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From: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com (Buffyfic-digest)
To: buffyfic-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: Buffyfic-digest V2 #58
Reply-To: buffyfic@xmission.com
Sender: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
Buffyfic-digest Tuesday, March 17 1998 Volume 02 : Number 058
In this issue:
BUFFYFIC: Re: Buffyfic-digest V2 #57
BUFFYFIC: "Footsteps" (5/?) by Ingrid
Re: BUFFYFIC: I know that we're only supposed to address fics, but please read this!!
BUFFYFIC: unsubscribe
Re: BUFFYFIC: "Footsteps"
Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Question
Re: BUFFYFIC: "Footsteps" (5/?) by Ingrid
BUFFYFIC: Hope (28/?)
BUFFYFIC: Hope (29/?)
BUFFYFIC: Hope (30/?)
BUFFYFIC: The End of The Innocence 2/5
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: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 17:17:52 EST
From: Slyr Buffy <SlyrBuffy@aol.com>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Re: Buffyfic-digest V2 #57
Could you please unsubscribe me?
Thank you
- -
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 17:28:51 -0500
From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Footsteps" (5/?) by Ingrid
DISCLAIMER: Willow, Spike, Angelus, Drusilla and Buffy
belong to Joss Whedon, the WB, Kuzui, Sandollar, and
Mutant Enemy. I make no $. Don't sue me, guys!
SUMMARY: Some more Spike/Willow madness! Now all
you people who keep asking me what has happened
to Buffy, Drusilla, and Angel can get a little peek into the
history of this story. If you don't get this, that's 'cause you
haven't read the other parts. If you want them, write to me
at Ingrid29@juno.com. Also, comments are fun to get.
Tell me if I'm doing a good job!
RATING: I don't know. I hate rating these things. PG? PG-13?
Something like that. There's an itty-bitty make-out session
(nothing much at all). That's it!
**********************
"Footsteps" by Ingrid
Part Five
**********************
The apartment was new to her- sheÆd never been in AngelÆs
home as a vampire or as a human. It was as still as a
crypt, and the cement walls certainly reminded her of one.
There were a few things placed about haphazardly,
apparently for decorative purposes.
Some decoration.
A little carved statuette encased in glass stood as a display
near one wall, and there was an old dusty bed in the corner.
She supposed that everything had remained intact since his
change. That had been eons ago. She remembered the her
fish in the envelope and grimaced. She didnÆt like Angelus.
It was something sheÆd picked up from Spike, and that sheÆd
observed during her first week at the warehouse, despite the
fact that most of it had been a result of Drusilla.
She looked at the bed again, and suddenly something pink
peeking out from under the sheets attracted her attention.
She drifted to the bed and sat down. It was BuffyÆs shirt, she
realized, and an odd feeling passed over her as a twinge of
her old life returned transiently.
Where was Buffy, anyway? Somewhere in Europe. Probably
Transylvania by now, she thought with a wry twitch of her lips.
The slayerÆs distance allowed Willow to remember Buffy
fondly. If she were here trying to stake her old friend now, it
would have been an entirely different story, she thought.
Spike startled her when he sat down behind her. She almost
jumped until she looked back over her shoulder to meet his
incredulity.
"Willow," he whispered calmly as he smoothed the shoulder
of her dress with one hand. "Vampires arenÆt supposed to be
this jumpy."
"I know," she answered, watching her feet, "but they arenÆt
supposed to want to take care of others, or to harbor
affection, or-"
Spike stroked her hair, running his fingers through the
auburn locks and caressing her cheek. Before the silence
began to set in, he pulled her into a long, sweet kiss, wrapping
his arms around her and pulling her towards him.
Reluctantly, she let her concerns fly away; kissed him back
gently. She slid her fingers through the bleached hair at the
base of his skull, enjoying the rush that was beginning to lift
her heart.
She felt him nuzzle her throat and almost cried out. She was
melting into him, and it was wonderful to just let herself go.
Her thoughts returned to plague her suddenly.
"Spike, what if they come back?" She barely managed to get
the words out. They seemed to be stuck in her throat.
He continued to press his lips to her neck languorously as he
answered. "They wonÆt. TheyÆll be there forever with the slayer
chasing them like she is. And I have every confidence that
Angelus can take care of the both of them."
"What if he canÆt?"
He stopped, disturbed by the thought. He looked pained. "Maybe itÆll
be better for her then."
"You donÆt mean that."
He winced. "I do," and paused. "I finally do."
She almost squirmed at the intensity she saw in his eyes. It was
indescribable. She attempted a pained smile to cover it up, but
then another thought struck her.
"What if Buffy-"
"As much as I hate to admit this, the slayer is strong. She will
not give in easily. They wonÆt come back, Willow."
She looked at him doubtfully.
"They wonÆt. And if they doà NothingÆs going to change this."
The silence was as resolute as he seemed, and she trusted
him. After all, hadnÆt it been his footsteps sheÆd grown
accustomed to day after day?
***
>"I myself have never been able to find out
>precisely what a feminist is; I only know
>that people call me a feminist whenever I
>express sentiments that differentiate me
>from a doormat."
> --Rebecca West, 1913
>
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
- -
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 18:40:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Jeff Reid <jeff@vv.carleton.ca>
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: I know that we're only supposed to address fics, but please read this!!
On Sun, 15 Mar 1998, Somalilly wrote:
> Vote for SMG!!!
> please? sorry to bother those of you who only like getting fics..
> shes currently in third place-vote!!!
> <A HREF="aol://4344:2640.ddtopt1.28118757.574292081">Cover Poll</A>
For those of use with better internet providers, you can vote at:
http://www.pathfinder.com/teenpeople/gdml3/topten20.html
Sorry, for the off-topic post.
- -
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 19:45:29 -0800 (PST)
From: moonsw <moonsw@bc.edu>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: unsubscribe
unsubsribe buffyfic-digest
- -
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 20:37:07 EST
From: GothGirl77 <GothGirl77@aol.com>
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "Footsteps"
Hi I just got subbed to the Buffy list and I don't have parts 1-4 of
Footsetps. Can you send them to me?
Thanx in advance,
Nastassia
- -
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 22:11:14 EST
From: LMcint6188 <LMcint6188@aol.com>
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: Question
Im on the willfic list. Im sure people would enjoy it there too....
Lins
- -
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 20:08:29 EST
From: Greeneteen <Greeneteen@aol.com>
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: "Footsteps" (5/?) by Ingrid
can u please send me the missing parts? i just signed on. thanks.
- -
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 17:38:20 PST
From: "Sara Barton" <sara114@hotmail.com>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (28/?)
Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com
Rating: Varies...will be posted at beginning of each part.
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, yada yada yada
belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, WB, and Fox.... I'm just
borrowing them, (although I wish Angel was mine!) Everything else
belongs to me!
Author's note: This is your usual generic story. Angel is still good,
so basically in my story surprise/innocence didn't happen. Willow and
Oz are together, and Xander and Cordy are still hiding their secret
utility closet rondevu's. This is going to be a long story, and will
take some time so be patient with me. I'm not very good at story
telling, so if this totally sucks and isn't read-worthy, just let me
know.Oh yeah, and I want feedback, feedback, and more feedback. I don't
care if it's good or bad, just tell me what you thought of it.
***Yes! I have finally gotten another part written. Ah...Writer's
block is pure hell. Sorry this took so long, and thanks for being
patient. Happy reading!***
Part 28 PG
Buffy, Hope, and Jenny trudged through the thick field. The Slayer
stared into the vast emptiness of her surroundings. She bent down and
picked a flower, smelling it. The aroma was so familiar. Buffy stopped
walking as she stared at the flower. ôWait.ö
Her two friends paused and looked at her. ôWhatÆs wrong, Buffy?ö Hope
asked.
BuffyÆs eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped open as she realized why
everything seemed so familiar to her. ôThe endless fields, the wild
flowers, the trees. This is it. This is where I was.ö
Jenny looked around. ôWhat do you mean, this is where you were?ö
ôIn my dream. I was here. I remember it all.ö Buffy spun around,
looking at everything. ôWhy didnÆt I see this before?ö
ôAre you sure this is where you were? ItÆs just a field.ö Hope said.
Buffy nodded earnestly. ôYes, I am sure. I know it and I can feel
it...ö her voice trailed off. Suddenly, without warning, the silence
was shattered by a loud explosion. A blast of heat swarmed them as they
turned and saw a fireball rise above the small grouping of trees. They
watched it, shocked. The black cloud hovering over started to move like
a spiral, as the sky thundered, and the wind gusted. ôOh god, we are
too late.ö Buffy uttered.
********
Xander, Cordelia, Willow, and Giles sat in the Watchers car, waiting for
a sign, waiting for Buffy to come and tell them everything was okay,
waiting for danger.
Willow sat, fidgeting with so much worry she was unable to keep still.
ôDo you think they are okay?ö She managed to say.
ôI certainly hope so,ö Giles answered.
ôNo, no, I donÆt think they are,ö she said, shaking her head.
ôThey ARE,ö Cordelia said. ôThey have to be. Buffy is the Slayer, and
she has Hope, and Ms. Calendar. They just have to be.ö
ôWho are you trying to fool? Us, or yourself?ö Xander said.
ôBoth,ö she whispered quietly.
ôListen, I think we should go help Buffy. We canÆt just sit here and
wonder whether or not she is okay,ö Xander said. When Giles didnÆt
respond, Xander yelled at him, anger filling his voice. ôWhat are we
waiting for? Her death notice?! Her lifeless body?! We HAVE to go help
them!ö
ôCalm yourself, Xander. We canÆt just go barging in on an army of
vampires.ö Giles scolded him.
ôIt is just too dangerous.ö
ôDangerous or not, IÆm going to go help her!ö Xander exclaimed, opening
his car door. ôArmy or not, she needs me. She needs *all of us*.ö He
stepped outside. ôAre you coming?ö He turned to face the field. ôI
can still see them. They are--ö he paused, ôOh my God.ö
ôWhat? WhatÆs wrong?!ö Cordelia yelled. She got out of the car.
ôWha--whoa!ö
Willow and Giles stared out the front window in astonishment as they
watched a fireball emerege from the grove. ôHoly Shit,ö Willow said.
ôI donÆt give a damn what you think right now, Giles. I am going to go
help Buffy whether you go or not!ö He said, and ran to Buffy.
ôWait! Xander, come back!ö Giles yelled. Xander slowed down and turned
around.
ôWhat?ö
ôGet in the car. We are all going to help her,ö Giles told him. Xander
came back to the car and got in. Giles turned the key in the ignition,
and drove into the field toward Buffy.
*********
Buffy choked back her tears. ôWe are too late.ö Hearing the rumble of
an engine, she spun around to see Giles old car barreling straight for
them. Her Watcher came to a screeching halt inches in front of her.
Her friend got out of the car and walked over to her.
ôAre you okay?ö he asked, gently.
She shook her head. ôYeah, IÆm okay,ö she assured him, and wiped her
eyes. ôWhat are we going to do? Angel is probably dead by now.ö
ôDonÆt say that. We donÆt know what caused that fireball. He may not
even be there,ö Giles said.
ôDonÆt try to make me feel better with false hope, Giles. HeÆs gone. I
can feel it.ö She shuddered.
ôThere is always a chance. We canÆt give up now,ö Hope said.
ôYeah, right. Whatever.ö Buffy said, her voiced dripping with sarcasm
as she rolled her eyes.
ôSo what? Your just going to give up now? No. I donÆt think so,ö Hope
said, ôI may have not known you for very long, but I do know that youÆre
not a quitter. You donÆt give up easily in tough situations. You are
the Slayer, and if you give up then your basically signing the death
warrant for all of us. You have overcome so much. DonÆt just throw
that all away. Yes, this is a tough situation, and the pressure is on
big time, but you canÆt give up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and
get out there and FIGHT! Fight for yourself, fight for your family and
your friends. But most of all, for Angel. He needs you. We all need
you.ö
Everyone was shocked, especially Buffy. She got tears in her eyes, and
gave Hope a big hug. ôYouÆre right. IÆm sorry. I donÆt know what came
over me.ö
ôItÆs okay,ö she whispered.
They parted, and Buffy smiled. She turned to her friends. ôShe is
right. We can do this. And we will. I will.ö
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- -
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 17:42:18 PST
From: "Sara Barton" <sara114@hotmail.com>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (29/?)
Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com
Rating: Varies...will be posted at beginning of each part.
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, yada yada yada
belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, WB, and Fox.... I'm just
borrowing them, (although I wish Angel was mine!) Everything else
belongs to me!
Author's note: This is your usual generic story. Angel is still good,
so basically in my story surprise/innocence didn't happen. Willow and
Oz are together, and Xander and Cordy are still hiding their secret
utility closet rondevu's. This is going to be a long story, and will
take some time so be patient with me. I'm not very good at story
telling, so if this totally sucks and isn't read-worthy, just let me
know.Oh yeah, and I want feedback, feedback, and more feedback. I don't
care if it's good or bad, just tell me what you thought of it.
Part 29
ôHello Angelus,ö the woman crooned. ôItÆs been along time.ö
ôToo long,ö he said. ôIÆve missed you.ö
ôHave you? Prove it,ö she said. He grabbed her and pulled her near,
placing his mouth on hers. Their passionate kiss was interrupted.
ôEnough with the kissy kissy. ItÆs time for our party,ö Spike said.
ôOoohh, yes. Our party. I want to go now, luv,ö Drusilla said,
pressing herself against Spike. He smiled at her.
ôYou always know how to turn me on,ö he said, and kissed her. Pulling
away, he yelled to the minions. ôWell? What the fuck are you all
waiting for? Bring us the cars.ö They scampered away.
ôSo how do you feel?ö Spike asked Angel.
ôBetter than IÆve ever felt before. I can easily get used to this.ö
ôWell you will feel even better once we get to the Hellmouth.ö
ôCanÆt wait,ö he said. Spike started to walk away, but Angel pulled him
back. ôThanks, man.ö
Spike looked at him funny. ôThanks for what?ö
Angel laughed. ôThanks for pounding me on the head with that damn bat.
Of course if it had been any other situation, IÆd have to kick your ass,
but this is an exception.ö
ôWhat the hell do you mean by that?ö Spike asked.
ôIf you hadnÆt hit me, I wouldnÆt have gotten my amnesia, and I wouldnÆt
have so easily gone through with this,ö Angel said, grinning.
Spike was taken back. ôOh, so you remember everything now?ö
Angel nodded. ôYep, every last bit of it. I remember that damn curse,
my 80 years of self wallowing, and that damn slayer.ö
ôI am sure glad your back, Angelus. I was getting sick and tired of
your whole æIÆm-a good-vampire-nowÆ routine.ö Spike said with
bitterness in his voice.
ôWhat can I say? I was going through a phase,ö Angel laughed. ôBut IÆm
over it. And IÆm over the Slayer. In fact, I canÆt wait to see her
later.ö
ôWhat?ö Spike asked suspiciously.
ôI said, I canÆt wait to see her later. That is, the look on her pretty
little face when she sees the new me for the first and only time.ö
ôOnly time?ö
ôRight...only time. Should I kill her before or after I kill her
friends?ö
Spike smiled. ôYou just gave me an incredible idea.ö
ôDo tell,ö Angel said, very interested in what his fellow vampire had to
say.
ôIÆll tell you when we get there. Just follow me,ö he told him.
One of the vampires escorted his Master to the car. Angel got into the
driverÆs seat, with the woman beside him. Spike and Drusilla got into
the car in front of them. Angel started his vehicle and drove through
the grove, close behind Spike, running over trees and anything else in
his path. The woman laughed. ôYou were never good at driving,ö she
said.
He turned and looked at her. ôBut there is other things I am an expert
at.ö
ôWell then, you will definately have to show me your expertise.ö
He smiled. ôItÆs not like I havenÆt before.ö
The two cars barreled though the field and onto the old road, with three
large vans of vampires taking up the rear. Spike laughed in the car.
ôThis will be a night to remember for our pretty little slayer friend.
She will NEVER forget it.ö
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- -
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 17:46:51 PST
From: "Sara Barton" <sara114@hotmail.com>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (30/?)
Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com
Rating: Varies...will be posted at beginning of each part.
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, yada yada yada
belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, WB, and Fox.... I'm just
borrowing them, (although I wish Angel was mine!) Everything else
belongs to me!
Author's note: This is your usual generic story. Angel is still good,
so basically in my story surprise/innocence didn't happen. Willow and
Oz are together, and Xander and Cordy are still hiding their secret
utility closet rondevu's. This is going to be a long story, and will
take some time so be patient with me. I'm not very good at story
telling, so if this totally sucks and isn't read-worthy, just let me
know.Oh yeah, and I want feedback, feedback, and more feedback. I don't
care if it's good or bad, just tell me what you thought of it.
PART 30
ôDo you hear that?ö Jenny asked. The group strained to listen for
something, and heard the faint sound of an engine.
ôSounds like a car,ö Cordelia said.
ôGood job, Einstein,ö Xander said sarcastically.
ôShut up, Harris,ö she snapped.
Buffy stared off into the distance, as her eyes grew wide in fear. ôGET
IN THE CAR!!!ö Buffy screamed. She pushed Willow into the back seat and
got into the car. Her friends were bewildered as they looked in the
direction of the loud rumbling. Two cars and three vans came charging
through the field, in their direction.
ôGET IN HERE NOW!!!!ö Buffy screamed again, as her friends jumped into
the car. They shut the door and Giles desperately tried to start it,
but it failed.
ôWhat are you waiting for!ö Cordelia screamed.
ôIt wonÆt start!ö Giles yelled back at her.
ôWell do something!ö She screamed back, her face full of fright.
ôIÆm trying, IÆm trying!ö He panicked. Giles turned the key and pumped
the gas, but the car refused to start. ôStart, damnit! Start you piece
of junk!ö
ôI told you to get a new car Giles!ö Buffy screamed. She looked at
Willow who stared in shock at out the front window. She reached over
and grabbed her friend and hugged her. Hope and Jenny clung to each
other in the front seat.
ôOh God! Here they come....DUCK!!!ö Xander yelled. He threw himself
over the three girls in the back and the seven friends crouched and
braced themselves for the oncoming impact.
*******
The group sat, bracing for their lives, their bodies tense and minds
full of fear. Ten seconds later the loud rumbling died down, till it
could no longer be heard. Giles slowly peeked his head up out the
window to see nothing but field and trees. He breathed a heavy sigh of
relief as the pounding of his heart slowed down.
ôAre we dead?ö CordeliaÆs muffled voice said.
Giles almost laughed with relief, but restrained. ôNo, Cordelia. We
are alive.ö
ôOh good,ö she said. ôXander get off of me!ö
ôWhy, Cordelia? I kind of like this,ö he replied with a snicker.
ôWould you like my fist in your face?ö She said.
ôIÆm off, IÆm off,ö he said, lifting himself off of her, Buffy, and
Willow.
ôWhat was that?ö Hope said, running her fingers through her tangled
hair.
ôMore like *who* was that,ö Giles said.
ôMy guess is Spike and Drusilla,ö Buffy breathed.
ôWell what ever it was, there is another one coming!ö WillowÆs shaky
voice yelled.
They looked up to see another van coming straight for them. ôNot
again!ö Cordelia shouted.
Giles tried to start the car again as the van came closer and closer to
colliding with them. Vibrations flowed through the vehicle as the old
engine started. ôYes! Yes!ö Giles said with glee. He slammed on the
accelerator and turned the wheel sharply to the right, just as the van
hit the side of the automobile.
*********
ôWhat the hell are you doing?!ö Marcus asked angrily at his friend
David as he tried to keep himself from hitting the dashboard.
ôIÆm sorry! The van hit a bump and I lost control!ö he replied.
ôOh yeah, sure, whatever,ö Marcus grumbled.
ôItÆs true!ö David exclaimed, then burst into laughter. ôDid you see
that car fly? It must have flipped about 3 times! I wonder if there
was anybody in there?ö
Marcus glared at him. ôProbably not. The car was just sitting there.
It most likely broke down and was abandoned. I canÆt believe you hit
it. Spike is going to be so pissed at us.ö
ôWhy?ö David asked, turning the large van onto the road. He sped up to
try and catch up with the other vampires.
ôIÆll tell you why....because there is probably a huge dent in the front
of this thing, and we just stole it yesterday! ThatÆs why.ö
ôYou worry to much, man,ö David said with a laugh. ôLighten up.ö
ôIÆll be saying that to you when Spike is kicking your ass from here to
China.ö Marcus grumbled.
ôWeÆd better hurry and catch up with them. We canÆt be late for the
MasterÆs party,ö David said.
ôI canÆt believe Angelus is the Master now. Out of all vampires. I
remember when he was killing his own kind with his Slayer girlfriend.ö
ôHmph. The Slayer. WhatÆs her name? Buffy?ö David asked. Marcus
nodded his head. ôDamn, she is a babe, isnÆt she? IÆd like to get
closer with her, if you know what I mean,ö David said with a sly grin.
ôThe day you try and get close with her is the day Angel appoints you as
the Vessel. Besides, if you tried anything with her she would tear you
up. Have you ever seen her fight?ö Marcus said.
ôOh yeah, IÆve seen her fight. I love watching her in those short
little skirts and tight dresses.ö
Marcus rolled his eyes. ôIs that all you think about?ö
ôWhen it comes to her I do,ö he said. Marcus laughed despite DavidÆs
answer.
ôYou are hopeless,ö he said, as they drove off toward the Hellmouth.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- -
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 03:45:36 EST
From: Trey Cash <TreyCash@aol.com>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The End of The Innocence 2/5
Title: The End of the Innocence Pt 2/5
Author: Alex Queirolo & Erika Rottler
Email: treycash@aol.com, Sasheer@Aol.com
Distribution: Just ask.
Feedback: Absolutely! Please..we're eager to know what y'all thought of our
collaboration. Drop us a line.
Rating: PG-14 at best..extreme situations..see CONTENT WARNING below.
Spoilers: When She Was Bad..basically everything up until PASSION.
***
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes about three months after "I Will Survive" and
"That Was the Day". In this time-line, everything up until "Passion" occured
but that is where they split. For the important back story, please read "I
Will Survive".
CONTENT WARNING: We need to be up-front about this; this piece is NOT meant
for minors to read. It tells of graphic violent events and speaks rather
frankly of sexual situations. However, there is no actual sex involved in this
piece. It is rather unflinching and at points crude. We hope you will agree
however that nothing is out of place. Again, this story contains violence,
intense language, extreme angst and rather explicit discussions of sexual
situations.
DISCLAIMER: The only character in this piece that belongs to us is Asher. All
of the others belong to Joss "Da Man" Whedon and Co. Them are gods..we are
students. No bad is meant by this.
***
And then there was no hold. Willow blinked and watched as the dust scattered
into the soft breeze. Looking up she saw Angel staring back at her with
concern in his eyes. "Are you alright?"
She felt quickly at her neck to ensure that no biting had taken place and then
she nodded, "Fine, but Buffy needs help."
Angel glanced over to Buffy and his eyes widened in suprise as he watched the
young Slayer dance around with a large red and blue throw blanket. And to make
it that much worse, she was yelling "Toro, toro" at the two growling vampires
that were advancing upon her.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Angel demanded, his eyes never leaving her.
She was jumping all over the place, moving as if she were attached to springs.
"The brownies were laced," Cordelia breathed as she and Xander trotted up to
them.
"Pot," Oz nodded. "Wow. Sinister."
Angel gave him a look and then shook his head. "How much did she ingest? You
guys are all relatively normal."
Xander made a face and then replied, "Only like most of them." Then he turned
around and decked a vampire that had thought it was sneaking up on them.
Reaching down, Xander grabbed a stick and slew the vamp. "Lesson number one,
dumbass..in the forest...there is an abundance of staking material. Duh?"
Angel rolled his eyes, "Oh the fun." With a loud sigh, he moved swiftly
towards where Buffy was now spinning herself in circles and chanting in
strange accents much to the amusement of her two attackers.
"Buffy," Angel said sharply, grabbing her shoulder, "Get ahold of yourself."
"Angel!" Buffy chirped. "My Angel." Then she pointed at the snarling vampires.
"They don't want to play with me. Make them play. Pleaseeeee."
"Buffy, snap out of it!" Angel ordered, lashing out with a kick that drove one
of the vamps backwards and to the ground.
To his horror, the little Slayer then began to snap her fingers to a rythym
only she could hear. Angel shook his head in disbelief and then turned around
and hit her soundly across the face. Not hard enough to hurt or even bruise
her but hopefully enough to ring some bells. Buffy staggered backwards and
fell to her butt, a hand upon her cheek.
"Sorry," Angel shrugged as he made quick work of the remaining vamps. He
immediately dropped to his knees beside her and helped her up. He placed a
hand over the one of hers that was still rested on her cheek and said softly,
"You need to.."
"No lectures," Buffy groaned, grabbing his arm and using it to steady her. "I
had a chocolate craving and then I had the munchies. How the hell was I
supposed to know?"
"Buffy?" Two voices called out in unison from about fifty feet away. Buffy
looked up and groaned.
"Oh hey, just in time. You missed Spike's welcome to nature party." Buffy
informed Giles and Jenny. They exchanged worried glances.
"Are you alright?" Giles asked. "For God's sake, what happened?"
"Vampires." Oz told them with a nod.
"And brownies," Buffy mumbled, taking her seat and pulling Angel down with
her. Then she looked up at Giles and Jenny. "I'm fine. We're all fine. It
was...an experience."
"You're sure you're alright?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah, thanks to Angel." Willow said, taking a seat next to Oz. Almost
immediately an uneasy silence fell over the group.
Then Jenny smiled, "Um, I think we're tired...isn't that right, Rupert." She
grinned. "Us old ones need our rest. G'night kids."
Giles made as if to protest but Jenny grabbed his arm and pulled him towards
the vans. They didn't have to share but everyone pretty much assumed they
would anyways. "Um, yes, well..goodnight." Giles finally stammered before
disappearing.
"Well that was weird," Buffy murmured. "Them and the vampires. But it was
awfully nice of Spike to send a welcoming party."
Willow giggled and pointed at her, "You should have seen yourself though,
Buffy..it was really funny."
Both Oz and Xander joined in the laughter. "You even killed one by accident."
Xander chuckled. "Maybe we should give you laced brownies more often."
"Ha ha..real funny." Buffy replied, sticking out her tongue at Xander and then
curling further into Angel's leather jacket. He looked down at her and
smirked.
"It's not funny at all," Cordelia said quietly. Everyone looked up at her and
blinked. Her tone was so low and shaky that none of them were quite convinced
that she'd actually spoken. She swallowed hard and said, "Someone could have
been seriously hurt."
"Cordy, what are you talking about?" Xander asked, reaching for her hand. She
evaded it and laced her fingers together.
"It's just.." she paused and took a moment to think before whispering, "These
things aren't all fun and games. Horrible things can happen and things can go
very..very wrong." There was a loud silence interrupted only by the crackling
of the fire as the group waited for her to continue. Closing her eyes, she
began to speak in a voice so small that the group had to lean forward to hear
her. "Back in eighth grade, if you wanted to be anything, you had to be a
cheerleader so I was. I was the captain of the team..it was a great
honor..everyone looked up to me. Anyways, mid year, the team went to Culver
Hills for a retreat..kind of like this except we were in cabins. Our coach
that year was Jim Nordhoff."
"Didn't he teach math?" Willow asked.
Cordelia nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, yeah, he did. No matter what he
taught..we all wanted to be in it. All of us girls had a crush on him. He was
young, cute and he loved to hang with us. He acted like one of us and never
made us feel like children." She paused a beat and licked her lips. "On the
second night of the retreat, he started passing around joints. None of us had
ever tried it and some of us were scared but he said it was alright so we
believed him. After about an hour of us smoking it and getting really..really
high, he stood up and said that he needed to talk to me about new routines. I
was the captain..it made sense at the time. I didn't think anything of it."
Willow reached over and handed her a paper cup of water. "Here."
Cordelia nodded, drank from it but still didn't look up. Taking a deep breath,
she continued. "Um...I met him in his cabin..he had one all to himself..after
everyone else had gone back to the main one. I thought it was strange when he
locked the door but he told me that we were at a camp with other teams and
these routines were our secret. God..I can still remember the tone he used
when he called it 'our secret'. It was so sneaky and it creeped me." She
laughed bitterly. "And then he kissed me and all I could remember thinking at
first was 'this is the routine?' I was so stunned that I didn't even realize
what was happening and I was so high that I'm not sure I really cared at
first. I kept thinking that it was so neat and that all of the other girls
would be jealous. I mean..Coach Nordhoff..it was like some pre-pubescent
fantasy or something like that. But when he took off my shirt, I knew
something wasn't right. I knew. I know I did. And he didn't stop there. I
started crying and begging him to stop. Maybe even yelling but it didn't
matter." She looked at her hands and stared at the empty cup for a few
moments. "After it was over, he leaned down to me and said 'Cordelia...the
unattainable black beauty...every guy wants you..every girl wants to be you.'
And then he kissed me on the cheek and left. After the door shut, I just
cried. I couldn't think of anything else." She laughed again. "And you
know..he didn't touch me the rest of the year. I stayed on the team because if
I had left..I dunno..I just couldn't do that. It would have been uncool.
Couldn't have that. Anyways, on the last day of school, when we were getting
our letters, he whispered in my ear, 'Remember what I taught you,
Cordelia..you were great.' He transferred to Jackson the next year. Last I
heard, he was leading up the champion junior high cheerleading squad for the
school. And me...I can't help but wonder if he's done what he did to me to
some other girl and if maybe I couldn't have stopped it."
"Cordy.." Xander whispered.
She shook her head feverishly, silencing him. And for a long moment, that was
all there was and then she pushed herself up and away. "I...I..I.." she
stammered before tossing the cup down and walking away towards the tents.
Buffy immediately stood to follow but Xander clamped a hand on her shoulder
and very softly whispered, "Let me."
Buffy nodded and gave him a small smile of encouragement before retaking the
seat next to Angel. She watched Xander move off towards the shadows which
Cordy had disappeared into. Then she looked at Willow and Oz. Not
surprisingly, they both looked shaken.
Oz rose first, offering a hand to Willow. "We're gonna...go for a walk."
Buffy nodded, "Don't go out of calling range, okay? We don't know if any more
of Spike's crew is around. I doubt it but just to be safe?"
"Sure, Buffy." Willow said, taking Oz's hand and allowing him to lead her
away. It was clear that she was troubled but Buffy was quick to discover that
she herself was also disturbed by Cordelia's tale.
She curled closer to Angel and stared out at the fire, watching the flames
leap and dance. Angel gazed at her intently, practically seeing the gears
grind in her head. Closing his eyes, he wrapped his arms around her and
brought her to his chest.
***
Her back was to him when he finally found her standing near the area where the
tents the Slayerettes were sharing had been set up. She was leaning against a
tree, with her palms spread flat on the trunk. She looked very deep in thought
but he could tell by her slight trembling that she was hurting.
Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her and duck-walked them both into
the tent he was sharing with Oz and Jonathon. Thankfully neither of them were
present. He pushed her to the ground and then lifted her chin with a finger.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't need your pity. That's not why I told you what happened." Cordelia
snapped, pushing away from him roughly.
He caught her hands just as they pushed off of his chest, "This isn't my pity.
Dammit, I care about you." He felt anger welling up inside of him. "God, why
do you have to.."
"Have to what, Xander? Have my pride? I don't even know why I brought it up.
I've been at peace.."
"Maybe you haven't," Xander countered, trying to reach for her again.
She flinched away from him, "You don't know what the hell you're talking
about, Xander. You never do."
"I'm not him, Cordy. I'm not." Xander shot back, grabbing her shoulders.
She glared daggers at him and said in an equally icy tone, "Drop it."
"No, I won't. We need to talk about this."
"No, we don't." She said, turning away from him. "I don't need your
sympathetic shoulder to cry on. You're not my big teddy bear, Xander."
He looked down and away, "You can't do it, can you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You can't just let go and believe that someone else could actually give a
damn about you. You can't help but be the snobby higher-than-thou self-
righteous bitch who pushes everyone away before they can get too close. Don't
you understand that you've got to? Why can't you let someone else be there for
you? Why does it all have to come back to you?"
"Damn you," Cordelia growled.
"It's gotta be you, though. Doesn't it? You're strong enough to get through
everything by yourself, right? Nothing can ever touch you, right? Well, strike
three because that's not true. We're here for you..dammit..I'm here for you."
"I don't need this," She hissed, shaking her head. "I'm outta here."
"No!" He reached out and grabbed her arm. In a quick deliberate motion, he
spun her back towards him but what he got was only the flat of her palm
against the swell of his cheek and a loud slapping noise to go with it. He
dropped her arm in shocked astonishment and then watched as she quickly fled
towards the safety of her own tent.
***
She felt the coolness of his lips moving down the inside of her shoulder.
Moaning, she reached out and pulled him closer to her, hot on cold but fire
just the same. He grinned and pressed his mouth to her feverish skin.
She moaned his name as his fingers very gently released another button on the
flannel she'd thrown on after Xander had gotten tree sap all over her
overalls. He continued his voyage down her flesh with his mouth.
He'd protested of course. Said that there were too many people around. He'd
been shy and that'd been cute but she'd been quick to assure him that everyone
else was too busy doing their own thing. Interruptions, she'd murmured as
she'd pulled his shirt off, were highly unlikely.
And he'd protested again, albeit lightly, when she'd pushed him down onto the
row of three sleeping bags laid out on the floor of the girls' tent. Again,
she'd silenced him and now suddenly he was the aggressor. She felt the
intensity of his kisses increasing and the hold on her small body tightening
as he gave in to her.
"Buffy.." he protested once more, this time much weaker.
"God, shut up, Angel." Buffy moaned, weaving her hand through his thick hair
and pressing his face to her collarbone. This time he didn't bother to
protest; he swept her into his arms and and then rolled over so that he was
atop her. With a growl that was almost a laugh, he pulled loose the last
button of her flannel.
"What the hell right does he...oh my God.." Cordelia groaned as she pushed the
zipper to the tent up and stepped in. She stared at the couple on the floor
with abundant disgust and placed her hands on her hips. Immediately, Angel and
Buffy separated from each other albeit reluctantly. "God, guys..get a room.
Have some dignity."
"Sorry," Angel mumbled, grabbing his shirt and slipping out through the tent
flap. Buffy hastened to quickly button up her own shirt.
"Sorry 'bout that, Cordy."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Ever heard of discretion? Learn some manners,
Slayer."
Buffy allowed the words to just roll past her. It was obvious that the taller
girl was still venting. To no great surprise, her revelation had bothered her
probably more than she's thought it would. After a brief moment, Buffy asked,
"Have you ever talked to anyone else about what happened?"
Sighing loudly, Cordelia turned around from Buffy. Talking was not high on her
wish list at the moment.
"Look, Cordy..we are here for you."
Cordelia spun and glared at the little Slayer, "So I've heard. Look, I'm fine.
I think you guys are having more trouble with this than I am but if you're so
interested in what I want..how about you go run off to your boyfriend and have
your fun, okay?"
Buffy watched Cordelia turn away from her and reach for a magazine. Shaking
her head sadly, she grabbed the throw blanket, wrapped it around herself and
stepped out of the tent. She rezipped it and then turned to Angel who'd found
a comfortable spot in the shadows.
"She okay?" Angel asked, stepping behind her and taking the blanket off her
shoulders. She whimpered a bit in protest but quieted when he first wrapped
his arms around her and then pulled the blanket around the both of them. Not
that he needed the warmth but it still worked better.
Shaking her head, she sighed, "I think she and Xander had another fight.
Newsflash."
"Great." Angel said with a small laugh. Then he pointed towards the abandoned
camp-fire pit. "Looks like we're sleeping under the stars tonight."
Buffy reached up and kissed him. Then she giggled, "Cool. You've been around
long enough...you should know all the constellations."
He rolled his eyes and laughed.
***
It was well after midnight when Willow slipped into the tent. She zipped it
back up and then moved to sit next to Cordelia. The taller girl was still
flipping through a magazine but it didn't look like she was paying to much
attention to what was in it.
"Hey Cordelia," Willow whispered softly.
"Hi," Cordy replied tersely.
"Are..are you alright?"
"Willow..please..I really don't want to talk about this." Cordelia said
softly, putting the magazine down next to the sleeping bags. She snapped off
the little flashlight and turned on her back.
Willow nodded, "Sure. Wow, it's cold." She glanced over at the third sleeping
bag, "I saw Buffy and Angel out by the fire..I don't think she'll be needing
this tonight. You wanna share?'
"Sure," Cordelia replied. "Goodnight, Willow."
***
"Hey Jonathon, Xander."
"Oz," Xander muttered. He was lying atop of his sleeping bag with his hands
folded under his head. Oz spared him a concerned look and then reached into
his overnight bag and pullled out a deck of blue-backed cards.
"Guys up for a game?" Oz asked, casually bridge-shuffling the cards.
Jonathon nodded, "Cool." He scooted over on his butt so that he was sitting on
the same sleeping bag as Oz. Xander declined with a slight wave of his hand
and then turned back to his own thoughts.
Damn her. He'd only tried to be there for her. She was his girlfriend and he
was only trying to help. Why did she have to be such a bitch about things? Why
couldn't she let anyone in? It wasn't like he would ever turn his back on her
but just the same, everytime he tried to get close to her, she would push him
away. But it wasn't just the pushing, it was the fact that she threw back
fire. She was so damn difficult..
"I gotta pee," Xander said suddenly, jumping to his feet. The boys
acknowledged him with mutters and then went back to their game. Xander sighed
and stumbled out of the tent and into the cool night air. What he really
wanted to do was talk to one of the girls but he doubted that they were
available. Since Oz had returned to the tent, that probably meant that Will
was now shacking up with Cordelia.
As for Buffy...well..one glance over to the campfire confirmed that she was
unavailable. No, it could probably wait until morning anyways. So what was
left to do but return to the tent?
"No," he muttered. Shaking his head, he started to walk towards the campfire.
Not towards Buffy and Angel who were talking in hushed tones and accenting
just about every sentence with kisses but more towards the opening to the
dense woods right behind the clearing.
He moved slowly and carefully, determined not to alert either the Slayer or
her vampiric boyfriend. Damn the two of them and their heightened senses; it
sure did make walking across a camp-ground a lot more difficult.
Once he cleared the sight, he sighed. A short walk would clear his head.
That's what he needed. To stop thinking about Cordelia and how much she
infiriated him. Okay it wasn't working.
Ah hell. Why did he let her get under his skin. She knew just what to say. How
to hurt him. How to make it stick. Xander growled as he felt his anger rising.
Gritting his teeth together, he reached out and slammed his fist into a tree.
And then immediately howled in pain. "Smart, Harris." Xander scolded himself
as he clenched his injured hand. He lifted his knuckles to his mouth and
pressed his lip hard against the top of his hand. Backing away from the tree,
he began to mutter at it.
And then everything went dark when he collided with the ground.
***
Angel watched her sleep; her chest rising and falling with every breath. A
small smile played delightfully across her delicate features, dancing to a
dream he could only guess about. She murmured softly and curled closer to him.
If that was possible.
Reaching across the slim body that he held protectively against his own, he
lifted up her left wrist. He glanced warily at the watch and sighed. Two hours
until daybreak. Just long enough to get to relative safety. That being, of
course, a dank and very disgusting sewer system.
Careful not to pull the blanket off of her, Angel slipped out from under
Buffy's still sleeping body. He was well aware that recent events had brought
the young Slayer to the point of a complete mental breakdown from both
physical and emotional exhaustion. Hopefully this retreat would go a long way
in re-energizing her. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead
and then stood to move away.
But she knew. She knew when he wasn't holding her and that was all it took to
bring her partly back to her waking senses. "Angel?" Buffy murmured, eyes at
half-mast and barely aware.
"Shh," Angel whispered, leaning over to place a finger lightly against her
lips. A moment later he replaced it with his mouth. After a beat, he
reluctantly broke away and said very softly,"I gotta go."
"Don't go," she murmured. Angel regarded her with an amused grin; she had no
idea what the hell she was saying. He traced a hand across her jawline and
watched as she pressed her cheek against his hand and tried to fall back to
sleep. It was at times like this when it was easy to forget that she was the
all-powerful Slayer.
Standing up, he moved away from her. She moaned in complaint but he continued
his trek around the campfire. He picked up as many large pieces of wood as he
could find and tossed them into the fire along with a newspaper. Once he was
satisfied that the flame would keep for awhile, he went back over to Buffy and
leaned down next to her.
"I gotta go. Sunrise is soon," Angel told her softly as he pulled the blanket
tighter around her obviously chilled frame. He held her there for a moment and
then very gently dropped her back to the ground. Lying flat on his stomache,
he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and kissed her on the forehead.
"Get some sleep." Then he stood to leave.
"No," she whimpered. And then, looking very much like a small child, she
grabbed at him and tried to pull him back down to her so that she could curl
into his arms.
He broke her grasp gently and kissed her again. First on the chin and then on
the lips. "I'll be back tonight," Angel reassured her, again pulling her
blanketed body into his arms.
"You promise?" Buffy slurred, her eyelids dropping closed.
"I do," he replied, kissing her again and then reluctantly moving away from
her. He pulled the blanket tight around her once more and then stood. Smiling
at what appeared to be her sleeping form, he started for the clearing where
he'd parked the rental car.
"Hey Angel?" Buffy murmured, her voice thick with sleep.
"Yeah?" Angel asked as he turned.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Buffy. Now go to sleep."
***
Daybreak brought peace. As she opened her eyes upon the new day, she felt as
though she was completely ready to let it all pass over her. She'd slept well
and been woken by nothing but the calm swirl of a nearby creek and the musical
chirping of birds on the hunt for breakfast.
Yawning, both she and Willow stepped out of their tent. Almost immediately
Will giggled and pointed towards the campfire. Cordelia smiled also when she
saw Buffy lying curled up in a blanket, still sleeping soundly by a barely
flickering fire.
"What's Buffy doing out there alone?" Giles asked, coming up from behind the
two teens. Jenny Calendar stood at his side. Impossibly, Giles was dressed in
a vest but at least he'd tried to be nature-boy; he was wearing a white tee-
shirt under the vest instead of a dress shirt. Jenny was decked out in jeans
and a flannel. Well at least one of them got it.
"I doubt she was alone most of the night, Rupert." Jenny said with a grin.
"What? Oh..oh." Giles muttered, looking down. "Right, um, well let's get
breakfast started, shall we?"
Almost as if a magical switch had been thrown, sleepy forms started to emerge
from the other tents at the mention of food.
Harmony walked over to them and glanced around, "Well, since you people are
going to take forever to get breakfast ready, we're going to those disgusting
bathrooms for showers." She then shook her head and walked past Buffy, her
foot coming within an inch of the girls' head. Fortunately her head was so
high up in the air that she didn't even notice Buffy's hand shoot out to grab
her ankle and then stop and change direction. Once Harmony and her posse were
gone, Buffy sat up and rubbed at her eyes with her fists.
"Man...I really don't like her." Buffy groaned. Willow offered her a hand and
pulled her to her feet. Then both girls retreated over to one of the logs and
placed the blanket over their knees.
"Oh hey..um...where's Xander?" Cordelia asked from where she was standing next
to Giles and Jenny. She made a face as Giles handed her a stick of butter to
use to grease a metal pan.
Buffy shrugged and turned to Oz and Jonathon who were just making their way
back from the bathrooms. "Is Xander still in the little boys' room?"
"He did go.." Jonathon offered weakly.
Oz frowned, "Nine hours ago. He wasn't there when we went...in fact we haven't
seen him since last night when he left."
"What?" Buffy cried, jumping up. "Are you sure?"
"Was he upset?" Cordelia threw in, pushing the butter and pan back into
Jenny's hands. Neither of the adults looked too terribly concerned.
Oz nodded slowly, "Suppose so. He was kinda moody. We didn't really talk about
it."
Buffy shook her head and glared at Cordelia, "Of course he was mad, Cordy. You
always push so much...I mean...why do you always have to be such a bitch to
him?" It was apparent by her tone that even though the adults remained calm,
the Slayer was not happy.
"Buffy!" Willow gasped.
Cordelia glared back at Buffy, eyes sparking fire. "I don't have to explain
myself to you and it's none of your damn business what happens between he and
I anyways," she spat back. "My question is..why didn't you see him leave,
Buffy? I mean you did sleep outside last night..oh wait..you were too busy
screwing your boyfriend!"
"Guys! Enough dammit!" Willow cried out, stepping between the two girls who
looked very much like they were ready to brawl.
"We're not solving anything this way,"Oz added.
"He's right," Giles said, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder. He gave her a
hard look and kept it steady until she backed down from her fighting position.
She took a deep breath and then nodded. "I'm sure that Xander just wandered
off..he's probably fine. Just the same, we should organize a search party."
"Right," Jenny said with a nod. "Why don't the four of you.." she made a
sweeping gesture to include Buffy, Willow, Oz and Cordelia, "go down to the
creek and look. Rupert and I will check some of the other camp-sites.
Jonathon, wait here in case he returns. Tell the other girls to stick when
they get back.Okay, gang?"
There were general nods of agreement and then Buffy murmured, "We should get
some supplies just in case Xander did get himself into trouble."
TBC...
- -
------------------------------
End of Buffyfic-digest V2 #58
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