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buffyfic Digest      Saturday, September 13 1997      Volume 01 : Number 031



In this issue:

    BUFFYFIC: Epidemic "Buffy Withdrawal Syndrome" Update
    BUFFYFIC: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls 8/? by JJ
    BUFFYFIC: DISCLAIMER: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls Part 8/? by JJ
    BUFFYFIC: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls 9/? by JJ
    BUFFYFIC:  A Fresh Start (5/5)

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: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 13:50:14 -0700
From: Lisa Rose <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Epidemic "Buffy Withdrawal Syndrome" Update

In anticipation of "B-Day" on September 15th, the
list of symptoms for the dreaded "Buffy Withdrawal
Syndrome" has been reformatted and greatly expanded.
Check it out (if you're not afraid of the truth about
yourself) at:

   http://www.wco.com/~cybrpaws/bws.html

I've included the latest symptoms below to
whet your already insatiable appetite.

Lisa

- ------------------------

How can you tell if your interest in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a healthy
recreational diversion, or a full-blown, life-impairing addiction? Read the
following list of symptoms that physicians now feel are associated with this
relatively new illness known as "Buffy Withdrawal Syndrome" (BWS). Do you
experience any of these symptoms between seasons, maybe even between
*episodes* of Buffy?

Known Symptoms of Buffy Withdrawal Syndrome:

     The time from 9pm to 10pm on weeknights other than Monday seems empty
     and utterly pointless. You feel agitated and depressed attempting to watch
     other programs.

     You buy Bufforette gum at the store, hoping it will stop the cravings,
     but it only reminds you of the real thing.

     You gain weight.

     You begin making excuses for reasons to go into the TV room where
     your Buffy tapes are, (you "forgot something," you "have to make a phone
     call," etc...). Your friends' faces tell you they no longer believe you.

     You say you can quit watching anytime you want to. You just never
     happen to want to.

     You go to Buffaholics Anonymous meetings and annoy people by saying that
     unlike everyone else at the meeting, you don't have a problem.

     You've replaced all of your old friends, who annoyed you by criticizing your
     endless talk of Buffy, with new Buffy friends who understand completely.

     You go to dark, creepy parts of town late at night (after visiting the cash
     machine), hoping to buy tapes of missed Buffy episodes, rare promos, and
     bootleg blooper reels.

     When the cops bust you during copyright enforcement sweeps, you always try to
     tell them you are just a "fan." They reply, "Yeah junkie, whatever you say"
     and take you to your usual cell. Joss's lawyer has a special file folder
     just for you.

     Joss and the cast were once flattered by your attention. Now they are
     terrified of you and the "offerings" you leave on their porches.

     You ceremoniously erase all of your Buffy tapes to prove to your family
     that you're "drying out." But secret copies are hidden in the garage, the
     spice cupboard, and buried in the backyard...

     There is nothing quite so eupohric as a new Buffy episode, certainly not sex
     (which you vaguely remember having before your Buffy fandom). But the thrill
     only lasts a few hours. Soon the restlessness returns and you find yourself
     online, trying to persuade people to talk Buffy to you.

     Shows that come before and after Buffy, as well as commercials during Buffy,
     cause you to scream that WB is cutting your fix with baby powder to lower its
     potency and make an extra buck.

     You are able to support your own habit for fresh Buffy tapes and merchandise by
     selling duplicates of things you already have to new viewers at highly inflated
     prices.

     You seek help from your local priest for your obsession. But he ends up getting
     hooked on the show too, because of its glorification of crosses and holy water.

     Your parents (or spouse) remove the TV and VCR from your home to "do you a
     favor."  But it only drives you to break into your neighbor's homes on
     Monday nights to watch Buffy on their TV's and VCR's.

<snip>

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 22:27:34 -0400
From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls 8/? by JJ

Part 8
"Dr. Harris?"  Rosita asked, tapping lightly on the door, "Are you in there?"

She swore she could hear the rustling of paper in the office.  She knocked
again, but still uncertain, she used her master key to unlock the door.

Empty.  The rustling she had heard was a breeze from the open window
running across his desktop.  Alex Harris left his computer on at all times
and she saw the "new mail" window on his screen saver.  She walked over to
the computer and opened his mail reader.  New mail from argyles.  Clicking
on the message, she called up a lengthy response describing Aurelius'
treatise on the God of Nine Walls.

"Oh, no you don't!"  she chided the screen, deleting the message.  She
picked up the phone and called the Rosenberg residence.  Gilda Rosenberg
answered.

"You were right; he couldn't leave well enough alone,"  Rosita said.
"Rupert Giles sent him a  message, but I deleted it."

"Good.  If he finds out too much, he'll want to stay and fight.  I know
him,"  Gilda agreed.  "Do you see the poppet?"

Rosita looked around the room for the wax figurine Hecate had brought.
"No," Rosita said.

"Damn," Gilda swore.  "Let's hope he has it, then.  I don't like the idea
of it floating around somewhere."

"I'll keep looking for it,"  Rosita agreed.  "Bye."

She hung up the phone and exited the room, giving it a perfunctory scan.
When the door closed, a brightly colored head stuck itself through the
window, a raucous and high-pitched giggle on its lips.  Scapino's frozen
expression was one of contented joy as he held up the strange wax figure to
the fading evening light.
- ---
Xander hadn't meant to lose his temper with her, but she had looked so
innocent in her pretty dress...so beautiful.  He had to understand why she
had lied to him and what was going on.  He flinched as she gently touched
his ravaged cheek with the iodine.

"Would you hold still?"  Willow admonished, trying gingerly to dress the cuts.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"They aren't deep enough that you'll need stitches," Willow said, still
shaken by the violence she had unleashed on him.

"So what's the deal?"  he asked.

She sighed, then continued her ministrations.  "The Old Ones apparently
weren't the *Oldest* Ones.  There were things here before them that
frightened them.  Things that they tried to control or to bind.  Before
they left this world, they created the Hellmouth not only as a way for them
to return someday, but also as a ward against something particularly nasty
that they trapped underneath it."

"The God of Nine Walls,"  Xander offered.

Willow was surprised, then realized, "Hecate told you, didn't she?"

"Not much.  Just his name."

She shrugged.  "Anyway, if the Master had succeeded in opening the
Hellmouth 18 years ago, it would have sealed the God within his prison
permanently, but Buffy stopped the Master and it's taken almost two
decades, but the God below is getting antsy."

"So if this guy gets out?"  Xander wondered.

Willow regarded him seriously.  "The Norse believed that the world was made
up of the coils of a serpent wrapped around itself, swallowing its own
tail.  Imagine what would happen if that serpent decided to constrict,
suddenly and very tightly."

"No more world?"  Xander suggested.

She nodded.  "It gets worse."

"Fun."

"Someone's sacrificing to the God.  The girl who died last night was one;
I'm assuming the police commissioner this afternoon is another.  Also, The
Anointed One is also dead.  I felt it."

"How can you be sure?"

"I don't know,"  Willow said, shaking her head uncertainly, "According to
legend, the Old Ones tricked the God to go under the earth with a sacrifice
of the faces of lesser demons who occupied positions of power or authority.
Whoever's killing for him now knows to go after people with power, or
people who represent something larger than themselves.  Melissa Jackson was
the Slayer--there's a whole bunch of stuff tied up into that.  The police
commissioner was Law.  The Anointed One, Evil.  The God of Nine Walls only
needs a few more totemic deaths to power his release."

"So how do we stop him?"

"We don't," she said, warningly, covering the cuts on his face with a gauze
bandage. "I didn't tell you about this because I didn't want you involved."

Xander grimaced.  "Well, I'm involved now.  No way I'm going to let you
face this thing alone."

"Xander, this is not some nice pack of vampires out to cause mischief by
unleashing a couple of scaly, but ultimately harmless demons.  You can't
kill this thing with a stake.  And anyway, I'm not alone," Willow said.
"Hecate's here.  Damn.  I wish you hadn't given her the necklace back."

"You know what it is?  Why did you give it to me in the first place?"

"I know what it is, but I didn't know how to make it work.  I thought you
could find out, being my inside guy in Easterman Anthro/Archaeology,"  she
said, with a playful smile.

"What's the deal with that woman, anyway?"  Xander asked.  "She threatened me."

"Hecate is a goddess," she said, catching Xander's skeptical glance.  "It's
true.  She's got her finger in several supernatural and metaphysical pies:
crossroads, magic, the moon, ghosts...that sort of thing.  But her mortal
form can't hold the power she channels.  So she needs tools; the necklace
contains a large portion of her power.  When we found out about the God's
rising, we had a *disagreement* about how to handle it.  I stole the
necklace in order to keep her from doing something stupid."

"But she's got it back now,"  Xander mused.  "So you think she's planning
on going one-on-one with him?"

Willow shook her head, "No, her sense of self-preservation is too strong.
I think she's going to try to make him go back to sleep, or try to stop
whoever's trying to raise him."

"What were you going to do with the necklace?" Xander asked, curious that
Willow disagreed with such a prudent strategy.

"I was going to nuke him," she said simply.
- ---
The moon was full that night

The goddess Hecate walked towards the Bronze.  It would have been easier to
have simply created a door and travelled through, but she was uncertain
about where she was going and teleportational magick was tricky if you were
uncertain of your destination.  She had heard of the Bronze.  It was a
California safe house; those who shed blood within its walls invariably met
an unfortunate fate.  Whatever, she thought.  She would negotiate what she
came for and continue on her mission.  About halfway there, she became
aware of the footsteps and tinkling bells behind her.

When she stopped, the soft tread stopped.  When she started, they began
again.  It was clear the one following her was not looking to force a
confrontation.  As she walked, she began to form the spell in her head,
shifting her hands slowly through the air to draw the appropriate sigils.
If what was following her was magickal, it would be stopped by what she was
leaving in her wake.  Suddenly there was a bright flash and an inarticulate
grunt behind her as her stalker set off the "landmine" she had dropped.
She spun around and came upon a short little clown in a colorful costume,
bedazzled by the flash.  His head was hidden by a porcelain mask and a
three-pointed jester's cap, from which dangled small tinkling bells.

"You aren't strong enough to take me," she said, her finger igniting the
air as she drew her glyph between them.

Scapino, recognizing that he had bitten off more than he could chew, bowed
gracefully, then flipped away, quickly out of sight.

"Freak," she muttered, continuing her walk.  The psycho-clown had been a
surprise;  she thought they all lived in Bangor, Maine.  She heard the loud
music and knew she was near the Bronze.
- ---
Bob Abercrombie and Chris struggled to lift the manhole cover from the
entrance to the electrical tunnels.  Both were dressed in dark clothes.

"I don't know about this," Abercrombie said, looking up at the imposing
shadow of City Hall.  The face of the town clock looked sternly down at him.

"Listen, Dr. Abercrombie,"  Chris said impatiently, "You're the one who
insisted on coming along with me."

"I just didn't want you to get in trouble,"  Abercrombie argued.  "Maybe we
should go?  After the murder, I'm sure the police are patrolling the area."

"Then we better hurry up,"  Chris said excitedly climbing down the ladder.
When Abercrombie hesitated, he added, "Don't you want lead authorship on
the paper?"

Abercrombie blushed, as the boy descended quickly into the darkness.  Then
with a sigh and a final glance around, Abercrombie turned his flashlight on
and followed..
- ---
End Part 8

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 22:30:43 -0400
From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCLAIMER: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls Part 8/? by JJ

Sorry,  I forgot to include this information with my part.

All feedback is appreciated.

JJ

Title:  Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  No spoilers for any real episode
Rating:  PG-13
Warnings:  Mild language.
Classification: UTB
Summary:   Both Anya's Gone... and my Gone II can be found on the Slayer's
Fanfic Archive.  I would recommend reading the previous stories, but all
you really need to know is that Willow was turned into a quasivampiric
killer by the Anointed One and had to leave Sunnydale after her death was
faked.  Buffy and Xander grieved, finding out their friend was lost to them
forever.
Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  Our Lady of Demonic Assassinations is the invention of my
evil twin sister, Lisa Rose.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 19:05:10 -0400
From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls 9/? by JJ

Next part.  Again, some strong violence, I warn you.

Feedback is always welcomed.

JJ

Title:  Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  No spoilers for any real episode
Rating:  PG-13, R for violence
Warnings:  Mild language, violence and the death of a character
Classification: UTB
Summary:   Both Anya's Gone... and my Gone II can be found on the Slayer's
Fanfic Archive.  I would recommend reading the previous stories, but all
you really need to know is that Willow was turned into a quasivampiric
killer by the Anointed One and had to leave Sunnydale after her death was
faked.  Buffy and Xander grieved, finding out their friend was lost to them
forever.
Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  Our Lady of Demonic Assassinations is the invention of my
evil twin sister, Lisa Rose.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

Part 9

From the balcony, Angel surveyed the crowd that filled the Bronze.  In 18
years it had changed little.  Still run down, still filthy, but oddly
comforting.  The patronage was different, but still infused with the joy of
youth and innocence, yet tainted by something desperate and lost.
Something was coming.  Angel could sense it, and the thrashing bodies below
throbbed with the energy of a last burst of life before the end.

Three girls had already hit on him, practically opening their veins, but he
had gently deflected the attention.  He needed the noise of humanity; he
didn't need its companionship.  He had heard of the Anointed One's death,
and it had reminded him of Buffy.  At least the bastard who destroyed her
was dead.  He tried to quell the pain of memory by returning to places that
recalled happier times.  They had been at the Bronze 12 years ago, when she
was 22.  She told him that night that she was ready, he remembered,
recalling the smell and taste of her and her ecstatic pleasure that first
time.

A gentle tap on the shoulder startled him.  He tensed, turning around,
wondering how someone had snuck up on him.  It was another woman, eying him
with a clarity as if she could see his thoughts.  "Are you Angle?" she
asked.

"No," he answered, tersely, turning back towards his view, but the woman
didn't leave, instead taking the spot next to him.

"This place is pretty neat," she said, scrutinizing the crowd.  "I'm trying
to find a vampire named Angle.  Have you seen him?  Are you hunting?"

Surprised by her frankness, he looked at her, "Who are you?"

She smiled, "I'm your goddess."

He smirked.  "That's a new one."

She ignored him, continuing blithely, "Well, I shouldn't say I'm just
yours.  I'm many people's goddess and I'm a goddess of many things, but I'm
not the only one.  Are you sure you haven't met a vampire named Angle?
He's supposedly very cute, but I'm really a bad judge of those sorts of
things."

Angel was becoming very annoyed with the woman.  "I've heard of a vampire
named Angel," he said.

"That's kind of girly," she answered, her brow creasing in concern.  "Is he
gay?  Are you sure it isn't 'Angle'?"

Angel turned abruptly towards her, "Why the hell are you looking for
Angle..."  He stopped himself, "Angel."

Suddenly she wasn't there anymore, just a bottomless expanse of night and
moonlight.  He blinked.  The woman was back, smiling at him secretively.
"Who are you?" he asked again.

"I told you.  I'm *your* goddess.  You must be Angel," she said.
- ---
Xander and Willow walked quickly from his car to the Bronze.  "So let me
get this straight,"  Xander repeated, "You were going to try to destroy
something older than the planet?"

Willow nodded as they approached the bouncer.  "It's all well and good if
Hecate stops him from rising, but he'll still be there.  Under the earth,
waiting for his next turn at bat.  The line has to be drawn here and now.
Somehow, the Hellmouth isn't holding him back anymore.  The world is
changing too quickly for us to take the chance that whoever's alive next
time can stop him."

"There's no guarantee that we can stop..." Xander began, but Willow shushed
him as they came within earshot of the bouncer.  The two of them handed $10
each to the burly man at the door, who eyed the 34 year old man and his 16
year old "date" with some suspicion.

As they walked into the club, Willow felt keenly nostalgic.  Eighteen years
and the damn place still looked the same.  She was nervous about seeing
Angel.  He also fell into the category of things she hadn't seen in 18
years, and the memory of the bittersweet kiss that had ended their
association in Paris made her feel strangely warm.  She turned to Xander,
"Okay, here's the deal with the Bronze," she said, quickly, "Whatever you
do, don't spill anyone's blood; so long as you don't do that it should
protect you."

"Willow, I think you remember all the people who've been killed in here.
How can you say that the Bronze can protect us?"  Xander asked, as the
throng pushed the two of them closer together.

"And where are their killers?"  she replied.

Xander thought about it.  "I see your point," he concurred, perplexed by
the passively-aggressive defenses of the club.  A passing teenage girl in a
short, short dress  grabbed his butt and licked her lips as she headed
towards the bar.  "Mmm mmm, gotta get me some of that," she purred,
glancing back at him as she walked away.  His eyes trailed after her.

"Hey, Daddy Harris," Willow chided, turning his bandaged face towards her.
"Focus.  We're trying to prevent the meeting of the Beast from Sunnydale
and Greece's Greatest Evil, remember?"

"Where were girls like that when I was sixteen?"  he complained, something
of the horny adolescent emerging in his voice.

"Biting the heads off of virgins," Willow observed, dragging him towards
the center of the room.  She told him to keep an eye out for Angel, as she
extended her senses, looking that slight glow that distinguished the living
from the unliving.

She finally caught it.  Up on the balcony.  But it was too late.  Angel and
Hecate had met, and they were both looking down at her.

Without breaking eye contact, she touched Xander and pointed up at them.
- ---
It was Willow.  Angel looked again.  Yes, definitely Willow, who was
looking at him now, disapprovingly.

"Well, look who's here,"  Hecate sighed, waving for the trepidatious pair
on the dance floor to join them.  Willow and Xander slowly made their way
to the staircase.

"What's she doing here?"  Angel asked, recovering his composure.

Hecate didn't answer as Willow and Xander approached.  The four people
stared at each other silently.

"Angel," the professor said.

"Willow,"  the goddess said.

"Xander,"  the vampire said.

"Hecate,"  Willow said.

There was another lengthy, uncomfortable silence.  Willow finally spoke,
"Angel, it's nice to see you."

Angel nodded, a small smile on his lips as his body visibly relaxed.

"No warm hellos?"  Hecate asked, fingering the pendant hanging around her neck.

Willow's eyes narrowed, as the corner of mouth began to twitch.  "I suppose
you think you're very clever, Crone?"  she asked.

"'Crone,' is it?"  Hecate said, amused.  "I am very clever.  I haven't
survived over two millenia by being stupid, little girl.  I would keep that
in mind if you intend to survive the next few days."

Willow nodded, her eyes cynically brittle.  "Then I guess we do things your
way?"

"I don't understand why *you're* mad,"  the goddess said testily.  "You
stole from me, remember?  It's lucky I got this back before your
foolishness lost the battle."

"And if we lose the war?"  Willow retorted.  "It's not like any of us are
getting any younger, and the God below will only get stronger unless we
destroy him now."

"Sometimes you can't destroy the darkness, you just chase it away until the
candle burns out,"  Hecate explained, but Willow was unconvinced.

"We could open the Hellmouth?"  Hecate suggested, without acrimony.  "That
would stop him.  Do you think that's an option?"

Xander intervened, "Um.  Should we be fighting?  I assume we're all on the
same side here."

Hecate's eyes broke away from Willow's.  She favored him with a brilliant
smile.  "Of course, Alexander."  She turned back to Willow, "Will you help
me?"

"Since I'm here, I guess I might as well," Willow said, mildly annoyed.

Hecate grinned.  "You know I'm right."

"Could someone please explain what's going?" Angel asked.

Hecate nodded.  "I think it's time we laid all the cards out.  There's
god-stoppin' that needs a'doin'."
- ----
Mayor Snyder walked to his car.  It was a little after 10 pm and he knew
his wife would have gone to bed by now.  It was getting harder and harder
to talk to her; it had been hard enough as a principal's wife, but she had
been very reluctant to be a mayor's wife.  She had vaguely talked about
other couples' divorces recently, but he had pretended not to understand
what she meant.  He did love her, but he loved his work too, and if it came
to choice, he was unsure what he would do.  He got into his car, then
smiled.  He would get her flowers on the way home tonight.  If she was
asleep, he'd wake her up.  Suddenly he heard a loud thud on the roof of the
car, as if something heavy fell on top of it.  He was startled by the
sound, which was followed by the gentle tinkling of bells.  He looked
around desperately, trying to identify the thing that was crawling across
his roof, screaming as a face suddenly appeared in his front windshield.
No, not a face.  A porcelain mask, frozen in a gruesome rictus of a smile.

The Prince of the Autopsy drew his gloved fist up and brought it down on
the glass, shattering it into the car.  Snyder's hands flew up to protect
his face, but Scapino's hand grabbed the back of his head, dragging him
forward and impaling the Mayor's throat on the broken glass of the
windshield.  As the Mayor gurgled on the blood that seeped onto the
dashboard, he reached up and grabbed the jester's cap on Scapino's head,
trying to force the demon away but instead pulling off a tiny bell at the
tip.  Finally, he stopped struggling as his life bled away.  Mayor Snyder
was dead.

The Prince of the Autopsy giggled, pulling out his scalpel and getting to work.
- ----
End Part 9

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 17:47:12 -0500
From: "Matthew Wahoske" <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC:  A Fresh Start (5/5)

TITLE: A Fresh Start (5/5)
AUTHOR: Matthew J. Wahoske
EMAIL: [e-mail]
DISTRIBUTION: Anya only.  All others ask permission.
RATING: PG-13.  Some violence.  Character killed.
SYNOPSIS:  Buffy's not quite herself after being resurrected.
After almost staking Angel at the Spring Fling, the rest of the
night passes in a blur.  Now it's the Monday of finals week, and
Buffy goes off to get help from Giles (now located in the
computer lab), with Xander following behind.  In the lab, she
learns that Giles and Ms. Calendar have given the Master's
skeleton to Angel for safe keeping.  She is incensed at this,
when Ms. Calendar tells the others that Brother Luca has sent a
new prophecy that details how Buffy now has the powers of two
slayers.  The old Buffy is gone forever, replaced by a new
persona.  Willow is apprehensive about this, while Xander tries
to reassure her.  Buffy heads off to Willow's to study and also
to meet her new love, Xander.  After she sees Buffy kissing
Xander, Willow tells Xander of her love for him.  Things don't
go well, however, and by the end of the next day Willow is
depressed and wandering the cemetery while Buffy is out hunting
for Angel.
SPOILERS:  "The Pack", "Angel", "Nightmares", and "Prophecy Girl"
in particular.  The whole first season, in general.
DISCLAIMER: Joss Whedon's fertile mind, Mutant Enemy, 20th
Century Fox, and Warner Bros. own these characters, not me.


Buffy walked quickly through the deserted streets of Sunnydale,
armed with a full complement of stakes and a sense of purpose -
to get rid of Angel once and for all.  She knew exactly where he
was; the sixth sense that had developed since her resurrection
easily pinpointed his location.  *Once this task is completed, I
can finally rest for a while - at least until the next exam in
the morning.*

A rustle in the hedge alongside the sidewalk caught Buffy's
attention.  *Will he never learn?*  She stopped and crept up
alongside it.  Suddenly she reached through to the other side
and caught hold of something, pulling it back through the hedge.

A startled Xander plopped on the cement in front of her.
"Xander, you must be the worst spy in existence.  I've known you
were following me ever since I left my house.  I put up with it
for a while, but now I'm about to go to work.  Please - go away.
I'll meet you afterwards."

Xander decided to at least attempt a protest.  "But, Buff, won't
you need me around for moral support?  I can cheer from the
sidelines."  It was a lame idea, and he knew it.  But he was
worried that Buffy was too confident with her newfound strength.
Someone should be there to help her, even if it wasn't really
much help at all.

"Yeah, sure.  Then I can help keep you from getting killed when
the vampires home in on your position."  Buffy started to walk
away, but Xander kept up with her.  They soon reached the
entrance to the cemetery.  "Xander, I don't want you around when
I'm out slaying.  I care too much about you.  Now are you going
to leave, or will I have to force you?"

 Xander stood his ground.  "Buffy, I care about you the same
way.  I'm not going to leave you alone."

Suddenly, a scream rang out from the cemetery.  Buffy quickly
turned to Xander.  "Sorry about this, but I don't have time to
argue."  Buffy hit Xander on the jaw with a devastating blow
from her right hand.   He fell to the ground with a thud.  *I'm
getting pretty good at that,* thought Buffy as she quickly
placed Xander behind some shrubs and ran into the darkness.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------

As she approached the mausoleum where the scream emanated from,
Buffy saw a figure bending over a still female form.  Was it -
yes, it was Willow!  *Typical.  Just as clueless as Xander.
Haven't they learned to stay inside in this town when it's
dark?*  The figure was familiar as well.  "Angel!  Get away from
her, and prepare to die!"  She rushed at him, with a stake in
one hand and holy water in another.

Angel barely had time to dodge her attack.  "Buffy, it's not
what you think.  I must have scared her.  She turned around,
screamed, and slipped on the rocks."  Again, he avoided a stake
by inches.

"A likely story.  I don't trust your good deeds anymore, Angel,
even if they are genuine, for now.  You're a time bomb waiting
to go off.  Sooner or later, you'll return to your true nature -
a merciless demon whose only reason for existence is to kill the
living.  I can't afford to take a chance and wait until that
happens."  Having paused to deliver her speech, Buffy now
redoubled her efforts, throwing the full jar of holy water into
Angel's face.  He writhed in agony, clawing at his eyes as if to
gouge them out.

Words came torturously to Angel as he struggled to fend off
Buffy's repeated blows.  He couldn't bring himself to strike
back, even though his continued existence was in danger.  *She
seems to be enjoying this!*  "What have I done to deserve this?
I've never knowingly hurt you.  I couldn't hurt you.  I love
you."

Angel's ernest plea did little to dissuade Buffy.  "Sure you
love me.  You love me so much that Xander had to force you to
come help me when I was dying.  Oh, yes, he told me all about
it!"  Quicker and quicker came Buffy's furious attack.  Angel
was now bowed and bent, with bones broken all over his frame.

The relentless onslaught caused Willow to stir.  With a groan,
she slowly sat upright and strained to see the battle that had
aroused her.  She could barely make out Buffy raising a stake
and thrusting it down onto - Angel?!  She screamed.  "Buffy,
no!!"

It was too late.  The stake had pierced Angel's heart.  "I will
always love you,"  he gasped.  The next moment, his body turned
to ashes, which scurried away in the wind.

Willow was stunned.  It took her a while to regain her voice.
"Buffy - you killed Angel, after all he did for us?"

Buffy knelt down by Willow and made sure she was all right.
"Believe me, Willow, if I hadn't killed him, you'd have been
sorry sooner or later."

Willow pushed herself away from Buffy.  "I can't believe that.
He helped us defeat the Master.  He had a human soul.  He loved
you, and you repay him by killing him?  Have you lost all
emotion and feeling, Buffy?  Don't you care for anyone anymore?"

Buffy stood alone, the night pressing around her, her face hard
and passionless.  "Sometimes its dangerous to care too much for
someone, Will.  Every time I met Angel, I could feel the demon
within him was getting stronger.  I ignored it because of my
feelings for him.  After my death, I put my duties as the Slayer
ahead of everything else.  The extra power I had received would
go to waste if I did otherwise.  I had to kill him, Will, or he
would have killed us one day. It's that simple."

Willow's head had cleared by now.  She gingerly stood up, still
not willing to totally believe Buffy's version of events.  Angel
had done too much for them to be dismissed so easily.  In
addition, there was another topic that came between them, one
that Willow knew she had to bring up.  "What's the simple story
about Xander, Buffy?  You knew I loved him, yet you went after
him without any hesitation. You don't seem to be worrying about
caring too much for him."

Buffy sighed.  *Xander again?  I thought I explained that to you
last night.*  "I must admit I have a weakness for him.  I can
understand why you love him as well.  He might act foolish most
of the time, but underneath you know he would follow you to the
ends of the earth, into whatever problem you might get into."
Willow slowly nodded her head.  "He saved my life, Will, and put
his own in danger.  That alone would deserve my gratitude, but
he deserves so much more.  I have no regret for revealing my
true feelings towards him, even though I know that you were hurt
by it.  He's the one I'm fighting evil for, Will; the person who
keeps what little sanity I have intact.  I won't allow anything
to happen to him anymore.  I have to make sure that I don't need
his help again."

Willow didn't say a word.  It was obvious that nothing she did
or said would make Buffy give up Xander.  She resigned herself
to her fate.  *I guess it's time to get on with my life and find
someone else to love.  Lord knows how long that will take.*

Buffy stared at Willow.  "I won't blame you if you decide to
stop hanging out with me from now on, Will.  It's up to you.
I'll be out here every night whether you're with me or not."
Buffy walked away towards the entrance to the cemetery.  "Now,
I'd better wake Xander."

Willow followed after her.  "Wake Xander?  Don't tell me he
could sleep while you killed Angel."  *Yes, killed him.*  Willow
would never forget that.

"No, quite the opposite.  I'm afraid I had to hit him in order
to prevent him from following after me."  Buffy pulled Xander's
inert frame out of the shrubs and started to revive him.

Willow immediately knelt by Xander's side, but a look from Buffy
caused her to shrink further away.  Xander slowly came around.
"Buffy?  Something must have hit me."  He paused, trying to
collect his jumbled thoughts.  "Wait a minute, you hit me!  What
in the hell did you do that for?  My face will be scarred for
life."  He knew Buffy had only hit him because she felt it was
necessary to protect him, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy
it.  He turned to his side and noticed someone else looking at
him from a distance.  "Willow?  What are you doing here?  Hey,
that reminds me.  Angel.  What happened to him?"  He noticed
Willow cringe.

Buffy cradled Xander in her arms.  "You won't have to worry
about him any more.  He is no longer among the living - or the
undead."

Xander stared at Buffy.  "You staked him?  Just like that?  Do
you do that to all your ex-boyfriends?  I'd better stay on your
good side, just in case."   Buffy held him tighter.  Xander had
never cared for Angel, but he was slightly upset that he was
gone.  *Angel did help us, after all.*  He noticed Willow
walking away.  *On the whole, though, I'm more worried about
Willow.  She seems really out of things.*  "Hey Willow!  Don't
you want us to see you back home?"

Willow shook her head.  "That's OK, Xander.  I don't want to
disturb you while you're busy."  She kept on walking into the
darkness.

"Will she be all right, walking home by herself?"  Xander
started to get up to follow her but found himself unable to
stand just yet.

"Don't worry, Xander, I can't feel any other demons or vampires
around.  She'll be fine.  You, on the other hand, are going to
require some special treatment which only I can give you."
Buffy gave Xander a tender kiss on his neck.  "That's only the
sample.  When we get back to your place, I'll give you the full
remedy."   Part of Xander felt guilty for abandoning Willow, but
the rest quickly gave in to the thought of spending some quality
time with Buffy.  *Hey, if I could like Buffy when she was a
vampire, I can put up with her when she's a little psycho.  I'll
have to make sure I talk to Willow sometime tomorrow, though.*

Buffy helped Xander to his feet and pointed him in the direction
of his house.   The couple stayed close together as they walked
away from the cemetery.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------

Friday afternoon had finally come.  No more exams!  It was the
end of the school year and the start of the freedom of summer.
Buffy and Xander had somehow survived the last few days of tests
without Willow's help.  She had withdrawn into a shell, even
refusing to talk to Xander when he had approached her two days
ago.

One final visit was necessary before the school year could be
declared officially over.  Buffy and Xander had to say goodbye
to Giles, even though they both knew that they would probably
see him many times over the vacation.  As they entered the
computer lab, they were surprised to see, along with Giles and
Ms. Calendar, the one person they had thought wouldn't return to
the group - Willow.

"Giles said he needed my help.  I couldn't turn him down,"
Willow said in answer to their unasked question, not looking
directly at them.

"Yes, I don't know what I'd do without Willow to help me with my
research.  It just wouldn't be the same."   Giles looked
pointedly at Buffy.  "I suppose you have come to say farewell.
Let me remind you, Buffy, that the forces of evil do not take a
summer vacation.  I expect you to meet me at my house on Monday
morning to continue your training.  Just because you have twice
the power now doesn't mean you have twice the technique."

Buffy was annoyed.  *He's been on me ever since I told him about
Angel.*  "I'm not stupid, Giles.  I know the Anointed One is
still here, and he's bound to rally the vampires that are left
around him.  Hopefully, it will take some time for him to do
that."

"It's unfortunate that you destroyed the one person who might
have been able to give us some inside information on what the
Anointed One was up to."  Giles's anger subsided.  "However, I
don't want to revisit that argument.  Just take care, and stay
alert."

"You have a good summer yourself, Giles."  Buffy turned to Ms.
Calendar.  "Take good care of him when we aren't around."  Buffy
whispered in her ear.  "Maybe you could help him with his dress
sense."  Ms. Calendar nodded, giving Buffy a conspiratorial
look.  "By summer's end, he'll be the height of fashion."  Buffy
didn't share her opinion.  *Fighting the Master again would be
easier than trying to change Giles into a fashion model.*

As was her custom, Buffy made one last comment before she left.
"Oh, and Giles, try to find a way to get rid of the Master's
skeleton soon.  I don't feel like keeping watch outside your
house all night long.  I doubt Ms. Calendar would like that very
much."  With a smile, Buffy started to leave, making a quick
glance towards Willow.  "See you, Will."  There was no reply.
Buffy shrugged and left the room followed shortly afterwards by
Xander.

Xander had tried to engage Willow in a discussion, but she had
ignored him.  *Obviously it's going to take some time before she
forgives me, if ever.  I'll keep trying, though.  Maybe one day
we can return to being friends.*  As Buffy and Xander left the
school, and started to go down the front steps, hand in hand,
Xander reflected on all the changes that had taken place in the
past week.  *Buffy loves me, Willow hates me, Angel's gone,
along with the Master, and school is finished for the summer.
It's a fresh start, and I'm not sure it's for the better.*

From the school, Willow watched her two former friends walk into
the hazy sunlight of a summer afternoon.  With a sigh, she
turned away from the window, went back to the computer, and
returned to her work.

The End.

Well, that's it.  Let me know what you think!  Feedback desired.
Since this is a beta version, any suggestions on grammar etc.
are appreciated.

------------------------------

End of buffyfic Digest V1 #31
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