Disclaimer:
November 10, 2002- 8st 12, cigarettes 35 (v.p.), alcohol units 7, phone
calls to answering machine 2 (v.g.).
Today was positively horrible. Due to late night excursion with Shazzer,
Jude, and Tom, spent morning with head in toilet. I will never ever drink
again!
Got in late to office. Perpetua created a storm because someone had
misplaced the Johnson advertisement (oops). Slipped away for a fag, then
headed back to computer. Spent ninety minutes arguing with Joss over who
the most intelligent character on EastEnders is. Smug bastard. Thinks he
knows everything because he created Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Oh, Daniel just walked across the room. Lovely ass. Very lovely.
Rating: R (I love sex, I love violence, I like drugs and swearing!)
Summary: Buffy, after running away from Sunnydale, comes home six years later with a new identity. While searching for some mysterious evil threatening to destroy all, she begins to see how much she was missed.
Author's Notes: New summary! Yeah, I thought the old one didn't fit where the story was. Hope there is no confusion. How are all y'all? I'm perfect! The play is over, and I am free to write and finish this story. Loved all the reviews I got from the last chapter. Sorry its taken so long. That being said, I come with a warning. Many of you may not like what happens in this chapter. When I told Anyanka Faith what was to happen, she kicked me out of her room, calling me a "vapid whore". I have to tell you, I love all these characters, and never want anything bad to happen to them. But, I have the entire story planned out, and this is necessary to move the plot along. Please remember this when you send your reviews filled with fire and brimstone. Love you all, and hope you will too after you read this chapter.
PS: That confusing disclaimer was taken from my favorite novel, Bridget Jones's Diary. I'm not English, so I don't know how much 8st 12 is in American weight, or what EastEnders is. I'm just a dumb girl who loves James Marsters.
Chapter 10- Peace Never Lasts
Walking through the sewers in Sunnydale wasn't always a pleasant experience for Krab. Vampires and other creatures that roamed the passageways weren't partial to the Flueruin demon race, and liked to use them as live punching bags. But, they had all left town, and those who stayed made sure to avoid the sewers. They all knew what was coming.
Krab shivered a bit, a look of disgust appearing on his face when a large rat passed in front of him. Before the appearance of the Leader, he had lived in the clean forests of Sunnydale with the members of his tribe. They were peaceful, living off of nuts, berries, and squirrels.
Then He came.
In exchange for their alliance, he would give them all lives of comfort and pleasure. Of course, this would come after the plan had been completed.
Coming to a Y-Junction, Krab stood for a moment, trying hard to remember which path to take. The sewers were a confusing place to live in.
Five minutes later, he arrived at the headquarters. Rumors kept going around that it had once been used by the human race as some sort of secret military experiment. But it was now theirs, a large area where they could work in secret, away from prying eyes.
Completely on task, Krab walked passed his former tribesmen, all of them seething with jealousy that HE had been chosen as the Leader's favorite.
Pausing at the doorway to the Leader's office, Krab heard some noise inside. It was the Leader, yelling harshly at someone. When the noises ceased, Krab knocked timidly.
"Come in." The voice was soft, yet full of power.
Krab slowly opened the door, trying hard not to react to the scene in front of him. Hasnl, his former girlfriend, lay torn in half, her legs dangling off of the Leader's desk, her torso pinned against an old coat rack.
"Ah, Krab," the Leader grinned, standing up to shake his flunky's hand, "How are things going?"
"Perfectly well, sir!" Krab could feel Hasnl's eyes on him, a very uncomfortable feeling.
"Wonderful," he sat back down, his lips curling in a smile against bright yellow teeth. "Wonderful."
"Phase one is complete. The spies on the top have confirmed it."
Leaning back in his ripped, dusty leather chair, the Leader folded his hands behind his head. "So, we have a complete connection to the Hellmouth, no interruptions?"
"Yes, sir."
"Wonderful, simply wonderful." The Leader got up, walked over to a dry erase board that was near Hasnl's head, and erased 'Phase One' off the board. "As you can see," he indicated Hasnl, her mouth still open in shock, "We had a slight problem in manufacturing that will put us off a few days, but no worries."
"No problem, sir."
The Leader started to pace, muttering to himself. "What about the group of mortals?" he asked, turning to the smaller man.
Krab smiled. "Completely in the dark. They know nothing, sir."
Walking over to him, the Leader slung his arm around Krab, giving him a very masculine hug. "This day had started out very badly for me, but once again, you make it better." The Leader released his man, then returned to his desk, now interested in a pile of papers in front of him.
Minutes later, the Leader became aware that Krab had not left. "Is there anything else?"
Pulling at his index finger, Krab bit his lip. "There is one, one of the mortals, who may soon know what is going to happen."
The Leader folded his arms across his chest. "And how would that be?"
"I really don't know, they seem to have an intuition about what is going on."
Knitting his brow together, the Leader started to think. Then, a small smile crept up on his face. "Then, you will have to dispose of this person."
He pulled out a desk drawer, and began to rummage through it.
Standing, the Leader approached Krab, a crowbar in his hand. "You will have to do it the human way, we wouldn't want any mystical traces on the body."
"Yes, sir." Krab took the crowbar, then exited the room, developing a plan. Gotta go kill.
@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
Earlier that day
A delightful smell tickled Tara's nose as she slowly awoke. She blinked as the sun slowly made its way into the room, painting it in a soft yellow color. Rolling over, she discovered the space next to her was empty.
Willow? Where's Willow?
Confused, she squinted while looking around the room. Willow's pajamas were spread across the hope chest at the foot of their bed, her closet door opened. Had Willow gone to work, not wanting to wake me up?
Tara began to pout when the smell came to her again. It was coming from the kitchen. Willow.
She lay on her back again, trying to make out the smells her partner was making.
Sniff. Oatmeal with brown sugar. Sniff sniff. Orange juice, fresh with lots of pulp. Sniff. English muffin with raspberry jelly.
Giggling to herself, Tara sat up slightly. She's making breakfast for me! A secret breakfast! Which I'm not supposed to know about . . .
Uh oh!
Tara lay back down, and shut her eyes. Willow was the type of person who liked her surprises to remain absolutely secret, and Tara wasn't about to let her enhanced senses remove her partner's happiness.
Ever since she had gotten pregnant, all of her senses seemed to grow with power. Her sight, smell, even her magickal abilities. Last week, the tiny potted palm tree in the apartment was starting to sag. Tara performed a revitalizing spell, and not only did the palm get better, every single tree within a five-mile radius grew a foot.
Pulling the covers to her chin, Tara brushed her hands past her swelled stomach.
During the first few weeks of the pregnancy, Willow read their child's aura. With joy, she announced it was a velvety dark blue with flecks of gold. The child, whether it is a boy or a girl, would have powers beyond the imagination, and an honest soul.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the sound of high heels walking through the hallway came closer. The door opened, then shut slowly. A tray was set down on the hope chest.
Willow crawled onto the bed, creeping slowly over to her partner, trying hard to suppress her giggles. She leaned in, and softly brushed her lips against Tara's.
"Wake up, baby," she whispered.
Blinking her eyes, Tara looked at the love of her life. "Hey sweetie," she faked a yawn, trying not to give the impression that she had been up for a while.
As she started to sit up, Willow helped her. "Guess what I did?" Willow was smiling brightly, like a child on Christmas Day.
"What?" Tara looked at the hope chest, and saw the breakfast.
A bowl of creamy oatmeal, with swirls of brown sugar, sat in the center. To the right was a small plate, holding two golden halves of English muffins slathered with bright red raspberry jelly. A crystal wineglass was filled with juice. Completing the tray was a tiny pink rosebud in a glass vase.
Tears of joy began to well up in her eyes. Even though she knew about it, the surprise was still perfect. "You're so wonderful."
"As are you."
Brushing her cheek, Willow came in for another kiss. This one was longer, not full of passion, but sweet like honey.
A beeping went off somewhere. Breaking the kiss, Willow looked down at her watch.
"Damn! I have to be at the school in a half-hour. Oh, I don't wanna go today," Willow started to pout.
Tara came in and caught Willow's pouting lip, pulling on it. "Then don't!" she pulled away, pure joy in her eyes, "Stay here with me today! To hell with work and money!"
Giggling, Willow stood up. "Nope, I have to go. Teaching the young'ins about binding spells, so it should be a fun day." She took her job as the mystical theory professor quite seriously.
Picking up the tray, Willow set it next to Tara, getting a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight?"
Shaking her head, Tara sighed. "Nope, we're doing inventory tonight, so I'll be home late."
"Grumble grumble," Willow frowned, "That Anya's a slave driver."
"I know!"
Willow grabbed her purse as she laughed. "See you when you get home. Love you!"
"Love you too, baby."
The door shut, and moments later Tara heard Willow's car start up and pull out of the driveway.
Sighing, she took a bite of her oatmeal. Pure heaven. Well, at least the day wasn't a total loss.
@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
If I look at another honeysuckle scented candle, I'm going to blow my brains out!
Tara breathed a sigh of relief as she left the Magic Box. It was past midnight and for five long hours she, Anya, and Giles had been sorting through the contents of the Magic Box, checking if the inventory matched the prices. They would have gotten out earlier if Anya hadn't decided at the last minute to recheck the figures. Her and her damned money!
Looking up, Tara saw the moon, full and white. But, the rings around it troubled her. They were red, the color of blood, snaking around each other like ivy. Something was wrong.
Quickly pulling her keys out of her purse, Tara began to move rapidly towards her car. If it weren't for the child, she would have been sprinting.
When she reached the car, she felt a presence. It was sneaking around, trying not to be detected, but failing miserably.
"Who's there?"
The crickets chirped in response. A light wind caught her hair, blowing it back like ribbons.
"Who's there?"
She began to wish for Buffy, no Phoenix, to be around. Somehow, since she had returned, the worry seemed to go away.
"Who's the-"
A blinding pain, a metal bar being slammed against her back, silenced her. She fell to the ground, but rolled, as not to hurt the child.
Another whack, this time against her shin, brought her to tears.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" She looked up, trying hard to catch the face of her assailant.
It was a Flueruin demon, three horns sticking out of his forehead, teeth green and rotting.
He didn't answer, instead hitting her left thigh with the jagged end of the crowbar, digging into her flesh.
She gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face in pain.
Have to stop him, have to stop him . . .
She felt him come up to her head, slowly checking out his work. Flinging out her arms, as to trip him, Tara caught a hold of his bare foot.
As their skin made contact, his thoughts transferred to her in an instant. All the plans, mechanics; everything he knew about was passed to her. She saw all, the plans his master had, what they were going to do . . .
What they planned to do to her family.
"NO!" Tara screamed, not only for the pain she felt, but also for what she knew.
Without any emotion, the demon raised the crowbar up, over her head, and quickly brought it down. The pain she felt soon gave way to blackness, and unconsciousness.
Rating: R (I love sex, I love violence, I like drugs and swearing!)
Summary: Buffy, after running away from Sunnydale, comes home six years later with a new identity. While searching for some mysterious evil threatening to destroy all, she begins to see how much she was missed.
Author's Notes: New summary! Yeah, I thought the old one didn't fit where the story was. Hope there is no confusion. How are all y'all? I'm perfect! The play is over, and I am free to write and finish this story. Loved all the reviews I got from the last chapter. Sorry its taken so long. That being said, I come with a warning. Many of you may not like what happens in this chapter. When I told Anyanka Faith what was to happen, she kicked me out of her room, calling me a "vapid whore". I have to tell you, I love all these characters, and never want anything bad to happen to them. But, I have the entire story planned out, and this is necessary to move the plot along. Please remember this when you send your reviews filled with fire and brimstone. Love you all, and hope you will too after you read this chapter.
PS: That confusing disclaimer was taken from my favorite novel, Bridget Jones's Diary. I'm not English, so I don't know how much 8st 12 is in American weight, or what EastEnders is. I'm just a dumb girl who loves James Marsters.
Chapter 10- Peace Never Lasts
Walking through the sewers in Sunnydale wasn't always a pleasant experience for Krab. Vampires and other creatures that roamed the passageways weren't partial to the Flueruin demon race, and liked to use them as live punching bags. But, they had all left town, and those who stayed made sure to avoid the sewers. They all knew what was coming.
Krab shivered a bit, a look of disgust appearing on his face when a large rat passed in front of him. Before the appearance of the Leader, he had lived in the clean forests of Sunnydale with the members of his tribe. They were peaceful, living off of nuts, berries, and squirrels.
Then He came.
In exchange for their alliance, he would give them all lives of comfort and pleasure. Of course, this would come after the plan had been completed.
Coming to a Y-Junction, Krab stood for a moment, trying hard to remember which path to take. The sewers were a confusing place to live in.
Five minutes later, he arrived at the headquarters. Rumors kept going around that it had once been used by the human race as some sort of secret military experiment. But it was now theirs, a large area where they could work in secret, away from prying eyes.
Completely on task, Krab walked passed his former tribesmen, all of them seething with jealousy that HE had been chosen as the Leader's favorite.
Pausing at the doorway to the Leader's office, Krab heard some noise inside. It was the Leader, yelling harshly at someone. When the noises ceased, Krab knocked timidly.
"Come in." The voice was soft, yet full of power.
Krab slowly opened the door, trying hard not to react to the scene in front of him. Hasnl, his former girlfriend, lay torn in half, her legs dangling off of the Leader's desk, her torso pinned against an old coat rack.
"Ah, Krab," the Leader grinned, standing up to shake his flunky's hand, "How are things going?"
"Perfectly well, sir!" Krab could feel Hasnl's eyes on him, a very uncomfortable feeling.
"Wonderful," he sat back down, his lips curling in a smile against bright yellow teeth. "Wonderful."
"Phase one is complete. The spies on the top have confirmed it."
Leaning back in his ripped, dusty leather chair, the Leader folded his hands behind his head. "So, we have a complete connection to the Hellmouth, no interruptions?"
"Yes, sir."
"Wonderful, simply wonderful." The Leader got up, walked over to a dry erase board that was near Hasnl's head, and erased 'Phase One' off the board. "As you can see," he indicated Hasnl, her mouth still open in shock, "We had a slight problem in manufacturing that will put us off a few days, but no worries."
"No problem, sir."
The Leader started to pace, muttering to himself. "What about the group of mortals?" he asked, turning to the smaller man.
Krab smiled. "Completely in the dark. They know nothing, sir."
Walking over to him, the Leader slung his arm around Krab, giving him a very masculine hug. "This day had started out very badly for me, but once again, you make it better." The Leader released his man, then returned to his desk, now interested in a pile of papers in front of him.
Minutes later, the Leader became aware that Krab had not left. "Is there anything else?"
Pulling at his index finger, Krab bit his lip. "There is one, one of the mortals, who may soon know what is going to happen."
The Leader folded his arms across his chest. "And how would that be?"
"I really don't know, they seem to have an intuition about what is going on."
Knitting his brow together, the Leader started to think. Then, a small smile crept up on his face. "Then, you will have to dispose of this person."
He pulled out a desk drawer, and began to rummage through it.
Standing, the Leader approached Krab, a crowbar in his hand. "You will have to do it the human way, we wouldn't want any mystical traces on the body."
"Yes, sir." Krab took the crowbar, then exited the room, developing a plan. Gotta go kill.
@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
Earlier that day
A delightful smell tickled Tara's nose as she slowly awoke. She blinked as the sun slowly made its way into the room, painting it in a soft yellow color. Rolling over, she discovered the space next to her was empty.
Willow? Where's Willow?
Confused, she squinted while looking around the room. Willow's pajamas were spread across the hope chest at the foot of their bed, her closet door opened. Had Willow gone to work, not wanting to wake me up?
Tara began to pout when the smell came to her again. It was coming from the kitchen. Willow.
She lay on her back again, trying to make out the smells her partner was making.
Sniff. Oatmeal with brown sugar. Sniff sniff. Orange juice, fresh with lots of pulp. Sniff. English muffin with raspberry jelly.
Giggling to herself, Tara sat up slightly. She's making breakfast for me! A secret breakfast! Which I'm not supposed to know about . . .
Uh oh!
Tara lay back down, and shut her eyes. Willow was the type of person who liked her surprises to remain absolutely secret, and Tara wasn't about to let her enhanced senses remove her partner's happiness.
Ever since she had gotten pregnant, all of her senses seemed to grow with power. Her sight, smell, even her magickal abilities. Last week, the tiny potted palm tree in the apartment was starting to sag. Tara performed a revitalizing spell, and not only did the palm get better, every single tree within a five-mile radius grew a foot.
Pulling the covers to her chin, Tara brushed her hands past her swelled stomach.
During the first few weeks of the pregnancy, Willow read their child's aura. With joy, she announced it was a velvety dark blue with flecks of gold. The child, whether it is a boy or a girl, would have powers beyond the imagination, and an honest soul.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the sound of high heels walking through the hallway came closer. The door opened, then shut slowly. A tray was set down on the hope chest.
Willow crawled onto the bed, creeping slowly over to her partner, trying hard to suppress her giggles. She leaned in, and softly brushed her lips against Tara's.
"Wake up, baby," she whispered.
Blinking her eyes, Tara looked at the love of her life. "Hey sweetie," she faked a yawn, trying not to give the impression that she had been up for a while.
As she started to sit up, Willow helped her. "Guess what I did?" Willow was smiling brightly, like a child on Christmas Day.
"What?" Tara looked at the hope chest, and saw the breakfast.
A bowl of creamy oatmeal, with swirls of brown sugar, sat in the center. To the right was a small plate, holding two golden halves of English muffins slathered with bright red raspberry jelly. A crystal wineglass was filled with juice. Completing the tray was a tiny pink rosebud in a glass vase.
Tears of joy began to well up in her eyes. Even though she knew about it, the surprise was still perfect. "You're so wonderful."
"As are you."
Brushing her cheek, Willow came in for another kiss. This one was longer, not full of passion, but sweet like honey.
A beeping went off somewhere. Breaking the kiss, Willow looked down at her watch.
"Damn! I have to be at the school in a half-hour. Oh, I don't wanna go today," Willow started to pout.
Tara came in and caught Willow's pouting lip, pulling on it. "Then don't!" she pulled away, pure joy in her eyes, "Stay here with me today! To hell with work and money!"
Giggling, Willow stood up. "Nope, I have to go. Teaching the young'ins about binding spells, so it should be a fun day." She took her job as the mystical theory professor quite seriously.
Picking up the tray, Willow set it next to Tara, getting a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight?"
Shaking her head, Tara sighed. "Nope, we're doing inventory tonight, so I'll be home late."
"Grumble grumble," Willow frowned, "That Anya's a slave driver."
"I know!"
Willow grabbed her purse as she laughed. "See you when you get home. Love you!"
"Love you too, baby."
The door shut, and moments later Tara heard Willow's car start up and pull out of the driveway.
Sighing, she took a bite of her oatmeal. Pure heaven. Well, at least the day wasn't a total loss.
@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
If I look at another honeysuckle scented candle, I'm going to blow my brains out!
Tara breathed a sigh of relief as she left the Magic Box. It was past midnight and for five long hours she, Anya, and Giles had been sorting through the contents of the Magic Box, checking if the inventory matched the prices. They would have gotten out earlier if Anya hadn't decided at the last minute to recheck the figures. Her and her damned money!
Looking up, Tara saw the moon, full and white. But, the rings around it troubled her. They were red, the color of blood, snaking around each other like ivy. Something was wrong.
Quickly pulling her keys out of her purse, Tara began to move rapidly towards her car. If it weren't for the child, she would have been sprinting.
When she reached the car, she felt a presence. It was sneaking around, trying not to be detected, but failing miserably.
"Who's there?"
The crickets chirped in response. A light wind caught her hair, blowing it back like ribbons.
"Who's there?"
She began to wish for Buffy, no Phoenix, to be around. Somehow, since she had returned, the worry seemed to go away.
"Who's the-"
A blinding pain, a metal bar being slammed against her back, silenced her. She fell to the ground, but rolled, as not to hurt the child.
Another whack, this time against her shin, brought her to tears.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" She looked up, trying hard to catch the face of her assailant.
It was a Flueruin demon, three horns sticking out of his forehead, teeth green and rotting.
He didn't answer, instead hitting her left thigh with the jagged end of the crowbar, digging into her flesh.
She gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face in pain.
Have to stop him, have to stop him . . .
She felt him come up to her head, slowly checking out his work. Flinging out her arms, as to trip him, Tara caught a hold of his bare foot.
As their skin made contact, his thoughts transferred to her in an instant. All the plans, mechanics; everything he knew about was passed to her. She saw all, the plans his master had, what they were going to do . . .
What they planned to do to her family.
"NO!" Tara screamed, not only for the pain she felt, but also for what she knew.
Without any emotion, the demon raised the crowbar up, over her head, and quickly brought it down. The pain she felt soon gave way to blackness, and unconsciousness.