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buffyfic-digest         Saturday, May 16 1998         Volume 02 : Number 190



In this issue:

       BUFFYFIC: Broken Bonds (Part 7)
       BUFFYFIC: Rendezvous with Midnight (1/1)
       BUFFYFIC: "Reunion" (17/?) by Ingrid
       BUFFYFIC: SORRY
       BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!
       OT: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!
       Re: OT: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!
       Re: OT: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!
       Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!
       BUFFYFIC: Change(1/1)
       BUFFYFIC: DISREGARD THE MESSAGES SORRY AND PLEASE HELP
       BUFFYFIC: Section 3, Article 1 (1/1)

See the end of the digest for information on (un)subscribing to the buffyfic
or buffyfic-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.

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

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 20:13:22 -0400
From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Broken Bonds (Part 7)

Title:          Broken Bonds (Part 7)
Author:      Northlight
e-mail:      [e-mail]
Thanks:      Leslie
Summery:     Giles dissapears and bad things start to happen.
Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.

    Willow dropped onto her bed with a weary sigh. She was exhausted.
Dealing with an angry Buffy tended to take a lot out of a person.  Not
to mention that she had to entertain Xander while he was ill, face
Tyler, worry about Giles, and try to figure out what was happening.
'And who could forget that history test on Monday.'

    Willow groaned and burrowed her head under her pillow.  'Having Buffy
deal with vampires was much easier than this,' she thought, grinning
slightly at the absurdity of longing for days where all they had to
worry about were long toothed demons.

    "Ok, enough fun for today," Willow chided herself as she reluctantly
pulled her head out from under the pillow.  "Back to work for me."

    She moved towards her desk and dropped down in front of the computer.
Willow absently nibbled at her lower lip as she went over what she had
found out after Buffy had first told her of Giles' disappearance.
Unfortunately, it wasn't much.

    Giles hadn't bought a plane ticket back to England, or anywhere else
for that matter.  There wasn't any record of him buying a train ticket,
renting a car, or checking into a motel.  Obviously, Giles still had to
be somewhere in Sunnydale.

    Which led to the question of why he hadn't contacted Buffy.  He had to
know that the Slayer would be worried sick at his unexplained absence.
Willow could think of two reasons for his lack of communication.  Giles
couldn't get to a phone, or he felt that he couldn't risk it.  'Or he
could be-- No! I'm not thinking that! Good thoughts.  Think good
thoughts.'

    Pushing aside all unwelcome thoughts of the third possible explanation
for Giles' failure to contact Buffy, Willow concentrated on the task
before her.  "Now lets see what I can find out about Tyler..."

******

    Buffy growled as she restlessly paced across her room.  She hated the
waiting, the not knowing, the helplessness.  Buffy had grown used to
facing her problems head on.  'What use is it being the damned Slayer if
I'm not doing anything!' she silently raged.

    But there wasn't anything that she could do, not now.  Willow was
searching for information, Angel was still held inside by the sun as was
every other vampire, and Buffy didn't feel ready to face Tyler again.

    "What an idiot!" Buffy ground out, the thought of Tyler raising her
temper once again.  "He comes in, under suspicious circumstances too,
and proceeds to tell me that I can't have my friends!  What, suddenly my
Slaying technique isn't good enough because I have people to support
me?!"

      Buffy continued to pace through her room.  The angry thuds of her
footfalls were punctuated by growled mutterings.

    It was going to be a long day.

******

    Giles shifted uncomfortably, feeling out of place in the jeans he
wore.  'I miss my tweed...' he thought wistfully before drawing his mind
back to the more important matters at hand.

    "Here you go, Rupert," Simon said solemnly, dropping several sheets of
paper on the table before the Watcher.  "It's as complete a list as
possible on both sides of the split.  I also tried to find out exactly
what artifacts, magics and texts are within the hands of both groups."

    Giles nodded absently, already engrossed in the information held within
papers he held.  His mouth twisted unhappily at some of the names in the
two neat columns.  "Are you sure of these?" he asked the other man.

    Simon shrugged.  "As sure as I can be."  He understood Rupert's
unwillingness to accept some of those placements.  It was hard to
believe that a long bond of tradition, knowledge, and purpose had been
broken.  Even though Simon had seen it coming, he too felt a pang of
regret for what they had lost.

    A flicker of sadness passed through Giles' eyes at Simon's
confirmation.  Their eyes met for a moment, and a shared sense of loss
passed between them.  Then Giles' eyes dropped back to the papers.  "Did
you manage to find out who was sent to replace me as Watcher?"

    Simon grimaced.  "Nathaniel Tyler."

    Giles' head jerked up and his eyes met Simon's once again.
"Nathaniel?" he choked.  "Not a good thing."

End Part 7

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

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 21:14:31 EDT
From: Redfire98 <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Rendezvous with Midnight (1/1)

 Title:  Rendezvous with Midnight
 Author:  Tamara!
 Email:  [e-mail]
 Feedback:  I'd appreciate it.  Lots.
 Distribution:  It's up on my page.  If you want it, ask me first.
 Summary:  During a confrontation with Angelus, Buffy learns something
 about herself and her enemy.  Angelus learns a little something, too.
 Disclaimer:  Characters from the show don't belong to me.  They're Joss
 Whedon's.  I'm just borrowing them so I can screw up their lives and mess
 with their heads.  It gives me something to do.

 Note:  This story is just another way for me to be angsty.  Go along with it.
 Open your mind and say to yourself, it's just a story.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Rendezvous with Midnight


 Darkness. It was all she saw, all she felt. All around her there was
 nothing but darkness. She walked down the street, oblivious to her
 surroundings, focusing only on the dark. She could sense him near, knew
 he was waiting for her. She knew it was dangerous, knew he had no qualms
 about taking her life. But somehow, she couldn't resist the darkness.
 She couldn't resist him.

 She stopped at the entrance to the apartment, her mind giving one last
 scream for her to leave. She was unarmed, her mind totally unfocused on
 destroying him. She was't ready to kill him, didn't think she'd ever be
 ready to truly defeat him. She knew that she should be running away,
 knew she should be trying to save her life. But some little part of her
 wanted to be there, some part of her needed the darkness that surrounded
 him. So, with total disregard for her life, she took that final step
 into the apartment, into his domain.

 He was sitting there waiting for her. She spotted him as soon as she
 stepped over the threshold. His eyes were focused intently on her, a
 slight smile graced his lips. As she walked toward him she wondered what
 the smile was for. She knew it wasn't because of past memories of this
 place, knew it wasn't because he cared about the time they'd spent in
 this room. No, the smile had to be there because he was certain she
 couldn't stay away from him. She would do anything to be with him. Even
 give up her life.

 He stood up suddenly and she halted her steps, not sure of what to do
 next. He held out a hand and, with only the slightest hesitation, she
 took it. He hauled her roughly to him, his arms crushing her against his
 chest.

 "Are you going to kill me?" she asked him casually, as if they were
 talking about the weather. It surprised her that she wasn't afraid to
 die.

 Angelus raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "Maybe," he answered
 with a shrug. "I haven't really decided yet. Why? In a hurry to die?"

 Buffy smiled. "No, just wanted to be up to date on things."

 "Glad I could oblige." He leaned down until his lips were just a breath
 above hers. "Why are you here?"

 That was one of many questions she couldn't answer. What was she doing
 there? She'd been asking herself that question all the way over here.
 Why couldn't she stay away from him? Why did she always come back,
 knowing that he could kill her, understanding that her weakness, her
 inabilty to destroy him, made him stronger? Why did she keep torturing
 herself? Why couldn't she reject the darkness? Why was she so entranced
 by him, the creature so intent on making her suffer?

 Those were questions she feared she would never know the answers to.
 They were too hard, too complex. She just didn't know how to answer
 them. Maybe there was no answer. Maybe it was all some big joke. She
 smiled, briefly, as she pictured the higher powers looking down upon
 them, entertained, as they silently manipulated their latest toys. Make
 the Slayer attracted to her enemy, she thought with a look at the
 ceiling. I hope you like the show we're giving you.

 She turned her attention back to the one holding her in his arms,
 looking deep into his eyes searching for answers, only to receive more
 questions. Looking into the depths of his eyes, eyes that held no
 emotion, no hint of feeling whatsoever, not anger, not hate, not love,
 she saw herself. In his eyes she saw what drew them together, she saw
 what forced them to back to each other, despite the hate. In his eyes
 she saw darkness. The same darkness she saw in herself.

 Pulling herself from her thoughts she focused on Angelus. He was still
 watching her, waiting patiently for her answer to his question. She had
 a feeling, though, that he already knew the answer.

 "Why am I here?" she repeated the question, finally ready to speak. "I'm
 here because I can't help but be here. We're connected. We can't fight
 it. We're drawn together and though we hate it, we go along with it
 because we have to."

 There was a light of understanding in his eyes and she knew that he was
 aware of what was between them. And he didn't like it anymore than she
 did. But what they wanted didn't matter.

 "I can't kill you," Buffy said with a sigh. She reached up and wrapped
 her arms around him. "At least not yet. I still love you. I don't want to,
but
 I do.  But eventually I'm going to work up the nerve to destroy you. I
 *will* destroy you."

 "And I'll destroy you," Angelus replied, his voice confident.

 Buffy nodded, knowing he was right. It was the only way they could go.
 When their fight was over, both Slayer and Vampire would be gone.
 Another Slayer would come and take her place, another Vampire would lead
 the clan. But Buffy and Angelus would be no longer. They knew it and
 accepted it.

 It startled her when his lips came down on hers, rough and demanding. It
 was something she hadn't expected to happen. But she didn't waste time
 being cautious. Pulling him closer to her, she opened up to him, letting
 him inside her mouth, inside her soul. As he deepened the kiss she once
 again felt the shadows that surrounded them. As Slayer and vampire
 kissed, as their mouths melded together, they connected. Good and evil
 disappeared, love and hate evaporated. There were only two people, their
 passion...

 And darkness.

 The End

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Tamara, CtH Mistress   ~ [e-mail] ~
 UCS ~ Spikette ~ SGEB ~ SunS Worshipper ~ RABID ~ GASP
 Webpage:   http://members.tripod.com/~Aramat1/index.html
 "We're like artists and this is how we screw ourselves." -Jane, "Daria"
 "I think -therefore I'm single." -Lizz Winstead

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

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 23:28:37 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Ingrid E Stanton)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Reunion" (17/?) by Ingrid

DISCLAIMER: The characters of Angel, Buffy, Cordelia,
Willow, Xander, Jenny, Giles & company are the property
of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions,
and The Warner Brothers Network, and are used without
permission. The author claims no rights to these characters.
SUMMARY: Later that nightà
WELCOME to my story. It takes place ten years
into the future, but IÆm not telling you whatÆs happened in
advance. ThatÆs happening through interludes.
FEEDBACK: I love to get feedback, except when my
mailbox explodes, which is often, but send it anyway!
    My address is [e-mail].
REQUESTS FOR PARTS: If you donÆt get this,
thatÆs because you havenÆt read the other parts. If you want
to get this, ask me for them!

*********
"Reunion," by Ingrid
Part Seventeen: "Long WinterÆs Nightmare"
*********

It might have been something about that night that made dreams
so clear and watery at the same time, or it might have been the
moon, so hollow, the darkness caressing its insides. But whatever
it was, the house was alive with it as if one body breathed; exhaled
slowly.

~~~

There were faces again, writhing and groaning. They were her
faces. She didnÆt mean to go so close, but invisible fingers pulled
her along and she slipped on the wet grass of the shore.

The split second when sheÆd realized she was falling was a moment
too late to do anything about it. Her flesh crawled, her body tensed.

They were screaming as she plunged into the water and those
heads continued to float, unable to move, covering the entire
floor of the lake in shadow.

It was dark, and deeper than it looked from the outside. Something
green and slimy brushed her leg, and she darted forwards, looking
for an opening at the surface.

Something translucent began to appear at the bottom- Willow
was there, her hair floating about and above her, foot stuck under
a rock. She was pulling at it calmly, then more anxiously as she
realized she was in trouble.

She immediately took of to help her, ignoring her burning lungs
and reaching towards the deep dark bottom.

She stopped almost immediately as someone at the sandy floor
lifted the rock easily. It didnÆt take her very long to recognize
Spike.

Again she shot out to help, but again she stopped, as Willow
smiled, approached, and wrapped her arms around him in
one seductive motion.

She looked on in horror as they shared a sensuous kiss.
Her lungs burst.

She woke up gasping for breath.

~~~~

He was running, he knew. That much he knew, and not much
else. His legs were moving, his vision was blurry

He was in a vacant city. The blue buildings towered above him,
laughing; crumbling slowly. The lightning struck rock and slabs
of the dark stuff fell from the sky, crashing around him.

Cobblestone path. Stumbling, slowing. It was following. Faster.

One unbalanced step wrenched his foot away, and his ankle
snapped. He cracked inside and fell, face to the pavement again.
The sky ripped in two, and began to bleed in buckets. In moments,
he was soaked.

He had always been soaked, and this is how it always started.
It stopped. It had never started, and yet he was soaked.

And then came the pain. He heard footsteps distantly, and in
moments he saw the feet and looked up in time to notice the
bleached hair and the bloody grin. Screeching pain
devoured his insides, and he was leaving; rising.

Somewhere along the line it had started to rain again, but
quietly; mournfully, and he watched himself get up and
smile, as he floated helplessly above.

He watched his own figure retreat, the sound of his heels
echoing fainter and fainter, until there was nothing else
but the blue cobblestones, and the tall blue buildings.

Laughing.

He jerked awake, and couldnÆt stop from shaking.

***
END, part 17.

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 08:38:04 EDT
From: Jaclyn Amy <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: SORRY

I'm sooo sorry to disrupt the list, but I think this is a really cool Buffy
sounds sight that you should all know about.
<A HREF="http://techzero.simplenet.com/buffy/">The Sounds of the Slayer</A>

Jaclyn

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 08:40:11 EDT
From: Jaclyn Amy <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!

Can someone who knows a lot about the internet please help me with a story I'm
doing? I'm trying to put a link into my story so that the sound comes up as
they open the mail. Thanks!

- -Jaclyn [e-mail]

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 08:52:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Jeff Reid (SpaceMOO Admin)" <[e-mail]>
Subject: OT: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!

On Sat, 16 May 1998, Jaclyn Amy wrote:

> Can someone who knows a lot about the internet please help me with a story I'm
> doing? I'm trying to put a link into my story so that the sound comes up as
> they open the mail. Thanks!

Sorry for the off-topic post:

I wouldn't recommend that.  I use Linux and it wouldn't work for me, or at
least it would screw up the system.  I'm sure it would do the same to
other systems too.

Is it even possible, though?

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 09:15:43 EDT
From: AlysFaire <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: OT: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!

In a message dated 98-05-16 08:54:01 EDT, [e-mail] writes:

<< On Sat, 16 May 1998, Jaclyn Amy wrote:

 > Can someone who knows a lot about the internet please help me with a story
I'm
 > doing? I'm trying to put a link into my story so that the sound comes up as
 > they open the mail. Thanks!

 Sorry for the off-topic post:

 I wouldn't recommend that.  I use Linux and it wouldn't work for me, or at
 least it would screw up the system.  I'm sure it would do the same to
 other systems too.

 Is it even possible, though?>>


Hmm, not an expert by any means, but I agree with Jeff, I think it would mess
things up.  I've seen fic done (not Buffy) posted on a _webpage_ with sounds
embedded, that you have to click on to get the wav. (Which was really cool,
btw). :-)   But I think you'd have to send it as an attached file in a list,
wouldn't you?

 Alys


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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 09:37:19 -0400
From: [e-mail] (slb)
Subject: Re: OT: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!

At 09:15 AM 5/16/98 -0400, AlysFaire wrote:
>I've seen fic done (not Buffy) posted on a _webpage_ with sounds
>embedded, that you have to click on to get the wav. (Which was really cool,
>btw). :-)   But I think you'd have to send it as an attached file in a list,
>wouldn't you?

Yes, and that would be bad. In fact, I believe that's against the list rules.

Sheryl

[e-mail]
Ravenette~Slayerette~Discoverer~BBFC
"Our man Angel here likes to talk, but he's not much for action. All hat and
no cat." Spike, BTVS
              Moo: A Fan Fiction Zine
  http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/3063

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 08:43:37 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jill Kirby <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC:PLEASE HELP!

At 08:40 AM 5/16/98 EDT, Jaclyn Amy wrote:
>Can someone who knows a lot about the internet please help me with a story I'm
>doing? I'm trying to put a link into my story so that the sound comes up as
>they open the mail. Thanks!

This would be a Bad Thing.  The sound would come across as an attached file,
and that's against the list rules.

Jill
Jill Kirby ~~  [e-mail] ~~ www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/4107
               NatPack ~~ ABotCoS ~~ NP4 ~~ Dreamer/Minstrel
           That would be Methos. But, then, everything's Methos.
                               Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 09:43:39 EDT
From: Jaclyn Amy <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Change(1/1)

TITLE: Change 1/1
AUTHOR: Jaclyn [e-mail]
DISCLAIMER: I own none of the Buffy characters or the Buffy Sounds sight.
SUMMARY: BuffyÆs thoughts as she sees the library after the vamps trashed it
in Becoming Part 1.
RATING: PG-mild language
SPOILERS: None.
FEEDBACK: PLEASE! Do it privately to Jaclyn [e-mail], not to the whole
list. Thanks.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------
    "This isnÆt about you. This was never about you."
    No! No, not again! (I started running.) Please, let them be there, still
practicing the ritual when I return. Let Xander make wise cracks, Cordelia
make fun of them, Willow research some prophesy, Giles have his nose in a
book, and Kendra guarding all of them.
    DonÆt make them suffer for my mistakes. DonÆt let them die because I was
careless. DonÆt take them away from me because I was selfish.

//Bottom line is, even if you see them coming, you're not ready for the big
moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does.//

    Change. One night, one decision, one careless mistake: all change your life
so drastically.
    I never saw it coming. But I should have. I should have seen the dangers. I
should have seen the consequenses. I should have known not to leave them
alone. I should have remembered.
    Last time was a warning. Everything turned out fine. I saved the day after
almost completely distroying it. I had another chance. This time was real.
There are no second chances, no mercy, no hope.
    Angel, Angelus, whoever the hell he is right now-heÆs won. HeÆs killed me.
Maybe not physically, but emotionally IÆm gone.
    Xander was right; I wanted to get my boyfriend back. Look where its got me.
Giles, Cordelia, and Xander are gone. IÆm not even sure if the vamps were the
ones to take them. Willow is probably under the book case. And Kendraà" (I
dove onto the floor.)

//So, what are we, helpless? Puppets? Nah. The big moments are gonna come, you
can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find
out who you are.//

    Kendra! Oh God, Kendra! Damnit! I should be the one lying dead on the floor,
not you. ItÆs not your fault. ItÆs not fair to you; you couldnÆt have known.
If life was fair though, IÆd be dead and youÆd be alive.
    One decision, one mistake. ThatÆs all it took to kill Jenny, to kill her, to
kill me. If thereÆs one thing IÆve learned from tonight, itÆs that one moment
can change your entire life. Or worse yet, it can change somebody elseÆs.
    I canÆt look back on what I did and torture myself. I have to look forward,
think about what to do next. No matter what I do, sheÆs dead. The only thing I
can do now is to make sure this canÆt happen again.
    I know I canÆt control the big moments. I have to know how to react. I need
to-
    "FREEZE!"
//YouÆll see what I mean.//

The End

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 09:45:47 EDT
From: Jaclyn Amy <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISREGARD THE MESSAGES SORRY AND PLEASE HELP

Please disregard the messages sorry and please help if you have not already
read them. I have just reread the list rules, and they do not abide by them.
Please do not read them. Thanks.

- -Jaclyn

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

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 12:53:51 -0400
From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Section 3, Article 1 (1/1)

Title:Section 3, Article 1
Author: Northlight
e-mail: [e-mail]
Thanks: Leslie
Summery: Buffy tells her mother that she's the Slayer.
Disclaimer: They aren't mine.

    "Mom?" whispered Buffy, crouching beside her mother.  "Are you
alright?"

    Joyce Summers looked at her daughter with wide, frantic eyes.  She
still looked terrified, Buffy noted.  Not that big a shock, all
considered.  "Buffy?" Joyce gasped in return.  Joyce looked so small,
and so very lost.  "What happened?  What was that--- that thing?"

    Buffy winced slightly.  Buffy wasn't prepared for this, but she
suspected that she never would be.  After all, how did one go about
telling her mother that she was the Vampire Slayer?

    But Joyce deserved to know the truth.  She deserved to finally have her
answers.  Buffy couldn't keep endangering her mother's life by keeping
her secret any longer.  A guilty look at the gash across her mother's
face assured Buffy of her decision to tell her mother everything.

    Buffy cleared her throat nervously and moved to sit next to Joyce on
the couch.  "Mom," Buffy began uncertainly, "this is kind of hard, but I
have something that I have to tell you."

    Joyce nodded reassuringly and then winced as her head began pounding
with renewed strength.  She felt horrible, not that she was about to
tell Buffy that.  She had waited and wondered long enough, and Joyce
wasn't about to let the fact that she felt a step away from death stop
her from hearing this.

    "Well... you see... I'mtheSlayer,Islayvampiresandotherthings," Buffy
gasped out.  'There, that wasn't so hard.'

    Buffy's hurried confession was met by a blank look.  "What was that,
Buffy?"

    'Damn!' Buffy took a deep breath and consciously slowed down.  "I'm the
Chosen One.  That meaning I... well, I slay vampires and... things."

    Joyce blinked.  Once.  Twice.

    "I see."

    "You do!?"

    Joyce nodded.  "If you didn't want to tell me then you didn't have to,
Buffy.  I'd rather that you didn't feel the need to lie to me."

    'And damn again!' Buffy thought, slightly put out.  She had finally
revealed her secret to her mother, and she didn't believe her!  'Ok,
fine.  I can understand that.  Slaying is a hard thing to accept.'

    Another deep breath and Buffy was ready to try again.  "It's true,
mom.  I'm the Slayer.  And that thing that attacked you," Buffy's hand
blindly reached out towards her mother's, "was a demon.  Not a drug
addict, a demon.  And I killed it."

    Joyce didn't know what to believe.  Demons?  Chosen One?  Vampires?  It
seemed so unreal.  But that would explain so many things...  'Wait a
minute!' Joyce thought suddenly, 'my daughter fighting demons!  My
baby!  She could be killed!  Ohmygod!'

    Seeing the look of motherly terror filling Joyce's eyes, Buffy gathered
that she had been believed.  'That's a relief!  No more groundings or
lectures!'

    "I won't allow this!" Joyce exclaimed, her hand clutching at Buffy's
with a desperate strength.

    Buffy sighed.  'Great.  From one problem to another.'  She snickered
softly as she thought of what Giles would do if she came in one day with
a note from her mother stating that her Slaying activities would no
longer be allowed.

    "Don't worry mom," Buffy said, now the one reassuring.  "I can take
care of myself.  I've faced tons of vampires and demons and things, and
I'm still here."

    'Except for that one close call that she really doesn't need to hear
about...'

    "Buffy..."

    "It's fine mom!" Buffy stated confidently.  "See, look at this."

    Buffy pulled out a stake, and proceded to dazzle her mother with the
moves that had been the destruction of more than a fair share of
vampires.

    Joyce looked at Buffy with tearing eyes.  "Oh Buffy!" she sobbed
suddenly, the terrors and revelations of the night finally hitting her.
Buffy moved towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her.  She
held Joyce in her arms until the woman fell to sleep.

*****

    Buffy woke up slowly, mildly confused.  'Something happened last
night...' she thought trying to shake the memories free of her sleep
clouded mind.  'Mom!  She was attacked and I told her everything!'

    Buffy sighed in contentment.  Life was good.  Her mother was alright
and no longer thought that she was a rebellious trouble maker.

    The Slayer rolled off the couch on which she had spent an uncomfortable
night and padded towards the kitchen.  She peeked into the room.  Joyce
was sitting at the table, the newspaper spread out before her as she
munched on her toast.

    "Morning, mom," Buffy smiled as she came into the room.  She quickly
buttered her own piece of toast and dropped down at the other chair at
the table.  A quick glance towards her mother revealed that the gash
from last night had been bandaged.

    Joyce caught her daughter's glance and raised a hand towards the
bandage.  "I suppose you must be wondering about this," she said much to
Buffy's shock.  "I dropped my mirror last night, and a piece of it
nicked me as it flew by."

    "Mom?!" Buffy gasped.

    "I'm fine, Buffy," Joyce quickly reassured.

    Buffy shook her head, looking at Joyce with wide eyes.  "Don't you
remember?"

    "Remember what?" Joyce questioned.

    "What we talked about last night!" Buffy burst out.

    Joyce looked mildly surprised at Buffy's question and for a moment
Buffy thought that her mother had just been joking.  That hope was
dashed a moment later.  "Of course I do!  Though I'm surprised that you
brought it up again.  And yes, you are still grounded.  I warned you
what would happen if you came in late again, Buffy-- Buffy?"

    Buffy pushed her chair back and stood up, looking queasy.  "Um...
yeah.  Gotta go.  Love you."  With that Buffy sprinted from the room,
leaving her mother staring after her in confusion.

*******

    "Giles!" Buffy cried out as she barreled into the library.

    "Buffy?" he replied from among the shelves.  He emerged a moment later,
his gaze curious.  Taking in her disheveled appearance, the look in his
eyes turned to concern, "are you alright?"

    Buffy nodded, "I'm fine, Giles.  But my mom isn't.  She's possessed or
something!  There must be some sort of demon that causes memory lapses,
right?  Right!?"

    "Calm down, Buffy!" Giles reprimanded, "what did your mother forget?"

    "I told her everything last night, and now she doesn't remember any of
it!"

    "Oh." Giles said simply, a total lack of anything approaching worry in
his tone.

    "Oh!  Is that all you have to say?" Buffy demanded, her nerves
fraying.

    "It's nothing to worry about, Buffy," Giles said calmly as he moved
towards his office.  He emerged a moment later, a book in his hand.
"The reason is right here."

    Buffy looked at the book curiously, Giles calm manner soothing her
panic.  "What is that?"

    "This is the Slayer's Handbook."

    "And that explains what happened to my mom?"

    Giles nodded and flipped through the book.  "Here we are," he
murmured.  "Section 3, Article 1."  He scanned the page and motioned for
Buffy to sit down.  "This is something that was done to ensure that the
Watcher and Slayer would receive no interference from the Slayer's
parents.  Parents who are capable of dealing with their daughter's
destiny are told of it.  That saves everybody from much trouble.  But
those parents who can not handle such a destiny for their child remain
incapable of grasping the truth, even if it is spelled out to them in
detail."

    Buffy gaped at Giles and then groaned, her head dropping down into her
crossed arms on the table.  "Great.  Now I'm never going to be able to
get out of being grounded."

    "It's for the best, Buffy."

    "Sure it is."

End

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

End of buffyfic-digest V2 #190
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