Title: Murphy's Laws
Chapter: January7
Author: FantasyChick
Character/s: Buffy, other characters
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy.
Murphy's Law
"Murphy was an optimist."
Wednesday
January 7th
At 12 and a half years old Lina Murphy was the second youngest member of the Slayers household, second only to young Nathaniel that is. Sitting in her last class of the day, English class, she found herself staring blankly at the empty page lying on the desk in front of her. She absently chews on her lip as she tries to think of what to write for her assignment, to write about a significant instant in her life that she felt had changed her. Such as the birth of a sibling, or changing schools or moving house or . . . Wait a minute! That is definitely something that Lina felt comfortably writing about, living with Buffy and the girls.
For as long as she could remember Nana Nina had been her soul guardian and provider. She also had the unerring ability to foresee what was coming in the future. Nana Nina had made sure that Lina was well cared for and somewhat prepared for what was to come. She never knew who her father was/is. Even her last name is her mothers' maiden name. He wasn't listed on her birth certificate.
Nancy Mariah Murphy was a free spirited peace loving hippy who had left Lina in the care of her grandmother and then disappeared when Lina was 3 years old. Nana Nina's only clue to who the father of her only great granddaughter is was that he had been in the military and when Nancy found out she freaked out and refused to have anything to do with him having an extreme dislike of the military and any law enforcement officers.
The weeks surrounding Nana Nina's death were surreal.
Lina had known Nana Nina was going to die, the older woman had told her so, just like she had told her Lina would someday become a guardian and protector of earth. Just like she had told her on numerous other things that had come true throughout her life, it was just the way Nana had been. Lina couldn't imagine her any other way.
Nana Nina had also been well prepared for her own death and what was to follow. She had gotten in contact with Buffy and had her sign the papers necessary to be Lina's legal guardian. The house that Lina had been living in with Nana Nina was large and had been renovated and extended on to, to comfortably house everyone now living there including the very necessary added bathrooms. As Lina's new guardian Buffy was also in charge of Lina's inheritance. Buffy had had only a vague idea how to deal with an inheritance and had gotten Suki's Uncle Brian to assist her and make sure she didn't stuff anything up.
Lina has kept the same room she has always had in the room so she didn't have the same upheaval that the others had, something she was elated for. Lina also believes that another she has accepted her Nana's death so well was the fact that Buffy was there for her through it all, making sure she had someone to talk to when needed or someone keep company when she didn't want to be alone. The fact that Buffy had also faced similar things in her life, such as the death of her Mother, let her know that she wasn't alone in it. It was strangely comforting.
Now how could she write all of this with out adding all of the stuff that most people would consider science fiction or fantasy?
AN: I lost my father when I was a year or two older then Lina and can admit now that I dealt with it pretty much by ignoring that it had happened until years later when I had the same kind of assignment Lina got in a writing class. The more and more I wrote the more cathartic it was. During the years between however I acted up more and more often without realising why I was doing it. Maybe If I had done the assignment years earlier I wouldn't have done something as stupid as getting caught shoplifting a pen.