From: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com (Buffyfic-digest) To: buffyfic-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: Buffyfic-digest V2 #22 Reply-To: buffyfic@xmission.com Sender: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk Buffyfic-digest Saturday, January 31 1998 Volume 02 : Number 022 In this issue: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (12/?) by Ingrid BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (13/?) by Ingrid BUFFYFIC: Smthng Sordid...(1/?) BUFFYFIC: Smthng Sordid (2/?) BUFFYFIC: smthng sordid (3/?) BUFFYFIC: smthng sordid (4a/?) See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the buffyfic or buffyfic-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 00:08:17 -0500 From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (12/?) by Ingrid DISCLAIMER: (Characters) They’re not mine. I don’t own ‘em. They’re borrowed from J.W., ME, SP, and WB. SUMMARY: Angel & Buffy angsty romance, Giles and Willow make an appearance. (This is an Alternate Buffyverse, one without S/I, thank you very much! If you don't get this, then that's b/c you haven't read the other parts. If you want to get it, ask me for them. You can mail me at Ingrid29@juno.com. Hot off the press… *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" Part the Twelfth *** Buffy clung to Angel’s arm, processing towards the metal bars that would separate them once again. She felt Angel pulling away from her, and for a moment, she greedily refused to let go. The anticipation was all to evident in his glance, but something about his face promised her that whatever happened, they would manage somehow. She released him. He stepped in the cage as Willow came hurrying in. "Here it is!" She handed Angel the blood and stepped quickly away from the cage, as if it were cursed. Giles shut the door, securing it tightly. Angel watched Buffy imploringly, expressing all his hopes through the containment of the cell. She gulped and said a prayer under her breath. Little did she know he was doing the same. "Sundown!" Willow called from the door. They waited silently. If Angel’s body still contained the demon, he would need to eat. Buffy watched Angel place the packet on a stool, and sit down on the floor in the corner. Tension reigned, and no one spoke for a long time. Buffy swallowed hard, forcing her heart back down where it belonged. Giles finally broke the silence. "Angel." Angel looked up in response. "We need to know if you want to feed. Does the blood tempt you?" He stared at it hard from across the room. "No, I don’t think so." "Try to change." Angel thought about the warm blood in the packet, forcing himself to want it. He watched the dark liquid under the plastic, imagining the thick liquid sliding down his throat. But it did nothing for him. He *didn’t* want it. He looked at Giles. "I can’t." Buffy shot Giles a hopeful glance, but he persisted. "Taste the blood." Reluctantly, Angel stood and picked up the blood, watching Buffy all the while. Self consciously, he pulled the plastic apart and dropped a bit into his mouth. Nothing changed, except now, he had a rather salty taste in his mouth, and the idea that he was drinking human blood seemed sicker to him than ever. "Ugh!" He dropped the packet to the floor, blood spattering everywhere. He glanced at Giles. "Sorry." "That’s alright. We’ll clean it up later. Come to the bars, Angel." He pulled a large cross from his suit pocket. Buffy crossed over to him. "Let me do it." Giles looked at her gravely, and handed her the cross. She palmed the cool silver, carefully approaching Angel, who now stood at the door. Ever so slowly, she brought it closer to him. They both held their breath. She pressed the it to his open collar, leaving it there for a few moments. Her eyes were locked with his. God, she had to pay attention. She could be hurting him. Gently, she pulled the relic and her hand away. Angel’s skin was smooth and soft beneath it. She let out a painful breath as if she had been punched. Her fingers caressed the spot on his neck, and his hand joined hers, to confirm what she had already revealed. His fingers curled around hers and he closed his eyes as if the moment were too intense to bear. Trying not to disturb them, Giles pulled the bolt from the door. He and Willow made a hasty exit. Buffy almost refused to let go of his hands through the cage, though he was only trying to get around the door. He finally made it around, rushing towards her, enveloping her now crumbling form. "Angel," she cried into his shirt. He lifted her face, saw her eyes wide and bright and shining with fresh tears. His wounded eyes were like stars, burning even brighter back at her. And she was to heal him. They came together slowly, nuzzling one another, their lips touching lightly. Their kiss grew, and she wrapped her arms around him hard. Emotions poured forth between them, and tears were shared on wet cheeks. Passion overflowed, consuming any other considerations. She was kissing his throat, tasting the salt of his skin. She felt more than heard his sigh. But now he was trembling again. "Angel, what is it?" He smiled self-consciously, and he didn’t meet her eyes. "I think I’m hungry." Her eyes went wide in shock. "But you didn’t want the blood- You said so!" He laughed, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "For food, Buffy." A rush of air escaped her lungs, and the sudden tension that had sprung up in her body released itself in an instant. "Oh," she smiled shyly, laughing nervously. "Well I think we have something around here…" She rummaged through the little refrigerator in Giles’ office, and emerged triumphant, with a chicken salad in tow. "Hold on a second," she requested, "I’ll get you something to drink." After a few minutes, she returned carrying a couple cans of soda. "Not the most romantic first meal that springs to mind, but we’ve never been to conventional, right?" She smiled, and sat down across from him at the library table. "I haven’t exactly done this for a while- In mean, eaten anything solid." "Okay, then… help." She pulled her chair next to his, and moved her food across the table. He grinned at her. "Somehow I don’t think we’re gonna get any eating done." The corners of her mouth went up in response. "Hey," she kidded softly, "I resent that! I can be very businesslike in…um…helping you eat." She nodded in satisfaction with herself and opened the package. *** END, PART TWELVE. Howyalike? Send comments to Ingrid29@juno.com, but I must warn you that I refuse to listen to anything that says this isn't depressing enough. I'm depressing enough in real life- a real cynic. This is my happy-angst world, dammit, and I need to think happy thoughts or I'll go crazy!. _____________________________________________________________________ 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] - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 16:22:29 -0500 From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (13/?) by Ingrid DISCLAIMER: I claim no rights to the characters mentioned from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." They are used w/o permission. They belong to the WB, Joss Whedon, Sandollar Productions & Mutant Enemy. SUMMARY: Part 13, Buffy/Angel romance/angst. Alternate Buffy universe. If you don’t get this, that’s cause you haven’t read the other parts. If you want to get this, send me mail at Ingrid29@juno.com. If you don’t, you can’t play in my sandbox anymore! On with the show! *** "One Vampire’s Headache…" Part the Thirteenth *** "Must not all things at the last be swallowed up in death?" –Plato *** Buffy and Angel were locked in an embrace, their food all but forgotten on the table. She sighed in pleasure when he kissed a sensitive spot behind her ear. Then she remembered the salad. "Mmm!" She pulled away. "What," he asked, puzzled. "The food, remember?" "Oh yeah, the food." He kissed her again on the lips, and she returned his kiss slowly. Before her mind completely shut down, she forced some self-control. Pushing him away gently, she straightened up in her chair and pulled it under the table. "As much as I’m enjoying this, you have to eat." She smiled and handed him a fork. He poked around at the chicken on his plate, and finally chose a small piece to taste. Buffy concentrated on his lips as they closed around the fork. "Remember to chew," she giggled helplessly. He did, but *so* slowly. He almost choked, but then swallowed resolutely. She grabbed the cup. "Here, have some of this." He took it uncertainly and tipped it up to his mouth. And almost spit it back up. "What the heck is this?" "Soda. Oh! That’s right! You’ve never had soda before. Kinda fizzy, huh?" "Yeah." He raised his eyebrows and took another sip. "This is going to take a bit of getting used to." "Yeah," she answered with a grin, "But we have all the time in the world, don’t we?" He paused from eating and swallowed hard. "Buffy, be careful." Something foreboding rose in her chest. She fought it down hard. "Hey," she chided, touching his forehead with her own, "you too." *** END, PART 13. _____________________________________________________________________ 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] - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jan 98 15:39:23 -0600 From: "Kimela M Wilker" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Smthng Sordid...(1/?) Title: Something Sordid This Way Comes Author: By Zak Zandarah Email: zandarah@geocities.com Disclaimer: Buffy & Co do not belong to me, I am just borrowing them and will return them intact. Placement: This story was started a long time back, and thus would best be placed somewhere during the 1st season...possibly between Nightmares and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Spoilers: None Hi, I'm forwarding this story to the list for a friend who would really like some feedback on it...All comments should go directly to Zak at zandarah@geocities.com. Thanks! Something Sordid This Way Comes Part One: Sunnydale High Library 4:15pm Xander Harris was pretending to read his American History textbook. In order to be allowed to stay in the Sunnydale High Library, he had to maintain the illusion of concentrating on his schoolwork. Under normal circumstances, a library was not his type of hangout, but in this particular one he could observe Buffy Summers doing her Slayer training with her Watcher, Rupert Giles. He watched her with awed fascination as she deftly beat on the heavily padded librarian. He was captivated by her grace, her dexterity, and her...THWACK! Xander cringed as Buffy knocked Giles to the floor with a swift blow to his momentarily unguarded legs. "That's quite enough for today," the Watcher panted as he raised his arms in defeat. Xander grinned at the older man's obvious discomfort. "Perhaps you'd best go home and finish up on your homework. You have a busy night ahead of you." "So what is tonight?" Xander quarried. "Vampires? Demons? Werewolves perhaps?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "Graveyard duty. Giles seems to think that there's going to be some sort of major activity going on," she explained as she pulled Giles to his feet. "Sort of like the major activity I've been witnessing for the past three nights," she added sarcastically. Giles blushed. "Well, the translation isn't exactly clear on when the-" Giles cut his words short as he heard the sound of the library door being opened. He turned to make sure that his rationalization would not be witnessed by some unsuspecting student who had accidentally wandered into the library. He wasn't surprised to see Willow Rosenberg, but he was surprised by her demeanor. "Stephanie Queen is here in Sunnydale!" Willow announced eagerly as she hurried in. "Awesome!" Xander exclaimed, a vacant expression on his face. "Really? Where?" inquired Buffy excitedly. "At the mall!" Willow gushed. "And Stephanie Queen is...?" Xander prompted. Buffy and Willow regarded him with amazement. "Only the greatest horror writer in the world," Willow clarified. "She's signing books at Bartel's!" "Oooh! I have to get my copy of Desolation and-" Buffy stopped as she noticed Giles tense up. She sighed. "And take it with me to read while I tend the graveyard." Willow looked confused for a moment before she realized that Buffy was officially on duty. "Oh! I can take yours with me when I go get my copy of Winston's Lot signed," she offered. Buffy smiled weakly. It wasn't as much fun as going to see the author in person, but she supposed it would have to do. "Sounds peachy." She turned to Giles. "So...Is that it?" Giles stared at her blankly. She raised her eyebrows, and nodded toward the door. "Oh, um, yes. That will be all. Call me if you need me." He watched as the teenagers gathered their belongings and headed out of the library, Buffy in the lead as usual. "So, Buff," Xander called, hurrying to catch up to her. "Need some help at the stakeout?" Buffy shook her head. "Nah. I've got it covered. You should go with Willow. See how the other half lives..." Giles smiled as the door shut behind the three. He sank down into the nearest chair and took a moment to relax and recover from the afternoon training. After a few minutes, he pulled a manuscript from the pile of untranslated documents and began his nightly research. A Watcher's work was never done. - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jan 98 15:44:44 -0600 From: "Kimela M Wilker" Subject: BUFFYFIC: Smthng Sordid (2/?) Title: Something Sordid This Way Comes Author: By Zak Zandarah Email: zandarah@geocities.com Disclaimer: Buffy & Co do not belong to me, I am just borrowing them and will return them intact. Placement: This story was started a long time back, and thus would best be placed somewhere during the 1st season...possibly between Nightmares and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Spoilers: None Hi, I'm forwarding this story to the list for a friend who would really like some feedback on it...All comments should go directly to Zak at zandarah@geocities.com. Thanks! Something Sordid... Part Two: Sunnydale Mall 8:58pm "I can't believe we stood in line for two hours and still didn't get to see her," Willow griped, feeling disappointed. She swatted Xander's hand as he reached for one of her french fries. He gave her a wounded look and she relented, pushing the fries toward him. She really wasn't hungry, anyway. "I don't think I've ever seen such a crowd at the mall before." Xander shrugged. "I tend to avoid the place, myself," he admitted. "But, hey, what better place to indulge in fine dining!" He grinned as Willow rolled her eyes. He snagged the last of her fries and gulped down them down with the rest of his coke. Glancing around he noticed several employees staring at them. "We'd better go. Looks like they're trying to close things up." Willow nodded. She quickly gathered the trash from their table and headed toward the exit. Xander rose to follow her and noticed that she had left her purse behind. He picked it up and hurried after her. They ignored the glares of several mall employees as they made their way outside. Xander heard the door being locked behind them. "So, do you want to go to the Bronze or something? It's a little early to call it a night." "Xander, we have school tomorrow." She laughed at his vacant look. "You know, that building where we go every morning?" "And your point is?" "You are hopeless." "So do you want to go?" "Sure. Why not?" They chatted incessantly as they walked the three blocks to the local hotspot. When they reached the club, Xander pulled out his wallet, preparing to pay the cover charge. He abruptly realized that he was still carrying Willow's purse. "Oh! Here. You left this." Willow stared at the purse blankly. "No I didn't. That's not mine." "But I thought...OOPS! Guess I'd better take it back. You can wait here, if you want." "Nah. I'll go with you. It's a nice night for a walk, anyway." They turned and headed back toward the mall. They were still a block away from the mall when they heard someone screaming. Instinctually, Willow reached out and grabbed Xander's arm. They exchanged worried glances. "Stay here, I'll go see what's happening," Xander instructed. Willow had no intention of letting him endanger himself alone. She opted to chase after him as he ran the last of the way. When they arrived at the mall parking lot a few moments later, they were dismayed to see a trio of vampires attempting to corner a terrified woman. (What better place to indulge in fine dining?) She had thus far managed to evade them, but was running out of places to go. "We've got to go get Buffy!" Xander decided, trying to keep himself calm. "There's no time, we've got to do something!" Willow was right. By the time they got to the graveyard, found the Slayer, and returned, the woman would be dead (or undead) for sure. Xander quickly scanned the pavement for anything that could be used for a stake. There was nothing. Then he remembered the cross that he had kept in his school bag for just this sort of occasion. When you hang with the Slayer, you never know when one might come in handy. "Quick. I'll stall them. Go find something to stake them with!" Before Willow could stop him, Xander broke away from her and dashed into the fray, pulling something from his bag as he went. "Xander!" Willow's mind raced. Where was she going to find stakes? She had to hurry! She glanced around the lot...Stakes, stakes, stakes...Trees! She could break off a few branches. That would work. She raced toward the decorative tree line near the mall entrance, silently praying that she would make it in time. *** It was quite possibly the most insane moment of the woman's life. She had imagined such things happening...Hell, she had even written a book about such occurrences. She hadn't, however, ever believed that it could happen. Yet, here she was, facing three vampires. Okay, maybe they were just gang members dressed up to really freak people out. If that was the case, they certainly were succeeding. She silently cursed her agent for sending her to Sunnydale. She had somehow managed to keep out of reach for a few minutes, it was only a matter of time before she became their victim. If only she had taken that self-defense course...Not that it would have helped. She had managed to land a few blows on one of the fiends, but it hadn't seemed to phase the man...vampire...whatever it was. And now, as a result of her futile defense moves, she was going to die. Suddenly, a young man barreled through the line of attackers and whirled to face them, pushing her behind him. "Go!" he yelled over his shoulder at her. She stood, frozen in place, stunned by this sudden turn of events. Who was this kid? He couldn't have been more than 16 or 17...and just what was that he was holding them off with? Hell, was that really a crucifix? One of the assailants lunged at the boy, who expertly dodged and swung his holy symbol at the fiend. The woman cringed as she heard the sounds of sizzling flesh and the vampire's wail. A second vampire attacked the young male, knocking the crucifix from his grasp. The teen dove for the ground, trying to regain possession of the cross. She watched in horrified fascination as the fiend grabbed him and lifted him from the ground. The boy kicked and flailed his arms, fighting the vampire's hold on him. In response, the fiend hoisted him higher, then hurled him effortlessly to the hard pavement.. The boy cried out in pain as he hit the ground. She could see from the way that his arm was bent beneath him, that several bones had likely been broken. Fortunately, he seemed determined not to give up the fight. He grabbed the crucifix with his good hand and rolled to his feet. The woman felt something grabbing her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. She abruptly realized that she hadn't paid attention to what the third vampire was doing. She screamed as she felt the sharp sting of its teeth piercing the skin of her neck. Oh, God, she was going to die. She tried to kick at her assailant, but the blows did not faze it. Her vision began to blur, and she could feel herself growing weaker by the moment. So this was what it was like to die. Or maybe she would become a vampire? Wasn't that how it worked? Get bit by a vampire, become a vampire...no that was werewolves...got to get your creatures from Hell straight, she chided herself absently. "NO!" the woman heard a distant female voice bellow. Suddenly, the vampire released her...no, it vanished! In its place there was a wide eyed auburn haired girl, who was holding what looked like a tree branch in her upraised arm. The girl grabbed her as she started to fall. "Here, lie down. It'll be okay," the same distant voice called to her. She felt herself being slowly lowered to the pavement. "Willow, look out!" the boy's voice echoed in Stephanie's head. As if through a haze, she saw one of the vampires grab the girl (Willow, the woman presumed) and pull her away. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as the boy appeared a moment later, wedging himself between Willow and the fiend. "Willow, go! Get her out of here!" He swung his crucifix at his assailant, connecting with its head. The vampire howled with anger and grabbed at the teen's injured arm. The boy cried out as the vampire twisted his arm. The cross dropped from his grasp as he swung wildly at the fiend. The second vampire reentered the fray, grabbing Willow and tossing her effortlessly to the ground. In the moments before the fiend was upon her, she called out the words, "Sander catch!" and threw a tree branch toward the boy. He caught the branch with his good hand and rammed it into the vampire's chest. The fiend disappeared in a cloud of dust. For a moment the boy stood frozen, as if amazed by his own actions. Then, he realized that Willow was still in trouble. The final vampire had her pinned to the ground and was lowering its fangs toward her exposed neck. With a roar of fury, the young man tackled the vampire, rolling it off of Willow. The girl scrambled after the battling duo, a stake in hand. She plunged the stick into the vampire's back, turning the fiend to dust. For a moment, she and the boy stared at each other, their eyes still wide with anticipation. "Are you okay?" Willow asked him. "Nothing that won't heal," he replied, groaning as he rose to his feet. He clutched his broken arm to his chest and limped over to where The woman was still lying in a daze. "I think we'd better get some help for her, though. I think she...lost a bit of blood." Willow knelt down next to the woman and gazed down at her. The girl's eyes widened with surprise as recognition occurred. "Oh my god...It's Stephanie Queen!" - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jan 98 15:48:39 -0600 From: "Kimela M Wilker" Subject: BUFFYFIC: smthng sordid (3/?) Title: Something Sordid This Way Comes Author: By Zak Zandarah Email: zandarah@geocities.com Disclaimer: Buffy & Co do not belong to me, I am just borrowing them and will return them intact. Placement: This story was started a long time back, and thus would best be placed somewhere during the 1st season...possibly between Nightmares and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Spoilers: None Hi, I'm forwarding this story to the list for a friend who would really like some feedback on it...All comments should go directly to Zak at zandarah@geocities.com. Thanks! Something Sordid This Way Comes Part Three: 7:48am Enroute to Sunnydale High Buffy was so not in a good mood. She was exhausted and was really dragging her feet as she walked to school. She was dreading sitting through dull class after dull class. It had been yet another really long, uneventful night at the graveyard, and she could really use some sort of action. She wished that whatever had Giles so worried would just happen so that she could have a night off to relax, or better yet, to spend with Angel... She brightened a bit at the thought of her 240-something boyfriend. Since she was doomed to spend another night patrolling, perhaps she would get Willow or Xander (make that Willow) to ask Angel to meet her. At least with him keeping her company the night wouldn't seem so long. That was a plan. All she had to do now was locate Willow and ask her to track down the vampire. Finding Willow turned out to be absolutely no trouble whatsoever. Buffy was still a few blocks away from the school when a black Stealth with tinted windows pulled up beside her. As the car rolled to a stop, she tensed not knowing quite what to expect. She couldn't feel any undead in the area and it was broad daylight, but that didn't rule out all kinds of danger. She backed away from the car as the window started to roll down. To her surprise, the passenger was none other than her hacker friend. "Buffy!" Willow called. "Willow? What're you doing in that...?" "Isn't this neat! You are never gonna believe what happened! Hang on, I'll walk with you." The car door opened and Willow stepped out, wearing a stunning black dress. Buffy was sure Willow had never worn it before-it wasn't the sort of outfit that the hacker usually picked out. No, this was something that she would have bought. "Thanks again! I'll see you tonight!" Willow called to the driver of the car as she closed the door. "Be sure to tell Xander I'll pick him up around five to get him ready. Do you want to come with us or should I send a car for you?" Buffy couldn't place it, but the woman's voice sounded familiar. "I'll just go with you. Five o'clock sounds great!" Willow waved as the Stealth pulled away from the curb. She turned to Buffy, who had a stupefied look on her face. "Oh, Buffy, it was so cool! You are never gonna believe who that was!" "What's going on? Who was that?" "It's Stephanie Queen! She is so cool, Buffy. She's taking Xander and I-oh! She said I could invite you, too! If you need a dress, she brought me several, I think they'd fit you, too-" "Whoa!" Buffy cut off the excited hacker. "That was Stephanie Queen? How did you meet her, and why is she taking you and Xander...where is she taking you and Xander?" "She's taking us to dinner to thank us for saving her from the vampires. We're going fancy and everything! She said I could invite you-did I already tell you that?" "Hold up...you saved her from *vampires*?" "Last night! You should have been!" Willow quickly recounted the events of the previous night, giving Buffy sketchy details at best. The hacker was still so excited that she wasn't being terribly coherent. "You could have gotten yourselves hurt...or killed. Why didn't you just come get me? I'm the Slayer, remember." "There wasn't time, Buffy. They would have killed her! Besides, I think we handled ourselves pretty well." "Yeah well...Just don't do it again. I don't want to lose you guys." As they approached the school, Buffy could see that something out of the ordinary was definitely up. There was a huge crowd of students gathered, surrounding someone that she couldn't see. "We better see what's up." She pushed her way through the crowd, trying to see who was causing the commotion. As she neared the center of the crowd she could hear a familiar voice recounting a wild tale of a "gang" fight, obviously embellishing on the role he had played in the events. She rolled her eyes, realizing who was behind the mass of people. Xander. Well, at least he wasn't telling them what *really* happened. She broke through the last of the mob and came face to face with her best male friend. Actually, she came face to...monster white cast? His right arm was completely encased in plaster, from hand to shoulder. She blinked. Willow hadn't mentioned this complication. She gasped, drawing his attention to her. "Xander! What on earth-" "Buffy! Hey, did you hear?" He rose to his feet and turned from her momentarily. "Duty calls," he announced. "Catch you all later." The crowd quickly dispersed as Buffy started to lead him away. "So, Buff. What d'ya think? Pretty cool, huh?" Buffy whirled to face him. "Are you completely nuts?! You got hurt! I don't want you ever doing anything like that..." Xander held up his good hand to stop her. "Hey, everything turned out okay. We dusted a few..." he glanced around to make sure that nobody else could hear him, "...vampires. We saved a lady from certain death. We came, we saw, we slayed. And, hey, we're getting good chow out of this. Did Willow tell you that-" "That I'm invited to dinner with you guys? She did mention that, yes." "Wear the red strappy one." "Huh?" "Willow was going offer you one of the dresses Ms. Queen gave her. You would look awesome in the red strap-" "I get the point. I don't know if this is such a great idea. I mean, she's a writer, she could really...expose us." Xander raised his eyebrows. "Oooh, a love scene. That could be-" Buffy socked him in the chest, shutting him up. "Oh, you mean the slayage." "Just be careful what you say around her. I don't want to give her any brilliant ideas of writing a novel about Sunnydale. More specifically, I don't want her giving the 'alternative' residents of Sunnydale any creative ideas." Xander nodded, becoming serious...well, as serious as Xander ever got. "I see your point. But we can still get dinner, right? I mean she wouldn't write about that, right?" "Do you ever not think about food?" She sighed and shook her head, exasperated. "I guess we could do the dinner thing, just be careful what you tell her." "You mean I shouldn't have mentioned that one of my best friends slays vampires for a living?" Buffy's eyes went wide with horror until she caught sight of the wide mischievous grin on Xander's face and realized that he was just teasing her. "Jerk," she uttered under her breath. "Speaking of jerks...Principal Snyder! Good morning!" Xander cheerfully called to the principal who was heading straight for them. "Shouldn't you two hooligans be in class right about now?" the snide principal asked dryly as the warning bell rung. They didn't need to be prompted twice. Without another word, they hurried into the building and to their respective classes. - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jan 98 15:55:16 -0600 From: "Kimela M Wilker" Subject: BUFFYFIC: smthng sordid (4a/?) Title: Something Sordid This Way Comes Author: By Zak Zandarah Email: zandarah@geocities.com Disclaimer: Buffy & Co do not belong to me, I am just borrowing them and will return them intact. Placement: This story was started a long time back, and thus would best be placed somewhere during the 1st season...possibly between Nightmares and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Spoilers: None Hi, I'm forwarding this story to the list for a friend who would really like some feedback on it...All comments should go directly to Zak at zandarah@geocities.com. Thanks! Something Sordid This Way Comes Part 46:30 pm Sunnydale Banquet Hall Willow couldn't help but stare at Xander as he struggled with his steak. It must have been pretty difficult for him to eat using only one hand, especially since it wasn't his dominant hand. But that wasn't the reason that she was staring. She'd always been attracted to him, but seeing him wearing a tux--a tux that had been specially fitted for him that afternoon--made her heart race. Not even the enormous white cast detracted from his appearance. If anything, it endeared him to her all the more. It was almost absurd, actually. Here she was sitting at a banquet at the finest restaurant in Sunnydale. She was sitting at a table with one of the world's most renowned writers--the honored guest of the banquet, no less--and she couldn't keep her mind off of Xander...a fact that seemed to be totally missed by the male slayerette. Why, oh why, did he have to be so blind when it came to her? "So, Ms....uh...Queen is it?" Giles asked, breaking Willow out of her daze. "Please, call me Stephanie," the author replied. "What kind of books is it that you write?" Stephanie raised her eyebrows with surprise. "I'm a horror novelist...I thought Willow told me that you were a librarian...?" Hardly a month ever went by without at least one of her books being on the National Bestseller List...what kind of rock had this guy been hiding under? Actually, it was kind of refreshing to find someone who didn't recognize her. She didn't have to live up to any expectations. And he was a rather handsome man... Giles flushed slightly and suddenly seemed preoccupied with his rarebit. "I'm sorry...I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with contemporary American works..." Stephanie smiled at him reassuringly. To help diffuse his discomfort she quickly changed the subject. "I'm so glad that you guys were able to accompany me tonight. To be honest, I was kind of dreading this banquet." It was Giles's turn to be surprised. "Really?" "Oh, Lord, yes. My agent keeps setting up stuff like this to promote my books, and I always have to answer the same questions over and over..." She sighed. "It's not so bad when I have the answers, but lately, I've been in kind of a rut. I have absolutely no idea what the next book will be. That's not an answer that makes my agent very happy." "I'm sorry to hear that..." "Me, too." Stephanie turned to Willow and Xander. "I'm sorry your friend Buffy couldn't join us this evening. What did you say she was doing?" Willow and Xander exchanged glances. Buffy was still stuck on Graveyard Duty, but they couldn't tell Stephanie that. "She had to stay home and study for a major test for a class that she takes, that we're not in," Willow explained nervously as she absently reached over and began cutting Xander's food for him. Stephanie felt as though the girl was hiding something, but decided not to pursue it. "I'm not keeping you guys from your studies am I?" "No," Xander replied, almost too quickly. "No book avoiding going on here." Stephanie smiled slightly, amused. "I have to write a computer program..." Willow admitted. When she caught the look that Xander shot her, she quickly added, "I can do that in the morning, though." He was probably trying to extend the evening as long as he could so that he wouldn't have to go home to his empty house. She couldn't blame him...she was glad that her parents were still happily married and were usually home when she got there. "Oh, and don't you have that math test tomorrow, Xander? Do you want me to help you tomorrow morning?" "Tomorrow morning?" Xander began mentally calculating. "Thursday...Nope gotta be in the gym." Willow raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What? The cheerleaders are trying out their new routine...gotta be there to give my support!" Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling slightly. *I'm in love with a walking hormone, she thought fleetingly.* Stephanie watched as Willow cut a few more bites for Xander before returning to her own dinner. They were such a sweet couple...and they certainly were intriguing. On the surface they seemed normal enough, but they had handled themselves expertly against the gang that had assaulted her the night before--as if they were used to that sort of thing. She still wasn't entirely sure exactly what happened, her recollection of the events were hazy at best. What she remembered didn't really make any sense, so she figured that it was mostly her mind playing tricks on her. Not that her skewed memories wouldn't make for a decent story...unfortunately she'd already written a novel about a town plagued with Vampires...On the other hand, Willow and Xander would make interesting characters for her new novel...ordinary High School Students by day, demon hunters by night? What if she... "Ms. Queen!" a voice broke into her thoughts. The writer glanced up to see a pretty young woman approaching. She looked vaguely familiar, but Stephanie couldn't place her. "What are you doing sitting with these lo--with Willow and Xander?" "Hi, Cordelia!" Willow greeted the advancing girl. "Cordelia, just the person I wanted to see while I'm dinning with the Queen of Horror--the Princess of Quease," Xander quipped. Cordelia regarded Xander with a glare, but Stephanie noticed the faint look of surprise and then interest as the girl really looked at him. He did look rather sharp in his tuxedo. Cordelia...that name sounded familiar to Stephanie. It took a moment but then the name came to her. Cordelia Chase, Julianne Chase's daughter. "Miss Chase, how good to see you again." "Thank you. I just wanted to come and invite you to join us at our table." So you don't have to sit with these losers, the look in her eyes seemed to add. Stephanie smiled at her. "Oh, thank you, Cordelia, but we're fine right here. Perhaps you'd care to join us?" Cordelia considered for a moment. "Well, I guess that would be okay. Mom's trying to work out the details for her next book release with her agent...Anything would be better than listening to that." Cordelia looked at Xander expectantly. It took a moment for Xander to realize that she was waiting for something from him. "What?" "A chair," she prompted. When he only returned a blank stare, she explained, "It is polite for a man to get a chair for a woman." He rolled his eyes slightly, but rose to his feet and grabbed an extra chair from the nearest table. Willow cringed as she watched Xander struggle to maneuver it one-handed over to the table. Cordelia certainly could have moved it easier...and she didn't even thank him for the chair before she sat down. Or after. "So, Ms. Queen, what is your next novel going to be about?" Cordelia queried. "Funny you should mention that, I was just thinking--" "Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" the banquet announcer cut Stephanie short. "I'd like to welcome you all tonight to honor Sunnydale's most famous former resident, Stephanie Queen!" "You used to live here?" Willow nearly choked on her dinner roll. That would certainly explain how she became the Queen of Horror... "For the first seven years of my life," the author replied, nonchalantly. "I don't really remember much of it, though." "Perhaps we can persuade our guest of honor to come up and say a few words?" the announcer suggested. "Well, here goes," Stephanie sighed, rising from her seat. She forced herself to smile grandly and waved to her admirers as she made her way up to the podium. Her mind was racing. If she could just have a few minutes to get her book idea straight in her mind, she would be able to answer that inevitable question. Well, at least she had a vague idea, anyway. She'd work out the details later. "I'm sorry, Miss, you can't go in there," Xander heard the banquet maitre de arguing with someone. "Look, my friends are in there. I'm an invited guest of Ms. Queen!" a familiar voice disputed. "Of course you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave right now." "I just need to--" "I'm sorry, that just won't be possible. If you don't leave right now I will have to call security." Xander glanced at the other members of his party, but they were all focused on Stephanie as she began her speech and hadn't noticed Buffy's arrival. It would be up to him to go rescue the poor maitre de before he angered the slayer. He quietly slipped from the table and headed for the arguing pair, trying not to disturb any of the audience members. "Buffy!" he called as he neared the door. He cringed as he got a good look at her. She was sopping wet, and was splattered with mud. It was no wonder that the maitre de was giving her such a hard time. He quickly regained his composure and nonchalantly greeted her as if everything was normal. "So glad you could make it." The maitre de turned and regarded Xander with an appraising glance. He immediately recognized the boy as one of Ms. Queen's personal guests and realized that he had just made a major mistake. "I'm truly sorry. Go right on in, Miss." He quickly retreated, allowing Buffy entrance. "I should think so..." the slayer muttered indignantly. It was obvious that she was not having a good night. "What's going on?" Xander asked concerned by her appearance. "What happened? Are you okay?" She blushed slightly. "I'm fine. Let's just say that someone decided to water the graveyard lawn...but that's not why I'm here. I think we may have something bigger to worry about. I need to talk to Giles." She brushed past him and headed to the table where the watcher was finishing his dinner and listening to Stephanie's speech. "Buffy! What happened?" Willow gasped as she caught sight of the bedraggled slayer. Cordelia glanced momentarily to see what had excited the hacker, but quickly returned her attention to Stephanie's speech. "Don't worry, she's okay," Xander assured his best friend as he moved to stand behind her. Buffy squatted down next to Giles. "We have a problem," Buffy announced. "Are you all right?" Giles asked, his voice filled with concern. "I'm fine--for now, but have you heard of a guy called Gorlock?" "Gorlock!" the watcher exclaimed. "I didn't know he was still around...good, God, Buffy, he didn't--" "No, not yet, but apparently someone in this town has pissed him off." "Someone?" "I'm betting me. Apparently someone staked his favorite lackeys, and he's avowed revenge." "Would someone mind filling me in on who this Garlic guy is?" Xander cut in. "Gorlock," Giles corrected. "He's an infamous sorcerer that is known for being...well, particularly..." "Eccentric," Buffy finished. "He's been known to...play games with his victims before killing them." "What, like Twister?" Xander suggested. He was met with glares from each of the others at the table. "Forget I said that..." "I take it from your appearance that the...uh...games have begun?" Giles asked, ignoring Xander. "Either that or I've had the worst streak of luck known to man," Buffy answered solemnly. "Not that I'm doubting you, but just how did you come to find out that Gorlock was behind this?" "Angel," Willow and Xander guessed at the same time. Buffy's vampiric boyfriend somehow had the knack at showing up with pertinent information at just the right moments...though no one knew exactly how he always seemed to obtain the news. Xander secretly--well, actually not quite secretly--thought that it was because the vampire hadn't completely renounced his evil tendencies and still had...connections. Once a vampire, always a vampire. Buffy nodded. "Angel told me that some acquaintances informed him that Gorlock had sent his henchmen here to retrieve something, but that they were killed. Now he's supposedly coming to Sunnydale to get revenge on the person who did it. I'm thinking he's probably already here." - - ------------------------------ End of Buffyfic-digest V2 #22 ***************************** To subscribe to buffyfic or buffyfic-digest, send the command subscribe buffyfic-digest or subscribe buffyfic to majordomo@xmission.com. You will need to go through a confirmation process, and the listowners have to manually approve your subscription request, so it may take some time. Back issues of this digest can be found at: ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/lists/buffyfic/archive/ Dalton Spence has also provided an index of the buffyfic archive at: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/BUFFYFIC.HTM For help, contact Jill Kirby (jtkirby@mcs.com) or sah (romana@mindspring.com)