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From: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com (Buffyfic-digest) To: buffyfic-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: Buffyfic-digest V1 #88 Reply-To: buffyfic@xmission.com Sender: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk Buffyfic-digest Monday, January 19 1998 Volume 01 : Number 088 In this issue: BUFFYFIC: Ill Met By Moonlight, Part 8 of 19 BUFFYFIC: ADMIN: List rules BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (3/?) BUFFYFIC: Pleasant Dreams (10/?) by Kimela BUFFYFIC: Dance with an Angel (1/1) Re: BUFFYFIC: Dance with an Angel (1/1) BUFFYFIC: Ill Met BY Moonlight, Part 9 of 19 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: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 22:33:35 -0600 (CST) From: perridox@enteract.com (Perri Smith) Subject: BUFFYFIC: Ill Met By Moonlight, Part 8 of 19 See disclaimer in part one. Compliments accepted/enjoyed/ignored at perridox@enteract.com. ****** Ill Met By Moonlight (8/19) by Perri Smith Copyright 1998 Part 7 "He's not my wolf," the Gypsy said between her teeth, the stake still clutched in her hand and aimed in the general direction of Angel's heart. "And stop sneaking up on me if you want to live!" "What are you going to do, curse me?" Angel snarled. "Haven't you done enough damage already?" "Not *even*," she snarled back, "but give me the chance and I'll make up for it." The urge to simply snatch the stake out of her hand, doing whatever damage was necessary in the process, was incredibly strong. It would be so easy, she still couldn't even stand up straight.... He settled for taking a threatening step forward, and had the pleasure of seeing the Gypsy take a step back. "Here's your chance," he said dangerously, feeling the demon stir . "Try it." Her face hardened, fear beaten back by anger and disgust. She took the step forward again, tightening her grip on the stake, and he smiled in anticipation-- - -- and a slim form forced its way between them, wrenching the stake from the Gypsy's hand with a single deft move. "That's *enough*," Buffy said with a pretty good snarl of her own. "Sasha, back off!" The Gypsy didn't move; Buffy swung on her. "I said, back off," she repeated, her voice quiet and lethal. The Gypsy stood her ground for another long moment, and Angel waited for the attack, hoped for it. But she finally backed down, retaking her seat and crossing her arms over her chest, all without taking her eyes off Angel. "And you." Buffy turned on Angel, forcing him a step back. He growled, low in his throat, but her only reaction was to narrow her eyes even further. "If you can't help, then leave. We have enough problems without you two trying to kill each other!" "Ten bucks on the witch," Xander muttered a little too loudly. Three glares intersected on him; he shrank down in his seat out of range. Willow continued to stare at them, wide-eyed and not a little afraid, and Angel suddenly realized his face had lost its grip on humanity -- the vampire had taken over. The realization was enough to break through his red haze of anger. He saw the determination and well-hidden fear in Buffy's angry eyes, the way Giles' hand was poised near another stake, and abruptly turned his back, walking towards the bookcases on the other side of the room as he struggled for control. It came, but not easily. Sasha broke the screaming silence first. "Okay. Fine." she said, biting off each word. "Kriston comes first." "Angel?" He could feel Buffy's eyes boring into his back and gritted his teeth, but finally nodded, once. "Good. Sheesh. This is like being a kindergarten teacher, without the lousy paycheck." Only someone who knew Buffy as well as Angel did could have heard the slight tremble in her voice; he mentally cursed himself for losing it in front of her and the others. The last thing he wanted in this life was to make Buffy afraid of him.... "Giles, what *are* our options besides the silver bullet thing?" Buffy continued, her voice strengthening as they got back to business. Angel turned enough to watch her as she settled back at the table, across from the Gypsy. "*Are* there any cures?" Giles stuttered and shoved his glasses up, apparently caught by the abrupt change in atmosphere. "W-well, there is one alternative which should work, all mysticism aside. Since we have the chov-hani who cast the curse, the simplest thing would be for her to simply break it. Withdraw the spell and return Kriston to normal." "I already tried that," the Gypsy informed him sullenly. "Three times. It didn't work." "It didn't?" Giles polished his glasses, stalling for another answer. "Ah, well, then we are presented with a problem. I'm afraid I shall have to--" "--do more research," Buffy finished the sentence with him. "And while you research, we've got a crazy man wandering around in the body of a wolf, killing blondes. Not a good scene." "We have to take the werewolf out of action," Angel said tightly. "Whatever we do with him, he can't be left loose." He walked close enough to the table to lean one hand on the back of Buffy's chair. She tensed and looked up at him; he offered her an apologetic look, trying to ignore the hostility radiating from the woman beside her that set his teeth on edge. Buffy studied him for a second, then smiled wryly. Apology accepted, trust more or less restored. If only everything were as easy. "No, no, of course not," Giles agreed with Angel, replacing his glasses. "I suppose we could attempt to capture him..." "No!" Angel objected. Everyone stared at him again, but it was a look of confusion instead of fear. He could live with that. "You can't capture something like this, you can't play games with it. All it knows is killing, and it will kill anything that gets in its way. If you go after it, it'll try to kill you." He said the last directly to Buffy; her forehead creased in puzzled worry. "Angel, I've taken on killer demons before. I can take this one down." "Or you can be its next meal," Angel said flatly. He touched her hair, lifting a lock of it. "He likes young blondes, remember?" Buffy shuddered slightly and he hated himself, but she had to realize how dangerous this was. If anything happened to her.... Her shudder faded quickly, and was replaced by a thoughtful expression. Angel watched her with narrowed eyes; he knew that look. It looked like he hadn't scared her enough; she was about to have an idea, and he was willing to bet large amounts of money he was going to hate it. "Yeah, he does like blondes," she said slowly, looking at the Gypsy with that same thoughtful expression. "Which might work in our favor...." ***** "This is a really stupid plan," someone said for the fourteenth time. It didn't really matter who, at this point; everyone had been repeating it for the last hour. "It might be a stupid idea, but it might also work," Buffy repeated to the speaker -- probably Xander -- as she had been doing for the last hour. "*And* it might be our best chance of taking Furface down. If we can keep him distracted until the moon sets, we can buy enough time for Giles and Willow to come up with a cure without anyone else dying." "Except you?" Sasha asked harshly. She was limping along using Xander as a crutch, which did not thrill Xander, but was better than letting Angel carry her. Angel walked on Buffy's other side, as far from Sasha as they could get him, and incidentally in the perfect position to protect the Slayer if anything jumped out of the shadows. Buffy didn't think it was an accident, but was willing to let him pull the guy thing, as long as it kept him from going mental again. They'd left Willow back at the library to help Giles; aside from a token protest, she hadn't complained. "If you get killed playing bait," Sasha continued, her teeth gritted against what had to be pretty serious pain, "the rest of us don't have a chance in hell of beating Kriston." "You thought you and Angel could do this alone when you headed up here," Buffy shrugged, trying not to show the cold fingers that had raced up her spine at the mention of 'death'. She'd been there, done that, and didn't look forward to trying it again. But she couldn't think of anything else. "That was before I knew a Slayer was available -- albeit not a very *bright* one." "Watch it," Angel growled. "This is *your* mess, remember; you're not winning any intelligence awards here." Sasha's eyes flashed, but Buffy bared her teeth at her in warning and she subsided, as they continued their slow shuffle towards the Bronze and Sasha's car. "But it *is* a stupid plan," Angel commented after another minute. Buffy almost growled at him. "Look, it's not like I'm doing this alone, okay? All I have to do is get his attention and lead him someplace where we can ambush him. If we can knock him cold like Sasha did, or even just get him away from the city, we win, for tonight anyway. And that'll give Giles and Willow time to think of something for tomorrow night. I hope. Sasha, you can give us some magical backup, right?" This was the part she was unsure of; even after being attacked by magic a few times, the concept was still weird. But Sasha nodded. "I guess so. Giles dug some spells out while you were messing with your hair and they sound... right. If this chov-hani stuff is for real, I might be able to pull something off." "Great confidence here," Buffy muttered. "And I think you've already proven how real this 'chov-hani stuff' is. So let's get it done, okay?" Sasha had stopped herself and Xander by the side of a battered Ford sedan, abandoned two blocks from the Bronze; as she fumbled with her keys, she and the other two members of the wolfhunting party reluctantly nodded agreement. "Good," Buffy said. "Sasha, you and Xander head for the ambush spot; Angel and I will go play bait around the library." "What makes you think he'll head there?" Sasha asked, her head inside the back door as she dug through a duffel bag laying there. "You were bleeding all over the place last night; he's have to be a pretty poor excuse for a wolf not to track you there," Buffy said, trying to sound confident and mentally crossing her fingers. "Besides, the library sits on top of a magic sinkhole; I'm betting he'll get pulled to it like every other supernatural beastie in the universe." "Just be careful," Xander warned, opening the passenger door. He looked resigned, but deeply unhappy. Buffy forced a smile for his benefit. "Hey, it's me." "That's what I'm worried about." Buffy pretended not to hear his mutter, but turned and started back towards the library; Sasha's voice stopped her. "Buffy." Buffy turned again and waited as the Rom limped over to her. "Take this." It was a knife, sharp and gleaming real silver in the dim moonlight. Buffy looked at it, then gave Sasha a questioning look. The Gypsy's face was grim. "My grandmother gave it to me. If it comes down to it -- kill him before he can kill you. I won't trade your life for my mistake either." Buffy closed her fist around the hilt and nodded her agreement. The Gypsy returned the nod, then got in the car and started the engine. Buffy watched them until they were out of sight, then turned to Angel. "Ready to go fishing?" she asked cheerfully. His look was answer enough. She sighed and started walking back towards the library, Sasha's knife held closely and comfortingly in her grasp. She didn't bother to look back at Angel; he'd gone stealth, slipping invisibly into the shadows behind her. But she knew he was there, and it was almost enough to keep her from being afraid. Almost. She'd never seen Angel like he'd been in the library. He got annoyed sometimes (usually at Xander, and it was usually kind of entertaining), and God knew he could get intense, but she'd never seen him lose it like that, not to the point of being literally ready to rip someone's throat out. Not when he'd faced Darla, not against Spike, not even against Buffy herself. For a few minutes, he'd been Angelus and he'd scared the living hell out of her. Then he'd gotten it under control, so abruptly it had left her blinking, and a few minutes later, he'd been Angel again. The outburst had scared him as much as it had scared her, she thought, but what if it happened again? Could she stop him from killing Sasha? How far would she go to stop him? Something rustled next to her and she whirled before realizing it had only been a gust of wind. *Mind on business*, she ordered herself harshly, forcing herself to pay attention the world around her. The conflict between Sasha and Angel was just going to have to wait. The city was pretty quiet; the two murders were enough to make even Sunnydale residents, able to ignore the ickiest of events, nervous about being out at night. Buffy kept her eyes and ears open, and even tried for the sixth-sense thingie Giles was so hot on. Unfortunately, it wasn't choosing to work tonight. "Maybe we should just call a dog catcher," she said under her breath, trying to look like an innocent victim. Her hair bounced around her face in unaccustomed curls, distracting her. She shoved it back from her eyes with her free hand and curled the other tighter around the knife. Something that felt like engraving dug into her palm, but she carefully didn't look. She didn't really want to know what they said. By the time she and her silent escort finished their meandering, 'come and get me' route back to the library, Buffy's nerves were permanently stuck on 'high'. Nothing had lunged out of the shadows yet, nothing had leapt from any alleys or from behind any trees, and she was beginning to get scared for entirely different reasons. What if she'd guessed wrong? What if the wolf had decided to stick with success and keep hunting at the Bronze. What if it had already found another victim, another classmate to munch.... From the darkness ahead of her came a low, throbbing growl. Buffy froze. "Angel?" she called carefully. "That's you, right?" The growl deepened, got louder, moved forward. In the shadows beneath the stone rails by the front steps of the school, something moved. Something big. "Here we go," Buffy whispered, to herself or Angel, she wasn't quite sure. One hand on the knife, the other reaching for her backpack and the crossbow she'd stashed in it, she moved carefully forward. The shadows moved with blinding speed, lunging towards her. Stuck with the backpack still half-on, half-off, Buffy caught only a glimpse of burning yellow eyes as Angel shouted behind her. Then the werewolf was on her. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perri <perridox@enteract.com> I *am* the Buffy Evangalist! NatPacker-*-Horsechick-*-Pezhead-*-Cohenhead-*-DDEB2-*-AGA-*-SunS-*-CoJ "You borrow my neurons WITHOUT asking, mind you, and then you get them all gooky with Dru-stuff. See if I let you borrow anything of mine again." - -- Lizbet - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 07:02:46 -0500 From: sah <romana@mindspring.com> (by way of sah <romana@mindspring.com>) Subject: BUFFYFIC: ADMIN: List rules 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 <any> items or services, Buffy related or not, and no posting of non-story items such as .gifs, sound files, etc.. No attached files of <any> 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. <Nothing> 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 <any> 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, <not> 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 - - - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 12:50:44 EST From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "One Vampire's Headache..." (3/?) OK. First things firstà DISCLAIMER: The characters of Buffy Sommers, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Angel etc. are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions, and The Warner Brothers Network, and are used without permission. The author claims no rights to these characters. This is a peice of what I think will be a long, long story. If you're missing any parts ever, mail me, and I'll send you whatever you need. As always, commentary is greatly appreciated. Also, any ideas you have about where this story is going ('cause I don't know!!!!) would be helpful. This scene is a typical Buffy/Xander/Willow/Giles discussion. Enjoy! Onward! ***** "One VampireÆs Headacheà" Part the Thirdà ***** Xander and Willow ambled into the library, searching for some sign of life. All looked still, but Xander knew Giles had to be around here somewhere. In fact, Xander thought, he probably never left. "Got it!" Giles hurried out of his office, not speaking to anyone in particular. "The day of Weakness." "Huh?" Willow looked at Giles and then at Xander. Xander stared back at her vacantly. Suddenly, he mocked a revelation. "OH! *The Day of Weakness* Of course! Sometimes, I can be such an idiot. YouÆll have to forgive me." Willow elbowed Xander and Giles looked up in confusion. "Oh! You two." "Great to see you too, Giles," Xander shot back automatically. "Have you seen Buffy?" "Yeah, actually." "Buffy was making up and Algebra quiz. She said sheÆd be here after she finished," Willow explained. "Oh. That must have been the one she was studying for last night," came GilesÆ matter-of-fact reply. Willow nodded much to quickly. "Right," she squeaked out. Giles looked up from his book and scrutinized her expression. Then he shrugged and went back to his reading. Xander broke the silence and sat down at their usual table. "So, plan on telling us about this weakness thing?" "Yes. Well. I canÆt quite translate this last passage, but it appears that something of great import is about to happen in the hell mouth. "WhatÆs new about that?" "Wellà Apparently, BuffyÆs skills are required tomorrowà during the day." "Huh?" Both willow and Xander looked up at that, and stared at Giles, wondering if he was feeling well. "The Day of Weakness is a period of time when the demons inside vampires are repressed. In fact, they all but disappear." "Butàthis is a good thing, right?" Willow watched the book earnestly. "Well, it means most of them probably wonÆt be very hungry on this day, but it also means that should they feel like it, they can come out in the sun without turning to dust. It also means that during the night, the demon comes back twice as strong." "So what if one of them feels like a snack?" "Exactly. Particular vampires may target their umà meals in the daytime. ThatÆs why IÆm afraid BuffyÆs going to have to take a sick day from school." "Did somebody say æsick day,Æ" Buffy asked perkily, plopping down in the seat across from Xander. "Yes," Giles answered, watching her throw her books on the table. "ItÆs the Day of Weakness tomorrow, Buffy." "Oh. The thingie where vamps get to go out for breakfast?" "To put it simply. You have quite an advantage, Buffy. In addition to not feeling the hunger, the vampires also become very weak, because the demon is what gives them their power. In fact, they become slightly weaker than regular humans." BuffyÆs eyes met with WillowÆs. They were both thinking the same thing. *Angel.* "Now Buffy, it will be harder to detect vampires during the day, without the strength of their demons. In fact, the weakness is so severe that they canÆt even change their faces. YouÆll have to hone your senses." "Listen to Yoda, Buffy." She rolled her eyes. "Kay. So I canÆt feel their demons. How the heck can I tell theyÆre vamps?" "Well, mostly because theyÆre not in school. And they may come towards the school looking for people to feed on." "Ok. That narrows it down. IÆll get my stakes; you bring the holy water." "Oh, and Buffy- DonÆt get close enough to the school where principal Snyder can see you." "DonÆt worry. I wouldnÆt think of it." ******* End, part 3. Mail comments to Ingrid29@juno.com. Thanks! - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jan 98 13:04:53 -0600 From: "Kimela M Wilker"<kwilker@allina.com> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Pleasant Dreams (10/?) by Kimela Title: Pleasant Dreams Author: Kimela Email: kimela@writeme.com Rating: PG-13 for violence Spoilers: None -- takes place between "When She Was Bad" and "Some Assembly Required" Summary: An answer to the question Why didn't the vampires kill Xander when they abducted Willow & Giles from the library during the episode WSWB? This is a rough draft of Part Ten and any feedback for improvement is HIGHLY appreciated! Parts Prologue-nine are posted at http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/4079 Pleasant Dreams part 10 Willow woke to the sound of dripping and feel of water soaking into her clothing. The only light present was dim and flickered continually, creating a strobelight-like effect. She slowly sat up, trying to adjust to the abnormal conditions. As she glanced around to gain her bearings, she spotted Xander. He was leaning against the wall of the narrow chamber facing toward her. Either he didn't notice or he didn't care, that he was sitting in a pool of water. Willow wasn't sure which option was worse. If he didn't notice, than he was even more out of it than she would be able to deal with. If he didn't care... "Xander?" Willow called tentatively, not entirely sure that she really wanted to catch his attention. What if he still thought she was a demon? What if he tried to attack her, like before? What made her think that he would actually trust her? Apparently, he was totally out of it. His face was void of expression and he stared unseeingly at the wall beyond her. She cautiously eased toward him, ready to draw back at the first sign of trouble. He didn't even flinch as she reached out and gently brushed the damp hair out of his face. His lips were moving slightly, but no sound emerged. "Xander?" Her voice rising, panic unsettling her. She shook him firmly, and cried out as he suddenly seemed to come awake, grabbing her wrist with a vice-like grip and staring at her, his eyes enflamed with fury. Oh, God, he was going to attack... But he didn't. He stared at her, a confused expression creeping across his face. He blinked, staring at her, disbelieving. "Willow?" he spoke in a choked voice. He glanced down at her wrist, and seemed to be relieved that there was still a chain attached to it, linking them together. "But..." He suddenly lunged forward, throwing his arms around her. "Oh, God, Will." Willow could feel him shaking against her, and was astonished to realize that he was crying. She couldn't remember the last time he had cried in front of her-it hadn't happened since they were little, anyway. "Xander, it's okay. I'm here...You're okay. Hey-" "You...you were dead, Will," he sobbed. "I thought...I thought I killed you. It was my fault...I killed you..." Never had he ever been through so much turmoil-not even when he had been forced to stake Jesse. Though he had grieved then, it was nothing compared to the pain of having unwittingly butchered Willow. He was relieved that it had only been a nightmare-*but it seemed so real*! He felt like he was going crazy-he didn't know anymore what was real...was this real? *Oh, God, please don't let this be fake! Don't make me lose her again!* He hugged her tighter, as if he was afraid to let go. Slightly overwhelmed by Xander's unusual outburst of emotion, Willow wasn't quite sure how to comfort him. She started by returning his embrace, holding his trembling body against hers. "Hey, it's okay, it wasn't real-I'm right here, I'm all right." She stroked his back and rocked him gently, as if he were a child. If Xander could have gotten any closer to Willow, he would have. He needed to feel the warmth of her, needed to feel her breath against his skin. Even the faint scent of her amplified in his mind, etching itself into his memory-anything to replace the horrible image of her mutilated body. He slowly relaxed, eventually pulling back enough that he could look at her. Even then, he didn't completely relinquish his hold on her-he wasn't ready for that. He studied every single contour of her face. Before the...nightmare...he would have sworn that he knew every detail of her appearance, but now it was like he was looking at a whole new person. He was captivated by the graceful slope of her pert little nose, the depth of her big doe eyes. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was stunned by this realization. His Willow...his best friend...how had he possibly missed her beauty? When had she started wearing her hair like that? And just when did she blossom into this stunning creature? Sensing that Xander was feeling a bit stronger, Willow decided that it was time to approach the subject of his predicament. The sooner she was able to convince him that nothing he was seeing was real, the sooner he would wake up. Her mind searched for the words she could use to explain to him, so that he would understand and believe her. She needed him to trust her completely. In this highly vulnerable state, he might just be willing to accept things he normally wouldn't. On the other hand, after what he'd been through, he might be unlikely to trust anyone. What if when she told him that nothing he saw was real he figured that she was toying with him and decided that she was evil...what if, what if, what if...let's just get this over with! "Xander?" she asked softly, trying to gage his willingness to listen. She stared deep into his dark eyes and was astonished to note that he was already staring into hers. For a moment she thought she saw a glimmer of...was that *love*? No, probably just wishful thinking. He was just glad to see her. Nothing more. "Xander, I need you to really listen to me. Do you trust me?" *Do I trust you? Willow, why would you ever have to ask me that. Willow would know that I trust her*...Probably because he shouldn't trust her, he realized abruptly. The demon had certainly used her enough to get to him. Somehow the demon had sensed that she was his weak spot, and could easily be used to get to him. He suddenly felt very alone. Willow could tell that Xander was slipping away from her again, returning to his hell. She'd already blown it, and she hadn't even started yet. She had to do something, and fast, before she lost him entirely. She grasped his chin firmly, forcing him to keep looking at her. "Please, just hear me out..." How do you convince someone that he can't trust his own senses? Then again, he already seemed to be having trouble with deciding what was real...hadn't he said something about killing her? Maybe she could use that as an example..."You thought you killed me, right?" The look of utter devastation that appeared on his face gave her confirmation. She hated being the cause of his pain. "But I'm here, and I'm okay, right?" she quickly added, hoping to keep him focused on the plus side. "Right," he acknowledged tersely. He wanted more than anything to believe that the woman before him was Willow. She had to be-the alternative was too horrible to consider. "That's because it wasn't real. It didn't happen...it was like a dr-a nightmare! You're still having it. Nothing here is true." "Nothing..." he sounded doubtful. "Nothing?" "Right. Those vampires we fought earlier...those were hospital workers." Xander's brow furrowed as he considered the idea she was presenting. "Hospital workers...and they looked like vampires, why?" "Because they were vampires," Willow's voice called from behind him. But that was impossible-she was sitting right in front of him! He jerked away from the Willow beside him and turned to look for the source of the voice. "Get away from him! Leave him alone, or I'll kill you," the second Willow threatened, stepping from the shadows a few yards down the corridor, limping severely. She wielded a long bloodstained sword, but it was waving erratically in her trembling hand. "Xander, get back-it's a trap! She's not what you think she is!" Xander stared at the second Willow with bewilderment. She looked like she had been through absolute hell. Her hair was mussed, her clothing hung in bloodstained tatters, and she looked as though sleep had not visited her for weeks. His heart went out to her...she had obviously suffered, and she was clearly terrified. But...if that was Willow, then who...what was he chained to? And just what was it that he had killed? He gazed back at the original Willow, wary of her. Things were clearly not going to go as well as Willow had hoped. She could see that Xander was definitely leaning toward believing her...double. And why wouldn't he? She was certainly convincing. Not only did she look the part, but she looked particularly vulnerable-of course he would choose her. It was in his nature to protect anyone in danger. While that was something she greatly admired about him, this time it was going to work against her. "Don't listen to her," she discouraged him. "That's not me-not Willow. She's preying on your sympathies." "Don't listen to her-she's just trying to confuse you," Willow's double countered as she hobbled closer, wincing with every step. She regarded Willow with an icy glare before returning her attention to Xander. "You have to get away from her-she's just holding you here until her fiends arrive." Willow's heart lurched as she watched Xander grapple with his confusion. He looked so lost and defenseless she just wanted to cry for him. She wished she knew what to do to reassure him, but she couldn't think of a single thing that she could say that would prove to him that he could trust her. Xander glanced down at the chain that connected him to Willow, then back at Willow, unsure of what his next move should be. On one hand, only moments ago he had been fairly certain that this was Willow, and she really hadn't done anything to indicate otherwise. On the other, now there was a second being who claimed to be Willow. She was hurt, scared, and seemed genuinely concerned for his well being. So which one, if either, was the real Willow? What if he chose the wrong one? "Willow, I-" he started, still looking at the one he was chained to. He paused, and turned toward the other one. She had reached him and was watching him, wide-eyed. *I don't know what to do!* - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 17:48:53 EST From: Anexsin <Anexsin@aol.com> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Dance with an Angel (1/1) "Dance with an Angel" (1/1) by Melinda ******** Buffy Summers was peacefully asleep in her bed when a slight breeze danced through her window stirring her from her sleep. She awoke slowly and sat up in bed only to realize she had that familiar tingly feeling she only got when he was near. "Angel?" she asked quietly. He stepped out of the shadows with a grin on his face. "Hi." he answered. Seeing him brought a smile to her face that brightened his world. She couldn't stop the delightful shivers that ran up & down her spine that his presence invoked. "What are you doing here so late?" Buffy asked curiously. "I just wanted to see you." he answered shyly. "Really! No prophecies of inpending doom." she joked but was surprised by his answer. Usually he only wanted to see her when trouble was brewing. "Not that I know of. Actually I have something for you." "Like a gift?" she asked her grin becoming wider. "I guess you could say that. I wanted to get you something special for your birthday, but I didn't know what to get so..." "Wait." she cut him off. "How did you know it's my birthday and it's not until tomorrow." Buffy asked. Angel gave her that cryptic smile she loved to hate. "I told you I lurk." he answered matter-of-factly. She smiled "How could I forget. So why didn't you wait until tomorrow night when it actually is my birthday?" she asked. He moved to sit beside her on the bed. He looked into her eyes and couldn't resist the urge to kiss her. He leaned foward and gently pressed his lips to hers. At first she was surprised by his actions, but soon got caught up in a flurry of emotions and tenderly kissed him back. After a long moment she pulled back breathless. When she opened her eyes she found him starring back at her with those beautiful brown eyes that could see into her soul. She stroked the side of his face gently and leaned foward until their foreheads touched. "According to that clock over there, it is tomorrow." he answered her long forgotten question slyly. She glanced away from him to the clock on the wall that read 1:15 a.m. She realized he knew exactly what he was doing. When she returned her gaze to him she cupped the side of his face, smiled, and brought her face closer to his. "Does that mean I get my present now?" she asked. He gave her one of his rare beautiful smiles and answered. "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted." She giggled softly. "Sorry, you may proceed now." she said happily with a sweeping gesture of her hand. "Thank you. Now as I was saying, I wanted to be the first to say Happy Birthday and give you your gift from me." "Oooh, show me, show me." she begged bouncing on the bed like a little girl. Angel smiled obviously amused at her. He got up and turned on the radio. A soft song played from the speakers. - -I love you, please say - -You love me too, these three words - -They could change our lives forever - -And I promise you that we will always be together - -Till the end of time He walked back over to the bed, took her hands in his and spoke softly. "May I have this dance?" he asked. Buffy was stunned, who would've thought he was such a romantic. She got up from the bed and he led her to an open area in the middle of the room. Angel pulled Buffy into his embrace and began rocking gently to the music. - -I must be crazy now - -Maybe I dream too much - -But when I think of you - -I long to feel your touch. Buffy melted into Angel's arms resting her head gently on his strong chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gently rested his hands on her delicate back and held her close to him. Her smell and warmth filled his senses. "Thank you." Buffy broke the silence. "For what?" Angel asked confused. "For this, it's the best gift I could receive." she responded. "I really didn't know what to get you, but I wanted it to be special." he replied truthfully. "Your enough." she answered cuddling closer to him. Her loving words struck a cord deep in his heart. He knew he could never let anything ever happen to her. He'd protect her when he could, be there when she needed him, and although it's hard, to love her despite their complications. He leaned his cheek on the top of her head and whispered, "Happy Birthday Buffy." he finished and continued to rock her to the music. - -I love you - -I will be your light - -Shining bright - -Shining through your eyes - -My baby The End * Hope you liked. I know it was pretty sappy, but Buffy and Angel are my favorite couple. This is my first fic so if you liked please let me know. I enjoyed wrtitng it.* - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 17:47:47 +0000 From: angela2luv@juno.com (Angela Mach) Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Dance with an Angel (1/1) This was so sweet!!! I loved it!!! Angel/Buffy are my favorite couple!! That's one of the main reasons I watch Buffy... Also, Willow/Xander would be my second fav couple if they were together.... Angela Machåco-pres of Subjects of Buffonia Fan Clubå "Who's Ted?"-killer "Oh I'm sorry my bad. I thought you were someone else."- Cici "Bitch, just hang up the phone and *69 his ass"- Maureen *****Scream 2****** - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 22:35:06 -0600 (CST) From: perridox@enteract.com (Perri Smith) Subject: BUFFYFIC: Ill Met BY Moonlight, Part 9 of 19 No spoilers but can I just say thank goodness I got this finished before the two-parter aired! :P See standard disclaimer in part 1. Comments.compliments/flames accepted/enjoyed/ignored at perridox@enteract.com Ill Met By Moonlight (9/19) Bu Perri Smith Copyright 1998 Part 8 Angel wasn't going to get there in time. Buffy registered that in the calm, cold Slayer portion of her mind that always flipped on when things got mortally dangerous. That same part of her mind had her twisting to duck the wolf's vicious attack, meeting it with a savage sidekick instead of her unprotected body. The animal's own momentum ran it into her kick, hitting her like a truck. Buffy staggered back, tripping to the ground as the wolf gasped like a human with its breath knocked out, and fell hard to the concrete. But what would have seriously injured a human didn't do much more than shake the werewolf; in only a moment, it had regained its feet. Buffy found herself staring straight into yellow eyes, which gleamed with hunger, and anger, and a feral intelligence that was scarier than the other two combined. It was looking forward to killing her, Buffy realized, and anything else it ran into. And the closest meals were her, Angel -- and Giles and Willow, in the open and unguarded library. Her face hardened; she hoped the wolf could see the killer reflected in her eyes. But if it did, it ignored it, gathering its gray and black hindquarters beneath it and lunging again for Buffy's throat. She rolled out of the way, shaking loose of her backpack, and lashed out with her knife, feeling it connect with flesh. There was an unexpected flash of bright light and the wolf howled and struck out; Buffy barely dodged sharp claws and rolled to her feet as Angel appeared beside her. "Run!" he shouted, shoving her out of the way as the wolf turned on them both. Angel swung Buffy's backpack at its head, connecting with a loud crack and buying an instant of time that neither of them wasted. Before the wolf tore the pack away from its face, they were running down the street towards the park a block away from the school. "Keep him after you," Angel ordered, his voice choppy with the rhythm of his running. "Take the long way through the park and I'll meet you in the woods on the north side." Buffy nodded, conserving her breath, and Angel grabbed her hand, then dropped it and ducked off in the park, heading for the bike path that was the quickest way through. Buffy circled around toward the playground, hearing claws clicking on the pavement behind her, echoing a low, growling pant. She'd run like this once before, through this same stretch of park, luring a pack of hyenas into a trap. It had worked then.... She sensed the wolf lunging for her before it hit and somehow ducked out of the way. It was too close; she *felt* hot breath on her neck as the wolf went past, and spun to face it, dropping into fighting stance with the knife held before her. Wolf and Slayer froze facing each other again, as it seemed to sink in to whatever mind the wolf had left that this prey wasn't going to give in as easily as the two dead girls had. The wolf paced back and forth on the path ahead of her -- the path she had to follow to get to where Angel was waiting. Its legs moved oddly, as if there were joints where there shouldn't be, its coat twitched as if separate from its body, and it never took its burning stare off Buffy. Horribly, all she could remember when she met that gaze was the hyena, looking at her with Xander's eyes. "Come on," she goaded, trying not to let her voice shake, shifting the knife and letting the streetlight reflect from the blade. "Scared of a little thing like this? Or me?" The wolf tensed, growling again deep in its throat. It was bigger than she was, and blood stained the fur around its muzzle. From last night, she wondered distantly, or had it already found a victim tonight? "Come on, Wolfman," she taunted again. "Take on someone who can fight back. Let's go." The wolf stopped its pacing and a human leer twisted its animal muzzle. Buffy took the chance and jumped forward, rolling over and past it in a vault that would have made Kerri Strug proud. The wolf snarled and struck out and the back of her jacket ripped, but then she was back on her feet and running again. It howled once in frustration, and followed. "Angel!" She screamed his name as soon as the woods came in sight, feeling her breath burn in her lungs. The wolf panted behind her, breath coming hot and heavy. She stumbled once, nearly fell, keeping her balance through sheer force of will. But it cost her a second's grace, and the wolf took advantage. Something ripped at her jeans and she felt blood running down her calf. But she didn't stop running. Then she was in the trees, the wolf close behind. She stumbled again, grabbing a tree for balance, and the wolf lunged for her. A heavy tree branch, swung with all the strength of an enraged vampire, slammed into its chest, sending it flying backwards with a startled yelp. Angel came out of the shadows to stand between the wolf and Buffy, his game face on and the demon shining from his eyes. "Get out of here," he told Buffy over his shoulder, his voice a snarl. "I'll meet you in the hills." "God, be careful!" she panted, clutching at a cramp in her side that threatened to double her over. "Go," he snarled, and she went, stumbling through the undergrowth towards the foothills that surrounded Sunnydale, whispering a jumbled, incoherent prayer as she went. *God, please keep him safe. If you've never watched over him before, *please* do it now.* Behind her, a wolf howled. ***** "I really hate this." Sasha didn't bother to look at Xander, pacing around the car as he had been since they'd parked at the ambush. "I figured that out the first five times you said it, Xander. If it's any comfort, I'm not thrilled with this myself." "Oh great, thanks, maybe they'll put that on our tombstones." Sasha shook her head and put her hands flat on the hood of her car, boosting herself into a more secure position. Her leg was hurting too much to stand on or she would probably have been pacing just like Xander. As it was, she had to settle for drumming her fingers against the car, in a rhythm that was annoying Xander as much as his constant chatter was annoying her. "What's taking so long?" he demanded now, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he glared at the woods a hundred yards away. "They should have been here by now, if they found it." "It's only been twenty minutes." Sasha's voice wasn't as reassuring as she would have liked, thanks to the cold fist in the pit of her stomach. It felt too long, too dangerous. The wolf could have found another victim, or could have settled for the Slayer, if she hadn't been fast enough, if Angelus hadn't.... "*God*, I hate depending on him." She hadn't meant to say it out loud, didn't realize she had until Xander swung around to face her. "Angel, you mean." "Yes, Angelus. What the hell is up with you people, trusting a monster like him like this? And the Slayer...." Sasha gestured widely, completely baffled and not happy about it. "She's supposed to kill vampires, not hang with them!" "It's been pointed out," Xander shrugged, settling down on the hood next to her. His attempt at stillness probably wouldn't last long, but Sasha intended to enjoy it while it lasted. "Mostly by me, but Buffy's not big on listening, you know? She did try once, right after we found about the fang thing, but it kind of turned into a stink." "Oh, really?" She lifted her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue, but he looked away uncomfortably instead. "It's a long story," was his only comment. "And.. he kinda has come through for us -- a *couple* of times. We could have handled the situations, though," he added hastily. "I'll bet," Sasha snorted. Angelus as a good guy -- and Hell would be freezing over shortly. "You really hate him." It wasn't a question; Sasha shook her head, her face set, and stared straight ahead. "Yeah, I really hate him." "Why?" Her head snapped towards him and he put his hands up in a 'peace' gesture. His face was a study, torn between what looked like total agreement and reluctant loyalty. "I know he killed someone in your clan and all, but that was, like, years ago. I'm not in Angel's fan club, but he's not the same guy who attacked your clan. He's had lots of chances to kill us and he hasn't." "The best you can say about him is that he hasn't killed you?" Sasha arched her eyebrows at him again, refusing to hear anything else he said. Her instincts, her guts, her *blood* said Angelus was not to be trusted, no matter what he'd conned these kids into believing. "Doesn't sound like there's been much of a change at all." His eyes were disturbed as he started to say something else, but whatever it was interrupted when a piercing howl echoed through the trees, not more than half a mile away. Sasha's hands clenched instinctively, her mouth going dry, and she wished desperately for the knife she'd given Buffy. All she said out loud, though, was, "They're coming." Xander was already on his feet next to the car, eyes wide, but face determined. From the ground beside the car, he'd snagged the quarterstaff he'd talked out of Giles on the understanding that it was to be used only as a last defense. Sasha stood armed only with the magic her grandmother swore she had. She fought the soul-deep surety that it wouldn't be enough. They stood back to back, waiting, not sure which direction the hunt would come from. The long dead grass around them moved with each slight gust of wind, every shift and rustle making Sasha and Xander jump. The full moon cast just enough light to make the shadows dance, lending their own air of surreality to the scene. "This is just like 'I Was a Teenage Werewolf'," Xander babbled in a nervous whisper. "You know, when they're chasing Wolfboy through the fields with the posse on his tail after he killed the gymnast and the father is still trying to convince everyone it couldn't be his kid, and you can hear the dogs going crazy, and you just know one of the deputies is going to buy it - --" "Xander," Sasha said as evenly as she could through gritted teeth. "Shut up." He shut, but the energy he'd been working off verbally found another outlet, setting his body into vibration mode. She pretended not to hear his teeth chatter as the sound of a fight came closer, as long as he kept ignoring the sound of her teeth doing the same. An unexpected grin touched her lips. Damned if he wasn't right, though; it *was* just like the movie.... A tall, dark figure burst through the trees a hundred feet away, running with inhuman speed. The huge, loping form behind it kept pace, inches from Angelus's back. Xander shouted something and Angelus looked up, then changed directions, heading straight for them. Another shout, and Buffy emerged from a closer patch of woods, her pale hair glowing in the moonlight as she raced to meet the wolf and vampire. "Stay behind the car, Xander," Sasha ordered, without looking to see if the kid obeyed, knowing he probably wouldn't. She couldn't worry about that now - -- the wolf had heard her voice and stopped in mid-step, its face and eyes locked on her. Then it raced forward again, easily outstripping Angelus and heading directly for its true prey. Her big mistake, she realized later, was in meeting its eyes. They caught her, trapping her with the wolf's malice and her own terror. She forgot to move, forgot to breathe, forgot everything but the wolf as it slowed, then deliberately stalked toward her. She stumbled back one step, ran into the car, and couldn't go any further. Her mind reached frantically for the spells Giles had taught her, for the power her grandmother insisted she had, but there was nothing there, nothing but the fear. "Sasha, do something!" Buffy's voice; she was still too far away, but the shout was enough to shake the wolf's hold loose. Sasha grabbed it, held onto it, and one of the rituals filtered back through through her haze. She caught it, and shouted it aloud with the desperate, futile hope that it would work. The words echoed through the night and the wolf stopped dead in its tracks-- And sneered, as nothing happened. Sasha sobbed out loud in hopeless terror, falling back against the car in a last, hopeless attempt to escape... There was cold calculation in the wolf's expression; it was drawing it out, enjoying the anticipation.... "Sasha, look out!" The wolf went for her, but there was suddenly something in the way. Xander swung the quarterstaff with all of his might, and caught the wolf on the side of the head. But he didn't have Buffy and Angelus's strength; the wolf stumbled, then shook off the blow and lifted one huge paw to bat Xander aside as casually as if it was brushing off a fly. Xander's head hit the ground with a sickening thunk, and he lay still. "No, damn you!" The scream came from three throats, but it was Sasha who continued to shout. Another spell, not words Giles had taught her, but words she'd known all along, hidden away somewhere with the Gypsy. They tore past her paralyzed throat, demanding to be heard and obeyed. And fire leapt from her hands. The flames blazed high into the wolf's face as it went for Sasha, singing flesh and setting fur on fire. The wolf screamed -- there was no other word for it -- and fell back, rolling frantically on the ground. The flames were persistent, and burned long past the time they should have gone out. The wolf staggered back to its feet, alternately growling and howling with pure, pain-racked hatred. But as it regained sight and thought, it found itself surrounded by a pissed-off vampire, a bloody-faced and bloody-minded Slayer, and a Gypsy whose hands burned with flames that lit the hills around them with an unearthly glare. They dared it wordlessly, but the werewolf had had enough for one night. Turning, it raced into the hills, away from the three that had hurt it. Buffy knelt next to Xander instantly, Angelus beside her, checking the boy over. Sasha was only dimly aware of them calling Xander's name, of the kid rolling over with a groan of pain and an irritable, "What hit me?" All she could do was stare at her still-flaming hands, and shake. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perri <perridox@enteract.com> I *am* the Buffy Evangalist! NatPacker-*-Horsechick-*-Pezhead-*-Cohenhead-*-DDEB2-*-AGA-*-SunS-*-CoJ "You borrow my neurons WITHOUT asking, mind you, and then you get them all gooky with Dru-stuff. See if I let you borrow anything of mine again." - -- Lizbet - - ------------------------------ End of Buffyfic-digest V1 #88 ***************************** 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)