running around Sunnydale lately, Will," came Buffy's answer. "Which strange man?" Willow asked. "There are so many strange men around here. You know with the hellmouth and everything." "This one, apparently carries a longbow," Giles explained, "Buffy say him shoot down two vampires last night." "Oh...," she breathed. "Well... that's a good thing..., at least." "Well that was the grossest thing I've ever seen," said Cordelia as she burst into the room. She looked at everyone, "Well?" "Well what?" asked Giles. "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" "Sorry, Cor," Xander replied, "we were talking about strange people. We were just about to get to you." "Well, anyway," Cordy continued as she glared at Xander, "my neighbor found this big, dead cat on her fron lawn." "Aawww! Poor thing!" Willow exclaimed. "It was probably hit by a car last night." "I don't think a car could have ripped the thing's head off." Cordy replied. "Eww." "Could there be another cult in town, Giles?" Buffy asked. "It's possible," Giles started. "Willow, the animal shelter would have picked up the body by now." "I'll go check their files," Willow answered as she headed for her computer. "I found it," she called, after a few minutes of searching. "One dead, male cougar found," she read, "head torn from body. Cause of death, excessive blood loss." "That would mean vampires or cults, right?" Xander asked. "Those would be my first choices as well," Giles confirmed. "However, we shouldn't rule out any possibilities." "Uh oh," Willow interupted. "It says that they've found several other animals in the last few days. All killed the same way." "Looks like I have extra work to do tonight," Buffy groaned as she looked at the library clock. "We should get to class." With that the four kids vacated the library, leaving Giles his research. * * * * * "So you're mom's out of town again?" Willow asked as they left class later that day. "Yeah," Buffy said, "some big art show up north." "Doesn't it feel kinda weird to have your mom gone all the time." "Not really..." Buffy said, "Well... yeah, kinda. I don't know. With the... current situation, I sort of prefer her to be away from here. It's one less person to worry about." "Well, there is that," Willow agreed. They walked out into the court yard and just stood there for a while. "Hey, Oz's band is playing at the Bronze tonight," Willow suggested, "wanna join me." "Can't," Buffy sighed, "I have extra work tonight, remember?" "Oh... well..." Willow searched for an alternative, "you could show up for a little while." "No, I should really do some patroling tonight," she grumbled. "Maybe next time." "Alright," as Willow finally gave in, "I'll see you tomorrow then." "Ok. Be careful out there," the slayer cautioned. "You too." * * * * * On the hunt that night, Buffy silently patrolled the ally ways in the residential area. She had carefully made her way over to the park when she heard a noise from above her. She climbed to the rooftops and resumed her search. The slayer made a pass around the buildings. When she finally stopped, she noticed the merry-go-round down below. She remembered how she had once watched Angel and Drusilla talking and her heart seized. She shook her head to clear it of thoughts of her lost love and started back to the ladder. She had just reached a large air conditioner housing when she felt, rather than heard something behind her. But in the time it took her to spin around and reach for her stake, the whistle of an arrow could be heard, and Buffy turned just in time to see her assailant crumble to dust. “Okay,” Buffy breathed, “whoever you are, thanks for the help. Now show yourself.” It came quickly and quietly. An arm encircled her waist while a gloved hand clamped down on her mouth. In an instant, she was pulled back against the mystery person and was being manuvered back to the housing. She struggled to free herself, but her captor’s grip was too strong for her to break. “Shhh!” a soft, accented male voice whispered in her ear. “It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.” “Buffy ceased her struggles and he released her. She turned to face the visage of her rescuer from the night before. He was a head taller than she. His dark brown hair fell just below his shoulders. His face held a gentle severity and he looked at her through kind yet haunted blue green eyes. As before, he was dressed all in black from the soft leather boots he wore to the leather hat that covered his head. Over his shoulder, Buffy could see a bow and quiver of arrows strapped to his back. “Who are...” she wasn’t allowed to finish. He held up a hand to silence her and listened to the night. Deftly he manuvered her around behind him. The stranger then reached for his bow, and arrow, rolled around the corner and fired. Satisfied that the shot had found it’s target, he returned to his previous position and rearmed himself. After listening again for a moment, he repeated the move on the other side of the housing. “No witnesses,” he said quietly. “Not yet anyway.” Again he listened. When he was sure that the area had been cleared, he took the slayer by the hand and dead her to the edge of the roof. “Okay,” Buffy said when they were both on the ground, “now who are you?” “No one important,” he said. He suddenly turned his face to the wall. “Get out of here,” he growled. “What’s wrong?” “Go please. I don’t want to hurt you!” he pleaded. “I don’t know how long I can hold back!” “Let me help you.” “No one can help me,” he said mournfully. Suddenly, there was a movement near by. They both turned turned at it and, in the dim moonlight, Buffy saw that the man’s face had changed. The face of a hungry vampire now stared back at her. She almost jumped. But then she remembered the stake in her sleave. She got it out, prepared to fight as the vampire made a move towards her. When, suddenly, he went in the direction of the sound. In a flash, he had his hands on a large stray cat and was feeding from it. He flung the meal away and leaned against the wall. “Please go,” he begged, “that won’t be enough.” Buffy took one last look at him and took off, dropping the stake as she left. The fiend grabbed it from the ground and turned it on himself. He tried to plunged it into his own heart but couldn’t. He finally found himself flinging the weapon away with a defeated cry as he sank to the ground sobbing. * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kvweller@Charleston.Net Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Beta reader needed Date: 05 Feb 1998 18:43:36 -0500 (EST) You will be happy to know that my kids and I have already done a Buffy/X Files skit with Christmas cookies. It was quite funny. Mulder called in Buffy when one of the aliens was a vampire. It went on and on with decorated cookies. We even have it on video tape. I guess we are all a little crazy. kathy w. At 02:09 PM 2-4-98 -0800, you wrote: >>I am writing a X-Files/Buffy crossover, and I need someone who is familiar with >>the X-Files. I have an 'XF' person, now I need a 'Buffy' person :) >>Anyone interested? > > > I know both. I would like to help! > >Connie > > > >- > > - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SuPeRcHcKn@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (1/?) Date: 06 Feb 1998 21:14:04 EST usubscribe buffyfic - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (18/18) Date: 07 Feb 1998 22:21:57 -0500 Here we go again… DISCLAIMER: The marvelous characters mentioned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this! If I was, the parts would come a lot faster! SUMMARY: The last part- I never thought I’d make it! We have a bit of summing up and some happy sappy stuff. I love to get feedback. It encourages me to keep writing. I’d like to thank everyone who’s written to me- It’s nice to know I’m not wasting my time!!! If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, write to me. I’ll send them to you gladly. As for what’s next, I’m going back to short stories for a while. Eighteen parts is just *way* too taxing! The show must go on… *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" (18/18) *** Angel strolled down the street, acutely aware of the life and light around him. The sun beat down on his back, and gave him a warm, familiar feeling. It was funny. Sometimes, he’d notice a strange bird’s song, or the way the sunlight reflected off a car. Buffy would laugh, never noticing any of these things. She’d never known any other kind of life, he thought, and smiled. Better for her, but for him, it only increased the joy that life brought him now. And the fact that that life would someday end made each moment still more precious and wonderful. Angel Claire. He was getting used to this life. No one seemed to question him here- where he came from, his family (even though Willow and Buffy had concocted a story). With Giles’ help, it hadn’t been difficult procuring a job at the museum. His historical knowledge was unparalleled. Buffy liked to joke that he was becoming just like Giles. Truthfully, there seemed worse fates. After he’d woken up after the transformation, questions had plagued him. Why? He didn’t deserve this- after all he’d done. He’d often wake up wondering if the whole thing wasn’t some idle daydream, but then he’d see the sun shining cryptically down on him and thoughts would become muddled. The questions grew fewer and fewer as he settled into his new life, and a faint hope began to build in him. He felt a pair of gentle arms slide around his waist from the back, and turned to look at her. Buffy’s smile lit up her whole face. "Hey," she purred, reaching up to touch his face. She kissed him gently, absorbing the light and the heat of the day along with the touch of his lips. She pulled back and her brow crinkled. "Watcha doing?" "Thinking," he replied simply. She put her hands on her hips. "About what?" "Stuff." He smiled at her attitude. "Listen. You’re not allowed to be cryptic boy anymore. I thought we went over this already. Remember? The rules to being mortal? Nothing more mysterious than your run of the mill secret affairs." She raised her eyebrows anxiously. "You’re not having an affair, are you?" "No, Buffy. I was thinking about vampires." "Oh." She became very serious. "You don’t- Angel, you don’t regret it, do you?" He was adamant in an instant. "No! Of course not, Buffy. I wouldn’t trade *this* for anything in the world." She breathed out in sheer relief, and took his hand. "Then what?" "It’s just… Well, I feel like I don’t deserve-" "Angel," she interrupted him, "we’ve been through this." "I just can’t get over it that quickly." "I know you can’t get over what the demon did in your body, but that’s exactly what it was- the demon. It wasn’t you. I know *you’d* never hurt anyone like that." He brushed some blond hair from her face. "Thank you," he whispered solemnly "Hey," she answered, kissing his cheek, "anytime." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Little was visible in the dark warehouse, save a lone candle that was inching its way to the center of the room. Closer inspection would reveal a dark vampire, listlessly drifting across the charred floor. She sat where a broken table lay, and on it an old book. The pages crinkled slowly as she read in an otherwise dead room. Her eyes brightened as she lit upon an interesting passage. "Resurrection of the undead," she read to herself, and laughed. "Exactly what I needed for you, Spike, love. Katherine is so much prettier than Drusilla, don’t you think? You *will,* anyway." *** FIN! Wow! Aren’t you proud of me? Send any and all comments to Ingrid29@juno.com! "I know. I look like Willow, I act like Willow... I guess I am Willow!" _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Vickie Adams" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Heart and Soul (1/3) Date: 07 Feb 1998 23:56:14 -0500 Okay, let me get all of the notes and such out of the way first . . . #1 -- All the characters belong to Josh Whedon and are owned by Mutant En= emy productions, Kuzui Productions, Sandollar Productions, and 20th Century F= ox. I'm just borrowing the characters for personal enjoyment, I have made no monetary gain from this story. #2 -- This story takes place several weeks after Surprise and Innocence. = I have no information about the future and nothing in this story can be tak= en for anything other than a figment of my own imagination. #3 -- Please criticize me, it's the only way I can learn from my mistakes. Any comments about the story can be sent to me at : vickiann.adams@snet.= net or EmeraldCT@aol.com . #4 -- I just have to thank John for his help in writing this story. Without further ado . . . Heart and Soul by Vickiann Adams February 1998 "Giles, please don=91t ask me not to go." "Buffy, I=92d have to be crazy to let you do this. Even the thought is in= sane. Words like catastrophic and disastrous come to mind. There is no guarante= e that whatever you=92re planning will even work." "Every night I=92m faced with catastrophic, disastrous events and no guar= antee that I=92ll be successful, why should this be any different?" "Do I need to remind you, you are the Slayer, the Chosen one. You alone .= . ." "Don=92t bother, I can say it in my sleep. I=92m going. It=92s my only ch= ance to save him." "Buffy, slaying doesn=92t mean rehabilitating them. I=92m not going to le= t you do this." "What are you going to do call my mom and tell her that I=92m not being a responsible Vampire Slayer? That I=92m running off to rescue my boyfriend= who just happens to be a two-hundred and forty year old vampire on a killing spree? You=92d loose your tenure almost as fast as the men with the white coats would come." Buffy turned and stormed out of the library, leaving a very angry and ups= et Giles alone. He couldn=92t believe Buffy was willing to take such a risk.= He wasn=92t even a hundred percent sure what the plan was. All he knew was t= hat Buffy and Willow had come up with it after weeks of research. Willow woul= dn=92 t tell him anything, except that if the plan worked Angel and Buffy could= be a couple again. Nobody mentioned what if the plan didn=92t work? "How=92d he take it?" Willow didn=92t like the look on her friend=92s fac= e. From Buffy=92s expression it was pretty obvious that Giles wasn=92t happy. "Well, he went all watcher on me. Chosen one, sacred duty. The whole spie= l. He threatened to stop me." "What=92d you do? Are you going to not go?" "Full speed ahead on the plan. I told him that there wasn=92t a lot he co= uld do to stop me and that my mom wouldn=92t believe him so there was no wher= e he could turn. You=92ve just got to promise me that you won=92t tell him any= thing until it=92s too late to stop me." "Buffy, I don=92t think Armageddon could stop you. Maybe slow you down bu= t definitely not stop you." Willow waited outside while Buffy lied to her mother. They only had about eight hours before sunrise and everything had to be ready by then. Buffy waved to her mother one last time before shutting the front door. Willow = was impressed with the ease Buffy could lie to her mother, but then again Wil= low was impressed with the ease Buffy did just about everything. "Is you=92re mom mad?" "Why should she be mad, Will? For all she knows I=92m spending the weeken= d with your family in LA." "What are you going to do if she finds out you didn=92t go to LA. with my parents?" "As long as she doesn=92t find out by sunrise tomorrow, it really won=92t matter." "We=92ll go back to my house. My parents already left so there will be no= one there. We can go over the plan one more time and make sure that you=92re = ready for sunrise." As Buffy and Willow walked towards Willow=92s house, Buffy felt someone watching them. At the corner before Willow=92s street, a pair of vampires jumped from the bushes. Buffy had already known they were there and was anticipating the attack. Before the first one had a chance to attack, She reduced him to a pile of dust. The second vampire took his opportunity to grab Willow. "Wouldn=92t this have been so much more fair one on one? Why=92d ya=92 ha= ve to bring my friend into it?" Buffy hit the vampire so hard he released Willo= w and turned his full attention towards her. "I understand, you=92re more t= he silent type? Was you=92re friend the talkative one? I never did get the c= hance to have a conversation with him." The vampire charged at Buffy but she avoided the charge by jumping into a tree. "Surprise. Your attacks would = be so much more successful if you employed the element of surprise. I=92m so= rry, this really has been fun but I have big plans in the morning and I do hav= e things that have to be done first. Please accept this with my apology." Jumping from the tree, Buffy turned the remaining vampire to dust with a broken tree branch. "You okay, Will?" "Of Course. Are you sure you=92re ready for this plan? It could be danger= ous. Maybe Giles is right, this isn=92t a good idea." "Will, Where=92d the cold feet come from? I can do this. You=92re forgett= ing it=92 s Angel we=92re talking about." Willow opened her front door and let Buffy enter. "Buffy, you=92re not be= ing a hundred percent truthful with yourself. It=92s not actually Angel you=92l= l be facing at sunrise. When you confront him, he=92ll very much be Angelus, a= nd Angelus isn=92t Angel. This could be very bad. " "Listen, if this doesn=92t work Angelus will kill me. If I don=92t at lea= st try, Angelus will kill me anyway. In the big picture what does it matter if I = die tomorrow or in two weeks, I=92ll still be just as dead. At least this way= , there=92s a chance I=92ll be successful and by sunset tomorrow, Angel wil= l be back and Angelus will be gone for good." "I hope you=92re right." "Of course I=92m right, I=92m the slayer." - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Vickie Adams" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Heart and Soul (2/3) Date: 08 Feb 1998 00:17:03 -0500 See Part One for all disclaimers . . . Giles had spent the entire evening in the library with out much progress.= He was still no closer to knowing what Buffy had planned. Maybe it wasn=92t dangerous. Maybe she was right and she could take care of herself. If tha= t were the case, why did he have such a bad feeling? After reviewing the plan one last time, Willow and Buffy settled in to ge= t some much-needed sleep before sunrise. Buffy was asleep as soon as her he= ad hit the pillow. Willow, on the other hand , was worried. The more she and Buffy reviewed the plan, the more she saw things that could go wrong. She wasn=92t even sure the plan could work. It had never been tried. Parts of= the plan were just guesses, assumptions that she or Buffy had made because th= ere was no documented fact available. By the time Willow had fallen asleep, t= he alarm went off. It was time to get up, only forty-five minutes =91till sunrise. Buffy looked at her friend," wish me luck, Will." "I can=92t. I mean, it=92s probably bad luck to wish you good luck. Break= a leg." "Break a leg=92s only in the theater, I think, but thanks." The apartment was a very familiar place for Buffy. She=92d had no trouble getting in; she=92d never given back her key. Then again, he=92d never as= ked for it back either. As she looked around the apartment, she realized that ver= y little had changed. That was a good sign, it meant that she and Willow mi= ght be right. If she and Willow weren=92t right, this could be very bad. No, she and Willow were right. This was going to work. It was too late in the game for her to begin doubting the plan. Anyhow, the sun would be up = in just a few minutes and it was too late to turn back . . . Angelus knew there was someone in his apartment before he even opened the door. He didn=92t have a lot of options; it was too close to sunrise for = him to try to get anywhere else. Besides, he had a pretty good idea of who wa= s inside the apartment. Giles was rather surprised to see Willow in the library. It was rather ea= rly as well as being a Saturday. Her presence only meant on thing, Buffy had gone through with her plan. "Willow, where is she? What was this plan?" "Giles, it=92s too late to stop her. The only person that can help Buffy = now is Angel." "Angel is dead. He can=92t help anyone." "Giles, I hope you=92re wrong. Oh, do I hope you=92re wrong." "You do know I could kill you right now and still get a good day=92s slee= p, right?" Angelus looked at his uninvited guest and smiled. "If you kill me right now, you=92ll never get the chance to find out why = I=92m here." Angelus crossed the apartment from the door to the bed and sat down. "Wha= t makes you think I care why you=92re here?" Buffy smiled at him, completely unafraid, "If you didn=92t care I=92d alr= eady be dead." Giles was even more worried by Willow=92s reaction. "Willow, where is Buf= fy right now?" "Right now? Well, right now Buffy=92s --- she=92s -- well. . . " "Willow, WHERE IS BUFFY?" "She=92s with him. At his apartment. She=92s going to spend the day with = him." Giles heard the words but for some reason couldn=92t believe his ears. "B= uffy is ALONE with Angelus right now? Does she know that it is very likely he will kill her? She has already proven that she isn=92t ready to kill him.= " "Actually that=92s her main logic. Buffy believes that just like she can=92= t kill him, when it comes right down to it, Angel wont be able to kill her either. It makes sense." "Sense? How can you say it makes sense? Did either of you think about Drucilia? Angelus couldn=92t kill her either. Instead, he drove her mad a= nd then made her a vampire." "Buffy believes it=92s different this time. She=92s stronger than Dru eve= r was, and she=92s confronting Angelus before he has a chance to kill all her friends. " "Willow, did either of you bother to read so much as a word about Drucili= a? Obviously not. Drucilia was a slayer. Had she been just a normal mortal s= he=92 d have been as dead as Jenny =96 Yanna=92s relative. Angelus has spent ce= nturies falling in love with women only to kill them when he gets board. He kills everyone connected to them, it=92s just what he likes to do. He wants the= m to feel totally alone. Angelus killed Drucilia=92s family, all of her friend= s and even her watcher. He brought her across as a trophy. Buffy has played rig= ht into Angelus=92s hand and there=92s nothing anyone can do to help her now= ." Angelus was impressed by Buffy=92s tenacity. In all his years, she was th= e first woman to actually make a formidable opponent. A part of him would h= ate when this game was over, he began to wonder if he could keep her without driving her mad first. "Alright, Buffy, we=92ll do this your way. What ar= e you doing here?" "Actually? I was hoping we could make love." Buffy saw just a brief flicker of shock in the vampire=92s eyes. He hadn=92= t expected this. That was good. Angelus looked at the young girl sitting on his bed. There was no fear in her eyes, if anything they were filled with love. "You want what?" Buffy stood up facing the vampire and began to undress, "if you think you= =92re up to it, I figured you=92ve got no where to go for a while and I=92ve go= t no where to be. Why not? You yourself said I have a lot to learn about men, teach me." Willow couldn=92t believe she=92s overlooked something so obvious. She lo= oked at her watch, this was going to be the longest day of her life. Giles wander= ed around the library trying not to look worried. Buffy was smart, she had t= o have a plan, but she had no way to know that she wasn=92t the first slaye= r he=92 d done this to. He only wished there was a way to help her. To rescue her before sunset. Although the mid-day sun was high in the sky, incandescent lights gave th= e apartment an air of timelessness. Buffy had deliberately not worn her wat= ch so she=92d have no idea how long she=92d been there or how long she had l= eft before sun set. Lying next to the sleeping Angelus, Buffy hoped she knew what she was doing. As they were making love, it felt like she was with Angel but she didn=92t want to fool herself. She couldn=92t let her guard= down. "Willow, what time is sunset today?" "5:46, why?" "I was just wondering. You never did tell me what Buffy planned to do." Willow looked at the man and could see the obvious worry on his face. She checked her watch, 1pm. Buffy had made her promise not to tell before noo= n and she was very proud that she=92d kept the promise. She only hoped she=92= d have the chance to tell Buffy. "All I can say is that she believes that Angel still loves her and that with her help Angel can drive the demon ou= t once and for all. I don=92t know what she=92s going to use to initiate th= e fight." Giles stood looking into space, "I think I know what she=92s going to use= . She going to offer him her soul." Angelus woke up in an empty bed. He began to wonder if he=92d dreamt the entire thing. No, her scent was still in the sheets. Her scent was still = in the apartment, she hadn=92t left yet. She was seated, fully dressed, acro= ss from the bed. "You haven=92t left?" "Yes, I know. I have more manners than you do. I couldn=92t see letting y= ou wake up alone." "You do realize that there is every likelihood I will kill you when the s= un sets. If you=92d left while I was still asleep, you might have had a chan= ce to come back for more later." Buffy knew the time was right, "what makes you think I want more from you= ? You may have been my first but you don=92t have an exclusive contract. No= w that you=92re out of my picture, I=92m free. I just woke up feeling senti= mental this morning and I assumed that you wouldn=92t say no, no matter how bad = I may be." Angelus couldn=92t believe this change. The love he thought he=92d seen i= n her eyes was gone. They were blank and emotion-less. He=92d never expected he= r to be strong enough to stop loving him. He=92d underestimated her. Buffy hoped this was working, she could see the surprise in Angelus=92s f= ace. He hadn=92t expected such a swift turnabout. Giles looked at the clock on the wall; the sun would be down in just two short hours. He tried not to look worried but he didn=92t need to hide hi= s fear from Willow. She was just as afraid on her own. "What are you really doing here, Buffy?" "What am I doing? I=92m here to offer you my soul. You=92ve already cheap= ened everything else we had down to an aerobic activity, I thought I=92d give = you the opportunity to make that final leap. Destroy the rest. As long as you let me live, your soul, your goodness is still very much alive. It=92s al= l your fault. You pledged your soul to mine, can=92t you take the pledge ba= ck?" "What makes you think I won=92t kill you?" "Kill me? I just offered you the chance. You want to kill me? Do it. Just know that you=92re killing a part of yourself with me." Buffy opened the neck of her blouse to expose the soft flesh of her neck. Angelus barred his fangs and looked directly at Buffy, Don=92t think my s= oul will stop me from killing you. My soul is a curse. Without it, I am free.= " Buffy smiled, she knew her plan was beginning to work. "Are you planning = to talk me to death? Your soul isn=92t a curse; it=92s all you have. It make= s you different. You=92re not free; you=92re more of a slave than any other vam= pire out there. You don=92t want your soul? Take it. Kill me if you think it w= ill make you free. Angelus was losing ground. Physically he could beat her but he wasn=92t a= s sure about beating her with logic. He=92d told Spike that to kill her, yo= u had to love her. He was wrong. By loving her, he=92d let her touch a part of = him that he=92d thought died a very long time ago. "Why are you in such a hurry to die? Can=92t you live without me?" "You=92re half right. I can=92t live with you. You=92re holding the Angel= that I love hostage. I know he=92s still a part of you, I felt him when we were together. There=92s a part of you that still loves me. I=92d rather be de= ad than watch you destroy that slowly." "I don=92t love you. I have never loved you." Angelus was starting to get= mad. "That=92s it, say it again. If you keep saying it you may start to believ= e it yourself. You don=92t love me? Come over here and kill me." "I don=92t love you. I DON=92T! I don=92t love you. You want me to kill y= ou? You=92 re in that much of a hurry to die? Fine, I=92ll kill you. I don=92t love = you." "Should I mention that you=92ve already said you don=92t love me? Do some= thing about it. Kill me. Kill me and kill the only part of you that makes you different." Angelus looked at the flesh of her neck. As he leaned in for the kill, Bu= ffy surprised him. Catching his face, she kissed him hard, full on the lips. = The harder he fought her, the harder her kiss became. Buffy pulled away and smiled, "tell me one more time that you don=92t love me." Angelus looked deep into her eyes. "I don=92t . . . I DON=92T . . . " He = couldn=92 t say it and she knew it. That was what this was all about. "What=92s wrong baby, cat got your tongue? Maybe you=92re looking for the= right words?" Buffy hoped her plan had worked. If it hadn=92t her time was almo= st up. Giles looked at his watch and then the clock on the wall. 5:45pm. In just fifty short seconds his world would be different. No matter what happened= , it would change everything. He looked over at Willow; she looked like she= =92d aged fifty years in just eight hours. If anything happened to Buffy, Will= ow would blame herself for a very long time. Angel knew the sun was down. He grabbed Buffy and pinned her to the wall with his body. "No baby, the cat ain=92t got my tongue. This was a very n= ice try, if you=92d waited until mid June you might have had enough daylight = for your plan to work. You thought this plan out but you forgot one little variable =96 my soul has no say in the matter. That=92s all right, I=92ve= got good news for you. I=92ve decided not to kill you, or your friends. I=92ll lea= ve your friends for you. You=92ll make a much nicer companion than Dru. It will b= e quite ironic; you=92ll be my second slayer in that many centuries. I must= have a soft spot for your kind." Buffy was heart broken. She was sure she=92d had him. Buffy thought for a moment, mentally preparing for the end. Holding her tight against the wal= l, Angel was ready this time. Staying true to her nature, Buffy wasn=92t dyi= ng without a fight. "Angel, I love you. No matter what happens, I WILL ALWAYS love you." The seconds ticked by like lifetimes. Buffy felt herself falling towards = the floor. She never expected it to end like this. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Vickie Adams" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Heart and Soul (3/3) Date: 08 Feb 1998 00:28:24 -0500 See part one for disclaimers . . . "Buffy? Buffy, what are you doing home? I thought you were going to LA. w= ith Willow. Why did you sleep on the couch?" Buffy looked around. She had no idea what was going on. The last thing sh= e remembered was fainting. Angelus was taking her. Without thinking, she reached up to feel her neck. No marks, nothing. Could it all have been a dream? "Mom, what day is today?" "Have you been drinking? It=92s Sunday." Sunday? It couldn=92t have been a dream; she=92d lost an entire day. Or a= t least an entire night. How did she get from Angel=92s apartment to her own couc= h? "No, mom, I=92m fine. I got home late last night and I was just too tired= to climb the stairs to bed. I have to meet Willow and Mr. Giles early; they=92= re helping me with a project. I=92m just going to take a shower." By the time, Buffy got to the library she was even more confused. She tri= ed to remember what happened but no matter how hard she tried the last thing she remembered was fainting. "Buffy!" Willow and Giles both screamed at almost the same moment. "Buffy Summers, where have you been? All last night you were no where to be foun= d. We had both started to think the worst." Willow was just happy to see her friend. "Did it work? How=92s Angel?" "I don=92t know what happened. The last thing I remember, the sun went do= wn and Angel told me that he was going to make me a vampire. He said that I=92= d be his second slayer in as many centuries. Then I fainted and then I woke= up this morning on my living room couch. I don=92t know what happened." Giles tried not to show excitement at the sight of Buffy. He had to remai= n the stoic watcher. "Do you know how much of a risk you took. You=92re not= even sure why you=92re not dead." Buffy didn=92t want to have this fight, especially since Giles was right = for what it was worth. She was stupid for trying and she really didn=92t know= why she wasn=92t dead. All that said, she didn=92t regret trying to save Ange= l. "Giles, if you ever love someone and then lose them you=92ll understand w= hy I had to risk everything to try to save Angel. I had no choice." Buffy was glad to spend the night at Willow=92s house. With Willow=92s pa= rents still in LA. the house was quite and she=92d have more time to think of a= n excuse for her mother. "Next time, the plan will work. You know you came close, next time . . ." "Will, there can=92t be a next time. I don=92t know what happened this ti= me but I know I=92ll never have another chance. I failed. I=92ve lost Angel fore= ver. I almost wish Angelus had killed me, the pain would be over." "Don=92t ever say that. You can=92t mean it . . ." Willow looked at Buffy with surprise. She was sure she had no idea what w= as going on. Buffy just sat stunned, she wasn=92t sure but she knew one way = to test. Grabbing the cross that hung around her neck Buffy held it to repel the vampire facing her and her friend. Reaching over, he rapped his hand arou= nd hers on the cross. "When I gave you that, I never thought you=92d use it against me. Buffy, = the pain that cross brings me is slim compared to the pain I=92ve cause you a= nd your friends. I=92ll understand if you can=92t forgive me." Buffy began to cry. This was too good to be true. "How? Is it really you? How? I don=92t understand." Angel let Buffy drop the cross as he knelt in front of her. "Buffy, you knew. You knew all along that you could help me beat the demon. You accep= ted that the demon was a part of me, if you hadn=92t it wouldn=92t have worke= d." Willow still had no idea what was going on. "Angel are you, I don=92t kno= w, I mean, do you still want to kill all of us?" "No, Willow. Buffy helped me gain control. She made me see that having a soul wasn=92t a curse. She can love me with the demon." "Angel, I don=92t understand. The last thing I remember, You were holding= me against the wall and then I fainted. I woke up this morning on my living room couch. What happened? Why am I not dead?" "I couldn=92t do it. The demon in me couldn=92t kill you. The love was to= o strong. You proved that you loved me for who I am -- all of who I am. You could be with me, love me despite everything." Buffy pulled her lover onto the couch next to her, "I don=92t know what happened or how it worked but we can be together?" "No, Buffy, We ARE together. Heart and soul forever." FIN (all comments, complaints, suggestions etc. to : vickiann.adams@snet.net or EmeraldCT@aol.com ) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tessa Subject: BUFFYFIC: Heart and Soul Date: 08 Feb 1998 09:57:51 -0800 (PST) Hi! I REALLY loved "Heart and Soul", it was a fabulous story. I was wondering; Would you allow me to place it in my fanfic archive? If you let me, I promise to give you FULL credit, as it is your story, of course! :) Let me know if this is all right with you. Tessa :) PS The URL for my site is below. It's called The Slayer's Guild. === Tessa :) The Slayer's Guild http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/3447/ Angel comes down the stairs and over to stand behind Xander. Xander: Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every conversation we have have to come around to that freak? (notices Angel) Hey, man, how you doin'? "Reptile Boy" _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tessa Subject: BUFFYFIC: OT: AGGHHH! Date: 08 Feb 1998 10:01:47 -0800 (PST) All you Buffyfic peoplesies, Omigosh! I'm sorry for that little ditty on "Heart and Soul"! I was trying to write back to the authoress and didn't notice the reply to was the addy for Buffyfic. I pressed "stop" but I guess I was too late... Please forgive me! (:) Tessa :) === Tessa :) The Slayer's Guild http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/3447/ Angel comes down the stairs and over to stand behind Xander. Xander: Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every conversation we have have to come around to that freak? (notices Angel) Hey, man, how you doin'? "Reptile Boy" ---Tessa wrote: > > Hi! I REALLY loved "Heart and Soul", it was a fabulous story. I was > wondering; Would you allow me to place it in my fanfic archive? If you > let me, I promise to give you FULL credit, as it is your story, of > course! :) Let me know if this is all right with you. > > Tessa :) > > PS The URL for my site is below. It's called The Slayer's Guild. > > > > === > Tessa :) > The Slayer's Guild > http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/3447/ > > Angel comes down the stairs and over to stand behind Xander. > Xander: Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every conversation we have have to > come around to that freak? (notices Angel) Hey, man, how you doin'? > "Reptile Boy" > > > > > > _________________________________________________________ > DO YOU YAHOO!? > Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com > > > - > > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: "Heart and Soul" Date: 08 Feb 1998 15:26:01 -0500 I'm intrigued! ------- "I know. I look like Willow, I act like Willow... I guess I am Willow!" _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Even the Score Date: 08 Feb 1998 15:22:18 -0500 I liked this. A *lot.* It's a very unusual take on the current situation, and you were right- I'm sick of reading all this "Angel harasses Buffy" stuff. She's the slayer, after all, and should have some strength of character! Perhaps you could continue your story? -Ingrid ----------- "I know. I look like Willow, I act like Willow... I guess I am Willow!" _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: HMTTN (1/4): Lonely Is The Night (1/1) Date: 08 Feb 1998 19:47:36 EST Title: Help Me Through The Night (1/4): Lonely Is The Night (1/1) By: Alex Queirolo EMAIL ADDRESS: Treycash@Aol.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya's and my site eventually.. http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html SPOILER WARNING: Suprise/Innocence and pre-uninformed spoilers for BBB RATING: A PG. Smoochies. FEEDBACK: Yes..yes..YES!!! Please! And beware of the yellow haired rats. ****** HELP ME THROUGH THE NIGHT ________________________________________ CHAPTER ONE: LONELY IS THE NIGHT ******** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place during BBB. That would be the upcoming episode due to air on February 10, 1998. That said, I haven't seen the ep but I'm creating theories and making guesses and taking all that from just the thirty second preview. DISCLAIMER: None of the characters of this fic belong to me. They belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any dialogue that appears on the show also belongs to Joss while any that doesn't belongs to me. No toe-stepping is intended. The title is taken from an Air Supply song. The quote is taken from the Air Supply song "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" STORY NOTES: This is the first of three plus an epilogue. This one starts at the beginning of the preview. At this point, all of these stories step out of the time-stream and exist within mine. ********** "And I know the night is fading And I know the time's gonna fly And I'm never gonna tell you Everything I gotta tell you But I know I gotta give it a try" "If you keep doing that, you're gonna sprain your neck," she told him quietly. Absently, her hand drifted downwards to her still full glass of coke and she stirred it with her finger. "What?" he asked in suprise. He looked back at her and blushed. "You must think I'm nervous and all, right? Well..no..no..." he sighed as he watched her unconvinced face. "I feel like I'm going home to give my parents my report card." "You worry too much. She'll love it..what girl wouldn't?" Buffy Summers reassured him with the faintest of smiles. "Right..okay...tell that to my bladder." Buffy lifted an eyebrow, "I..don't...want to know." She looked away from Xander and out towards the dance floor where her best-friend Willow Rosenberg was dancing with Oz. They looked so perfect..so utterly lost in each others's arms. "Buffy?" She watched as Willow laughed at something Oz said and he beamed with pride. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek and then they both just gazed at each other. "Buffy?" This was her shy friend. The one she'd had to push and now she was the happy one. Well, that was okay because she deserved happiness. They all did. Didn't they? "Buff, you're scaring me," Xander said as he moved his stool closer to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she blinked. "I'm sorry...I...I...was just...thinking..." "About Angel," Xander said softly. He tilted her head so that it was on his shoulder, "It will get better. One way or another..it will get better. You have to believe that." "I just wish I knew if he was totally lost to me," she replied, accepting the warmth and friendship of his semi-embrace. It was getting harder and harder to be the strong one. "Just keep the faith," Xander responded, not willing to tell her what he suspected. She couldn't deal with that reality yet and he wasn't about to hurt her. The idea that she could never love and be loved by Angel would devastate her. "Thanks..you're a good friend, Xander." Buffy said with a laugh. She looked up from his shoulder and across the dance floor and then she smiled, "Looks like you're on, Romeo." "Huh? What? Oh...oh man." Xander swallowed hard. "Do..do I look okay?" She grinned, "You look great. Go. She won't know what hit her." He leaned across and kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks. Oh, man...oh man." Taking a deep breath, he started his slow walk across the dance floor to where his girlfriend, Cordelia Chase was standing with her friends. He glanced back at Buffy and she brushed him forward with a wave of her hand. He nodded and continued his slow walk. "Cordelia..hi..uh..hi," Xander said, suddenly shy. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Xander..hi.." she looked at her friends and sighed, "We..we need to talk." she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Alone." "Alone, okay..yeah..alone is good with me." He looked back at Buffy and flashed her a huge grin. She gave him a thumbs' up and then he turned and followed Cordelia outside into the cool air. As soon as he felt the ice of winter sweep across his arms, he leaned forward and pulled Cordelia towards him. Grinning, he kissed her. She murmured her consent and wrapped her arms around his chest. They stood like that for a couple of moments and then she pushed him away. "We need to talk." "No, we don't," Xander chuckled, leaning forward again. She put a palm flat on his chest and kept him at bay. "This is serious. It's about us." "Oh?" Suddenly his eyes snapped open, "Oh! Right..I got.." "Xander.." "No..no..I got something for you.." "Xander.." "It's kind of like a reminder of us, ya know..." "Xander, there is no us." "And it's..huh? wait a minute..I must have wax in my ears because I could swear you just said.." "I did..Xander..this isn't working." Cordelia replied, refusing to make eye contact. He reached forward and placed a hand under her chin," I don't accept that. I can't.." She looked up at him and for a moment she allowed her cheek to slide against his palm and then she shook her head, "We should have known better from the start, Xander...this isn't you...this isn't me." "Is that what your friends told you?" She looked down at the ground and then looked back up at him, "Please..don't make this harder than it needs to be. God..this just makes more sense. Isn't that a good enough reason?" "No.." "Well, it is for me," she whispered, turning to walk away from him. He reached out and grabbed her arm. He looked up at her with such wide and openly hurt eyes that she almost caved. "Please..just..please." And with that she pushed away from him. He watched for a moment and then shook his head. "No...no..not good enough." Mustering up both his anger and courage, he followed her into the Bronze. He scanned the room and finally spotted her over by the bar, hands spread wide on the counter as if she were trying to calm herself. "How long have you been planning this?" Xander asked as he approached. She looked up at him and quickly pulled herself together. "Xander.." "Well, you want to know what I've been planning?" He laughed, "Not like it matters now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. Hand shaking, he handed it to her. She took it from him, "It's beautiful." "It yours." She stared at the silver heart for a long moment and then shook her head and whispered, "I can't take this." "Why not..you can use the edges to stab someone else through the heart. If you hit 'em just right, it won't hurt that much." "That's not fair." "And this is? Is it them? Can they not handle me?" Xander hissed, pointing dramatically at the small group of cliquers that had gathered a few feet away. "There are things.." then she closed her eyes and looked up at him. "Look..it's just over. Dont make a big deal of it. It was fun..it's over." She turned away from him and dropped the necklace on to the counter. Then she moved away from him and past her friends who were attempting to tell her that they were sorry but they knew that the romance never had a chance. "Xand?" "This isn't happening." He laughed. "What am I talking about..of course it is. I'm the idiot here." He looked at Buffy. "What was I thinking?" She wrapped her arms around him, "The same thing I was." -Fin - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: HMTTN (4/4):Epilogue: Don't Leave Me Now (1/1) Date: 08 Feb 1998 19:48:02 EST Title: Help Me Through The Night (4/4): Epilogue: Don't Leave Me Now (1/1) By: Alex Queirolo EMAIL ADDRESS: Treycash@Aol.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya's and my site eventually.. http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html SPOILER WARNING: Suprise/Innocence and pre-uninformed spoilers for BBB RATING: A PG. Smoochies. FEEDBACK: Yes..yes..YES!!! Please! And beware of the yellow haired rats. ********** HELP ME THROUGH THE NIGHT ________________________________________ EPILOGUE: DON'T LEAVE ME NOW ******** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place during BBB. That would be the upcoming episode due to air on February 10, 1998. That said, I haven't seen the ep but I'm creating theories and making guesses and taking all that from just the thirty second preview. DISCLAIMER: None of the characters of this fic belong to me. They belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any dialogue that appears on the show also belongs to Joss while any that doesn't belongs to me. No toe-stepping is intended. The title is taken from a Pink Floyd song. The quote is taken from the Verve Pipe song "The Freshmen". The ultimate title of this piece is from an Eagles song. STORY NOTES: This is the epilogue. This one deals with the after-effects of the other three pieces. At this point, all of these stories step out of the time-stream and exist within mine. ********* We've tried to wash our hands of all of this We never talk of our lacking relationships And how we're guilt stricken sobbing with our Heads on the floor We fell through the ice when we tried not to Slip, we'd say "I can't be held responsible Cause she was touching her face I won't be held responsible She fell in love in the first place" "Xander, your elbow," she growled as she gave him a less than delicate shove that pushed him into the still sleeping Slayer. "Hey! Will..be nice. She's already gonna hurt me for taking her out..I don't want to deal with a cranky Slayer who's pissed because I woke her up, too." Xander protested as he moved over-so-slightly to allow Buffy's head to fall back against his chest. "Too late, "Buffy moaned. "I'm awake and you are so going to pay.." she lurched forward and then stopped abruptly and put a hand to the back of her head, "Ow, it wasn't a dream." "Um, nope." Xander said with a shy smile. "Um, this is kinda my fault. It's a long story." "Ugh, I imagine. All I remember is you, me, the library, a black robe, Angel, blonde rats and then getting hit over the head. You hit me?" "Yeah," Xander nodded. She looked down at her hands and then whispered, "Thank you." Reaching forward, she gave him a hug and then she placed a hand on the arm of the couch and tried to push herself up. "Ow..I'm gonna get some Tylenol." "No, hey, sit down. I'll do that," Xander said quickly as he pulled her back down into the sitting position. Then he stood, "It's the least I can do." "Yeah," Willow chimed in, "And Oz and I can fill you in on what happened." "Okay," Buffy replied. "Besides, my head really doesn't want me to get up. I think for once I'll listen. Ow. Ow. Cripes, Xand, what did you hit me with? A lead pipe?" "Something like that," he muttered before beating a hasty retreat to the kitchen. Maybe it would have been easier if she had been pissed and wanted to kick his ass. Then at least he wouldn't have to think about what it was that had started the whole mess. "Xander?" He looked up at the open kitchen door, "Cordelia?" "Hi," she said softly, walking a few steps into the kitchen. "I thought maybe we could talk." "Thinking? You? Wow..." Xander said. Almost immediately he slapped himself mentally. Stupid, stupid, stupid. "You know what? Never.." "No, hey, wait..I'm sorry. It was instinct. I'm sorry..about everything..." "I know," Cordelia said softly. He didn't seem to hear her,"I tried to get you back but I guess I had no right.." "Xander.." "I mean, everything I did and the stupid spell. I tried to take a short-cut and I'm sorry. I wouldn't blame.." "Xander, shut up!" Cordelia hissed, leaning forward and kissing him hard. After a long moment, he broke away reluctantly, "So...you're not mad?" "Wrong, Romeo..I'm furious." Pulling back, she slapped him sharply across the face and then she leaned forward again and kissed his reddened cheek. "But I think it's cute, too." "You..you do?" Xander asked in astonishment. "God help me but yeah," Cordelia grinned, kissing him again. He wrapped his arms around her and their passionate embrace deepened. "So," he asked between breath consuming kisses, "Does this mean that we're back together?" "Well, yes. As long as you promise no more weird spells. They're just icky." "What made you change your mind?" She chuckled, "I realized that none of the people I tried to please by dumping you would have ever gone as far as you did to keep us together. Even if it was way weird." Then she grinned, "That and I really like the necklace you got me." "Oh..right." Xander said shyly. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. "It's yours." Reaching around her, he slipped it around her neck and clasped it, kissing her neck as he passed over it. "You're beautiful." "I know," she replied with a large grin. Her eyes twinkled devilishly. With a small laugh, she reached up, grabbed him by the collar and then pushed him against the wet-bar. "Hey, xand, what happened to the Tylen..oh. Oh." Buffy murmured. "Hi guys," she chirped. "Um, not on the counter, okay? I have to eat on that." "Sure, Buffy." They both laughed. She sighed and shook her head, "I am so going back to bed." -FIN FEEEEEEEDBACK PLEASE - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: HMTTN (3/4): Is Your Love Strong Enough? (1/1) Date: 08 Feb 1998 19:47:57 EST Title: Help Me Through The Night (3/4):Is Your Love Strong Enough (1/1) By: Alex Queirolo EMAIL ADDRESS: Treycash@Aol.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya's and my site eventually.. http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html SPOILER WARNING: Suprise/Innocence and pre-uninformed spoilers for BBB RATING: A PG-13. Violence. A bit of language. FEEDBACK: Yes..yes..YES!!! Please! And beware of the yellow haired rats. ******** HELP ME THROUGH THE NIGHT ________________________________________ CHAPTER THREE: IS YOUR LOVE STRONG ENOUGH ******** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place during BBB. That would be the upcoming episode due to air on February 10, 1998. That said, I haven't seen the ep but I'm creating theories and making guesses and taking all that from just the thirty second preview. I want to emphasize that I am pulling Buffy out of character to fit how I see this scene occuring. DISCLAIMER: None of the characters of this fic belong to me. They belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any dialogue that appears on the show also belongs to Joss while any that doesn't belongs to me. No toe-stepping is intended. The title is taken from a Bryan Ferry song from the THREESOME soundtrack. The quote is taken from the Eagles song "Take It Easy." STORY NOTES: This is the third of three plus an epilogue. This one deals with Xander and Angel at Buffy's place. At this point, all of these stories step out of the time-stream and exist within mine. ******** "Well I'm running down the road Trying to loosen my load I got seven women on my mind Four that want to own me Two that want to stone me One says she's a friend of mine Take it easy." It looked like rain. It might not actually happen but it sure looked like it could. Dark clouds swirled angrily in the sky and the wind slapped teh branches of the large oak trees lining Revello drive around like they were pieces of paper. He walked slowly, not completely convinced that he was making an intelligent decision. What if she was still not right in the head? What if Giles hadn't managed to find Amy yet? So many what ifs and only Giles and Amy could fix things. He hoped they would do it fast before things got any worse. As if they could. Things were out of control. It'd started with him being dumped the night before Valentine's Day by his steady Cordelia Chase. Things had pretty much spun out since then. Admittedly, it hadn't been one of the more intelligence inspired moves of his short existance to request help from Amy but in his defense, it had made some type of sense at the time. Ever since Buffy had saved Amy from her psychotic body-stealing mother, they'd been something of friends and so it'd seemed somewhat logical to go to her to help him where Buffy and Willow could not. And it wasn't their fault. Buffy had her own romantic problems; to say that she was merely heartbroken would be a devasting understatement. She'd lost the man she loved, perhaps even more than herself, to a curse none of them really understood. He wanted to talk to her but he knew that the reality of it was that he could offer her very little comfort. He knew that she'd be willing to listen and be there for him just the same but he also knew that he couldn't ask that from her. It wasn't fair. And Willow. His best buddy, his oldest friend. She'd finally found happiness and he'd be damned if he'd infringe upon that. And yet, on both counts, he had. Somehow his plan to win Cordelia back has misfired..horribly. Cordy hadn't been swayed but every girl in Sunnydale, including Willow and Buffy, had very suddenly fallen madly and obcessively in love with him. And not in a good way either. Buffy had attempted to seduce him in the library and she'd been pretty damn persuasive. That was bad enough but the walls of hell had pretty much fallen down around his shoulders when Cordelia had appeared from within the stacks to witness Buffy atop of him with her shirt unbuttoned and her hands roaming about wildly. Suffice it to say, he'd been unable to convince her that it was all just a big misunderstanding and that it was she he wanted on top of him. Since the confrontation in the hallway, he'd managed to figure outexactly what had gone wrong with Amy's spell. A few mispronounced words had changed it drastically and now Giles was trying to make things right while Xander went off in search of the Slayer. "Watch her," Giles had warned, "She could get herself hurt if she's not thinking like her self. Keep her inside until the spell is broken." Easier said than done. Xander sighed and looked up at her house. Her mother was in Los Angeles again...art buying or something equally tedious. In any case, he knew that he needn't worry about knocking. When Joyce Summers was out of town, the house pretty much became Slayer central until she returned. "Buffy?" Xander called out as he stepped into the entry-hall. When all he heard was silence, he started up the stairs. "Buffster?" Oh God, this was crazy. How the hell was he supposed to stop her from going out if that was what she had her mind set on doing. Logic and reason? Yeah, that'd work. He opened the door to her room and stepped in. He sighed tiredly when one look in confirmed that she was missing in action. Not a terribly good thing. He moved over to her bed and shuffled a few of her stuffed animals out of the way. Leaning back on it, he placed his hands beneath his head and closed his eyes. With any luck, by the time the Slayer returned to find him lying on her bed, she'd be wanting to order him off instead of trying to jump him. "Buffy?" a voice called out from the window. Xander blinked and looked up. Now that was curious."Buffy?" the voice called out again, this time lower and menacing. Xander slid off of the bed and sank to his knees. Crawling, he moved towards the window. The voice called out again and Xander saw a foot come through the window. Angel. Angelus. Whatever. He swallowed hard and begged his mind to come up with a plan that wouldn't end up with him sucked dry and dead on the floor of Buffy's bedroom. It wasn't something she'd deal with in a positive way. "Come out, come out wherever you are, my sexy little Slayer," Angel cackled. "There are things I want to do to you." Xander felt anger rising up in his chest as he listened to Angel's taunting. By design they were meant to hurt Buffy; to break her down and destroy her heart and soul piece by piece. "Come on, Buffy...I know you want me. How about this...I'll make love to you...if you want to call it that..one last time before I kill you.' "No!" Xander screamed, rushing to his feet. He slammed against Angel and sent them both hurling out onto the roof. He rolled a few feet and then managed to catch his foot in the drainage gutter. He looked up and saw that Angel was already on his feet and decked out in his game face. With a feral growl, Angel reached down and pulled Xander up and into the air by his throat. "Where is she?" "Go to hell," Xander replied, eyes steady and angry. There wasn't a force in existance that could possibly convince him to betray Buffy. "Gladly," Angel laughed just before he threw Xander over the side of the roof. Xander cried out in shock but quickly discovered that he didn't have much time to flash through his life's events before he collided with a fern bush planted at the base of the side of the house. He lay there stunned and sore and knowing without a doubt that the bush had saved his life. Again, he hadn't much time to contemplate it before he heard a low savage growl and felt Angel wrap a hand of steel around his throat. He gagged and tried to breathe but Angel had little intention of allowing it. "Where's Buffy?" He growled again as he launched Xander into a flip in the air. Xander landed hard on his back and lay there, painfully disorientated and unable to answer the question even if he'd wanted to. "Where's Buffy?" Angel screamed at him, fangs out and ready to strike. "Right here,Angelus. Right here," Buffy said from behind them and over by the patio door. "And I'm going to kill you." Angel turned and smiled, "Buffy! Babe! What a suprise...oh but it's so good to see you." "It won't be for much longer," Buffy replied coldly, her blue eyes locked into a Slayers' deadly stare. She meant business. Angel glanced down at Xander who was just now attempting to regain his fragile equillibrium. "Oh and what are you gonna do? Kick me again? Ooh..ouch...metal cup, love." "I'm not going to casterate you, I'm gonna kill you," Buffy responded calmly as she flicked her wrist sharply to produce a rather nasty looking stake. "You can't kill me, Buffy." Angel said with a smirk. He leaned half a step forward and whispered mockingly, "You love me." "No," she smiled, "I don't. That was then. This is now. I love the man you hurt and that means that your Get Out Of Being Slayed card has expired." "You love Xander," Angel hissed in disbelief. "That's insane." "No, screwing you was insane," Buffy shot back. On the grass and inching away from Angel, Xander winced at the abnormal crudity of her words. She was very obviously still not herself. Angel growled, "Alright, Slayer..you wanna play games..we can play." "No more games, Angelus. Not now..not ever again. Tonight we end it, one way or another." "Fine," Angel replied, opening his mouth to show off his razor-sharp teeth. "Let's dance, little girl." "My thoughts exactly, "Buffy murmured, her eyes blazing fire. Just as he was not the man she'd fallen in love with, she was also not the girl who's heart he owned. He knew that something weird was going on with her but as she jumped into the air ready to bring the stake down into his heart, he also realized that now was not the time to figure out what it was. She slammed him roughly to the ground and then hit him across the face. She pulled back her fist to strike again but this time he caught her hand. "Didn't know you still wanted to get hot and heavy, Buffy," Angel taunted as he twisted her wrist hard and then whacked his head full-on against hers. She staggered back a few steps and placed a hand on above her eye. A tiny stream of blood seeped from a cut that had formed there. "I must have thought you were somebody else," Buffy replied, charging. They scuffled for a few minutes, each connecting and drawing blood. They threw angry taunts at each other; Angel trying to remind her of her undying love for him and Buffy repeatedly countering with declarations of love for Xander. Just when it seemed like neither could possibly best the other, Buffy reached forward and using her nails, raked a set of bloody lines down his face. He howled in pain and fury and fell to the ground. Almost immediately she was upon him; holding the point of the stake against the fabric and skin that housed his heart. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, asshole." "Buffy, no!" Xander screamed from across the yard. Buffy shifted her gaze only slightly and moved her knee against Angel's crotch to compensate. Not suprisingly, there was no metal cup protecting him. "Xander, get the hell inside. It'll be over in a minute and then we can be together." "Buffy, it's not supposed to be like this. You've got to believe me," Xander pleaded. "You can't kill him." "Sure, I ca...oh my God!" Buffy squeaked as a little yellow-haired rat scurried across her boot. She stared at in horror. "Kinda looks like you, Buffy." Angel hissed. Buffy reeled back and hit him across the face. "Shut up, Angelus," Buffy growled, "Or I'll make you eat the rat before I kill you." "Been there, done that," Angel taunted. Then he narrowed his eyes, "Come on, Slayer..kick my ass." "Buffy, please! You love him. You can't do this," Xander begged. "I love you! I want you, Xander." Buffy responded, pulling back to prepare the final blow. "And I won't let him hurt you ever again.' Xander appeared from behind her,"And I won't let you kill him." And with that he produced a length of the metal drainage canal that had come loose from the roof. "Forgive me." He pulled it back and then slammed it hard against Buffy's head. Almost instantly, she grunted and collapsed, a small spot of blood appearing on the back of her blonde head. Well, he'd known that he'd have to hit her hard to knock her out. Angel leapt to his feet, blood pouring down his face and looking himself like he'd been through a war. Which in a way he had. "You've doomed yourself, Xander..the both of you for a love she doesn't remember. You're a fool." Xander lifted the metal rail and then bent to pick up the stake that had fallen from Buffy's hand. "If you're gonna try to kill me, can you do it fast? I've had a really bad day and one way or another, I'd like to end it." Angel narrowed his eyes. He knew that he wasn't fit to go another round. Especially with this boy. Xander stopped Buffy from killing him but there was no guilty feelings stopping Xander from doing it himself and the boy was just strung out enough to put up a good fight. "Another day. I know my game. I know my time but don't think it's over. It's just begun." And with that, he turned and fled. Xander sighed tiredly and then dropped to his knees to check Buffy. He felt around the back of her head and felt a rather large bump but very little blood. She would have a helluva headache but would be just fine. Pulling her head into his lap, he whispered, "Oh man, Buff, I really let this get out of hand and then I had to hurt you to fix it. I'm sorry.." "Xander? Buffy?" A shrill voice called out as two forms came racing out through the patio door and into the yard. Looking up, he saw Willow and Oz and they both appeared rather agitated. "We saw vampires and with everyone all doped up..oh God...Buffy!" Willow fell to the ground, "Is she?" "Unconsious," Xander murmured. "She was gonna kill Angel so I knocked her out. She never would have forgiven herself. I couldn't allow that..I started it all." "It's over, man. Giles and Amy fixed it. Everyone's normal..for Sunnydale anyways," Oz informed him with a smile. "Everyone is back with their correct partner, you psycho Romeo, you." "Everyone but Cordelia," Xander murmured. "I mean, that's good to hear." "Xander.." "I know, Will, I know." He sighed. "Come on, we should get her inside and mayve put an ice-pack on her. She's already got a helluva welt and I have a bad feeling that she's gonna go whup-ass on her Xander shaped friend come the morning." Oz laughed and then looked up at them, "It's funny." Willow grinned and laughed. Xander lifted Buffy into his arms and carried her into the living room of her house. He set her down on the couch and then headed off towards the kitchen in search of a First Aide kit. When he returned, he saw Willow pulling a blanket up over Buffy. Xander sat down on the couch next to the Slayer and brought her towards him so that her head was rested in his lap. He lifted it ever-so-gently and placed a towel and an ice-pack there so it was resting against the bump. "Hey," Oz chirped as he flipped through the channels on the television, "Demons Who See Who We Really Are From Jupiter part nine. Right on." "Cool, movie night. I'll uh..find some popcorn," Willow replied, standing up. She smiled at the boys' questioning looks and then disappeared into the kitchen. She glanced behind her once and then picked up the phone and punched in seven numbers. "Hello? Cordelia? It's Willow..we need to talk. There are some things you need to know about." -FIN - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: HMTTN (2/4): Bad Moon Rising (1/1) Date: 08 Feb 1998 19:47:46 EST Title: Help Me Through The Night (2/4):Bad Moon Rising (1/1) By: Alex Queirolo EMAIL ADDRESS: Treycash@Aol.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya's and my site eventually.. http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html SPOILER WARNING: Suprise/Innocence and pre-uninformed spoilers for BBB RATING: A PG-13. Extreme sexual situations but nothing terribly graphic. FEEDBACK: Yes..yes..YES!!! Please! And beware of the yellow haired rats. ********** HELP ME THROUGH THE NIGHT ________________________________________ CHAPTER TWO: BAD MOON RISING ******** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place during BBB. That would be the upcoming episode due to air on February 10, 1998. That said, I haven't seen the ep but I'm creating theories and making guesses and taking all that from just the thirty second preview. I want to emphasize that I'm pulling Buffy waaaaaaay outta character to fit these theories. DISCLAIMER: None of the characters of this fic belong to me. They belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon. Any dialogue that appears on the show also belongs to Joss while any that doesn't belongs to me. No toe-stepping is intended. The title is taken from a Creedence Clearwater Revival song. The quote is taken from the Eagles song "The New Kid In Town." STORY NOTES: This is the second of three plus an epilogue. This one deals with Buffy and Xander in the library. At this point, all of these stories step out of the time-stream and exist within mine. ******** "He's holding her while you're still around" He placed his hands over his face and leaned back against the check-out counter in the library. Giles was off at some boring teachers' meeting so the place was deserted. With a tired sigh, he closed his eyes tight and tried to block out the events of the last several hours. Easier said than done. For as long as he could remember, he'd dreamed of being the center of attention; the object of every girls' fantasy. Now Xander Harris knew what the old saying "watch what you wish for, it just might come true" meant. In easy case, this wasn't what he'd had in mind. It'd been less than twenty-four hours since his ex-girlfriend Cordelia Chase had rather brutally dumped him. That had been bad enough but this was much worse. Since he'd got to school eight hours earlier, every girl at Sunnydale High had tried to make him feel better. Only they didn't want to just give him a friendly hug and a shoulder to cry on...they wanted to give him lips to kiss and body parts to touch and that was just weird. Even for an overly-hormonal seventeen year old boy. And it wasn't just every girl in school...it was also his two best gal pals, Willow Rosenberg and Buffy Summers and oh boy, that sure did complicate things more than he'd like to imagine. There was something weird going on. Even he knew that much. For as long as he'd had thoughts about Buffy that had ranged from standard male images to downright racy visions, he'd never really expected her to reply in kind. But she was. And then some. He wondered idly if he was somewhat behind the weird behavior that had been following him around all day but then he quickly shook it off. The spell was for Cordelia and it hadn't worked. He'd come to school with the hope that when he walked up to her, she would wrap her arms around him and kiss him full and hard. Well, strike three..she hadn't even looked at him. So what the hell was going on? Cordy still wanted nothing to do with him and every other girl suddenly wanted a piece of him. Was this part of Murphy's Law? And could this day get any worse? "Xander?" a low breathy voice called out from over by the doors. He looked up, almost afraid to see who it was and then he nearly fell over, eyes wide open in shock and jaw dropped down like he was a cartoon character, "Buffy?" he gasped. Well, that answered that question. "Uh huh," she replied, only she didn't really use words to say it. She smiled at him and he felt his knees turn to jello as his eyes locked on her and oh God...what she was wearing. "Cordelia.." he muttered, taking a step backwards, "That is.." "She dumped you..it's okay...I always knew she was tasteless." Buffy replied, her smile becoming larger and sexier. "She..oh God...Buffy..." Xander found that he couldn't stop his eyes from roaming. She was dressed in a tiny black silk robe that flowed over her and left only the most creative parts to the imagination. He couldn't help but wonder how she'd managed to make it through school in that outfit without being stopped. True, it was the end of the day and the only students still lingering about were the jocks and the clubbers but damn, that was a short robe and damn was it hot. "You have no idea," she all but purred."I got you a present, Xander." "A present?" he stammered. Then he tried to smile, "That's nice...it is...it's just that I'm boycotting Valentine's Day this year.." "You don't have to do that," Buffy whispered, her hands trailing down to the bottom of her robe and rubbing on her thighs. Any doubt in his mind as to her intentions immediately disappeared. "Oh, it's okay..really.." "Shush," she replied, her eyelids drooping to half-mast, "Don't you want to open your present?" And then to his suprise, her hands fell down to the buttons of her robe and began to gently pull them loose. "What are you doing?" he whispered as she began to slowly walk towards him. This was a dream..it had to be. Only there did Buffy pull this sex on wheels routine. In reality, he doubted if she'd do it even for Angel. She was the Slayer..very true and she wasn't timid but he knew that she was shy when it came to this kind of thing. "I'm unwrapping it for you," she said with a throaty laugh. He watched, eyes wide as she pulled the top button loose to reveal smooth tanned flesh. Oh boy.. "That's okay..really, you shouldn't have.." he whispered as he took another step backwards and fell into the stairs leading up to the stacks. Almost instantly,she was upon him. "God...I can't believe I ever thought you and I were wrong," she whispered just before she pressed her lips against his and kissed him with all of her Slayer strength. He gasped and for a minute he forgot what he was supposed to be doing; breathing or kissing her. It wasn't long before the latter won out and he kissed her back. He felt her hands move roughly over his body. This was so not her that it was amazing. She was forward, completely wild..not at all tentative. He wanted to say that he liked it and that it was his dream come true but even in his dreams she was a little more reserved. "Buffy.." "Don't talk, rip."Buffy whispered, her mouth again descending upon his as if it and only it provided her salvation. He felt the strength of her arms around his chest, crushing him to her small body. "What?" Xander managed to gasp out between savage kisses. She pushed him away with her arm and stared down at herself, "My clothes, Xander..rip them off." "Buffy, this isn't you," Xander protested. "What about Cordelia..." "Oh, get over her..it's just you and me." She pressed forward again and kissed him, her tongue darting out to do a seductive dance with his. He shook his head, moaned and managed to back away enough so that he could speak. "Angel..Buffy...you love Angel." "No," she hissed, her voice deep and sexy, "I love you. I want you. Oh God...I need you." She reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him back onto the platform at the top of the stairs and then she moved her body so that she was straddling him. As she bent forward to kiss him again, he turned his face. "I know better..you love Angel. You've always loved Angel. What's gotten into you?" "Hopefully you," Buffy growled, shoving him back down and pressing herself on top of him. She reached out and grabbed one of his hands and brought it to the opening of her robe. "Go ahead..open your present." Xander looked up desperately. He glanced about the library looking for an escape, knowing that the girl that was atop him was not in her right mind and knowing that if he took advantage of her it would have brutal reprecussions. And then his eyes fell on his last hope and he felt the air deflate from his chest; she'd blocked the door. He realized that he'd been too distracted by her presense to notice that she'd placed the card catalogue across the library doors to keep anyone from interrupting them. Oh God... "Buffy...you don't want to do this," Xander pleaded as her hands began to probe him in dangerous places. "No..that's where your wrong. For the first time in my life, I do know what I want and dammit, Xander..I want you..right here..right now and I know you want me too. You've always wanted me..now I'm yours. No one to stand in our way..no one. Just you and me and unbelievable sex." "Oh God..no.." he pushed up and managed to get enough strength behind it to push her off of him. He jumped to his feet and stumbled backwards and down the stairs, falling flat on his butt on the ground at the foot of the steps. Immediately he knew that he was a goner because she pounced again and this time she allowed no breathing room as she crushed herself to him. Take or be taken, he thought to himself with a sardonic chuckle. He had the girl of his fantasies atop him, ripping at his clothes and begging him to do the same and he was resisting..why? Why? Because this wasn't right. As she all but inhaled his oxygen for him, he finally realized what was going on. This wasn't Buffy. Even if he were Angel, he doubted that Buffy would act this..loose. That was the only way to put it. He knew his friend and he knew that she'd never act this way so there was only one explanation; the spell had gone horribly wrong. He closed his eyes as he felt her lips leave his and began to kiss a trail of fire down his neck and throat. Whether or not he actually wanted her was irrelevant; she was stimulating him and it was becoming harder and harder to push her away. That and she honest-to-God had him pinned. She leaned upwards away from him and unbuttoned two more of the little black buttons on the robe causing it to fall open and reveal far more than he knew he had the right to see. "God, I dunno what it is about you but you drive me wild," Buffy whispered as her hands found their way underneath his shirt. "I don't know..either." Xander squeaked loudly as she begun to tug his shirt upwards. He reached out and tried to pull it back down. "That's really not..neccesary..." "Yes, it is. I wanna feel you on me. I need to feel you on me." Buffy said with a laugh as she grabbed his shirt and with one hard pull ripped it into two halves. At that point he knew he'd lost. Even drugged or whatever the hell Amy's spell had done to her, she was still ten times stronger than he was. And for some backwards reason, she had her mind set on making love to him. In the library of all places. Oh God...and he'd thought the day couldn't get any worse. What killed him the most was the fact that he'd wanted this since he'd first seen her walking up the steps to the school. He'd wanted her to kiss him like there was no tommorow and he'd desired nothing more than for her to beg him to take her. Only now, this wasn't what he wanted. "I see you move fast," a voice said from above him. He blinked and looked up. Past Buffy and up to the landing above the stairs. "Cordelia," he whispered as his heart slammed to his knees. He felt his body go weak in Buffy's powerful grasp. "Suprise, suprise." She shook her head in disgust. "And so here I am...coming to the library and walking around with all these gross musty book thingies and I'm thinking about you and wondering if maybe I didn't make a mistake." She narrowed her eyes at him, "Now I know I didn't." "No, it's not like that. No..it's really..really not." He pushed Buffy away and off of him and managed by luck alone to suceed because the girl was too stunned by the arrival of Cordelia to put up a fight. Xander jumped to his feet and put out his arms. "Something weird is going on." "No...something weird was going on." Cordelia replied. "I mean come on, Xander..we don't even make sense...I'm me and you're well..you're you." "Right, I got it..." Xander replied, glancing over at Buffy who was quickly rebuttoning herself. Unfortunately it also looked like the Slayer was very hurriedly getting pissed. Oh..this could get ugly. "Look..can we talk about this some place..else? Buffy's not exactly herself." Cordelia cast a look at Buffy and what she was wearing and even through her anger at Xander, she could tell that he spoke the truth. But it didn't really matter. "We have nothing to talk about. You move fast." "You know, Cordelia..you're kind of a bitch," Buffy drawled, acting almost as if she were drunk. "So I've been told..what's your point?" Cordelia countered, knowing better than to get offended by what the Slayer was saying. Something was very definately amiss here. "My point is, I want you to keep your hands off of him. He's mine. You touch him and I'll rip your throat.." "Okay..enough!" Xander cried out, placing a hand over Buffy's mouth. "Enough." He took a deep breath and then reached out and touched her shoulders. "Do me a favor." "Anything," she chirped as she leaned up and kissed him. Cordelia found that she couldn't help but look away and that further angered her. Why should she care..afterall, it wasn't like she really did have a thing for Xander. Right? "Go sit in Giles' office, okay? Don't move...I'll be right in. You promise?" She considered it for a moment and then nodded. "As long as we can pick up where we were before Ms. Bitch interrupted us." Xander was about to reply when he saw Cordelia roll her eyes and move away towards the door. He wanted to reach out and stop her but he knew that he had to take care of Buffy first. He looked over at Cordy shoving the card catalogue out of the way and then he grabbed Buffy by the arm and pulled her into Giles' office. He sat her down in the chair. "Remember, you promised." "Uh huh," she breathed as she grabbed his shirt and kissed him hard. "I'll be waiting." He broke away and replied, "Right." And then he turned and fled, moving quickly towards the opened doors and out into the hallway. "Cordelia!" She kept walking, her stride getting longer and angrier. He called out for her again but she kept moving. "Dammit, Cordy..come on." And then she stopped and turned. Almost as if she had all of hell behind her, she strode towards him and then reached up,grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against a locker. "You want to know what the worst part is?" "Um, will it hurt?" he gasped as he placed a hand over hers. She ignored him and plowed ahead, "I spent all last night up thinking about you...us..whatever. I mean...I actually felt bad for dumping you." She snorted derisively. "God..what I wouldn't do for that time back." And with that she pushed him against the locker and walked away. "You know what? I don't know why I resisted Buffy? It's not like I ever wanted you!"," he called out after her, his anger sparking to dangerous levels. A few athletes stragling in the hallway turned to look at him with confused gazes. And then for the briefest of moments, she stopped. She stood in the middle of the hallway, body rigid, jaw clenched and she considered responding. And then she started to walk again. He watched her disappear through the doors out to the parking lot and then he dipped his head and murmured, "Except I do." -fin - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Archive idea.... Date: 08 Feb 1998 20:36:28 PST We are tossing around ideas for a fanfic challenges and possibly a websit= e, and I am working on doing one. Does sound like something that you guys would like? Fanfic cha= llenges can be very fun, and a specialty website could be a fun project...what = do you all think? Sapphire sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer Specialty Archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG founder; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sali Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Archive idea.... Date: 08 Feb 1998 21:02:26 -0500 Hi.. I think this sounds like a great idea!! The challanges, and the web page!! If you need any help with the page, i'd be glad to volenteer in any way possible.. Great idea!! Sali.. Sapphire wrote: > We are tossing around ideas for a fanfic challenges and possibly a website, and I am working on > doing one. Does sound like something that you guys would like? Fanfic challenges > can be very fun, and a specialty website could be a fun project...what do you all > think? > > Sapphire > sapphire@chaos.taylored.com > X-Over Crossover list admin > X-Over: XF Crossover archive > http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ > Gossamer Specialty Archive > http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor > SPCDD; LOMIG founder; G-Woman #3 > Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs > > - -- "A moment of joy, in a life ||"You are *so* weird!" time of sorrow. Take it, while||"This can *not* be news to you can it?" you can."`- Londo, Babylon 5 ||"Um... no."-- Mai to me on #Willow chat. e-mail: salii@bestweb.net Homepage: http://www.bestweb.net/~salii WALLFLOWERS Home Page: http://www.bestweb.net/~schargon - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Valentine's Day fanfic challenge Date: 08 Feb 1998 23:09:00 PST This idea just popped into my head... Valentine's Day challenge: Since Valentine's Day is almost upon us, I issue this challenge to all = you Buffy and Angel fans. Write a Valentine's Day story that involves Angel = visiting Buffy in her dreams. The rest is up to you! ;) It would be grea= t if it could done by the big day, and of course I would like to archive it = at my brand-new challenge web site ::shameless plug, mainly because it is one day old and empty:: Let's get some stories rolling!!! Sapphire sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer Specialty Archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG founder; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (1/7) Date: 08 Feb 1998 22:33:14 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than seen on BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Let Me Count the Ways.... (1/7) By: Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) Giles was exhausted in so many ways. The days had run on to weeks, with every spare moment spent searching through tome upon tome in his library. He'd begged, borrowed and ... taken a permanent loan on books from other Watchers and demonologists. Every extra second spent in his search for a spell that would bring Angel's soul back. Time stolen after Buffy had finished her training for the day, and in between other projects that needed more immediate attention. He wanted to erase the shadows that ran so freely behind Buffy's eyes. He wanted her to be happy... even if that meant fighting desperately to imprison a soul along side a demon. It wouldn't be the first questionable spell he'd cast, but he hoped it would be the last. In the end, he'd had to improvise. Cobbling together 4 different spells, and hoping desperately that any side-effects would cancel out. He blinked, and poured himself another cup of tea. Earlier on in the evening, he'd stopped dumping out the used tea bags and each pot became blacker and more bitter. He swallowed grimly, wishing he could wait another night and check the spell over again. But the stars portended good results, and the night was quickly passing. He shivered, realizing that the thought of comforting Buffy over yet another person Angelus had killed was also a contributing factor. One of the teabags had burst, and Giles looked at them swimming at the bottome of the cup with the last mouthful of tea. They could almost be forming patterns.... He set the tea cup down at the table, and closed his books. All his quickly done preparations were in order. It was now or never. The pentagram had been painted on his basement floor, and various offering lay in each of the five arms. Giles stepped into the centre where a tall candle, and a notebook with his precise scribblings awaited. He rolled up the sleeves of his wrinkled white shirt, and took out a book of matches. The candle was black and its light flickered uneasily against the walls. Giles began to speak. "Ein blot...:" The words were a confusing mixture of languages. Latin appeared the most often, but whole sentences were in Italian or French, and a Middle Eastern language in which his pronounciation was shaky. "... pas sur soleil, et pas entre ..." With each word, Giles felt the air of the room grow heavier. Presenses -- demons, angels and others, awaited for an opening -- most were unfriendly. His arms started to feel like lead, and he struggled to perform the necessary gestures. The false energy the caffeine had given was fast departing and Giles felt as if gravity had decided to play tricks and increase tenfold. Reaching over into one of the pentacle arms, he tipped the small bowl holding holy water into the one filled with human blood. "... tynatos von meran ... " Sweat ran down his face, and Giles heart started pounding even harder when he heard the basement door start to shake. A hand punched through the flimsy wooden barrier, and reached inside to unlock it. The hand was smoking. Giles lifted a small crucifix from around his neck, and carefully wrapped the chain around the jade bowl filled with the blood and water mixture. He noticed that it had started to bubble. The spell was almost finished. Angelus was almost at the bottom of the stair when Giles flipped open the switchblade and cut across his forearm. There. This was it. The final words. "... sacrifice will you be free." The blood dripped onto the crucifix, and Angelus screamed. His face was cortorted, and his skin was red with wisps of smoke emerging from his entire body. His eyes shone green and full of hate. The sound echoed in the dark basement, and Giles watched in horror as blood started to trickle from Angelus' eyes and mouth. He reached for the crossbow he'd aside aside earlier, but it wasn't needed. With a final moan, Angelus fell to his knees and then slumped limply to the floor. His skin was cracked and blistered, but his face had relaxed back into human features. Blood dripped from eyes that stared confusedly at the ceiling. Keeping a firm grip on the crossbow, Giles took a step closer. Bending down, he pushed aside a still arm but instead of reaching up to choke him, it fell limply to the floor. He turned the face so that he could look into the eyes. The eyes were human again, and Giles recognized the intelligence behind them. A grimace and Giles saw the mouth move without a sound. He tried again, and this time Giles heard the words emerge; faint but recognizable. "Thank You." The eyes dimmed and turned blank. And Giles was left with an empty dead body, a wrecked basement, and the knowledge of success failure. (end of version 1) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (0/7) Date: 08 Feb 1998 22:15:54 Yeah. This is the explanation. Delete at will! :) After "Innocence" aired, the SunS Buffy list started being barraged by stories with Angelus torturing the Slayerettes and Co. After a few of these EvilFic... it got to the point where... let's just say that even w/o seeing "Innocence", I wanted Angelus dead. Perhaps even and then dead. So I thought about how I dealt/deal with nightmares. 1) I wake up before anything nasty happens. 2) I change the dream into a different direction, or 3) I beat the @#$# out of the nightmare. As you probably guessed. I decided to go with number three. The following seven pieces are AU (alternate universe) vignettes staring: Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Jenny, Spike&Dru, and finally Buffy. They can be read in any order, and range from slightly humourous to very violent (R for violent imagery). About the only common denominator is that Angelus come out on top. Wanna read? I'd love feedback about these. They are, essentially, character studies, and I'm interested to see if you agree that I "caught" the essense of each character. Thanks go out to my beta readers: Chris, Perri, Tina and Dianne for giving comments. And -- of course -- to the entire SunS list for w/o them I wouldn't have been inspired to write these. Dawn Steele steele@lillonet.org - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (2/7) Date: 08 Feb 1998 22:33:33 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than seen on BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Let Me Count the Ways.... (part 2/7) By: Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) Willow wasn't sleeping well. She counted sheep, she counted numbers -- she even counted prime numbers but that got confusing after a while. Logic dictated that she figure out why she couldn't sleep, deal with it and be done with. Unfortunately, logic had nothing to do with it. She'd everything she could thing of. But she was still scared. Shivering, she rubbed her neck. The bruises where Angel's hands had gripped her had faded a couple of days ago. She'd had to go through her supply of turtlenecks. That had raised a few eyebrows from her parents since the California weather, as usual, had been both warm and dry. They probably thought Oz had given her a hickey and she'd been embarassed about it -- and she would have been... if that had been the reason. Instead, she had been hot, uncomfortable... and scared. She'd seen Angel's face just after Ms. Calendar had driven him off with the cross. And she'd felt the determined grip in his hands. He had to hurt her. To break her neck and kill her. Willow curled up into a fetal position, arms crossed and hugged her knees. What if he came after her again? She'd invited him into her room. He could come back any time he wanted... He could go after her parents and then go after her... He could break her neck the way he'd intended to, and her parents would never know who'd done it... He could... There was nothing she could do to protect them. The truth would only put them in greater danger. Willow groaned, reached out, and grabbed Mr. Max. She took the small stuffed dog and squeezed him until he was flat and comforting. Wrapping the blankets around her, she tried to get into a comfortable position. Closing her eyes, she decided to practice counting prime numbers again. *one, two, three....* ~/what was that sound?/~ *five, seven, eleven....* Willow forced herself to keep her eyes closed. There wasn't anybody leaning over her now -- just like there wasn't anybody leaning over her the last eighteen times she'd imagined it. *thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twentythree...* She felt a breeze blow across her face like someone breathing except colder. Willow squeezed her eyes shut, and held onto the blankets with a deathgrip. It was a breeze from the window that she had firmly shut earlier that night. It was just her imagination. Just like the feel of the mattress moving was her imagination, just like, just like... Willow realized her heart was pounding. The feel of the hand over her mouth made it go into overdrive. "Shh... Don't scream. You don't really want your parents in your room right now." The darkness hid most of his body, and the dark clothes he was wearing blended in perfectly. Light from the window played against the light skin on the face that was directly over hers. She felt his body readjust until he was half lying over her. The pressure made her want to throw up. "Or maybe you do." He started smiling. "Are you going to scream, or can we have a final conversation before I kill you?" Trying to move her head back and forth, Willow discovered that his hand was holding her head too firmly against the pillow for it to move. She was going to have bruises again tomorrow. Or maybe tomorrow she'd be dead and it wouldn't matter. He must have felt her trying to move because he released his hold on her mouth. With a relaxed gesture, he sprawled on his back beside her, and tucked his arm underneath her neck. "I've always liked you." Angel pulled her closer and quickly kissed the top of her head. "Young, smart, and pretty much helpless -- definite turn-ons." He adjusted her body, so that it was tucked up next to him. "What do you want?" "See what I mean?" Willow felt his hand pat her on the tummy just below the belly button. "No screaming, no whining, no fainting... although I *do* remember you fainting once. Maybe I'm thinking about someone else." He moved again so that he was crouching over her, and then sat down on her legs. "You babble, and I hate that... so I've decided to kill you instead of turning you into a vampire. I get enough nonsense talk from Dru." "Babble? I don't babble. I never babble unless I've got a really good reason, maybe this isn't the best time, but this really is a good reason and..." Her legs were starting to go numb. The hand went over her mouth again, except this time his hand covered her nose as well. A few seconds, and Willow felt as if she was trapped under water. "Ooph!" Willow gasped. Blessed air rushed through her lungs. Angel was still sitting on her legs, but he was looking over her room with a distracted air. "How do you want to die?" "I don't, I don't wanna die!" Willow couldn't help it. She moaned, hating herself as she did it. "No, no, no!" He smiled wickedly down at her. "You're not playing the game!" She closed her eyes to shut out that face. She could still hear his voice, but at least she didn't have to look at him. His hands moved over her body again. "There are just many possibilities... I know you must know some of the frailties of the human body. So many ways, so many..." "Urk!" Willow felt Angel being lifted from on top of her. Buffy? Had her other precautions been activated? Cautiously, she opened an eye. Then she scooted towards the back of the bed, and threw off the covers. Angel's tall form was being lifted off the ground by thick metallic arms, and metal pincers connected his neck to the neck of... "I... I didn't know if it would work, and I'm really sorry, but I was scared, and..." She looked over at her creation. It stood higher than Angel, with curved metal horns coming out of its heads, and glowing red eyes. She'd modified it of course; the metal pincers being the most recent addition. "I couldn't figure out what to do, and then I remembered all the parts I've been putting together over the last few months." Willow could tell the metal pincers were starting to dig in, but slowly. She'd been unsure as to the correct strength of the motor behind it -- it looked like it should have been stronger. It was cutting in slowly. "It's got sensors that are activated by large moving shapes with a below average body temperature, and a few other things... Only a limited AI right now, but some of the bits and pieces I got from that android that was dating Buffy mother were really interesting and I've got some of those in there too." Willow realized that she was babbling. Sounds were coming from Angel's throat, but none of them loud enough to wake up her parents. She stepped back out of the range of his feet as he kicked about trying to get free. "I'm really, really sorry Angel, but you were going to kill me and I was so -- and I know you aren't really Angel anymore." She paused. "I really liked you, and I'm sorry about this. I'm really sorry, but I don't want to die...." The metal pincers were starting to close. Willow shut her eyes firmly shut. Willow heard a sound like flesh hitting against metal as Angel continued to struggle, and then a soft explosion of air. Bits of dust fell against her face. She was going to have to clean up her room and change her bed before she'd be able to get to sleep tonight. "I'm so sorry." "So very sorry." (end of version two) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let me count the Ways.... (3/7) Date: 08 Feb 1998 22:33:47 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than seen on BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Let me count the ways.... (3/7) By Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) "Shit!" A cool trinkle of coins started to fall down his pant leg as the hole he'd been fooling with in his pocket suddenly assumed the size of the grand canyon. Xander started jumping up and down on one leg, fully aware of the impression he was probably making in the school hallway, but for one brief moment, not really caring. All things considered, him making a bigger fool of himself than he usually did wasn't high on his list of priorities. With the last of them shaken out, he squated down and started picking them up again. Coins were a too valuable vending machine resource to waste to whatever tenth-grader who came along. He never saw the hand coming. Catching him off balance, the shove landed him flat on his butt and the coins were scattered in a wide circle around him. "What the... !" The cackle of laughter sent shivers down his back and he turned to catch sight of a too familiar back. "That's just great." It looked like Kyle was back from his little trip of and none the better in behaviour for a little animal possession and canibalism. Xander carefully stood up and started moving down the hall again. The money just wasn't worth it. His mood, far from bright to begin with, quickly lapsed into self-pity and anger. Without even bothering to stop by his locker room, Xander found himself in the library -- an empty one. Either Buffy and Giles were out fighting demons and hadn't told him, or there just wasn't any after-school fighting for him to interrupt and catch Buffy wearing spandex. The thought of Buffy wearing spandex quickly turned into a series of images about a whole series of girls in various pieces of clothing. Cordelia featured highly, which both annoyed him more and increased his... Xander flopped into one of the library chairs and started to stare at the ceiling. Things were different. He'd just started getting used to who was checking out whom, and the whole ball of wax started being tossed in six different shades of the Hellmouth. Giles and Ms. Calender weren't speaking, his bestest friend Willow was chasing after that hairy Oz fellow, and Angel was... "Angel is a bloodsucking, violent, psychopathic demon who's a complete asshole." The worst part of it was he knew Buffy still loved the creep, or past creep, or the creep's now-gone soul, or ... "Hell." Xander contemplated going home and scrounging a meal out of the cold pizza that was now getting moldy on the kitchen counter. His parents were gone on another trip to la-la land, leaving "you're old enough now" Xander to take care of himself. Not that he'd ever done anything but. He could go over to Willow's and talk her into helping him with his homework. If she wasn't "out". Her parents were probably freaking with joy that their darling daughter was finally going out with someone who wasn't so obviously "goy". Not that his parents had ever even remotely tried to teach him some religion beyond some crystal energy therapy and bouts of yoga. Pushing his chair back with a screeched that echoed through the empty library, Xander started towards his stash. He didn't know if Giles knew about it yet, but the drawer had become a repository of Ho-Ho's, Twinkies and chocoate bars. He stuck around until he could hear all the doors of the school being locked and then went out and got his books from his locker. Staring at incomprehensible algebra here was better than staring at it at home. Maybe if he was lucky some of the knowledge from the books around him would seep into his brain. Setting his books all around him, he picked up his pen and looked at the incomprehensible notes he'd taken earlier that day. Willow wasn't even here to figure out what he'd written. Slamming the math shut, Xander opened up the book of American History. There was a test in two days, and putting the textbook under his pillow at night didn't seem to be helping. He started to read, and. . . . Woke up to a giant crick in his neck, and the textbook lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Except for the dim light from the school halways, and scattered reflections from the outside spotlights, the room was in darkness. With a slightly twitching hand, he flipped on the light on the table nearby. At least the school hadn't been able to replace the last security guard, a fact that wasn't common knowledge among the students, but one that Giles had passed on. Shaking his head, he went over to his store of junk food again and pulled out a can of forbidden pop. Giles would have fit about the possibility of some fizzy sugarly slop being spilled in his precious sanctum, but the old bookworm wasn't around to complain. Munching on his fourth chocolate bar of the day, he filched out the extra set of keys Willow had made some months ago, and opened Giles' office. The place was an immaculate mess. Piles of books lines of neatly, with bits and pieces of scrap paper marking Giles' latest finds. Notebooks piles up firmly against the wall, and dust layered over the rows of school texts in the back shelf that he'd never bothered to change from the previous tenant. Xander opened a couple of the books, but quickly lost interest when he realized that he didn't even know what language the books were in. He dropped them back onto the pile in disgust and left the room with a scowl blackening his face. He was useless. A moron whose only role was to go out for junk food and annoy Cordelia. His parent's barely knew he existed, his best friend was ignoring him and about the only help he was to Buffy was as bait for whatever freak was in Sunndydale. He never saw the hand coming... The table rushed towards him, and Xander found himself flying over it and tumbling painfully to the ground on the other side. A ragged gasp excaped him as he turned as quickly as he could. The demon was grinning at him. A red haze of anger rushed through Xander with a speed and force that pushed aside the fear. "So the dead guy's visiting the library again. Finished playing koochikoo with your old friends, and back to see if you still know how to read now that you better half has split?" "You always were a stupid waste of time." The demon's grin faded, but Xander could still see the amusement in his eyes. "Well, you were... were... " "Tongue-tied? Do you want me to straighten it out for you?" Xander looked at the familiar face with no sense of recognition and finally realized how stupid he'd been in the past. Hating Angel all those months, after Jesse had been killed when... he didn't even know the monster in front of him. But it knew him, and Buffy was nowhere around to save his sorry ass. Adreneline rushed through his body, and he started to run. The next few moments were a confused rush of flying books, being slammed into walls and the sinking feeling that Angelus was playing with him. Xander spotted the open doorway and made a flying rush to get past the metal sides. He didn't care if it was a dead end, he just needed to. . . . Angel was in front of him. Laughing. With an inarticulate scream Xander used all his momentum to slam into him. They both fell back, but Xander was the first out. Angelus was taking his time playing with his latest toy and then it was too late. The door of the cage slammed shut and Xander frantically pulled the almost-forgotten keys from his pocket. The key broke off in the lock just as Angelus started shaking the metal. His face had twisted up and the metal was groaning. But it was holding. Xander mentally thanked every extra second that he'd spent helping Giles to rebuild and reinforce the cage after the hyenas tore it down. "This won't hold me." There was hate in his eyes, and he wasn't smiling anymore. "I'm going to get out, and then I'm going to tear you into little pieces." Angelus dropped his arms, and took a step back. "Maybe I'll hide a piece here, and a piece there... just so Buffy and her st-st-stuttering Watcher will get presents again and again... At least until I kill them too." "Shut up!" The keys dropped from his hands and Xander started to back away. This was his chance to get Giles or Buffy. He had to get to a phone and call before he lost his nerve and decided to just start running from the school. He felt those eyes on his back every step to Giles' office. He was there before he realized the keys were on the floor right in front of the cage. Xander forced himself to go back. "Did I ever tell you that a Slayer's blood is ? I was planning on draining every last drop out of Buffy after I kill her. Maybe hang her upside down and gut her like a pig." The smile was back. "Maybe I'll have a party. Invite Spike, Drusilla and the whole gang." "I hate you." It was softly spoken, but he knew the demon had heard him. He picked up the keys and headed back for the office. Angelus had started laughing. There wasn't any answer at Giles' place. Xander stared at the phone and tried to figure out what to do. He could keep trying Giles until he finally came back from whereever he'd gone, or he could call someone else. Willow or Ms. Calendar or Cordelia or Oz or ... Buffy. He knew he should call her. She was the Slayer. It was her job -- but he couldn't do that to her. Not now. Not against Angelus. He couldn't let him hurt her anymore. He would just have to wait until Giles came back to his house or to the library in the morning. He could handle this like a man and not go running to hide behind a woman's skirts. Xander surrounded himself with a mound of stakes, crossbows, maces and a bottle of what was probably holy water. And he tried to phoning Giles -- over, and over, and over. He fell asleep again a bit after three in the morning, to the accompaniment of whispers and threats heard through the open door to the next room. Dreams of blood and death kept him company. He fell asleep. . . . And awoke to screams. The room was bright again, and light was coming in through the library skylight. Xander knocked over the pile of sharpened wood on the desk, and after grabbing a crossbow, hurried into the next room. The light had reached the corner of the small metal cage where Angelus had squeezed himself. It was starting to move up his legs. The screams stopped. "You're dead! You're all dead! Walking bags of blood that deserve to be ripped apart and splashed over the air!" Where the light touched, tendrils of smoke rose. It was started to fill the area where Angelus stayed and diffused the early morning light to a pearly glow. "You are nothing! Spike and Drusilla will come, or others in an endless tide that you have hope of winning." Angelus' face creased in a pained grimace for a moment before smothing out again. "She cannot stand against all of us. It won't be long. A careless moment. A turned back and she will be dead." "You're the one who's going to die." Xander felt limp with relief. Angelus wasn't going to kill him. Angelus kill him. "Are you going to tell her that you killed me? She still me." Angelus started to laugh. "I have that to comfort me -- along with the knowledge it won't be long before she's dead." The sunlight had almost filled the box, and the smoke was making it hard to see. The metal groaned as Angelus threw himself against it. Weakened bolts... snapped and the door came crashing down. Xander felt hands around his neck... and then a soft silt covered his face and body. And the day began. (end of version 3) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (4/7) Date: 08 Feb 1998 22:34:00 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than seen on BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Also FYI -- for some weird reason, this one is one of my favs. The remaining three parts (#5-7) will be posted tomorrow. ****************************************************************************** Let Me Count the Ways.... (4/7) By: Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) Cordelia increased the pressure on the accelerator, and wished angrily that the car had an ejection passenger seat. Then she started mentally listing the people she'd send into the stars above. Number one on the list was its current occupant, Hope. "... saw the yellow one on sale at Saks, and just I had to have it, so I talked to Daddy and he put it on his plastic." She smiled vacantly in Cordelia's direction, and continued flipping through her fashion magazine. "I know that you have one like it, but this was at ! You don't mind, right?" "If I wanted to be your twin, I'd get a bottle of peroxide and drink enough vodka martinis to kill 3 billion brain cells and be at your intellectual level. What do you ?" Cordelia pressed on the accelerator some more. "You I'm planning on wearing my new yellow dress to the party." "Yeah, but I like the dress. You don't mind, right? You're just saying you mind, but you really don't -- right?" Her voice had taken a tone that was starting to grate on Cordelia's nerves. She'd accepted Hope into her group almost two weeks ago, and had regretted it almost immediately. Sure, she knew how to properly do her makeup, and had knowledge of all the best places to eat in San Francisco, but had an inability to see that when Cordelia told her to do something, you it. Sure, she'd lost a few members due to various unfortunate Sunnydale High accidents, but you had to have standards. "Hey! Cute guy!" Hope was pointing out the window at someone standing at the side of the road, probably looking to get picked up. Cordelia didn't get a good look at him as she flashed by. He didn't stand a chance of getting picked up -- not on a back road this late at night. The next thing she knew, Hope was screaming and the car was starting to lurch all over the road. An arm punched through the top of the car, and grabbed Hope's hair. It pulled her upwards, screams and all, until her head forced its way through the roof. Reams of blood streamed downward, and splattered all over both the interior and Cordelia -- who was frantically swerving the car back and forth in an effort to shake him off. And she had a pretty good idea who "he" was. She'd heard about Theresa from Buffy. Gotten a warning to limit her time at the Bronze and not to invite any strangers into her house. She'd ignored the first, since a social death was preferable to a real one, but she'd tried to talk to her parents about the latter. They'd just ignored her -- per usual. Now a vampire was on top of her car, and ruining the interior! Cordelia swerved the car in a semi-circle and floored the car. Maybe she could get to Buffy's home in time. Buffy might be there. Buffy could handle it. She was good at killing things. She forced herself to stay angry. Staying angry prevented her from being terrified, and pushed aside thoughts of what was happening to Hope. She was not going to be killed just to punish Buffy. She was too to die like that! Hope's moans, faintly heard above the roars of the car's engine, stopped. She slammed on the brakes. A dark clad body flew over the roof and rolled on the ground in front of the car. Hope's body fell back into the car and slumped limply to one side. Cordelia knew exactly what to do. Without giving herself time to think, or him to react, Cordelia pushed the accelerator to the floor and ran over him. She winced as the car shifted up and down, but then she was past him. Cordelia looked into the rear view mirrow. The bastard was getting up. Shifting into reverse, she aimed at him and smiled in satisfaction as he hit the rear bumber with a sound that would make any insurance agent wince. She slowed down to let the body drop, and then drove over him again. And then again... and again... and again. Hope's head had moved over to rest on Cordelia's lap. When she pushed her over towards the passenger seat, her hand came away covered in blood. So she ran over him again. He wasn't moving. Cordelia thought about driving away. She could. Angel wasn't moving, and she could go and get Buffy. Absently, she wiped the blood off her hand against the car seat. Then she thought about what he could do to her later if he managed to get away before she got back with Buffy -- and ran over him again just for safety's sake. Parking a few feet away, Cordelia left the engine running and opened her door wide before cautiously stepping out and popping the trunk latch. She reached inside for the tent bag she'd started keeping inside a couple of months before. The orange clashed with the sporty red of her car, but she'd firmly ignored her friends comments when they saw it, and left it there. Unzipping the bag, she reached for one of the wooden tent pegs and the hammer. The pegs were painted the same fluorescent orange colour as the bag and the tent itself but she doubted that mattered. Cordelia walked over to where Angel's body lay. Both his legs were bent at impossible angles, and his face was... She forced herself to place the peg on his chest and gave the top an experimental "tap". It didn't even go through the leather jacket he was wearing. Her hand was shaking, but she unsnapped the jacket and replaced the tent peg. Then she took a firmer grip on the hammer. She hadn't used one since that ridiculous mandatory "Industrial Arts" course in the seventh grade. This time it went in. The sound as it did made her shiver. Hitting the peg as hard as she could, it took a couple more swings before it was almost though him. The body had jerked upwards with each blow, and with the amount of resistance she'd probably hit bone. She stepped back and waited for his body to disappear. It didn't. "Damn!" Cordelia ran back to the car, got another tent peg, and then rushed back. "Okay, okay. I took Biology 11 this term. Remember the quiz on human anatomy? I got 76 on that test! I should know where the hell the heart is!" She placed the peg to the right of the first one and about an inch apart. And screamed when something grabbed her foot. Looking down, she saw Angel's smashed face break out into a twisted grin as he steadily increased the pressure on her ankle. "Cordelia..." Cordelia kept on screaming as she slammed the hammer down again. She whimpered as she felt her ankle twist and break under his grip. And she moaned as his body turned to dust and left her lying in the middle of the road in violent pain and covered in blood. (end of version 4) ************** What? Angelus had to have at least word! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Let Me Count the Ways.... Date: 08 Feb 1998 22:37:56 So much for making the disclaimer and other info neat and tidy. :) I'll fix it before sending the last three. Dawn steele@lillonet.org - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: round robin on atbc Date: 09 Feb 1998 12:55:51 PST To those interested...there is going to be a round robin fanfic started at alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative See the newsgroup for details. Sapphire: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin: X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer XF Specialty Archive: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/lomig ; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Challenge Fic Date: 09 Feb 1998 15:47:19 -0500 Ooh! I love challenges. This is a great idea!!! Let me know how it goes. -Ingrid "I know. I look like Willow, I act like Willow... I guess I am Willow!" _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (5/7) Date: 09 Feb 1998 18:38:35 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. Let Me Count the Ways.... (5/7) By: Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) The Rom had arrived the night before and set up their campers, their tents and their campers. Suddenly there was a small flourishing colony on a field whose owner was away for the week. Jenny had found out they were coming only a couple of hours before they arrived. Since then, she'd been greeted by long-lost relatives, eaten the copious amounts of food thrust upon her and... become completly frustrated by not being able to get a straight answer as to why they had come. The whole camp had an air of an impromtu family reunion as those who had settled down into different cities felt the urge to join their more mobile cousins. There wasn't a single person less than sixteen in the camp. She had a good idea anyway as to the "who" if not the "why" behind their unexpected visit. Sunnydale wasn't on any caravan route -- in fact, it was normally given a wide berth. It was an area spoken of in whispers, and used as a threat to the children when they misbehaved. None of them wanted to be here. Not even her. The list of reasons she listed every morning as to why she hadn't left were growing more fragile every day. Her contract to teach at Sunnydale high was one she put at the top; despite the fact that her teaching certificate was forged, and it hadn't been signed under her real name. The apartment and her belongings could be disgarded as easily as packing up a couple of boxes. They were mementos of a person she had tried to be, not who she truly was. Then there was Angel -- or Angelus, as she tried to think of him. Angel -- her reason for originally being assigned to the area when she'd tried to get away from the family's influence, was no more. The curse that had held the demon in check for so long was gone, and as much as she tried, she could find no way to cast it again. The demon had killed too many of that clan, and the old chovihani who'd cast the curse had died shortly afterwards. Nobody could tell her how the chovihani had done it, nor did they seem to care. Unfortunately, this was a fact that Giles wouldn't believe. Not when she couldn't get him to speak more than two words to her. He was ignoring her with a persistence that reminded her of the days they first met through the teacher's lounge. At least then she had the knowledge it was her subject area that he disliked, and not.... He had stood by Buffy and rejected her. In the end, she had known that it would come to that. She might have laid claim to a part of his heart, but Buffy had his soul. What made it all so frustrating was how jovial everyone insisted on being. Still, she'd managed to get into two arguments already with her cousin Andros; it was just like old times. She didn't fit in anymore -- if she ever had. Yells brought her out of her reverie. There was a commotion at the other side of the camp. Jenny jumped off the picnic table where she'd been sitting and started heading over. A tall dark form moved to block her way. "Don't leave. It's still early." He moved and light from one of the small campfires played against his beautiful face. "Angelus." "I go by Angel these days." He smiled charmingly. "You have to move with the times." "What did you do?" Jenny was amazed at how calm her voice was. Just like that time one of her students had come in dusted, and she'd had to try and talk him out of slamming all the computer monitors against the wall. She could handle it. She could... die. "Nothing really. Just a present to keep them occupied while you and I have a little... talk." One arm moved up, and he leaned against the camper. The epitome of casual. "It was like old times. I'll be gone before they even realize I'm still here." "What do you want with me then?" He shrugged. "The eternal question. What a good looking vampire who's already fed want?" His face shifted; fire shimmered in his eyes. "I don't want this body's soul coming back. It's now! No one is going to take it from me again!" Before Jenny could think of moving towards a weapon, he forced her against the camper. The hand against her throat lifted her a foot off the ground. The world narrowed to the awkward angle of her neck, and the brand of pain around it. Stars swam in front of her, and the moon shone full and bright. It was such a beautiful night. "You're going to die, and then Giles is going to die, and then everyone else Buffy cares about." He was smiling. She couldn't see him, but she could hear it in his voice. "It's just what I do for fun. has to have a hobby." The air thrummed, and Jenny found herself falling awkwardly to the ground. Angelus had turned around and was trying to pull an arrow out of his back. For a moment, Jenny flashed back to Giles pulling out the arrow she'd shot him with and could have smiled. Angelus had started to move away from her, when the next arrow was released. Then a small volley of arrows. His back and legs were starting to look like a pincussion. Some of them shone a shiny metallic blue, but most had the look of custom made wooden shafts. Angelus was still staggering awkwardly away. Jenny scrambled to her feet, and ran over to her cousin, Andros. He held another arrow ready to be realeased. "No!" "Be quiet! He must die!" Jenny felt arms around her, holding her back. A voice whispered into her ear. "Mariam is dead; the demon killed her." It was Terry; Mariam's brother. Andros had released the arrow, and watched in satisfaction as it hit its target. "No," Jenny said. "We can capture him. Curse him again!" Buffy would never forgive her if Angel died... Giles might not forgive her. "That time is past. He must pay for killing us, and tonight he will." Andros stepped closer, and gently touched her cheek. "I'm sorry, Janna. We could not curse him again even if we wanted to. You know that, and you know this is the way our vengence must end." Angelus had fallen to the ground, and a large group of Rom had surrounded him. None of the arrows had penetrated his heart, or he would be dead. They weren't trying to drive one through the heart -- that would be too quick. Jenny looked at Andros. Janna looked at Andros. She felt her heart tear in two. It was over, and she couldn't see a way to mend it. She would never belong in Sunnydale again. "It's over," said Andros. "Yes. It's over." Janna stood up straight as Terry released her. Old Dano had lit a wooden torch, and handed it to her. Giving Angel's assigned watcher the priviledge of seeing to his end. Janna walked towards the body on the ground. Angelus was on his stomach; still trying to crawl away. She dropped the torch on top of him. They all watched him burn. (end of version five) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: The Gardner Family Subject: BUFFYFIC: New Fanfic 1/1 Date: 09 Feb 1998 20:59:00 -0600 Hey guys! Here is my new fic. Enjoy Title: No clue, give me help Author: Brad Gardner (Gardners@htc.net) Foreword: This is my little way of starting the healing process of Joss' s bad bad = surprise story. I didn't know how to handle that, so I decided this was = a giid time to write my first fic. Please give me help. This is a rough = copy. If you have comments or suggestions please mail me. I want = feedback! I left it open ended so one of you good writers could continue = it if tou want to. We are the lucky ones to catch glimpses of these peoples lives and when = we do we are very very lucky. Please comment. A final version will be = posted at my site. http://www.angelfire.com/ga/gardners/brdswrld.html=20 Enjoy: =09 "I can't believe what has happened to me. I mean a lousy, sleazy, = unbelievable mistake, I let my hormones take over, I killed my = boyfriend. I mean the soul that was sharing the body with the evil = thingy. Oh, all those other teen girls out there that worry about their = big problems, I killed my boyfriend. I killed him! You wouldn't realize = how hard it is to say those words, but it feels good to get them out. = Well I guess I need to be getting to work. I mean the pure hell that has = taken over my social life," Buffy Sommers thought.=20 "Buffy", Giles said, " There are vampires out and the time is ticking, = you best be getting to work." "Sure, I'll get going, but don't think I'm listening to you, I'm doing = it because I have to" ***** "Hello Spike, watcha' doin'?" Drusilla asked. "Nothing, Dru, what are you needing?" "Why yes, love, I want a present!" Drusilla called out. "What more could you want, love?" Spike replied. "I want a lot of stuff, you should know that!" Laughed Drusilla."I want = Angel to bring me the slayer... dead"=20 =09 ***** "Giles," Jenny Calendar's voice broke the silence. "What is it?" Giles replied looking up and at the piles of books they = were reading.=20 "I found it I found it!!! We can bring Angel back. Well I mean the good = Angel,"Jenny shouted. "Let me see, Oh my God, Jenny you found it!!" Giles shouted back almost = in hysterics." We have to get Buffy.=20 "No let's wait and surprise her with him when he's normal again!" ***** Buffy jumped on top of the vampire and jabbed a stake in his heart.=20 "Well, that's that."=20 "Every time I pull a stake out I see that look in their eyes, that same = look that is in Angel's eyes every time I see him. That look of pain. I = know that he still is on love with me. Well I guess I mean it. But there = were many times he could have killed me and he didn't. He's using our = love to hurt me, but he doesn't want to kill me. There's something = there. Something that will always be there. Why does this hurt so bad, = and will it go away?" Buffy thought. ***** "You want Buffy? Why?" Spike cried out. "First of all Angel is in love = with her. Second he will not kill her, he already made that clear." "I don't care! I'm tired of him and his plan. I want her now, now, now, = now!! If you loved me Spike you would get her." "That's correct Spike," Angel said stepping out in front of them." I = will not kill her. I am or was in love with her and you know those human = like feelings take a while to go away. "Angel, I hate to tell you, but you will be bringing her to me, you = will!" Drusilla screamed out at him.=20 "I will not, darling" Angel said sternly. "Then you will die," They said simultaneously. ***** =09 "So all he has to do is show up and we can put the spell back on him!" = Jenny said. "Exactly, he doesn't even have to be willing," Giles said = enthusiastically. ***** Buffy woke herself from her deep-thinking sleep-like state.=20 "This is happening more and more lately," Buffy thought to herself, as = she got up her two sidekicks Xander and Willow showed up. "Anything happen?" Willow asked. "No, just one kill, pretty normal, "Buffy said. "Because in your life, that is normal." Xander said sarcastically. ***** "Get out of here Angel, and get her," Spike yelled. "Why?" Angel simply asked. "Because what Dru wants Dru gets!!" "Ah ha ha, I've trained you well," Dru laughed. "Now go," they said as Angel walked out into the dark night. =09 ***** "So how are you doing with this whole Angel situation?" Willow asked = sympathetically. "Oh, I'm still alive aren't I?" Buffy replied rather sarcastically. "Let's go home, you need a good-nights rest," Willow said. "Yeah, I better trip, see you at school" replied Buffy staring off into = nowhere. ***** 'I don't know, Jenny," Giles said. "Giles, don't you think she would be happy to receive him as a = surprise. Come on Giles, you know you wanna," Jenny pleaded seductively. "Alright." "O.K. here's the plan..." =20 ***** Buffy walked down the street to her house as Angel discreetly = approached her. "Who the he** is behind me, because I am definitely not in the slayage = mood," Buffy said. "Angel, oh God." Angel chased Buffy for a while until Buffy fell to the ground. Angel = caught up to her with his game face on.=20 "Ahh, help m.....," Buffy cried out. Buffy and Angel fought for a while and then she collapsed to the = ground.=20 "Angel please..." "Buffy shut up! Your sweet Angel is gone. He's gone. I cannot help you = in the love department. Sorry honey, you killed him!! Angel screamed. "No, I will not cry, I will not let him get to me," Buffy thought to = herself. Angel picked up Buffy and carried her to the underworld.=20 "What, why aren't you killing me?" Buffy asked. '"Buffy, Spike and Dru will. Now I better get you to Spike." ***** "Morning Giles," said a chipper Willow." Have you seen Buffy?" "No, but she'll be here," Giles replied without even looking up from = his work. "Whatcha' working on?" Willow asked shyly. "Nothing," Giles said and slammed his book closed. "Giles, it says here if we want him back we have to get him here at = darkfal..."Miss Calendar said. "So that's what you're working on." "Yes, but it's a surprise, so don't say anything." Giles said sternly. "Anything about what?" Xander said entering the library.=20 "We are going to surprise Buffy with Angel being human again.=20 "Oh yay!" Xander said sarcastically. "Tonight at dark. If you find her tell her to be there." ***** "How lovely it is to have the best one delivered to us on a silver = platter," taunted Spike. "Angel we are gonna need some before dinner snacks. Fetch some. Nowwww! = As Angel walked into the moonlit street Jenny and Giles spotted him. "I knew he would be out, I just knew!" Giles said incredibly = enthusiastically as Jenny looked at him like he was crazy.=20 "Well, I better begin!"=20 "Arora soray clumbeatep..."said Jenny. "...Sisyphus eclytis la voche tra keeey" Giles finished. "Angel fell to the ground, but this time not yelling out Buffy's name. "Oh poor Angel!" Jenny said.=20 "Angel are you alright?" "Oh my God, I'm back. I'm back!!!" "We have to find Buffy to show her the ne..."=20 "Oh my God, I... he took her to Spike. We have to save her." "Well we have to get her," said Xander, Willow and Cordelia emerging = from their hiding places. "How long have you guys been here?"=20 "Just a few minutes...but we want to help." Willow said. "And you can't stop us!" Cordelia chimed in. ***** "Where the he** is Angel?" "Love, what's with this naughty language?" "Who cares, we have the slayer." "Yes, but she's not alone," said Angel coming in the dimly lit room = with the who;e slayerette squad following behind him.=20 "What do you think you're doing Angelus?" "Saving Buffy" Angel simply replied. "No, you're human again!" cried out Spike. "Spike, love, Angel is human, he is weak, so much emphasis on the = negative," Said Dru. "Oh yes we'll fight for her. Winner takes all," Angel said as Spike = nodded in acknowledgement.=20 Suddenly everything started shaking. "God, Sunnydale doesn't ever have earthquakes, and we have one at a = time like this," Buffy complained.=20 A brick fell from the make-shift ceiling and whacked Spike on the head. = "No, Spike!"=20 Angel quickly acted and stabbed the limp body with the wooden stake.=20 "Well that was easier than I thought," Buffy said. "Now get me out!" "I won't let you!" cried out Dru. "Ahhh!" cried out Dru as more of the ceiling fell on her.=20 They all got out, just as the whole room collapsed.=20 ***** "So Angel, you're 100% human?" "Mmmhmmm," Angel groaned as he leaned down to kiss her laying in the = hospital bed.=20 "Well I guess this all ended happily!" "Buffy I want you to know that I am sorry for everything that = happened," Jenny said. "It's o.k. Miss Calendar, everything turned out even better than = before." "I guess the whole gang's back together again!" " I love you guys!" ***** "Spike, Spike, why is everything so dark?"=20 =20 =09 =20 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Tragic Sighs" (1/1) by Ingrid Date: 09 Feb 1998 20:30:33 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are not mine. I don’t own them, nor do I claim any rights to them. They belong to Joss Whedon, the WB Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, and Mutant Enemy. The songs I use are "Ice" and "Mercy" by Sarah McLachlan. "Ice" is from her CD "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy," and "Mercy" is from her album "Solace." They are used without permission. SUMMARY: This takes place during the end of Surprise. I suppose I’ve finally come to terms with events as they’ve transpired. This is my angle on it, and has nothing to do with my other stories. I’m planning on following this up with my theory on what might happen now. I love Sarah McLachlan, and recommend any of her CD’s. They’re just so haunting- great to write to! WARNING: This one deserves a PG-13 for sex, so you know the story… Don’t say I didn’t warn you. *** "The ice is thin Come on, dive in underneath my lucid skin the cold is lost, forgotten. Hours pass, days pass Time stands still Light gets dark and darkness fills my secret heart, forbidden I think you worried for me then the subtle way that I’d give in but I know You liked the show Tied down to this bed of shame You tried to move around the pain, but oh, Your soul is anchored The only comfort is the moving of the river You enter into me a lie upon your lips Offer what you can I’ll take all that I can get Only a fool’s here to stay Well I don’t like your tragic sighs as if your god has passed you by Well hey, fool, that’s your deception Your angels speak with jilted tongue The serpent’s tail has come undone You have no Strength to squander The only comfort is the moving of the river You enter into me a lie upon your lips Offer what you can I’ll take all that I can get Only a fool’s here to stay Only a fool’s here to stay Only a fool’s here…" *** "Tragic Sighs," by Ingrid Part One of One *** "Buffy, maybe we shouldn’t-" "Just kiss me" She gripped his face hard. His entire being screamed for her, against his will, almost. But for once, there was no upstanding moral Angel. There was only fierce need there and the anguish of the inner torment that had become a part of him. He let her take the lead, convince him that this is what they both wanted. It didn’t take much convincing. How had they come this far when he always tried to run away. He couldn’t run this time. Her skin was soft and yielding as he slid his hands over it. Silky and smooth and he worshipped her with his lips, trailing kisses down her neck, whispering long forgotten words of devotion in her ear. She herself was busy at his neck, and he paused as a wave of pleasure rocked his body. She smiled intimately, shyly pulled at his shirt. He understood, and stretched out of it, letting it carelessly fall to the floor. He watched Buffy from behind his chocolate eyes, appraising, and asking- begging? If this was what she wanted. She only buried her face in his shoulder, pressing her lips to the tender skin there. Had he any breath, he might have gasped. Then she pulled away, watching him expectantly, and again, he faltered. She knew, and gave him an understanding smile. She peeled the wet shirt from her body and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He felt her hand pass over the tattoo on his back. The mere touch made him dizzy. They slipped under the velvet covers touching; always touching. He folded his hand over hers, felt the cool metal of her ring against his skin. Their fingers slid together almost of their own accord. He heard her breath catch. "I love you." He said it once again; a thousand times and more as his eyes filled with light, and he remembered what it was like to be alive- and a love so agonizing and sweet that he had never experienced in his two-hundred years of existence. "I love you." Who was saying it now? He heard no voice even- he felt it, and suddenly he felt her small body relax against his. Her head rested on his shoulder, beneath his chin. Had her eyes already closed? "I love you," he whispered to the air, "I love…" And though he might watch her, he too felt sleep cloud his vision, and only pulled her close and the blanket up over them. He almost felt his own breath as he closed his eyes. It didn’t seem so impossible suddenly. And he slept clinging to her as if he were adrift in an unfamiliar sea. *** FIN Mail comments to "Ingrid29@juno.com" "There is no hope in regretting now all the pain that we could not see We both knew what we wanted and we took it believing it free and we took it believing it free." -Sarah McLachlan, "Mercy" _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Let Me Count The Ways Date: 09 Feb 1998 22:56:54 -0500 >So I thought about how I dealt/deal with nightmares. >1) I wake up before anything nasty happens. >2) I change the dream into a different direction, or >3) I beat the @#$# out of the nightmare. L.D. Steele- Though I am of the school that does not particularly wish for Angel's death and torture, I enjoyed your fics. Not only were they well written, but they were *different* - Three cheers for ingenuity! I particularly enjoyed the "Willow" version. I can just see her big goofy robot lifting a baffled Angel into the air. Pity he had to die. You seemed to be having so much fun torturing him! =) -Ingrid "I know. I look like Willow, I act like Willow... I guess I am Willow" _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (6/7) Date: 09 Feb 1998 22:12:53 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. This one gets a "vicious" warning. Well... if you have any sort of imagination. #7 will be sent out tomorrow because right now it's on a different computer. :) Let Me Count the Ways.... (6/7) By: Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) "So what are we doing tonight?" Spike wheeled around a group of boxes, and turned his wheelchair so that he was facing Angel. The old bastard was looking lazy tonight, lying limply down on top of a set of crates for his daytime snooze. "The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try and take over the world!" Angel sat up, and then jumped off the boxes -- deliberately landing a shade too close to Spike's wheelchair. He ran his hand through Spike's crewcut hair and sauntered off. "Arrogant blowhard." Spike shifted back a foot and then turned the chair to follow Angelus. The old bastard was starting to get to him. Friendship and a shared love of killing and torture were all well and good, but he didn't like the way he was looking at Dru these days. Drusilla had been Angelus' long before she'd hooked up with him. His toy, prize and plaything all rolled up in one. Spike knew he shouldn't be worried. It wasn't right -- Drusilla was his. She loved him. After all, she might have Angelus, but she didn't him. But then she liked killing people too and he wasn't much help in that department lately. The jealous thoughts were twisting him apart. He felt like throwing up blood and making Angelus eat it -- and not in a nice way either. Moving into the main room, he could see them together. Dru was playing random keys on the synthesizer that was Angelus had brought over, and he was now listening intently to whatever she was saying. "... because all the mice were dead, and the cat couldn't play anymore." She nodded. Looking beautiful and cheerful. When Drusilla looked that cheerful it usually meant that things would be dead very soon. They would probably go to for a wild night on the town leaving him behind like a bad puppy. And the worst part of this whole miserable evening was that his wheelchair was starting to squeak. Dru was looking beautifully dead in a long black evening gown with greenish-purple spiders running all over it. He'd bought it for her in Prague. She loved twisting her body about and trying to count them. He'd even found a small pile of real spiders on his bed one evening as a gift. Spike realized that he couldn't take the chance Angel might try to take her away from him. He was going to have to kill him. And he needed to get Drusilla's help or he might as well just skate himself and get it over with. "How long are you planning on hiding out in here, while the Slayer kills us off one by one?" Spike paused. "You're not going soft on me again, are you? Too many care bear feelings coming on?" "Spike!" Drusilla rushed forward, and almost planted herself on his lap. If he hadn't set the brake, it would have rolled embarrassingly backwards. "You're awake, and it's evening, and it's dark outside, and I feel like .... red and plump." She stretched up, and started picking through his hair for lice even though it had been a hundred years since the last time she'd found any. Spike wondered if she'd ever done that with Angel. Angel, on the other hand, seemed to be ignoring his words. He shut off the synthesizer, and picked up his leather jacket. "Well? I've heard you only made one kill so far... and that was of a girl Buffy hardly knew. Where's the Angel I knew and respected? Still thinking about getting back into her bed? Maybe thinking of getting a permanent arrangement?" Drusilla hissed, and jumped off his lap. "My Angel wouldn't go for her!." She grabbed hold of Angel's lapels, and leaned against him. "Would you?" "I'm in no hurry." He wasn't even angry. "It been too long since I've been able to enjoy myself. I'll kill her when want to." Spike rolled forwards. "You don't sound so sure, mate. She might be a pretty little thing, but long-term? Next thing I know, we'll be going to Reno for the ceremony, and you'll be asking me to be the best man." "I hear she's still wearing the ring you gave her." Angel pushed Drusilla aside, and stepped closer. He fairly loomed over him. "You have no say in whatever I do. You never did. You never ." He laid a hand on Spike's chest and pushed him back a couple of feet. The brakes screeched protestingly against the concrete floor. "But it my business as long as you're staying here." "Your name isn't on the lease... Even if the rats do ." He smirked; one of his best. "You're not still imagining yourself in charge here? I have no intention of taking orders from you." He ran his eyes over Spike. "You couldn't even get away from a fat Bishop with a weak heart." "I'm not going to be in this chair forever." "Really? I haven't seen you making any great strides lately." He slung his hands into his jacket, and started to walk towards Spike. "Maybe I should put you out of your misery." Angel didn't have any warning. One second Drusilla was staring at the ceiling, and the next the demon inside her was fully apparant and she was attached to his back. His counterattack was swift, and soon the two vampires were viciously rolling and struggling all over the floor. Spike twisted around, and grabbed the water pistol from underneath pillow. Then he took out the water blaster he'd found at one of the large toy stores from the bag behind the chair. Wariness and preparation paid off again. He waited until Angelus had Dru pinned on the floor, and then stood up awkwardly. Taking a hesitant step forward, he placed the gun on the back of Angel's neck. "You're not hurting my precious Dru." Spike squeezed, and let the contents spurt out all over Angel's head. A few drops fell on his hand, and he ignored the feel of the holy water burning into his skin. Angel screamed, and rolled away from Dru. Spike dropped the empty water pistol to the floor, and picked up the water blaster. He thought of the time, not so long ago, when Dru had lovingly splashed holy water on Angel's chest, and Angel had tried to trick him into killing him. Well -- Dru was all better now, and Spike didn't need him anymore. He let the water blaster rip. Angel's skin bubbled and burst where the holy water soaked in. He thrashed on the floor trying to get out of his drenched clothing. Spike felt a hand run along his back. "That wasn't playing nice." She whispered into his ear. Her tongue licked out, and played along the outside rim for a few seconds. "Do you mind?" "Not really." Spike laughed. "Good." Spike turned around, and saw that Drusilla had found a sharp piece of wood. "I get to finish him and turn him into bright sparkles!" He grabbed her shoulders, and leaned in for a long kiss. "I wouldn't have it any other way, love." Together, they turned around and aproached Angel. Drusilla half supported, half carried him as they walked. She slipped an arm underneath his shirt and started caressing his back. Torture always got her excited. "Spike... how much of the nasty stuff do you have?" "Quite a bit." She started giggling. "Angel looks dirty." She moved the hand down to the top of his pants. "Maybe we should give him a bath?" "I love you, Dru." "I love you Spike." The night passed, and they had a lot of fun before they drained the ash-filled water out of the tub. (end of version 6) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: sah (by way of sah ) Subject: BUFFYFIC: ADMIN: List rules Date: 09 Feb 1998 07:10:41 -0500 Welcome! This list is for fiction related to "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," both the TV series and the movie. To ensure that we all get to enjoy as much fiction as possible, please adhere to the following guidelines, and please save them for future reference. 1. 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Jill Kirby (jtkirby@mcs.com) & sah (romana@mindspring.com) Listowners, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fiction List buffyfic@xmission.com - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: A Night at the Mall (1/1) Date: 10 Feb 1998 14:29:49 EST Okay, here's the second one! Enjoy! TITLE: A Night at the Mall AUTHOR: Aramat RATING: PG SUMMARY: Buffy and Angel go shopping. Need I say more? DIST.: My place (http://members.tripod.com/~Aramat1/fanfic.html) Anywhere else, ask me please. FEEDBACK: Please do. It will make me happy. I need to be happy. DISC.: I don't own BtVS. Joss Whedon and the WB do. A Night at the Mall Angel had had enough. He'd been poked and prodded. He'd been undressed and dressed once again. He'd had to repeatedly rebuff the advances of tall black-haired salesgirl who, apparently, didn't believe Buffy would do her great bodily harm, and a short blond-haired man who looked as though he'd welcome any pain Buffy chose to give him. He'd been attacked by Buffy in the small confines of a fitting room. Well, he really couldn't complain about that one, but it had been tiring, and had taken great acrobatic efforts from both him and Buffy. But all the other stuff was getting to him. He was sick of being propositioned and he was sick of trying on clothes. And he wasn't doing it anymore. Grabbing Buffy's arm, he pulled her over to a nearby bench and sat down. Buffy had a little trouble, but once she'd sat down all the bags she was carrying she situated herself on the crowded seat with Angel. "Why are we stopping?," she asked staring at him in confusion. "We're just getting started. I'm in a groove. Isn't this fun?" Angel shook his head. "Buffy, we have been to almost every store in this mall," he told her a tinge of annoyance in his voice. "I'm tired. I'm hungry. I want to go home." Buffy ignored the petulant look he was giving her and stood up. "Quit complaining," she told him firmly. "We'll go to the food court and I'll buy you a burger. Then we'll hit the stores we missed, and when we're done we'll go home." Angel frowned. "I am not leaving this spot, Buffy," he stated. "And I don't want a burger." I want to suck every last drop of your shopping crazy blood, he thought muderously. Buffy closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. When that wasn't enough she counted again. When she was reasonably calm she withdrew a stake from some hidden spot and waved it in front of Angel. He looked at it, then up at Buffy and smiled warily. "Do not make me dust you," she demanded, her eyes cold. Angel nodded, clearly believing she would. Buffy replaced the stake and grabbed some bags. "Now get up, follow me, and do not complain again. Is that understood?" Angel nodded. "Completely understood," he answered. He stood up from the bench, grabbed the remaining bags and followed Buffy as she walked away. "But I'm still hungry," he grumbled. Buffy sighed. "Fine," she said giving in. "When we're done here we'll swing back by the Gap and you can drain the brunette salesgirl who kept eying you. After that surprise she'll never mess with me again." Buffy walked purposely toward a store chatting nonstop about what they still had to purchase. Angel sighed, following her reluctantly, and looked at his watch. To his dismay the time was only 10:00. Another two hours of shopping to go. As Buffy walked into another store, giving all the salesgirls lethal stares, he groaned. "Hell is starting to look pretty good right about now," Angel muttered to himself. He watched as Buffy pulled a lime green and orange striped knit shirt off the rack and eyed it appreciatively. "As a matter of fact I'm wishing they'd send me there now." Buffy motioned him over to where she was standing and said, "Let's see how you look in lime green." Angel grabbed the shirt and headed toward the fitting room hoping midnight would get there soon. Buffy watched Angel go before turning back to the rack. Picking up a shirt, she wondered if Giles would look better in black or mauve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One more to go! =) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Time has Come (1/1) Date: 10 Feb 1998 14:29:45 EST Hi Everybody! Buffy's been depressing me and I've been getting late night visits from Angelus telling me I should kill off Angel in all my stories. So, to keep me from going crazy, or actually siding with the soulless demon I've decided to send out some funny stories. I wrote these in December but I never sent them here. Well now I am! I hope you like them. TITLE: The Time has Come AUTHOR: Aramat RATING: PG SUMMARY: Buffy's got a surprise for her guy, but it's not what he expected. DIST.: My page. Anywhere else, ask first. FEEDBACK: Please do. It will make me happy. I need to be happy. DISC.: I don't own BtVS. Joss Whedon and the WB do. The Time has Come Buffy flashed her companion a naughty smile as she started her show. Sauntering sexily behind the door, she reached out holding a shirt and dropped it to the ground. Angel watched wide-eyed and opened mouthed as Buffy threw another garment across the room. He was speechless and, quite honestly, a little appalled. This was the last thing he had expected from Buffy. Buffy tossed another piece of clothing to Angel, who caught it instinctively. "So, Angel, are you enjoying the show?" Angel nodded automatically, still to stunned to speak. Only when Buffy tossed out his favorite item did he finally speak. "Buffy, don't you think this is going a little far?," he asked as he caught the pair of pants she hurled at him. Buffy shook her head. "Nope," she answered. "We've been together a year now and I think the time is right. It's time for a change and this is as good a time for it as any." Angel, of course, did not agree. "Buffy, don't do this," Angel pleaded uselessly. "Please don't do this." Buffy almost gave in to the soft, desperate note in his voice. But she had promised herself she was going to do this. She was not backing out now. If she had to go one more day like this, she wouldn't be able to cope. Somehow she had to loosen Angel up and this was the only way she could think of to get his attention. Stepping from behind the door, she walked over to Angel and dumped a pile of clothes at his feet. "I know I'm being a little Cordelia-ish," she admitted as she headed back to the closet. "But, if I have to witness you making yet another fashion mistake I'm likely to drive a stake through your cute little heart. So, in the spirit of keeping you alive, or as alive as any vampire can be, humor me. Please." Angel, not yet ready to die, again, reluctantly agreed. He winced when Buffy tossed another shirt out of the closet. "So, how much is this new wardrobe going to cost me?," he asked as he got up from the bed and joined Buffy in the closet. Buffy smiled, picturing a night of shopping, and spending money, with Angel. Turning to him she couldn't help laughing as she visioned the amount of money they were going to spend. Briefly she wondered if she could talk him into buying a car. A nice sporty, expensive Porsche. Convertible. In red. With black leather seats. And an unusually roomy backseat. Shaking her head as her thoughts of backseats led to thoughts of Angel naked in that backseat went wild. "Let's just say it's a good thing you've racked up a lot of cash in your 241 years," she told him when her hormones calmed down. "And it's a good thing it's the holidays. Stores'll be open late which gives us plenty of time to shop." Angel looked pained at the thought. He had a fairly good feeling that shopping hadn't changed much in 200 years. He was going to be in for a long night. "Lucky me," he said dryly. Buffy smiled. "Don't worry," she reassured. "We'll have fun. And if you're good I might even spice up your time in the fitting room." Leaving Angel to finish what she started, Buffy walked out of the closet and over to the phone. "Now," she mumbled to herself as she picked up the reciever and dialed a familiar number. "Let's see if Giles is ready for his closet raid." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two more to go! =) Aramat! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Proud Member of GASP/Keeper of Giles' License Plate Member of RABID: Hellmouth's ANGELS *Official Kepper of the Spare Weapons Cache* Member of the EBF! Where our motto is "Eccentric? Yes! Crazy? Ok, just a little." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Are we sane yet?" -Alex ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Visit my page: http://members.tripod.com/~Aramat1/fanfic.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: Bad Taste (1/1) Date: 10 Feb 1998 14:29:52 EST Okay, this is it. The last one. Now, there was supposed to be a fourth one starring our man of tweed, Giles. Unfortunately, every time I tried to write it Giles ended up in leather, and then that landed him and Buffy in some strange situations in the fitting room. It was strange to me, and although their little session in the room was nothing compared to B & A's sessions I just couldn't get it finished. So, if anybody out there thinks they can, be my guest! Alright, on with the show. TITLE: Bad Taste AUTHOR: Aramat RATING: PG SUMMARY: Angel shows Buffy she's not always right DIST.: My page. Anywhere else, ask first. FEEDBACK: Please do. It will make me happy. I need to be happy. DISC.: I don't own BtVS. Joss Whedon and the WB do. Bad Taste Buffy sighed heavily and checked her watch. What the hell was taking him so long? She'd sent him in there twenty minutes ago to get dressed for Will's Christmas party and he still hadn't come out yet. Checking her watch once more, Buffy walked to the closed bedroom door and knocked. "Angel," she called out. "We do not have all night. Hurry up and get dressed already." She walked away from the door and returned to her place on the couch. "You're worse than a woman," she muttered to herself. Buffy sat down on the couch and picked up the book she'd been reading as she waited for Angel. She looked at the cover, noticed she had completely forgotten anything about the story and groaned. Checking her watch for the tenth time, she screamed. Stalking to the door, she kicked it open and walked into the room. What she found there surprised her. "Where did that come from?," she asked in disbelief as she stared at Angel. Angel smiled smugly at her. "It was in my closet," he answered her. "You like?" Buffy couldn't speak. She circled Angel surveying his choice of clothing. She could not believe what she was seeing. Angel endured the perusal smiling all the way. "Angel, what happened to the clothes we bought?" Buffy asked as she planted herself on the bed. Angel nodded toward the closet. "They're in there." Buffy looked toward the closet and nodded absently. "Why don't you have them on?" Angel smiled. "I do have them on." Buffy looked up at him, shocked. "I picked this out?" Angel nodded. "And you let me?" He nodded again. Buffy made a choked sound in her throat. "Well, what...what the hell were you thinking?" Angel shrugged. "I wasn't really thinking," he answered simply. "I was preoccupied at the time." "Doing what?" "Trying to keep you from putting a big hole in my chest with a pointy wooden stick," he answered. Buffy stared, once again, at the hideous lime green and orange outfit Angel was wearing. She couldn't believe that she had picked out something so, for lack of a better word, bad. What had she been thinking? Buffy got up from the bed and walked into the closet. A minute later she came out with a pair of jeans and a dark green sweater. Handing them to Angel, she walked to the door. "Put that on," she told him when she reached the door. "And when you take that thing you're wearing off, burn it." With that said she walked out of the bedroom closing the door behind her. Angel smiled, satisfied with his victory, and started to undress. "Score one for the vampire," he said as he hurried out of his clothes. "Only three more outfits to get rid of." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All done! Aramat! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "L.D. Steele" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Let Me Count the Ways.... (7/7) Date: 10 Feb 1998 14:23:24 Title: Let Me Count the Ways.... By: Dawn Steele Email: steele@lillonet.org Distribution: SunS web site, Anya's archive if she wants. All other's ask. Spoilers: "Innocence", references to events in "Phases". AU after that. Rating: Adult (BTVS type violence) to R (stronger violence than BTVS) Feedback: I'd love some. :) Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. I'm making no profit beyond the enjoyment of writing the characters. What doesn't belong to Joss belongs to Mutant Enemy, Inc. As I've complained to others, this was the hardest to write. Let me know if you thought it worked. This was the only one where I was sorry about killing Angelus. I wanted it to have a happy ending, but that didn't feel "plausible" for a vignette. Longer fic maybe. :( Let Me Count the Ways.... (7/7) By: Dawn Steele (steele@lillonet.org) Buffy was in the apartment again. It had started to have a disused air. Faint bits of dust on previously clean surfaces; bits and pieces lying where they'd fallen. Items of clothing, ones aparently deemed suitable, had been taken from the closets -- leaving over half the wardrobe behind. She noticed that almost all the clothing taken was black. This time she had brought a box with her. She hadn't told Giles she was doing this, just... that she was going hunting as usual. The knick knacks went into the box first. Then the papers on his desk -- she'd probably give those to Giles to figure out. She rolled up a blue silk shirt and tucked it in next to a small statue that she knew he liked. Had liked... whatever. Her eyes were started to puff up in an effort not to cry. Maybe she shouldn't be doing this. It was just that she hated knowing that he could come in here and destroy things that she knew Angel had liked. He had Angel's body, and Angel's memories. It was probably stupid, but she couldn't let him have Angel's things too. She searched in the bedroom till she found Mr. Gordo. He'd been recovering from the incident at the fire when she'd brought him over. She'd told him it was a little piece of her to have when she couldn't be here. The tears started falling when she noticed that Mr. Gordo had a slit in his stomach and that most of the stuffing had been pulled out. She put what was left of him into the box. She wanted to curl up on the bed, and have a good cry but she couldn't. Wouldn't. The flannel shirt she was wearing soaked up the tears and she forced herself to stop. It was time to leave. She turned around, and looked at the apartment again to see if she had missed anything. The last item, a small picture of her sitting on the grass in front of her house... She'd just come in one day about a month ago, and put it on his dresser. Told him there was no reason he shouldn't be able to see her in the sun if he wanted to. That had led to a heavy makeout session that had almost ended on the bed. The bed. It was rumpled now. She didn't know when he had last used it. Didn't want to know. If she knew he was still using the apartment, then she'd force herself to lie in wait. To kill him before he could hurt any more of her friends. He'd already killed Theresa. Was he going to circle in further and further? Start killing those she cared about least until he got to... What if he went after her Mom? "Here to keep the home fires burning? Or maybe another round of wild, passionate sex?" Angel stepped inside the room. He looked... the same as he did before. Still had a tendency towards black clothing that looked good on him. The same smile, the same eyes, the same face and the same voice. That was the part that drove her crazy. Knowing that she had touched and loved that body for so long, and now the demon inside owned it. Unfortunatly -- she was getting to know that demon too damn quick. "I thought I'd pick up my stuff." Buffy reached back and felt for the stake that she'd slipped, as usual, into its hiding place in her back sheath. "You know the drill. Love 'em, leave 'em and then stake 'em if they ever come near me or mine again. It's a Slayer thing." The demon was laughing. She'd heard Angel laughing like that. He'd always been too worried about ... everything. For a minute, she felt a pure flare of hatred. "What would be the point of existing if you didn't kill?" He moved closer to her; still relaxed. Not expecting an attack. "Do you want to know who's next?" She stood still, one hand on the box and the other touching the stake, as he started walking around her. Stalking around her. "I could tell you and then you could try to protect them." He bent down close, and then whispered into her ear, "or maybe I'll just give you a hint and let you try to figure it out." He straightened up and started to laugh again. "But then again, intelligence is not your strong suit." "I'm good at what I need to be: fighting, tactics and killing." "Strong words for such a little lady. Are you prepared to back it up this time?" He put a hand between her shoulder blades and pushed. "If we fight and you lose, I'm probably going to be hurt and need a little... restorative nutrition. You don't want on your conscience, do you? It's probably getting awfully heavy these days." "What's the matter? Scared to fight? Afraid you'll lose?" Buffy dropped the box onto the floor and felt the adreneline rush through her system in preparation for a fight. "Because you will." "I don't want to kill you now. I want to hurt you, and kill you." "Right here, right now." "Later." He was smiling again. "You don't want to die yet." Buffy didn't bother to continue the conversation. It was time. She had been avoiding this for too long, and the only result were more deaths that she could have prevented by killing him at the mall that first time. The kick pushed him back against the face, and Buffy watched as his face shifted to reveal the demon inside. His "game" face showing who he really was. His smile wasn't angelic anymore. Now it revealed the fangs, and his eyes betrayed the hatred lodged inside. Angel counterattacked. And for a while there was a battle to see which would break first, Angel's heavy furniture or one of them. A heavy sculpture served as a bat that forced Angel back, and sent blood dripping down his face. "You'll pay for that." Buffy didn't reply. She wanted to have some smart quote to send back, wanted to laugh and taunt him -- but she couldn't. All she wanted was for this to be over. He used his longer reach to his advantage, and Buffy couldn't help the groan of pain as he sent her flying across the room. She slammed into the wall and felt her spine complain violently as the hidden stake became indented into her skin. She wanted this to be over. The fight became a blur before her eyes. Angel wasn't someone she'd loved. He was just the "opponent". Someone she needed to kill. A red film of rage covered her eyes, and Buffy let him feel every ounce of pain she had inside her as she tried to beat him into a bloody pulp. The tide turned, and Angel started to defend himself more and more. Buffy didn't care. She continued to hit, and kick, and punch, and throw everything she could against him. He was lying on the floor, trying to get up. Buffy pulled out the stake. She lifted the silver cross from around her neck and slipped it on over his head. He started to moan as it burned into his flesh. "You made a mistake." She hefted the stake, and then closed her eyes. She didn't need to see this. "You gave me time." The stake plunged down into his heart. When Buffy opened her eyes, dust covered the floor, and the tears had started again. They fell as she rooted through the box for something she'd seen earlier. They continued as she put a bit of the dust into the silver locket. But they had stopped by the time she got outside into the night. It was over. (end of version 7) The End. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (3/?) Date: 10 Feb 1998 16:34:24 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: None, that I see Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. (You'll find out why soon enough) But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: A mysterious man has been helping Buffy fight the vampires. Our mystery man is gorgeous, a skilled archer, and, oddly enough, a vampire. (Do we begin to see why I was mad at Joss?) Oh. Did I mention that this vampire has suicidal tendancies? INNER DEMONS Part 3 Angelus heard the distant cry and smiled. Someone was suffering tonight. He should go see what was so terrible. He should go see how to make it worse. This prospect appealed to him. The vampire headed in the direction of the sound. He suddenly sensed her presence. He crept into the shadows as soon as he heard her quick footsteps. This was not... the appropriate time for a confrontation. That was something he had never been able to convey upon Spike: patience. But Spike was slowly learning, thanks to the slayer's efforts. But he returned his attention back to Buffy as she approached. There was something different about her at the moment. She seemed a bit disturbed. Hell, she seemed very disturbed. Angelus just watched her as she walked on into the night. Whether she knew he was there, he couldn't tell. Whether she even cared at the moment also escaped him. As soon as she was gone, he continued in the direction of that "poor lost soul." He followed the scent of blood to the end of an ally way where he found the bodies of three dead animals. They had been drained of blood and mutilated. He was about to stoop down to get a better look when a faint noise startled him. Angelus looked up just in time to see a dark figure running across the park in the direction of the hills. He was about to follow when he heard someone else coming. As he watched the young girl quickly walking past him, he quickly forgot what he was going to do and went to work on... other priorities. * * * * * Buffy didn't stop walking until she was at her own front door. She went straight in, not bothering to check if anyone was around. Not caring if *he* walked in that very moment. She wasn't really worried about it either. Somehow, she knew that he was elsewere at the moment. She didn't even bother going up stairs. Buffy just threw herself on the couch and groaned. 'Why was this happening to her again?' she wondered. 'What was *this* one's story? And why did they always come to her?' She drew a hand across her face. She couldn't think of this tonight. Yet she couldn't escape the fact that another vampire was helping her. Buffy sighed and lifted her hand from her face. As she did, her eyes caught the light glinting off the ring Angel had given her. She took it off and stared at it for, probably, the millionth time since everything had changed. A part of her still couldn't believe that Angel had turned on her. And, for the millionth time, Buffy went over all the "what if's" and "should have's" that plagued her mind dince that night. Buffy finally replaced the ring on her finger with the crown towards her. 'He never told her what that meant,' she thought. But she couldn't bring herself to move from the couch. Buffy just laid there in silence until she finally fell asleep. * * * * * "I need to borrow some of your books," Buffy said as she barged into the library the next day. "Really," Giles responded in a bit of surprise, "and what has brought this momentous event upon us?" "I'm really not in the mood for this," came her retort as she pushed into his office. "Just let me see the books." "Of course," Giles finally said, "what is this all about?" "He's a vampire," came the response. "Yes well, that would be..." Giles paused mid-sentence "the archer chap?" Buffy only nodded. "I *am* sorry," Giles finally said. "Is there anything I can do to help." "Round up the others," Buffy answered, "and tell me why all the weird ones come to me." "The former, I can do," he said as he turned to go, "the later... will take some work." With that, Giles left Buffy to her work. As she riffled through the watcher diaries, a slip of paper fell out of one of them. Buffy picked up the paper and found herself looking at the copy of an old portrait. Staring out of the painting, were the same eyes she had stared into last night. She quickly went back through the book before her and tried to find where it had come from. She finally found a page of hand-written notes opposite a blank page with a frame the size of the picture. Buffy tried to read it but, just her luck, it was in another language. She swore and quickly gathered up the book and headed into the library to wait for the others. * * * * * Let me know what you think so far! The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 02/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:21:18 -0600 (CST) The Price of Vengeance 02/08 by Liz Muller Jenny sat, her head hanging down, too tired to move. Three days ago, she cast the spell that restored Angel's soul. It had worked, but not quite as she had planned. Angelus had been sent back to Hell, but somehow, when Angel's soul was restored, so was his mortality. She insisted Angel swear never to tell anyone, especially Giles or Buffy how he'd been freed. They didn't need to know, and she was planning on leaving. She had no reason to stay anymore. She would move on. Angelus was back in hell, where he belonged. She'd given Buffy back the one person who truly made her happy. In the process, Jenny had lost everything... lost Giles. It was time for her to go. The thought of Giles made her cry softly. She hated loosing him. If only she could have trusted him, told him who she was, but that had been impossible. Her family would never have allowed it. She couldn't tell him now. Buffy's pain was her fault, and he would never forgive that. Slowly she reached up and touched the wound Angelus had made in her throat. Of all the hurts Angelus gave her, this one was the worst. He'd touched her soul, seen what was there and twisted it. He'd taken the encounter she'd had with Eygon and played with it. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to block the images from forming. He made her watch them as if it was happening again, only this time there was no one to stop her. With his own experience, he made her feel what it was like to kill. To kill Giles. Over and over. That had almost broken her will. Somehow she had managed to cling to the truth, that Giles was alive and well. She moaned as once again, the scene played out before her. Panicked at the thought of being alone, reliving this nightmare every time she tried to rest, she got up. Somehow, she managed to get herself ready for school. It probably wasn't her best choice, but she *needed* to see Giles...just to be sure. ************ Giles surveyed the library with a feeling of satisfaction. Two days ago, Angel had turned up, mortal. He refused to say anything about his return. He finally admitted, after much prodding, that he'd had help. He flatly refused to tell them who it was, saying only he had sworn not to. Neither he or Buffy had been happy about that, but Angel was adamant. Buffy's irritation passed quickly. She couldn't hide her pleasure over his return. Giles had his own ideas as to the identity of Angel's benefactor. Giles left the library, heading towards the main office. As he neared the stairs, he saw Angel and Buffy talking. He was just about to call out to them when he spied Jenny coming down the stairs. He noticed, with concern, how tired and pale she looked. The dark scarf around her neck didn't help, either. Oblivious, she walked straight into Angel. To his utter astonishment, Jenny took one look at Angel and ran. Giles watched as she ran from the building, apparently terrified. He looked at Angel. Angel's expression was a mix of sorrow and guilt. Suddenly, it made sense. Jenny had to be the one who helped Angel. After all, it had been her people who had cursed him in the first place. He could see Buffy shared the same thought. Catching their attention, he motioned towards the library. As the door closed behind them, Giles turned to Angel. "Please, tell me what just happened," Giles asked softly. Angel looked away, torn. He'd sworn never to tell, but neither of them had counted on her reaction. "She's the one who helped you, isn't she?" Buffy asked cautiously. Angel nodded slowly, miserable. "So what happened in the hall? She was terrified of you." Angel nodded again. "She has good reason to be, Buffy. To her, I look like Angelus... And Angelus really didn't want to be banished." He fell silent. "And that means...?" she asked cautiously. He took a deep breath. He *did* not want to tell her, tell anyone, this. " Probably the worst thing Angelus did was play with her memories." Angel looked haunted. Unwillingly, he continued. "He used Eygon against her. He twisted her memories of what really happened to suit him, and then he made her watch them. Over and over. He made her feel how much Eygon would have enjoyed killing you Giles. He made her *feel* it!" his voice broke then. Giles face had gone grey at the mention of Eygon, but all color drained from it as he listened. Unsteadily he said, "Probably the worst? I would think that was the worst." he remembered just how hard it had been for Jenny to begin to heal. He felt old, familiar guilt rising once again. Angel glared at Giles. "It wasn't the only thing he tried, Giles," he snapped angrily. He knew all too well, everything Angelus had done, and his eyes were haunted. More softly he went on, " I was there Giles, I know what happened. All of it. And believe me, no one should ever have to go through that." They were silent for a moment. Then Buffy asked, "How? How was he able to do that?" Buffy knew how, but Angel needed to say it. She could see it was eating at him. "He drank from her. It allowed a...connection. He used that to get inside her head. Once inside, he knew everything about her. It was easy to find something to hurt her with." Giles looked positively ill. He hadn't told Buffy everything about the night Eygon had tried to kill him, using Jenny. The pain he'd felt over it at the time was nothing compared to what he felt now. He had to find her. ******* Willow looked up, surprised as Ms. Calendar ran down the steps looking panicked. For a moment, she looked ready to run, then she shook herself slightly. As Willow watched, Jenny walked over and slumped down on a bench nearby. Willow liked Ms Calendar. She couldn't believe that Ms Calender would deliberately allow Buffy to be hurt the way she'd been. So she'd been keeping and eye on her. Over the last few days, she'd noticed that something else seemed to be bothering her. "Uh, Ms Calendar? Is everything ok?" Willow asked timidly. She really hated doing this kind of thing. She winced slightly as Jenny looked up at her. The depth of the pain and fear in her eyes was scary. Berating herself for losing control in school of all places, Jenny tried to smile. "I didn't sleep too well last night Willow, thanks for asking," Jenny said shakily. Willow wasn't buying it. What she'd seen, before it was carefully hidden, spoke of something deeply wrong with the teacher. Willow sat down next to Jenny. "You know, it's not my place or anything, but well, if you want to talk, it's not like there are that many people here in Sunnydale who would believe you." Willow stumbled to a halt. She was babbling. This time Jenny's smile was more believable. Giving Willow a pat on the arm she said, " Thanks. I mean it. You're right, it is..." her voice faded out as she stared at something over Willow's shoulder. Turning, Willow watched as two slightly odd looking men made their way over to where she they sat. Glancing at the teacher, she saw a stunned look on her face. Willow began to get a very bad feeling. She turned back as they arrived. The men studied them. Willow saw that she was quickly dismissed by the younger, though the older gave her a thoughtful look. She sat silently and watched. The younger man stared at Jenny with hate in his eyes. She realized he looked a lot like Ms Calendar. And they both resembled the older man. He was watching Jenny with such a look of sadness in his eyes. "Jenny, do you know why we have come?" The question was asked in a tired, defeated voice. " Yes, Papa. I know." Her voice was soft, and sad. "I have to say the words, Jenny. Know that I don't agree with them. I have no choice." He shot a venomous glare at the younger man. The look of triumph on the younger man's face was ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Price of Vengeance *prologue* 01/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:21:17 -0600 (CST) Hi all, this is my first Buffy fan fic. I hope you all enjoy. Many thanks to my beta readers, Heather Marckle and Lisa Harvey. I don't own most of these characters, Joss does, and I'm not making anything from this story. I don't know much about the Rom, so any errors are accidental. Thanks for reading!! ********************************************* The Price of Vengeance *prologue* 01/08 by Liz Muller She watched as her failure continued to wreak havoc. She watched as the bodies appeared, each one her fault. Each new death, each new terror, chosen to hurt. Chosen to drive the Slayer past the point of no return. She watched and ached as the Slayer struggled with each blow, each new twist of the knife, caused by *her* failure. Finally, she could watch no more. She had seen enough, more then enough. It was time for her to find the means to fix that which she had destroyed. ********* She made her way into the family home, silently. She avoided all contact as best she could. Though nothing had as yet been done, she knew the price of failure, better then most. She entered the vast library. She had a brief thought, quickly hidden, that Rupert would love this room. She could not bear to think of him. Resolutly, she made her way to the books, and began. Few people came in while she was there. Most, upon seeing her, left hurriedly, unwilling to be near her. A few stopped and stared. They left her be. Several hours later, she sighed. She knew that her answer lay in one book. That book was not out where just anyone could read it. Frontally, she was one of the few who could. She walked to the back of the room, towards a small door, near the end of the wall. Opening it, she entered a small office. Seated at a desk, busily engaged in work, sat a small, balding man, with a short, close-cropped beard. She waited by the door until he noticed her. "You should not be here." He said mildly. "You're probably right, but I really have no choice," she said, just as mildly. He raised an eyebrow at her words and sighed. "Sacha has forbidden access to the private library." he said conversationly. "Since when has Sacha had the power to forbid me anything," she replied tartly. He bowed his head to her. "You are correct, I'm sure," he said. She said nothing further, just waited. He sighed again and rose. "You do realize he knows you're here," he asked. He moved to a door that blended in to the paneled wall. She followed. "It doesn't matter, there's nothing he can do to stop me." she said, firmly. He unlocked the door and stepped aside. "I hope you know what you're doing." he said finally. She stepped inside and said nothing until the door closed behind her. "So do I." she whispered quietly. ******************** She found the spell, copied it, and now she awaited the arrival of the guest of honor. Once more, she careful checked everything. The room was solid, carved into the living rock with one small entrance on the south side. Two lanterns stood on either side of the chamber, casting a warm, dancing light that hilighted an area in the center of the room. Drawn in the soft dirt floor, was a large circle, approximately 20' wide. Around the circumference, inside the line, were several rows of symbols. A second, incomplete circle underlined the symbols. As she checked the symbols once again, she heard an amused voice behind her. "What, only one of you? I'd have thought you would have brought help with you, Jenny. After all, didn't you fail the last time you were trusted alone?" Angelus stepped into the light, and grinned maliciously at her. She could see his contempt in the way he stood. She managed to hide the pain his dig caused her, as she turned her back on him. Seeming to be busy, looking at her handiwork, she answered him lazily. "I didn't think I needed any help, Angelus...After all, if you can't even defeat Buffy..." She tensed as she heard his growl, and glanced down to the small unfinished section of the circle. 'Please, just please let him step inside!' she prayed silently. She felt a brush of wind, and looked up to see Angelus just a few feet away, glaring at her. She dropped to her knees, and in an instant completed the line. The Circle sprang to life, it's walls giving one blinding shimmer, then disappearing. Angelus gave a shriek of rage and was on her, grabbing her by the throat, and pulling her to her feet. "Release the Circle!" He demanded, tightening his grip just a bit. Resolutely, she gazed back. "Never," she said firmly. His eyes widened, and he brought his free hand up to join the other. Both hands began to squeeze tightly, and she began to gasp for breath. Wheezing, she spoke. "You know this Circle, Angelus. If you kill me, you'll be trapped here for all eternity." For a moment, she didn't think he cared, then he released a scream of rage, and threw her to the ground. She lay still for a moment, gasping for breath. Her hand rose to touch her throat, wincing slightly at the pain she felt. When her breathing slowed, she looked up. Angelus was standing on the other side of the Circle, watching her. Staring directly into his eyes, she began to chant. In an instant, he was next to her, one hand lightly stroking her cheek. "You should release the Circle, Jenny. If you don't, I promise you, you will regret it," he said softly. She tried to ignore him, but she couldn't. The feel of his cold hand on her face made her shudder. The threat of his words, no matter how softly spoken, filled her with dread. Closing her eyes she saw Buffy, and the pain Buffy had suffered at the hands of this monster. A monster loose because of her failure. Buffy's face changed, shifted to Rupert's. The look of disappointment, of sorrow on his face stiffened her spirit. Her voice calmed. Strengthened. This time, she vowed to herself, she would not fail. ************ She felt his hands on her, but she just didn't care. Nothing could be worse then what he'd already done to her. She felt violated. Numbly she continued chant. He'd drunk her blood, and touched her soul. Every thought she'd ever had, became his. He found her weakness and struck. Eygon. The demon that had stolen her body, and tainted her soul. Eygon. The demon that had used her love for Rupert to try to seduce him, to kill him. Angelus found that pain and used it. Made her relive it, and feel it. Made her enjoy it. So she didn't really care about anything. Except finishing the chant, then it would be over. As he moved against her, Jenny chanted. ' three more lines... two more lines... one more...' she thought, then there was a silence, no sound, just for a moment. Angelus howled and arched against her, pressing her harder into the dirt. As he collapsed, a roiling red fog lifted from him. It collapsed in on itself, then with a last despairing wail, vanished. For a moment, Jenny just lay there. Then, with a convulsive shudder, she began to scream. *********** "You can't tell them, Angel." She said flatly, not looking at him. "Promise me. Promise me you won't tell them," she demanded, still not looking at him. Angel wanted to disagree, to tell her she was making a mistake, but he couldn't. He didn't have the right. What she endured for his sake earned her the right to ask him anything. What she asked for was nothing compared to what she had given him. Angelus was gone, for that he would have done anything, but she had given him a gift beyond price, his mortality. There was nothing he could do in return that would ever be payment enough for that. What that gift had cost her... he shuddered. Pushing away the very people who could help her most wasn't smart, but there was nothing he could do. "All right....I promise...but Jenny, I think you're making a mistake," he said softly. He had to try. "Maybe....but I don't think so. Buffy's pain happened because I failed... You couldn't have know what would happen. I should have, I should have known." she said softly. She knelt down and brushed away the line in the dirt. A pressure she hadn't felt till vanished eased. She stayed there, head bowed. Angel felt the Circle drop, and edged towards the door. Jenny remained unmoving. "Jenny, can I, do you...." Angel stumbled to a halt. He wanted to run, he was so ashamed of what happened, but he couldn't just leave, he owed her too much. "Just go Angel....please. Just go," she said wearily. He gave her one last look, then turned and ran. end prologue, part 1 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - sickening. The older man hunched in on himself and spoke. "Jenny, you have failed your people. You have broken our trust in you, you allowed evil lose into this world. For this, your punishment is banishment." Willow could see tears gleaming in his eyes. "You have compounded this failure by betrayal. From us, your family, you stole the means by which Angelus escaped his just punishment. For this there is but one punishment." Jenny sat rigid, staring at nothing. Numbly, she listened. "From this moment on, none shall speak your name. It will be as if you had never been." The words roared in her ears. She knew this had been a possibility, but she never expected it to happen. She looked up. Her father had already shut her out. She could deck him right now, and he'd never acknowledge that it had happened. Her brother, now he was a different story. The gleam in his eye spoke of his pleasure in her downfall. His way was cleared with the removal of his hated older sister. He was heir. She saw the smugness in him as he reveled in her pain. Then he looked right through her. She watched numbly as they turned and walked away. ********* Giles and Buffy emerged from the school and looked around. Angel had left, knowing his presence would do more harm then good right now. Buffy spotted Jenny and Willow, as they sat watching two men walk away. Pointing them out to Giles, they headed over. As they got closer, Buffy could see the stunned look on Ms. Calendar's face. "Jenny?" Giles said softly. They waited but there was no response. Speaking louder, Giles tried again. "Jenny?" This time he touched her shoulder. Still nothing. They exchanged a glance. "Um, Giles? I think Ms Calendar is a bit freaked. She just got some, um well, bad news... horrible news, actually." "What happened?" Buffy asked. Something else just had to go wrong now, she thought disgustedly. Jenny awakened with a start. "Oh, hi, Giles." Jenny said distractedly. Growing more concerned every moment by Jenny's erratic behavior, Giles spoke, "Why don't we go into the library? Its more comfortable and private." Jenny allowed herself to be led to the library, and settled into a chair. She blinked and looked into three very concerned faces. Faint surprise blossomed inside her as she realized they did still care. "I guess you have some questions," she said hesitantly. Giles sat next to her, and gently took her hand. Absently, he began to stroke it. "What's going on, Jenny? Who were those men? What bad news did you get?" he asked, concerned. Jenny looked past him, her face a mask of grief. "This is hard to explain, really. My people are so different then yours." She said softly. "I am Rom. To us, loyalty to family is all. Duty to the family comes before all else." Her voice trailed off, and she seemed to be looking into the past. The others exchanged uneasy glances as she continued. "My duty was to insure the vengeance of my people. It was my task to make certain no happiness came to Angel. I was prepared, or so I thought, to do this. It never occurred to me to wonder what would happen if the curse was broken. That would never happen. Angelus must be made to pay for his crimes, if Angel was hurt in the process...so be it." She paused. "When I got here, I found a tortured soul trying to make amends for his evil... And I found you." She looked at Buffy as she spoke. Buffy could see the guilt in her eyes. "When I found out who, what, you were, I was shocked. That the Slayer, the one chosen to protect humanity from vampires, could love one of them... I hesitated. To fulfill my duty, I would have had to hurt you...and I found I couldn't do that." Jenny dropped her eyes then. "So my inaction allowed Angel to find true happiness. Because of me, Angelus returned." Again she stopped. They could see her struggling to continue. She pulled her hand from Giles, and got up to pace. "Then you asked me to curse him again. As far as I knew, it could no longer be done. I watched as Angelus pecked away at you. I had to do something, so I went home. I found a way...I stole the knowledge from my family, came back and did as you asked...or tried too. Angelus is banished back to hell, but somehow Angel became mortal." She stopped pacing. Staring into space, she went on. "The men were my father and brother, come to pronounce sentence on me for my crimes. For the crime of failure, the punishment is banishment. For betrayal, it is death." Buffy gasped at that. Jenny smiled bitterly. "They're not really going to kill me Buffy. They just cut me off. For them, I never was." Buffy looked puzzled at that. "How can they do that? I mean pretend you never were?" "I told you, we are different...they are different. Because it is the law, they will do it. They have *already* done it. It's not pretending. I am invisible to them," she said flatly. She had no emotions left, the past few days had used her up. Except for one. Hate. Hate for her brother, because she knew he'd done this to her. After all, he was the one who taught her most of what she knew about the curse. She should have known. "Why does your brother hate you?" Willow asked. They stared at her, so she went on. "I saw him look at you, Ms Calendar, and he gave me the willies" Jenny rubbed her aching head. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep, but she couldn't. These people had earned the right to answers, and they'd get them. She didn't have to like it though. Jenny slumped into a chair, and sighed. "Sacha always thought he should be Father's heir, because he is a man. My father is....somewhat well know among the Rom, and he has power...so does his heir. Sacha, since he was little, felt he should be heir. A sentence of banishment wasn't enough. At my father's death, it would have been lifted and I would have inherited. So he forced my father to 'kill' me. Now, he is heir." Giles made a small, strangled sound. He'd read about the Rom. For some reason they fascinated him. Banishment was permanent...except in one case. Buffy looked at the Watcher curiously. "Ah, as I understand it, the lifting of a banishment is only done for the heir of the clan chief." Buffy turned to look at Jenny. "Does that mean you would have been the next chief?" she asked. "Yes." she said. "Oh, Wow," Willow breathed. Distantly, Jenny heard them talking, but it was so hard to concentrate. A fog was creeping over her brain, making it hard to think. Deciding that she didn't want to think anymore, Jenny allowed the fog to engulf her. Buffy and Willow were talking quietly to each other, when Giles noticed Jenny start to slump. He jumped, and just managed to catch her as she slid bonelessly out of the chair. He cradled her gently as he searched her face. There were new lines etched deep into her face, her pain showing clearly. His eyes fell on the scarf she wore, and he untied it. A large square of gauze became visible. Gently, he pulled the covering from the wound, and gasped. A red, ugly looking tear marred her throat. It was swollen and angry looking. "What did that?" Willow hissed in surprise. Belatedly, Giles realized Willow didn't know about the ceremony Jenny had performed. Looking closer, Willow recognized it. "That's a vampire bite," she exclaimed, shocked. Buffy went over to her. "Yes, it is. She got it helping Angel... Angelus did it." Buffy hated to admit that, but she knew Willow would figure it out herself. "Wow" Willows eyes were huge as she quickly put it all together. Compassion flowed from her as she realized what Jenny had gone through. Giles carefully picked Jenny up and carried her into his office. He laid her down on the couch, covering her with his jacket. Right now, the best thing for her was sleep. He joined the others. None of them seemed to know what to say. Finally Giles spoke, " I think Jenny, that is, Ms. Calendar will need our support for the next while," he said quietly. Any hurt feelings from her evasions paled next to the tragedy she had endured. "Yeah, I agree. What she did for Angel..." Buffy trailed off. She couldn't voice all she felt. Willow nodded somberly. She had known Jenny wouldn't have betrayed Buffy. Giles was about to continue when he was interrupted by a shriek from the other room. Giles ran into the room to see Jenny shaking in horror as she seemed to watch something. 'Eygon', Giles thought as he rushed to her side. Buffy right behind him, ready for a fight. "Jenny, its ok, its just a dream." He tried to reassure her, but she didn't seem to hear him. Giles began to shake her gently, trying to wake her up. Suddenly her eyes cleared, and she saw him. Her eyes filled with tears and blindly she reached for him. Buffy nudged willow, and they left, closing the door behind them. Giles held her close, murmuring soft words to her. His grief grew as he remembered just what she had been dreaming about. He closed his eyes in pain. "I'm sorry, Jenny. I'm so sorry." he repeated over and over as he held her. end, part2 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 03/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:21:32 -0600 (CST) The Price of Vengeance 03/08 by Liz Muller "I would speak with you, Watcher." A quiet voice drifted across the library. Giles looked up sharply. Standing in front of him was the older of the two men he had seen earlier... the man he knew to be Jenny's father. Flustered, Giles could only nod and motion him to sit. Imre sat and eyed Giles carefully. After a moment, he looked down. Clearing his throat, he began to speak. "Watcher, I know of your work, and of the Slayers. I have a story to tell, that you might find of interest." Giles digested this. From what he knew, the Rom rarely shared anything. If Imre was willing to do so now, it had to be important. Hearing no protest, he began. "Once there was a man, who had two children. One, the eldest was all a father could ask for. Bright, loyal, compassionate. All things good. The youngest, was the opposite. Greedy, grasping, cunning, he coveted the elder's place." Closing his eyes in pain, Imre paused. After a moment, eyes still closed, he continued. "The eldest was sent to keep watch over an enemy. The younger helped prepare her for this task. He, however, made sure certain information was hidden from her. Because of this, our enemy was able to escape." "A warning was sent, but it went unheeded. By the time the father realized this, it was too late. He was forced to act, and act harshly." Imre fell silent. His face betrayed the anguish his actions had brought him. Jenny had broken the laws of her people and was being punished. Imre would loose the respect of his people if he saw or spoke to Jenny directly. And he was sure Jenny would never allow that to happen. "I see..." Giles said slowly. He could see Imre was devistated by what he had been forced to do to Jenny. "I think a friend of mine would like to hear this story, may I tell her?" Giles asked softly. He could have sworn he saw tears in the old man's eyes as he nodded. "I would be honored, Watcher." Imre stood up and Giles quickly followed suit. He stared at Giles for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Its good that certain people aren't alone...especially right now. I am... not unaware of recent events." Giles had the sudden sensation of being impaled by Imre's gaze. He squirmed nervously. Suddenly Imre gave him a full smile. It lit up his face. "It is good that she has someone who cares for her, isn't it, Watcher?" Nodding once to the speechless Watcher, Imre turned and walked out. Xander and Buffy came in and stared at Giles. He was doing some big time zoning, thinking about everything Imre had said. "Hello, Giles, Earth to Giles?" Xander waved his hand in front of the Watchers face, getting no reaction. Buffy flopped down in a chair, and sighed. She absolutely hated it when Giles zoned out. It usually meant bad news for her. "Okay, Giles, out with it. It's another indestructible demon out to destroy humanity, right?" Giles looked confused, "I'm sorry Buffy, did you say something?" Xander and Buffy shared a look. "Yes, oh wise Watcherness. She asked what the bad news was," Xander said semi-sarcastically. He shared Buffy's concern. Giles flushed as he realized he was being gently mocked. Then he admitted they had reason for concern. The last few months had been very rough. "Oh, no. Nothing like that. I was thinking about something I heard, thats all. A message of sorts." Giles said. Jenny had gone home, and he was free till this afternoon. Now might be a good time to talk to her. It seemed they had lots to talk about. Buffy looked at him, "It's from the old guy, right? We passed him coming out of the library. He seemed real happy." Giles nodded. Buffy knew who he was, even if Xander didn't. Giles rose and gathered up his things. "Buffy, I'll see you for practice after school." he said. As he left, Buffy nodded. She knew exactly where he was going, and she silently wished him luck... ***************** Jenny lay in bed staring at the wall. Giles had insisted that she go home. Numbly, she had agreed. So now she was lying here, her mind a total blank. The emotional toll taken by recent events had pushed her beyond her limits. She had tried to do the right thing, but it had gone wrong. Only this time she'd hurt far more then herself. Her father's stricken eyes told her that more clearly then anything else could. Her only consolation was that Buffy was happy. That alone was worth the pain, because Buffy was just too important. Thoughts of Buffy invariably brought thoughts of Rupert. She had never expected find someone like him, he was so totally different from anyone she'd known. But she had. He'd brought her such joy, and yet, he'd also brought her more pain then she had ever imagined. She shuddered as she remembered the feel of Eygon controlling her. Using her feelings for Giles to seduce him, to try and kill him. She curled up on her side as the memories played, altered the way Angelus had twisted them. She began to sob, as the vision of Giles' death at her hands played out in her head. She was so lost in her pain, she didn't hear Giles as he entered then paused. Giles hurried towards the bedroom. From the time he arrived, he'd heard Jenny's sobs. They tore at his heart. He stopped when he entered, overwhelmed by her pain. "Oh, Jenny," he called softly as he moved to her side. Slowly, he reached out and touched her cheek. Her eyes popped open and he stared into her puffy, red-rimmed eyes. The relief he saw in them told him what was wrong. She was dreaming about Eygon again. "I'm safe; I'm here," he said as he pulled her into his arms. He held and rocked her as she calmed down. When she had settled down, he brushed the hair out of her eyes. "In fact, I have a message for you," he said, hoping she would be pleased. "Oh?" she said, arching an eyebrow at him. "I'm told it's a good thing you aren't alone, that you have people who care for you around you." He watched her face as she realized what he was saying. "Who told you that?" she asked. "An old man who dropped by the library. He told me a story, about a man and his beloved daughter. Would you like to hear it?" He saw the tears in her eyes. Silently, she nodded her head. Giles watched in concern as he told Jenny the story her father had told him. Rom tempers were legendary, and he grew more worried as he spoke. When Giles got to the part about her father knowing of recent events, Jenny paled slightly. He finished the tale and waited. He had seen the fury in her eyes. He waited for an outburst. He was to be disappointed, however. For the longest time Jenny said nothing, she just leaned against him, eyes closed. He could feel the tension in her and wished she would let it out. "Jenny? Do you want to talk?" Giles asked softly. For a moment it seemed as if she wasn't going to speak, then she shifted slightly. "What would you like me to say, Giles? My father lost one child through sheer stupidity, and the other is nothing more then vicious scum." Her voice was low, but rage vibrated through it. She gazed off into some unseen place as she continued, "Sacha has gotten his wish; he is heir. He had best be careful of it. In the end, he may find that having is not as good as wanting." She said this in a cold, implacable voice. A voice so disturbing to Giles that he sat back and turned her so he could look into her eyes. The cold hatred he saw there made him pause. He knew that the single-mindedness of a Rom bent on revenge was unparalleled. This whole mess was a result of Rom vengeance that had lasted almost a hundred years. Giles realized that instead of dealing with her anger and pain, she was directing it towards a convenient scapegoat. The hurt would fester until it destroyed her. He vowed not to allow that to happen. "Jenny, vengeance is not the answer. You, of all people should know that," he said quietly. For a moment he thought she was going to argue, but then he saw the tiny drop of her head. He mentally heaved a sigh of relief. She appeared to have heard him. In silence, she leaned back against him. He readjusted them slightly so that they were lying next to each other on her bed. Giles had his arm around her, and she pillowed her head on his chest. He reveled in the feel of her, in his arms, but knew they still had much more to discuss. Giles knew he probably shouldn't push it, but he was curious as to her dreams. He alone knew that Eygon had used Jenny's feelings for him to try to seduce him. Eygon had meant for him to die, he thought bleakly. He had to know what Angelus had made her see. "Jenny...When I came in, you were crying...what upset you so?" he asked worriedly. She tensed against him, and a wave of pain washed over him. But he steeled himself. Jenny needed to talk about it, otherwise she wouldn't heal. "Why do you want to know, Giles? Isn't it enough for you to know I see you die," she said acerbically. Tightening his arms slightly, he replied. "Jenny...Angelus used a hurt I gave you to hurt you again. I can see how much pain you're in. I just thought it might help you to talk about it." He finished miserably. He couldn't change what had happened, but he needed to help her somehow. "You know Giles, one of the worst things about Eygon is that he used my feelings for you to try to kill you. Dealing with that guilt was so hard." She pulled away and rolled onto her side, away from him. He moved to hold her but she tensed. Wisely, Giles backed off. She needed the distance to be able to talk. "Angelus knew that, he knew everything about me, from my blood...." Her voice trailed off. she stayed silent for a long time, then went on, her voice choked with emotion. "I keep see us standing there kissing. We start to make love, only then, its not me, it's Eygon. Then he... *I* rip your heart out, or tear out your throat. All the while, he's laughing. He's laughing and I'm screaming. And I *feel* what Eygon feels. I feel his pleasure." Her voice ended on a high note and she began to shake. He pulled her to him, but she stayed stiff. "Is that what you wanted to know, Giles? Is it? Because if it is, there's plenty more to tell," she spat. His guilt rose up to try and drown him. Never could he have dreamed that what had started as a lark would turn out to hurt so many people he cared about and so badly. But he pushed it aside. Jenny's words told him there was more. Slowly, softly, he spoke "I want you to tell me only what you want to tell me. God knows I don't want to hurt you anymore, I just want to help." She relaxed slightly. Angelus had hurt her deeply, but to heal, she knew she was going to need help. Haltingly, she went on. "Angelus was not pleased when his trick failed to break me. He got a little rough..." her voice trailed off, remembering. All in all, she had been incredibly lucky, Angelus could have hurt her much worse, physically. But then Angelus' specialty was mental torture. She shook herself and continued. Self-loathing came through in her voice as she said, " It was close to the end, and I thin Angelus knew it. I also think he just wanted to hurt me as much as he could. He realized then he wasn't going to win so...he raped me. As he finished, I completed the chant....then he was gone, and Angel was there." She paused a moment as if seeing the scene again in her mind. Giles knew his heart was breaking. He couldn't even begin to imagine why she wasn't curled up into a ball, screaming, right now. He was startled as she continued softly, "Poor Angel, all he wanted was to run, he was so ashamed but he couldn't. The circle was still in place... I'm afraid it took me some time to calm down enough to open it." All he could do his hold her in his arms, as they both cried. ****************** end part3 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 05/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:22:12 -0600 (CST) The Price of Vengeance 05/08 by Liz Muller It was 7:10pm; Giles was late, and he hadn't called. It made her uneasy. Her mind drifted back to the conversation they'd had earlier. She began to wonder if he'd found something. Unable to sit stillany longer, she got up and began to pace. She was deep in thought when she heard a soft knock. She smiled as she hurried to the door. Her smile quickly faded when she saw Giles and Buffy at her door. She turned away and sat down on the couch. Buffy and Giles exchanged a glance and entered. Giles silently closed the door and moved to the couch. He wasn't sure where to begin. He fidgeted for a moment, trying to figure out how to say this. The grim look on Buffy's face told her all she needed to know. Something truly horrible was going on, and it involved them all. Inwardly, she started to scream. One part of her wanted to get up, walk out the door, and never look back. Another part of her screamed at the idea of anymore *pain*. "Just tell me, Rupert." To her surprise, she sounded normal. Giles took a deep breath then spoke. "There is a prophesy that tells of the coming of a new, more powerful Chosen one. Certain recent events... correspond to parts of the prophesy." He paused and looked at her. "It tells of a child, filled with a demon's soul. Because of recent events, it is possible both you and Buffy could be pregnant." Giles watched as Jenny's eyes closed. Eyes still closed, she asked, "Is that all?" When Giles didn't answer right away, she opened her eyes and looked at Buffy. Buffy tried to smile, as she said, "You know how it is around me, Ms Calendar. Fate of the world, and all." Buffy fell silent. There was no response to that, it was the truth. Finally Jenny broke the silence. "So what's the plan?" In response, Giles held up a small brown bag. Twenty minutes later they stared at twin pink plus signs. *************** Willow and Xander breezed into the library, only to fall silent as they caught sight of the depressed threesome sitting at the table. Exchanging a glance, they moved to the table and sat down. After five minutes, Xander'd had enough. "Look, would someone mind telling me what's going on around here? I'm not dumb you know. Something's been off all month." He stopped and glared at them. Giles raised his head, neither Buffy or Jenny moved. "We have a very big problem," he said finally. Xander knew nothing of events, and was bound to be furious when he learned what was going on. "I'd say thats an understatement" Xander shot back, eyeing Buffy with concern. She looked tired, and more depressed then he'd ever seen her... and he'd seen a lot. "Xander!" Willow gasped. "Look. Will. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be rude, but saying 'We have a very big problem.' is always an understatement lately. We never have little problems anymore." Xander sat back frustrated. Jenny spoke quietly. "If this was anyplace but Sunnydale, this would be a small problem, Xander, but it's not." She looked over at Buffy. "Buffy and I are pregnant, and Angelus is the father of both children," Jenny said bluntly. Xander's jaw dropped in shock. There was no way he was hearing this right! "Whoa, slow down! I thought Angelus was gone, and anyway, how is that possible?" Willow just glared at Xander. Sometimes Xander could be so incredibly dense! "Wait a minute... You slept with Angel?!!" Xander said to Buffy heatedly. Buffy couldn't look at Xander as she nodded. Xander was vibrating with rage. "Ok, ok, ok, that explains you, but what about her?" He said, gesturing to Jenny. Giles bit back his anger. Xander was hurt, so he was lashing out. He didn't mean to sound so cruel, but he did. "In the course of sending Angelus back to hell, and freeing Angel, Angelus raped me," Jenny said flatly. Dead silence filled the library. It was the first time they had actually used the word. It had such an ugly sound to it. Xander looked like he was waiting for the floor to open up and swallow him whole. Jenny got up and went to him. " Xander." When he didn't look up, she tilted his chin up. "Xander, listen to me. It happened, and its time we all acknowledged that fact. I'm coping with it, and frankly we have more important problems to deal with just now." "I'm sorry, Ms C.." "I know Xander, and it really is all right. You couldn't have known." Giles looked distinctly uncomfortable. "As to 'dealing' with the problem, I suppose we have to arrange to... to terminate the pregnancies." Giles ground to a halt. 'There will be time later, Jenny Calendar, to have your own hysterics, right now Buffy needs you.' she said to herself, as Buffy's face broke. She looked so very young and scared. At once, Jenny moved to her side and began to comfort her. After a short burst of tears, the Slayer was back in control. Determined not to show any further weakness, Buffy dragged Willow and Xander out. Giles watched as Jenny sat down, her eyes unfocused. She seemed so far away right now. Concerned he moved to her side, and knelt down. "Jenny, what is it?" he asked urgently. She made a sound, not quite a chuckle. "Im just so tired, Rupert. So tired," she said finally. ************ Giles and Jenny sat in the library, waiting for Buffy and Willow to arrive Jenny appeared to be engrossed in a book, but Giles knew better. He'd grown concerned about Jenny as the week went on. She'd been pleasant, but distant, all week. The closer Friday came, the worse it got. She'd been staring at the same page for the last five minutes, without seeming to see it. Giles' musing was cut off when Willow and Buffy arrived. Buffy's mom had to go out of town for the weekend, so Buffy would stay with Willow. It made things easier. "Good, you're here," Giles said as they came over. Jenny looked up and gave them a faint smile. Giles continued, "We should be going...we have to be there by four...it will take a couple of hours to get there." Buffy and Willow headed out, as Jenny slowly stood up. They followed the girls in silence. As they walked, Giles spoke, "Jenny..." his voice trailed off in confusion. Sensing his concern, Jenny tried to smile. "I'm sorry Rupert, I know I've been distant all week, it's just I'm having some trouble dealing with all this." She fell silent, allowing him to see the hurt confusion that filled her. He reached over and took her arm. "I understand, Jenny. I just wish you'd let me help," he said softly. Jenny gave him a warm smile, and squeezed his arm. "You have, Rupert. I don't think I could have gotten this far without you," She said with feeling Smiling with relief, he patted her arm as they joined the others at the car. Soon they were settled, and on their way out of town. They drifted into a companionable silence as Giles drove. Buffy stared out the window, thinking. For a brief moment, she'd been happy. She should have know it was too good to be true. A faint feeling of discomfort passed through her and she shifted slightly. She began to absently rub her stomach. Another wave of discomfort caused her to make a small sound. Willow leaned over. "Buffy, are you ok?" She asked concerned. Buffy was handling this better than she had expected, but still... "Yeah, Will, I'm fine. My stomach's just a bit upset, that's all," Buffy replied quietly. Willow nodded, she wasn't surprised. Just thinking about it made her feel queasy. Giles had been eyeing Jenny as they drove. He noticed when she tensed. Before he could speak, he caught a movement behind him. Buffy shifted as the discomfort became a cramp. Growing more concerned, Willow faced Buffy, watching her. "Buffy, is something wrong?" Giles asked worriedly. "Its just a cramp, Giles, no big thing," she said shortly. It was only a cramp, but it sure as hell hurt. Jenny turned to look at Buffy, then groaned. Her hand flew to her stomach, as the pain washed over her. "Jenny!" Giles exclaimed sharply. He pulled over and shifted so he could see Buffy and Jenny clearly. It was obvious that they were both in mild pain. "I think we should postpone this until you two are feeling better, and we know what is going on," he said firmly. They drove in a tense silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Jenny frowned as her discomfort eased. An ugly thought formed in her mind, so she spoke. "Buffy, how are you feeling?" she asked curiously. "Better, Ms Calendar. The cramps have passed," Buffy responded quietly. "Giles," Jenny said softly. "Do me a favor, turn around and head away from town, I want to see something." Puzzled, Giles complied. Jenny watched Buffy, as they drove out of town again. As the first wave of discomfort passed over her, she saw it reflected in Buffy's eyes. She closed her eyes. It seemed Hell wasn't going down without a fight. "Ok, Giles, I've seen what I needed to, let's take the girls home." Jenny said wearily. When they got to Willow's. Jenny got out too, and took Buffy off to one side; "Buffy, we'll work it out, somehow. Giles and I will find an answer," Jenny said firmly, even though she had trouble believing her own words. "Have you noticed nothing ever goes right here?" Buffy said dryly. They exchanged a grin. Jenny hugged Buffy tightly. "This time will be different, it has to be." she whispered. Buffy nodded then pulled away. As she followed Willow, Jenny joined Giles in the car. "Giles, we have to talk. Why don't we go to my place?" she said tiredly. She wondered if she would ever feel rested again. ********* Sacha paused at the doorway of his father's study. Imre sat in front of the fire, reading. He'd been doing a lot of that lately, Sacha thought resentfully. It was to help *her*. Even now, he still helped her. Then Sacha smiled. It was a greedy smile. So what if he did try to help her, the end would be the same. He would be chief, as it was meant to be. Confidently, he stepped into the room. Imre looked up at him and frowned. "Come Father. Do not bury yourself in books. A few of the council wish to speak with you." He smiled. "I'm busy, Sacha, I'll speak with them later," he said, then turned back to his book. He missed the look of anger that passed over Sacha's face. "Father..." Sacha began, but Imre cut him off. "Later," he said. Sacha could hear the finality in that voice. He fumed as he left. How dare anyone treat him like that he thought furiously. As he stormed out, he could hear faint mocking laughter in the back of his mind. ************ "Are you sure?" Giles asked again. Jenny sighed deeply. "We could test it again, if you like. But we just have to face the facts. Buffy and I won't be allowed to leave Sunnydale...the HellMouth is protecting its own." They drifted into a gloomy silence. The depression Jenny had been fighting since this whole mess began overwhelmed her. Tears began to form in her eyes, then she hunched over and began to cry deep, wracking sobs. It had been bad enough that she had been raped, physically and mentally, then to add a supernatural pregnancy to it had pushed her to her limits. She couldn't handle anymore, and now she was paying the price. In a flash, Giles was holding her, comforting her. She held on to him for dear life, unable to stem the tide of rage and grief that flowed through her Giles was unsurprised by this. He knew she had been close to the edge for weeks now. Buffy, at least, had other friends she could talk to without fear, but Jenny had no one. Besides, he thought bitterly, much of her pain was his fault. Jenny had finally admitted to him that she was still having nightmares...about Eygon. "Jenny, shhhh now. I'll think of something, I promise," Giles whispered as her sobs began to lessen. He felt her nod her head against his chest. "I know Giles...it's just so hard." she whispered brokenly. Giles pulled her closer as they sat together on the couch. She was quiet now, drained. "I love you, Jenny Calendar." He whispered softly. She sat up and stared at him, astonished. "Why are you so surprised?" he asked gently. "How can you say that after all this?" she gestured vaguely. he saw the look self-loathing that crossed her face. He smiled sadly. "I don't expect you to believe me, Jenny, not now. I just thought you should know. I love you and nothing will ever change that," he declared. A myriad of emotions ran across her face, then she threw herself at him. "I love you too, Rupert. Never doubt that," she said as she began to cry again. Smiling widely, Giles brushed the tears from her cheeks. They settled back in each others arms, content for now. end part5 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 06/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:22:17 -0600 (CST) The Price of Vengeance 06/08 by Liz Muller It was with a renewed feeling of determination that Jenny awoke. She felt calm and refreshed. With a huge grin, she realized why. She had fallen asleep on the couch, in Giles' arms. His presence had banished the nightmares of Eygon that had plagued her, and his love had soothed her soul as she slept. Her head was pillowed on his chest, and his arms were securely wrapped around her. She sighed and snuggled deeper into him. She thought about what they had talked about last night, and she smiled again. In spite of everything that had happened, Rupert loved her. Her heart ached with the thought of the pain she had caused him. She lifted her head slightly, so she could watch him as he slept. She knew he carried his own guilt inside; she could see it in his face, even as he slept. She sighed. As much as she would like to let him sleep, they had work to do. The sooner they finished dealing with this mess, the sooner they could work things out between them. She carefully freed herself from his embrace and slipped into the kitchen to start coffee. With a groan, Giles woke. He rubbed at his neck, trying to ease the crick in it as he opened his eyes. For a moment he stared around, confused, then he smelled coffee. Then his face broke into a smile. He was at Jenny's. He looked towards the kitchen, just as Jenny emerged, carrying two cups of coffee. Seeing he was awake, she grinned at him. He grinned back, as she settled next to him, handing him a cup. Taking a large sip, he studied her closely. For the first time in weeks, she looked rested, he thought. "You look like you slept well," he said. "You make a wonderful pillow, Rupert, thank you. Yes I slept great, no nightmares." She smiled again. For a few moments, all they did was enjoy their coffee, savoring the peace they shared. All too soon, Jenny could see Giles begin to frown. She knew what was on his mind. As nice as this was, they had problems to deal with. At least now, she wasn't alone. She knew that Giles would be there. **************** Sacha snarled as he threw the report down on the desk before him. Viciously, he tore open an ornate box on his desk, and grabbed a cigarette. He drew the harsh smoke of the unfiltered cigarette deep into his lungs, and held it. He closed his eyes feeling the burning in his chest, as his lungs cried out in protest. He opened his eyes, and slowly exhaled, his eyes glinting slightly in the smoky gloom. He stared absently at the report, his mind turned inward. it confirmed what he already knew. That meddling Watcher had attempted to interfere with his Master's plans. He had failed, this time. He must not get a second chance. Sacha began to smile evilly. The Slayer and his bitch of a sister had one last duty to perform, then his Master would be free to walk the Earth. And he, Sacha, would take his rightful place as leader of his people. He picked up the phone and hit speed dial. He knew just the men to assure there were no more problems. ************* Jenny and Rupert spent the entire weekend in the library pouring over the books in Giles collection. Giles was on his third reading of the Dotherian when he heard Jenny sigh deeply. He looked up as she shoved the book she'd been reading away in disgust. Wearily, she pinched the bridge of her nose, then she looked at him. He saw resignation in her eyes. "Rupert, we've been through these books, over and over, there's nothing here," she said finally. He'd been trying to ignore the very same thought himself. Placing the book on the table, he went to her. Laying his hand on her shoulder, he said quietly. "We will find a solution, Jenny." After a moment, she nodded. "I know, Giles. I know." Each wondered secretly if it would be in time. Breaking the pall of gloom, Jenny stood up. "Let's get something to eat, Rupert, I'm hungry." As he nodded and leaned down to pick up her jacket, which had slipped to the floor, Jenny felt an arm snake around her waist. A hand clamped over her mouth muffling the scream that had just started to emerge. Before Giles could do more then lift his head slightly, more hands roughly grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the floor. The crack of his skull hitting the floor exploded through the room, as a figure in black pinned Giles to the floor. Stunned by the impact, held immobile by the weight of his attacker and the hand the grasped his throat tightly, he could only watch as the man raised a shimmering blade in the air and prepared to strike. Jenny screamed and struggled against her attacker, but she was no match for his strength. She saw the blade rise and pause as the assassin chose his spot. Crying now, she watched, in horror, as the knife began to descend. For no apparent reason, the knife tumbled harmlessly to the ground. The assassin shuddered once, then fell over, partialy covering Giles. She heard her attacker curse softly, then release her. She reacted immediately, driving her heel into his foot, the turning around and ramming her knee into his groin. She didn't even wait to see him hit the ground, before she was next to Giles. Roughly she pushed the body away, frantic to check on Giles. He lay looking up at her, panting for breath. Worriedly, she caressed his cheek. 'Rupert are you all right?" she asked frantically. After a moment, he replied. "Ah yes, you?" He asked simply. She simply nodded. For a long moment they did nothing, then she remembered the second assassin. She could here him wheezing and moaning in pain. Glancing at him, she saw he was in no condition to do anything. Cautiously, she turned over the body of Giles' attacker. Her eyes fastened on the neat hole in his chest, just over his heart. "Watcher, you of all people should know that no place is safe. You must never let your guard down like that again," said a deep voice from behind. Jenny's head snapped around, and her eyes widened, as she spotted Imre standing near the door. "Imre, I ah.." Giles voice trailed off as Imre walked over, slipping a small pistol into his pocket. Giles was surprised by the grimness of his expression. Jenny was still unable to speak, shocked beyond words that he was here. Imre had stopped near the knife, which he nudged with his foot. If it were possible, his expression grew grimmer. He seemed to age a hundred years as he stood staring down at the weapon. Giles looked to Jenny, and blinked when he noticed the same grim expression on her face. As Giles slowly sat up, he spoke. "Judging by the look on your face, I gather things just got worst." Jenny and Imre exchanged an amused glance, then Imre spoke. "Ah, Watcher. You have a gift for understatement. Yes, things have gotten worse. Much more so than you realize." He extended a hand to help Giles up. Giles rose a bit unsteadily and wavered slightly as he stood. Jenny slid a supportive arm around his waist and he gave her a quick smile. She tightened her hold briefly then lead him to a chair, so he could rest. "Would you care to explain that, Papa, or are we going to have to guess?" Jenny said tightly. Imre raised his eyes heavenward, as if seeking patience. He strode over to the second assassin, who had managed to crawl to his knees. Bending over, he wrapped one hand around the man's arm and dragged him to his feet. "This one will provide answers to some of your questions, then I will finish," he said. Imre shoved the man down into a chair. Giles watched as Imre spoke softly to the man, in what he assumed to be Rom. He was mesmerized by the changing colors of the man's face. By the time Imre had finished speaking, the man was a strange, pasty white and was visibly shaking. Jerkily nodding his head, the man began to speak in a low, heavily accented voice. "We were sent to kill you, Watcher. We were told that no harm was to come to your companion, but the you must die." The man paused, and eyed Giles nervously. His eyes shifted to Jenny, then jumped away as if burned. He was sweating hard, and seemed to get more terrified every second. "We were told you had betrayed our people, and brought great evil down on us. We were lied to, Watcher, you must believe me!" he exclaimed as he slid from the chair, and onto his knees before a stunned Giles. "We didn't know that you protected the Slayer, and were fighting a terrible evil on our behalf." The man's terrified eyes fastened on Giles. "Tell them who sent you," Imre's implacable voice demanded. The man hesitated a moment too long, because Imre thundered, "Tell them!" "Sacha, Sacha ordered the death of the Watcher," the man yelped. Jenny had listened quietly as her father had very clearly, and in great detail told her attacker just what his fate would be if he lied. His terror was understandable. Imre's temper was slow to rise, but when it did... The assassins were Rom, but why would they want to kill Giles? When he had said her brother's name, she felt the world spin. Not even Sacha could be that stupid. Slowly Jenny shook her head. "No...I don't believe you. Sacha is many things, but this!" "Its true, I swear! the order came from him," he wailed. Jenny's face had gone grim. Giles looked stunned. For a moment, the only sound was the labored breathing of the terrified assassin. Then Imre spoke, "So Giles, what shall we do with him?" Imre asked, pointing to the frightened man. Giles looked slowly up and at Imre. "What do you mean?" he asked softly, confused. Surprisingly, Jenny answered, "Because he failed to kill you, you get to decide if he lives or dies...it is tradition," she said flatly. Giles was horrified. Involuntarily, he looked down. The man had stopped shaking, and knelt there, looking resigned. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but nothing happened. On his second try, Giles was able to get the words out. "Lives....he lives." For a second it looked as though the man would cry, then he sprang up and ran out the door. Giles stared after him, dumbfounded. Jenny meanwhile had been silently fuming. How dare her father force Giles to make such a choice! Hot words rose to her lips, but she bit them back. Through sheer will, she forced herself to be silent. If nothing else, this whole nightmare taught her restraint. She moved to Giles, who sat staring blankly at the door. She reached down and wrapped her arms around him silently lending him her support. Imre grimly watched. They would need each other in the days to come, he knew. It pleased him to see how much they cared for each other. Imre sat down and cleared his throat. Startled, they looked at him. "Jani, you had better sit down." Imre said heavily as he addressed his daughter for the first time. Jenny felt her knees weaken. He had used her name! Something must be terribly, terribly wrong for him to break with the family and actually speak to her. She pulled a chair next to Giles and sat down. She reached out and took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. Then she looked at her father Imre gazed back. "Watcher, Jani...what I have to say makes me deeply ashamed. All this trouble, all this pain. Yours, and the Slayer's...It is my fault. No, hear me out." he said as Jenny started to object. Father and daughter glared at each other for a moment, then Jenny dropped her eyes. Imre gazed at her a moment more, then spoke softly, "Sacha did indeed order your death, Watcher. As hard as it is for you to accept, Jani, it is the truth. It makes sense, if you know his reasons... And to my eternal shame, I found out." Jenny moved as if to go to him, but he got up. "Sacha was always different, he always wanted more then he should have. From the time he was small, he craved power. As second born, he had great prestige, but very little real power. So he sought it out. Over time, he he became a great scholar, always searching for knowledge, for it holds a kind of power. He used what he learned to his advantage, and by the time Jani was sent here, he was in a position to hurt her. Deliberately he left things out, so she would fail." For a long moment, Imre was silent. "I could accept that, if it had been mere jealousy, but it is more than that, so much more." Imre stared blankly ahead as he continued, "Sacha is insane, he has to be ... To wrest leadership of the Clan from me, he made a pact with a demon lord...He would rule in my place, in exchange, Angelus had to be freed... and a way provided for both demons to assume human shape. You, Watcher, were a threat to those plans, so you had to be killed." Jenny looked like she was going to be sick. Giles didn't look much better. "Even now, Sacha gathers his forces; he does have followers, to take the Slayer and Jani. To assure that no harm can come to the children." Imre ended abruptly. His shame overwhelmed him and he covered his face with his hands. In the dead silence that followed, Jenny began to laugh. It was low at first, almost a surprised giggle. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth, shocked. The giggle quickly grew into hysterical laughter. Between peals of laughter she managed to force out some words. "You mean...all this pain, all this death....is because Sacha is jealous of me?" As if a switch was thrown, the laughter stopped. Beseechingly, she looked at her father. "All this, because of me?" Brokenly, the old man nodded. Jenny began to shiver as if she was cold. She could feel her hold on reality begin to slip, as she started the slid into despair. "No." Giles quiet voice cut through her despair like a knife. "Jenny listen to me, " he said urgently as he gripped her arms and turned her to face him. The anguish in her eyes was unbearable, but he faced it without flinching, knowing what he was going to say was the truth. "I will not allow you to hold yourself to blame for what your brother did. You know demons can twist people, change them into whatever serves their needs. You know that," he said forcefully. He waited a moment, to see if his words were sinking in...they were. "The blame for this rests with Sacha; no one else. When he chose to go to a demon for help, he was lost. Don't allow him to win, Jenny," he said urgently. Imre watched in admiration as the Watcher talked Jani back from the edge. "The Watcher is right, Jani. The blame for this is Sacha's and mine, not yours. I am clan leader, I should have foreseen this and prevented it," he said sadly. Giles watched Jenny for a few moments more. the pain was still there, and he knew bleakly that it always would be, but he could see she had accepted his words. He breathed a sigh of relief. His relief was short lived, however. "I will always bear some blame for this, you won't convince me otherwise, Rupert, so don't even try." she said as he drew breath to argue. "But I can live with it, I have to." She said bleakly. "There is one thing I want though," she said coldly. "What is that, Jani?" Imre said cautiously. He didn't think he'd ever heard a voice as cold as hers was just now. She turned her eyes to her Father, and he recoiled from the hate he saw there. "When it's time, I want his life." Her tone left no doubt what she planned. "Jani.." "Jenny!" two voices crashed together. "I want his life. to do with as I wish. It is my right," she said coldly. "It is your right." Imre acknowledged." But, you will make me a promise first." She looked coldly at him and nodded. "Before you do anything to him, you will consult the Watcher, and the Slayer...they also have a claim against him." Imre's voice brooked no argument. Weighing his words, Jenny finally nodded. She only had to listen, she didn't have to do what they said. Father and daughter stared at each other for a moment. Jenny dropped her eyes, then swayed. Giles steadied her, not quite sure how to deal with all this...The cold anger inside of Jenny, shocked and worried him. In a more normal voice, Jenny spoke. " We have to get to Willow's...If Sacha is as insane as it appears he is, the girls aren't safe." Giles blinked. For a moment he had entirely forgotten Buffy. "Yes, you're right, we should go there immediately." As he looked around, he saw the body. "Oh...we have to do something about him.. he said. ""I will take care of him, after all, I did shoot him." Imre said evenly. "Yes, quite right," Giles murmured. "You two go, get the others. You must find somewhere safe, quickly. I have some other matters to deal with, then we can try to find a solution to this mess," Imre said. Giles walked to Jenny and put an arm around her waist. For a moment, she stiffened, then she sighed, and relaxed against him. Her arm moved to his waist, and together they went to get Buffy and Willow. end part 6 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 07/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:22:15 -0600 (CST) FANFIC:The Price of Vengeance 07/08 by Liz Muller Buffy and Willow barged through the door to Willow's room, juggling a variety of bags and boxes. Willow had managed to talk Buffy into a trip to the mall. She thought Buffy needed something simple to do, that might take her mind off her problems. So Willow suggested shopping. Much to her surprise, Buffy'd agreed. Buffy hadn't been exactly depressed, but she had been quiet, too quiet, and Willow was concerned. She couldn't imagine how her friend had managed to cope so far, but was determined to do anything she could to help. Buffy had asked Angel to stay away for a few days, but Willow wasn't sure that had been a good idea. Buffy hadn't told Angel about her pregnancy, or Ms Calendar's. She thought it best if he wasn't around while they dealt with this. She remembered when Buffy had told her that. At first, she'd been upset with Buffy, sure that Angel could help her get through this. Willow knew how much Angel loved her, and she said so. "Thats exactly why I don't want him around, Willow," Buffy had said. She'd gone on to explain. Angel already felt so much guilt over what had happened, she wasn't sure how he would take this latest blow. If had only been Buffy, she might have told him, But there was Ms Calendar. Buffy herself felt rotten about what she had thought about her, And Angelus had done much more than think. Buffy hadn't told her much of what Angel had said about that, but she'd told her of his guilt. He knew exactly what was happening, but had been powerless to stop it. If he knew about Ms Calendar's condition, Buffy was afraid he'd do something stupid. So Buffy had told him she needed sometime to herself, and he had grudgingly agreed. Since it was easier for him to go, he had gone to L.A. While he was there, he'd do some research. Buffy had convinced Giles not to tell him that they knew what the problem was, and he'd agreed. Problem was, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself, Buffy needed Angel. So Willow had suggested shopping. For now, it seemed to have worked, as Buffy rummaged through the bags, pulling out pieces of clothing to try on again. Willow's parents were out for the night, so they had the house to themselves. Buffy was just about to try on a blouse when the phone rang. She jumped at the sound, then smiled. Willow picked it up. "Rosenberg residence," she said cheerily. "Willow, its Jenny. Is Buffy there?" Willows cheer faded at the strained tone of her voice. Silently she held the phone out to Buffy. Buffy looked at the receiver as if it would bite. Involuntarily, she looked into Willow's eyes. What she saw there made her angry. She took the phone from Willow, and spoke. "Hello?" her voice was calm, composed. "It's Jenny. Listen Buffy, you and Willow have to stay put till Giles and I get there. Lock the doors, and don't let anyone in till we arrive, ok?" Jenny sounded weird. Tense, worried, and something Buffy couldn't figure out. "Whats going on?" Buffy was surprised at the eveness of her voice. She certainly didn't feel calm. "It too complicated to explain right now, and we'll be there in 10 minutes. Please, just wait till then." A slight pleading note had entered her voice. Buffy sighed deeply. "Ok, we'll see you in 10." Then she hung up. She sat down on Willow's bed and sighed again. She should have known things were too quiet. the minute she relaxed, something bad happened. Once again, her 'destiny' was there, threatening any peace she found. All the old hurts flared up. Once again, she was face to face with the bleakness of her future. "Buffy?" the quiet voice intruded into her thoughts. The compassion and caring in it caused her to look up. Willow was looking at her with quiet sympathy, prepared to help in any way she could. This was why she was here Buffy thought suddenly. To protect people like Willow. Her friend. Who stayed her friend even though it would have been easier for her to leave, and certainly safer...Jenny's words came back to her then. "We have to lock the doors, Will, and wait for Jenny and Giles to arrive." Buffy said as she glanced at her watch. "They should be here in about 5 minutes, then we'll get some answers," she continued as she got up and headed to the door. As her hand touched the knob, the door slammed open, knocking Buffy backwards to the floor. A dark-haired man, dressed in black rushed in, and saw Buffy. He rushed her, and stumbled as Buffy rolled into his legs. He fell twisting to the floor, grabbing at her arms, as she swung her fist at his head. He pushed her, and she rolled away, gracefully rising to her feet. As he followed suit, her foot caught him under the chin and he crashed against the bed, stunned. She followed that up with a shot to the jaw that knocked him to the floor, out cold. Buffy watched him warily for a moment, barely breathing. "Buffy! Willow!" They heard Giles's shouts then he came running through the door. He slid to a stop, Jenny right behind him. He took one look at the man on the floor, then said. " We have to go, now!" The urgency in his voice caused them to move, and before she knew it, they were in Giles's car, speeding away from the house. "Whats gone wrong now, and where the hell are we going?" Buffy demanded. Giles didn't take his eyes of the road as he answered. "Someone is trying to make sure we don't interfere with the pregnancies. They intend to kidnap you and Jenny, to make sure nothing goes wrong," he said shortly. Buffy digested this. Right now, she didn't need to know who, but when she found out..."Where are we going?" she repeated. She knew they didn't have many choices. As Giles was about to reply, the car lurched, rammed from behind. Willow screamed as the car swerved. Regaining control, Giles glanced out the rear view mirror as the car shook again from impact. Swearing, Giles fought desperately to keep control, but couldn't. The last thing he saw was the tree, rushing at them. *************** end part 7 kmuller@ix.netcom.com end part7 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 08/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:22:19 -0600 (CST) The Price of Vengeance 07/07 by Liz Muller What Giles wanted to know just now, was why someone was driving a spike through the center of his forehead. He groaned and opened his eyes. The light was dim, and his vision blurry, he shifted his head slightly and regretted it immediately when his stomach clenched as a wave of nausea washed over him. He managed to roll to his side as he vomited, the spasms sending shooting pains through his already aching head. "Take it easy, Giles." a quiet voice said, as strong hands supported him through the last of his retching. When he was through, he managed to lift his head enough to see Angel kneeling next to him. Giles struggled weakly to sit up, terribly confused. He was sure Angel had left town some days earlier. What was he doing here, and where was here anyway? As he waited for his head to stop spinning, Giles tried to remember what happened. He could vaguely recollect driving somewhere with..."Angel, where are Buffy, Jenny and Willow?" he asked faintly. "I'm here Giles," came Willow's strained voice from the side. As Giles turned carefully, to look in her direction, Angel spoke. "I don't know, only you and Willow were put in here with me." Giles was having difficulty seeing, his vision still blurry, but he saw Willow propped up against the wall near him. He noticed she seemed to be cradling her left arm in her lap. He went to rub his forehead, but hissed in pain as his hands encountered a sizable lump on his forehead. He also realized he'd lost his glasses. "Are you all right, Willow?" he asked concerned. As he waited for her to reply, he rummaged around his pockets, hoping he'd brought his spares with him. To his great relief, his fingers touched them as she spoke. "I think I broke my arm, Giles," she said softly. "It's a clean break, so she should be fine." Angel said. Giles looked back at Angel and could see that he doubted his own words. Quickly slipping his glasses on, he tried to move closer to Willow, but his vision swam once again. "Easy, Giles, easy. You took a nasty whack in the head, you can't push yourself," Angel said firmly as he held Giles down. "Where are we?" he asked again. His memory was beginning to return, and with it a sense of urgency. Apparently that urgency got through to Angel, because he frowned. "As near as I can figure, we're somewhere near the Hellmouth itself. I couldn't really see too much but I think this is a dead end passage. If I'm right, there's only one more room down here a store room or something, empty, I think." Angel replied. "Why?" he added, puzzled. Giles' mind raced furiously as he listened. Frantic, he wracked his brain for every scrap of demonic law he'd ever heard. Suddenly his eye's widened and he struggled to get up as he said, "We've got to get out of here and find Buffy and Jenny now!" Surpressed panic colored his voice. Confused, Angel steadied him as he got to his feet. "What is going on, Giles, you have to tell me." Angel was almost pleading as he looked at Giles. Giles swallowed and lowered his eyes. "Er, yes...well." he stuttered. He caught sight of Willow, sitting there very pale, with an encouraging look on her face. Giles took a deep breath and turned back to Angel. "A madman is trying to set Zenothos and Angelus loose upon the world. He's using Buffy and Jenny as....hosts. I believe demons intend to enter the children, before they are born. Once that happens, there is only one way to destroy them," he finished grimly. From the look on his face, Angel knew what he meant. Angel's face lost all expression. He had no words that could convey the weight of his guilt just then. All he could think about was Buffy, and the hell his love had put her though. His heart ached with the pain he had caused her. He felt Giles' hand on his arm, and looked into eyes almost as haunted as his own. Jenny. Giles had said Buffy and Jenny. More guilt rose within him as he realized exactly what that meant. He had done this to all of them. Somehow he had to make this right. He saw Giles relax slightly when he saw that in his eyes. A thought struck him. "Those were Rom, Giles. The men who brought me here are Rom. That doesn't make any sense. Why would Rom summon a demon, let alone do something like this?" Giles let his arm drop. He really hadn't wanted to mention this just yet. "The madman's name is Sacha, he's Jenny's brother. And he's hated her since they were little. Its so sad," Willow said. Giles and Angel just stared at her. "Well, it is!" she said defensively. "No...no, you're right, Willow. It *is* sad. But right now, we have to find them and stop the ritual." Giles moved over to the door and stared at it. He tried the handle, fruitlessly. Angel came up next to him and watched. "I can't believe the clan is letting him get away with this. This goes against everything they believe," he said softly. Giles sank down and leaned back against the wall. "I'm afraid it more complicated then that," he said wearily. The door was solid. They'd just have to wait till someone came for them. Angel dropped down next to him and waited. Giles let his head fall back, and he closed his eyes. He tried to ignore the pain that hammered in his head. "Imre, the clan chief...is Jenny and Sacha's father," he said finaly. "Jenny is the elder, as such, she is his heir. Or was, that ended when Angelus was freed. With Sacha as heir, I doubt Imre has long to live," Giles said bleakly. He went on, "It was Sacha who made possible Angelus' escape. He prepared Jenny to oversee the curse; he just didn't tell her what would happen if the curse was broken." They sat in a stunned silence. It was such an ugly story. "How can he possibly believe the Rom will stand for this? " Angel asked after a moment. Giles smiled bitterly. "Ah, but you see..." he said softly "Sacha is mad. It must have been child's play for Zenothos to convince him this would work. After all, he had a demon lord on his side." None of them cared to talk after that.Tthe silence grew oppressive as time went on. Then, faintly, they could hear footsteps coming their way. Looks of relief mixed with alarm crossed their faces. At least now, the waiting was over. The footsteps drew closer then stopped. The sound of keys jingling came next. The door swung open and four men stepped inside. They said nothing, just motioned them to get up. Giles and Angel rose, then helped Willow up. Two of the men left, and they were prodded to follow. The remaining two men fell in step behind them. They looked around as they walked. "It appears you were right." Giles whispered to Angel. Giles almost plowed into the man in front of him, as he stopped. Turning around, he cuffed Giles across the face. Stars exploded in his head as the man told him to be silent. Angel wordlessly grabbed Giles' arm as he swayed. Willow watched wide-eyed as the man glared for a moment more, then turned and began to move. Shortly, they stopped before another door. It was opened, and they were pushed through. It slammed shut behind them, as they stood and gaped. What they saw, belonged in a gothic horror story, not modern Sunnydale. They were in a large, cavernous room, light by torches in sconces spaced regularly around the room. The flickering light cast an eerie glow on the scene before them. Buffy and Jenny lay on what appeared to be altars, placed in the center of the room, surrounded by a large circle, drawn on the tile floor. Arcane and esoteric symbols covered the space between the circle and the alter, leaving only the middle space free to walk on. Between the two tables, stood a figure dressed in white robes, his back to the door. A brazier cast a sullen red glow to the room. Smoke from the torches combined with what appeared to be incense burning on the coals, swirled and shifted heightening the already oppressive atmosphere. The man turned and faced them. He bore a strong resemblance to Jenny, and had the same black hair, but his eyes... Giles shuddered as he looked away. His eyes were gleaming black pools of hatred. "Welcome, do come in. Now that you've arrived, we can begin. My Master grows impatient." With that, he turned away. Giles caught a glimpse of a book, resting on a plain wooden stand. "We've got to get to them," Angel whispered as he headed for the circle. "No!" Giles shouted as he realized, too late what Angel intended to do. He watched, horrified, as Angel attempted to enter the circle. There was a blinding flash of light, then a solid thump. When his eyes cleared enough, Giles looked around and saw Angel slumped against the wall. Sacha laughed as Giles and Willow hurried to his side. Giles sighed in relief as he felt the strong pulse under his fingers. Angel was just unconscious. Giles sank down and Willow joined him. Their eyes were drawn to the circle as Sacha began to chant. ************* Jenny and Buffy locked eyes as Sacha began to chant. Jenny immediately recognized the words. While searching for a spell to help Angel, she'd stumbled over this one. She realized their only chance was the fact that he had to replenish the incense in the brazier. If it went out, the spell would fail, but the demons would be trapped between worlds. It would be up to her to send them back. Jenny hoped Buffy would see the warning in her eyes and wait for a signal. Her eyes drifted to the braizer. There hadn't been a sound from behind her since the burst of light. She desperately wanted to look at Rupert, but didn't dare. Sacha must believe her to still be unconscious. As the melodious chant continued, the smoke from the brazier began to thin. She signaled Buffy with her eyes and saw a nod. She tensed. Sacha turned and reached into his robe. As he did, Buffy came up off the altar and rammed into him. They fell to the floor. As Jenny got up, Buffy landed a solid shot to his jaw. As Buffy got to her feet, Jenny could feel a tension beginning to build. She recognized the feel of it. Angelus. Buffy grabbed the wooden bookstand and snapped it across her knee. She always liked to have a stake handy, just in case. She fell into a defensive posture, watching Sacha. It took her a moment to realize he wasn't looking at her, but off to the side. Whatever he saw seemed to make him happy, so she risked a short glance behind her. She froze. Angel stood behind her. He appeared sort of hazy, as if he wasn't really there. Involuntarily, she looked towards the door. She saw Angel right away, then registered a very battered looking Giles and Willow sitting nearby. Her head snapped back and she watched his slow, evil grin form. Angelus. Her rage erupted. Because of *Him* people she cared about were hurt, almost killed. Not to mention the pain he had inflicted on her. She took a step towards him, and stopped, shocked, as he laughed. "Buffy, that's so funny. While this form isn't my favorite, it has some advantages. You can't touch me." His ringing laugh mocked her and she swung the stake at him. She stumbled as it passed right through him. As she regained her balance, he drawled, " You can't touch me, but I can definitelyy touch you." He stepped forward, then recoiled as Jenny moved between them. "She can't touch you, but I can." Her voice a warning. Angelus stepped back slightly. "You failed before, what makes you think this time will be any different?" Jenny felt the rage inside change to hate. This being was responsible for so much pain, so much evil. She channeled the hate, used it to prepare. Closing her eyes, she began to chant softly. Immediately, Angelus roared. He stumbled back and fell to his knees as a wind sprang up. The wind picked up, stirring up dust and chalk. The torches began to snap and gutter in the breeze, filling the room with dark smoke. The wind fanned the coals in the brazier, and they roared to life, flames springing up. As Jenny continued, Angelus began to glow, and he seemed to shrink in on himself a bit. Suddenly the glow intesified to the point where they could no longer look. Then the wind died. Jenny's voice was the only sound, harsh with exhaustion. As the last word was spoken, there was a soundless pop, and a burst of light. A silent force knocked them to the ground. The last thing Jenny remembered was a scream that it seemed to have an echo... ************* A vague sound reached her here, where ever *here* was. She liked it here. It was safe. She was here, by herself, and she was safe.... The sound was familiar. She loved that sound so she listened harder. It was a voice, talking to her. That was nice, she thought. Then the voice s topped. Suddenly, she didn't like it here anymore. She strained to hear any little sound, and was rewarded with a faint noise. Slowly, the noise resolved into voices. Then she heard it, that voice. He sounds so sad, she thought. As she followed the voice, she began to feel discomfort, then pain. She faltered, but the voice pulled her forward. "....I just wish she'd wake up." Giles said worriedly. "She will, when it's time. She's strong, Watcher, and she loves you. She'll wake up soon. Trust me." She wanted to laugh, but she couldn't seem to do anything. She was lying on something soft, covered by warmth. She slowly realized she was in a bed, covered by a blanket. She finally got her eyes open a crack, and saw Giles and her father standing near the door. Giles had a large bandage across his forehead, and he looked exhausted. Slowly, she licked her dry lips, and tried to speak. "Giles." she called, her voice very tired. As soon as she spoke, he moved and was at her side looking down, relief on his face. " Hi...welcome back. You gave me quite a scare," he said quietly. She nodded slightly and tried to clear her throat. Giles reached over and picked up a glass of water, which he carefully held to her lips. Gratefully, she sipped, enjoying the coolness as she swallowed. "How's buffy?" She asked, her voice stronger. Giles smiled faintly. "She's been through a lot, but I think she'll be ok. She and Angel have been talking, I think they'll both be ok. They went to take Willow to the hospital." He frowned at that. At Jenny's worried look, he continued. "She'll be fine. Her arm was broken in the crash." He felt responsible, he had been driving, after all. "Giles," Jenny said. With a start, he realized he was 'zoning'. He saw the compassion in her eyes. She knew exactly how he felt. He went on. "Buffy said she doesn't think she's pregnant any longer...what about you?" Slowly she answered, "I'm...not sure. I feel...lighter somehow, but I'd like to test it," she finished. "Yes, Buffy said much the same thing," he told her. Giles looked at her, guilt and pain in his eyes. He started to speak when she silenced him with a finger laid across his lips. "Don't say anything, Giles, just don't. I need time to think through everything thats happened. There's one thing I'm sure of though...I love you, I won't lose you, not now." She paused and stared at him, tears in her eyes. "Unless..." here voice trailed off and she dropped her eyes. "Unless what?" He asked nervously. "Unless you've changed your mind." she said softly. He tilted her face up and looked deep into her eyes. "Never. I love you Jenny, and you'll never lose me." He leaned over and tentatively brushed his lips across hers. She leaned into him, kissing back a little harder. After a moment, they heard a cough, and they parted, smiling at each other. Finaly Jenny turned and looked at her father. He had a pleased expression on his face. She arched an eyebrow at him. Imre broke into laughter. Sighing, Jenny shook her head. Growing serious, she asked, "What about Sacha?" Imre sobered. He had hoped she wouldn't ask. "He...lives. He has no mind left, but he lives." He paused, then continued, "His life is yours, as you asked." Jenny looked at her father, then at Giles. They both looked tense. She nodded her head. "What would you suggest?" she asked. She had promised, after all. They exchanged a glance. "His death would serve no purpose. Let him live out his life, let him live," Giles said quietly. She nodded once. She couldn't hate Sacha anymore, she didn't feel anything for him anymore, except a vague regret over what he had become. Suddenly tired, she lay back on the bed. Giles leaned over and pulled the blanket up, making sure she was well covered. "You should get some more sleep, you're exhausted. I'll stay as long as you want," he said, as he brushed some hair from her forehead. She nodded and smiled. "I love you, Rupert." She said as she closed her eyes. She felt a feather touch of lips on her forehead. "I love you too, Jenny." She smiled again as she drifted off to sleep. end story kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kmuller@ix.netcom.com (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) (by way of kmuller@ix.netcom.com) Subject: BUFFYFIC:The Price of Vengeance 04/08 Date: 10 Feb 1998 22:22:16 -0600 (CST) The Price of Vengeance 04/08 by Liz Muller One week later... Jenny poked her head into the library. She had returned to work yesterday, after being out for a week. She had a lot to catch up with, but she wanted to drop on Giles. She saw Buffy, Willow and Giles talking quietly so she stepped inside. They hadn't noticed her, so she watched them for a bi,t smiling slightly. Giles had been her rock over the past week. Since she told him all that had happened during the ceremony, her emotions had been on a rollercoaster. It was to be expected, she thought. And Giles had been there for her no matter how bad it got. Willow looked up and saw her. Smiling brightly, she said, "Ms. Calendar, Welcome back!" Jenny smiled and moved forward. She had just a moment to wonder at Giles' panicked expression, when she heard a voice from Giles' office. "Giles, I think I found..." The voice trailed off as it got closer. She could feel panic start to build when she heard his voice... Ruthlessly, she crushed it. Angel was not Angelus. Angelus was gone. It didn't matter that he lingered in her soul; he was not here. This was Angel, Buffy's Angel. A sweet tortured soul, who was as hurt by what had happened as she was. Gamely she turned to face him. Detached, she took in the stricken look on his face. This was as hard for him as for her. Realizing that, She mustered a smile. "Hello, Angel. Its good to see you." She was somewhat surprised to find she meant that. He was proof after all, that Angelus was indeed gone. Angel gave her a cautious smile. "I'm glad to see you're back," he said softly. He could see the unease in her eyes, but he could also see that it wasn't him she was afraid of. Still, he was the cause of her pain. "I'm glad to be back." She smiled again. It was easier this time. "So," She looked around the room and saw the open books littering the table. "it looks like I've interrupted, so I'll just.." Buffy interrupted her even before Giles could. "You know, Ms Calendar, we could use your help. These two," she said pointing at Giles and Angel, "are doing the cryptic thing again. You know, talking in riddles, arguing dead languages." Buffy gave them both an exasperated grin. Jenny laughed. "Yeah, I think I know what you mean. Why don't you fill me in, and I'll see if I can help." An hour later, Jenny wasn't smiling. "I'd say the signs were pretty clear. Whatever's on the way, its bad." They looked apprehensively at each other. "Yes, well. I best start trying to find other sources. Buffy, are you patrolling tonight?" Giles asked. Glancing at Angel, she replied. "Um, yeah. Angel and I are going to check out the usual spots." Giles frowned slightly at that. As forgiving as Jenny was, Giles still had trouble with Angel. He was sure Buffy didn't know all that had happened between Jenny and Angelus. Blaming Angel was wrong, he just couldn't help it. "Be extra careful, and call me when you get home," Giles said sternly, with a sharp look at Angel. Buffy knew that there was a tension between them. She didn't know why, but they seemed to be handling it ok. Dragging Angel by the arm, and gathering Willow with a look, Buffy tossed a "Yes, Dad." over her shoulder and they were gone. Once they were gone, Giles laid his book on the table and moved to Jenny. Taking her hand, he looked deep into her eyes and asked, "How are you doing?" She smiled up at him. He was really so sweet. "I'm fine, really." When he looked unsatisfied, she sighed. "Seeing Angel was a shock. I wasn't expecting to see him. It took me a moment to accept he isn't Angelus any more. He does make me a bit uncomfortable, but thats my problem. Given time, I'm sure it will work out." Giles studied her for another moment then nodded wearily. He could see she was telling the truth, and he was relieved. She had a lot more to work out, but this was a good step. "So, Giles, are you going to tell me what you didn't tell the others?" She said dryly. Giles was taken aback by the question. How had she figured out he was hiding something? She chuckled softly. "I think we've gotten to know each other well enough to know when we're hiding something." Giving her a small smile, he nodded. "I've had a message... there are hints of the coming of a new annointed one, more powerful than the last. Its very vague," he said, starting to pace. "But the hints lead to this new chosen one appearing here." Somehow Jenny wasn't truly surprised. One thing about living over the Hellmouth, life was never boring. "Any idea when?" she asked. She was hoping they had some time to prepare. He shook his head, "Not yet, but we're looking." he said. Jenny was doing well with the news, and he was relieved. They chatted for a bit, then Jenny glanced at the clock. Sighing, she got up. "Sorry Rupert, but I've got to run. I've got a class in 5 minutes." He nodded slightly, then he had an idea. "Um Jenny?" he began cautiously as he watched her gather her things, "Would you join me for dinner?" He kicked himself the moment he finished for sounding so formal. Jenny regarded him for a moment, then smiled. Giles felt his heart speed up when she did that. "I'd love to, Giles. Why don't you pick me up about 7?" she said. He was staring, he knew it. He flushed when she repeated herself. "Seven would be great." he stuttered. Favoring him with another smile, Jenny left. Giles stood watching the door for a few moments more, a small, goofy grin on his face. He turned and picked up his book. Heading to his office, he heard the door open behind him. Thinking it might be Jenny, he swiftly turned around to see Imre standing there. His good mood evaporating at the sight of the Rom chief, he walked back to the table. He had a feeling that things had gotten worse. Imre watched as the good humor left the Watcher's face. He smiled grimly to himself. This Watcher may appear harmless, but he had the right instincts and could prove leathal with the right provocation. His people had long known of the Slayer and the people who guided them. *Watchers*. Such a passive name for those with such power. Misleading as well. Watchers did far more than simply watch. This Watcher, however, was different. In his short career he had taken a young, untrained, frightened girl and turned her into a legend. From the Master to the Judge, she had triumphed. Somehow this man had kept her sane. And alive. An enviable feat. "Watcher, you amaze me," he said. He chuckled and sat down. "Come, sit with me. We have much to discuss. As you have already guessed, I do not bring good news." Giles did as he was told. Imre had his full attention. "Watcher, I told you once, I was not unaware of current events. Because of them, I've been doing some research. In an old book, hidden away for a long time, I came across a prophesy you need to see." Imre held up a small, thin book, its binding cracked with age. Giles carefully took the book. Squinting, he tried to read the faded letters on the cover. Eyes widening in surprise, he exclaimed. "This is the Dotherian! I thought the last copy had been destroyed 500 years ago." Giles held the book reverently. This one small book held the only true copies of some of the major prophesies in the world. It was also believed to contain a missing prophesy that forecast terrible events. "Go on, Watcher, open it. I marked the prophesy you need to see." Any semblance of good humor was gone from Imre's voice. Giles shuddered. Five minutes later, Giles closed the book, tears streaming down his face. Finally he looked at Imre. The calm mask was gone, and Giles could see the anguish it had hidden. "Does it never end?" Giles whispered. Bleakly, Imre replied " I don't know whom I pity more; Us for watching it happen, or them for living it." Giles jumped up. "Maybe it's a mistake. How do we know this speaks of Buffy or Jenny?" "Watcher, you know better than that. The prophesy is quite clear." Imre said sternly. Giles looked as though he wanted to argue. Imre held up his hand. "Enough, enough. We do not have time for this. You must talk to them show them the book, explain it to them. Jenny can help you, once she knows what is going on." Giles bitter laugh filled the room, and startled Imre into frowning. "You know something of events, Imre, but you don't know everything." Giles expression was one of deep self-loathing. "Have you ever heard of the demon, Eygon?" Giles asked conversationally. "Yes, a fairly minor demon, nasty, but manageable." Imre replied, puzzled. Slowly Giles shook his head. "Manageable? I don't think so." he said softly. "When I was young and stupid, my friends and I summoned him. One of us died that night, and Eygon escaped. For years I heard nothing about him, so I pushed it from my mind. Not long ago, he returned. He wanted revenge. Jenny never stood a chance. Eygon took her and used her to try to kill me. We were able to destroy it, but..." Giles trailed off. He didn't really need to say anything more anyway. He couldn't look at Imre, he knew what he'd see. "After Angelus... I think the idea of having anything even remotely to do with demons would be close to impossible for her, but this?" Giles slammed his hand down on the book. "This could well destroy her." Imre sat in stony silence. Rage filled him as he listened to Giles. He was furious at the harm Giles had caused, but grimly he realized that Jenny had forgiven him. If she could do that, then so would he. Besides, it was obvious that this man loved his daughter. "Do not underestimate my daughter, Watcher. She is stronger then you think." Giles looked dubious. "Now, Watcher, how will the Slayer react?" "How will I react to what?" Buffy asked as she stepped into the room. Buffy wanted to talk to Giles, so she stopped by the library. When she saw Giles talking to the older man, she decided to wait. They hadn't noticed her entry, and when she heard what they were talking about, she'd stayed put. She eyed the two men warily as she approached, taking in their astonishment at her presence. Something was up, something bad, and she just itched to know what. 'Oh no, oh no' was all that ran through Giles mind. He was not ready for this conversation, Nope, no way. He stood frozen, unable to even form a reply. She'd been nervous before, but Giles' blank look made her down right scared. She would really much rather have Giles freaking than not. It was when he did this, that the worst things happened. Imre closely watched the Slayer. He was impressed at her control even though she was frightened. She could read her Watcher like a book, and had correctly surmised the worst. She would want details. He waited. Giles abruptly pulled himself together; this was not helping Buffy. Giles gestured to Imre. "This is Imre, clan chief of the Rom." Imre nodded to Buffy. She nodded once. "Ms. Calendar's father." Giles blanched, but Imre smiled. She had spunk, this one. He liked that. He chuckled slightly. "Yes, Slayer. She is my daughter." Oh, how his son would *love* to hear those words! He'd have no trouble killing him then. "Ah, yes... Imre brought me a book of prophesy that had been lost for hundreds of years." Giles glared at the innocent looking book. "It contains a rather nasty prophesy. It's rather dense, so I shan't read it to you, but basically it says," Giles paused. "It says, 'When freed from righteous bondage, a demon shall sire a child, who shall destroy the world." Imre's words fell like stones in the dead silence that filled the library. Buffy's face hadn't changed at all as Imre spoke. When he finished, she began to nod her head. "And I'm the lucky Mom," she whispered. This just could not be happening. Finally, for once, things had been going her way. She had Angel. A mortal Angel, who was all she'd ever dreamed of. Why couldn't even one thing go right? Just one, she thought, despairingly. "Possibly, Slayer, possibly. There is however, another candidate." The powerful voice of the Rom broke her emotional storm before it could begin. The hint of grief told her who the other was. Jenny. Just what that meant hit her, and she looked to Giles for conformation. He nodded slightly. Something else struck her. "What if it's both of us?" she asked quietly. The look on their faces told her they hadn't thought of that. Wonderful. "We have to find out.. if..." Buffy stopped. She began to shake. What if she was pregnant? Giles hurried to her side and pulled her into a hug. 'Its not fair!' he screamed silently. How much more would Buffy be forced to endure? Buffy was sobbing now, unable to stop the storm of tears once started. Imre laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Buffy looked up at him, tears still spilling down her cheeks. "Slayer, I don't pretend to understand your pain. I can't. What I do know is this," he paused and looked at Giles before continuing. "You are surrounded by family and friends who love you, and will help you, no matter what. It is a treasure, this friendship, so freely given. Guard it well, and when you need it, it will be there to help you, even in the worst of times. You are blessed, Slayer remember that. Let them help you, this time." He smiled down at her. "This time, you need not do it alone." Slowly, she smiled back. He was right. This was too much for her, alone. But she did have help. She dried her eyes as she pulled away from Giles. She shot him a look of gratitude, not needing to speak. He smiled cautiously back at her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now... "How do we tell Ms Calendar?" **************** end part4 kmuller@ix.netcom.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tannim Umoren Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: HMTTN (4/4):Epilogue: Don't Leave Me Now Date: 11 Feb 1998 16:45:37 -0600 Wow o wow! Man you had this story straight on! How do we know you really don't write for the show and this is just an alias!?? Anyway you picked up where phases left off perfectly. You had Cordelia and the X-man down almost perfectly. I only had a few problems with it. One is that we did not see any of Cordy's "friends" insult the X-man. Two is wouldn't the girls, OZ, and Giles have been slightly more mad at him in the end. But aside from that I thought this was d bomb! Besides the fact that you pretty much predicted the valentine ep this could have been the V-day ep. Keep it up. :-} Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to the.... ...all concealing lurker-type shadows :-) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dawn Subject: BUFFYFIC: A Way Out 1/1 by Dawn Murrell Date: 11 Feb 1998 17:35:26 -0800 Title: A Way Out 1/1 Author: Dawn Murrell Distribution Statement: My site, Anya, anyone else ask. Spoiler Warning: Up to Innocence, I don=92t think there is anything more than that. Rating: PG Content Warning: Main character death, some angst. Summary: Buffy figures out how to stop Angelus. Disclaimer: I=92m only borrowing the characters. Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Oz, Angel, Cordelia, Ms. Calendar, Joyce, Harmony, and Hank all belong to Joss Whedon, God Of The Universe. A Way Out 1/1 by Dawn Murrell Buffy sat on her bed, writing a letter. She couldn=92t say this in person; her friends would stop her for sure. She couldn=92t bear this pai= n any longer. Harmony, Cordelia=92s friend, had been killed two nights ago. She hadn=92t known Harmony, but she was one of Cordelia=92s best friends. Buffy knew Angelus had done it; Harmony had paid her a visit earlier this evening. He was making her suffer, making her watch as he drove her friends crazy before he killed them all, making her hurt more. He was hurting her more than anyone had ever hurt her before. But not anymore. Buffy had found a way out. She knew he wouldn=92t kill her until she went crazy, and that she couldn=92t possibly kill him, so she was taking matters into her own hands. She glanced at the knife that lay less than a foot away from her on the bed. She was scared (who wouldn=92t be?), but she knew what she had to do. She knew how to stop this from going any further. She put the letter in an envelope, sealed it, writing her friends=92 names on it, and put it next to the envelope with her parents=92 names written on it. She glanced at the claddagh ring on her hand as she picked up the knife, and watched as the knife pierced the soft skin of first one wrist, then the other. As the warm blood oozed over her hands and arms, she was surprised that she felt no pain, only release; soon she would be with her love again, and her friends and family would be safe. That was all she had ever wanted. "I=92m coming, Angel." She whispered before passing out, falling into a dreamless, endless sleep. ************************************* Dear Mom and Dad, I know you both are probably wondering why I did this, and I=92m sorry that I can=92t go into the details. All I can tell you is that I had to do this. I wish I could tell you why I had to do it, but I can=92t because I care about you too much. I hope you can go on with your lives, and please know I love you both, even if neither of you even knew who I really was. This isn=92t because of either of you, so please don=92t blame yourselves. Neither of you will ever know what my real life was like, and try to understand that I can=92t tell you, and know that I will always love you both. Your Daughter, Buffy Summers ************************************* Dear Giles, Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Ms. Calendar, and Oz, I thought that you would all want to know why I did this. Some of you may have already figured it out. When I saw how Cordelia was affected by Harmony=92s death, I realized something. I realized that Angel wasn=92t going to stop going after you guys until either you guys or me was dead. His whole purpose, after he was changed the second time, was to drive me crazy. Some of you may think he succeeded, as I have now killed myself, but I hope you can see that I did it to save your lives. With me dead, your deaths will be prevented, because Angelus knows he cannot hurt me when I am no longer in this existence, that=92s why he hadn=92t killed me yet. You all know I could never kill him, and that this was the only way out. I hope you all can go on with your lives, and I wish you all the best of luck in years to come. I believe that I am with Angel now, and we will be happy in our non-existence. Please understand that it=92s better this way. I love you all. Your friend, BuffySummers _________________________________________________________________________= _______ end story Dawn http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/9592/index.html - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: Just Another Normal Conversation (1/1) Date: 12 Feb 1998 15:21:55 EST TITLE: Just Another Normal Conversation AUTHOR: Aramat! RATING: PG SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow and Xander are sitting in Slayer Central having a nice little chat. DIST: My page. Anywhere else, ask first. DISC: BtVS characters don't belong to me. They're Joss Whedon's and the WB's. I'm just borrowing them. I'll return 'em when I'm done, but you have to promise not to sue me. Okay? Note: This story is a happy story. That mean's that "Innocence" episode didn't happen. Come up with your own happy ending for "Surprise". Just remember that Oz is a werewolf, Xander and Cordy are officially a couple and Buffy and Angel are still Buffy and Angel. Only minus the angst. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I'd have to stick with vampires." "You would. Out of loyalty. But you have to admit, werewolves do have their good traits." "I say you're both screwy. Human's the way to go." Buffy, Xander and Willow were huddled together at the library waiting on Giles to start Buffy's training session. Things had been pretty slow in Sunnydale lately, so, for once, they didn't have to spend their Friday night getting the dish on the demon of the week or the next big vampire uprising. Today they'd have a regular Friday night out. Just three friends, their dates, and a major movie marathon at the Slayer's. Things were looking pretty good. Right now, they were involved in a discussion of nothing. Buffy and Willow were debating the finer points of dating preternatural beings, while Xander continued his campaign against anything that wasn't human. Buffy looked at Xander, a teasing glint in her eye, "Human? Since when did Cordy become part of the human crowd?" "Yeah, I thought we'd lumped her in with the demons," Willow said with a smile. "Ha ha," Xander said dryly. "Cordy's definitely human. You two are the strange ones." The two girls exchanged smiles. "Maybe," Buffy admitted. "But I like to think of us as unique." "Right," Willow agreed. "Not strange in any way. But I still think werewolves are better." Buffy shook her head. "Still I say vamps. I mean, come on, they're sensual creatures. A big plus in the love department. Not to mention all those years of experience." She smiled as she thought of that one. "And let me tall ya', experience is a very good thing." Willow smiled at the happy expression Buffy's face. Xander groaned. "I still can't believe you slept with dead boy," he said, shuddering as he thought of Buffy and Angel together, that way. "Well I can," Will said. "I mean, when you look at the situation, it was kinda bound to happen. But we weren't talking about Buffy's personal activities. We were discussing how much better werewolves are compared to vampires. I'm sticking with my guy." "You date whatever species you want, Will. And you're right, werewolves do have good points. They're only hairy animals three days out of the month. Vampires are demons every day," Buffy conceded with a smile. "Look at it this way, you're still doing better than Xander here. You'd have to go way out to beat his bug thing." Xander groaned and got up from the table. "She didn't look like a bug when I met her. How was I supposed to know she was a bug?" "Her big bulging eyes?" Willow suggested. Buffy smiled. "Her interest in you?" Willow laughed and, soon, Buffy joined her. Xander stood there watching his two best friends diss him to his face. It was sad. And he didn't have to take it. Gathering his books, he walked toward the library doors. "Where ya' going, Xandman?" Buffy asked in between giggles. "He's meeting Cordy in the janitor's room this week," Willow answered, struggling to contain her laughter. It didn't work. "Snyder found out about their secret trysts in the utility closet." Xander looked back, giving both girls looks of disgust. "Why I hang with you two is beyond me." Buffy stopped laughing and smiled at him. "It's just another example of your excellent woman radar." Willow nodded, although she couldn't quite stop laughing. "Yep, it homes in on unusual women. Next minute, Xander's there ready to pledge undying devotion. As long as he gets to keep his head." Buffy broke into another round of laughter at Willow's statement and even Xander had to smile. "If I didn't know you two loved me, I'd be really hurt right now," Xander said with mock sadness. Buffy smiled. "Okay, we'll stop now. Wouldn't want to bruise that fragile male ego. We might unknowingly drive you into the loving arms of a succubi." "Thus adding another unusual woman to your already impressive record," Willow said, this time keeping a lid on her chuckles. Just barely. Buffy started to laugh again but a look from Xander stopped her. "Go 'head, Xand, We're done." "Promise?" he asked, doubt clouding his voice. "Promise," Buffy and Willow said in unison. "Tell Queen B that the party starts at seven," Buffy reminded her friend. "And Oz'll be there so no hairy dog jokes." Willow nodded. "Angel will be there, too. You make one dead boy crack and we give him permission to drain you." Xander sighed dramatically. "First you talk about me, to my face, I might add, then you take all the fun out of my evening. Maybe you don't love me." He started to walk out the doors when he remembered something. "Cordy's nickname is Queen C." Willow exchanged a secret smile with Buffy before nodded to her friend. "Right. Queen C. That's what we meant." When the door shut behind Xander the two girls broke out into a chorus of giggles. That was how Giles found them two minutes later when he walked into the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All done now. Oh, and before I forget feedback is gladly accepted. Thanks! Aramat! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: The Gardner Family Subject: BUFFYFIC: FW: Website Idea Date: 12 Feb 1998 12:52:28 -0600 Sapphire, I think that is a great idea. I am on the Lois and Clark fanfic = distribution list and they have an archive with over 600 fanfics on it. = If we started one we could have pretty many up soon!! I volunteer to = help, but I really can't take on that much work. :) They also have a = fanfic challenge going on where they give some hints and you try to = figure out the name and author of the fic. I don't know if that is what = you were talking about, but these are some cool things to try. :) Brad Gardner Gardners@htc.net - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Betsy Vera Subject: DISCUSS: Re: BUFFYFIC: Website Idea Date: 12 Feb 1998 15:48:44 -0500 (EST) On Thu, 12 Feb 1998, The Gardner Family wrote: > I think that is a great idea. I am on the Lois and Clark fanfic > distribution list and they have an archive with over 600 fanfics on it. > Brad Gardner How is this different from The Buffyfic Archive at http://www.freenet.hamilton.on.ca/~ag775/BUFFYFIC.HTM or The Slayer's Fanfic Archive at http://www.slayerfanfic.com/ or The Buffy Beta Archive at http://worstwitch.simplenet.com/Buffy/bbeta/index.htm (to name the three biggest Buffy fiction archives)? Betsy - bentley@umich.edu Bentley's Bedlam: http://bentley.simplenet.com Fanfic Resources: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bentley "Mind Like A Steel Trap - Rusty And Illegal In 37 States" - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tina Subject: Re: DISCUSS: Re: BUFFYFIC: Website Idea Date: 12 Feb 1998 15:14:31 -0600 (CST) On Thu, 12 Feb 1998, Betsy Vera wrote: > (to name the three biggest Buffy fiction archives)? And you so conveniently gave us the urls for them all! Many thanks, Betsy... Damn. I so don't want to wirk. Tina Ms. Calendar's Domain: http://www.enteract.com/~shedwyn/calendar *NatPack *SunS *Slayerette *Duchovnik Lurker *CoS *MCTP *AGA *Keeper of Ms. Calendar's Pendant *KotM of the CoJ *Broom Brigade Lurker "*Diana*?!?!?!?! Ancient Patron Goddess of I-*So*-Do-Not-Need-A-Man- -For-_Anything_?" --Dianne - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: DISCUSS: BUFFYFIC: Just Another Normal Conversation (1/1) Date: 12 Feb 1998 15:22:50 PST >All done now. Oh, and before I forget feedback is gladly accepted. Thanks! The only reason I'm not in hysterics is because I'm sitting in a library. The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: Re: DISCUSS: Re: BUFFYFIC: Website Idea Date: 12 Feb 1998 19:08:17 PST > How is this different from No, I am not starting a major archive. I have my hands full with my X-Files archive. This one is just for fanfics that are written in response to any challenge given on either atbc or buffyfic. I also post the challenges that are out at the moment. Right now I only have challenges, no fanfics that answer them because it is too new. I just thougth it was a fun little project to do for Buffy, which is fast becoming as important as XF to me. I seem to be more inspired by Buffy as of late. Challenges can be a fun way to get ideas and fanfic flowing IF PEOPLE ANSWER THEM ;) ::hint hint:: I do my best work sometimes from challenge inspiration. I also plan to archive the round robin from the newsgroup there. Does that answer your question? BTW, I always ask permission before I archive. Sapphire - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (1/?) by Ingrid Date: 13 Feb 1998 19:43:20 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The marvelous characters mentioned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this! The wonderful people that *are not* suing me for this reason are The Warner Brothers Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Okay. When you read this part, you may say "what the heck is this? Another clone of the "Jenny Calendar retrieves Angel’s soul" plot, but it won’t be just that. And that’s a promise. There will be something that makes my story (yeah!) different! (So hang in there with my trite first part!) Umm… Oh yeah. This takes place in the normal BtVS universe, so everything that’s happened has happened. That’s about it. *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid E. Stanton Part One of ??? *** A storm raged outside the window, and Jenny jumped to hear a branch beat against it. She really shouldn’t be here, she thought to herself. Buffy and Rupert were probably right down the hall in the library, and she knew she was the last person they wanted to see. She felt wretched. Lower than scum. Her uncle was dead, and she’d broken a girl’s heart- and "killed" a vampire, the part of him that was human, anyway. She set the book on the desk when her arms began to give out. The volume was thick and heavy, and covered with dust. Evidence of how old it was… and how little it had been used since then. Gypsies didn’t like to use magic to accomplish their goals anymore. *Now they send third rate gypsies to guard vampires,* she thought, and watched them fail miserably. She sighed and tapped her computer. This is what they had given up their curses for: the comforts of modern life. How come she didn’t feel so comforted right now? A chill breeze that seemed to come from nowhere traveled up her spine, and she shivered. The page crackled as it turned, and nearly ripped. Her head was throbbing after having read so many pages, and she didn’t know how long this would take, or even if it could be accomplished at all. And there it was. As if by fate, she lighted upon some blurry writing about souls. This could work! The discovery almost made her forget how difficult this would be. She ran a hand through her tangled hair, and grabbed the book. Her muscles strained with the weight as she ran to the library. *** "Buffy!" The library door burst open and Miss Calendar came crashing through. She dropped something heavy onto the library counter and turned to Giles and Buffy who stared at her with alarm. She looked terrible. Her mascara had run, leaving a dark mark under her eyes, only adding to the bags already there. She was unusually pale, deathlike almost. Her hair rested about her in the strangest tangles, and her clothing was rumpled severely. "Jenny, why are you here? And what’s the matter with you?" At the sight of her, Giles was able to put aside any vindictive loyalty to Buffy quickly. He crossed the room and held her upper arms. "What have you been doing?" She took a few deep breaths, and Buffy looked on skeptically, but worriedly none the less. Miss Calendar forgot to answer Giles, immediately focusing on Buffy, who was seated at the main table, watching her back. "Listen Buffy, I’ve found what may be a way to restore Angel’s soul." "But you said…" "I know what I said. I was being a coward. Now I don’t know that this will work, but I have to try for the sake of what I’ve done to you. I’m not asking for a reconciliation. I just want to help." Buffy stepped down the stairs slowly, joining Giles and Jenny by the door. "What do we do?" "We need to get Angelus here," she answered breathlessly, "Then we can begin." The door flew open again, and Willow Rosenberg popped through. Giles raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing here?" She shrugged. "Forgot my Chemistry. Wanted to see what Miss Calendar was doing here looking like that." Giles rolled his eyes as Willow took her usual seat at the computer. Buffy looked at Giles and Miss Calendar. "I’ll go now," she said resolutely. Giles quickly objected. "Buffy, this is ridiculous. Miss Calendar hasn’t even told us about this spell, and I’m sure she doesn’t know how it works, or even if it works. We need to prepare first!" Buffy’s eyes narrowed coldly. "And while we *prepare* Angelus makes a midnight snack out of one of my classmates." She whipped her head around and marched outside, leaving Giles stunned and completely taken aback. Miss Calendar quickly got to work, squinting to read the text and memorize it. If she was right, they would have Angel back permanently. If she wasn’t, they would have one angry vampire on their hands, and not much could be done. She felt Giles stand behind her, reading over her shoulder. After a few moments of intense silence, he spoke. "You do know that this is one of the most dangerous and foolish things that you have ever done." She looked back at him. "When Angel is back, you can give me a lecture." She looked back at the book gravely and continued her pursuit. *** END, Part One Send comments, questions and stuff to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (2/?) by Ingrid Date: 14 Feb 1998 19:24:58 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The marvelous characters mentioned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this! The wonderful people that *are not* suing me for this reason are The Warner Brothers Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Here’s part two. We continue with Buffy after she’s left the library. Oh yeah. This takes place in the normal BtVS universe, so everything that’s happened has happened. You know the story: If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other part. If you want to get this, just ask me for it. (Ingrid29@juno.com) *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid E. Stanton Part Two *** Buffy pressed against the sheets of rain that crashed down on her. Her clothes were soaked, but she wasn’t cold. She was simply numb. The water sprayed her face, nearly blinding her in the process, but didn’t need to see. She would sense him when he came. She laughed bitterly. She’d thought she’d eliminated any hope she might have had for getting him back, but as soon as Jenny’d mentioned the spell, she’d felt all the hope and pain rise up to the surface again. Something inside her broke loose and began to bleed afresh. Then the tears came. She’d thought they’d dried up permanently. She tried to concentrate on the statistics. There was probably about a two percent chance this would work, and he’d probably kill them all when it failed. She didn’t care. Then she felt it. The demon that was so particular to *him.* He had to be several meters in front of her. She turned back towards the library nonchalantly, and began to walk. He was following. Somehow, she knew he would. She kept walking, never once looking back to betray her knowledge of his whereabouts. She saw the library up ahead dimly. When she got there, she entered quickly, making sure the door was unlocked behind her. She walked resolutely around the corner and then took off, flying into the library. Giles and Miss Calendar whipped their heads towards the door instantaneously. "He’s here," she reported calmly. Giles looked towards the balcony. "Willow." The girl stepped out of the shadows and came to the center of the library, where Buffy noticed a large circle of blood. Willow entered the circle and stood in the middle. "Will! What are you doing?" She looked at Giles. "She can’t be a part of this-" "Buffy, we need a volunteer, and neither the slayer nor the watcher can participate in the circle. Come with me quickly, Buffy." Giles nodded towards the library office. "Jenny?" She looked grave and pale. "I’m ready." Leaving the book on the table, she took her place in a shadowy corner of the room. It didn’t take very long for Angel to make it to the library. He knew where to go, having spent so many hours there before he was changed. Like Buffy, he was soaked to the bone, but it didn’t seem to bother him either. When he saw Willow, he smiled. "Oh. It’s you. I don’t suppose you know where Buffy is." Willow stared at him silently. "Don’t worry though. I’m sure we can have more fun without her." He smiled, flashing a wide grin. "In fact, I believe it was Buffy who interrupted us last time." He moved closer, and Willow nearly shrunk away, but she forced herself to stand there, trembling within. He raised his eyebrows. "Aww… You scared? Don’t worry. I’ll make this quick and painless. Wait a minute. Who am I kidding?" He laughed and grabbed her hair. Suddenly, Jenny began to chant from the back. Angel looked up, thrown into defense mode. "What kind of trick is this?" He inhaled the scent of blood, and looked down instantly, to see the blood boiling at his feet. His eyes went wide in terror. "No you don’t, witch!" He yelled viciously at the corner of the room, where Jenny was still chanting. All the lights went out. Gold fireworks began to burst about the room, and the bubbling blood became a ring of fire. With all his strength, Angelus shoved Willow. She didn’t move, but he went flying out of the fire with a scream, and landed hard next to the door. In a moment he was scrambling to his feet, and he launched himself through the doors, never looking back. Willow screamed in agony as she felt the fire burn her hair and suffocate her. She opened her eyes for her final glimpse of the library. She looked down, expecting to see only smoke, but instead, she saw the flames leaping from her body, which was completely intact! The fire surrounded her, growing taller and taller, so that it was all she could see around her. Jenny’s chant died away with the roar of the flames, and a surging pain shot through her chest. She didn’t even make a sound. All went black. Jenny was chanting wildly now, unable to control the words that came from her mouth. Fire sprung from her hands, and all her anger was directed into the blaze at the center of the room. Something in the pit of her soul was driving the destruction. She felt strong, though she could not direct what she was channeling. Then, as quickly as it had come, the anger died away, and she was struggling to keep up and finish the spell. She forced the remaining words and felt the fire go out in a single puff. Smoke filled the room, and she choked hard, breathing the stuff through her mouth. Dizziness crept into her. Her brain was spinning, and she gave in, collapsing to the floor. **** END, PART TWO Comments? Questions? Write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com! "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (3/?) by Ingrid Date: 14 Feb 1998 23:25:45 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The marvelous characters mentioned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this! The wonderful people that *are not* suing me for this reason are The Warner Brothers Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Part three continues in the library. This takes place in the normal BtVS universe, so everything that’s happened has happened. You know the story: If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, just ask me for it. (Ingrid29@juno.com) *** "Ghost of a Chance" by Ingrid Part Three *** As the smoke began to dissipate, Buffy and Giles took off for the two bodies that lay in the library. Buffy rushed to Willow’s side, passing a resentful glance at an unconscious Miss Calendar. Buffy found a pulse. Willow was alive. She breathed a sigh of relief. "How is she," she asked coldly, referring to Jenny, whom Giles was holding loosely. "She’ll be fine." He waited. "Buffy, she tried, and I’m sure it was at great expense to herself. You can’t hold her accountable-" "It’s hard not to," she admitted, pulling Willow up into a chair. "She could have killed Willow," she stated flatly. "Buffy, Willow knew the risks. She volunteered." Buffy looked at Willow sadly. "You would, wouldn’t you?" Miss Calendar came around quickly after with a groan. She looked up at Giles anxiously. "Angel?" Giles shook his head and looked away. "Damn!" She buried her head in Giles shoulder and closed her eyes. Then she remembered. Buffy. She turned around and saw the slayer in the corner, watching her friend. "I’m sorry," she offered. Buffy ignored her, but Giles was quick to intercede. "You’ll have to forgive her, Jenny. Its just-" "It’s just I screwed her again," she cried. "Goodbye Rupert. I’m going home." She slipped from his arms and hobbled out of the room. Her shoulders sagged as she walked, and it took some effort to push the door open. "Buffy-" He was asking permission to follow her, Buffy realized. "Fine Giles. Go with her. She’s not fit to drive anyway." Giles hesitated a moment longer and looked at Willow. "If anything happens, call me," he cautioned her, and then ran out to follow Jenny. Buffy had no concept of time as she sat and watched Willow’s still form in the chair. She was studying a pattern on Willow’s jacket when the hacker awoke, as if from a long nap. He eyes opened slightly, and she had a puzzled look on her face. "Buffy?" Buffy looked at the girl with affection. "Yeah Will, Its me." "Buffy, did it work? Is Angel-" Buffy looked down. "No," she answered to the floor. Willow’s face fell. "Oh." She looked at Buffy compassionately. "I’m sorry." "That’s okay Will. You did your part. You could have died." "It would have been worth it." Buffy sniffled as she looked into Willow’s eyes. "Let’s get you home." She looked out the large window. "The rain’s stopped." Willow put an arm around Buffy’s shoulder, and together, they left the silent library behind them. *** END, PART THREE Please tell me what you think. I cannot live on posts alone! (Ingrid29@juno.com) "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Robert Rhoades Subject: BUFFYFIC: ATTN: Sins of the Mother proofreaders Date: 15 Feb 1998 23:01:22 -0500 (EST) This friday, my computer crashed and I can't access ANY on it for a while, and I must rely on the school's computer. So for those who were signed up to proofread my fan fiction, please reply to my new address and send a copy of Part Six so that I have and can post it soon, please. Thanx, -Vapthorne - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (4/?) by Ingrid Date: 15 Feb 1998 23:14:31 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The marvelous characters mentioned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this! The wonderful people that *are not* suing me for this reason are The Warner Brothers Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Part four continues the next day. This takes place in the normal BtVS universe, so everything that’s happened has happened. You know the story: If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, just ask me for it. (Ingrid29@juno.com) *** "Ghost of a Chance" by Ingrid Part Four *** The alarm clock in Willow Rosenberg’s room had an obnoxious sound. Even more obnoxious when you had a migraine, and were trying to sleep it off, she added silently. She hit the clock hard, and dragged herself out of bed. Last night she’d told Buffy that, aside from being tired, she felt perfectly fine. That wasn’t, however, the exact truth. Her stomach was churning, and there was the splitting headache that she couldn’t seem to shake. Then there was the weirdness. She couldn’t explain it exactly, so she’d kept silent. Her feelings about everything had suddenly become amplified and conflicting. She’d begun to detest peanut butter sandwiches, her daily snack. She’d almost spit one out last night at the taste, and attributed it to her stomach trouble, but frankly, it just didn’t add up. She got dressed mechanically, picking up a black sweater she hadn’t worn for at least a year. Annoyed with the hair that she couldn’t seem to keep out of her face, she tied back some braids letting them rest on her shoulders. Buffy would be here soon to pick her up. After packing her bookbag, she headed downstairs quietly. Buffy wasn’t long. Willow opened the door casually, locking it behind her. "Hey Will. Feeling any better?" Willow shook her head. "Well, my head’s cleared up a little, but I still feel kind of screwy. Probably the after-effects of going through a ritual." She shrugged and continued on towards the school. Buffy followed. *** Giles was reading over Jenny’s shoulder again in the library. "I don’t understand! This should have worked," she exclaimed, pushing the book aside, and absently pacing back and forth on the main floor. Giles pulled the volume towards him, adjusting his spectacles mechanically. "Could there have been something you forgot?" "No. That’s just it! I didn’t forget a thing. I recited the entire spell, made the circle-" Willow and Buffy strode through the library doors in conversation. Buffy came to a dead halt as soon as she saw Miss Calendar. "Buffy." The teacher took a step in the direction of the door. "Wait." Buffy stood in front of her, blocking her way. "Listen. I’m sorry. I know you did all you could." "You have to know that-" "I know," she answered quickly. There was an awkward silence, and then Buffy looked up at Jenny. "Willow said she hasn’t been feeling too well. Is that normal?" Jenny’s forehead creased slightly. "No. There aren’t supposed to be any side effects for the bait." She looked at Willow. "Did anything happen in the circle that was…unusual?" Willow shrugged. "I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was on fire. Then Angel pushed me-" Jenny perked up. "He what?" "He pushed me," Willow replied matter-of-factly. "What happened then?" "Well I didn’t move, which was pretty weird, and then he went flying backwards." "Willow, this is important. Did he get knocked out of the circle?" "Well, yeah. I saw him hit the wall." "*That’s* why it didn’t work!" Miss Calendar hit the desk and Giles jumped at the sound. He recovered quickly. "I don’t see what you’re talking about, Jenny." "From what I understand, the circle is the center of the channel. Without Angel’s body inside the fire, his soul had no place to go." "So where is it?" "He broke the circle to soon. This is all just speculation, but I imagine his soul didn’t ever get there." Buffy shuffled her feet, watching the floor. "How do we get him back?" Jenny sighed. "I don’t know if we can. Most spells can’t be repeated. I’ll have to read-" "Do it," Buffy commanded resolutely, heading out the door with Willow tagging along behind her. Jenny glanced at Rupert seriously and then marched over to where the book lay. It was going to be a long day. *** END, PART FOUR. Is anyone out there? Send comments to Ingrid29@juno.com "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "E. D. Palmer" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (4/?) by Ingrid Date: 16 Feb 1998 01:02:56 A quick note to say that I love where this story is going and I can't wait to read more. You have me on the the edge of my seat. :) E ======================================================================= E. D. Palmer "Some mornings, it's just not w6bu@unb.ca worth chewing through the epalmer@nbnet.nb.ca leather straps." Emo Phillips www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9627/ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (4/?) by Ingrid Date: 16 Feb 1998 12:34:38 EST This story is kickin' ass! I also love where its heading, and I hope for more everytime I sign on! Lins - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: When Dreams Come True (1/1) Date: 16 Feb 1998 13:27:30 EST TITLE: When Dreams Come True AUTHOR: Aramat! EMAIL: Aramat330@aol.com SUMMARY: Angelus kills someone. DIST: My page (eventually). All others, ask please. DISC: These people don't belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon and the WB. FEEDBACK: Yes, please. This story needs work. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When Dreams Come True She never figured out exactly what it was that woke her that night. All she knew that one minute she was lying in bed, sleeping peacefully for once, not plagued by the nightmares that haunted her. The next, she was fully awake, alerted by some disturbing presence. She sat up, looking around her room, searching for something, but not knowing exactly what it was. In the end, she figured she gave up to easily, didn't trust her instincts when they were warning her that something was wrong. When he finally made his presence known it was too late. She'd already laid back down, already started to drift once again into sleep, when he emerged from the shadows. "Willow, Willow, Willow," he whispered into her ear, startling her into wakefulness. "You, of all people, should know to trust your instincts." She started to open her mouth to scream but he laughed. "Scream all you want," he invited. "I rather like screams. Means I'm doing my job correctly. But I want you to know before you do, no one will hear you. We both know that." She closed her mouth with a snap, refusing to make this easy for him. That was, unfortunately, the only amount of courage she could summon for now. She was just too damn scared. "W-what do you want?" she asked softly, fear evident in her voice. "Why are you here?" He smiled, genuinely amused. "Willow, you know why I'm here," he said. He laid down beside her on the bed, arms cross behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling. "I figure it's time for Buffy to get her first present. And it's going to be you. Of course, you'll have to be dead for Buffy to really appreciate it, but hey, we all gotta go sometime." He turned to her, his eyes twinkling in merriment. "Want to know why I decided to start with you first? You see, I get a double dose of pleasure from killing you. Not only will your death affect Buffy, rather badly I might add, I also get a little payback at Angel. He liked you." Willow couldn't speak. She'd hoped that maybe he'd shown up to prove a point to Buffy. Show the Slayer that she couldn't always protect her friends. But now she knew he had more in mind. He was going to kill her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. She sat up, trying to think of a way to escape. If he wanted her dead, he'd have to work for it. She got out of the bed and ran over to the close throwing it open. She grabbed clothes, tossing them out of the closet, hoping to find something, anything to use against him. When her search of the closet yielded no help, she went over to her desk. There she found a cross, which she wasted no time using, but he just smiled and knocked it from her hand. She pulled open drawer after drawer to no avail. She had nothing to stop him, nothing at all to keep him form killing her. But she was desperate. She wouldn't stop looking until she exhausted every possibilty. She had to find something. "Willow, you're not going anywhere," he said as he watched her search the room for something to use against him. He smiled when the best she could come up with was a pencil. Too bad it was the mechanical kind. "I've got the place surrounded. You're going to die, whether I do it or someone else." Bored, with her attempts to leave the room he got up and walked over to her. He grabbed by the arms and tossed her back on the bed. "But I want to be the one kill you," he said leaning over her. His mouth was just a breath away from her neck. "How else will I have my fun?" Willow kicked out, struggling with all her mite to fight him off her. But he just laughed at her attempts. She did manage to connect once, her nails raking his face, but her victory was short lived. Angelus pinned her arms to the bed, straddling her legs to keep her from kicking him. Willow stopped her struggles as she realized it was over. She'd fought and lost. Now she was going to die. She didn't want to die. "Please," she begged tears streaming down her face. "Don't kill me." He chuckled. "Begging, oh how nice." He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned into her neck. "But begging is not going to stop me." And with that he sank his fangs into her neck. Willow cried out as his teeth pierced the skin of her neck. Tears streaming from her eyes, she instinctively struggled but she couldn't stop him. Slowly, he drained every ounce of blood from her body. As she laid there dying her last thoughts were on her friends. Buffy would be devastated and blame herself for her death. Xander would be comepletely lost without her. And Giles. Giles would also blame himself. But at least the three of them would have each other. She hoped they would be able to get through this, hoped they could pull together, just like they'd always done. She hoped Buffy would be able to stop him. Five minutes later, she thought of nothing at all as she silently slipped away. Angelus looked down at the lifeless body beneath him and frowned. It had been so much easier than he thought it would be and, to tell the truth, he was more than a little disappointed. But he wouldn't let it get him down. Killing Willow was just a means to an end. And the end was making Buffy his partner for an eternity. He got off the bed, arranging Willow's body underneath the covers. Taking one last look at her tearstained face, he smiled in amusement. "What do ya' know," he said as he turned and walked away. "Willows really do weep." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hopefully, now that I've finally given in to his demands, Angelus will stay out of my head. But something tells me it won't happen that way. Now everyone send me feedback. Let's not forget that I really think story needs work. Bye now! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (5/?) by Ingrid Date: 16 Feb 1998 16:24:23 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The marvelous characters mentioned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this! The wonderful people that *are not* suing me for this reason are The Warner Brothers Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Part five continues the same day. This takes place in the normal BtVS universe, so everything that’s happened has happened. You know the story: If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, just ask me for it. (Ingrid29@juno.com) Angst Warning!!! Don’t ever say I didn’t warn you! *** "Ghost of a Chance" by Ingrid Part Five *** The day passed in a blur of logarithms and sentence structure. Buffy couldn’t concentrate. In the middle of class, all she could think about was how close they’d been. Hiding in Giles’ office wasn’t her style. She wanted to *do* something, even if it meant only more grasping at straws. She wanted to touch him. To hear his voice. To know that somewhere, if not here, he did exist. Anything was better that almost. Buffy was able to put thoughts of Angel aside with concern for Willow. Despite Miss Calendar’s assurances, the girl didn’t look normal. In Chemistry, Willow had screamed at Xander. Then she’d cried afterwards, apologizing with all her might. Buffy sighed. This wasn’t like the calm dependable Willow she’d grown used to. Something was wrong. As soon as the bell rang, Buffy had insisted on taking Willow to the library. They had to find out what was going on. *** Willow wandered down the hallway trying to take deep breaths and calm herself down. She didn’t understand what was happening inside her. It was almost as if she wasn’t in control of her actions. Something else was there. She felt unfamiliar feelings that weren’t hers, and carried an entire set of opinions and thoughts that she couldn’t recognize. Her problem had gotten progressively worse throughout the day with her outburst at Xander, and her loss of control later on in the day. Buffy held the door for her on the way into the library. Willow ducked inside, perching on the banister of the balcony. She looked around, shuffling her feet against the carpet anxiously. Buffy emerged from the office- nothing. The library was completely empty. *What the hell is Giles doing,* the hacker grumbled to herself. Then it happened. Something surged within her. Her chest was rising. She felt like she might explode with the force, and an ocean filled her ears. She couldn’t stop herself as she fell from her seat, landing in a heap on the floor. Then something popped in her head. She heard a voice. "Buffy-" It was Angel’s voice, unmistakably. Raising herself to her hands and knees, she looked around. "Angel?" Buffy immediately sprung to her feet, surveying the library with a fifth sense that only a slayer could aquire. "Where, Will?" Willow was confused. She’d heard his voice so clearly and distinctly. "Angel?" she called again, and waited. She felt him answer. His voice vibrated her insides, and shook her gently. "Willow?" Willow smiled, and answered back aloud. "I knew it was you. Where are you?" Buffy crouched down on the ground next to Willow. "Will, what’s going on? Why did you say Angel’s name?" The look she shot Buffy was filled with wonder and hope. "It’s Angel, Buffy. He’s here." She felt the voice respond "Buffy?" "Where?" Buffy asked, getting frustrated. "Willow, where is he?" "He’s here." Willow touched her chest and smiled again. Before, the feelings had disturbed her, made her upset, but now… She felt a rush of energy fill her, and branch out through her limbs and beyond. "I can hear him, Buffy!" Buffy dropped against the wall, the wind knocked out of her. "Oh my God Will- is he-" Willow was deep in thought, and didn’t answer. Buffy watched in amazement as Willow began to talk to herself- or Angel, that was. "Well, can’t you?" "What do you mean?" "Alright. See if you can focus." Then she looked up. "Buffy, come here." Buffy turned to look at Willow, puzzled. "Why?" "He wants to see you." "What? You mean he can see?" "His vision is becoming clearer." Buffy crawled up to Willow, and sat close, searching her eyes for a trace of another there. Willow smiled and brushed a piece of hair from her face shyly. Then she looked at Buffy. "He says you look beautiful in the sunlight." Buffy felt tears sting the backs of her eyes. The world was blurred for a few moments and she breathed deeply. When she finally looked back at Willow, she was smiling, and tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking her face. "What," Buffy ventured seriously. Willow sniffled, wiping the wetness from her eyes and laughing. "He just misses you so much, Buffy. I can feel everything he’s feeling." She whimpered and jerked to the side, fresh tears welling up again. "Oh," she choked in grief, her face wrinkling up hard, "I never…" "What Will," Buffy demanded, but Willow's eyes were focused on something beyond her. She twisted her head in understanding some foreign grief and choked on her own sobs. Buffy did all that was left to do, and waited. *** END, PART FIVE Comments? Questions? Write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (5/?) by Ingrid Date: 16 Feb 1998 16:56:01 EST Wow.... Thats all i can say Wow.... Lins - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Drusilla77@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: When Dreams Come True (1/1) Date: 16 Feb 1998 17:03:16 EST Keep writing! Don't stop now, please!!!! I really liked the fact that you made Angel seem so real; I think you managed to capture his true essence. . . please give us a part two ?!? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sali Subject: BUFFYFIC: Safe Haven(?) 1/1 Date: 16 Feb 1998 22:36:09 -0500 Ok, i wrote this after watching BBB, and wondering how the spell effected Larry....*ahem*......spoilers(i guess) for Phases and BBB.... Disclaimers: Larry and Xander and all the rest of the cool stuff belong to Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy and that cute little "grr-argh" guy... Thanks to DPTigger for the title. Thanks also to DPTigger and Mai and everyone else who tol' me to go ahead and write the scene..since Joss didn't.. ;p This hasn't really been beta'd or proofed..or anything... Send comments/*constructive* criticism etc. to salii@bestweb.net in other words: FEEDBACK PLEASE!!!!! :-) Now without further ado.... Safe Haven(?) Sali Wynants (salii@bestweb.net) Xander was getting tired. The women had been chasing him for what seemed like hours and he hadn't had a rest. He spotted the guys locker room and hoped there wouldn't be any girls there. Dashing inside, he quickly barricaded the door. Sitting on a bench, Xander took a deep breath. "Note to self: Never mess with magic..Or women." Suddenly he heard a sound near the back of the locker room. ~I hope Oz's reaction was just an isolated incedent~ "Hello? Who's there?" "Xander, is that you?" A familiar young voice replied. "Uh...yeah, i'm just..uh.." "Hiding...from the women, i know." The speaker, Larry, rounded the corner. "Uh..yeah." "I know it's hard..being so..put off by the attention, but having to act like you love it, or everyone will know." He was looking Xander over slowly. "Uhm...yeah...i guess..." He wasn't sure he liked the way the big football player was looking at him. "You know Xander, you don't have to pretend around me" Larry put a hand on Xander's shoulder. "I know how it feels, always hiding" He moved his hand a little closer to Xander's neck and began to massage lightly. Xander stood silently, trying to gather his thoughts. "Uhm...Lar, look...ah..." He took a step back, only to have Larry take a step forward. "You know Xander, i can see why all the women are after you..I just never noticed before..." he moved a little closer. "Your physique alone is enough to-" "Hold it!" Xander took a step back, running into the wall "Look, uh...Larry, i don't know how yo say this but-" "Then don't say anything." Placing a hand on Xander's cheek Larry leaned forward. Just then the door burst open and girls poured into the room. "Found you!" cried one of them, running over to the men. "He's mine!" Cried another, jumping on Larry's back. Xander took advantage of Larry's predicament and made a run for it. He ran to the showers, then climbed out a windows. He picked him self and began running again.... -- "A moment of joy, in a life ||"You are *so* weird!" time of sorrow. Take it, while||"This can *not* be news to you can it?" you can."`- Londo, Babylon 5 ||"Um... no."-- Mai to me on #Willow chat. e-mail: salii@bestweb.net Homepage: http://www.bestweb.net/~salii WALLFLOWERS Home Page: http://www.bestweb.net/~schargon - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jerry Hyde Subject: BUFFYFIC: Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:17:44 -0500 Date: 17 Feb 1998 14:17:51 -0700 unsubscribe buffyfic - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (3/?) Date: 17 Feb 1998 14:18:42 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: Up through Phases, I think. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. (You'll find out why soon enough) But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Nothing too exciting this last time. Buffy's trying to figure out who this new vampire is and why he's helping her. Angelus is up to no good. INNER DEMONS Part 4 "His name is Jäzen," Giles informed them as he translated the diary. "He's about 350 years old. He's a German, was known as a very skilled archer, for a peasant of the time, anyway. He terrorized Europe for about 225 years. His hunting patterns are seemingly irregular, sometimes attacking large groups of people. Untilm, that is, about 175 years ago." "What happened?" Willow asked "This is most unusual," the watcher continued. "Apparently, he fought with a slayer in Cologne. He beat her into unconciousness and she was found inside the door of her watcher's shoe shop the next morning." "He killed her and threw her on a doorstep? The sick bastard," Xander commented. "No," Giles corrected, "that's the unusual part. She was found inside the doorway of her watcher's shop. She was badly beaten but she survived." "That *is* weird. What happened?" Willow asked. "No one knows," Giles replied. "He disappeared after that. No one's seen him since." "Until now, that is," Buffy corrected. "He was presumed dead," Giles said. "But we've thought that before." At that, Buffy got up and headed for the library doors. "I'm gonna go find him," she said as she headed out. "How are you going to do that?" Willow asked. "Easy," Buffy said, stopping to look back at her friends, "I'm gonna get in a fight." With that, she pushed her way out of the library and was gone. "Be careful!" Giles called after her. * * * * * It didn't take long for a situation to present itself. Buffy had only been patroling for an hour when the attack came. This time, there was only three of them. She had only taken out the first one when he too entered the fight. Buffy threw the second vampire onto a fence post and turned to take care of the third. However, she was too late. She turned to watch as her unlikely accomplice grabbed the third attacker by the throat and lifted her into the air. The poor thing was allowed a moment's terror before she was skewered by a stake. The slayer readied a stake and prepared for the attack, but it didn't come. Instead, the vampire just stood there, slowly brushing the dust off him. Only then did he turn around. "It's alright," he said quietly. "I ate early tonight." "Jäzen, right?" Buffy asked, cautiously. "At your survice," he said with a slight bow. "I see you have read up on me. I am honored." He eyed her. "I have not seen a slayer in 125 years." "How did you...?" "You think every girl your age goes around slaying vampires rather than hanging out with her friends?" he asked. "Your strength alone tells me you are the chosen one... Or, should I say, on of the chosen two?" "Excuse me?" Buffy asked suspiciously. "I've been reading up on you too," Jäzen confessed. "You really should talk to your watcher about a security system. I'm amazed das Großkotz* Spike hesn't stollen more from you." "What do you want," Buffy finally asked, growing impatiant with her companion's attitude. "Just to talk," Jäzen answered. "But first, we must go where we will not be heard by unwanted third parties." As he finished, he brought his hand to his chest and pointed over his shoulder. Buffy quickly followed his eyes to where a figure stood watching them. He was mostly in shadow, but Buffy didn't need much light to know who he was. Blocking all thoughts of him from her mind, she returned her attention to her companion and gave a nod of agreement. And, with that, the vampire allowed her to lead the way. * * * * * Angelus watched them walk away and swore. It was bad enough that he came into the conversation late. But to be discovered was completely unforgivable on his part. 'How could I have been so sloppy?' he wondered. He couldn't risk following them now that he had been noticed. But he still didn't know who that guy was. And standing there, stewing in the shadows over it was getting him no where. "You'd almost think I was jealous," he muttered under his breath... or lack there of. Angelus stopped at this and thought about it. He finally shook his head. "Now why would I be jealous?" Still... there was something familiar about that guy. And he didn't like it. He finally decided to stop obsessing over it and go torment some of Buffy's classmates before returning to the factory. As he left, he laughed at what that guy had called Spike and contemplated whether or not to relay the insult. * * * * * The plot thickens! *=Großkotz, according to _Scheisse!_ by Gertrude Besserwisser, means show-off. In Spike's case, he might take it as a compliement. The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (4/?) Date: 17 Feb 1998 14:40:01 PST Oops sorry. I forgot to change the title line on this one. My bad. This one is better. Reply-To: buffyfic@xmission.com Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: Up through Phases, I think. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. (You'll find out why soon enough) But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Nothing too exciting this last time. Buffy's trying to figure out who this new vampire is and why he's helping her. Angelus is up to no good. INNER DEMONS Part 4 "His name is Jäzen," Giles informed them as he translated the diary. "He's about 350 years old. He's a German, was known as a very skilled archer, for a peasant of the time, anyway. He terrorized Europe for about 225 years. His hunting patterns are seemingly irregular, sometimes attacking large groups of people. Untilm, that is, about 175 years ago." "What happened?" Willow asked "This is most unusual," the watcher continued. "Apparently, he fought with a slayer in Cologne. He beat her into unconciousness and she was found inside the door of her watcher's shoe shop the next morning." "He killed her and threw her on a doorstep? The sick bastard," Xander commented. "No," Giles corrected, "that's the unusual part. She was found inside the doorway of her watcher's shop. She was badly beaten but she survived." "That *is* weird. What happened?" Willow asked. "No one knows," Giles replied. "He disappeared after that. No one's seen him since." "Until now, that is," Buffy corrected. "He was presumed dead," Giles said. "But we've thought that before." At that, Buffy got up and headed for the library doors. "I'm gonna go find him," she said as she headed out. "How are you going to do that?" Willow asked. "Easy," Buffy said, stopping to look back at her friends, "I'm gonna get in a fight." With that, she pushed her way out of the library and was gone. "Be careful!" Giles called after her. * * * * * It didn't take long for a situation to present itself. Buffy had only been patroling for an hour when the attack came. This time, there was only three of them. She had only taken out the first one when he too entered the fight. Buffy threw the second vampire onto a fence post and turned to take care of the third. However, she was too late. She turned to watch as her unlikely accomplice grabbed the third attacker by the throat and lifted her into the air. The poor thing was allowed a moment's terror before she was skewered by a stake. The slayer readied a stake and prepared for the attack, but it didn't come. Instead, the vampire just stood there, slowly brushing the dust off him. Only then did he turn around. "It's alright," he said quietly. "I ate early tonight." "Jäzen, right?" Buffy asked, cautiously. "At your survice," he said with a slight bow. "I see you have read up on me. I am honored." He eyed her. "I have not seen a slayer in 125 years." "How did you...?" "You think every girl your age goes around slaying vampires rather than hanging out with her friends?" he asked. "Your strength alone tells me you are the chosen one... Or, should I say, on of the chosen two?" "Excuse me?" Buffy asked suspiciously. "I've been reading up on you too," Jäzen confessed. "You really should talk to your watcher about a security system. I'm amazed das Großkotz* Spike hesn't stollen more from you." "What do you want," Buffy finally asked, growing impatiant with her companion's attitude. "Just to talk," Jäzen answered. "But first, we must go where we will not be heard by unwanted third parties." As he finished, he brought his hand to his chest and pointed over his shoulder. Buffy quickly followed his eyes to where a figure stood watching them. He was mostly in shadow, but Buffy didn't need much light to know who he was. Blocking all thoughts of him from her mind, she returned her attention to her companion and gave a nod of agreement. And, with that, the vampire allowed her to lead the way. * * * * * Angelus watched them walk away and swore. It was bad enough that he came into the conversation late. But to be discovered was completely unforgivable on his part. 'How could I have been so sloppy?' he wondered. He couldn't risk following them now that he had been noticed. But he still didn't know who that guy was. And standing there, stewing in the shadows over it was getting him no where. "You'd almost think I was jealous," he muttered under his breath... or lack there of. Angelus stopped at this and thought about it. He finally shook his head. "Now why would I be jealous?" Still... there was something familiar about that guy. And he didn't like it. He finally decided to stop obsessing over it and go torment some of Buffy's classmates before returning to the factory. As he left, he laughed at what that guy had called Spike and contemplated whether or not to relay the insult. * * * * * The plot thickens! *=Großkotz, according to _Scheisse!_ by Gertrude Besserwisser, means show-off. In Spike's case, he might take it as a compliement. The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jim Heverling" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: When Dreams Come True (1/1) Date: 17 Feb 1998 18:56:24 -0500 I loved your last line. "What do you know? Willow do weep?" It was a nice touch. Keep writing. I want to see how the gang reacts -Catie ---------- > From: Drusilla77@aol.com > To: buffyfic@xmission.com > Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: When Dreams Come True (1/1) > Date: Monday, February 16, 1998 5:03 PM > > Keep writing! Don't stop now, please!!!! I really liked the fact that you > made Angel seem so real; I think you managed to capture his true essence. . . > please give us a part two ?!? > > - > - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (5/?) Date: 17 Feb 1998 16:18:11 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: Up through Phases, I think. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. (You'll find out why soon enough) But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Ok. I was going to save this for another day or two, but I just typing this part and I'm a little impatient. Buffy has found out about her new mystery man. (Jäzen) She has met up with him. He wants to talk. Angelus over heard part of their conversation and is going to go have dinner. INNER DEMONS Part 5 "I feel I should explain myself to you," Jäzen said once he was sure no one was following them. "Why me?" Buffy asked. "Because I can trust a slayer," he responded. "I know it sounds strange. After all, we're supposed to be killing each other. But, believe it or not, there is a certain trust between vampires and slayers. I don't know why. Maybe it's because we'll trust you to always hunt us and you'll trust us to always hunt you. There is a sort of co-dependence there." "Do you really believe that?" she asked "Not for a moment," he chuckled. "Then why?" "I think it's because, being a slayer, you are more inclined than most to believe the in the bizarre," Jäzen finally said. "And, believe me, what I'm going to tell you is a bit bizarre." "Okay," Buffy said, "start talking." * * * * * JÄZEN'S STORY I had a sister, Verena. We were very close. She had the gift of prophecy: she could see into the future. Not very well, but she would get images, messages, fragments of what was to come. And they were usually very cryptic. Verena would always share her visions with me... especially when they frightened her. We decided early on that we would keep what she saw between us. Our little town already thought strange enough as it was and, being the times we lived in, she knew not to call too much attention to herself. We had already of too many witch trials in our area and it wouldn't have mattered if she was the daughter of a squire or not. Well, was going along fine until my father arranged for her to marry a baron from Köln. I don't know whether it was a fear of leaving home or marrying a strange man, but she became a nervous wreck. Worse, Verena wouldn't even talk to me about what was troubling her. She just clammed up. Up to the day we left for Köln, she did nothing but wander around the house or stare out the windows into town. And the terror in her eyes! When she did go out, she'd shy away from people or she'd freeze in fear, as if watching something terrible happening. Well, of course, people started whispering that she had been touched by the devil. The day we were to leave for Köln and the wedding, everything came tumbling down on us. We were about to leave when the towns people came to confront us. They demanded that my sister be handed over for trial. My father refused, saying that they would never put his daughter on trial while he lived. That is when Verena stepped out of the carriage. In front of all the town's people, she spoke of what she had seen. "I see this town consumed by flames," she said calmly. "I see you all burning, drowning in the blood that will flow through the streets. Something will come to destroy you all, something that your own fears will unleash." The towns people just stood there frozen. But I didn't wait for their reaction, I packed my sister and father in the carriage and took off for Köln. I drove so fast, we got there in three days instead of four. She was fine after that. But the damage had been done. By the time my father and I got back, the town counsel had tried, convicted and banished Verena as a witch. My father could do nothing about it by that time and it broke his heart that she would never be able to come home again. Father died ten years later, and despite her sentence, Verena came home for the funeral. The towns people, unfortunately, hadn't forgotten about her sentence. Out of "respect for the dead," they waited until the day after the funeral to come after her. She tried to sneak away in the night but the mob caught her and beat her for showing her face in the town she had condemned. They didn't burn her though. She was just thrown on my doorstep and left to die. That was where I found her an hour later when I came home. I got her in the house and tried to treat her wounds but it was no use. She was too badly beaten. When I asked her who had beaten her, she started to name her attackers then stopped. She just stared up at me. When I asked her to go on, she only continued to stare at me. "You must...listen...to me...now," she finally said. "You... will be... set upon by... a great darkness." "What are you saying?" I asked. "Nevermind that, who else attacked you?" "Listen!" she demanded. "You must... fight... this darkness. If... you... do not,... you will be... doomed for... eternity... and beyond... and I... will never... see you... again." "No!" I begged her. "Don't you leave me, Verena. You can't die. You have a husband and a family who need you." "It... was my time..." she said weakly. "I knew... what would happen... if I... came back here... I wanted... my last... moment on this earth... to be with... my brother... who I love." "No." "It's... alright," she told me. "I... will always... be with you." She stiffened as death came to claim her, but her eyes remained locked on mine. "Remember... you must...fight! Please... you... must... fight..." * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Robert Rhoades Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sins of the Mother (6/9) PG-13 by Vapthorne Date: 17 Feb 1998 22:41:52 -0500 (EST) Title: Sins of the Mother (6/9) Author: Robbie Rhoades (aka Vapthorne) E-mail: rrhoades@astro.ocis.temple.edu Spoilers: None Disclaimer: Joyce Summers is not my character, technically Joy Matthews isn't mine either (since she is Joyce years ago), she along with Buffy and the gang belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, and the WB network. I have not made one dime on this story. In fact with the electricity I use to power the computer, and the paper I use to print some copies, you could say I'm spending money on this work. However, I did come up with the idea for Joy and the other characters in this story are mine, so please ask if you want to use them. Summary: Isn't it ironic how a daughter is doomed to life their mother's lives. Buffy is no exception, because when Joyce was a young teenager she had problems dealing with vampires and demons. Sins of the Mother: Chapter Six ****** Joy felt true unease as she was lying down on a large leather sofa. It had been a couple days since the last vampire attack, and after her parents had learned about what happened in school, they decided to take Joy to see a psychologist. "Tell me, Joyce, when did this all happen?" The doctor sat at his chair with a pen and pad, taking notes. "It all started a few days ago. My friends and I were at the Aphrodite, just hanging out and talking." Joy explaining her story. "What were you talking about?" "We were talking about the brutal murders that occurred over the past several days, then the conversation shifted to vampires and other myths." "I see..." "Then when I was walking home, I was attacked." "And your attacker was a... vampire?" "Yes, fangs and everything. I told my friend, Rebecca Casey, about it and she just made fun of me." "Kids can be cruel." The doctor commented. "I'm a kid, that doesn't make me cruel." Joy sarcastically retorted, "Anyway, I've decided to read up on vampires. Later that night I decided to visit Pauline Einstein's grave." "And who is Pauline?" "She was one of the murder victims that got bitten on the neck. I've heard that vampires can make other vampires when they exchange their blood. My theory proved correct when she popped out of her grave. After I killed her, I met the Necromancer." "Describe this Necromancer, will you please." "He's tall and haggard. I couldn't see his face with that dark green cloak he wore. He spoke with this accent. Ever since I met him that's when I've been losing it. No matter what I did I couldn't forget about him." "How does he make you feel?" "Scared, frightened, paranoid.." Joy listed her feelings "Okay, let's move on, shall we? Tell me about your parents." "What do you want to know?" "How do they make you feel?" "Ever since they stopped loving each other I sometimes feel alienated. Like it's my fault. They're also so hard on me, and they treat me like an immature girl." "Tell me, how's school?" "School's all right. I'm not exactly an A student, but I pass my classes." "Really? Now tell me this, do you like horror movies?" "Yeah, who doesn't." "You said earlier that you read up on vampires, explain what you mean by to read up on them." "I read books on them, books that tell stories and legends on vampires." "I see..." the doctor smirked with confidence. "Wait a minute..." Joy sat up from the sofa, "You think I'm crazy." "I don't think like to use the word 'crazy'. However I do think that your mom and dad has caused you to escape reality with these stories about this Necromancer and the vampires." "Look, I know the difference between fantasy and reality." "I find it hard to believe that vampires can be real, without proof." "Proof!" Joy bolted up with anger and frustration. "Dig up Pauline's grave, and find that there is a corpse missing. There is more to the world than just what we see. Vampires, demons, monsters, they all exist, plotting to doom our civilization. The fact that there is no one willing to acknowledge is why things like those brutal murders happen." It became obvious to Joy that the shrink would not believe her. No one would. She couldn't help but think that this was all a losing cause. If she continued having these encounters with the vampires and tried to warn people, everyone will think she is crazy. If she ignored what was going on, things won't change. From her past encounters and what Cecil and Jana told her, she knew that the Necromancer and the other vampires will just continue to spread their evil. She was in the middle of a dire crisis and no one can help her. ***** Later that day, Joy returned to school and busy working on the punishment that the principal gave her. Tonight was the ceremony for the National Honor Society, and Mr. Rayer figured that Joy will work out her penalty. As she stood on a chair, hanging a big banner to go in front of the lobby, Rebecca and Dalton approached her from behind. Joy's two friends were both dressed formally for the occasion. "Yikes." Joy turned around surprised, almost falling off the chair. "Don't do that." "Do what?" Rebecca said. "Scare me. I could of fall off." Joy finished with the banner and stepped down. "So, what's up?" "We're getting for the ceremony. How is Rayer's slave duty holding out?" Rebecca said. "Fine, I guess. He made me hang up these banners, hand out the programs, and prepare refreshments... oh, you wanna try some?" Joy gleefully asked, and walked them over to the refreshment table. "Sure what did you make?" Dalton hungrily questioned. "I've brought some cookies from the cafeteria, and I made some lemonade." Joy poured a glass and gave it to Dalton. "How much sugar did you use?" Rebecca asked. "Sugar?" Dalton sipped the drink and he reacted strangely to the taste. "Way too much. No offense Joy, but I know some plantations in Hawaii that don't have as much sugar in them." "I've never made lemonade before." She defended. "Don't worry. People could use the sugar rush when Rayer's up there giving his speech." Rebecca comforted, "Anyway, how are you doing?" "Not good. My parents made me see a shrink." Joy explained. "Listen, sorry I yelled at you a few days ago." Joy's friend apologized. "We know you've been going through a lot lately. Whether you're crazy or not, we're still you're friends." "Thank you." Joy hugged her two friends as a sign that she had forgiven them. "What are you doing!" Rayer approached, "Miss Casey, Mister Plague, you've got a ceremony to attend. And, you Miss Matthews, have work to do! I just got off the phone with your parents so they know you're fulfilling your sacred punishment." The principal then walked away towards the gym where the ceremony was taking place. "We have people like Rayer in our lives, and you need to dream up vampires." Dalton jested to Joy. "Well, we better get going." Rebecca said. "Good luck." Joy wished. "You too." ***** "Ladies... Gentlemen... Parents... And students." Rayer greeted, "Allow me the pleasure to introduce tob you Silver Heights finest and brightest students..." Rayer continued his monologue speech, and the ceremony proceeded throughout the night. The students lit the candles and gave their speeches, and Joy watched the doors to make sure people could come in without disrupting the ceremony. Rayer had intentions of punishing Joy with all this work, but she actually felt at peace. She didn't worry about the Necromancer, vampires, or other demons. Joy felt normal for a change, and she hoped it would always stay like this. A few hours later, the ceremony was finished and most of the parents, students, and staff left for home. Joy had to stay behind to clean up. "Hey congratulations on the ceremony." Joy ecstatically said to Rebecca and Dalton. "You're now one of S.H.'s finest." "Thank you. So, are you going home yet?" Dalton asked. "I have to finish things here first." She explained. "Oh, my god!" Claudia came charging into the main lobby where everyone left was gathered. "Someone killed the janitor." "Are you sure?" Rayer asked. "I'll show you." Claudia walked the others over to another hallway, towards the dead body. "Look! Some wild animal attacked him. Look at the bite marks." Joy examined the bite marks and knew that no animal had done it. It was a vampire, one of them, possibly more, were inside the school. "Quick, everyone lock yourselves in a room!" "What are you talking about, Miss Matthews." Rayer demanded. "Trust me, damn it." She cried, "This isn't the work any animal, we need to..." Growling sounds coming from the end of the hall interrupted Joy. Suddenly, everyone's attention was shifted towards that end and they saw three vampires, lead by Flower. "Their faces, what are they?" A teacher asked. "It's drugs, I'm telling you." Rayer answered. "My lord, are they vampires, Joy?" Rebecca whispered. "I'm afraid so." Joy confirmed. "They're so funky real." Claudia noted. "Funky real?" Dalton puzzled. "Will you knock it off." Rebecca griped, "We're going to die you know." "Not if I can handle it." Joy said with determination. She wasn't about to let innocent people be added to the senseless slaughter. The three vampires advanced their way forward and everyone froze with fear. None of them knew that they were vampires, but from looking into their eyes, everyone knew that they were psychopathic. Joy took action, and she grabbed the fire extinguisher. She aimed the extinguisher and sprayed the gas at the vampires. "Everyone run!" Joy ordered. "What about you?" Dalton concernedly asked. "Don't worry about me." She insured, "I've done this before." No one bothered to question Joy's reason at this. What became clear to everyone was to flee. Everyone almost made it to the front door, until the glass doors cracked, and more vampires blocked their exit. The people were forced to separate and lock themselves in a room. Half of the people locked themselves in the library, the other half in a classroom, while Rebecca, Dalton, and Claudia sought refuge in the ladies room. "Where is the girl?" The pale vampire searched. "I hear something." Another vampire referred to the fighting noises coming from the end of the other hall. At that end, Joy had been busy fending off the three vampires. Just as she slammed the extinguisher into the skull of one of the vampires, more of them emerged from the other end. Outnumbered, Joy done the next logical thing, she ran into the nearest room and locked the door. The vampires put forth their best effort to break down the door, and within a few minutes they succeeded. "Where did she go?" Flower puzzled, "I think this is the wrong room, man." "Can't be." The pale vampire said, "We all saw her go in here." "The child eluded you once more." The cloaked Necromancer walked into the room. "No, she must be in here." The pale vampire explained. "She's hiding. Everyone search the room." All the vampires demolished the room in hopes to locate Joy. Closets pulled open, desks flung around, giant trashcans were emptied, cabinets broke open, and still no sign of the girl. "Woo, she must have vanished." Flower noted. "We took a big risk coming to the school and doing this. I hate to see our efforts wasted." The Necromancer exited the classroom and said, "Search the building." The other vampires followed his order and they fanned out through the school. Flower, the last to leave the classroom, noticed that the window was left open. "No wonder there was a draft." Flower decided to close the window as she left the room. Outside, Joy found herself standing from above the window. Logic would have told her to leave the school and find help, but it wouldn't have done any good. She saw that no one else left the school, and assumed that the vampires trapped them all in a room. If she fled to find the police, everyone would certainly be dead. Now determined to stop the vampires, Joy inched towards another open window to regain entry. ***** "Are there any windows?" A teacher, forced into hiding asked. "Not in this room." "Then we're stuck." Suddenly, massive banging emanated from the door, "Quick, barricade the door!" ***** "They cut off the phone lines." Rayer exclaimed as he tried to call the police. "And, there are no windows. We're trapped." "Don't you think we should barricade the door with something?" "Agreed." "What do you think they want?" A student asked. "I don't know, but they all look crazy." Rayer said, "I don't think we're going to leave this place alive." "I hope everyone's okay." A teacher hoped. "Are we doing to die?" "Not unless we can do something about them." Rayer said. "What can we do?" "I dunno." ***** "You know this is the first time I've been in the girls room." Dalton noticed. "Dalton, this is not the time to be funny. Please be serious." Rebecca said. "I'm worried about Joy." "I think we need a priority check here." Claudia voiced, "We're trapped in a bathroom with those... things waiting to... whatever. We need to lock the door with something." "With what?" Rebecca asked, "There is nothing in this bathroom." "What about this." Dalton grabbed a mop that the janitor left in the room, and he wedged it between the door and floor. "That should hold." "Dalton, you're a genius." Rebecca kissed him on the cheek to show her admiration for his idea. Suddenly the light went out, the vampires decided to cut off the power. "Oh god! What do we do?" The window creaked open and the two girls released a small scream. Their vocals ceased when they noticed it was their friend, Joy. "Oh joy... it's Joy." Claudia normally wouldn't be so happy to see her, but given the situation she was in, she was more than happy to see Joy. "What happened to you." Dalton asked. "I had to crawl out a window to avoid them." Joy explained, "So far I counted about nine vamps." "Why didn't you go get help." Claudia said. "Everyone will be dead, by the time help arrived. Where are the others?" "Half are in a classroom, the other half in the library." Rebecca said. "You think you can handle all the vampires." Dalton asked. "If I divide and conquer." "It should be easier with four of us." Rebecca suggested. "Four?" Claudia panicked, "You mean three. I'm not getting involved." "Claudia!" "She's right. Someone has to go get help. And, Claudia kindly volunteered." Joy said, "I'll give you a boost to the window." Claudia placed her foot on Joy's hand as she lifted her up to the window. "Go get help Lassie." Dalton said. "Shut up, dorkbrain." Claudia went out the window while the other three remained. "What do we do?" Rebecca now wondered. Joy took the mop and broke the stick off, then she halved it to form two stakes and handed them to her friends. "We save the day." She proclaimed as she pulled the silver dagger and cross from her purse. To be continued... - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Christina" Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Maybe Later" (1/2) Date: 17 Feb 1998 21:12:58 -0700 Thanks to Dianne & Amy for beta'ing, Perri for the Lowen & Navarro song that frames this, and the SunS for feedback, as always. Neither of the characters belongs to me; Giles and Jenny belong to Joss Whedon, the WB, 20th Century Fox, Sandstar Productions, and Mutant Enterprises (not necessarily in that order). Not making any money, and putting them back where I found them. No spoilers, no violence, some angst. Yup. "Maybe Later" By Christina Kamnikar Copyright 1998 It doesn't hurt me any less when I think we did our best 'Cause though the wounds will heal the scars won't go away I guess the truth will sink in slowly But I don't want to hear it right now... * Part 1: Chapter... The day after the Slayer's birthday was remarkable only in its normality. The morning papers had placed the story of a freak electrical fire at the Sunnydale Mall on page 3; no one had been hurt in the panicked exodus that had resulted, so it wasn't interesting enough for a lead story. The police were "following leads" on "pranksters" who were believed to have set off a smoke bomb in one of the elevators, the mall was closed for cleaning until 5 p.m., and there would be a water-damage sale on Saturday. //That should make Buffy happy,// Giles mused. //More merchandise for her to acquire on her birthday spree....// He put the paper down on the library counter, and sighed to himself. Buffy wouldn't be truly happy again any time soon. The pain in her eyes when she spoke of Angel had made that very clear. Imagining something which would bring an real smile to her face was beyond Giles--- with the possible exception of success from his unrealistic plan to restore Angel's soul to him. It had seemed the most obvious, and the safest, course of action. But after only a morning's search through the archives, the Watcher feared that it was an impossibility. Angel had been one-of-a-kind; so was the spell which created his unique condition. And that had been lost generations ago. Still, he had to keep searching. For all their sakes, not just Buffy's. Though he couldn't believe Angel would thank him if he succeeded.... A high-pitched "you have mail!" from the computer distracted him from his thoughts. Wondering if the query he'd asked Willow to initiate that morning had already born fruit, Giles approached the computer with distaste mixed with hope. It would be utterly ironic if the World Wide Web yielded answers he couldn't find in the Watcher records. He gingerly moved the mouse and clicked on the mailbox, then froze. The newest letter was addressed to him, from Jenny. Subject Line: Explanations. For one split second he considered deleting the e-mail unread. Did he really want to deal with this, on top of everything else? Which wasn't fair to either Jenny or his own yearning for answers, but Giles couldn't stop the sudden fierce wish to escape the necessity of reading her note. Perhaps it was only a request to meet with her, though. Maybe he could simply delay it until he felt capable of coping with the contradictory emotions Calendar inspired in him right now. In fact, if he didn't open it, merely put it in one of those folder things unread, he could avoid the whole subject until after he already had a solution to the problem... on the other hand, perhaps she had information about Angel, and his curse, that could lead to a plan--- Giles accidentally touched one of the computer's buttons and the message opened itself while he was still dithering. He cursed, searching the screen for some indication of how to make it go away, but then the first line of text caught his attention. > Rupert--- > > I know how much you hate these things, but if I just sent you a letter or >left you a note in the library, there wouldn't be any way for me to know >when you got around to reading it. This way, the computer will send me a >receipt when you've opened this note, and I can assume you already know >the basic facts the next time I see you. "Damn." So much for delay. He could still close the letter, tell her he hadn't read it, that he didn't feel like coping yet; but that would be cowardly. And it would tell Jenny far too much about how his state of mind. Grimly, Giles resigned himself to reading the whole thing. > I'm hoping you can forgive me for what I did, and more importantly what I >didn't do, when you've heard all the facts. You've made misjudgements >too; you know what it's like to have stuff you regret in your past. I'm not >saying that makes what I did okay, I'm just asking you for the same second >chance you got, after Eyghon and --- everything that happened. > > Where to start... the beginning, right? > > Janna of the Kalderash, not Jenny Calendar, was sent to Sunnydale to >keep tabs on the clan's curse victim, and report back that he was still >suffering. They've always kept track of him, since long before I was born; >I always thought it was out of a sense of self-preservation, of wanting to >make sure he wouldn't come back and start wreaking death on the Clan >again. Turns out my thinking was veering away from my family's again without >me even knowing it. If I'd had any idea how far they were going to take this >vengeance riff, I never would have signed up for it. > > I should have known. I should have realized that it wouldn't be that >simple. My people have never done anything for straightforward reasons; >there's always some hidden agenda underneath. It made me crazy when I was >growing up---funny how I've ended up just like them, isn't it. Or not. >Maybe it's funny if you're not me. > > I told you the truth yesterday---the magic's been going away from the >Rom for a long time. I was told stories when I was a kid, over and over, >of what we used to be able to do, and I'd feel... cheated. I wanted it >back. Can you understand that? I grew up with people who were restless and >fluid even when they weren't with the travelling part of the family; people who >looked at names in the gadje world as just --- masks. Losing something >special meant nothing to them, because nothing lasted, nothing stayed... I >hated it. I wanted to have something real that wouldn't change, and I >wanted magic... > > I left my family when I was nineteen, I got my degree in computers, I >went looking for a life on my own... but I couldn't really forget them. >They'd show up, start trying to tell me how to live my life, or just hang out >playing their games and make living as a gadje more difficult... I finally >cut a deal with them. I'd keep an eye on Angel if they stayed out of my >way. Since none of them wanted to come to the Hellmouth, that part was >easy. I also hoped there'd be a chance of finding some of the old ways, or >something new; maybe that's why the technopagan stuff spoke to me, as a . >way of combining both.... > > I didn't know Buffy was the Slayer when I arrived. She wasn't here yet, >Rupert. Neither were you. The first clue I had that either of you were >connected to him in any way was when the prophecies about the Anointed >One started coming across my terminal, and you told me what was going on. >And the first time I saw Angel up close, not just from a distance, was >after the Master died. Giles remembered the night of the Spring Fling quite well; amazing, really, that she never betrayed a hint of anxiety or confusion about Angel then. She'd accepted him as a friend of Buffy's and Xander's, and hadn't wondered about his presence during their battle at the library. He hadn't told her about Angel being a vampire until much later, at some point after they began dating in the fall... probably before the incident during Parent-Teacher night. Yes. He'd been nervous, waiting for her to react emotionally, but Jenny had simply opened her eyes very wide and asked for the details. She hadn't questioned it. But then, she rarely questioned any of the things he'd told her---some of that matter-of-fact calmness was better explained, now.... > You let Buffy get so close to Angel, knowing what he was, what he'd >been---and that seemed like such a bad idea to me--- that I couldn't think >of a good way to tell you that I was monitoring him. I thought you'd ask >me to stop, and I didn't see that it made any difference, not then,anyway. > I kind of looked at it as insurance. Just in case something went wrong.... >I'm not exactly the trusting type, I guess. After he saved my life, first >from the Anointed One, then from Eyghon, I didn't want to report on him >any more... I would change the past, all of it, if I knew how. //So would I.// Giles rubbed at his eyes, feeling weary and bitter. Eyghon should have taken him, instead of taking Jenny; if he had been the one knocked out, if he hadn't been panicking for twenty-four hours straight prior to his reappearance... if. They both owed infinitely more to Willow's quick thinking and Angel's actions than to anything he'd tried to do. Which didn't exactly mitigate his feelings of hurt and confusion right now, but Giles was painfully aware that he wasn't the person who could pass judgement on her actions. > When my uncle arrived the day before Buffy's birthday, I was... really >confused. Ever since Angel saved my life at the beginning of the school >year, I hadn't been writing as much as I had before, even less lately... >and I thought he wanted to make sure I was still doing what I was supposed >to. They do that sometimes. Just materialize out of the blue to remind >you that you're not one of the gadje, even if you've got gadje blood. You're >Rom, you've got obligations. So you can't ever forget. //No, of course not. Having other choices isn't an option....// Giles rubbed at a crick in his neck, and closed his eyes for a moment. //No, none of this is anything like being brought up to be a Watcher, is it? Nothing at all like rebelling at Oxford, or ending up right back where you started....// > When Uncle Vincent showed up, I was sure it was just going to be more >of the same, which I didn't want to deal with. Especially since Angel saved >me from Eyghon. Wonder what Uncle would have thought of that. He said >that the elder woman had seen that Angel's suffering was easing, and >wanted to know why I hadn't mentioned it. When I told him Angel had found >a girl to love, he went through the roof. He went on and on about my >responsibilities to my family and my people and accused me of not doing my >duty. I should have told him to jump in the ocean, but--- I'm sorry, >Rupert. I'm so sorry. He asked me to separate Angel and Buffy; he said >that family honor demanded that he suffer. That if Angel forgot for one >moment the pain of his soul, the pain he'd cost my clan, that it would be >one minute too many. > > I never dreamed he meant it literally. I swear, he didn't tell me what >would happen.... > > So I tried to break them up. I chickened out, I buckled under family >pressure, and I did what my family wanted. The Judge was the perfect >excuse. I still feel bad about that, I did the right thing for the wrong >reasons. If the plan had worked, Angel would be half-way to Nepal by now, >but at least he'd have his soul. //That's why she volunteered to drive them to the docks...// Giles rubbed at his eyes, remembering his puzzlement at Buffy's birthday party. If her spur-of-the-moment plan had worked, Buffy's heart still would have been broken. //Although perhaps not into as many pieces....// > When they came back from the pier, we were already facing a crisis. I >thought saving the world from the Judge had to be more important than >Buffy and Angel getting a few more days together; I thought only my family >would be upset about it, and how were they going to know? Then they left >to do surveillance at the factory, and by the next day... well, you know >the rest. I couldn't have guessed how close they would get before they came >back, Rupert. Maybe I should have... no, I can't take responsibility for >this. I still didn't have any idea what the consequences would be. I >would never have let Angelus return if I'd known how to stop it, but I >didn't. > > My uncle thought that maybe Angel losing his soul was part of the curse, >and was 'meant to be'; I hope that makes him happy, wherever he ended up. > > I wish I believed his death was the last ugly act Angelus was going to >commit. > > More than anything I want you to believe that I never would have hurt >Buffy like this. I'm not as close to her as you are, but I still like and >respect her so much for what she has to do as Slayer. I know what Angel >meant to her, and I know what kind of danger she's in now because of >Angelus's return. I never would have agreed to it. Even if it meant all >my ancestors going unavenged. It isn't worth it. > > What I did I did out of a sense of obligation. Not malice, or vengeance. >That has to count for something. And you have to know---Goddess, Rupert, >you know how I feel about you. Do you really think I'd hurt Buffy, or even >take a chance about something that would affect her, when she's so >important to you? I thought I was doing what was best for everyone. I was >wrong. I'm sorry. Please, please let me make up for this. Tell me how >to make up for this, and I'll do it. > > I'll be by the library after school, if you've read this by then. I'll >wait until the kids leave. If you don't want to see me, just send me a >reply saying so... I'll understand. But I'm hoping we can talk. I need to >see you. > > Jenny //Not Janna,// he noted. //Jenny. Is that how she thinks of herself, all the time? Or is she trying to disown what she did?// Giles closed the letter and the mailbox wearily, knowing she would come to the library after school, after Buffy was finished with practice and Willow had completed her database searches, and Xander had escorted Cordelia somewhere else. And that he would be waiting for her. He wouldn't leave early; he wouldn't try to avoid her. He wouldn't delay this. There wasn't any reason to. Sooner or later, they would have the upcoming conversation, and putting it off wouldn't solve anything. He did believe every word she'd written was the truth. But he wasn't sure that any of it mattered any more. Maybe later I'll believe We were never meant to be Maybe later we'll say It's all for the better And if ever see you again I just might be stronger by then But God, I don't know when Maybe later * Comments appreciated Christina kikimariposa@prodigy.net }|{ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Christina" Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Maybe Later" (2/2) Date: 17 Feb 1998 21:47:34 -0700 "Maybe Later" (2/2) By Christina Kamnikar Copyright 1998 Part 2: ... and Verse All the points I tried to make Turned out to be my worst mistakes Still keeping score Even when the game was over And I suppose someday I'll learn But I don't want to do it right now... * "Rupert?" He froze, his back to the door, his fingers tensing on the pages of his book for a moment; then he methodically closed his it and put it behind the counter before turning around. "Jenny." His voice sounded even and detached, but he wasn't meeting her eyes. Calendar took a deep breath. "I saw the kids leave earlier. We need to talk. And I know you read the e-mail...." She tried to get him to meet her eyes, but he kept looking away, finally taking off his glasses and fiddling with them. "I thought I'd give you a chance to say all the things you've been thinking." "Really?" Giles's voice threatened to crack, but he cleared his throat and put his glasses back on, his expression guarded and weary, before speaking again. "How magnanimous of you." "Damnit, Rupert, don't be like this." Jenny struggled with the hurt for a second, then whispered, "You're just going to walk away? Blow me off? Even knowing the facts?" He paused, caught off guard by the anger as much as the plea in her voice. "Not... just walk away, no." Rupert shook his head, finally meeting her eyes, his gaze hurt and defensive. "Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked quietly. "Any of it? If this hadn't happened, would you have told me the truth?" Guilt flashed through her at his expression, and her jaw tightened. "Yes." She looked away, her fingers skimming one of the books on the table as she leaned against it. "I don't know when, but I would have told you eventually." "Eventually." "I didn't know! I told you before, I didn't know what would happen--- dealing with my family's curse isn't simple, not even for me. Allright?" "I understand that. I know how... I sympathize with the difficulties you've had with your divided loyalties." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking as though he were holding pain inside, and Jenny swallowed convulsively. "However, I... I don't understand why you kept the truth from me for so long." "I didn't think of it that way, Rupert. It just... didn't seem to matter." "At first, maybe. No. No, it didn't matter then. But later---" Giles shook his head, and she could see the confusion and bitterness clouding his eyes. "Goddess, how can I make you understand..." Calendar hunched in on herself, staring at him, desperately wanting to touch him, to smooth away the newest lines on his face. "How easy was it for you to tell me about vampires, that first time? I've lived with this stuff all my life, Giles. It never occurred to me to tell you. Not really. You're not Rom. Telling you the truth, all the clan secrets... it just never crossed my mind." She heard how that sounded a second after it was out of her mouth and silently cursed herself. Rupert looked as if she'd slapped him, and his voice was breathless. "I see. You didn't trust me." "No! I did! But if I'd told you---things would have gotten... complicated. And they were already complicated enough. I just wanted to keep things simple, Rupert. That life and this life---the only place they crossed was Angel." "Which was why you should have told me what was going on as soon as your uncle arrived here. Anything that would effect Buffy as that would, had to be something you knew I would want to know." The bitterness in his voice seemed to sink in all the way to her bones; she wanted to shiver at it, to deny its presence, but couldn't deceive herself that much. "Yes. I know. I was wrong. I screwed up." Jenny met his eyes unflinchingly, watched some of his anger drain away, leaving only the pain, the pain that it hurt her to see in him, knowing she'd caused part of it. "What I want to know is: can you forgive me? Or are you still going to blame me for something neither of us could have stopped?" His eyes softened, and Giles's voice was rough with weariness, not accusation, when he spoke. "It's not a matter of blame, Jenny. I can hardly hold you responsible for the actions of your clan... and especially not after what I put you through in November, when you were generous enough to forgive my criminal carelessness..." He let his voice trail off, then gathered himself together, focusing on her intently. "But I can't forget, you see. Not when Buffy is hurting so much; not when we're all in such danger now. You were part of what caused this. Not intentionally, or knowingly, but a part. I don't blame you. But I..." He studied her, his expression questioning, warmth for her still present, still there, but nearly drowning in the disorientation. "The two of us. Was all of it a lie?" he whispered. "Or only a part?" His return hits were killers. //I can't believe you have to ask... // It hurt more than if he just hadn't been able to forgive. That, she could have gotten angry about. This... "Nothing between us was ever a lie, Rupert." Giles relaxed, and she wanted to cry, partly from relief that he believed her, the same relief that she saw in his eyes; partly because he'd had doubts at all. His mouth twisted in a bittersweet smile, his gaze sad. "Nothing between us, perhaps..." He looked away, seeming a decade older than he had the day before. Or only a moment before. "I feel as if I don't know you," he said simply, looking back at her, studying at her as if she were a stranger. "God, Rupert. I'm still me. Okay, I wasn't born Jenny Calender, but that's who I am, that's who I plan on being. Not Janna of the Kalderash. Nothing of that life ever stayed with me for long...." She shook her head, feeling tears threatening to gather. The futility of what she was saying welled up in her, trying to smother the hope that he would understand. "She's still a part of you," he said gently. "Just as the Ripper is a part of me. Not one I'm very fond of, but...." Giles sighed slowly, then said, "There's nothing to forgive. Truly. I read the letter, I understand why you did what you did... and I'm sure that eventually, when the shock of recent events wears off, it won't seem so important, and I'll be able to accept events as they fell out." "But. There's a but coming, I can hear it," Jenny said, folding her arms across her chest, preparing for the blow. He smiled, grey eyes very sad. "You're quite right, of course." Giles took his glasses off again, licked his lips, and cleared his throat. "Buffy still blames you. In part, of course, because she doesn't know all the facts, but also, I'm afraid, because... she needs to blame someone right now." "Oh. Right." She wanted to yell accusations at him; wanted to demand that he choose her over his duty and love for Buffy, but she couldn't. There didn't seem to be any air left for her to try. "When she's calmer, in a week or two, when... when she's ready to listen to reason---" Rupert straightened, and put his glasses back on, the set of his face determined. "I'll make sure she understands that you were not responsible, and you did your best. And that we need your help and that you still want to assist us. But I daren't push her too soon, at this moment she's very... fragile." Jenny bit her tongue on some of the things she could have said, then faked an ironic grin. "Hey. It's fine. She's the Slayer. You're the Watcher. She needs you." She shrugged. "When she's coping better---maybe later---" "Yes." Giles straightened, eagerness lighting up his face. "Just a little time. That's all we need. Some distance." "Space," Calendar said with a straight face. "Space... yes, I suppose...." Uncertainty rose in Giles, she could see it as his smile faltered. "I'm sorry, Jenny. I'm sorry I was so abrupt with you yesterday, but I didn't know what to say, I was afraid to say anything, for fear of saying too much... and I'm very sorry about your uncle." He looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets, his expression troubled. "I wish I could make it all better....that I could just..." There was a plea in his eyes when he lifted them to her; a plea for understanding, for her to wait until he had time to come to terms with everything. "So do I." Her own bitterness seemed to have eased a bit. She'd always known he'd pick Buffy over her, if it came down to it; Buffy was a teenager, she needed him more, and the Slayer was all tied up in his life's work, his view of himself... she was just someone he loved. But the disappointment was very hard to take. She'd been hoping so intensely that he'd be able to just accept the truth, and let her mistakes go; but it seemed that had been too much to ask for. Jenny pushed away from the table, and swallowed hard, turning toward the door. "I'll see you around, Rupert." "Jenny---" She stopped, holding herself very still, fighting back tears. "I love you. You do... still know that, don't you?" Jenny closed her eyes, nodded hard, and said, "Yeah. I know." She smiled over her shoulder at him, at the worry on his face. "Same here, Rupert. Same here." Then she hurried out the library door, letting it bang behind her in the rush to leave before he saw her cry. Maybe later I'll believe We were never meant to be Maybe later we'll say It's all for the better And if ever see you again I just might be stronger by then But God, I don't know when Maybe later * Comments appreciated Chris kikimariposa@prodigy.net }|{ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jonathan" Subject: DISCUSS- BUFFYFIC: "Maybe Later" (1/2) Date: 18 Feb 1998 00:05:31 -0500 Christina: I just joined the list, and yours was the first story I got. I just want to ask you something... Are you giving Joss all his ideas for Jenny? Reading this story, I could see Jenny at her computer, repeating these things outloud as she typed it... You have captured her very convincingly, at least in her speech... Well Done! Jonathan (Lothos463 on the B:tVS PB) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michelle" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: "Maybe Later" (2/2) Date: 18 Feb 1998 07:24:41 -0600 Wow, strong stuff! I can see this happening just as you describe. You've got the characters down pat. Good job! Michelle - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Philmaniac@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: unsubscribe buffy Date: 18 Feb 1998 13:09:48 EST unsubscribe buffy - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Greeneye90@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: unsubscribe buffy Date: 18 Feb 1998 17:54:57 EST unsubscribe Buffy - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (6/?) by Ingrid Date: 18 Feb 1998 20:50:11 -0500 DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in my story are from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (They’re not mine). I borrow them without permission, but I’m not making any money on this! The wonderful people that *are not* suing me for this reason are The Warner Brothers Network, Kuzui, Sandollar, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Part six continues in the library, where we left Buffy and Willow. This takes place in the normal BtVS universe, so everything that’s happened has happened. You know the story: If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, just ask me for it. (Ingrid29@juno.com) I got a lot of requests to hurry up and write more, so I did all my work early & wrote part 6 just for you people. I expect some feedback! =) *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part Six *** Buffy sat back on her feet, arms crossed in a defensive posture. Why wouldn’t Willow just tell her what she was feeling? Angel was this close to her, and yet she had none of the traditional assurances that came with his presence. For a moment, she felt a pang of jealousy. Why couldn’t she be carrying his soul and hearing his thoughts? Willow was slowly recovering, inhaling and exhaling methodically, coughing a few times in between each breath. She smiled at Buffy and touched her shoulder for comfort. "Buffy, he’s so alone." She put a hand to her heart for a moment in grief. "I can feel his guilt," she choked, struggling for control. She sunk back against the wall and sighed. Then she smiled again. "He loves you, Buffy." "He didn’t say that," she asked, her heart rising. "He didn’t have to," Willow answered with a grin. She waited. Buffy stood up and absently brushed the dust from her pants. "…But he did," she reported, her face shining. Instantly, Buffy dropped to the ground beside her friend and hugged her warmly. The girls parted and smiled. "That’s for both of you," Buffy chirped, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. Miss Calendar and Giles strode into the library, deeply absorbed in conversation. As soon as they saw the sight of Willow and Buffy on the floor in tears, they sprung into action. Giles flew over to where the two girls sat, Jenny not far behind him. "What’s wrong, Buffy," he queried, touching her shoulder. Buffy snapped out of her trance, and turned to look at him over her shoulder. She sniffled, and resumed a business-like tone immediately. "Angel’s soul is inside Willow." She looked over Giles’ shoulder at the computer teacher. Startled, the librarian looked back at Jenny. "Is this- Is this possible?" Miss Calendar appeared just as shocked. "My God! That explains it! When Angel broke the circle, the only body left in the fire was Willow’s. I’d assumed that the soul never made it, but it did. Romani magic *always* works." "If not in the expected ways." Buffy glared at Jenny. Giles went off into watcher mode, his brain working way ahead of his mouth. "But a body can’t support two souls, can it?" "Not for long," Jenny answered gravely. She turned to Willow, who was still on the floor, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Willow, you said you felt sick before, right?" Willow nodded in agreement. Jenny continued, "and- and now you can hear Angel- I mean- he can speak to you?" Again Willow nodded, finally recovering from her crying. "So you gradually felt the effects of the soul as it incorporated itself into your body. Rupert, do you know anything about the effects of having two souls in one body?" The watcher took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, no I don’t," he answered honestly. Jenny cringed. "Remember what happened when Igon the demon fought Angel’s demon?" Giles suddenly looked very concerned. "Are you saying the reaction is similar? But that’s impossible. Willow’s soul is still present in her body. And Angel would never-" "It’s not about what Angel wants. It’s something he can’t control. Souls are not as vicious as demons. They don’t fight for control of a body. They’re simply released when another takes over." The glasses slid back on, and Giles came to the obvious conclusion. "But that means-" Jenny locked eyes with Rupert. "That means we’re casting the spell again." *** END, PART 6. "If you don’t have anything nice to say… tell me anyway!!!" (Comments to Ingrid29@juno.com) _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (6/?) by Ingrid Date: 19 Feb 1998 18:08:23 EST Its really coming along great.... really! I cant wait for the rest! Lins - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Philmaniac@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: unsubscribe buffyfic Date: 19 Feb 1998 18:18:39 EST unsubscribe buffyfic - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Isis212@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: Upping the Ante (1/1) Date: 20 Feb 1998 08:03:33 EST This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --part0_887979814_boundary Content-ID: <0_887979814@inet_out.mail.aol.com.1> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII --part0_887979814_boundary Content-ID: <0_887979814@inet_out.mail.aol.com.2> Content-type: message/rfc822 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-disposition: inline Return-path: Cc: Aramat330@aol.com Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit TITLE: Upping the Ante AUTHOR: Aramat! EMAIL: Aramat330@aol.com DIST: My site. All others ask. SUMMARY: Now that Buffy's decided to join the game, Angelus sends her a message to let her know he still has the better hand. DISC: Buffy and her friends (and her enemies) do not belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon and the WB. They probably belong to a couple more people, but hey, I named the most important person. I'm borrowing them and will return them when I'm done. Note: This story is a sequal to "Evening the Score." Now you'll have to forgive me for this part. Buffy is supposed to kick butt in each part but Angelus was being very persuasive (and I mean very) so I had to give him some glory this time. I promise that Buffy will be back to her usual butt-kicking self in the last part. Until then see Angelus be cruel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do you really think you can protect them?" Buffy read the note for the fourth time. The words blurred together as tears glittered in her eyes. Sighing, she blinked them away. They would do no good. Besides, she had promised herself she would never cry because of him again. She stood up, placing the note on her dresser, and walked out of her room. She had an appointment to keep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She sat on the gravestone watching the shadows intently. She knew he was out there, most likely laughing, enjoying his latest surprise. But his joy wouldn't last long. She would make sure of that. His appearance was so sudden that she actually jumped when he stepped in front of her. He smiled, pleased that once again he'd taken her by surprise. "Hello, love," he said softly, his voice slightly mocking. "Hi," she replied cheerfully, as though greeting a friend, not her greatest enemy. Placing a hand on his chest, she smiled. "All that time you're spending with Spike is affecting you. That can't be good." Angelus smiled in honest agreement. "You may be right." He looked down to where her hand still rested on his chest and stepped back, taking a seat opposite hers. "Did you get my note?" The smile Buffy had been carrying on the inside at his aversion to her touch died at the reminder. The note. The reason why she was here. Suddenly, she had a series of images flashed through her mind. The look on Willow's face when she'd handed Buffy the note Angelus had left her, the eleven blood red roses he'd left lying on Willow's pristine white pillow. But the picture that disturbed her most was that of her mother, sleeping peacefully, red rose in her hand, blood running from the pricks from the thorns. "Yes," she answered, her voice cold her eyes hard. "The roses were a nice touch. Were they for me?" He nodded. "Of course. I realized I'd never bought you flowers before. After all we've shared I figured it was time." He took her hand, pulling her toward him, settling her to stand between his legs. He took her chin in his hand and tilted her fce to his. "Did you like them? I picked them out personally, just for you." He smiled. "So sorry about your mother, though. Forgot about those darn thorns." As Buffy looked up into his eyes, like Angel's but so different, she felt her first real flash of hatred for Angelus. None of the emotion she was feeling was reflected in her eyes, but inside she felt a fury so red hot it took all her control not to kill him right there. But she couldn't do it, as much as she wanted to, not now. For one, it was what he expected. He knew she wanted to kill him and he was prepared for it. If she attacked, he'd be ready. They were locked in battle. She couldn't afford sloppy moves. If they fought now, she'd lose. Her anger at him was a weakness. One he'd use to his advantage. She couldn't let him get the upper hand. The price, if she did, would be too high. But even with her resolve not to kill him, she couldn't control her reaction to his next statement. "I wonder how much better your blood will taste from your mother's." Buffy lost what little control she had left. Clutching the stake she always kept hidden in the sleeve of her jacket, she prepared to strike. But Angelus had anticipated her attack. Catching her off guard, he knocked the stake from her hand, sending it flying through the air. He grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him. "Nice to know you still care," he said amusement lacing his voice. Buffy closed her eyes, cursing herself for losing control. She pulled away from him, putting as much distance between them as she could. She took a few minutes to calm herself before she looked back into his eyes. "Don't get too happy," she told him, her mind already on their next meeting. "Game's not over, yet." She picked up her bag from the ground, slinging it over one shoulder before turning her back and walking away. She hadn't gone far though, when Angelus' voice called out to her. "Next move's yours." --part0_887979814_boundary-- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (7/?) by Ingrid Date: 20 Feb 1998 21:20:29 -0500 My all new DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: Some more fun library discussion, and a lot of artistic description (spell-casting). Willow, Giles, Buffy, Angel & Jenny. This takes place within the normal Buffyverse thus far. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. I’ve had a whole lot of work this week, so it’s been difficult to keep going with my story. Bear with me, please! *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part Seven *** "How are we gonna get Angelus here again? He’s not stupid," Buffy remarked emotionlessly. "We’ll have to come to him," was Jenny’s sober reply. Willow rose from the floor, pulling herself together. She hesitated to speak, but eventually put forth "Angel says to do it early in the evening, when Angelus won’t have eaten yet. Vampires loose some common sense when they’re hungry, and when there’s an easy picking presented to them." She’d spit the information out mechanically, as if she were reading from one of Giles’ textbooks. "Okay. At sundown, then," Buffy determined. Giles and Miss Calendar acquiesced. Willow sat on the table. "In the park." "Right," Buffy agreed, "Sundown in the park." Giles and Jenny headed to where the large book lay, making preparations. Meanwhile, Buffy pulled Willow out the door. "Don’t worry, Will," she assured her friend, "We’ll have this all straightened out by tonight." Willow frowned. "Angel’s not so sure." *** By the time Buffy and Willow had arrived on the scene, Miss Calendar and Giles were already completing the circle of blood on the grass. They’d figured that in the dark, it would be less noticeable than it had been on the library floor. Buffy watched their dark figures as they worked, looking like little more than natural shadows of the night. Angelus would be here soon. Two shadows would enter the circle. But how many would come out? Buffy frowned to think of Willow putting her life on the line again. So much sacrifice. The grass was chilly and damp, and Buffy wrapped her jacket around her a little tighter. Willow’s silhouette faded into obscurity as the sun sank below the horizon. The two teachers scattered away like ants, and a lone figure stood against the sky, moonbeams illuminating an edge of her face here or an arm there. Almost like a painting, Buffy thought. Beautiful and calm… But there was something ominous about the clear night and the large moon and the velvet cloak of night. Something about not seeing, but knowing he was coming. Angelus entered the painting slowly and distractedly. He was prowling, but he was also on the alert, turning to look behind him frequently, afraid. This was when they were most dangerous- when they were like animals, acting solely on instinct. She was afraid instantly, but the configuration of the picture was not disturbed. Willow was walking slowly now in the opposite direction. She had to time this just right. Then it happened. Angelus’ raw hunger got the better of him. He saw nourishment, he smelled blood, and his mind shut off. Like a tiger, he leapt into action, catching up with Willow before she knew what hit her. Luckily for her, she had just made it into the ring when the vampire grabbed her by the shoulder and whipped her around. He was unprepared for the cross she shoved in his face. With one swipe, he was easily able to knock the relic to the ground, but not without burning his hand substantially. He screwed his face up in pain, and Jenny began to recite the spell. Once more, fire engulfed the pair, but this time, there was no escaping. Angel managed to knock Willow to the ground, but the damage had already been done. It seemed an endless burning, and bright. Half the park was illuminated and seemed to move in waves from the sheer heat of things. The very grass itself began to ignite. Buffy watched silently amazed at how peacefully the fire burned. There was no noise from inside the circle. There was only the gentle crackling red and yellow, and the smoldering grey ashes around them. Buffy felt the waves of heat even from her vantage point as she inhaled the soporific smoke. She leaned against a cement bench and rested there, almost content. Once again, Jenny finished, and the fire disappeared covering the earth in a murky grey. *** END, PART 7. Comments? Questions? Write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (8/?) by Ingrid Date: 20 Feb 1998 22:16:08 -0500 My sort of new DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: I couldn’t help it. Don’t hurt me please, but this one’s gonna be funny. I can’t see it going in any other direction! Willow, Giles, Buffy, Angel & Jenny. This takes place within the normal Buffyverse thus far. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29 @juno.com. Two consecutive parts- I’m doing well, non? *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part Eight *** Buffy forced her legs to take her to where the two bodies lay. She felt like she was moving in slow motion. The smoke must have affected her brain, she thought absently. She dropped to the ground near Angel… At least, she hoped it was Angel. The teachers soon joined her, planting themselves between Angel and Willow. Buffy stared at his face distractedly. The vampiric features had sunk into his face, leaving his forehead smooth, and his features innocent. Hopefully, no one had called the fire department. The slayer craned her neck to see a rather drunk looking Giles trying to comfort an exhausted Miss Calendar. She had to get points for effort, Buffy thought to herself, and turned back to Angel, who was slowly returning to consciousness. His eyelids fluttered a few times, and eventually he saw her sitting above him. "Buffy?" He paused. "Did it work? I feel weird." "I guess so," she answered, smiling lethargically. "Gosh. I hope Xander doesn’t get mad at me. I didn’t tell him about any of this." Buffy’s eyes shot open in a millisecond. "No." She clapped a hand to her forehead. "No. This is *not* happening." "What?" Angel/Willow replied, looking puzzled. "Touch your face," Buffy commanded. Angel/Willow did as she asked, and her face contorted in horror as she realized what had happened. "Oh my God! I’m Angel!" Both Jenny and Giles snapped their necks with the force of turning around. Jenny just put her head in her hands and sunk to the ground," and Giles gave Buffy and Angel/Willow a sheepish glance. "Practice makes perfect?" *** Willow/Angel took a good 10 minutes after that to awake. "Buffy?" It was so weird to think that Angel was inside the petite redhead. "Yeah, Angel, it’s me. Glad to um.. have you back." "What’s wrong?" "We had some uh…" "Technical difficulties," Giles interjected. Miss Calendar groaned. "What do you mean?" Willow/Angel looked panicked. "Nothing we can’t fix," Buffy answered nervously. "Spit it out, Buffy," he demanded. "I can’t even think straight, let alone figure out what you’re trying to tell me." Suddenly Angel saw himself looking over Buffy’s shoulder. "What the-" He tried to sit up. Big mistake. The earth was spinning and it didn’t stop for another 5 minutes. He was back where he started, on the ground, and confused as hell. "Buffy-" "Okay. I know. Let’s see- How can I explain this…" "For God’s sake, Buffy! Angel, your soul got switched with Willows’. You’re in Willow’s body," Giles informed him, shouting at the top of his lungs. Willow/Angel’s features crinkled in dismay as the realization hit home. He felt the long hair at his sides and choked. "Angel, I know what you must be thinking, but don’t worry! We’re gonna fix this whole little mix-up faster that you’ll even notice it!" He didn’t look convinced as she helped him up, propping him against her to steady him. "Uhh… Buffy?" A voice came from behind her. In an instant, all eyes were upon Angel/Willow. "I’m kind of hungry. And I don’t mean for burgers and fries." *** END, PART 8. =) =) =) Sorry! I couldn’t help myself!!! Comments? Questions? "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: BUFFYFIC "Maybe Later" (1/2) Date: 20 Feb 1998 22:41:17 -0500 Christina- *Nice* writing. The characters are absolutely flawless. Glad to hear from Jenny and Giles. There aren't that many stories about them as far as Buffyfic goes. Can I hope for a sequel? -Ingrid "The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: NuPhalanx@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: All Alone in the Night Part 4/5 Date: 20 Feb 1998 23:04:55 EST TITLE: All Alone in the Night AUTHOR: Mike Z. EMAIL ADDRESS: NuPhalanx@aol.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anya, Zandarah and the East Coast Buffy Crew site. Others, please ask. RATING: PG, maybe PG-13 CONTENT WARNING: language, violence DEDICATION: to Meawan, LadyRHood, KatyZ, and Trey Cash. DISCLAIMER: I don't own Buffy & Co, Joss Whedon and the WB do, no copyright infringement intended, please don't sue me! All Alone in the Night Part 4/5 By NuPhalanx Author’s Notes: I always wanted Cordy to kick some butt. And I want Marci to come back. Well, here is my idea for doing that. Dulcimer sighed as Cordelia ran from the room. He didn’t want to end up chasing her again, so he turned to Marci and Rissalla and motioned with his hands. "Stay put. I’ll go get her, just make sure she doesn’t come back this way." He favored Marci with a hard stare that made her squirm. "No rough stuff, understand?" Marci gulped and nodded in reply. Dulcimer was obviously pissed and ready to take it out on someone. Marci didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of his famous rants. She risked a glance at Rissalla and noticed that she was paler than usual. Dulcimer glared at the pair for a few more seconds, then turned on his heel and followed Cordelia. He very carefully opened the saloon doors and stepped in to the kitchen. He stuffed the gun back in its holster, checking it first to make sure the safety was on. Then he cleared his throat and called out to her. "Cordelia? It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you." He slowly moved towards the center of the room, trying to watch all sides at once. He could see the back door; it was still securely locked. He shook his head – a smart person would’ve been outside by now. But then, trying to run from three others wasn’t easy, and Cordelia hadn’t been in the best of shape after Marci had slugged her. Cordelia froze when she heard his voice. She was hiding in the utility room, with the knife in her hand and some other tools nearby. She gripped the knife tighter as his footsteps sounded in the kitchen. ‘This is one sick bastard,’ she thought, shivering. ‘I should have known!’ Cordelia raged at herself for being too trusting. Why couldn’t she be like Buffy and just suspect everybody? She tried to keep her breathing steady as Dulcimer called out again. "Okay, look – I’m going to put my gun on the table." She heard a rustling sound and then a metallic clink as the gun was placed down. There were more footsteps as he walked around to the other side of the kitchen. ‘Now what?’ Cordelia asked herself. *** Angel crept up to the house, senses straining as he probed the area. He wasn’t sure who had just entered Cordelia’s house, but he had seen a man open the door. He had a gun, and he didn’t look friendly. He was relieved when he sensed Cordelia’s heartbeat inside, and three others. That meant it wasn’t vampires that had invaded her home, but three humans would be tough – especially if all of them had guns. He didn’t want Cordelia getting hurt, and he wasn’t too worried about getting shot. Still, he was less than thrilled at the idea of a fight without some backup. Angel slowly peered in to the living room. He could see two women standing near the front door, talking to each other. He frowned, confused as to why the two weren’t doing anything. The man with the gun was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, he made his way around the house. He stopped next to another window and looked inside. He could see a large kitchen, and the back door – and the man was laying his gun down on the table. Angel focused his hearing; the man was saying something. He was asking Cordelia to come out, and that he wouldn’t hurt her. He appeared to be in charge here, so Angel decided that this man was the primary threat. He would have to be dealt with first, and then the two women. He could feel his dark side stirring, anticipating the coming fight. He forced back the bloodlust with sheer force of will. ‘I’m sure Cordelia’s parents have plenty of insurance – this is going to get messy,’ he thought, taking a few steps away from the house. He looked at the windows in front of him and gauged the best place to break through. ‘Here goes. It’s a good thing she invited me in when I escorted her home.’ *** Dulcimer leaned back against the sink and crossed his arms over his chest. Why did women have to be so stubborn? Cordelia in particular was extremely so. He found it to be an endearing quality, but his patience was starting to wear thin. "Cordelia, please – you have my word I won’t hurt you." This was starting to get annoying. Cordelia decided to come out; it wasn’t going to do any good otherwise. She didn’t relish having to face Marci and her friend again, so maybe she could talk her way out of this. ‘Yea, and Xander will marry me, too,’ her inner voice told her, as she stepped out of the utility room on shaky legs. She had the knife in her hand, just in case. Dulcimer smiled at her. He didn’t move from his spot. Cordelia stopped at the edge of the kitchen and gave him a questioning look. He glanced at the knife she held. "Well, have a seat, please," he drawled, motioning at a nearby stool. Cordelia shook her head and backed way a step. Her eyes were darting around the room. "Where are your little bitches?" she asked, glaring at him. "Or can you handle a woman by yourself?" Dulcimer threw back his head and laughed. "You have such spirit! It’s beautiful, did you know that?" To Cordelia’s annoyance, a large grin had appeared on his face. "Look, if I had wanted to hurt you, I would’ve done so by now." His voice was steady, with just a hint of menace. "Okay, so share - what do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her legs from trembling. Too bad she couldn’t do the same for her hands. ‘This guy is a freak!’ she raged. ‘What the hell is he playing at?’ Dulcimer wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before continuing. He moved just a little closer to her, but she noticed and held the knife just a little higher. Sighing, he sat back down and cleared his throat. "Look, Marci has a history with you. I don’t have a problem with that. This little exercise was something I set up so she would get some field experience." He stared at her with a grim expression on his face. Cordelia was a little wide eyed, but still paying attention. "The government was - is perverting these kids. I just couldn’t allow that to happen." He started pacing, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "So you teaching them how to be a stalker is better?" she retorted angrily, crossing her arms and huffing at him. She glanced at the gun on the counter. It was still loaded. "This was all just a sick game?" Her voice shook with rage, and fear. She briefly considered grabbing the gun now, but controlled the impulse. "No! I’m trying to teach them how to survive!" he replied, fixing her with an odd gaze. "Someone out there is killing people, and blaming it on a few renegades. Like Marci and myself," he added, moving just a little closer to her. She didn’t back away this time. Rubbing the back of her head, Cordelia answered him. "It sure feels like she knows how to kill," she observed, with just a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "Does that turn you on?" She moved just a little closer to the counter, keeping her eyes on his. A strange look crossed Dulcimer’s face as he took in her words. "No! I just wanted to ask you if you could-" With a thundering crash, a figure leapt through the kitchen window. Dulcimer and Cordelia ducked in separate directions, trying to avoid the flying glass and other debris. Cordelia had managed to grab his gun while taking cover. She stared wide-eyed at the figure that was hauling itself off the floor and turning to grab Dulcimer by the throat. Angel! He was wearing his game face. Dulcimer didn’t know what hit him - Angel quickly grabbed the other man and threw him against the refrigerator. Dulcimer collapsed in a heap on the floor. Angel was squatting beside her in the next instant, giving her a once-over to check on her. "Are you okay?" he asked, glancing at her head. She nodded her assent. He grasped her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Stay here. I’ll take care of his friends." She nodded again, and watched as he bounded through the doors to the next room. *** Marci and Rissalla had heard the crash, and had faded out. Angel stepped in to the living room, acting like he couldn’t see anything. ‘I can’t see you, but I can hear your hearts!’ he thought, stopping in the middle of the room. He wanted to have plenty of space to deal with these two. As he concentrated, he realized he had done the right thing. One of them was slowly approaching him from either side. However, both would not reach him at the same time. His dark side was aching to be let loose, to tear, to kill. Angel carefully let just a little of it out, for he had seen the terrified look on Cordelia’s face. He wanted these people to feel the same terror Cordelia had. A smile fell on his features as he turned to deal with the closest girl. She hesitated for just a second - which was all he needed. He lashed out with his left arm, connecting hard with her jaw. The girl let out a yelp of pain and surprise. ‘How did he do that?’ Rissalla wondered, rubbing her jaw. ‘What is this guy?’ While she was still deciding what to do, Angel managed to grab her and throw her against the front door. Rissalla crashed against the solid oak and slumped to the floor, stunned. ‘One down.’ Marci decided to try her luck while he was occupied with her friend, and tried to attack Angel from the rear. ‘Whatever he is, he’s good. He’s probably one of those Slayer things,’ she thought, dropping in to a fighting stance. ‘I almost beat Buffy. I can beat this guy.’ She managed to land a solid kick to his back. Angel growled and fell to the floor; then whirled and raked his claws against her midsection. Marci screamed in pain and tried to move away, but Angel was faster. He was also angry - his next punch had enough force in it to knock Marci against the wall. She rebounded with a loud THUNK and fell to the floor. Grimacing, he stood up and rubbed his back. It had been a solid kick; had he been a normal man he wouldn’t have been walking now. He quickly scanned the room for others, just to make sure. He could sense his two attackers, but no one else. Angel was just deciding what to do next when he heard the gunshot. Suddenly sick with fear, he ran back to the kitchen. *** Cordelia went over to the broken window and took a look outside. No one else was out there. Puzzled, she wondered where Buffy was. Usually Angel and she handled this kind of stuff together. Dulcimer groaned and stood up slowly. He has shaking his head and trying to gather his bearings when he heard the sound of a safety clicking off. He looked at Cordelia, who was standing against the far wall with the gun aimed at his head. A look of uncertainty appeared in his eyes as he realized what had happened. "Put that down!" he snapped, standing up straight. "You could really hurt somebody." Cordelia raised an eyebrow at him and smiled a dangerous little smile. "Like you, maybe?" She motioned with the gun. "Sit back down!" She was happy daddy had showed her how to use a gun. Mr. Chase would occasionally go target shooting, but Cordelia had hated the thought of using a gun. It was just so..messy! Dulcimer grinned at her. "You will not shoot me." He turned and took a step for the back door. He heard the gun being cocked, and froze for a second. Without looking back, he said over his shoulder "Don’t play with that unless you mean to use it." Then he kept going. He knew this girl - she would not shoot him. She was just another spoiled rich girl, used to getting her own way and having someone else do the dirty work. "Stop!" Cordelia shouted, waving the gun in his direction. She had to stop this maniac. ‘I’m scared scared scared I’ve never fired a gun oh God what do I do?’ He took another step towards the back door. Five more to go. Another step. Then another. "I SAID STOP!" Cordelia yelled, all her fear of the nights events surfacing. This freak was not getting away. He had to go to jail. He was dangerous, and so were the people with him. Her finger tightened on the trigger. He had reached the back door and was unlocking it. "Goodbye, Cordelia!" he sang, turning the latch. "NO!" she screamed, and pulled the trigger. The gun sent a shock wave up her arms as it fired. To her horror, she watched as Dulcimer writhed and fell to the ground, clutching his back. Her hands were shaking violently. She dropped the gun and tried to stop them, but then her legs started shaking, too. She sank to the floor and tried to control her limbs, but they seemed to have a mind of their own. There was a load roaring sound in her ears, and everything was spinning…. Angel practically ripped the doors off the hinges as he rushed in to the kitchen. Cordelia was unconscious next to the center counter. He couldn’t see Dulcimer. Fearing the worst, he knelt beside her and checked her pulse. Her heart was beating strongly, if somewhat rapidly. He could sense no blood, much to his relief. That meant she hadn’t been shot. Then he saw the gun. It was lying on the floor not too far from Cordelia. Puzzled, he looked around the kitchen again and noticed the open door. Dulcimer had gotten away. He could sense the other two people hurriedly leaving the house. He gathered Cordelia in his arms and tried to wake her. In the distance, he could hear sirens wailing, and coming closer. "It’s over, Cordelia," he whispered, hugging her close to him. ‘This time’ his inner voice reminded him. Cordelia stirred and whipped her head around, looking for something. "Where.. where did he go?" she asked, struggling to sit up. Angel held her close and whispered soothing sounds in her ear. "It’s okay, they’re gone." He rocked her slightly for a moment, then helped her to her feet. She was shaking and had started to cry. "He.. He said that I wouldn’t shoot him. I had to!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with wild eyes. Angel was just a little afraid of what condition she was in. Shock, and something else. He hugged her tightly to his body and continued to reassure her. "Shh.. you did the right thing." She was sobbing openly now, burying her face in his shoulder. Angel slowly started moving towards the living room; he could hear several policemen running up the driveway. ‘This was one interesting patrol,’ he thought to himself. End part 4 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (8/?) by Ingrid Date: 20 Feb 1998 23:09:18 -0500 Okay guys… I tried to send this part before, and I’m not sure if it got posted, because my server had a heart attack trying to handle all my mail. Forgive me if this is a reprint! My sort of new DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: I couldn’t help it. Don’t hurt me please, but this one’s gonna be funny. I can’t see it going in any other direction! Willow, Giles, Buffy, Angel & Jenny. This takes place within the normal Buffyverse thus far. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29 @juno.com. Two consecutive parts- I’m doing well, non? *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part Eight *** Buffy forced her legs to take her to where the two bodies lay. She felt like she was moving in slow motion. The smoke must have affected her brain, she thought absently. She dropped to the ground near Angel… At least, she hoped it was Angel. The teachers soon joined her, planting themselves between Angel and Willow. Buffy stared at his face distractedly. The vampiric features had sunk into his face, leaving his forehead smooth, and his features innocent. Hopefully, no one had called the fire department. The slayer craned her neck to see a rather drunk looking Giles trying to comfort an exhausted Miss Calendar. She had to get points for effort, Buffy thought to herself, and turned back to Angel, who was slowly returning to consciousness. His eyelids fluttered a few times, and eventually he saw her sitting above him. "Buffy?" He paused. "Did it work? I feel weird." "I guess so," she answered, smiling lethargically. "Gosh. I hope Xander doesn’t get mad at me. I didn’t tell him about any of this." Buffy’s eyes shot open in a millisecond. "No." She clapped a hand to her forehead. "No. This is *not* happening." "What?" Angel/Willow replied, looking puzzled. "Touch your face," Buffy commanded. Angel/Willow did as she asked, and her face contorted in horror as she realized what had happened. "Oh my God! I’m Angel!" Both Jenny and Giles snapped their necks with the force of turning around. Jenny just put her head in her hands and sunk to the ground," and Giles gave Buffy and Angel/Willow a sheepish glance. "Practice makes perfect?" *** Willow/Angel took a good 10 minutes after that to awake. "Buffy?" It was so weird to think that Angel was inside the petite redhead. "Yeah, Angel, it’s me. Glad to um.. have you back." "What’s wrong?" "We had some uh…" "Technical difficulties," Giles interjected. Miss Calendar groaned. "What do you mean?" Willow/Angel looked panicked. "Nothing we can’t fix," Buffy answered nervously. "Spit it out, Buffy," he demanded. "I can’t even think straight, let alone figure out what you’re trying to tell me." Suddenly Angel saw himself looking over Buffy’s shoulder. "What the-" He tried to sit up. Big mistake. The earth was spinning and it didn’t stop for another 5 minutes. He was back where he started, on the ground, and confused as hell. "Buffy-" "Okay. I know. Let’s see- How can I explain this…" "For God’s sake, Buffy! Angel, your soul got switched with Willows’. You’re in Willow’s body," Giles informed him, shouting at the top of his lungs. Willow/Angel’s features crinkled in dismay as the realization hit home. He felt the long hair at his sides and choked. "Angel, I know what you must be thinking, but don’t worry! We’re gonna fix this whole little mix-up faster that you’ll even notice it!" He didn’t look convinced as she helped him up, propping him against her to steady him. "Uhh… Buffy?" A voice came from behind her. In an instant, all eyes were upon Angel/Willow. "I’m kind of hungry. And I don’t mean for burgers and fries." *** END, PART 8. =) =) =) Sorry! I couldn’t help myself!!! Comments? Questions? PS: Really sorry if this is a reprint! _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sali Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sweethearts 1/1 Date: 21 Feb 1998 01:50:48 -0500 Title: Sweethearts Author: Sali E-mail: salii@bestweb.net Distribution: Ask me first, but i never turn down free (good) publicity!! :-D Rating: EC for Excessive Cuteness Disclaimer: The folks here aren't mine, they belong to Joss and the WB and whoever else, i'm not allowed to profit from it and neither are you! :) Note: This is the sili result of my sorting thru a box of those little candy hearts w/ the writing on them. Feedback: PLEASE???? good, bad, or ugly, i'll take whatever you'll give!! :) Sweethearts by Sali (salii@bestweb.net) -- There was something taped to her locker when Willow got to school that morning. It was a small package. She gently peeled the tape from the locker and opend the package. Inside was a little candy heart with writing on it. "E-mail" the little yellow candy proclaimed Willow smiled and re-wrapped the candy and tucked it into her overalls front pocket on her way to the library. Sitting at "her" computer there she looked at the keyboard. Resting between the g/h and b keys was a little pink heart. On it were the words "One I" and a small heart. "Giles?" She called to the Watcher. "Oh, good morning Willow, i didn't see you come in" "Morning, did you happen to see who left this here?" She held up the candy Giles moved closer and read the pink heart. "Sorry, i haven't seen anyone else here but you." He looked like he was about to smile, but quickly returned to the joys of cross refrencing. "Thanks anyway" she turned the computer on. Checking her e-mail, she had a few messages from freinds, and one teacher asking for her help in tutoring a studant. The last e-mail had an address she hadn't seen before, "admirer@distance.com" Reading the e-mail, she saw there was no real text message, just an ascii image.... /-------------------------\ /-------------------------\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \/ \ | | | BBBBBB EEEEEE M M IIIIIIIII N N EEEEEE | | B B E MM MM I NN N E | | B B E M M M M I N N N E | | B B E M M M M I N N N E | | BBBBB EEEEE M M M I N N N EEEEE | | B B E M M I N N N E | | B B E M M I N N N E | | B B E M M I N NN E | | BBBBBB EEEEE M M IIIIIIIII N N EEEEEE | | | | | | W W IIIIIIIII L L OOOO W W | | W W I L L O O W W | | W W I L L O O W W | | W W I L L O O W W | | W W I L L O O W W | | W W W I L L O O W W W | | W W W W I L L O O W W W W | | WW WW IIIIIIIII LLLLLL LLLLL OOOO WW WW | | | \ / \ RRRRRRR / \ R R / \ R R / \ R R / \ RRRRRRR / \ R R / \ R R / \ R R / \ R R / \ / \ / \_________________________________________________/ She stared at the image for a moment, then the computer beeped, telling her there was another e-mail waiting. This one was from dingo2@sunnydale.hs.edu The text read: Willow- I love you. -Oz. Willow brushed a tear from her eye and stood, planning to look for Oz and tell him how she felt. Turning from the computer, she saw him standing in the library doorway. He looked unsure of himself, and her. She broke into a grin and ran into his arms, hugging him tight. Finally, she looked up at him..."I love you to Oz" she said quietly. "I love you too.." -End- Feedback please!!!! (salii@bestweb.net) -- "A moment of joy, in a life ||"You are *so* weird!" time of sorrow. Take it, while||"This can *not* be news to you can it?" you can."`- Londo, Babylon 5 ||"Um... no."-- Mai to me on #Willow chat. e-mail: salii@bestweb.net Homepage: http://www.bestweb.net/~salii WALLFLOWERS Home Page: http://www.bestweb.net/~schargon - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: vxdarlaxv@juno.com (Darla Love) Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Discuss: Sweethearts 1/1 Date: 20 Feb 1998 23:03:58 +0000 awwwwwww that is so adorable ... i've been pretty much a reader on this list ... i've been thinking of writing some stuff and sending them in ... we'll see ... when i have more time on my hand ... Ðarla Keeper of Darla's Lust for Angelus !~ Join the DawsonsCreekMailingList ~! !~ www.coollist.com Listname: dawsonscreek ~! _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: DISCUSS:BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (8/?) by Ingrid Date: 21 Feb 1998 13:28:21 EST Cute, very cute... Its really coming along! Lins - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS:Sweethearts 1/1 Date: 21 Feb 1998 13:31:39 EST Too cute.... Ahhh... I wish people would write more Willow/Oz stories... They are sooo sweet Lins - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SGMIII@aol.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS:Sweethearts 1/1 Date: 21 Feb 1998 14:22:42 EST Hi! This story was so sweet!! I really liked it. I enjoy a good "Warm Fuzzy" story. :-) Keep writing! Anna - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Leslie S." Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" 1/1 Date: 21 Feb 1998 11:48:58 PST I acknowledge that Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all associates characters were created by Joss Whedon. No copyright infringement is intended. (In other words, please don't sue me.) Also this is my first finished piece of fanfic in like 10 years, so if ya got feedback (good, bad or ugly,) I’d love to hear it! E-mail to leslie_s_@hotmail.com Dedicated to my new friends on #buffy "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" 1/1 By Leslie Surgento (LilSprout on IRC) (Prior to S/I) Joyce Summers smiled to herself as Buffy scampered up the stairs to her bedroom. It would be the third time in the past twenty minutes that Buffy had decided to change her outfit. Joyce allowed herself a moment of reverie as she thought back to when her parents were first meeting Hank after she started dating him back in high school. She seemed to recall changing her outfit once or twice before he arrived, much to the amusement of her own mother. "Buffy, you looked fine," Joyce shouted to her daughter. "You also looked fine the other two times you decided to change. You are starting to make ME nervous!" Buffy had just about decided on another outfit when she stopped to consider her mother's words. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mom was getting dinner ready. "What was that about me making you nervous?" Buffy questioned her mom as she grabbed a carrot stick from the vegetable tray she was preparing. "Well kiddo, the way I see it *you* should be nervous about *me* meeting Angel. But with all your running around and fidgeting. . .it's making *me* nervous!" "Sorry mom. I just want tonight to go well." "Buffy, you know I'm not promising anything. I'm very concerned about the age difference. He's 22 and you're 16." Buffy started to interrupt but was silenced when her mother continued. "I know. You'll be 17 next month, but Buffy, that's still 5 years difference." Buffy thought back to an evening a week ago. She and Angel had had a date(?) at the Bronze. It was just going to be coffee, but it was a start. It has been a slow week slaying-wise. Even so, Buffy had been surprised when Giles had suggested that she take the night off. Judging from their conversation after the incident at the Delta Zeta Kappa fraternity house, she suspected that Willow had had something to so with that. Buffy had told her mom that she was going to meet a friend at the Bronze for coffee. "Look Buffy, I know you are quite capable of taking care of yourself, but I am still a bit worried about you walking home so late at night." Ever since parent-teacher night Joyce seemed to be a bit more relaxed about Buffy being out on her own at night, but as a parent of a teenage girl, she still worried. "Will someone be able to bring you home?" "I'll try to get a ride or else I'm sure Angel will walk me," Buffy replied. "Angel? Your history tutor? Is there something you'd like to share with me?" Joyce prompted. "What do you wanna know?" Buffy asked, suddenly feeling like she was five years old again. "What all mothers want to know. Do you like him a lot? Does he like you a lot. Is it serious?" she paused. "How old is he?" At that last one Buffy swallowed hard. She didn't want to lie to her mom, but it wasn't as if she could tell her the truth. "Uh...I never really asked......." Joyce gave her daughter her best skeptical look. Buffy felt her resolve weakening as she searched for something to tell her mother. She thought she remembered Angel saying he was twenty-two when Darla "converted" him. "But I think he's, uh twenty......" More skeptical lookage. "...two," Buffy finally managed to squeak out. "Let's go back to the 'is it serious' part," Buffy's mom eyed her with serious intent. "We're just getting together for coffee...not running off to get married." Buffy responded. "OK for tonight, but I want to meet him Buffy, really meet him. I hardly count that passing hello in the front hall last year. I have to look out for my little girl." Joyce impulsively reached out to hug her daughter. "I'm not so little any more you know," Buffy responded as she hugged her mom back. "Mom, are you crying?" "Just a little. You're right. You're not so little any more. Sorry. Now go. Have a good time and invite Angel for dinner next week." "Dinner?" Buffy questioned trying not to look horrified. "Is something wrong with dinner?" "Oh no…dinner is great." Buffy glued a smile to her face. "I'll see if he can make it next week sometime." "Have fun, but be careful." Joyce warned. "I will mom." Buffy gave her mom's hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving out the front door. ***** As Buffy approached the Bronze, she could see Angel standing by the door waiting for her. The smile that he had been wearing when he first saw her approaching was quickly replaced by a look of concern once she had gotten to the door. "Buffy, you OK?" Angel anxiously asked her. "Uh yeah. No. I mean...can we walk?" "Sure," Angel replied as he offered her his hand. Buffy took hold of Angel's hand and led him from the Bronze. "How much do you care about me?" Buffy finally asked after several moments of silence. "You know I.." Angel hesitated, not quite able to use the word 'love' yet, "care a lot about you." "Enough to meet my mom?" Buffy quickly blurted out. "You had me worried there. I thought something was really wrong." Angel replied as he pulled her close and hugged her to himself, and had he been able to, he would have breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll be happy to meet your mom under pleasant circumstances." "But you don't understand. She asked me to invite you over for *dinner*." Buffy emphasized that last word. "Dinner?" Angel raised his eyebrows at her. "Yes dinner, you know when girl, that would be me, invites boy, that would be you, over to my parents, or in this case parent, for an evening of pure torture…for said boy and girl. But in this case doubly so. It's not like when she asks me what your favorite meal is I can just say B-positive!" Angel just looked down at her and began to chuckle. "What is so funny? It may not be as hazardous as slaying the odd demon or two bu-" Angel cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. When he finally broke off the kiss, much to Buffy's disappointment, she looked expectantly up at him. "It'll be OK. Can your mom make something vegetarian?" "I guess so," Buffy replied. "Can you eat that?" "Most regular foods, especially meat, don't sit well with…" he hesitated. ". . .my kind, but I can manage a vegetarian meal here and there." "So you'll do it? You'll come for dinner and be subjected to..I don't expect it will be as bad as the Spanish Inquisition. . ." "Buffy…nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition," Angel joked, cutting her off once again. "Huh?" Buffy scrunched up her face trying to get the joke. "I used to watch a lot of late night TV. Never mind. It'll be fine." "If you say so." Buffy didn't sound entirely convinced, but she trusted Angel so she believed it would be fine. After settling the date for the following week, Buffy and Angel made their way back to the Bronze. ***** "Mom?" Buffy began snapping back to the present. "Why don't you just admit that you're worried about the whole sex issue?" Joyce tried not to cringe as she heard her daughter use the word "sex." Instead she replied, "Is it that apparent? I had hoped it wouldn't be." Buffy regarded her mother and pondered the meaning of what she had just said. "I thought that moms were supposed to get all wiggy about thoughts that their teenage daughters might be having sex with their boyfriends." "Are you?" Joyce asked hesitantly, not knowing if she really wanted to hear an answer. "No, we're not," Buffy informed her mom. Joyce visibly relaxed. "Angel and I care very much about each other, and I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind…" Buffy paused almost surprised at what she had just admitted to her mother. "But?" Joyce prompted. Buffy chose her next words very carefully. It wasn't as if she could tell her mom the whole truth. "But at the moment its a non-issue. We're still learning about each other. Neither of us is ready for something like that." On an impulse, Joyce walked over to her daughter and gave her a big hug. Just then the doorbell rang. After a moment, Buffy broke away from her mom to go answer the door. "Buffy?" "Yeah mom?" "I hope you know that when you feel the time is right, you'll be able talk to me about it." "I know I can mom, and I will." Buffy replied. At that point there was nothing more for Joyce to do but say a small prayer, set the vegetable tray in the living room, and hope that this Angel person was half as wonderful as Buffy seemed to think. -End- (Any suggestions for the dinner scene Epilogue I am currently working on??? Let me know!) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jonathan" Subject: BUFFYFIC: BUFFYFIC "Sidekick" 1/? Date: 21 Feb 1998 17:20:30 -0500 Title: Sidekick 1/? Rating: PG-13 for gore, violence and the occasional cursey.=20 Author: Lothos Email: jonrd463@bellsouth.net Spoilers: None Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the result of the creative genius of Joss Whedon, and thus belong to him, Mutant Enemy, WB, and anyo= ne else with legal ownership. The story is mine. Summary: What if the unthinkable happened? What if the odds were evened o= ut somewhat? This story takes place after BB&B. *** He trampled down the street, burning with this insatiable lust all too ne= w to him. Nothing else mattered as he sought the source of the essence he smelled back on Main Street. She was a lovely girl, yes; one he could hav= e seen himself asking to the Junior Prom, but none of that mattered now. Al= l that counted to him was the pulsing in his gut, screaming for the soothin= g warmth of fresh blood to coat his stomach=85=20 He licked his dry lips as he picked up her breathing about thirty feet ahead. He picked up his pace, darting in and out of shadows, until he was at last at pouncing distance. His face bore the distortion of the demon, and his eyes were lit a fiery red, as a low growl escaped from his throat. The girl turned around warily, until she could see the points of red in t= he darkness. She never had time to scream=85 In the blink of an eye, he was on her. His teeth set into the soft flesh of her neck=97her warm blood flowing over his tongue, and down his throat= . He held her in a vise like grip, allowing for no movement. One hand sealed h= er mouth, while the other supported her back as he continued to feast. At last, her heart fluttered, then stopped; her body went flaccid; and any evidence of life left in her was gone. He dropped the pale form onto the sidewalk, able to hear her skull crack as her head hit first. He looked into the sky and took a deep breath. It wasn't a necessity, of course=97merely a human habit he hadn't disposed of. He wiped his lips, a= nd chin of the small trickle of blood that had escaped while feeding, then looked down at the dead girl. "Two weeks ago, I was a god to you=85. and every bitch in this city. Two weeks ago, I vowed to get respect from all of you. Now, I am the devil, a= nd you will all serve me!" From behind him, he could hear the slow clapping of a single pair of hand= s. He turned and saw the silhouette of a man a little taller than him. "Nice melodrama," the shadow said, "A real fine example of grade A cheese= , actually" "Angel, don't f*** with me now. I'm not in the mood!"=20 "Angel's gone, boy. He died and left me in charge," Angelus smirked, "and that's no way to treat your sire. I could still kill you." "Yeah, well come on! Take your best shot!" "Xander, Xander, Xander," Angelus sighed, "All cocky now that you've killed your first? You have a lot to learn, my friend. A LOT to learn." H= e stepped out of the shadow and approached Xander. "I can't kill you yet. You're my secret weapon. Come on, Dru's been dying to see you again" The two shadows turned and disappeared into the night=85. To be continued=85. maybe=85. Tell me what you think. I wrote this in a manner of 20 minutes, and would appreciate any feedback. Good, bad, indifferent, it doesn't'' matter. Thanks! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: groovy@snowline.net (Gale Weathers (Rachel)) Subject: BUFFYFIC: Re:BUFFYFIC "Sidekick" 1/? DISCUSS Date: 22 Feb 1998 11:13:55 -0800 >To be continued. maybe. PLEASE!!!! Xander would make a sexy vamp. -Rachel "Did Norman Bates have a motive? Did they ever figure out why Hannibal Lector liked to eat people? DON'T THINK SO!" -Billy Loomis 'Scream' ---scream-----------------------------------------------scream 2--- Buffy The Vampire Slayer: **BUFFYFIC List**Xander's Room**Faithful Followers of Xander** X-Files: WLDD**SPCDD**DDSB**GBLA**DDPOL**LODD**X-F Creative**^Friend^ Shipper MY DD WEBSITE:Obsessed with David Duchovny http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/4440/ If you believe, no proof is necessary. If you don't, no proof is sufficient. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sarah Douglas Subject: BUFFYFIC: "The Rose" (1/1) by Sarah Date: 22 Feb 1998 14:57:18 DISCLAIMER: I don't own Buffy or any of the other wonderful characters in the Buffyverse. I am using them without the permission of the people who do own them who are not going to sue me because I am not making any money off this. Joss Whedon, WB, Mutant Enemy, Kusui and Sandollar own the characters in Buffy DISTRIBUTION: No problem, just ask first RATING: I guess PG FEEDBACK: This is my first attempt at fanfic. Please let me know what you think. If I don't get any replies, I'll assume everybody hated it and return to my corner. Send feedback to SUMMARY: This story takes place right after Surprise and Innocence. It is told from inside of Buffy's head. Lastly, I would like to thank Ingrid for previewing my fanfic and giving me feedback. Okay, now on to the story. ************* The Rose ************* I feel confused . . .and lost . . . and bewildered. The last time I felt this way was when the order of Terraca were trying to kill me. Then I'd gone to the only place I felt safe: Angel's. Angel. Now there's a word that means something totally different to me now. Let's just say that seventeen ain't all it's cracked up to be. Since I turned seventeen, I've nearly been killed several times, but that's nothing new. My boyfriend and I made love for the first time. I lost my virginity. He lost his soul. Now all he wants to do is hurt me. Since Angel switched to the other side, I've spent hours in my room listening to the song "The Rose." There are two lines that describe my feelings. One is: "Some say love, it is a razor That leaves your soul to bleed." That pretty much describes what Angel did to me. When we first met, we couldn't keep ourselves from loving each other, but we thought we had to. Everytime I saw him, my love for him cut at my soul. Now, I still love my Angel, but he wants to hurt me. Everytime I see the face of the guy I love, it cuts my soul. I know the Angel I see is not my Angel, the one I love and that loves me, but I still can't get rid of the feeling deep down inside my heart that my Angel is still in there somewhere. I will always belong to my Angel. I wish I could bring him back. It's because I son't know if my Angel can be brought back that I can't slay him. What if when I finally can slay him, and I do slay him, then I go to school the next day and Ms. Calendar says she found a way to bring him back? What if he picks a fight with me, and I stake him without thinking and then Giles tells me there's some ancient ritual that can restore his soul? There are just too many what ifs. After all: "Just remember, in the winter Far beneath the bitter snow Lies the seed, that with the sun's love In spring, becomes the rose." That's it, let me know what you think (sdouglas@camfordinfo.com) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Somalilly@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Sweethearts 1/1 Date: 23 Feb 1998 10:32:01 -0500 (EST) wait, so, is oz the admirer? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (10/?) by Ingrid Date: 23 Feb 1998 16:26:09 -0500 My rather shoddy DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: Later that night… A lot of reflection in this one.. This takes place within the normal Buffyverse thus far. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. I’ll continue to refer to the souls of each individual. If I’m talking about Willow’s soul in Angel’s body, for example, I’ll call her Willow, and I’ll refer to Willow as she (even if she is in Angel’s body). *** "Ghost of a Chance" by Ingrid Part 10 *** At 10:30, Angel crawled into Willow’s bed. He had a headache. Explaining to Mrs. Rosenberg why "Willow" was so late getting home had been a nightmare straight from the hellmouth. Now it was quiet, and dark, some blue light filtering through the blinds. Buffy lay on the floor, a sleeping bag rolled out under her. She looked peaceful and pretty in sleep, snuggling down into the folds of purple fabric. He remembered vaguely looking down at her a month ago, as she snuggled next to him. It had been different then. How was she taking all of this now? Other than the bits of practical information she’d passed on to him, they hadn’t spoken since his soul had been returned… at least not directly, anyway. Even if he had been looking through Willow’s eyes, he’d seen the look on her face after he’d renewed his promise of love. It made him uncomfortable though, with Willow feeling everything as he'd felt it, knowing all his most intimate thoughts, and so much more besides… It really shouldn’t have bothered him. Willow wasn’t a prying girl. If he could chose anyone to share his pain with, it would be her- except for Buffy, that is. Did she still feel the same way? Or had the monster controlling his body extinguished the feelings she’d uttered what seemed like a century ago? He didn’t know- was afraid to ask what hell his devilish body had put her through since the change. He would find out soon enough when he got back into his body, and frankly, he wasn’t eager to find out. She’d wanted him back badly enough to let Jenny cast a spell blindly, to let her best friend risk her life, he reminded himself. But did she really mean it? Or was it just some lingering shard of an old affection that had long since died away that kept her searching aimlessly for him? The tears, he reminded himself for the thousandth time. She’d been crying. She’d been moved. Angel sighed. Tonight would be the last night he ever spent without the demon tearing at him. He wondered how Willow was faring at Jenny Calendar’s house. Probably much better than he was. After all, it had not been Willow who’d killed so many innocent people. Buffy rolled over and then stretched out like a cat. After the moment of movement, all became still once again, freezing the scene in time. Could she ever forgive him? Would she? Angel was tired. He’d almost forgotten the fact that he now needed sleep. The pillow was soft, and impossible to resist. He dropped his head down, and was instantly asleep. *** Willow lay wide awake in the dark guest room, tracing the pattern on the ceiling with her eyes. She demon growled within her, a contented murmur. She’d had her fill for the day, and the terrible hunger that had filled her earlier was gone, replaced by an animal-like satisfaction. But she couldn’t sleep. Something within her was forcing her awake. She felt more like she’d just overdosed on coffee than anything else. Then, like a tidal wave, memories took her heart by storm, despite her efforts to ignore them. She remembered the Angel’s agony, his desperation, his love. Such strong feelings- how did he keep them contained so easily? Not easily, she realized. To live like this… For Willow, there was an end. Tomorrow evening, if everything went as planned, she’d be back to her old self, but for him- Merely a renewal of the curse. Worse than a death sentence, even, because the torment never ended. Except for that one moment in time. She could feel it as strongly as any of the torturous feelings he retained. It stood alone against all his hellish existence, one moment of pure joy. For a moment, it was all worth it simply for her, the one he gave himself to. And it still was, she confirmed, resuming with her eyes the pursuit of the ceiling tiles. *** END, PART 10. Whadaya think? Send comments to Ingrid29@juno.com. "You don't look back along time, but down through it, like water. Sometimes this comes to the surface; sometimes that; sometimes nothing." --Margaret Atwood _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Ghost of a Chance (9-10/?) Date: 23 Feb 1998 17:28:06 -0500 (From the author): Sorry guys! Screwed it up again! The parts are out of order because I was having e-mail problems. Just reverse 9 and 10, that's all! -Ingrid "You don't look back along time, but down through it, like water. Sometimes this comes to the surface; sometimes that; sometimes nothing." --Margaret Atwood _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (9/?) by Ingrid Date: 23 Feb 1998 17:25:21 -0500 My used (but in good condition) DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: We continue later that night at Angel’s place. Goofy discussion ensues. CHARACTERS: Willow, Giles, Buffy, Angel & Jenny. BUFFYVERSE: This takes place within the normal Buffyverse thus far. If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. FEEDBACK: I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. HUH?: In this part, I’ll be referring to the souls of each individual. If I’m talking about Willow’s soul in Angel’s body, it will be Willow, and I’ll refer to Willow as she (even if she is in Angel’s body). *** "Ghost of a Chance" by Ingrid Part 9 *** Willow and Angel sat together on the bed in Angel’s apartment, the rest of the party seated on chairs close by. He handed her a packet of blood. The hacker looked at it with wide eyes, and then looked back up at Angel questioningly. He nodded, and she pulled at the plastic. It ripped, and blood spurted out. "Willow!" Buffy grimaced as she wiped the at the splat of blood on her white shirt. "This was brand new!" "Sorry," Willow answered distractedly, looking around the room. Giles and Jenny were rubbing at similar stains on their clothes. "Sorry, guys. I guess I don’t know my own strength." She looked at the image of herself and her brow wrinkled. "Now what?" "Just think about the hunger." Willow stared at the blood, and with a roar, her face changed. "Woah." She touched her forehead. Then she looked up. Three pairs of eyes were glued to her. "Do you mind?" The growl startled even her. "I’d like to eat in peace." Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Okay then. So, um…Giles, Miss Calendar! What about this spell you’re going to cast?" Better than "Nice weather we’re having," she thought sarcastically. Giles answered. "Actually, the soul switch is a much easier spell. Since I’m familiar with it, Jenny and I can perform it together." "Oh. Good. So you’re sure it’s going to work this time? No more out-of-body experiences?" Miss Calendar sighed. "Sorry," Buffy was apologizing when they heard a muffled cry. "A-gel?" Despite Willow’s request, they couldn’t help turning around. The girl in the vampire’s body was struggling with a empty blood packet where she couldn’t seem to dislodge her teeth. "A-gel! I’m stuck!" Angel stilled Willow’s hands. "Hold on." He gently pulled the packet from her teeth, and watched her lick her lips. Buffy turned back to the teachers. "Well now what?" It’s nine o’clock, and I don’t think Willow’s parents are going to hesitate to call the police if she doesn’t get home soon. "You’re right," Willow replied, sitting back against the wall. Her face smoothed out automatically. "But-" She looked at Angel. "You’ll have to go." "What about you," he asked, genuinely concerned. Buffy answered him. "Willow can stay here, right Giles?" Giles thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose so." He consulted Willow. "That is if that’s all right with you." "Oh sure. Dark, scary place. No problem." Miss Calendar cleared her throat. "Rupert, she can stay at my house." "You’ll have to block out your windows," Angel informed her. "No problem," she answered, "We can move some furniture." Giles stood up and looked at the trio. "Alright then, let’s get moving" "Oh no!" Willow hit herself in the head. "The term paper! You have to go to school and hand it in, Angel." "You want me to go to school?" "It’s in the black trapper inside my bookbag. Buffy can help you with stuff." "Right," Buffy answered. "I think a sleepover’s in order, yes?" "Good idea," Giles remarked. "Jenny?" "Alright, come on Willow." Willow nearly hit her head getting into the car. "Remember: English research paper. Black trapper." "OK." Angel followed Buffy to the car. How the *hell* was he going to get through a whole day of school? *** END, PART 9. Comments? Questions? Write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com "You don't look back along time, but down through it, like water. Sometimes this comes to the surface; sometimes that; sometimes nothing." --Margaret Atwood _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "mireille roman" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Passion spoilers!!! Read this! Date: 23 Feb 1998 19:40:00 -0500 Noooooo! Don't do it! I know you want to but don't! Wait be surprised... believe me it kills the moment! DON"T READ THE PASSION SPOILERS!!!! I'm from Canada, I should know. Put salt & tabasco in your eyes(or something) just wait... it won't be too much longer!!! MiRoM READ (not about vamps,its about Ebola!) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Passion spoilers!!! Read this! Date: 23 Feb 1998 20:30:57 EST where can I find them.. the spoilers? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeff Reid Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Passion spoilers!!! Read this! Date: 23 Feb 1998 21:22:42 -0500 (EST) On Mon, 23 Feb 1998, mireille roman wrote: > Noooooo! > Don't do it! > I know you want to but don't! > Wait be surprised... believe me it kills the moment! > > DON"T READ THE PASSION SPOILERS!!!! > > I'm from Canada, I should know. I just saw the episode, what a plot twist! You have to see the episode to believe it! Mireille is right, don;t read the spoilers! However, if you want me to tell you....... :) One advantage of living in Ottawa: our station shows the episodes on Mondays. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: sah Subject: BUFFYFIC: Discussion for stories only Date: 22 Feb 1998 21:23:27 -0500 This is just a reminder that the DISCUSS topic for the buffyfic list is for discussion of stories *only*. Please take any non-story related discussions to the regular buffy list. Thanks, --sah sah * romana@mindspring.com * romana@aol.com NatPack * Jungle Patrol * Bishop * Bossy the Lost Dwarf * BTVS Listowner Nat's B&B (moving shortly): http://members.aol.com/romana/natpage_stuff/ "She's out there, strong and smart and proud and gorgeous. That has to piss the hell off of Clarence Thomas, and that makes my day." --jk on Anita Hill - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "The Mistress" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Need Collaborator or Other Assistance Date: 23 Feb 1998 11:01:47 EST I'm think of doing a series of stories that cross Buffy with two or three horror movies. Kind of like my "Nightmare at the Hellmouth" story, that crosses Elm Street with Buffy. Here's my ideas so far. If you think you can help, let me know. Buffy/The Exorcist Buffy/Scream Buffy/Prom Night Buffy/Frighteners Buffy/Phenomena (Not the John Travolita movie. Phenomena is a movie about a girl who has a telepathy with the insect world...among several other plots) Karras ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "The Mistress" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Need Collaborator or Other Assistance Date: 23 Feb 1998 11:01:47 EST I'm think of doing a series of stories that cross Buffy with two or three horror movies. Kind of like my "Nightmare at the Hellmouth" story, that crosses Elm Street with Buffy. Here's my ideas so far. If you think you can help, let me know. Buffy/The Exorcist Buffy/Scream Buffy/Prom Night Buffy/Frighteners Buffy/Phenomena (Not the John Travolita movie. Phenomena is a movie about a girl who has a telepathy with the insect world...among several other plots) Karras ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Somalilly@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Sweethearts 1/1 Date: 23 Feb 1998 10:32:01 -0500 (EST) wait, so, is oz the admirer? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: sah (by way of sah ) Subject: BUFFYFIC: ADMIN: List rules Date: 23 Feb 1998 09:39:33 -0500 Welcome! This list is for fiction related to "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," both the TV series and the movie. To ensure that we all get to enjoy as much fiction as possible, please adhere to the following guidelines, and please save them for future reference. 1. Fiction should have Buffy characters in it and clearly be related to Buffy. Crossovers are great, and expected, but general vampire/monster stories that aren't in the Buffy universe and don't use Buffy characters belong somewhere else. 2. Discussion of posted fiction is permitted onlist. Please put "DISCUSS" in your s*bject line. Requests for missing story parts should go directly to the author, and not be posted to the list. Discussion that is not related directly to the fiction should go over to the general Buffy list. Discussion of fiction is expected to follow common netiquette guidelines and use PG-13 language. 3. No advertising of items or services, Buffy related or not, and no posting of non-story items such as .gifs, sound files, etc.. No attached files of kind-- if your mailer makes your fiction into attached files, you need to find another way to get it to the list. 4. If you're writing a story and including advance information on a new episode, and you're posting your story earlier than the national viewing time, please: **Mark the post as a "spoiler" in the s*bject header. **Leave about twelve lines (blank or with non-spoiler info) at the top of the post. This ensures that anyone who doesn't like knowing about an episode ahead of time is "protected." :) The blank space is for people whose mailers automatically open up the next piece of mail, without giving them a chance to see "spoiler" in the header. Spoiler warnings are not necessary after the start of the episode's national viewing time, which is currently set at 9 p.m. Mondays, Eastern Standard Time. Spoiler warnings are not necessary for reruns. 5. This list is absolutely NOT for erotic fiction. stronger than sexually PG-13 material is to be posted to the list under any circumstances. A story may be R rated for violence or language, however. If you have a question about something's suitability for posting, feel free to ask one of the listowners. Sending sexually explicit material will get you immediately and permanently uns*bscribed. No exceptions. 6. By s*bscribing and/or posting to this list, you acknowledge that Buffy the Vampire slayer and all characters associated with either the televised series or the motion picture were created by Josh Whedon and are owned by Mutant Enemy productions, Kuzui Productions, Sandollar Productions, and 20th Century Fox. All stories posted to this list are for entertainment purposes only, are not sold for profit of any kind, and are not intended to infringe on any copyrights. 7. When posting stories to the list, please follow the following formatting guidelines --No story parts longer than 250 lines --No lines longer than 75 characters --Turn off your "smart quotes"-- many readers receive these as garbage or weird symbols --Put the title of the story in the s*bject header, indicate if it's a multipart story, and if so what part this is. Example: Buffy Meets Godzilla (2/65) indicates that this post is part two of a 65 part story. 8. If a story is rated "R" for language/violence, indicate this in an introduction. For example, "There's a really bloody fight scene at the end of this part" or "if you don't like dismemberment, stop reading now!" If there's chance that someone might be disturbed by something in your story (even if it's not rated R) please include some kind of warning up front. 9. And last, but not least, the listowners reserve the right to deny s*bscription (new, renewed, or continued) to the list for any individual(s). PLEASE NOTE: not following any or all of these rules will get you the following: **First offense: offender is uns*bscribed for one week. **Second offense: offender is uns*bscribed to the Buffyfic list for a minimum of three months. **If the offender returns and does it again, they're offlist permanently. As noted above, posting sexually explicit material is the exception -- you go straight to permanent uns*bbing. Again, welcome! If you have any questions about these rules, please contact either one of us offlist. If you have s*bscription problems or questions, the fastest way to get help is to e-mail one of us at the addresses below, at the kirby@xmission.com addy which is the "official" e-mail owner of the list. Jill Kirby (jtkirby@mcs.com) & sah (romana@mindspring.com) Listowners, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fiction List buffyfic@xmission.com - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (6/?) Date: 24 Feb 1998 14:15:25 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: Up through Phases, I think. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired. (You'll find out why soon enough) But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Jäzen has told Buffy about how his sister was killed. Here is how he deals with it. INNER DEMONS Part 6 JÄZEN'S STORY CONTINUED After she died, I had nothing. With my sister's exile, my father had lost the will to govern the town. As a result, the title I inherited was an empty one with no real power. It didn't matter much. The minor nobility was losing power anyway. The townspeople no longer had any respect for me as their lord because I had "concealed my sister's evil nature for so long." They never wasted an opportunity to gloat over what they had done, especially in front of me. And I couldn't punish those responsible because they had become town heroes. So I left. I went into the woods and killed every animal I could find. I guess I figured that if I couldn't take my anger out on my sister's killers, I would take it out on the creatures I hunted. I lived like that for about a month, I would say before the vampire who made me attacked me. She said she chose me because she though I would be a savage killer. And she was right. When I was changed, the demon took hold of my anger and amplified it. She didn't know why, of course. She had only been watching me for two nights. She never found out either. In my rage, I killed her three nights later. But with the new found power I had, I was finally able to take revenge on the town. I slaughtered the men my sister had named, their families, their friends. And then, I turned on the rest of the town. I killed every living thing there in the course of a week. I gorded myself, bathed in their blood and finally torched the whole place. I sat and watched the blaze from the roof of my house until the flames started to consume it as well. Only then did I leave. I left Prussia, leaving a trail of bloodless corpses and body parts in my wake. I would attack anyone who crossed my path. I must admit, the watcher diaries do not do my early years justice. I became the monster that other vampires could only hope to emulate. My favorite targets were angry mobs, especially ones in persuit of assumed witches and devil worshippers. I ripped them apart one by one. Sometimes, I would stalk people for weeks, play with their minds a bit before I finally killed them, but those were rare occasions and the victims were *very* special ones. For 225 years I slaughtered people all over Europe. I revelled in death and destruction. Until I retuned to Köln. It was one of those special cases I had mentioned. I had been tracking a well known master witch judge up the Rhineland for weeks. I had him completely out of his mind. He kept raving about the ghost of a wrongfully condemned witch that was haunting him. I had finally cornered him in an ally when she jumped me. She was beautiful, with an aristocratic aire that was out of place in that part of town. In my distraction the man I had been persuing managed to escape. That only angered me even more. We fought for about an hour or so, neither of us giving ground. But she was tiring, I knew it and she knew it. I finally managed to find an opening and was able to beat her into unconciousness. I was about to kill her when I noticed a flicker of silver around her neck. I went to look closer and found a silver chain attached to a large silver locket. I was taken aback by it. A memory stirred in me of a similar locket I had given Verena on her wedding day. As I looked at it more closely, I found that it was too similar to that one to be a coincidence. And, when I turned it over, I saw it. The inscription said... I guess the closest I can translate it into English would be, "To my Verena, my little prophet. With love and hope, Jäzen." I read those words over and over again. And as I did, all the anger I had felt over hear death, left me. More than that, I remembered the visions Verena had had about the town and about me. I finally decided that I couldn't kill this girl. I took her to where her watcher's shop was and pushed her inside the doorway where she'd be safe. * * * * * "And, as the diaries state, I disappeared," Jäzen concluded. He stopped to think a minute. "Actually that's not entirely true. I saught the slayer out about a week later. I wanted to know how she got the locket. "She told me that it had been handed down from mother to daughter for several generations. She was told to wear it for protection. When she asked why, I told her about the day I had given it to her great-great-great, etc., grandmother. I don't know what possessed her to believe me, but she did. On top of that, she gave me the locket and had me look inside. "When I did, I understood. The pictures that stared back at me, the ones she had been told were her protectors were the miniature portraits an artist friend of mine had drawn of my sister and I. I took the locket and swore on it to change my ways." They walked on in silence for a while, neither of them willing to break the silence. Finally, Buffy brushed a tear from her cheek and asked, "So what have you been doing for the last 125 years? Hiding?" "Actually, I traveled quite extensively," he answered. "I learned several other languages and kept myself informed of what was going on with other vampire and the slayers, as well. For a good part of those years, I managed to stay informed, even though I was seemingly no longer in touch with the world." They walked on, and he started laughing. "What's so funny," she asked. "The few years I was out of touch," he explained. "Imaging, a 300 year old man being stupid enough to get stuck in East Germany when they closed the country. Worse! I was stuck in Mecklenburg! The province that was legendary for being 100 years behind everyone else! Oh well, I managed to get out of that situation... eventually." Buffy smiled as they continued walking. Their route took them to the front of the high school. "Oh," when she realized where they were, "we should go in and talk to Giles. He'll want to hear about all this." "Lead on, My Lady," Jäzen said with a bow. * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Robert Rhoades Subject: BUFFYFIC: Request proofreaders, Date: 24 Feb 1998 18:18:58 -0500 (EST) Well, I've done it again. The school's computer lost my address book, I feel foolish about it. So, I have to please ask those who were signed up as a proofreader, and/or anyone new willing to help me w/ Sins of the Mother- Please reply to me (privatly). I just finished part seven and I need people willing to help me with grammar and stuff. I first must give this warning, I need only two people who are mature enough for R rated material, this chapter gets a bit grahpic, violence and language wise. -Robbie Rhoades (a.k.a. Vapthorne) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "mireille roman" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Passion spoilers!!! Read this! Date: 24 Feb 1998 18:14:19 -0500 > One advantage of living in Ottawa: our station shows the episodes on > Mondays. Lucky... In montreal you have to wait till Friday, but i'm watching it tonight in "fuzzy" mode. Does anyone know when Dawsons creek will air on Global? tell me please!MiRoM READ (not about vamps,its about Ebola!) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: krissy Subject: BUFFYFIC: Buffyfic1: The Fateful Night (1/?) Date: 24 Feb 1998 17:46:42 -0800 (PST) Disclaimer: All rights reserved by Warner Bros. and Joss Whedon. This includes Mutant Enemy (grr-arg), Kazui Enterprises and Sandollar Television. Content: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Spoilers: Hopefully none, if you read them and you aren't happy, then I am sorry. Maybe a little bit of Surprises and Innocence Rating: G, at least for this part Comments: Please give comments on this story… It's my first so please give me some comment… Constructive please… please no flames Oh yeah… my comments are placed in little brackets… They are meant to tantalise a little. I like to tantalise people. It's my idiosyncrasy, sorry if it irritates you. And if you really don't like it… sue me! i have also taken some liberties with the characters so please forgive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On a hill overlooking Sunnydale, its high school, and larger than usual cemetery sat a lone girl. In the sunset's glow, she looked like a fairy. Small, petite and features well-defined. In the golden light, she resembled a mythical goddess, guarding her land, territory and people from oncoming danger. The wind was gently blowing through her hair, causing it to ripple over and down her shoulders and back. Her eyes, deep pools of baby blue, were staring blankly at the world beneath her, deep in thought. Her face was noticeably saddened at her memories, her brow wrinkled gave much prove to that. On the other side of the hill, three couples were slowly making their way up the hill. Two of which were teenage and the last middle-aged. The latter was deep in discussion. "Buffy's up there, huh?" said Jenny Calendar. "Well, uh, I think so. S-she , uh, told me that she would, uh, be here. She wanted, uh, time to think things over." "Rupert, don't you ever stop stuttering?" "Well, uh, u see, uh…" Giles stammered and stuttered on. The more outstanding of the remaining two were deep in argument. "You still love her, don't you?" The strikingly beautiful girl pointed out as she set her hands on her hips. "I never said -," Xander protested weakly. "But you still do, don't you?" Cordelia injected venomously. "No! I like you, Cordy. With Buffy, it's different -" "Like? Only like? Like compared to Love?" That statement spoke for itself. "I didn't say that. I-I…" "You can't say it, can you, Alexander Harris?" "Cordy, wait! We need time! I don't know what I'm feeling now." "Well, isn't this Mr. Hesitation? I thought "I don't know what I'm feeling now" was supposed to be said by a girl as in ME!" Looking at them, you would think that they were enemies or rivals and that they were accidentally hit by Cupid's arrow in the basement of the day they realised their love and need for one another. They were a complete mismatch. One was as popular as she could get, through vigorous campaigning and sucking up, the other a complete outcast from her society and the rules that she lived by. Yes, Cupid must have gotten up from the wrong side of the bed that day. The final couple, who merely faded into the background, seemed to be at peace with the world. They were happy beings, glad to live, content to have survived and fortunate to have friends. The couple was just holding hands and walking lightly to the tune the guy was humming. It was a new song he was composing, something simple, something different. The tune was elusive, as elusive as the girl beside him had proved to be. As he got to know her better, he managed to create and compose more of the tune and words. It was almost as if the song personified the girl. The girl's personality blared loudly in her shy, demure clothing. (a lil contradictory here but it's for effect (otherwise known as an oxy-moron, I think. Read Comments for details on brackets please! I'll go back to the story now, sorry for the interruption.) The girl's personality blared loudly in her shy, demure clothing. She was reserved, yet open-minded. Quiet yet daring. She was passive yet active. She was contradiction. (a new fragrance for women by Calvin Klein. Disclaimer: don't sue me - no money) The couple contrasted greatly with the second one. They were a match made in heaven. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy heard a rustle behind her and her lightning reflexes pulled out a long stake from her left boot. She spun round and saw Giles, Ms Calendar, Cordelia, Xander, Willow and Oz climbing up the hill. (I do not know much about Oz for the fact that I live in Singapore and have yet to watch the second season. Oz may be a complete fictional character in this story but I will try to mould his character in.) She shook herself mentally and muttered, "Cranky today, aren't we?" Buffy was scared, she had never been so afraid in her whole life before. The day of reckoning was coming soon. It would be soon, she could feel it. It was there. Her spider sense was tingling. Nobody knew that it would be happening but she knew. (What did she know?) She didn't tell anyone, not even Giles. She didn't want her friends to get hurt. It was her job, her responsibility, her life, not theirs. "Hey, Buffy!" Xander chortled and then kept quiet after receiving a glare from Cordelia. "Hi. What are all of you doing up here? Oz? Ms Calendar? Am I missing out on anything here?" "Nah. We just came up here to see what you were doing. That's all," said Willow, holding Oz's hand. "Oh! And me and Oz are a thing now. Nothing's changed." "When did everyone start bonding? Why am I the only one left out? I'm the Slayer, you know?" "Well, Buffy, you have -" Willow shut her mouth quickly, noticing her boo-boo and before Xander and Giles came over to pummel her. Buffy, knew what Will meant and winced emotionally. The pain was too new, the betrayal too deep. It was not her fault, nor was it his fault, but now she had to remedy it in the best possible way she could, the only way she knew how to, even if she had to die to achieve it. She didn't want to live without him either, not when he was evil or dead, for that matter. Either way was bad, at least the world had Kendra. Kendra was a good slayer, she knew the routine and did not involve her personal feelings. But in some way, Buffy pitied Kendra for she had a depraved childhood. Unlike Buffy, Kendra never went out on dates or just had a family to rely on. All she had was a Watcher who taught her all that she needed to know to slay vampires, fight demons and use her slayer powers. "Earth to Buffy. Earth to Buffy. Come in, Buffy," Xander chortled. "Wha? Oh sorry, was thinking of something. Nothing personal though, just the amount of homework, I have to do. Willow?" Willow seemed a little distressed. "Sorry Buffy, I have something on." Buffy looked at Oz and grasped the situation. Anyway, she wasn't planning on doing work at all. She was going hunting today. Today was a special day, it commemorated a certain anniversary and her soon to be death. (Kevin Williamson killed Buffy twice. Why can't I?) "Buffy? I have a few prophecies which are a little vague but they centre around some mystical build-up." "Giles? Not tonight...please. Let me go home and prepare for the finals, or I'll flunk and I'll get grounded. Not very good for a slayer, don't ya think?" Giles paled and reassessed the situation. Anything was preferable to the slayer being put out of action for a few months until her grades went back up. "Er, splendid idea, Buffy. Jenny Calendar and I will just be going now." Xander and Cordelia were now deeply mesmerised by each other's gaze that they were oblivious to Giles' remark. "Xander! Perhaps you would like to spend a night in the library helping me research on the Solvay prophecy." (Sorry for the corny prophecy. Just happened to look into my chemistry text and saw the Kellner-Solvay Process). "Yo, G-man! Surely, you aren't going to give me homework? Are you G-man?" "Do relieve me the presence of that horrid name." Xander, grasping the opportunity, "I was just going. Cordelia? Bye Buffy, Willow, Oz, G_MAN, Miss Calendar." The group chorused, "Bye." "Buffy?" a small voice uttered, "Sorry about the homework. What about Monday?" "No problem, Willow. You two just go on to the Bronze. I hop over there later, if I have the chance." (God, I love ambiguity but my English teacher doesn't, so heck.) Again, the goddess was left in isolation, to guard the world from disaster and to finalise her plan. Slowly, Buffy made her way down the hill to her house. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy was looking through her wardrobe for something to wear. It had to be comfortable yet chic. Her CD player was playing Air Supply, a little old for her usual taste but it seemed to fit her mood today, depressed. "I'm all out of love, what am I without you. I knew you were right, believing for so long." Buffy felt so desolate, for the first time, she felt lost and utterly powerless. Her predicament was terrible. She had loved an angel and that angel became a monster. Forlornly, she continued to listen to the song and the words seemed to pierce her heart. She tried desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over her eyes. Her childhood teddy sat quietly on the dresser and Buffy picked it up and clutched it to her heart, hoping that it would be able to console her as much as it did in her childhood. She closed her eyes, scenes flashing past her. That smirk that only he was able to put on, the concern flashing in those fathomless brown eyes. The angst he went through, taking pains to curb his natural urge to feed off her, and the desperation when he couldn't hide it. She moaned the loss of her love, on the fateful night, when they had joined together and spent a night in each other's arms. Everything changed after that. Life was never the same anymore. Her angel had died. Only the demon was left, the servant of Satan. Angelus was not Angel, and Angel was not Angelus. Angel was kind and sweet, Angelus was ruthless and mean and bloodthirsty. Looking miserably at the tattered teddy bear, a glistening tear fell from one eye. The formidable Slayer, enslaved only by her heart and love, was humbled in quiet isolation. One tear led to another and Buffy fell on to her bed, her chest wrenching with heart-felt sobs. She grieved her heart out for her lost love, her fallen angel. The deploring sound of her weeps echoed throughout the entire house and the atmosphere was tense and the Chosen One cried herself slowly to sleep, unaware of her mother's return. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Buffy?" Mrs. Summers called out softly, just in case her daughter was sleeping and she didn't want to disturb her. She opened Buffy's door quietly and peeped in. Seeing that her daughter was asleep, she tiptoed in quietly. "Buffy? Baby, what happened?" Mrs. Summers remarked, noticing Buffy clutching at her teddy bear and curled up into a tiny ball. She brushed Buffy's blond hair from her face and saw the tear-streaks. "Oh baby, what did you do? If only you would tell me, I would understand." Knowing that Buffy would never tell her what was bothering her, Mrs. Summers left the room feeling miserable and helpless. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cavern was in an uproar. Everyone was celebrating. The sun had finally set and the day or night of reckoning had come. Angelus perched himself on the Master's throne and announced, " Today, the Slayer shall die. She will come to me, she will perish and we will reign supreme." The audience of vampires cheered loudly, showing their approval of their new Master, the legendary Angelus. Angelus sauntered over to a cage, and stooped down. (I'm sorry to do this but it adds to the dramatic effect) "Well, well, well, what have we here? Isn't this cage familiar? Ooh, look at the remnant ash. Doesn't it remind of you of something, SPIKE?! If I recall correctly, you had Colin desecrated in here. Would you like to know how it feels to be killed in cold blood? Oops, wrong phrase, or is it?" Angel laughs evilly. "Would you like to know what it is like to experience fear of immortal death? Or are we in immortal death already? Would you like to burn?" Angel laughed a demented laugh and left Spike cramped in the little cage. "Hello, Druscilla. How are you today?" A pair of innocently evil eyes peered up at him. "Angel?" "No longer Angel, my dear. I believe the name is Angelus." "Angelus, let me out. Why should I, dearie? It was you who caused me a hundred years of pain and suffering, just being of your family, and relatives who decided to curse me with my soul. Don't you think this small gift is little compensation for that prize of a lifetime you gave me? After I rewarded you with immortal life!" Angel snarled menacingly, his face "game". "I made you crazy, yes, but at least you suffer less than you would sane. Think of it the other way, sweet Dru." Spike yelled at Angel, "Don't hurt her! Take your revenge on me but not on her!" "How touching!" Angel remarked sarcastically. "Vampires in love with one another, never thought that would ever happen. Or is it a one-sided affair? Does Dru love you, Spike? Does she? Dru?" "Yes, Angelus?" Dru replied meekly. "Do you love Spike or me?" Dru looked momentarily stunned. "Why, Angelus, I love you. I always have." Angelus, the victor replied scathingly to Dru, "Flattery nor compliment never gets you anywhere, my little bird. Spike! You see?" Spike, his face a visage of torment, looked away in defeat. "Witness this Spike. Today, the Slayer will die at my hands and you will be ash in the morning. I will grant you the "pleasure" of watching the Slayer die at my hands." "Let the night's gaiety begin!" Comments, Criticism? _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (7/?) Date: 25 Feb 1998 08:34:45 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: Up through Phases, I think. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired and my idea for a good vampire went down the tubes. But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Jäzen has finished with his story and they are off to talk to the rest of the gang. INNER DEMONS Part 7 "Facinating," Giles said after hearing Jäzen retell his story. They had all gathered in the library, around the main table to listen to what the vampire had to say. Now, they just sat entranced by his tale, except for Willow who was dividing her attention between the group and her computer research. "How are you able to control yourself?" Giles asked. "It is true that, unlike Angelus, I wasn't cursed," Jäzen explained. "But, like I said, the demon took hold of my anger and amplified it. It fed off it. When that anger left me, it no longer had the control it used to have over me. That is not to say that it doesn't try to regain what it lost. I still have to fight it, as my sister told me to. There are times, such as the other night, when I lose control of myself. But most of the time I'm okay, as long as I... um... eat well." "Which explains all the animal corpses found lately," Giles confirmed. "Yes," Jäzen admitted, "I refuse to feed off humans, for the most part. There were times, durring the last two wars, when I fed off those who were too sick or injured to live, but I did that out of a wish to end a person's suffering." "Well, I guess that's..." Giles started. "Um... guys," Willow interupted, slowly, "another body was found... A human body." "Where?" Buffy asked as she jumped out of her seat and went to stare at the computer screen. "Outside the Bronze," Willow continued. Junior at Sunnydale High. Puncture wounds at the neck. You know the rest..." "I know the rest," Buffy whispered as she stared at the article. "Uhh..." Willow continued, "there's more..." She clicked on a button for pictures of the murder scene. They all stared at the picture that came up on the screen. All but Buffy. She simply stared at the blood-written message on what was left of the boy's chest: "Guess who!" "He's struck again," she breathed. Jäzen moved in for a closer look and grimmaced. "That's sick, even for him," he spat. Buffy just backed away slowly. Not looking at anyone, just staring blankly into space. "I think," Giles finally said, after seeing the look on her face, "we should all go home for the night. There's nothing more we can do here." "You three go on," Jäzen said. "I'll make sure she gets home." "You're sure?" Xander asked. "On my sister's grave, I swear it," he said as he put a gentle arm aroung the slayer and steered her out of the library. * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (8/?) Date: 25 Feb 1998 08:38:58 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: I've changed this. This story takes place after BBB. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired and my idea for a good vampire went down the tubes. But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Angelus has left another little token of his affection for Buffy. INNER DEMONS Part 8 "This is all my fault," Buffy said as they walked home. "It is not your fault," Jäzen replied. "It is," she sobbed, "I broke the curse, it's my fault." "You had no way of knowing what would happen," Jäzen reminded her. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place," she retorted. "I should have killed him when I had the chance." "And what would that have solved?" the vampire asked. "Nothing, everything..." she stopped. "I don't know. I don't know any more. God! I am so sick of this game!" "Okay, stop," Jäzen ordered. He turned her to face him. "This is getting you nowhere." "What am I supposed to do?" Buffy finally asked as she looked up at him. "First of all, close your eyes," he said. She did. "Now, I want you to let your mind wander over anything and everything that comes to it." "Okay." "Okay. Now, let your mind go completely blank. Clear it of all thought." Buffy's face stiffened with the effort. "I can't." "Yes you can," Jäzen coaxed. "Just listen to my voice. Yes, and let all thought leave your mind." It took a while, but Buffy finally nodded. "Okay, now, this is very important," Jäzen said. "I want you to form, in your mind, a single image. Something very important to you, that can anchor you." He waited a minute or two. "Do you see it?" "Yes," Buffy whispered. "Good. Now, open your eyes." Buffy did so, and found that had her hands pulled to her chest. She looked down and saw the fingers of one hand wound tightly around the third finger on her other hand. She sobbed when she realized what she was holding on to. Jäzen finally took her hands and looked at the finger. "This ring," he said, indicating the ring on her third finger, "it's Irish yes?" Buffy only nodded. "Angel," she sobbed, "he gave it to me the night he almost left for Tibet. It was the night the curse was broken." "I see," he said. "I have read about these rings. Very important. Tell me, did he tell you what it meant?" "Yes," and Buffy proceeded to repeat what Angel had told her about the ring. "He said, that if you wear it with the heart pointing to you, it meant that you... belonged to someone." "Yes," Jäzen confirmed. "But you have it on the other way. Did he tell you what that meant?" Buffy just shook her head. "Okay, let me explain something to you," Jäzen said, softly. "When I told you to form an image in your mind, you instantly reached for this ring. This is an image that anchors you, it is what helps you through the difficult times." "It's just a sad memory," Buffy sighed. "No," he countered. "It is far more than that." he reached in the collar of his shirt and pulled out a silver locket. "This locket, like that ring, has a power to it. They have the power of memory. Not just any memory. Very powerful ones. The kind that help us fight on, even when it seems we are losing the battle." "It does," Buffy asked. "It was the image you called into your mind," Jäzen agreed. "Buffy, we all have our inner demons. Some, like mine are more obvious than others, but they are there. And when they seem to overwhelm us, we all need something to hold onto. Some grab onto the memories of people they loved more than life itself. And when that memory is concentrated in something tangible, its power can light up even the darkest corners of our souls. Do you understand?" "I think so," Buffy nodded. "Good," Jäzen smiled. As he did, the vampire removed the ring from Buffy's hand, turned it around and replaced it on her finger. "Then wear this ring the way Angel would want you to. And when things get there darkest, especially where Angelus is concerned, remember why he gave it to you. And that somewhere, deep inside that monster, the Angel who loves you is still there." Buffy stood there for a while before she realized that she was crying. She finally wiped the tears away and smiled. "Good," Jäzen said, getting her moving again, "now let's get you home." * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (7/?) Date: 25 Feb 1998 10:00:25 PST I'm not sure if anyone has gotten this or not. If this is a double post, just ignore it. Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: I've changed this. This story takes place after BBB. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired and my idea for a good vampire went down the tubes. But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Jäzen has finished his story and he and Buffy are off to join the rest of the gang. INNER DEMONS Part 7 "Facinating," Giles said after hearing Jäzen retell his story. They had all gathered in the library, around the main table to listen to what the vampire had to say. Now, they just sat entranced by his tale, except for Willow who was dividing her attention between the group and her computer research. "How are you able to control yourself?" Giles asked. "It is true that, unlike Angelus, I wasn't cursed," Jäzen explained. "But, like I said, the demon took hold of my anger and amplified it. It fed off it. When that anger left me, it no longer had the control it used to have over me. That is not to say that it doesn't try to regain what it lost. I still have to fight it, as my sister told me to. There are times, such as the other night, when I lose control of myself. But most of the time I'm okay, as long as I... um... eat well." "Which explains all the animal corpses found lately," Giles confirmed. "Yes," Jäzen admitted, "I refuse to feed off humans, for the most part. There were times, durring the last two wars, when I fed off those who were too sick or injured to live, but I did that out of a wish to end a person's suffering." "Well, I guess that's..." Giles started. "Um... guys," Willow interupted, slowly, "another body was found... A human body." "Where?" Buffy asked as she jumped out of her seat and went to stare at the computer screen. "Outside the Bronze," Willow continued. Junior at Sunnydale High. Puncture wounds at the neck. You know the rest..." "I know the rest," Buffy whispered as she stared at the article. "Uhh..." Willow continued, "there's more..." She clicked on a button for pictures of the murder scene. They all stared at the picture that came up on the screen. All but Buffy. She simply stared at the blood-written message on what was left of the boy's chest: "Guess who!" "He's struck again," she breathed. Jäzen moved in for a closer look and grimmaced. "That's sick, even for him," he spat. Buffy just backed away slowly. Not looking at anyone, just staring blankly into space. "I think," Giles finally said, after seeing the look on her face, "we should all go home for the night. There's nothing more we can do here." "You three go on," Jäzen said. "I'll make sure she gets home." "You're sure?" Xander asked. "On my sister's grave, I swear it," he said as he put a gentle arm aroung the slayer and steered her out of the library. * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Black Fire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Inner Demons (9/?) Date: 25 Feb 1998 10:34:40 PST Title:Inner Demons Author: Black Fire Email address: Blackfire42@hotmail.com FEEDBACK: If you wish Rating: PG Spoilers: I've changed this. This story takes place after BBB. Disclaimers: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and all characters therein belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and The WB. Jäzen (pronounced Jay-sten or Jay-zen) is my own creation. Author's note: This idea came to me long when Buffy first began. Needless to say, I was very angry at Joss when the Angel episode aired and my idea for a good vampire went down the tubes. But I got over that and since then the idea has... evolved. Also. I have not finished this yet. Summary so far: Jäzen gave Buffy some very good advice. INNER DEMONS Part 9 Angelus paced back and forth in his appartment. It was high noon outside, but he didn't care. He had to figure out who that guy was. He once again went over what he knew in his mind. This guy was a vampire. That was obvious. But Angelus hadn't seen his face. What else was there? There was his voice, a strange, yet familiar tone to it. And the accent was German. That the other vampire knew he was watching them, suggested that he was older. And then there was the guy's build, it was about the same as his, only shorter. But it was the voice again that bugged him. He knew that voice. He had conversed with that voice once or twice. Giving up for the day, Angelus decided to go to bed. He was just getting comfortable when the answer came to him. He bolted out of bed and started pacing again. "It had to be!" he thought as one word formed in his mind. "Jäzen," he whispered. * * * * * It was just after sundown when the doorbell rang. Since Buffy was up in her room, Joyce was left to answer the door. Behind it, she found a man she judged to be about 25 or 27, dressed in black. "Hello," Joyce said slowly, "may I help you?" "Ach ja," the man said with a bow and a thick German accent, "Guten Abend. You must be Buffy's mother. She said you vould be home today." "Yes," Joyce was now puzzled. "And you are?" "Oh! Entschuldigen Sie mir," he said, apologetically, "I am Jäzen, a friend of Herr Giles. Buffy has been showing me around your beautiful town this weekend." * * * * * Buffy had just finished getting ready when the doorbell rang. She stood had just reached the top of the stairs when she recognized the voice at the door. She smiled to herself as she listened to the tail Jäzen told her mother. But she knew what was about to happen. * * * * * "Oh," Joyce said. "Well then would you like to..." "Ah mom! Jäzen hi!" Buffy interupted as quickly made her way downstairs. "So, good. You two have met. Jäzen? You ready to go?" "Ja, let's go," he replied. "But don't you want to..." Joyce started to ask. "Actually, we're kind of late, mom," Buffy said, looking at her watch. "There's some places I wanna hit before I take him to the Bronze." "Oh," Joyce said in a confused tone. "Well, have fun then." "Tschuss, Frau Summers," Jäzen said as Buffy directed him out of the doorway and down the walk. Joyce was left standing at the door, utterly confused shaking her head. "I just don't understand that girl sometimes." * * * * * The Black Fire Blackfire42@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 2/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 15:28:32 PST Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 2/6 Author: Sapphire Category: Story, Adventure, Crossover Keywords: XF/BtVS Crossover Disclaimer and notes in part 1 Summary: Mulder and Scully investigate some strange deaths in Sunnydale, California. Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 2/6 by Sapphire Buffy Summers walked into the library of Sunnydale High School without much enthusiasm. She wasn't a happy-go-lucky teenager today. Come to think of it, she wasn't a happy-go-lucky teenager *any* day. She was the Vampire Slayer, and with it, came great responsibility and burden. Today, her burden was greater than ever. She called out to the man she came to see. "Giles? You in here?" An older man popped his head from around the corner of a nearby doorway. "Why, Buffy, you're awfully punctual this morning." Giles noted, looking at his watch. "I wasn't quite expecting you this early." "Is that your cute little way of saying that I'm actually on-time today, Giles?" Buffy replied with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "Well, ye..yes, I guess it is." Giles looked at her, concern creasing his forehead. "Buffy, what is it? What's happened?" "You mean besides the fact that my boyfriend is a now an evil demon and that I live over a Hell Mouth?" Buffy quipped. Giles gave her a stern, yet anxious look. "I went vamp hunting last night, as usual," she said as Giles nodded his approval. "I..I found Sarah, Giles. She isn't missing anymore." "She's not? Why didn't I hear that she had been found?" Giles asked. "Because, Giles, she *won't* be. Found, I mean. Not now. Not ever." Buffy stared at the floor. "Why ever not, Buffy? Did you talk to her?" "I talked to her, all right. Or I should say *she* talked to *me* long enough to tell me that Angel sends his love'. Again." Buffy looked up at him, unshed tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, oh my. Buffy, I'm so sorry. Did you...uh...well..you know..." Giles asked uncomfortably, realizing what fate had befallen the girl and not wanting to upset Buffy. "Yes, Giles, I did it. One stake, well-carved. Yet another of my friends turned to vamp dust." Buffy answered quietly. "Buffy, I can only imagine how hard all of this is on you. But, you have to be prepared for the fact that Angelus is a ruthless, cunning, and evil vampire. When he picks a target, he never gives up. He *wants* to destroy you, and he will do whatever he can to accomplish that. I wish that we could warn everyone you know, but since that's quite impossible, we are going to have to step up our efforts. More training, more patrols, that sort of thing. The only way we can thwart his plan is to be one step ahead of him, I'm afraid." Giles looked up as someone came through the door. "Hi guys!" Willow said to them as she and Xander came into the room. "Hello, Willow, Xander. Buffy was just telling me about her...hunting last night." Giles greeted them. "We know, Giles." Xander told him. "You're the last stop on the Slayer News tour, my good librarian." "It would seem so.." Giles mumbled, sounding a bit put out. "How're you feeling, Buffy?" Willow asked, concerned for her friend. Buffy took a deep breath, letting go of her melancholy. "I'm as good as a slayer can be whose boyfriend has turned into public enemy number one, I guess." "We were just discussing that we all need to be on our guard while Angelus is on the loose." Giles filled them in. "You both will need to be very careful. Angelus has proven time after time that he will strike out at those closest to Buffy in order to get to her." "Way to make a bad mood even worse, Giles. Want to feel lower than low? Just see Giles, the doom and gloom guy.", Xander said as he sat down next to Buffy. "Yeah.", Willow said weakly as she flopped in a nearby chair. "I'm sorry, kids, but that's the harsh reality of our situation right now. I don't think you realize just how precarious our position is. Do you realize that once he was invited into any of your homes, he could enter at will? Has that possibility occurred to any of you?" Giles asked them. Willow swallowed uneasily, "You mean, he can just.. come in any time? I..I let him in my room once." "I'm going on the assumption that he can, until I find out differently.", Giles told her. "Well, I guess we know what this means guys...sleep over at my place!", Xander exclaimed. "Nighties optional, of course." "Oh, of course." Buffy said sarcastically, "maybe in Xander's land of hormonal fantasies." "I'm doing some more research on the matter," Giles told them, "but until then, I want you all to be very careful. Keep your doors and windows locked, and hang crosses above them. You can even sprinkle holy water on all of your thresholds. I think that's all that = we can do right now." "Gee, " Willow sighed heavily. "Xander's idea doesn't sound so bad after all." ________________________________________ Scully sat on the airplane, reading over the case report from the Unholy Trinity case. Scully was still a little shaken over what Mulder had told her about this case he had investigated while she had been gone. He had told her everything about his relationship with Kristen Kilar, and the case itself. The evidence in this case was disturbing. Someone suffering from porphyria would not have had fourth degree burns from a few minutes' exposure to sunlight. She had to admit that the facts and what Mulder himself had witnessed made a strong case for the existence of vampires, but she knew that such a disea= se was possible, and she left open the possibility that an extreme case of = it could, in fact, have existed. She knew that Mulder had been distraught = over her own disappearance and had blamed himself, so it really didn't = surprise her that something like this happened. Mulder had a knack of falling for the wrong women, it seemed. She knew that it was hard for him to tell her those things, and she admired him for doing so. Especiall= y after the way he had acted when she had gotten involved with Ed. She guessed her actions had hit closer to home than she had realized. She could tell he was jealous, of what, she really didn't want to contemplate= . Their relationship was too complex to further contemplate his motivations, or hers, for that matter. She had to admit to feeling a twin= ge of jealousy at hearing about his acquaintance with Kristen, but she understood what had he had been going through at the time. She had no right to feel that jealousy, but she always seemed to feel it anyway = whenever women reacted to Mulder's good lucks and sense of humor. It was extremely unnerving. The plane jilted, leaving Scully gripping the arm of her chair. Mulder noticed her distress. "You okay, Scully?" "Yes, I'm fine," Scully assured him. "This trip just seems to be rougher than usual." "You expect the trip to hell to be smooth?" Mulder teased. "I wish that you would stop saying that, Mulder." Scully sighed. Mulder reached over squeezed her hand with a serious look on his face. Scully was very aware of the contact, but shrugged it off. "The way I look at it, Scully," Mulder replied, "is that we seem to have a knack for getting out of 'hellish' situations." "Oh, that was bad," Scully laughed, pushing aside her previous thoughts. = "Even for you, Mulder." "Maybe, but it made *you* smile didn't it? And look...we are on the ground." Mulder pointed out the window. "So we are, Mulder, so we are. Let's go see what's in this 'hellmouth' of yours." ______________________________________________ Scully dropped her luggage on the bed, looking around the room. It was very similar to every other hotel room that Mulder had ever found for them. Bed, chair, table, door to Mulder's adjourning room. This one had a bonus, Scully noticed. She could see a faint blood stain under one of table chairs. A *big* blood stain. Somebody had lost a lot of blood to cause a stain like that. Scully chuckled at the irony. Vampires? She walked over and unlocked the d ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 1/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 15:27:44 PST Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully Author: Sapphire Story, Adventure, XF/BtVS Crossover Rating: PG Keywords: hints of MSR, but NoRomo friendly Archive anywhere as long as my name and addy stays with it. Author's notes: This story is a XF/Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossover. It is not necessary to have deep knowledge of Buffy, but a little would help. I have been told that it is enjoyable even without any Buffy knowledge. This story was written in its entirety *before* Bad Blood aired. This story has nothing to do with vampires in that show, it is based on vampires in the Buffyverse. It was also written before the BtVS ep "Passion", so Jenny is still alive. The spell comes from my imagination, and has no relation to real magic. Special thanks to The Mistress and the members of X-Over for being great beta readers. Thanks, guys!! Disclaimer: The X-Files and its characters belong to 1013 Productions and Fox. They just aren't mine, ok? BtVS belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Productions, and they aren't mine either. I have nothing to get if you sue, so just deal with it. Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully by Sapphire sapphire@chaos.taylored.com The smell of fresh blood was in the air. The night was pitch black, no moon nor stars shining in the night sky. He had a hunger, one that he could not, nor wanted to control. The demon inside him was clamoring for a kill, and he intended to oblige it. It had been deprived for 80 long years, and it had a lot of time to make up for. He sniffed the air again, like a predator, knowing that his prey was close. He could see her from where he stood in the shadows, and smiled as her face came into view. He was in luck tonight. He could feed and torture *her* at the same time. He recognized this one. She knew *her*. Sarah, was it? Ooh, yes, she would pay. She would pay for every second of humanity that he had to endure since he met her. Yes, one by one, he would take them all. He would start on the outside and work his way in, hitting her closer and closer until there was no one left. He would not stop until she had nothing left. She would welcome death by then, he imagined. But he would not give it to her, even then. No, he would only give her her worst nightmare... This one would be delicious indeed. One step closer to the prize... <>, he mused as he stepped out from his hiding place. "Sarah? Hi, you remember me, don't you? I'm Angel... you're one of Buffy's friends, aren't you..." ____________________________________________ Mulder closed the folder that he had been reading for the last hour, rubbing his eyes. He had been seeing these reports coming through the field office in San Diego, and he had been watching them closely. In the last year and a half the body count had risen drastically. The MO was the same. Exsanguination, two puncture marks in the neck. They were classic cases of vampirism, and they brought to mind the one case that he would give anything to forget. Could it be? Could Kristen be alive? Could the Unholy Trinity she was involved with be active again? It was also possible that it could be another vampirism cult at work. Whoever it was, it was definitely an X-File. Someone was killing a lot of people, and everything centered around one small California town: Sunnydale. ________________________________________________ "*Vampires*, Mulder?" Mulder looked at Scully, watching her bemused expression. He loved this. Her look of amusement-bordering-on-scolding. The way her eyebrow arched up and her head tilted down as she looked at him. He could tell that she was on the verge of laughing as well. It meant he was doing his favorite job: keeping her on her toes. "I don't recall saying the word 'vampire', Scully. *You* said that. Is that on the record Dr. Scully?" Mulder teased. "Oh, come on, Mulder. Victims drained of their blood, the wounds being two punctures to the neck. There isn't any other possible explanation that Spooky Mulder could come up with." She said with a smile. "I can read you like a book. Remember the china patterns, Mulder?" He laughed at her reference. That was about his third hint at a marriage = proposal. All in jest, of course. He had missed their banter during her illness. His Scully finally seemed to be back. "There have been over 100 deaths and disappearances in the last 18 months in the same area of California, and this small town seems to be the epicenter of it all." Mulder pointed to the small dot on the map marked 'Sunnydale'. "I must admit, there does seem to be something going on in the area. It could be a serial killer, wild animals, or, and I am loathe to throw you this bone, a cult of people with delusions of vampirism. There is even a disease called 'porphyria' where the sufferer gets blistered in sunlight, and it has been documented that the condition eases with the ingestion of blood. Many in the medical field believe that it is was ignorance of the disease that started the = vampire myth. There has never been a case of sunlight killing such a person, unlike what the vampire legends suggest, however. Nor does it explain the aversion to holy relics that is often found in legend." She said, flipping through the report that he handed her. Mulder knew of one such case where the person *did* die from sunlight exposure, but he didn't want to enlighten Scully just yet. "As for the adversion to holy relics, crosses, and holy water, that particular part of vampire mythology is easier to explain. Vampires were considered unholy. They went against nature. In medieval times it was believed that evil people or people who committed suicide came back as vampires because their sins would not allow them to rest in consecrated ground. They rose because they couldn't rest in peace. Therefore, holy symbols were painful to them, and could kill them with prolonged contact. The killings and disappearances have all occurred at night, which falls into the 'vampire' stalking hours. In fact= , I should really think about moving to this place, Scully. You should *see= * the file on this place. This place is a virtual cornucopia of strange phenomena. Vampires, werewolves, demons, earthquakes, cults, monsters, witchcraft, you name it, this place seems to have a history in it. I found one reference book that claimed that this area was an area of mystical convergence." Mulder explained. "Mystical convergence?" Scully asked, looking very skeptical. "You're gonna love this, Scully," Mulder replied, "the area has been called 'Boca del Infierno', which is Spanish for "Mouth of Hell'. Brings forth some lovely imagery, does it not?" "So, are you trying to tell me that you think that these 'vampires' are the "real thing", Mulder?" Scully gave him the look again. "You know me, Scully, I never rule out the fantastic until I have I have scientific fact proving otherwise." Mulder laughed. "Our plane leaves tomorrow morning. I...I do have something else about this case that I need to discuss with you as well. But, it can wait until the plane trip." "Good night, Mulder. I'll see you in the morning, then." Scully gathered her things, and turned to leave their basement office. "Oh, and Scully?" Mulder stopped her. "Pack some cool clothes. We *are* traveling to the Mouth of Hell." Mulder grinned at her. She just smiled and closed the door. End of part 1 FEEDBACK!!!! Pretty please? I am not above begging..... ::grin:: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com - oor that led into Mulder's room just as she heard a knock on the other side of it. She opened the door to him. "Hey, Scully, all settled?" he asked. Scully crossed her arms over her chest and gave Mulder a stern look. "Mulder, there is a *blood* stain on the carpet in this room." "No *fair*, Scully, you got the *good* room. I guess I don't know how to pick 'em." "You can say that again." Scully stepped back to let him in. "So, Mulder, what's your plan here in Sunnydale?" "I thought we could go to the cemetery tonight since that is where vampires normally lurk." Mulder grinned at her. "You aren't kidding, are you, Mulder?" Scully asked with disbelief. "Actually, a lot of the killings and disappearances occur in the general vicinity." Scully threw him a look. "No, seriously! I spoke with the local police, and we're going to the station tomorrow to review some of the recent cases. The police chief told me that they have attributed most of the incidents as PCP gang-related. There have been no reports of people matching the Unholy Trinity description. It's very possible that they all died in that fire and this is another group at work." "PCP gangs? Are they serious, Mulder?" Scully asked him with a bemused expression. "It seems like it. They don't seem like they really *want* to know what is going on here. They just threw a label on the incidents to explain them to the public, and moved on. We're in for a rough day tomorrow." "If we are going to be out late tonight and have a long day tomorrow, *this* van Helsing wanna-be needs to take a nap." Scully motioned him towards the door. "What, I can't sleep over??" Mulder grinned at her. Scully just gave him the look again. Mulder laughed and turned to go out the door. "You are just no fun at all, Agent Scully." ___________________________________________________ End of part 2 Feedback...please? sapphire@chaos.taylored.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ken_Houldsworth@pgatourhq.com Subject: BUFFYFIC: Re: Buffyfic-digest V2 #41 Date: 25 Feb 1998 15:40:42 -0500 Is there a discussion group out there about the actuall episodes? And spoilers and all? Just wondering! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: LMcint6188@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 2/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 15:56:43 EST I am a major Buffy Fan (1.5 years) and XFiles Fan (since the begining) And this is true to both of them! you really have your characters down pat! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 3/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 16:19:27 PST Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 3/6 Author: Sapphire Category: XF/BtVS Crossover Disclaimer and notes in part 1 Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 3/6 by Sapphire sapphire@chaos.taylored.com "Heya, Buff! What's up for tonight?" Xander ran to catch up with Buffy and Willow as they left school. "Hey, Xander. Just homework, and then the normal vamp hunting. Call me social girl." Buffy told him. "Oooh. Sounds like *loads* of nifty fun." he quipped. Willow threw him a side glance. "Xander, they have 12 step programs for that sarcasm problem of yours, you know." "Nope, sorry, Will, I tried 'em all. This is one habit this addict ain't gonna break." "Geez, guys, put away the gloves, would you?" Buffy interrupted. "With Angel on the opposing team, I hafta work harder now. I want you guys to study at Xander's house or something. Some place that he can't go in, okay?" "Buff, I thought I could come with you. I can use a stake, you know." Willow said. "And I'm not taking no for an answer." She threw in a firm head nod at the end of that statement. Buffy looked at Willow a moment, about to protest, but there was something in her demeanor that told her Willow would come with or without her blessing. "Willow, you amaze me. Everyday you seem to be blossoming like a flower...shut up Xander." Xander just stood there with his mouth still forming the first word of his retort to that comment. _______________________________________________ Giles heard a knock on the door, calling his attention away from his reading. He looked out the peephole before he opened the door, and saw a familiar face looking back at him, although he wasn't sure it was one that he wanted to see. He unlocked the door. Jenny Calendar walked through the door without saying a word, waiting for Giles to close it behind her. "Hello, Jenny. Might I ask why you're here?" Giles asked her. "Giles, I..I know that you may not trust me after what I kept from you, but you have to understand..." "Understand? What exactly is there to understand, Jenny? That you lied to all of us, under the guise of friendship, and..and *more* just so that you could use us to keep a watch on Angel and Buffy? That you betrayed our confidence and kept vital information from us that could potentially have prevented this whole disaster? That..that *what* you kept from us caused Buffy an enormous amount of pain and suffering that could have been averted? Is that what I am supposed to understand, Jenny?" "Giles, you don't understand the pressure that *I* was under. Among my people, we honor our elders, and we do as we are asked. It was my duty to watch Angel and keep my identity a secret. Gypsies are of a different ilk, they live by a different set of ideals and priorities. I was raised to be a watcher myself, of sorts. I was trained to watch Angelus, the most vicious, blood-thirsty vampire ever created. The vampire that practically destroyed my people almost 90 years ago. That curse was meant to make him feel human, to make him feel guilt and torment for what he had done for eternity...to make him suffer as our people have suffered ever since. The Romany people still feel that pain. You don't understand that. I didn't know what would happen if Angel and Buffy found happiness together. They didn't tell me. They didn't tell me what could happen. They didn't tell me that if Angel and Buffy...that if Angel found his moment of happiness without the constant guilt, without the remorse..one moment that he forgot his sins...that the demon would take over again. If there was *anything* I could have done, I would have done it. I didn't realize that they were falling in love. You have to believe that." "I want to, Jenny, I truly do." Giles said quietly, not meeting her gaze. "Giles, the reason I came here was not to beg your forgiveness. I came because I've found something." "Found something? Something to restore Angel?" Giles interrupted her. "Yes." Jenny told him. Giles motioned for her to sit down and she continued. "I have been reading the texts of some of my people. I went digging through some old manuscripts and diaries that I found through the internet. I found some of the old magic that was thought to have been lost. I have some information on the curse that was placed on Angelus." "Y-you did? What did you find out? A way to change him back?" "There are two choices that we have, Giles, and you aren't going to like either one." _________________________________________________________ Mulder hopped up on the cemetery wall, taking a rest. "What are you doing Mulder?" Scully asked. "Just enjoying the wonderful night air in the local cemetery, Scully." Mulder joked. "At this rate we aren't going to find anything. It looks pretty dead out here tonight." "Ha ha, Mulder. What are we really doing in this cemetery anyway?" Scully asked. She was tired, cold, and annoyed. They were getting nowhere walking around the Sunnydale cemetery. "Nothing, I guess. I just had a feeling about this place. I can't explain it." Scully stood facing Mulder as he sat on the wall, looking into the cemetery itself. She could see the rows of tombstones, and the occasional mausoleum interspersed throughout. She didn't like this place, which seemed ironic considering her choice of professions. As a forensic pathologist, she was surrounded by death every day. Suddenly, Scully noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, somewhere inside the cemetery. She turned her head to look in that direction and saw nothing. She laughed, and turned back to face Mulder, who was looking at her with a strange expression. "Mulder? What's the matter?" "Scully, I don't want you to panic, but I think you better turn around. *now*." Mulder said emphatically. "What?" Scully whirled around as Mulder jumped off of the wall to stand beside her. She saw three men, moving in on them. They didn't look normal, however. She noticed that they appeared to have masks of some kind on, and they seemed extremely hostile. They both pulled their guns at the same time. Mulder called out to them. "Freeze! FBI!" The three men continued to move closer. Scully yelled again. "We are agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations! Stop where you are or we will shoot!" The men ignored the second warning, advancing slowly. Scully noticed that they were actually snarling. "Scully, whaddaya say to my vampire theory now?" Mulder asked her. She ignored his. "Stop now or I will shoot!" Scully warned them again. One of them actually laughed. "Go ahead, bitch. Do your worst." Scully shot one in the leg, and aimed for the other while Mulder put one bullet into another's thigh. Both fell to the ground, seemingly dazed, but unhurt. A voice came from Scully's right. "Okay, fellows. It's time to break up this little party. The guest of honor has arrived." All five of them looked at the young blond who had spoken up. "Get out of here!" Mulder yelled, "these men are dangerous!" "I know." Buffy said. "And they aren't men. They're vampires. And I'm going to kill them all." "Awww..." the middle one said, "Slayer wanna pway wid us? Isn't that cute, boys? Let's rock!" The first ran at Buffy, as she ducked low to avoid his onslaught. She swung back with a kick, sending the vampire to the ground. Buffy whirled around, drawing a stake from her jacket. She did a somersault that ended with her kneeling over the dazed vampire's body, and thrust the stake into his chest. The vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust. The other two had recovered while Buffy dealt with the other, and were now coming after Mulder and Scully. Scully emptied her gun into the vampire attacking her, doing no damage, while Mulder did the same. Neither had seen the fate of the third vampire. The one attacking Mulder delivered a blow to head, knocking him to the ground. Buffy grabbed the vampire away from Mulder, tossing him against a tree. She pummeled the vampire up against the tree, dodging his return blows. In the meantime, Mulder was laying dazed on the ground. Scully was trying to fight off her assailant, but he had her backed up against the cemetery wall. His head lowered towards her neck as she struggled. Suddenly the vampire shattered into a million dust particles, leaving Scully staring at a meek looking dark-haired girl holding a wooden stake in her hand. The blond was helping Mulder up off of the ground, making sure he was okay. The other assailants were nowhere to be seen. Mulder looked over at Scully as he found his legs. "Scully, I defy you to find a scientific explanation for *that*." _______________________________________________________ End of part 3 feedback ::whimper:: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Cathleen M O'Brien" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 3/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 15:35:39 -0600 (CST) KUDOS!!!!!! Oh, this is great! I'm new to the X-File family, but WOW! This is stupendous! The banter in all cases is excellent and I wanna read the rest!!!!! I loved Mulder's last line in part three! So typical and perfect!!! MORE, I say MORE! KitCat ******************************************************************************* Quinn: Don't worry, it's fake. Daria: Aww, you got a tattoo to match your personality. -from Daria (Road Worrier) ******************************************************************************* - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 4/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 16:50:18 PST Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 4/6 Author: Sapphire Category: XF/BtVS Crossover disclaimer and notes in part 1 Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 4/6 by Sapphire Mulder and Scully sat in the house of Xander Harris. The agents had told the girls who they were and demanded to know what was going on. The girls would not explain anything to them back at the cemetery, however. They had said that it wasn't safe, and insisted that they come here. Both Mulder and Scully were inclined to agree with them. Scully sat on the couch, looking at the three teenagers who sat across from her and Mulder. "So," Mulder started, "would you mind telling us what just went on out there?" Buffy spoke. "Basically, those guys were vampires. They were vampires, and I am the chosen Vampire Slayer, so I slayed." Scully scoffed at her words. "Vampires? Vampire slayer? Do you expect us to believe this? Vampires are creatures out of myth and legend. There is a disease that causes some to burn in the sun, and many think that's where the vampire legend came from. But as for demons who die in sunlight and live forever, there is no scientific basis for such imaginary creatures." "Um, excuse me, ma'am, " Xander spoke up, "I hate to tell you this, but your dry cleaner will be removing your 'scientific evidence' = when they clean that suit you're wearing." Scully looked down at her suit, that did indeed have dust covering it. Mulder watched this exchange, and laughed as Scully looked at her dust-covered suit. He liked this kid. "He's got a point, Scully. You can't deny what you saw out there." Mulder's gaze landed on Buffy. "Now you mentioned being a vampire slayer? What exactly does that mean, Buffy?" "Oooh, too bad Giles isn't here," Willow said, "he loves this part." Xander nodded emphatically. "One girl in every generation is born to be a vampire slayer. I was the chosen one. I hunt them, and I kill them. Case closed." Buffy told them. "Who is this Giles you mentioned, Willow?" Scully asked. "Giles is my Watcher." Buffy explained. "He does research, helps me train to fight, reads old books and prophecies and stuff to help me fight the evil stuff that hangs out here. This place is..." "Boca del Infierno..." Mulder continued, "I have read about this area myself. We... I specialize in strange phenomena." "The FBI is actually wasting money investigating the hell mouth?" Xander asked incredulously. "Something like that, yes." Scully answered. "We investigate crimes that seem to be unusual, or have aspects that seem to be unexplainable..." Mulder continued. "Paranormal phenomena, extraterrestrial encounters, genetic mutants, we get 'em all." "Well, then, welcome to the strangest place on earth my good g-man. You've reached the promise land for strange happenings." Xander told them. "I'm noticing this." Mulder replied. "Buffy, you seem to have...special fighting ability. Is this learned, or innate?" He was extremely curious about this girl. "A little of both, I guess." Buffy answered. "I'm a lot stronger than most men. And I train with Giles." "Buffy rules. She can bend a shotgun barrel, can't she, Xander." Willow told them. Mulder's eyebrow raised at Xander's nod. This girl didn't look that muscular, yet she was obviously had some sort of super strength and fighting ability. Scully was having a little trouble swallowing all of this, despite what she had seen. She still remained convinced that there was an explanation that she could accept. The idea of a chosen one who fought evil was interesting, if not inspiring, considering what this girl had devoted herself to, but not something that one would exactly base in science fact. "So, the 'vampires' are the reason for the deaths and disappearances? Is that what you are telling us?" Scully asked her. "Uh, yea. That, and other things..." Willow told them. "Internet demons, Armageddon warriors, weird freaky aliens that lay eggs, witches, werewolves...did I miss anything guys? Xander asked the girls. "Uh, yeah," Willow reminded him, "you forgot man-eating bugs and Incan Mummy girls." Xander threw her a look. "Thanks *so much* for bringing *them* up again, Will. Just twist that knife just a little more to the left will ya." Mulder and Scully just watched the exchange between the three teenagers. This town was obviously very busy and these kids seem to be involved in all of it. Mulder spoke up. "So, you don't just fight the vampires, then. You take care of all the strange phenomena that goes on around here?" He asked. "Yeah, pretty much." Buffy answered. "Giles keeps up on all the weirdo things that happen around here, plus, I guess it is kind of instinct for me to jump in and take charge when bad things happen, whether they are vampires or not." "Buffy is just your all-around good-doer." Willow told them. Scully was becoming inpressed with this girl, despite the fact she didn't believe in vampires. "And the local authorities attribute all of this to PCP gangs?" Scully questioned them. "The people of Sunnydale don't *want* to know what is going on. Freaky things happen here all of the time, and people don't question it. There = have been so many public incidents, it isn't funny. At school, shopping = malls, the Bronze...people seem to like living in their happy little world, and all the bad stuff that goes on here just doesn't fit in. They stick all of the bad stuff in the back page of the paper and we never hear of it." Buffy explained. "So no one has questioned the high occurrence of missing or dead young people right in your own school?" Scully asked them. "It is almost like people forget the bad stuff when it is over. This place has that affect on people, I guess." Willow told them. "We appreciate your candor with us, kids." Scully thanked them. "Hey, after what you two saw, there wasn't much point in beating around the bush. And you aren't the first FBI agents that have visited here. You guys seem to know what is going on." Buffy said. "Really?" Mulder replied, "There isn't any record of any other investigations here. That is strange." "That doesn't surprise me either. An invisible girl isn't something that would be broadcasted around the FBI." Buffy told them. Mulder was intrigued by that comment, but didn't pursue it. "I'd like to speak with Giles." Mulder informed them. "Can that be arranged?" Buffy hopped up off of the couch. "Sure, no problem. We can take you to him." ________________________________________ Mulder pulled up in front of the house just as the kids instructed. They were crammed in the back seat, chattering away at each other like young people do. He found it interesting that these kids could this light-heart= ed and easy-going knowing all they knew. He could tell that there was a deep sadness in Buffy despite appearances, almost a resignation to some fate = that she neither wanted nor could deny. He knew that Scully was not really buying into the vampire theory, despite what had happened in front of her very eyes. She was probably convincing herself at this very moment that we were all having a psychotic episode due to some kind of = chemical spill from a local industrial plant. He was eager to talk to thi= s Giles character to see what his take was on all of this. He had put together enough from their conversation to deduce that Giles was the school librarian. He was curious about the man Buffy called the Watcher. The kids led them up to the door, and Buffy knocked. A middle-aged man answered. "Oh, hello, Buffy. You are just the person we needed to see." Giles looked past the three teenagers to the two FBI = agents, giving them a questioning look. "We'll explain everything, Giles." Buffy assured him. He ushered them in. _______________________________________ Scully could feel the tension in the air. There was obviously a history with Buffy and the woman that Giles introduced as Jenny Calendar, a computer teacher at Sunnydale High School. In fact, she could feel it from everyone in the room. It was obvious that Buffy = wanted an explanation as to what Miss Calendar was doing there. Buffy exp= lained to Giles who they were and what happened in the cemetery. He seeme= d concerned about their involvement and the fact that they knew so much about the situation. And she could tell that there was somet= hing else weighing on this man's mind. "As much I would like to talk to you, Mr. Mulder, I'm afraid that a situation has arose that requires immediate attention." Giles told him. "What is it Giles?" Buffy asked. "Buffy, I'm afraid it's about Angel." Giles said quietly. "What about Angel?" Buffy asked in a low voice. Mulder noticed Buffy's reaction to that name. He gave Willow a questioning look. Willow looked over at Buffy, who nodded her consent. Willow spoke in a soft voice to Mulder and Scully. "Angel's a vampire who was cursed by some gypsies so that he would have a human soul, so he didn't kill people anymore. He used to help us fight the other vampires and other bad stuff, and he and Buffy got...really close. But his curse... got lifted and he is bad again. Those are the basics." Mulder nodded at Willow, silently thanking her for the information. He was dying to know more about it, but it seemed to be a sore topic. >From the look on Buffy's face, he wondered just how *close* they had gotten. It seemed like such a troubled life for a girl that young. Scully was thinking the same thing. This girl seemed to have a lot of pain touching her life. And if what happened between Buffy and Angel was what she thought it was, having him go crazy would be devastating to a teenager, even one like Buffy. "Buffy, Jenny believes that she found out some information about the curse that was put on Angel." Giles told her hesitantly. "What? Can you put the curse back?" Buffy asked expectantly. Jenny looked at Giles before speaking. She seemed as hesitant as Giles did to tell them what she found. "Well, Buffy. I did find out one way for Angel to get his soul back, *but*, it isn't what I had hoped for. It wasn't what you had hoped for." = Jenny told her. "Tell me." Buffy demanded. "You see, Buffy, Angel lost his soul because his...love for you made him forget his sins as a vampire. His suffering stopped, even if it was for = just one moment, and he forgot the things he had done." "This is old news, Miss Calendar. Get to the important part." Buffy interrupted. "Buffy, Angel's soul will be restored if he kills the one he loved enough to break the curse to begin with." Jenny looked at Buffy, waiting for a reaction. "You mean..." Willow started to ask. "She means Angel has to kill me before he becomes Angel again." Buffy said quietly. "The purpose of the curse is to make Angel suffer for his crimes against = my people for eternity. He stopped suffering, so the demon was given control again. If he kills Buffy, that soul will take control again, leaving Angel to live with the anguish of killing the woman he loved. He will be left to suffer even more than he did before." Jenny finished. "Damn, you gypsies don't play around with your curses, do you?" Xander said in a low voice. "This is also a good time to add, Miss Calendar, that I have always enjoyed your class immensely." Buffy threw Xander a nasty look. This was no time for sucking up. "No, Xander, they surely do not. They were quite thorough in their quest for revenge." Giles told them. "So," Buffy spoke up, "Where do we go from here?" Jenny answered her. "There is one other option that I found. There is an ancient magic that I found, that would give him a human soul again. It's very old, and risky, and I am not even sure it will work. This spell only claims to work during a certain lunar and solar phase. It also calls for = a circle of eight people. I haven't translated the last set of instructions= yet to know more about the details. The problem is we have to move quickly, because the lunar and solar phases that are necessary happen tom= orrow night. After that, we have to wait another 40 years for the conditi= ons to be right. But, it could kill him if everything isn't exactly right= ." "Does it really matter?" Buffy asked. "What difference does it make if = it kills him? As he is now, I'll have to kill him eventually." "I also don't know what it will do to those participating. I still have = some research to do. I am going to need eight people *besides* the spell = caster, which would be me." Jenny told her. Willow spoke up. "Oz will do it! And what about Cordelia?" "That makes six." Giles replied. "We still need two more." All five pairs of eyes fell on the two FBI agents who had been silently listening to the conversation. "You want *us* to participate in this?" Mulder realized. Scully shook her head, unable to absorb all that she had heard. She wasn't thoroughly convinced that vampires really existed, that what she and Mulder had witnessed hadn't been some sort of psychotic episode due to some chemical spill nearby. "I have serious doubts about the existence of these so-called vampires, and I have even more doubts about what I have heard here today. There is absolutely *no* evidence to substantiate the existence of such creatures." "Other than your own eyes, no there really isn't." Giles told her. "Or possibly your dry-cleaning bill, Scully." Mulder joked. She gave him her 'Scully' look while Xander gave Mulder the thumbs up sign. Xander liked this guy. "And you all could be experiencing delusions, and us with you, for some reason that is perfectly explainable." Scully continued. Mulder spoke up at that. "Scully, after everything we've seen, everything we've been through, why can't you open your mind to extreme possibilities? How many times do I have to ask you that? Would it be that bad just to try and see what could happen?" Scully could tell from Mulder's tone that he really wanted to do this. He was intrigued by all this, and for once he could actually get close = to something that was beyond the realm of possibility. Still unconvinced, she decided that this time, she would follow Mulder's beliefs, and put = her faith in them. "Okay, Mulder, we can try." "So we have our eight, as long as Cordy and Oz come through." Buffy confirmed. "There is one other thing, guys." Jenny told them. "Angel has to be present during the ritual." "What??" Giles spoke up this time. "You didn't mention that before. How are we supposed to do that, pray tell?" Buffy looked at them with determination. "Don't worry. He'll be there. = Leave the fun stuff up to me." _________________________________________ End of part 4 feedback...::plead:: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Lady Cietdubh" Subject: BUFFYFIC: (No Subject) Date: 25 Feb 1998 13:55:36 -0700 Title: Jenny's Lament Author: Lady Cietdubh Distribution: Ask first, email ladycietdubh@geocities.com Responses: either here or to the address above. Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Joss Whedon, etc. no infringement is intended. Notes: This is a poem, not a story, but I figured this was the best place for it. "Jenny's Lament" Listen! Can you hear? the spirits whisper in my ear,whisper things I should have knwn, should have guessed. A fallen angel has shattered my fragile hope. Crystalline pieces fall uselessly to the floor. I should have spoken sooner, the spirits tell me. I should have let myself be known. But how could I know then, the things I know now? How could I have guessed love would beget violence, replace one obsession for another? I followed my heart, my past, to what I thought was right. Too many people, hurt by my betrayal, broken and bruised for my people's pride. As I see myself now, laying in your bed, my last regret is that I was never allowed to say "I love you", but once...and never again. --February 24, 1998 For Jenny Calendar, R.I.P. Free web-based email, Forever, From anywhere! http://www.mailexcite.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 6/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 20:10:29 PST Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 6/6 Author: Sapphire Category: XF/BtVS Crossover Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 6/6 by Sapphire They all stood in the dark room, lit only by a single candle that Jenny had burning in the center of the circle, holding hands. Scully had a fleeting thought that this seemed ridiculous, but she pushed it to the = back of her mind. If she believed in a higher power than herself, then she had to open her mind up enough to consider the possibility of other powers = as well. She looked over at Mulder, noticing how involved in this he seemed. She had to admit, the atmosphere felt very...well, magical. That was the only way she knew how to describe it. The vampire in the cage was restless, occasionally saying things that were meant to taunt and injure Buffy. He seemed to know exactly what they were doing, and Scully got the feeling that he knew it could work. He was furious, and she was sure that if he managed to get out, they would all be in trouble. Jenny began chanting in a language that Scully had not heard before. She assumed that it was probably the Romany language. As she chanted, the flame of the candle burned higher and higher. Scully could feel the air around her come alive, making her skin tingle in a pleasant, yet disturbing way. It was like the air was charged with an energy that made her feel powerfu= l, electrified, and surprisingly unafraid. Scully watched as ripples of ligh= t began to swirl slowly, first around the candle, then radiating slowly out to the rest of the room. As Jenny picked up the Claddaugh ring and droppe= d in the fire, a burst of blue flame flew out of the candle, and Scully fel= t a wave of heat flow through her and out of the circle. With that heat came a feeling of what she could only describe as loving, and wonderfully peaceful. She glanced at Mulder and could see him looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. She knew that he had felt it as = well. The feeling was disturbing, in that she *knew* that the source of the feeling had been Mulder. She couldn't explain it, but she knew. It = was the same feeling that she had for him, and from the look on his face, he was experiencing the same thing as she was. His grip on her hand had increased, and she returned it. Scully heard a loud, tortured growl coming from the vampire as the wave hit the farthest reaches of the room. Jenny recited the final incantation and stopped, tossing some type of her= b into the flame. The candle went out immediately, bathing the room in darkness. The vampire was silent, as were the rest of them. Light returned as Jenny lit an oil lamp she had sitting on the table in = the circle. "Well, that should have done the trick." she said wearily. The circle broke slowly. Everyone, including Scully, felt a bit dazed. Buffy went over to the cage, afraid to speak to the caged vampire. She didn't know what she would do if it wasn't Angel in there right now. "A-Angel?" she said tentatively. The vampire was laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious, but he stirred at the sound of her voice. They all watched, and waited. "B-Buffy? Is that you?" He managed to say as he came to. "Angel? Is that you?" Buffy asked. She was cautious, knowing that he fooled her once before right after he had changed. She knelt beside the cage, waiting for him to wake up more fully. Everyone in the room seemed to hold their collective breath. Angel struggled to sit up, and looked up at Buffy. She let out a sob as she looked into his eyes, seeing what she knew was her answer. Love. She reached up to the lock, fumbling with it, and when she was unable to = open it, she gave a primal growl and ripped the lock right off the door. Both Mulder and Scully had raised eyebrows at the display of Buffy's strength. She crawled inside the cage, helping Angel to sit up, and huggi= ng him at the same time. She could not speak; all she could was sob into his neck as he held her, making soothing sounds to comfort her. It was a trul= y touching scene. Willow felt as if they were all intruding on a very priva= te moment, yet couldn't bring herself to look away. When Buffy finally pulled away, she helped Angel up, and they came out of the cage into the main room of the library. "So, I guess the vamp I love to hate is back again?" Xander said hopefull= y. Angel looked at him. "Not quite." That was all he said, leaving them to = wonder what he meant. Buffy looked at the window, seeing the first signs of light outside. Panicked, she ran over and closed the shutters to the window. "We have to get you out of here, Angel, the sun is rising." "Wait, Buffy, that isn't necessary." Angel stopped her, placing a finger = on her lips. "Are you insane, Angel?" Giles said, astonished. "We didn't go through this just to see you burn in the sun." "I won't. Not anymore." Angel said quietly. He reached out and touched the cross that hung around Buffy's neck, not flinching or showing any signs of pain at the contact. Buffy just stared. Mulder spoke up, with wonder in his voice. "The spell didn't just restore his soul. It made him human again." Jenny couldn't believe that. "That's impossible! No spell could do that..= . It didn't say it would do that..." Angel interrupted. "You translated wrong. The spell you used is ancient, and more powerful because of what it entails. The conditions must be exactly right, or the vampire is killed. But it does restore humanity if = the love is strong enough." "How do you know what we did?" Jenny asked. "How do you think you found that spell, Jenny?" Angel asked her. "The demon had taken control again. I was still there, but this time I was senscient. I could project myself into your dreams and unconscious thoughts. That wasn't how it was before I was cursed. I was never aware, never knew the horrible things I was doing, not until my soul was restored. I think that my awareness was also a part of the curse. I was forced to know what the demon was doing. You gypsies sure know how to write a curse." Mulder was eating this up. "Amazing! Vampires, curses, demonic possession, astral projection, and ancient magic." He looked at Scully = like an excited child who had had his fondest dreams come true. She understood his excitement. She herself was not unaffected by all of this. This man was not the same creature that Buffy had lured into that cage. After what she had experienced in the circle, she could not even consider schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. She had *felt* the magic. Angel looked at Mulder and Scully. "I'm glad that you're here. They couldn't have done the spell without you. I can see that the suggestion = I planted in your mind worked." He looked at Mulder for a moment. Realization dawned on Mulder. He suddenly realized what had propelled him to look through the Bureau records to even check up on recent exsanguination cases. He remembered the dream, and he remembered Angel. Scully spoke up. "Why us?" She asked him. For once, it didn't even occur to her to question what Angel said. She just knew it was true. Everything fell into place. "Because he is a Believer, Agent Scully, and you are a believer in him, despite the front that you often put up. Together you are very strong." = Angel said simply. Jenny had been reading through the spell again, realizing her mistake. = She also found another. "Angel, this spell says that not only does an object of love have to be sacrificed, Love itself has to be sacrificed." She said in confusion, wondering how she had missed this before. "Not sacrificed. Shared. But to do that, everyone in the circle had to = have love for another in the circle to share. A deep, long lasting, true love.= " Angel explained. Angel looked at Buffy, then at Oz and Willow sitting together, then to Giles and Jenny, and Xander and Cordelia. Cordy just looked at the floor, while Xander looked at her with a new expression. Then Angel's gaze fell upon Mulder and Scully. "Us?!?" Scully asked him, pointing a finger to her chest. He nodded. Scully was embarrassed, not liking that this kind of information would come out in such a manner. It was too public, the information too privat= e. But, she couldn't, and wouldn't deny it. Mulder just looked at her, knowing that what he felt during the ritual was real. Neither said anythi= ng. "Go, Agent Mulder!" Buffy teased. "I knew it all along." Willow smiled at them. You guys are *so* the perfect couple." "Just like us, Will." Oz told her. "I told you you were the girl of my dreams." Willow seemed to melt at that. "Let's...not discuss this right now." Scully said hesitantly. She noticed= that Mulder was amazingly quiet. She had expected at least one joke or = retort from him, and he didn't deliver. She was not going to get into a conversation with Mulder about something they had avoided for five years in front an audience. The sunlight had begun to shine through the shutters and lighten the room= . Angel walked over to the shutters before Buffy could stop him and threw them open. He stood there, bathing in the sunlight, unharmed. He looked over at Buffy with tears in his eyes. "Your love gave me this." Buffy recognized the look of his face from her dream. "This was what my dream was trying to tell me. What *you* were trying to me." Angel nodded. "There are lasting effects of being a vampire, though. I seem to have kept some of the strength I had before. I can feel it. And = my senses are still elevated. I can still smell things and hear things a hum= an wouldn't necessarily notice. But there is a purpose for that as well. I = must hunt vampires now, as long as I live. If I don't, the spell will be broke= n." "That isn't in the spell book, Angel. How do you know that?" Jenny asked him. "I just know." Angel said quietly. "Buffy, would you like to go for a wal= k? I would like to enjoy my first sunlight in 242 years. And I want to see = you in it." She smiled, tears streaming down her face. "Absolutely." They walked out of the library hand-in-hand. "Isn't that just the most touching thing that you've ever seen?" Xander said in a hammed-up sobbing voice. Giles nodded. "Honestly, yes, it is." "I think that the vampires in Sunnydale are in *big* trouble now." Oz sai= d matter-of-factly. "B-but not werewolves." Willow said, patting Oz's hand. "Werewolves?" Mulder asked. Oz nodded, pointing to his chest. "That would be me." "Why am I not surprised?" Scully said, shaking her head. This town was definitely not normal. ______________________________________________________ Mulder and Scully sat on an airplane bound for Washington D.C. In front of him, Mulder had his notes on the case. Both he and Scully were unsure about how to address this case. It wasn't unsolved in their eyes, but the= re was no culprit to apprehend. The perpetrators were too numerous, and were out of reach of the FBI. Mulder knew that as long as Buffy and Angel were in Sunnydale, things would be taken care of. He looked over at Scully. They had not discussed what Angel said about the ritual, about them. It seemed like Scully was not ready to address the topic yet. Maybe it was best that they just forget it and go on. But, Mulder couldn't help remembering that he never heard a denial from her. He decided that now was as good a time as any. "Scully..." "Mulder..." They spoke simultaneously. "Scully, about what Angel said..." "Yes, Mulder?" Scully asked. "What...are you thinking?" Mulder asked awkwardly. Scully paused for a moment, unsure of how to say what she was thinking. "Mulder, I can't deny that I have those type of feelings for you, just = as much as I don't think that you can deny having them for me. I am just... not sure that we're...ready to..." "Explore the extreme possibilities?", he finished for her. She nodded. = He reached over and put his hand on hers. She was right. The knowledge of what was there for the future was enough for them right now. When they were ready, they would know. Right now, this was what they needed. Right now, this was enough. Someday, though.... The Hellmouth turned out to be a pretty good place after all, Scully thought. The End Sapphire: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin: X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer XF Specialty Archive: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/lomig ; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 5/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 20:08:19 PST Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 5/6 Author: Sapphire Category: XF/BtVS Crossover Notes and Disclaimer in part 1 Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 5/6 by Sapphire Scully sat in his hotel room, looking at Mulder. He was reading a book that Giles had lent him on vampires, and he seemed to be enthralled. She felt a little silly agreeing to this whole thing, but it was something that she felt she had to do for Mulder. With everything they had been through, he had been right more times than not about things, despite the fact that some of these things were unexplainable. = She decided that he had earned her trust and faith in his abilities as an investigator. It was clear that these people felt that this ritual was important, and that this Angel was very dangerous. She guessed they would find out tomorrow night. Mulder looked up from the book and noticed her watching him. "If you take a picture, it lasts longer, Scully." he teased. She laughed. "I was just in deep thought, Mulder. Thinking about all of this. It just seems so far-fetched." "You should read this manuscript. Scully, it's absolutely fascinating. I know that you have your doubts, Scully, but I am glad that you're trying. I am not sure that *I* am believing this 100%, but the fact is, I saw what I saw. I saw that man explode into dust when Willow put that stake through his heart. I *saw* their faces, and their fangs, and they were not normal people. We also saw what Buffy can do. She is abnormally strong for her age, and has tremendous fighting ability. She could kick *both* our butts at the same time. And the idea of vampire hunters is not a new one. There is even a man on the internet who claims to be a vampire hunter. He even gives accounts of his encounters, and even of his killing the vampires. The idea of a slayer is not unprecedented, but the idea of a pre-destined slayer is one that = I haven't ever heard. It's interesting." "I can't explain Buffy's strength, either. She's not an especially muscular girl. Her fighting ability could be learned, but she says she never actually had formal marital arts training. But, I find the notion of pre-determined destiny a little much to swallow, Mulder. = The idea is a 'romantic' one, I will admit. A young girl pre-destined and gifted with supernatural powers to fight the forces of evil and the undead. It is something right out of a novel. I only agreed to this because I am as curious as you are to see what this entails. And I trust you. However, I am not telling you that I believe *this*. I believe in you. There is a difference." Scully explained. "I'm touched, Scully." Mulder smiled at her. "And you know that many things in novels often have a base in the truth.", he threw in with a mischievous look in his eye. "I'm serious, Mulder. I wouldn't do anything like this for anyone but you= ." Mulder looked at her very seriously. "I know that, Scully. Don't ever thi= nk that I don't know that." There was a moment of silence between them as they looked at each other. Scully felt like a thousand words were being spoken between them in the silence. The trust, the respect, that had been built over the last= five years gave them a very special relationship that other partners only thought about having. It transcended friendship and even love, she admitted. She loved Mulder in a way that was impossible to explain. It went beyond romantic love in a way, but she didn't really want to dwell = on that aspect of it, however. The mutual trust and devotion that they had shown each other over the past five years was beyond any relationship she had ever had, and she knew that was true for Mulder as well. She felt the moment turn from comfortable non-verbal communication to awkward silence during her musings. Neither of them were really ready to discuss = these thoughts of hers, if there was even anything to really discuss. The= y just *were*, and that was that. They were partners, and good ones, and = that was where it should be left. She rose to go to her own room. "Goodnight, Mulder." He looked at her, knowing that the subject going through their minds was not something she wanted to tackle, and neither did he. "Goodnight, Scully. Pleasant dreams." ______________________________________________ Buffy was standing in the cemetery, the sun shining bright on her face. The warmth gave her a feeling of peace and tranquility that she hadn't felt in a long time. She looked at her surroundings, wondering why she was there, especially during the day. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see what was there. "Hello?" She called hesitantly. She suddenly felt out of her element here in the sunlight, exposed for anyone to see. "Buffy, it's me." Buffy stared at Angel as he appeared out of nowhere. His face was illuminated by the sunlight, giving him an almost ethereal appearance. Buffy was fascinated by the way the light played on his features, emphasizing things that she had never seen before. The image was almost surreal, as were the surroundings. It was almost as if it was *too* bright. Buffy realized that she wasn't afraid of Angel as he came closer. She knew that this was *her* Angel, the one that had vanished after they had expressed their love. "Angel," Buffy spoke up, "why're we here?" "To capture me, you must use my weakness. What's my weakness, Buffy?" "I..I don't know." she stammered. "My weakness is *you* Buffy, even now. Remember that." Angel reached out and caressed her face, his hands feeling warm in addition to the warmth of the sun. The feeling was beyond her wildest dreams. She closed her eyes to savor the moment and the keep the memory in her mind. "Angel, are we doing the right thing, here? I mean, what if you die?" "If you don't do this, I won't stop until you and everyone you know are dead. If that happens, Buffy, I will *want* to die." Buffy woke up with a start, surrounded by the darkness of her bedroom. She could almost feel the lingering warmth on her face from the sunlight in her dream. She knew now what she had to do. ______________________________________ Mulder threw his jacket onto the bed, loosening his tie. Today had been a disaster. The Sunnydale Police were seriously deluding themselves. They had swept so much evidence under the rug that their carpet could be a downhill ski resort. Scully had been appalled at their = lackluster forensics. Autopsy reports were missing, and in some cases, not performed at all. The missing persons cases were handled just as badly. Scully came through the suite door. "Mulder, I really need to eat before we go performing any rituals. You wanna come?" "Yea, just a minute. Just let me get out these clothes. Today was such a phenomenal waste of time." Mulder complained. "I think that Buffy was right. These people don't want to know about the things in Sunnydale. The way they handled those cases was proof enough for me in that regard." Scully replied. "Why, Scully, are you admitting that there is *something* going on that they don't want to find the truth about?" Mulder asked with surprise. "I never doubted that, Mulder. I just didn't realize to what extent these people would go to *not* find out the truth." "Maybe they *do* know the truth. That could be the problem. At least the higher-ups could know. The people we spoke with today did not act as if anything was wrong at all. Like none of incidents weren't unusu= al or important in any way." Mulder speculated. "Willow did say that people seemed to forget the strange happenings as = soon as they happened. Maybe it's some form of mass hypnosis that is causing people to forget the incidents." Scully suggested. "That is exactly what I would expect you to say, but how do you explain the kids and the two teachers? Why aren't they affected, if that's what = it is, Scully?" Mulder challenged her. He knew what her answer would be. "Maybe because they're involved somehow, Mulder." "They are involved, but I don't believe they're at fault in any way. I = think that their involvement revolves around Buffy's abilities. It would be hard to keep secrets from your closest friends. Eventually, the truth would come out, and once that truth is known, you would become involved. I think this is what has happened here. " Mulder surmised. "From Buffy's school record, it would seem that this trouble seems to follow her around." Scully observed. "Possibly, Scully. Or maybe, just maybe, if *you* were a vampire slayer, *you* would follow the *trouble* around. Whether you wanted to or not." _____________________________________________________ Buffy stood outside the door, waiting for Angel to emerge. She didn't want to face Angelus again, but she knew that she had to. It was the only way for her to get him to come with her for the ritual. The door opened, and she sprang into action, quickly pinning the unsuspecting vampire to the wall. "Why, Buffy. What could possibly bring you here, of all places? You can't possibly think that you are going to kill me, could you?" Angelus taunted her. "No. That isn't why I'm here at all, actually." Buffy said firmly. "What makes you think that I won't kill you right now, you stupid girl." Angel looked her up and down. "Because, Angel, I know you. You aren't done with me yet, are you?" Buffy challenged him. "Unfortunately, you're right. It's a weakness of mine, liking the chase..= . Enjoying the hunt. Working my way through the weaker gazelles to get to the strongest, most tantalizing morsel of the herd." Angel's gaze made her feel almost dirty as his eyes swept over her. She could almost see = the lust in his eyes, not just for the feed itself, but for her in particular= . The cold shiver she felt run down her spine made her more determined = to accomplish what she came to do. What Angel had told her last night had= been correct. Even as Angelus, he wanted her and she intended to use it = to trap him. The look on her face changed as she stepped closer to him = to speak next. "I also enjoy the hunt, Angel. In fact, I don't see any reason why we bot= h can't enjoy *this* hunt so much more." Buffy said in a seductive tone. Angel looked at her, watched her, and Buffy could see that he was not immune to her actions. She stepped closer, reaching around his neck and = pulling his face down to hers in a searing kiss that left her breathless = despite her hatred for this demon that had taken over the man she loved. He fiercely returned the kiss, confirming what she had already known. She pulled back, and his head followed hers, reluctant to break the contact. "I think it's safe to say that you enjoyed that as much as I did." Buffy gloated. She swallowed at what she was going to say next. "Forget the love, forget feelings, I want to be with *you*. This demon you are now really turns me on, and it kind of pisses me off, which, actually turns me on even more. I say we should take advantage of that, don't you? Have a little fun before we kill each other?" The tone of her voice surprised her. She couldn't believe that she could pull of being so seductive when she didn't mean a word of it. Angelus got a look in his eye, one that made Buffy's blood run cold. "Do you mind a little pain, Buffy dear? You're right, we could have a lot of fun together." He said as he fingered a strand of her hair. "Then come to the library tonight. No one will be there, and we can play." Buffy urged him in a sultry tone. She turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the doorway. Angelus was pretty sure that this could turn out to be a trap of some sor= t, but if it was he was sure he could handle it. The bitch still wanted him, *that* she couldn't hide, and he was curious to see what she had in mind. He wanted to savor her destruction, and what better way than to savor *her* a little along the way...it would make his final kill all that much sweeter. ___________________________________________________ Seven people sat in the library of Sunnydale High School. The atmosphere was intense, and no one seemed to be in a talkative mood. They waited for Buffy and Miss Calender. The library doors opened, and Buffy entered the room. Scully noticed that she appeared to be flushed, and looked upset. "Buffy, where is Angel?" Giles asked nervously. "He'll be here in a little while." Buffy told them. "He's coming willingly??" Willow asked in disbelief. "I have my ways." Buffy said without elaborating. "You guys are going to need to hide when he comes until I have a chance to block the door so he can't leave. I will try to lure him into the cage, but I don't know if that will work." "Scully and I can stand behind the door, and take care of that," Mulder offered. "If I can get him in there, that would be the best. Those library doors = swing both ways. They will be harder to block. He's gonna be *real* ticked off, though. I made some big promises that I have no intention of keeping." Buffy replied. "Angel's coming, and we're just *sitting* here??" Cordelia spoke up. "Hel-lo! Call me outta here." Xander moved to stop her. "Buffy will take care of it. This will bring back good-but-annoying Angel and replace the much worse I-want-to-suck-your-blood-and-make-your-life-a-living-hell Angelus. I know which one I choose. Yeah, surprises me *much*." Buffy heard a noise outside, and a voice in the hallway. "Oh Buuuuffffy. Are you ready to play?" Angel's voice drifted into the library. Everyone scattered, Giles, Willow, Xander, Oz, and Cordy in the stacks, Mulder and Scully behind the library door. Angel came over to where Buffy stood, right beside the entrance to the office. Angel walked right up to her, grabbing her shoulders, and pulled her to him in a brutal kiss. Buffy gave into it, realizing that = she had the perfect opportunity to trap him while he was distracted. She knee= d him with every ounce of strength she possessed, and as he hunched over = in pain, she shoved him in the office and slammed the door, throwing the lock on it. She then pulled a small bookcase in front of the door to prov= ide more security. Angel snarled and yelled, throwing his weight against the door, but did not budge it. Buffy found a metal bar in the weapons locker to wedge across the door as well. She was taking no chances. Scully walked over to the cage, staring at Angel's face, which displayed the demon he had inside of him. She was fascinated by it. Mulder was right behind her. "So, Buffy, who do we have here? Red-heads are pretty tasty...so spicy. I'd love to drain *her* dry." Angelus leered at Scully. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm not sure that you would find the remnants of chemotherapy in my blood so palatable" Scully told him with a blank expression, not missing a beat. "And feisty too." Angel replied as he smacked his lips at Scully. "Ooh. Hold her back, Agent Mulder. She *might* not be able to control herself there." Buffy said sarcastically. "What exactly do you plan to do with me, hmm? You plan on waiting until daylight so that you don't have to stake me, is that it? Could it = be because you don't have the guts, Buf-fy?" Angel taunted her. Buffy stood her ground. "Actually, *Angelus*, you *are* leaving, but not in such a *lovely* way. Nope, pal, we are putting the whammy on you. Say good-bye to Angelus, hello to Angel." Angelus became furious, rattling the cage door. "NOOOOOOO!!!!!! I can't be that simpering idiot again! NEVER!" "Well, never just came to Sunnydale." Buffy countered. She seemed cool on the outside, but this was getting to her. Scully couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing. In a scientific standpoint, this was amazing. This man's face had been normal just minutes before and had turned before her very eyes. His canine teeth had literally grown as she watched. She had to admit that this was something tangible. There was an...an *evil* about him that she couldn't describe or explain. She felt Mulder by her side, and knew that he was = in his element. An X-File standing right in front of him. She turned to look= at him and could see the excitement in his face. Their eyes met for a moment in silent communication as they confirmed what they were looking at. They all turned to look when the door opened, revealing Jenny Calendar. "There are a few things that I found out about this spell, guys. Not good things, either." ___________________________________________ Everyone turned to look at Scully, including Mulder. She just looked back at them all, then looked at Mulder. "Well, Scully, *do* you believe in vampires?" Mulder challenged her. Jenny had told them what one of the provisions of the spell was. *All* people involved had to be believers in the magic. Silence fell upon them when she told them, and then they all looked to Scully. The same thought was running through everyone's mind. "We don't have time to find anyone else, Agent Scully, but we can't afford to perform this ritual if you don't believe." Giles told her. "And you don't even question Mulder?" Scully asked. Giles shook his head. "Agent Mulder, he is definitely a believer. Actually, I know quite a bit about Agent Mulder from his reputation. I know that this isn't the first run-in that he has had with vampires. I don't think he knows just how close he came to disaster the first time, however." Mulder was paying very close attention now. "How did you know about that? That was an official Bureau investigation. It wasn't public knowledge." "I'm a watcher, Agent Mulder. I know what to look for when it comes to vampire activity. I also know about other supernatural phenomena. I'm afraid that your reputation does precede you." Giles told him. Mulder seemed to accept his answer. "Well, Scully," Mulder questioned her, "do you believe? That's the question you have to answer." Scully sat there staring at the cage where the man paced back and forth. She couldn't deny that her gut feeling was telling her that this was inde= ed real. That none of her scientific background could explain away what she had seen since they had arrived in Sunnydale. She looked at Mulder, realizing that he did truly believe what these young people were telling = him. He had run into such creatures before. She had seen the autopsy report of that man who died from burns beyond anything she had seen before with simple sunlight exposure. She had seen a man explode into dust, and another transform right before her eyes. Most of all, she saw the total acceptance in Mulder's eyes, and the plea in them to, for once, throw down her skeptical nature and embrace the truth of something that she could not disprove. That's what it came down to. In her heart, she trusted and respected Mulder, and it was time to test that trust. She believed in Mulder, and he believed in this. With what she had seen already, that was enough for her. She looked up at Mulder, nodding. "I believe." Mulder knew what admitting that had cost Scully. Admitting that science could not explain everything, and that some things one just had to call = magic. That even though she had no scientific reasoning to believe that = a vampire was in that room with them, she could for once, believe her own eyes, and believe in him enough to take that leap of faith. Mulder = laid his hand on top of hers in support, smiling at her. "Okay, Fibbies," Xander interrupted. "Enough of this touching, yet badly- timed partner-bonding moment. We have a very bad vampire here that looks really pissed off. Shouldn't we get on with this?" "There is one more thing, guys." Jenny continued, "Someone who truly loved the person must participate in the ritual." All eyes fell to Buffy. She nodded. "And *that* would be me." "Yes," Jenny said. "But I have to have a symbol of that love for the spel= l. I have to offer it as a sacrifice for Angel's soul. Do you have something like that, Buffy?" Buffy looked down at the ring on her finger. She hated the thought of parting with it, but if it could get her Angel back, then she was willing to do it. All it did for her now was remind her of what she'd lost. She = took the ring off of her finger, and handed it to Jenny. "It looks like we are all set, then." Jenny replied. "Let's get started. = I need you all to form a circle around me." They all moved to follow Jenny's instructions. _____________________________________________ end of part 5 feedback? preeeeettttty please? ::grin:: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sapphire" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 2/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 21:37:24 PST Thank you so much! :) I hope that you enjoyed the rest of it :) Sapphire: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin: X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer XF Specialty Archive: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/lomig ; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs ---------- I am a major Buffy Fan (1.5 years) and XFiles Fan (since the begining) And this is true to both of them! you really have your characters down pat! - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Regan Dale" Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 1/6 Date: 25 Feb 1998 20:15:56 PST oooohh... I like it alot! My two favorite shows meet at last... a Kodak moment *sigh*... this should have happened long ago. Thanx~ keep it coming... I've got my own works in the process. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TreyCash@aol.com Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully 6/6 Date: 26 Feb 1998 03:09:45 EST Hiya, Wanted to start by saying that I am not a fan of crossovers. I find that all too often writers miss one or more of their characters in their zeal to bring two worlds that they enjoy together. However, this piece was a true delight. I can see that you're a 'shipper first off but not a gushy one so that the piece was unreadable as sometimes they are. I really really liked this story. I enjoyed how Buffy got Angel to come to the library and your explanation of the dreams. Now my only question is have you written anything else? Alex http://members.aol.com/treycash/ff3.html - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Carrie Subject: HELP: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully MISSING PARTS! Date: 26 Feb 1998 08:51:48 -0500 At 03:27 PM 2/25/98 PST, Sapphire wrote: >Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully >Author: Sapphire Subject: Re: HELP: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully MISSING PARTS! Date: 26 Feb 1998 20:25:05 PST Did you get them? Sapphire: sapphire@chaos.taylored.com X-Over Crossover list admin: X-Over: XF Crossover archive http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/xover/ Gossamer XF Specialty Archive: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor SPCDD; LOMIG: http://www.busprod.com/aclaybor/lomig ; G-Woman #3 Keeper of Willow's mometary obsession with sore thumbs ---------- At 03:27 PM 2/25/98 PST, Sapphire wrote: >Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully >Author: Sapphire Subject: BUFFYFIC: "My Love" (1/1) by Sarah Date: 26 Feb 1998 22:01:18 DISCLAIMER: None of the Buffy people are mine. They belong to Joss Whedon, WB, Sandollar and Kuzui. Those people are not going to sue me because I am not making any money off this SUMMARY: Okay, in reality this is not a story, this is a poem. It's something that popped into my head one day and I thought Buffy might write it. Thanks to Ingrid, for previewing my little poem. *********** My Love *********** That face It's the face of an angel It's the face of my angel A face that would never tell of the demon lurking just beneath the surface A demon that was quelled by the return of a soul A soul I love A soul that loved me You the vampire I the slayer Seperated by everything that we are But bound by a love that we thought could last forever What we had was magic A love that could rival Romeo and Juliet And was bound by destiny To end the same way Okay, that's the end. Send me comments (please? pretty please?) at sdouglas@camfordinfo.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Angel's Lover Subject: BUFFYFIC: Restoration Part One of ????? Date: 27 Feb 1998 01:52:28 -0800 The following is the beginnings of a fan fic called Restoration, I don't know where it's going or how long it will be so I'll basically just post it as it comes to me. The characters and situations prestented in BtVS are not mine, they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions and Warner Brothers Productions. I am making no money through the posting of this, and no copyright infringement was intended. There are spoilers in this for PASSION as this relates directly to the crime committed within that episode. Let me know what you think by directing comments to Lea at either lfox@continuum.org or angels_lover@hotmail.com . Thanks and enjoy! ____________________ Restoration ~ By Lea Slowly he opened his eyes, blinking in the light from the nearby street lamp, finally realizing he was laying amidst the bodies of three girls. The familiar blond hair and tiny form of the slayer shocked him into full alert. "Buffy!" Angel climbed swiftly to his feet, ignoring the pain in his body and head as he stumbled over to her inert form. He ran his cold fingers over her bruised and cut flesh, laying his head upon her chest as he listened desperately for a heart beat. Soon he was awarded with a soft fluttering rythmn, a sound that filled his mind and heart with an unspeakable joy. She was alive. "Buff." Her eyes fluttered gently, but remained closed. "Buffy!" He stroked his fingers over her cheek. "Come on, Buffy, you have to wake up now." Slowly her eyes inched open, coming to rest upon Angel's face. She paused for a moment, a slow smile warming her lips before reality came crashing down. With a yell of fear and hatred, Buffy drove her knee into Angel's stomach and rolled to her feet. "Buffy, wait!" Angel held out his hand, remaining in his crouched position on the graveyard ground so that he posed her no threat. Buffy grabbed a stake, spun it in her hand and dropped into her fighting stance. "Like you waited before snuffing out Ms. Calendar like a bad cigarette? Or did you wait and petrify her? Torture her as she begged you for mercy before you eventually got around to ending her life?!" Shock and pain flashed across Angel's face. "It wasn't me.. I swear." "Oh, what? Spike threw her across his lap and rolled her into Giles's upstairs bedroom? I don't think so.. he'd have just considered her to be meals on wheels! Or do you mean Drusilla killed her and for no reason decided to torture Giles with the body of the woman he loved laying cold in his bed? No, Angel, she may be insane, but only you are sick enough to do something this vile!" "No!" Angel pressed his hand to his forehead in grief. "It was my body, Buffy, but it wasn't me! It wasn't me as I am now!" Buffy rolled her eyes skyward, "So your soul has suddenly come back, has it? For no reason, with no help, just poof, there it is? Do I have moron tatooed across my forehead? Puleeze." He groaned in agony, still not moving except to sit. Finally he held his arms open wide. "Then kill me." "What??" "Slay me. I don't want to live this life without you." She blinked but made no move towards him. He lay back and remained staring at the night sky as he spoke. "When you are old and grey, and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once and of their shadows deep. How many loved your moments of glad grace and loved your beauty with love false or true, but one man loved the pilgrim soul in you and loved the sorrows of your changing face. And bending down beside the glowing bars, murmer a little sadly how love fled, and paced upon the mountains over head, and hid his face amid a crowd of stars." Silence followed for a moment before Buffy's voice grew sharp. "You're reading me love poetry? Have you lost whatever's left of your arguably little sanity?!" "Yeats." "Excuse me?" "William Butler Yeats." He sighed as he closed his eyes. "He was a good man, an excellent poet... so many of his points were bang on. So many sorrows... they show so much..." His voice trailed off. "You look so much older, Buffy.. so much more sad. I'm sorry for that.. and for everything." Buffy gasped, hearing the break of sorrow in his voice, the guilt that clouded his every word. She took an unconscious step towards him. "Ange?" He refused to meet her eyes. "Maybe if we finally get this overwith I can be at peace. It would be nice to sleep without the nightmares.. the memories.. the grief... the guilt." His words from a year ago filtered into Buffy's mind. "You don't know what it's like to have done the things I've done, and to care." Her heart, which had been numb since finding out he had reverted to his previous self, suddenly broke and shattered. Tears poured down her face as she threw herself at him, holding him close. When no teeth sank into her neck and no cruel laughter followed the arms that wrapped around her, Buffy knew, at last, that Angel had returned. After a few minutes of mutal examination, fingers tracing painful cuts and bruises on the other's body, Buffy finally wiped the tears from her face and met Angel's eyes. "How?" she asked quietly, peering around the empty graveyard. Angel gestured to the shattered colored glass that lined the ground. "The orb. It held and then returned my soul." "What?!" "Where did you get it?" Slowly they climbed to their feet moving to sit upon a nearby gravestone. Both vampire and slayer kept their eyes carefully averted from teh bodies of the very dead teenagers. Buffy shrugged, "Some guy at a magic shop gave it to me." "How did you find him?" Buffy's voice grew sad, "We were trying to find out what Ms. Calendar was working on when you.. ah.. when she.. well..." "When I killed her." "Yeah. Anyway, turns out she went to this extremely weirdsome store. The guy there said she bought one of these the day she died. He gave me one as a gift, kinda in memory of her, I guess." Angel nodded, "Someone had to enchant my soul into the orb.. who?" She shrugged, "I have no idea. The only other person who even touched the thing was..." Her eyes lit up. "Willow!" Angel nodded, "If she had the restoration spell, and access to the orb.. she could have easily...." They both leapt to their feet and made their way quickly from the graveyard, past the school, the Bronze, and finally into the residential section of Sunnydale. Willow's bedroom light was burning brightly as the teenager watched out the window with expectation. As Buffy and Angel made their way up the walk, Willow sighed. She was going to have some serious explaining to do. ******************* End Part One. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Angel's Lover Subject: BUFFYFIC: Restoration ~ Part Two of ????? Date: 27 Feb 1998 01:59:07 -0800 The following is the beginnings of a fan fic called Restoration, I don't know where it's going or how long it will be so I'll basically just post it as it comes to me. The characters and situations prestented in BtVS are not mine, they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions and Warner Brothers Productions. I am making no money through the posting of this, and no copyright infringement was intended. There are spoilers in this for PASSION as this relates directly to the crime committed within that episode. Let me know what you think by directing comments to Lea at either lfox@continuum.org or angels_lover@hotmail.com . Thanks and enjoy! ____________________ Restoration Part Two Willow invited Angel and Buffy into her bedroom, a noticable pause burning the air before she could bring herself to voice the words to the vampire. Unconsciously she moved to stand between Angel and her recently restocked aquarium as Angel moved deeper into her room. Angel cast his eyes downward, murmering a soft apology before moving back to stand at the door. Relaxing slightly at Angel's lack of agression, Willow climbed upon her bed, drawing her knees to her chest, and resting her head upon a stuffed bear. Buffy sat at the foot of the bed, her eyes flicking continuously from Angel to her best friend and back again. She sighed. "Okay, Will, share mode." The girl sighed deeply, and slowly began her tale. "First, I have to apologize to the both of you. Buffy, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up only to crush them again if it didn't work. You're my best friend. I couldn't do that to you. And Angel? No offense, but there was no way in hell I was going to risk warning you. I didn't want to.. well.. you know." Angel nodded, "End up like Ms. Calendar?" Willow nodded, "Yeah." Buffy gestured for her to continue. "Forgiven, now talk!" "K. When I was teaching the computer science class after.." her eyes moved to Angel again, "Um... while we were waiting for the new teacher and all, well, I found a torn printout. You see, computers are actually very organized machines, they print things like file names, present dates, page numbers, and things like that with every printout unless you specifically request it not to. Anyway, the sheets were from the night she... uh.. died." Dawning flashed across Angel's features. "The spell." She nodded, "I took it to Giles and we put it back together as best we could.. only when we read it nothing happened until..." Buffy inclined her head, "I showed up with that orb thingy." "Exactly! When you left it with me to examine, I took it to my meeting with Giles to go over the curse again. He was trying to translate it back into the original language to see if it would work better that way. Only when we read it out loud to check his translation something did happen... the orb glowed and began to shake. It was really weird, I tell you. I actually would like to re-examine the orb now that I know about it's powers and reactions and stuff. Maybe I could find out exactly what happens within the glass allowing it to ca...." "Willow!" Both Angel and Buffy groaned, knowing that their friend would go on all night if they let her. Willow bit her lip sheepishly. "Sorry.. I just get so excited.. and now that I know it actually works.. well.. you know." Buffy sighed, "I'll tell you what. You finish telling us exactly what happened tonight, and I'll take you back to that shop, tomorrow, and personally buy you ten of the orbs!" Willow's eyes lit up. "Oh, goodie!" She giggled, then sobered again. "Anyway, I started doing a computer search to see what the orb's purpose was while Giles searched through some of Ms. Calendar's books and notes. It turns out that the orb calls forth and holds the required soul until it can be transfered back into the body of the host." She took a deep breath and spilled out the rest quickly, "So, Giles and I surmised that by getting the orb and Angel together and completing the spell.. well.. it should work, right?" "So when I headed for the graveyard, Giles made sure I had the orb on me." Nod. "And he followed you, waiting for the right time to read the spell." Buffy looked over to Angel, and then into the mirror over Willow's dresser. "Could he have possibly waited any longer? I mean let me check my datebook, but I'm pretty sure the next millenium is good for me! Ack! We nearly killed each other tonight!" Willow shrugged, "He had to wait until the orb was in direct contact with Angel before he could release the soul. The odds that the soul could have floated into another dead body was too great.. and in a place like a graveyard.. if that happened.. well.. who knows what we could have ended up with.. in the end we decided we actually did want to make sure we put Angel into Angel." Willow giggled, "It would have been too hard to explain anybody else!" Angel smiled slightly at the girl's humor. "Thanks, Willow, for returning my soul..." Buffy broke in, "To the right body! I definately don't need a mouldy boyfriend! It's bad enough he's already 242 years old.. decomposition is a definate turn off!" She grinned at Angel, teasingly. They laughed tensely. An awkward silence fell upon them as nobody was quite sure what to do next. Buffy chewed on her lower lip. "I guess we should probably find Giles and let him in on his sucess." Willow glanced at Angel. "Uh.. Buff? Maybe you should go to see him... alone. He may not be so happy to see Angel anytime in the near future." She shrugged, "Maybe on Angel's 300th birthday.. but I doubt anytime before." Buffy frowned, but Angel nodded. "You're right, Willow, as always." He turned back to the tiny blonde. "It's all right. I'll walk you to the library, but then I need to run an errand of my own." Buffy hesitated, not wanting to let him out of her site so soon. "Can I meet you later, then?" Her eyes pleaded with him. They had so much to work out... anything else could wait. Angel nodded. "As soon as I do what I need done, I'll go back to the loft. Most of my stuff is still there anyway, but I'll have to do some cleaning. You can meet me there anytime you're free." She nodded and after giving Willow a quick hug and a soft thanks that she knew could never express her true gratitude, she wrapped her arm around Angel's waist, and the two stepped out into the night. It was good to once again have his arms to protect her from the chill of the night. There was so much they had to go over... but for these few minutes in the walk to the library she could at least pretend nothing had changed. Only the ache in the small section of her heart that had once held her affection for Ms. Calendar begged to differ. Too much had changed. The past was the past, they could never go back, but at least now they had a chance to build the future. ***************** End Part Two. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Carrie Subject: Re: HELP: BUFFYFIC: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully MISSING Date: 27 Feb 1998 08:50:38 -0500 At 08:25 PM 2/26/98 PST, Sapphire wrote: >Did you get them? >>Title: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Scully >>Author: Sapphire crap!! I just finished part 2 only to find out I don't have parts >3 or 4!!! Can someone send these to me? this is a good story :) Yes thanks, someone sent them to me :) GREAT story btw. My two favorite shows rolled up into one...:) Carrie - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (11/?) by Ingrid Date: 27 Feb 1998 19:38:39 -0500 My just barely hanging on DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: Okay, guys, I know I haven’t written for a long time. I’ve been busy, and sick, and I’m still sick…and busy. This takes place the morning after part 10, and is supposed to be funny. I hope you think so. Oh yeah. No more normal Buffyverse, since "Passion" killed that, if you’ll pardon the expression. So it takes place after "BBB." If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. I’ll continue to refer to the souls of each individual. If I’m talking about Willow’s soul in Angel’s body, for example, I’ll call her Willow, and I’ll refer to Willow as she (even if she is in Angel’s body). The Chemistry in here is purely stuff remembered from last year. I think it’s right. If it isn’t, you have my permission to beat me with a test tube. *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part 11 *** It must be an earthquake, Angel thought. Everything was trembling, and there was some kind of siren going off. He bolted up in bed with the supposed emergency, and then relaxed again when he saw the alarm clock, buzzing like mad, and Buffy shaking him awake. No siren. No earthquake. Just Buffy. Which, in this situation, could be worse. "Come, on, Angel," you’ve got to get yourself out of bed now. The bus will be here in ten minutes, and you’re still wearing your PJ’s! Angel’s eyes popped open, and reality snapped back into place. He was Willow for the day, and he’d best not screw her up any more than he had to. Just get through the day, he thought to himself reassuringly. Buffy emerged from the closet, holding a pair of overalls and a green and blue-striped shirt. "Here- Put these on." Angel looked at the clothes in horror. Though he admired the hacker for her integrity and honesty, her fashion sense was well…different. "Angel, no time to be getting picky," Buffy cautioned, "Get a move on!" He flew into the bathroom, and emerged moments later wearing the rather loud outfit. "Now what?" "This is the way we wash our face," Buffy sang. "Oh." "Here." Buffy was merciful, taking control with the washcloth. Then she put paste on his tooth brush and shoved it at him. "Here. Go." He brushed his teeth furiously, finally setting the brush down on the bathroom counter. "Sit on the bed," Buffy ordered, whipping out a hairbrush. "Ow," Angel complained, as the brush caught a tangle in his long red hair, and Buffy yanked it out. "You know what they say… No pain, no gain" In seconds, Buffy had flipped the long red hair up into a clip with teeth. "That should do," she said, satisfied with her handiwork. "Now get your bookbag. Let’s go." She practically shoved Angel down the stairs. They broke into a run as they saw the bus pull up to the corner. Severely out of breath, they settled into a seat side by side. "Well you’re efficient," he commented, a slight smile playing on his face. "They don’t call me the slayer for nothing," she quipped, and then a serious expression stole across her face. "You do have the report, right?" Panic took hold until he pulled a small black binder from Willow’s bookbag. He sighed audibly. "Now remember what we went over. Avoid any potential non-Willow-like behavior. Check in at the library at lunch. Make sure to eat, but beware of the meatloaf, and I cannot emphasize that enough. It’s deadly. Quiz time: What’s a mole?" Angel thought about what Willow had told him for a moment. "6.02 x 10 to the negative 23rd. Is that right?" Buffy’s brow wrinkled "How should I know?" She paused. "Okay, let’s move on. How about situational irony?" "I think that covers the current situation," he remarked with a twitch of his lips. "Oh. Right," she answered distractedly, "You’ll be okay. Just avoid…everything." "Uh… I’ll try." "Now Oz knows what’s going on. He’ll help you out if you’re not sure of something." "Okay, Buffy. You’d better relax. It’s just a day of school. I think I can handle it." "It’s not that, really. I’m just nervous. About tonight." "Me too. But Giles said this spell was easy. Don’t worry, Buffy. I’ll be back to normal tonight." She smiled nervously. "I hope so." *** END, PART 11 Tell me everything! (Ingrid29@juno.com) "You don't look back along time, but down through it, like water. Sometimes this comes to the surface; sometimes that; sometimes nothing." --Margaret Atwood _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Request for "Ghost of a Chance" Date: 28 Feb 1998 15:08:51 -0500 To whom it may concern: I got some requests for my story, "Ghost of a Chance," and I think I may have deleted one of them. If you sent a request to me and didn't get a response, write again. I'll be happy to send them to you. My apologies!! -Ingrid "You don't look back along time, but down through it, like water. Sometimes this comes to the surface; sometimes that; sometimes nothing." --Margaret Atwood _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (12/?) by Ingrid Date: 28 Feb 1998 15:39:30 -0500 My dying =P DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: I’m trying to keep writing, even though I have a hundred billion other things to do! Forgive me if I whine. =) This takes place the same day as part 11, and deals with Angel in school. Oh yeah. No more normal Buffyverse, since "Passion" killed that, if you’ll pardon the expression. So it takes place after "BBB." If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. I’ll continue to refer to the souls of each individual. If I’m talking about Willow’s soul in Angel’s body, for example, I’ll call her Willow, and I’ll refer to Willow as she (even if she is in Angel’s body). *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part 12 *** Angel made a noble attempt to fight the current of students that plowed through the halls, but he wasn’t making much progress. A tall girl elbowed him on her way into the gym. He’d almost forgotten about his new size. How could she stand being this low to the ground? He had to stand on his toes to see anything now. Buffy was gone, and he was adrift in a sea of oblivious, but brutal students. Eventually, after a few unsuccessful trips through the halls, he managed to find homeroom. Oh great- computer class. He didn’t know the first thing about computers. He wandered into the room nervously, drifting past one terminal and another wondering how the hell he was going to find his seat. Ms. Calendar was no where to be found- Ms. Calendar, he thought. Good. That meant he wouldn’t have to answer any questions this period. After searching through the pile of disks at each terminal, he eventually found a disk with Willow’s name on it. He plopped down on one of the hard plastic chairs, exhausted already. And the day had just begun. Ugh. Then, as if by some comic cue, things got worse. Xander sat down on his right. "Hey Will. What’s with the Buffy hair?" "Xander- This is kind of hard to explain, but I’m not Willow." He paused, then he mocked comprehension and hit himself on the head. "Right, you must be her evil twin, Brillo." "No. Xander, listen to me. I’m not Willow. I’m Angel." "Is there a punch-line to this joke, Willow?" "It’s not a joke. Um… there was this ritual that Miss Calendar performed. It was a way to retrieve my soul. Things kind of got mixed up, and now I’m Willow, and she’s me." "If I laugh, will you stop? ‘Cause there really isn’t anything that can save this joke." Angel rolled his eyes. "I’m serious, Xander." Finally, realization hit. "Where is Willow," he demanded seriously, getting territorial. "She’s staying at Ms. Calendar’s house," Angel replied reassuringly, "Don’t worry, Xander. We’re performing the soul-switch ritual tonight. Giles said it’s one of the easier spells. We’ll both be back to ourselves tonight. "You’d better," Xander threatened. Surveying him suspiciously. Then he turned back to his computer. Angel sighed in exasperation. This was going to be a long day. Jenny Calendar rushed into her class just as the bell rang. She shot a sympathetic glance at Angel as she dropped her books on the table. "Okay, Class," she began, "Today we’re going to work on some more C++ coding. Take out your saved programs." *** Angel wracked his brain for an answer. Geez. Why couldn’t they have had a history quiz, he asked himself, perturbed. They hadn’t had math courses like this when he was young. Hell, school was a joke back then! Then it came to him. He grabbed the pen and wrote "The Heisenberg uncertainty principal." The bell buzzed obnoxiously. Angel handed in his test and forced his way into the library. Buffy was waiting at the table, anxiously playing with her hair. Angel tried to look cheerful. "Hi," he greeted, sitting down next to her. She jumped, looking up instantly. "Oh. Hey. You okay?" "Sure," he answered, shrugging, "I’m managing." "That bad?" She patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah." He hit his head against the desk. "I never believed the stuff you told me. It all seemed so exaggerated." She tapped a pencil on the desk. "But…?" "Okay, okay. You were right." "Even about Robby the Jello slinger?" He covered his eyes and groaned. "Don’t remind me." She laughed. "It’s not so bad when you get used to it." He peeked at her from behind his fingers. "Okay, it is." She laughed. "Poor Angel. I’d always hoped that being a vampire, you’d never have to know the horrors of high school. Another one of my dreams down the drain." She looked at the clock. "Uh-oh. Time for sixth period. That’s History. Don’t worry. I’ll shove you if you start snoring." Angel rolled his eyes and picked up his bookbag. Another three periods to go. He’d be really relieved after tonight. That was if he made it to tonight. At this rate, he didn’t know if he would. *** END, PART 12. If you don’t have anything nice to say… tell me anyway!!!! (Ingrid29@juno.com). _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Ghost of a Chance" (13/13) by Ingrid Date: 28 Feb 1998 21:59:56 -0500 My dead =P DISCLAIMER: Buffy Sommers, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar & co. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and the WB. I borrow them without permission, and I’m not making any money on this. SUMMARY: Conclusion. It’s ritual time! Oh yeah. No more normal Buffyverse, since "Passion" killed that, if you’ll pardon the expression. So it takes place after "BBB." If you don’t get this, that’s ‘cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, ask me for them. I’d love to hear any comments you have, so write to me at Ingrid29@juno.com. I’ll continue to refer to the souls of each individual. If I’m talking about Willow’s soul in Angel’s body, for example, I’ll call her Willow, and I’ll refer to Willow as she (even if she is in Angel’s body). *** "Ghost of a Chance," by Ingrid Part 13 *** "A Limrick's writtn to plas, Lik a man on a flying trapz. I rgrt that this sampl Sts no good xampl, But you may rdm it with as." -Laurence Perrine *** Angel looked down at the desk in surprise. A tiny teardrop soaked into his book cover. He didn’t believe it: bored to tears. He’d always thought that was just an expression. *Guess not,* he thought as another dark spot appeared on the book. The professor’s monotonous voice continued to drone in his ear like an obstinate fly. He closed his eyes momentarily and exhaled slowly. Just a few more minutes… Something shoved him hard. Buffy, he thought. "Miss Rosenberg?" He turned to look at Buffy, who was anxiously gesturing at the front of the room. Suddenly, he saw the bottom of a suit and a tie in front of the desk. Looking up timidly, he found beady black eyes boring into his own. "Miss Rosenberg! Do you mind telling us what you were doing with your face on the desk?" He looked at Buffy, who was shrugging with a pained expression on her face. "Uh… resting my head?" Buffy’s features crunched up and she shook her head in dismay. "Would you mind telling us the name of the ship that was sunk by the British U-Boats?" "The Lusitania," Angel answered easily. That was almost too easy. Less than one-hundred years ago! The history teacher seemed taken aback. "Very well, Miss Rosenberg. Just rest your head at home next time." Angel sank back into the chair confidently, and shot a sly glance at Buffy. She was watching him appreciatively, giving him a thumbs-up sign. Then the bell rang. Angel ambled out of class smiling. He was finally getting the hang of this, he thought, expertly guiding himself through the maze that was Sunnydale High. He could almost stand life like this. Then he thought of Robby the Jello-slinger. Almost. *** Jenny placed the huge book down on the desk and looked up at Giles anxiously. "We’re gonna get this." It was nighttime in the library, and Giles and Jenny were preparing for the ritual in his office. The gang was waiting in the library, chatting- or arguing together. "Jenny, calm down. This isn’t the most difficult spell you’ve performed." "But it better be the most successful," she expressed vehemently, "I can’t mess this up Rupert. I have an obligation. To Buffy. To Angel. To Willow. If I don’t get this right-" "You will," he assured her, folding one of her hands in his. Then it was time. They proceeded out into the main floor quickly, familiar with the ritual, having performed it twice already. Angel and Willow stepped into the circle and held hands and Jenny began to chant. "Lach-nah-tae," Buffy mumbled along with Jenny, the words ingrained in her memory. The familiar fire cascaded down around the two figures, and played like a video before the slayer. The smoke expanded quickly, filling the room. Jenny coughed a bit, but this time, she didn’t pass out. Buffy approached the circle with a mixture of apprehension and hope. Once again, the two figures were sprawled out on the floor haphazardly. She took both their hands and smiled. Somehow, she knew. This time, it *had* worked. Miss Calendar looked on pensively. Giles waited beside her, offering his quiet support. They awoke almost at once. Willow grabbed her hair and squealed. "I’m back! I’m back!" Her smile was contagious. She hugged Buffy fiercely, and then even swept Angel into a bear hug. She released him, and a pained look of sympathy rested on her face. "I understand," she said simply, wincing as she said it. And he knew. He nodded in appreciation. Willow was a wonderful friend, he thought. Buffy was lucky to have her. Then his gaze returned to Buffy. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. Over her shoulder, he saw Jenny Calendar with a bigger grin than he’d thought her capable of. Even the watcher was beaming. He had so much to tell Buffy- they had so much to work out, and he instantly wanted her alone. There was time for that, though, he thought, as he looked at the smiling faces around him, now that he finally had time back. *** END. What did you think, fellow slayerettes? Let me know! Ingrid29@juno.com. Did anybody enjoy my Limerick? Hee hee! _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sara Barton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (1/?) Date: 28 Feb 1998 23:30:23 PST Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com Rating: Varies...will be posted at beginning of each part. Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, yada yada yada belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, WB, and Fox.... I’m just borrowing them, (although I wish Angel was mine!) Everything else belongs to me! Author’s note: This is your usual generic story. Angel is still good, so basically in my story surprise/innocence didn’t happen. Willow and Oz are together, and Xander and Cordy are still hiding their secret utility closet rondevu’s. This is going to be a long story, and will take some time so be patient with me. I’m not very good at story telling, so if this totally sucks and isn’t read-worthy, just let me know.Oh yeah, and I want feedback, feedback, and more feedback. I don’t care if it’s good or bad, just tell me what you thought of it. PART 1 PG: Mild language It was a beautiful day in Sunnydale. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there hadn’t been a vampire attack in days. This worried Rupert Giles. He knew that some kind of evil would be coming to Sunnydale. He could sense it. The only problem was that he didn’t know what was going to happen, or when. He feared for Buffy, Xander, Willow, Jenny, and even Cordelia’s safety. If anything ever happened to them, especially Buffy, he would never forgive himself. Giles sat in the library, going through all his books, but he was having no luck. He had been up all night researching. His worries had made him unable to sleep. “This is hopeless,” he sighed and put his book down. “I can’t find a damn thing.” He took a quick glance at the clock. “10:00 a.m.” With his elbows propped on the table he closed his eyes and rubbed his aching temples. Slowly the watcher opened his eyes and glanced down at the open book. He was about to close it and give up, but something caught his eye. He picked up his glasses and turned on his desk lamp. “What is this?” He began reading: “On the night of the first full moon in the first month of the One thousand nine hundred and ninety-eighth year ‘El Noche de Ascende’ will fall over the earth , and all the vampires in the world will join together and create an unstoppable force killing everything in their path, taking no mercy.” He stopped reading, and laughed at himself. “Well this is almost the same damn thing as before,” He had the sinking feeling of defeat, but decided to read the rest of it. “Leading them will be Angelus...” He started violently choking on the drink of water he had taken. “Dear *cough* God *cough*.” When he was able to compose himself, he almost felt as if he would throw up. “Angel? Leading the vampires?” Giles grabbed the book and finished reading “He will be named as the new Master at midnight on the full moon for the true Master was killed by the slayer. In a ceremony he will become the most vicious and powerful vampire. By his side will be his one true love, and together they will rule the earth.” Giles felt his heart almost stop. “Oh God,” he breathed and panic set in. He looked over is shoulder at the calendar. The next full moon was Saturday. That was only four days away. “This can’t be true.” He sat there, trying to stay calm. He read the prophecy again and again. As he got to the last line, fear overwhelmed him. “By his side will be his one true love, and together they will rule the earth....” his voice trailed off. “Oh no. BUFFY!!!” he cried out loudly. “What am I going to do? I can’t tell her this.” He sat in his thoughts, not knowing what do to. Just then the silence was broken by two familiar voices. “So which color looked better on me? The blue or the green?” “The blue. It brings out your highlights.” “Are you sure? I mean, the green goes with most of my clothes.” Giles looked up to see Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenburg laughing and talking as they strolled on over to their usual table. “Hey Giles, what’s up?” Buffy asked in her usual cheerful way. She hopped up on the table and crossed her legs. He just looked at her, not knowing what to say. “Hello? Earth to Giles? Come in Giles?” she said, waving her hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention. “Huh? W-What? Oh, oh yes. Hello Buffy.” He turned his back to her. “Um, is there something wrong? Are you okay? You seem kind of, well, out of it. Like your mind is somewhere else.” The watcher just stood there, not knowing what to tell her. “Uh...I...I am fine, Buffy.” He knew that he had to tell her about he prophecy, but he was afraid of how she would react. He thought back to when she overheard him and Angel talking about how she would be led into hell and the Master would kill her. She was hysterical. He didn’t want to put her through that pain again. “There is something wrong, isn’t there?” Buffy could always sense emotion. She knew that there was something terribly wrong with him. She sensed his fear. Giles couldn’t look at her. “I won’t lie to you. Yes, there is something wrong.” “Then tell me what it is.” He slowly turned to face her. Her blue eyes gazed at him intently, waiting for his answer. He hesitated. “W..Well, Buffy, I have come across something very disturbing...I-I had begun to get worried on account of the lack of vampire activity, so I consulted my books and....” Interrupting him, Xander Harris bolted into the library with Cordelia Chase right at his heels. They were arguing about something. “Excuse me, monkey boy, but I’m not finished with you!” Cordelia shouted, annoyed. Xander spun around so quickly it caused Cordelia to run right into him. “Ooooohhh. Is Cordy getting mad? You shouldn’t be getting angry. It leads to stress, and stress causes zits. You wouldn’t want a blemish, would you?” Xander said, mocking her. “Shut up!!! Maybe if you weren’t such a complete moron, I wouldn’t have to get angry!” she snarled. “God, Cordelia. What is your freaking problem?!” “My freaking problem is you!!! “Why are you like this? Every day you drag me into that closed to do God knows what, then you yell at me. Just admit it. You know you want me....” Cordelia sharply elbowed him and Xander stopped talking and looked up and saw Buffy, Willow, and Giles starting at them with perplexed expressions on their face. “Uhhh...you uhh...uhh...you, uhh...want me to fix your car,” he said, quickly and walked as far away form her as he could. Cordelia gave him a dirty look. “So guys, ha ha ha, what’s up?” “Everything okay?” Buffy asked suspiciously. “Of course it is!” Cordelia said, with fake enthusiasm. “Xander and I were just, arguing, about, um, stuff.” She knew that they weren’t buying it, so she changed the subject. “So, what’s on the agenda for today? Vampires, obituaries, Inca mummies, oh, lemme guess...you found a dead body in the locker room?” “Well Giles was just about to tell me something important. Giles?” The slayer said. The watcher took a deep breath and started to speak. “W..Well y..you all need to hear this,” he stammered, “so listen carefully. I’m going to warn you that this horrible news. I have come across a new prophecy.” He looked at Buffy and almost shed a tear. , he thought, He took another deep breath, and noticed his hands were shaking. Giles bent down and picked up is book. “I’m going to read something that will affect us all.” With a deep breath, he spoke. “O-on the n..ight of the first full moon in the f-first month of the One thousand nine hundred and ninety-eighth year ‘El Noche del Ascende’ will fall over the earth, and all the vampires in the world will join together and create an unstoppable force, killing everything in their path, taking no mercy...” He stopped, not wanting to keep reading. “Its okay, Giles, just keep reading,” Buffy said softly. He felt a huge lump in his throat and gulped. He wiped the sweat of his brow, and looked down. Buffy just stared at him. All of the sudden she felt overwhelming fear and grabbed the book away from him. “Buffy! No!” he cried, but it was to late. She began to read. “Leading them will be...Angelus,” she heard Willow gasp. Buffy stopped reading and looked at Giles, but he looked away. She continued, “He will be named as the new Master at midnight on the full moon for the true Master was killed by the slayer. In a ceremony he will become the most vicious and powerful vampire. By his side will be his one true love, and together they will rule the earth.” ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sara Barton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (2/?) Date: 28 Feb 1998 23:32:41 PST Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com Rating: Varies...will be posted at beginning of each part. Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, yada yada yada belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, WB, and Fox.... I’m just borrowing them, (although I wish Angel was mine!) Everything else belongs to me! Author’s note: This is your usual generic story. Angel is still good, so basically in my story surprise/innocence didn’t happen. Willow and Oz are together, and Xander and Cordy are still hiding their secret utility closet rondevu’s. This is going to be a long story, and will take some time so be patient with me. I’m not very good at story telling, so if this totally sucks and isn’t read-worthy, just let me know.Oh yeah, and I want feedback, feedback, and more feedback. I don’t care if it’s good or bad, just tell me what you thought of it. PART 2 PG (Language) “Oh my God.” she said softly. She dropped the book and backed away from it. Buffy felt like her body was going to collapse. She flung her hand over her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. “That can’t be true.” Everyone sat there in silence. Buffy started turned to her watcher and grabbed his arms. “This can’t be true! The other prophecy didn’t come true? Remember, I lived. I didn’t die. I lived. I lived damn it! And I killed the master!” “No Buffy,” Willow said softly, “You died. Even though it was only for a few moments, you still died.”. “No. It won’t happen to Angel. We have to do something. We have to stop it.” She ran over to the pile of books that Gills had been searching through and threw one at him.” She did the same to Cordy, Xander, and Willow, but they just stood there, not really knowing what to do. “What are you all waiting for? Start looking!” Xander put down the book and walked over to his blonde haired friend. “There isn’t anything we can do.” He tried to put his arm around her but she pushed him away. “No. There is something. There has got to be.” She pleaded. But she knew deep in her heart that it was hopeless. She sat down on the steps and didn’t say anything. She didn’t cry. She didn’t move. There was an awkward silence. Giles spoke first. “Buffy, we have got to keep you safe.” “Me? What about Angel? It said...Oh God...no...” her voice trailed off into silence. “This is awful. What can we do?” Willow asked, putting her arms around her still friend. “Its gonna be okay,” she whispered to Buffy. “I don’t know Willow, I just don’t know.” Giles replied. He felt so helpless. “What does “El Noche del Ascende’ mean, Giles?” Willow asked. “Uhh...roughly translated, it would be spanish for ‘The Night of the Rising’,” he told her. Cordelia spoke up. “Well who is Angel’s true love?” “Duh Einstein. It’s Buffy. Everyone knows how much he loves her.” Xander said dryly. “Just can it, Xander. Stop trying to be funny, ” snapped Cordelia. “What? All I said was...” “Your not helping!!!” she interrupted. “Huh? Why I oughta just...” Xander stood up and started walking toward her, but Giles stopped him. “Cordelia, Xander, please stop it. We don’t need you arguing right now. This is a very serious matter and the whole damn world is at stake,” Giles said. The two teenagers stopped and gave each other dirty looks. Even thought they pretended to hate each other, secretly there was such passion and chemistry between them that they couldn’t control. “Xander, you are right. Buffy is Angel’s true love. That is why we have got to keep her away from him.” “No.” “What?” “You heard me, Giles. I said no. There is no way you can keep me away from him.” “But Buffy you read the prophecy. It said that his true love will rule by his side. They will make you a vampire.” Willow said. “I’m sorry but I will never stay away from him. I love him too damn much.” “Buffy you are one of the strongest slayers in history, but there is no way that you can take on an army of that caliber and force.” Giles said. “No. I have to face it. It is my job. I can’t just run away when something like this happens. Maybe your right. Maybe I will die, but I will die fighting.” Buffy walked over to where her weapons are kept and picked up a crossbow. “I’m the slayer and I was chosen to fight all the vampires, and that is exactly what I will do.” “Buffy...” “I’m sorry but this is a risk I will just have to take.” “Look. You wanted me to run when it was prophesied that the Master was going to kill me, and when Spike and Drusilla came into town, but I can’t do it. I can’t run away from these things. It is my destiny to fight.” The Slayer slammed the crossbow down on the table, snapping it in two, and picked up Giles’ book. “I can’t believe all this is happening.” “We will do all we can. I’ll see what I can find in my diaries. Willow, uh, uh, you should s..start looking on that blasted machine--” “Do you mean the computer?” She asked with a smile. “Y..y.es. And Xander, Cordelia and you--” “..should start looking in all the books. I know I know.” “Uuggghhh!!! Why do I always get stuck with him?” Cordy whined. “NOT NOW, Cordelia!” Buffy, Xander, and Willow said in unison. “Well fine then,” she muttered under her breath. “Well what should I do Giles...” Buffy was cut off shortly by a loud slamming of the library door. She looked over and saw Principle Snyder walk in. “Well well well. Isn’t this a quaint little meeting. May I ask why you are all not in class? Maybe you can provide the explanation, Miss Summers?” “Uh...Uh, Well...We were all just leaving, right guys?” Buffy stammered as she grabbed her bag. The four friends scrambled to leave the room when he cut them off. He pushed his way in front of them. “Not so fast, Miss Summers. Now you listen and you listen good.” The evil look on Snyder’s face almost frightened Buffy. It was almost as bad as a vampire. “I don’t like you. I don’t like you at all. You give off the aroma of suspension. Maybe even expulsion. That is why you are going to show around the new student that just transferred here from San Diego.” He smirked at her. “She is waiting outside. Go introduce yourself.” When she just stood there, he got angry. “NOW!” “With all do respect, Mame, Uh I mean Sir,” Xander said while Willow put her hand over her mouth and tried to stifle her laugh, “If you don’t like Buffy then why would you put the care of a new student in her hands?” Snyder glared at him. “You’d better watch it, Mr. Harris. One more comment like that out of you and its detention time.” he snapped. “Don’t question my authority.” And with that, he walked out of the library. “Yikes. What crawled up his butt this morning?” “I heard that Mr. Harris.” Snyder’s voice said from the hall. “Are you coming, Miss Summers?” Buffy sighed. “Yes Mr. Snyder. I’ll be right there.” Buffy picked up her black leather bag and made way to leave when she turned around and said, “Guys, Please do everything that you can.” “Don’t worry Buffy, we will,” ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Sara Barton" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (3/?) Date: 28 Feb 1998 23:35:36 PST Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com Rating: Varies...will be posted at beginning of each part. Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, yada yada yada belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, WB, and Fox.... I’m just borrowing them, (although I wish Angel was mine!) Everything else belongs to me! Author’s note: This is your usual generic story. Angel is still good, so basically in my story surprise/innocence didn’t happen. Willow and Oz are together, and Xander and Cordy are still hiding their secret utility closet rondevu’s. This is going to be a long story, and will take some time so be patient with me. I’m not very good at story telling, so if this totally sucks and isn’t read-worthy, just let me know.Oh yeah, and I want feedback, feedback, and more feedback. I don’t care if it’s good or bad, just tell me what you thought of it. PART 3 PG (Language) Buffy pushed open the heavy door and looked over at Snyder, who was talking to a girl that Buffy didn’t recognize. . Buffy thought. She stood there for a moment, looking at her. She was very pretty, with bright green eyes and long blond hair that fell past her shoulders. . As Buffy made her way over to Snyder, she suddenly got the shivers. She could feel the hair raise on the back of her neck. “Ah, Miss Summers. Good of you to *finally* join us.” he said in his usual cynical tone. “Ha Ha, right. Join you.” she said with a fake laugh. “So, ha, this must be the new girl.” Buffy moved closer, and with every step, she got more of an uncomfortable feeling. . “This fine young lady is Hope Wilson. Hope, this is Buffy Summers. She will be your guide around Sunnydale High School.” Hope reached out to shake Buffy’s hand. When their palms touched, a warm tingle sensation shot through her body. Buffy gasped and dropped Hopes hand. “Is there something wrong?” Hope asked, slightly offended. “Oh, uh, no. Not at all,” she managed a slight smile. “Its uh, nice to meet you.” “Um, yeah. Nice to meet you too,” “Well I have things to do.” As Snyder began to walk away, he whispered in Buffy’s ear, “Remember. I’ll be watching you. Don’t mess up.” Buffy felt extremely uncomfortable around Hope. The aura coming off of her was extraordinary. She had never felt anything like it. When their hands touched and Buffy felt that sensation, she knew that something was very different, yet very familiar about her. Finally after what seemed like hours, Buffy spoke. “Well, um...” she said. Then something sparked. She had to show this girl to Giles. “I’d like you to meet some of my friends,” she said quickly, and grabbed Hope’s hand as she pulled her thought the library doors. No one in their looked up, not even when the door slammed shut behind them. “Hey! Guys! I want you to meet somebody. Her name is Hope Wilson, and she is new at SHS.” The slayeretts got up and came over to say hello. “Uh, Hope, this is Willow, Xander, and Cordelia.” “Hi,” Hope mustered to say. She was very nervous. “Wweellll Hello there,” Xander said in his suave tone, “It is *such* a pleasure to meet you.” “Hello! Are your hormones raging much?” Cordelia said, and gave him a ‘what do you think you are doing’ look. Xander ignored her comment and continued to speak. “My name is Xander, and I was wondering if I could be of *any* assistance to you.” . “Down Boy!!!” Cordelia yelled. She was extremely jealous. Willow felt a twang of jealousy ignite in her. Xander always seemed to go ga ga over every girl but her. She could see the same look in his eyes that shone when he first saw Buffy. . As Willow went to say hi, Buffy dragged her away from Hope. “Will where is Giles?” “Um, he is in his office, why?” “I have to talk to him...” At that moment Giles walked over to the group. “What do you need, Buffy?” “Giles! Come meet the new girl.” Buffy pulled Hope over to where he was standing. “This is Hope. Hope, this is Giles.” Giles looked at the girl and was about to speak but stopped. He just looked at her with the oddest expression. Buffy knew that he felt it too. Even though he was just a watcher, he too had a strong sense for weird, unexplainable things. “Um, is there something wrong?” Hope asked. “W-Whhat? Oh, uh, no. O..o-of course not,” he stumbled over his words. “Its nice to meet you, Hope.” At that moment, the bell rang. “Oh look...the bell. Its time you kids got off to class.” Giles gestured to Xander, who immediately got the hint. “Right. Class. Well, ha ha, We’d all better go then. Hope, may I escort your beautifulness there?” he asked, taking her hand. “Jeez, drool much?” Cordelia muttered. “You may,” she said, blushing. She turned to look at them. “Like I said, it was really nice to meet you all.” “I’ll talk to you after class Hope. We can all eat lunch together!” Buffy said with half a smile. “Bye!” The moment the two teenagers were gone, Buffy grabbed Giles’ arm. “Okay, what the *hell* is going on? I get the weirdest sensation when I’m around her, and when we shook hands, I got warm tinglies all over my body. Something isn’t right here.” Giles was at a total loss for words. “I...I don’t really know. I could feel it too. It really quite perplexing” He managed to say. Cordelia sighed. “Well you guys can finish your little conversation alone. I’ve better things to do.” She said, leaving the library. Willow grabbed her arm before she made it through the doors. “Stop, you have to stay here.” “I don’t’ have to do anything,” she replied in her snobby voice. “There is still a lot to be done, and now we have more things to worry about” Cordelia just stood there, looking at her. “You are going to say here and help us figure this all out. Now sit down and grab a book and start looking!” Willow commanded. She didn’t want to stay, but she knew that they needed her. “Ugghh. Fine.” She walked over to the chair she had been sitting in and sat down with a plop. “This is all giving me a major case of the wiggins. I have to find out more about Hope. Where she lives, where she used to live, if she has any kind of connection with the weird forces of the Hellmouth, or if she has any kind of connection with this prophecy.” Buffy said. “I have an idea.” Cordy piped up. The three of them turned to look at her with disbelief. “Uggh! What?” she said with disgust. “Anyway,” she continued, ignoring them, “we should take her to the Bronze tonight. That way you can learn get more info about her.” The Slayer thought for a moment. “That’s a real good idea Cordelia. Willow, you can bring Oz, and I can get Xander and we can take Hope...” “*Excuse me*? *Who* came up with the idea?” “We can take Hope *and* Cordelia to the Bronze.” Buffy plopped down next to Willow, who was searching on the net. “Any luck, Will?” “No, not yet. Sorry, Buffy.” “Its okay. Just keep searching. All of you should keep researching. Meanwhile, I’m going to go see Angel. I’ll be back before school get out,” she got up and grabbed her bag. “Wait! Buffy!” Willow jumped out of her chair and grabbed the girls arm. “What?” she asked, with a confused look. “If Snyder finds out you have left, you’ll be toast. You have to stay here with Hope.” “Oh God, I almost forgot!” Buffy groaned and slapped her forehead. She plopped back down in her chair. “Now what do I do?” At that moment, the bell rang. “Well, class is out. I have to find Xander and Hope.” She looked at the clock. It said 11:15. She glanced at Giles. “Giles, I can’t stay here all day long. There are more important things we have to get done.” He pondered for a moment. “Well unless something happens, school won’t get out early.” “School get out early, school get out early,” Buffy repeated quietly. “I’ve got it! Somehow I have to get school let out early. But how?” “Well last time we had an early release it was because of a power outage. The school’s generator broke down.” a familiar male voice said. Startled, they all looked at the door to see Oz standing there. “Uh, hey guys. Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in to your conversation, but I couldn’t help overhearing.” “That’s okay,” Willow said, her face lighting up when she saw him. She jumped up and gave him a hug. Buffy smiled. She was so happy for her friend. she thought. “I ran into Xander a couple of minutes ago, and he briefly explained everything to me, and I thought I should come and see if you could use some help.” “We definitely can. So what is this you said about the generator?” Asked Buffy. “Well last year the power was cut off for a week because a couple of kids broke into the electrical room and busted it.” Oz said. “Oh I remember that! They jammed it with a broom...right into the core of it.” Willow said. “Well all I have to do then is somehow jam it again.” The Slayer said. “Uh, and how do you expect to manage that? Since it happened the janitor put a big lock on the electrical room door, and I doubt that he is just going to *let* you in.” Said Cordelia. “Than I will just have to break the lock, and I’ve got just the plan to do it.” ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com -