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From: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com (Buffyfic-digest) To: buffyfic-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: Buffyfic-digest V2 #85 Reply-To: buffyfic@xmission.com Sender: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk Buffyfic-digest Tuesday, March 31 1998 Volume 02 : Number 085 In this issue: BUFFYFIC: Vengeance (2/4) BUFFYFIC: The Ties That Bind (8/10) BUFFYFIC: Restoration Part Five of ????? BUFFYFIC: Re: Vengeance BUFFYFIC: ADMIN: List rules BUFFYFIC: Hope (35/?) 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: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 23:17:55 EST From: Aglx <Aglx@aol.com> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Vengeance (2/4) Vengeance 2 Title: Vengeance (2/?) Author: Michelle E-mail: Aglx@aol.com Rating: PG-13 = violence and graphic descriptions (no sex) Summary: (you'll just have to read it) Spoilers: Everything up to Killed By Death Feedback: Please, good or bad, I need to know if I suck or not. I won't care if you tell me this story is horrible, I just want to know. Disclaimer & Author's Notes: This story is something that happens after Killed By Death. Probally a Third season type story. This story has some pretty graphic descriptions and some people may be upset by the story. There is a PG-13 rating on this story however, there is no sex or sexual situations. Just some Buffy like language and violence. This story will go on for a while, or until I come up with a way to end it. The characters, Buffy, Xander, Willow, etc. belong to Joss Whedon, The WB, Sandollar, etc. "You will let me know if you hear anything? Okay, fine." Giles slammed the phone down. Buffy, Xander and Willow had been missing for over a week. "Damit. This is all my fault." He went to the back room and gathered several weapons. As he walked out of the library, he stopped and looked back at the empty room. "I'm so sorry Buffy." "Rise and Shine!" Xander cried out to Buffy who was healing but still in terrible shape. He lifted the top of the cage and stepped in. "Get up!" He kicked her in the side and she cried out in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry, did that hurt?" "That's enough," Drusilla said as she entered the main room followed by an anxious Willow. "She needs to be conscious to learn." "Huh. I always thought unconsciousness was a great learning experience." Drusilla smiled at his comment and then indicated for him to get her to sit up. "Get up!" He kicked her again, this time in the chest. "I can't," Buffy spoke faintly. "Oh, yeah, that's right. Poor little slayer is hurt." He undid the chains and saw the bloody wounds that they left on her wrists and ankles. Standing over her he grabbed both of her shoulders and pulled her up to lean against the bars. She screamed as her wounds sent pain surging through her body. "I bet that hurt," Xander laughed and Willow joined him. "Why are you doing this to me?" Buffy's feeling of innocence was clear but Drusilla knew the truth. "What did I do?" Buffy yelled hoarsely, her voice still sore. Xander exited the cage and closed the lid again. They all sat down on three chairs placed in front of Buffy. "What did I do?" Buffy cried out a final time. "You...you...you killed Spike!" Drusilla was furious and still disturbed by the events that had occurred. The fear in Buffy was obvious. She didn't know what to say or do. She searched through her mind to recall the situation, but nothing came to mind. Suddenly, flashes of the fight filled her mind. He was charging at her, she dropped to the ground and threw him against a wall with her feet. As he came down to the ground, she could hear his moaning. She rushed to his side and plunged a railroad spike into his chest. "What do you have to say for yourself, slayer?" Willow tried to keep up with the action. She had only been a vampire for a few days and was still getting used to it. Buffy had nothing to say to any of them. She just knew that she had to get out of the situation she was in. Still, there were many unanswered questions that plagued her thoughts. Where was Angel? How did Drusilla catch her? "How did you catch me?" Buffy finally asked, hoping Drusilla would answer. "Easy. My power has been restored to its full power. You weren't that hard to find." "That means...Angel is dead." End Part 2 - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 01:16:07 EST From: Anexsin <Anexsin@aol.com> Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Ties That Bind (8/10) Title: The Ties That Bind (8/10) Author: Melinda Frango Email Addy: Anexsin@aol.com Rating: PG Spoiler: All episodes before Passion. Distribution: Ask first Feedback: Greatly appreciated. Disclaimer: Buffy and the gang belong to Joss Whedon, the WB, etc. Only the story is mine, and whatever characters never seen or mentioned on the show. Summary: Buffy and the gang get help from an unexpected source in restoring Angel's soul. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~* "You have a stake on you?" Caitlin asked Buffy. "Yeah," Buffy answered and fished a stake out of the sleeve of her jacket. Caitlin kneeled on the ground next to the unconscious vampire, and gently shook him. "Angel," she called out. When he began to stir she got the stake ready. Angel moaned softly, and brought his hand to the side of his head where Caitlin had kicked him. "Ow," he murmured. "It's not that bad. You'll be all better in a few hours, unless I have to stake you," Caitlin informed him. His opened his eyes slowly and looked directly into Caitlin's. "Caitlin," he whispered. "How..I...you. This is all a really bad dream." Caitlin chuckled. "Nope, not a dream. I'm really here." Caitlin helped him stand up dropping the stake in the process, while the others backed off a little to give them some room. "But, your dead. I..." he trailed off. "That's a really long story," Caitlin reiterated. "I don't understand, and I don't care," were his last words before he pulled her into a crushing embrace. "You did it? You restored my soul?" he asked after realization hit him. "Yes, with a alot of help from your friends," Caitlin answered. "Is it permanent this time?" "Yep, nothing and I mean nothing will ever take it away from you again." Suddenly the events of the past few weeks crept into his memory, and he chocked on a sob. "What have I done?" he asked guilt edging it's way into his voice. "Nothing. Listen to me it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do to prevent it," she replied firmly. He released her from the hug and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She hadn't even realized she was crying. "I make everyone cry," he whispered. "No they're happy tears. Really, really happy tears," she smiled at him. He turned away from Caitlin towards the rest of the group. They could see his dark brown eyes clouded over with self-hatred, guilt, and sorrow. He didn't know what to say them, and vice-versa. Angelus had made all there lives a living hell the past few weeks, and what he did was not something you forgive and forget. He felt it to be the best course of action, to walk away and out of their lives completely. Only to be seen to help fight some dark force that would come into town, or to warn of a possible danger to the Slayer's existence. He looked directly at Buffy and whispered almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry." Then he turned back around to Caitlin and spoke into her ear. "Will you meet me by the Bronze when your finished here? It's on the otherside of town, you can't miss it," he almost pleaded with her. Caitlin nodded agreeingly and watched as he picked up the stake she dropped earlier when he hugged her and walk out of the park. Buffy started in the same direction Angel had just left in, until Caitlin grabbed her arm and stopped her. "What are you doing?" Buffy asked angrily. "I want to see him." "Let him come to you, Buffy. He needs time to deal with everything that has happened," "But I love him," she admitted. "I know you do. It's all a matter of time." Buffy took a deep breath and nodded, the whole time looking forlornly in the direction Angel previously had left in. "We're finished here," Caitlin informed. "Thank you for all your help. You don't know how much this means to me, and to him. Can you all make it home alright?" "Yes, we'll be fine. Go help him," Giles assured. "Thank you." "If it's any consolation to Angel, tell him Xander doesn't hate him. Even after the window incident. He'll get a kick out of that one," Xander joked. "I'll tell him that," Caitlin chuckled. "Always the funny one of the group." They watched Caitlin go and Giles turned towards Buffy. "Are you ok?" he asked concerned. "Just peachy." she said ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* When Caitlin reached the exterior of the Bronze she saw Angel leaning up against a wall, waiting for her. "Hey," she greeted. "What are we doing here?" "I live right over here,"Angel answered. "I think we need to talk." " You're right." Angel nodded sightly and led Caitlin down an alley and through a doorway at the end. They went down a small stairway and stopped in front of another door while Angel fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked it. Angel ushered Caitlin in and then closed the door behind himself. "What do you think?" Angel asked wanting her approval. "It's so you," Caitlin smiled as she glanced around the apartment. "It serves its purpose," Angel chuckled slightly. Caitlin sat down on Angel's recliner and stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "I'm going first. Then you can ask your questions," Caitlin stated. "Alright, but I'm not promising you anything but listening." "That's all I ask." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Spike, something is wrong," Drusilla realized. "What is it love?" "She took my Angel away. I can feel the goodness within him," she whined. "The girl returned Angel's soul," Spike asked giddily. "Yes, he's gone Spike. My Angel left me again." Spike wheeled his chair over to where Drusilla was sitting on the cold ground of the warehouse, and helped her up. He sat her on his lap and softly stroked her hair with a wide grin plastered to his face. "It's alright pet. I'm here for you. We don't need him." he cooed softly in her ear. Drusilla slowly lifted her head from his chest, and Spike quickly wiped the smile from his face as fast as it had come. "Do you love me Spike?" she asked sadly. "You know I do," he answered honestly. "You won't leave me like my Angel did, will you?" "Never. I'll always be here for you," he stated firmly. Drusilla smiled at him and gently laid her head on his chest once again, and began humming a soft tune. Spike smiled widely once more when Dru wasn't looking. Now that Angelus was out of the picture Dru was all his, and only his. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* End part 8.............to be continued. - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Mar 98 01:25:49 PST From: "Angel's Lover" <lfox@continuum.org> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Restoration Part Five of ????? This is part five of a continuing story of mine... nothing big.. just = the tale of how Angelus is reversed back into Angel. I have no idea where it's = going.. hell, I barely know where it's been so my plan is basically to keep on = writing until it tells me it's finished. The characters of BtVS are not mine, = they belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy Productions and WB Productions... I am = making no money off of this, and no copyright infringement was intended. All = my stories are archived at my homepage, Heaven's Gates: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/3863 , comments are always appreciate= d.. please direct them all to Lea at either lfox@continuum.org or angelslover@geocities.com . Thanks, and enjoy! _______________________ Restoration ~ Part Five School dragged that day; aside from lack of sleep, way boring classes, = and an unneeded training session through which Giles basically ignored = her, nightfall seemed so damn far away. Buffy sighed; she had made it back to her room without being discovered,= but less than an hour after she crawled into bed, her mom had been at = the door to wake her for school. A shower and make-up helped, but it was= hard to hide how tired she was. Now, heading home after an unusually = long day, she decided to take a nap until it became time to go to Angel's= . Thankfully, her house was empty; with a sigh she climbed the stairs, cra= wled under covers on her bed, and immediately fell asleep. The dreams of memory filled her mind as further images of the previous = night pierced her subconscious, drawing her back once more. ***************** A light drizzle was falling, making the graveyard more dank than usual. = She knew that Angel was there; though she couldn't see him her body was = well attuned to the feel of him. He was moving around behind her slowly,= keeping hidden behind the large gravestones. Quickly she raised her crossbow, spinning and firing into the direction = in which she could feel him. A soft grunt came as her reward and the vam= pire stepped out of the shadows. "Nice shot, Buffy," he grumbled as he pulled the shaft of the bolt from = his shoulder. "You should shoot blind more often." "Thanks anyway, Angel, but I've recently given up stepping blindly into = things." He put on a sarcastic pout. "Gee, I hope it wasn't something I did." She scowled. "I'm so way tired of this. I loved you once, but this can= 't go on. It ends here. Now." He snarled, "Then I hope you've said your prayers, slayer, because tonig= ht you die!" Buffy dropped the crossbow and reached for her stash of stakes. She spu= n quickly, dropping into her fighting stance as he leapt at her. His fist cut across her face, sending her spinning to the left, but as = she landed she flung out a leg and brought him to his knees. He grunted = in momentary pain before regaining his footing and jumping back into the = fight. "What's the matter, Buffy? You can do better than this. I'm disappoint= ed in ya!" She glared at him as she leapt into the air, twisting over his head to = land on the other side of him. She drove her fists quickly into his back= .. one!.. two!!.. knocking him forward. "Life's a bitch, Ange. Deal with it!" A sound from nearby caused Angel's head to turn; he grinned a wide, evil= smile. "When the going gets tough, the tough find something to eat! Din= ner time, slayer.. back in a flash!" Buffy, too, had heard the chattering conversation of the approaching gir= ls. Fear drove through her as Angel swiftly cleared the gravestones and = disappeared in the direction of the voices. "Damn!" she growled as she flung her bag onto her back and ran after him= . It was only seconds before she realized the voices had quieted. Now = it was muffled cries that reached her ears. She rounded one final graves= tone in time to see Angel pull his fangs out of the neck of one girl, and= sink them into the other girl that he held firmly in his right arm. She hurtled herself at him, wrapping her arm around his neck, forcing = him to stop feeding, but she was too late. The bodies of the lifeless = girls merely dropped to the ground with a sickening thud, and softly squi= shed to rest in the grass. Angel backed away from Buffy, running the back of his hand across his = mouth. "Mmmm.. 1982.. smooth texture, delicate aroma... a good year. = Not my favorite, but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?" "You make me sick!" Her voice broke as she stared at the still bleeding= body of the girl she had failed to rescue. "You wound me, lover, you truly do. There was a time when I used to mak= e you scream." He paused as he put on a thoughtful look. "You know, com= e to think of it, the idea of my ever having anything to do with you make= s me sick, too. After all, you were nothing compared to Darla... and you= will never be anything compared to my Dru. You were just another notch = on my bedpost for me to laugh at when memory strikes." He grinned as pai= n flashed across her face. "Yeah, well, a lot more than the memory of me can strike when it comes = to you, lover!" She snarled, and as the rain grew heavier, pelting the = surrounding gravestones with a soft tapping, she bolted forward, striking= him across the face and in the chest before spinning and planting her = foot solidly into his stomach. Angel laughed as he hit the ground. "That's my girl! Now we can have = some real fun!" In the blink of an eye he had a hold of her, picking her up over his hea= d and sending him flying through the air into the solid form of a gravest= one. A soft groan filtered through her lips and for the briefest of mome= nts she closed her eyes. ***************** The tapping awoke her; Buffy at first believed the sound to be that of = the rain falling onto hard stone, but as she grew into consciousness she = realized someone was knocking on her door. Groggily she made her way to the door, opening it to find Willow and Xan= der smiling at her. "Hey, there, schitzophrenia girl! Did ya forget you= had friends today or what?" Xander pushed past her to flop back upon = her bed. Willow came in more slowly. "How come you didn't want to hang with us = today?" Buffy shrugged as she settled on the bed with her friends. "I didn't = get much sleep last night.. I kinda just wanted to come home to bed." Xander scowled, "What, you didn't get enough time in bed at the loft?" Buffy blinked and looked to Willow, "You told him about Angel?" The girl nodded, "He'd find out sooner or later. I just wanted to break= it to him gently." Buffy giggled, "And be there to comfort him in the wake of his disappoin= tment?" Willow blushed, "If comfort was needed, I could be there." The two girls grinned as Xander's chest puffed out with egotistical glee= . "Women, women everywhere..." Buffy finished on a laugh, "And not a one for you." "Touche, Buff." "Truth hurts, don't it, Xand?" "So how is old pointy tooth these days? Planning on taking out any more= teachers any time soon, cause you know I have a midterm next week, it = would be really helpful if..." Buffy scowled. "That's not funny, Xander. He's pretty wigged about the= whole thing." "As well he should be!" "Come on, Xand, it wasn't his fault. Angel and Angelus are two seperate= people. I learned that a long time ago." "So, what? We just forgive and forget?" Buffy sighed, "I don't think we can ever forget.. but we have it in all = of us to forgive." Xander met Buffy's eyes, "So you went crawling back into his coffin." She never blinked as she nodded, "You knew that if my Angel came back, = I would." "How could you after he killed Ms. Calendar?!" "We got over your behaviour when you became a hyena." "But I didn't kill anyone." "Excuse me, but if WE hadn't locked you up you would have eaten Principl= e Flutie along with the rest of your pack! I can't hold what Angelus sai= d and did over Angel. It wouldn't be fair." Xander rested a hand on Buffy's shoulder, his eyes for once bearing the = maturity he rarely showed. "What about Giles, Buff?" "He's okay with it.." she frowned, "Well.. kinda. All Giles wants for = us now is to go on with our lives. He will never forget what Angelus did= , and I doubt he'll ever forgive Angel for being host to those actions, = but he's not gonna stop me from seeing him." Xander climbed to his feet and walked to the door. "Buffy, I love you = and you know that I would do anything for you, but if that demon shows = his face around me anytime soon, I refuse to be anything less than rude." She sighed, "Have you ever been anything but?" He scowled, "Well, now I have a reason. Come on, Will. We don't want = to keep Buffy from her boyfriend. You know how testy those vampires can = get." Willow looked helplessly from Xander to Buffy and back again. "I.. ah..= . oh God." Buffy shook her head, "It's okay, Will, you go on. I'm supposed to be = going to Angel's anyway." "Are you sure? 'Cause I mean if you want I could stay." A sadness fill= ed Willow's eyes as she was forced to choose between her best friends. "Yeah.. Go on... dance.. party.. laugh.. live a normal teenage night." = She smiled weakly, "I'll catch you before class tomorrow." "Okay." Willow walked slowly out of the room, turning at the dor to smi= le at Buffy reassuringly. "Thank Angel for my fish. I called him Future= ." Buffy blinked, not understanding, but filing the comment away as somethi= ng to ask Angel about later. "Will do, Will. 'Night." As her bedroom door clicked shut behind her friends, Buffy lay back upon= her bed. The time was nearing for her to go to Angel's and relive, once= again, the events from the night before. With a sigh she scribbled out a note to her mom, climbed down the stairs= , and pinned the note to the fridge. Finally she stepped out her front door, and in the chill of the night = began her long walk across the darkened town. **************** End Part Five!!!! _____________________________ Angel's Lover (fondly known as Lea) "Love makes you do the wacky!" "When you kiss me I want to die." "I'm SO the net girl!" Defender of David Boreanaz... you know, the man with the fangs! - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 06:36:29 -0800 From: NightHunter <LJEFFERS@Highland.Net> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Re: Vengeance Wow! this has to have been one of the best I've read lately I Can't wait for the next series. - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 16:16:23 -0500 From: 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 subject 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 subject 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 subscribing 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 subject 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 subscription (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 unsubbing. Again, welcome! If you have any questions about these rules, please contact either one of us offlist. If you have subscription 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 - -- sah * romana@mindspring.com * romana@aol.com NatPack * BotCoS * Jungle Patrol * BBPGrrl:TGLIL * Bishop * BTVS Listowner Nat's B&B: http://free.prohosting.com/~romana/natpack/html My homepage: http://free.prohosting.com/~romana/index.html "In front of me, facing me and the bank of journalists, was the Senate Judiciary Committee: Fourteen white men in dark grey suits." Anita Hill - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 17:28:31 PST From: "Sara Barton" <sara114@hotmail.com> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hope (35/?) Title: Hope Author: Sara B. Sara114@hotmail.com Disclaimer: I don't own them. Part 35 ôGo upstairs and get washed up. Their is a towel in the closet a the end of the hallway, and feel free to use anything we have in the bathroom,ö Buffy said to Hope, as she shut the door behind her. Hope nodded wearily and trudged up the stairs. ôHope?ö The beautiful girl turned around. ôYeah?ö her parched voice said. Buffy did her best to smile. ôA vampire is a demon. They kill, torture, and cause suffering to people. They have no conscious and no guilt. Killing one of them is a good thing, in a weird way. The more of them you kill, the safer the world is.ö Hope took her words to heart. ôIÆll remember that.ö She said, and continued making her way up the stairs. Buffy walked into the downstairs bathroom. She cleaned up the cut she had on her forehead, and took off her clothes. Standing in front of the full length mirror that was hanging on the door, she eyed her appearance. ôYuck,ö she said, noticing her mussed hair. Grabbing a brush out of a drawer, she ran it through her hair, trying to make it descent looking. ôWhy am I even doing this? I have a world to save.ö Sighing, she pulled a tissue out of the box and wiped the black makeup off that had run down her face from her tears. ôI really need waterproof mascara.ö She pulled a pair of clean jeans from the laundry basket and put them on. She put on a small white shirt on and pulled her hair back into a low pony tail. After taking a final glance at herself, she walked to the kitchen. Walking over to the counter, she noticed the open phone book. Flipping to the right page, she found the number for the hospital and dialed. ôSunnydayle Hospital,ö the male voice said. ôUh, hi. I need to speak with Rupert Giles. He should be there,ö Buffy said. ôDoes he work here?ö ôUh, no...he is a librarian. I mean, he is waiting there....at the hospital,ö she stammered, ôjust page him or whatever you do. ItÆs really urgent,ö Buffy said, feeling like an idiot. ôRight. What was his name again?ö ôGiles. Uh, Rupert Giles.ö ôOkay, please hold.ö Elevator music blared through the phone into her ear as she was put on hold. After three minutes of what seemed like an eternity, her WatcherÆs familiar voice soothed her. ôHello?ö Giles asked. ôGiles! ItÆs Buffy. WeÆve got big problems.ö ***** Hope walked to the hall closet and pulled out a plush pink towel, then walked to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she rested, leaning on it. Her body tingled, and she could smell the stench of dried blood. Looking down, she saw her stained jeans, remembering what she did to Marcus. Groaning, she peeled off her clothes and started a shower. She relaxed as the water hit her. The water turned a light pink color as she washed her body. Hope grabbed the nearest bottle of shampoo. ôMmm...peach. My favorite.ö When she finally felt clean, she turned the water off, and stepped onto the mat that lay beside the tub. She dried herself off, and wiped the mist off on the foggy mirror. ôI really need waterproof mascara,ö she grumbled, and grabbed a tissue to wipe off her makeup that had run down her face. Running a comb through her blond hair, she left the bathroom. In BuffyÆs room, Hope got dressed, putting on a pair of jeans and a white shirt that she pulled out of her bag. ThatÆs when she looked at the clock and realized she hadnÆt spoken or seen her parents in a long time. ôOh know! They are probably so freaked! IÆm going to be grounded forever,ö she said. Racing to the phone, she quickly dialed her number, fearing what her parents would say. ôHello?ö ôMom! Oh, IÆm so sorry I havenÆt called you!ö Hope rushed. ôIts just that, well, there are things going on and I canÆt explain them to you but I canÆt come home because I have to save the world. OH! I ...I mean I have to uh, I have to, um...ö she rambled, trying to think of an excuse. ôItÆs okay, honey. Calm down. I understand that you are busy with your new friends,ö her mother, Gayle Callahan said. Hope was confused. ôWho are you and what have you done with my mother?ö she asked, and Gayle laughed. ôI donÆt get it. I was sure you and Frank would be wigged out with worry.ö ôHope, dear, we know,ö Gayle said. ôYou know what?ö Hope questioned suspiciously. ôWe know about Mira and the necklace and the prophecy,ö Frank CallahanÆs voice said as he picked up the extension. ôWh..What?! I donÆt understand!ö Hope exclaimed, feeling queasy. ôWe know about what is going on right now. Why do you think we came to Sunnydale? Why do you think we gave you the necklace right before we moved? Because of your destiny to fight with Buffy,ö Gayle said. Hope now felt like throwing up. ôYou know Buffy?ö ôYes, we met today. I was the one who gave her a ride into Sunnydale. I know that this is a lot to take in all at once, but there is no time to explain. We can talk about it later. Right now you have a duty to perform. You must save Angelus.ö Gayle said. ôYour mother is right. Angelus needs you to give him his greatest wish,ö Frank said. ôWhat wish?ö his step-daughter asked. ôHis wish to be able to human. To be with Buffy,ö he told her. ôOh man. How do I do that?ö ôYou will know what to do when the time comes,ö Frank said. ôHow long have you known all of this?ö Hope asked. ôSince before your birth. That is why I named you æHopeÆ. You were to be the hope of the future. And you are,ö Gayle explained. Hope was astonished. ôDid my dad know about this before he died?ö ôYes, he did. And Frank also new before I married him.ö ôThis is all too much,ö Hope said. ôDonÆt think about this right now. Think about what you have to do. And remember, you have the power within you,ö Gayle said. ôRight, right,ö Hope said, dazed. ôWe love you, honey,ö she said. ôWe know you will fulfill your destiny,ö Frank said. ôBye Mom, Frank,ö Hope said. ôI love you.ö She slowly placed the phone on the base. ôHoly shit. This is too much.ö ***** Hope walked down the stairs to inform Buffy of her newly found information. She found her lounging on the couch, sharpening a stake. ôHey,ö she said, shyly, and put her hands into her pockets. Buffy looked up and sprung to her feet. She was about to speak but shut her mouth closed, eyeing HopeÆs outfit to find it exactly like her own. Both girls stared at each other in bewilderment, shocked to find out that they both had on jeans, white shirts, and hair pulled back. ôThis is really weird,ö Hope said, breaking their silence. Buffy took a deep breath. ôShould you change, or should I?ö she said, beginning to laugh. Both girls burst into giggles, laughing uncontrollably until their stomachs hurt. When they were able to control themselves, the happy atmosphere turned into a serious one. They shared their telephone conversations. ôThis is all too much,ö Buffy said. ôStrange. That is what I said,ö Hope sighed. Buffy stared at her friend. ôWe have to win this fight. But how?ö ôI donÆt know,ö she said, leaning up against the wall. ôI canÆt believe they took your mother.ö Buffy looked down, hiding her tears. Her stomach flipped upside down and her throat tightened. <Mom. ItÆs my fault she is in danger > ôIf they hurt her, they will live to regret it. Actually, part of me thinks that Angel wonÆt do anything to her.ö ôWhy do you think that?ö Hope questioned. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. ôBecause he doesnÆt want her. He wants me. And he wont let Spike hurt her because she is the bate to lure me in.ö Buffy stared at Hope. Suddenly an idea floated into her mind. Buffy jumped up off the couch. ôI have an idea!ö She exclaimed, and pulled Hope up the stairs. She ran to her room. Hope followed her quickly, eager to find out what Buffy was up to. Buffy pulled out her desk chair and told Hope to sit in it. She stood behind her friend and they stared into the mirror. ôDo you see what I see?ö Buffy asked. ôNo,ö Hope replied honestly. ôWith our blond hair, slender figures, light skin, we almost look incredibly alike,ö she said. Hope examined her reflection against BuffyÆs. ôYou know, your right,ö she agreed. ôBut what does this have to do with anything?ö Buffy grinned mischievously. ôJust wait and youÆll find out.ö Part 36 ôPaging Mr. Giles. Mr. Rupert Giles. You have a telephone call,ö a loud voice said over the intercom. Giles sprung to his feet and ran to the front desk. ôIÆm Rupert Giles,ö he said quickly. The large, overweight man pointed to a phone. ôLine 3.ö Giles nodded and picked up the receiver. ôHello?ö ôGiles! ItÆs Buffy. WeÆve got big problems.ö Buffy explained what had happened, from the moment her and Hope left the hospital right up to this telephone call. ôOh....oh m..my. Sh-Sh-She rrripped it off?ö Giles gulped, loosening the tie that had suddenly become extremely tight around his neck. ôYes, Giles. She ripped it off. I think Hope just fulfilled the fantasy of every American woman,ö Buffy said. Giles felt largely uncomfortable, and changed the subject. The though of what Hope did to Marcus made him feel queasy. ôS..so you say that she wasnÆt in control of her body? ôThatÆs what she told me. You should have seen her, Giles. She was raving mad. It was like someone else in HopeÆs body.ö Giles pondered this. ôIt may be a side effect of her transformation.ö ôHer transformation?ö Buffy asked, confused. ôYes. If her slaying abilities are permanent, then she is going through a transformation, just like what you went through and what all the other slayers went through.ö ôOh...okay. What if her abilities are temporary?ö She asked. Giles took in a deep breath and was silent. ôWhat is it? Is it bad?ö He winced. Giles didnÆt want to have to tell her this. He had hoped she wouldnÆt ask, but since she did he couldnÆt lie to her. ôYes, IÆm afraid so. If her abilities are only temporary, then she might die when they leave her.ö ôWhat do you mean, she might die?!ö Buffy exclaimed, feeling a little dizzy. The Watcher wiped the sweat from his brow. ôA transformation takes a lot out of a person. Her body is going through some changes. If her abilities were to leave her, then her body might not be able to handle the immense stress that she would endure. The stress would kill her.ö ôOh, no,ö she whispered. Buffy tried to push the thought of Hope dying out of her mind. ôIf we are lucky, she wonÆt die. The transformation will be permanent, and she will be a slayer,ö Giles said, trying to not make Buffy more upset than she already was. ôBut we canÆt think about that right now. We need to think about how to rescue your mother.ö Buffy nodded. ôYour right. IÆm sure by now she already knows all about who I am. How is she going to handle that? What if Angel kills her?ö BuffyÆs hands began to shake and her chin quivered. ôWhat if Angel turns her into a vampire?! What if I never see my mother again?! What if I am forced to kill her if she is a vampire?!ö She was starting to panic. Her mind was racing with horrible things Angel could do to Joyce. The thought of Angel hurting her mother made her sick. BuffyÆs emotions were running wild. One moment she felt fine, the next she was in a frenzy. ôBuffy, now is not the time to panic. You have to think clearly and rationally. Angel wonÆt kill your mother. I hate to say this, but right now she is the bait to lure you in.ö When Buffy didnÆt respond, he continued. ôListen, just try to relax. I will be there as soon as I can.ö He said, and hung up the phone. < How are we ever going to do this? Hope is raging and Buffy is hysterical > He saw Xander who sat with his head resting in his hands. < Poor boy. He must be tired > Giles walked over to him. ôWould you like me to take you home, Xander?ö Giles asked. Xander looked at the old librarian, shaking his head. ôNo. I want to stay here.ö Giles sighed. ôVery well. I am going to BuffyÆs house. Apparently she had a run in with Angel, and he has kidnapped her mother.ö Xander stood up so quickly he almost knocked Giles over. ôWhat? That bastard. IÆm going with you.ö ôXander, I donÆt think--ö Giles began, but stopped in mid sentence as Xander pushed him out of the way and out the doors of the lobby. Giles sighed again. ôTeenagers,ö he muttered, and followed the boy to the car. ***** A half an hour later, Giles walked up to BuffyÆs front porch. He paused before knocking, feeling guilty for leaving Jenny, Willow, and Cordelia at the hospital. Xander walked up behind him. ôWhat are you waiting for, G-man? Knock already,ö Xander said. Giles glared at him with annoyance, and Xander shut his mouth. He knocked three times, and waited. The door opened, and Hope greeted them with a smile. ôHey guys,ö she said. ôHey, Buffster,ö Xander said, pushing his way in front of Giles. ôWhereÆs Hope?ö Someone poked him gently on the back and he turned around to face Buffy. ôHey Buffy.ö He stopped, his eyes opening wide. He looked at the girl in front of him and again at the girl behind him. ôWOAH! What is going on? Have I entered the Twilight Zone?ö he asked, backing away. Buffy smiled at Hope. ôTold you it would work.ö Hope laughed. ôI didnÆt think they would buy it!ö Xander and Giles, both incredibly confused, demanded an answer. ôWho is who? And what is going on?ö Buffy smiled. ôIÆm Buffy, and thatÆs Hope. How alike do we look?ö Giles was amazed. ôThe resemblance is uncanny,ö he said. ôHow did you do this?ö ôLetÆs just say it was a fast hair cut and a quick dye job,ö Buffy said. ôI cut about two inches and lightened her hair, then I styled it just like I do mine. We dressed the same, so we now look alike.ö ôExcept that I have to wear a pair of two inch black boots to make me taller,ö Hope said, grinning. ôWow, two BuffyÆs. This is my lucky day. Thank you God!ö Xander exclaimed. Ignoring his rude comment, Buffy shut the front door. ôNow, we have to get moving. I have stakes, holy water, and crosses,ö she said, sitting on the couch. ôDoes everyone still have their stakes? Or did they fall off when we were hit?ö She asked, referring to their car accident earlier. Giles and Xander nodded, while Hope re-strapped the stakes on her body. Both girls had tiny backpacks full of crosses and two small bottles of holy water. Buffy handed the two men each a large cross and a bottle of holy water. ôTake these,ö she ordered. ôWhat is the plan?ö Xander asked. ôIÆll explain it on the way. Right now, we need to hurry before it is too late,ö Buffy said, leading her three friends our of the house. ôHey Hope, I have a question,ö Xander asked, hurrying down the steps of BuffyÆs porch to catch up with the blond beauty. She turned to look at him. ôWhat?ö She asked. < He is so cute. No wonder why Cordelia likes him. She is so lucky > ôDid you really rip off that guys ----ö ôXANDER!!!ö Buffy and Giles scremed in usinson. He quickly snapped his jaw shut for the second time that evening. Hope leaned over and whispered in his ear. ôYes, but donÆt worry...I only do it when IÆm angry.ö Grinning, she walked away, silently chucking to herself, while Xander stared at her in amazement. ôThat is one wild woman,ö he said to himself, and followed them to the car. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - - ------------------------------ End of Buffyfic-digest V2 #85 ***************************** 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. 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